Ingredients

• 1 Butternut Squash
• ½ cup chopped  yellow onions
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon ginger powder or paste
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme
•  1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less depending on your spice preference
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 can coconut milk
• ¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F

1. Wash, peel, and cut squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and chop squash into 1 inch cubes
2. Place parchment paper over baking pan, add squash, onion, and garlic
3. Sprinkle all seasonings evenly over squash and drizzle olive oil over veggies.
4. Bake 35 minutes or until squash is soft
5. Let cool for 5 minutes.
6. Add baked squash mix to blender or food processor, pour in coconut milk and blend until smooth.
7. Add pureed squash to medium saucepan and heat over medium heat 3-5 minutes until warm.

Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, or a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients:

• 2, 15oz cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 pound yellow potatoes, large dice
• 12 oz button mushrooms, quartered
• 2-3 carrots carrots, chopped
• 2- 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 Andouille sausage links, cut into 1 inch slices
• About 20-25 Gulf shrimp (the smaller shrimp we call them gulf )
• 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 Tablespoons flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup red wine
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

1. In a medium soup pot, over medium heat, cook andouille until browned and plump. Remove from pan to let rest.
2. Add your mirepoix (carrots, celery, onions) to the pan and cook until softened.
3. Add butter and flour. Whisk until brown…like sepia crayon brown. Sprinkle salt and pepper, add garlic.
4. Add mushrooms, potatoes, red wine, stock , and stewed tomatoes.
5. Stir occasionally for about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle in your Herbs de Provence
6. Add the andouille and shrimp into the pot and bring to a boil.
7. Once at a boil, place your bay leaves in, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with a nice crusty bread 😊

recipe adapted from Natasha’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 6 oz thick sliced bacon, chopped into ¼ inch wide strips
• Olive Oil to Sautee
• 2 – 2 ½  pounds good quality stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups good red wine. Not cooking wine, if you won’t drink it don’t cook with it!
• 1 pound mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch slices
• 3 celery stalks, cut into ½  inch slices
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups low sodium beef broth or beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 pound small potatoes (new potatoes, or fingerling), halved or quartered
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F

1. In a large, oven-proof pot, sauté bacon over medium heat until golden brown and fat is released. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a separate bowl.
2. While bacon is cooking, place beef in a large mixing bowl and season with ½ Tbsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Sprinkle beef with ¼ cup flour and toss to combine and evenly coat beef. Transfer beef in batches into the hot bacon fat and cook over med/high heat, until beef is browned (3-4 min per side). Do not try to flip it early! Really let it sit for at least 3 minutes, I know it’s hard, but you can do it! Add olive oil if needed. Cook beef in 2 batches or it won’t sear properly. Transfer browned beef to the bowl with bacon.
3. Add 2 cups wine to the pot and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pot. Add sliced mushrooms and simmer over medium heat about 10 min. Return beef and bacon to the pot.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and add 2 Tablespoons olive oil.
5. Once the oil starts to shimmer add sliced carrots, diced onion and 4 chopped garlic cloves, and sauté 4 min. Add  tomato paste and sauté another minute. Transfer veggies to the soup pot.
6. Add  beef broth,Worcestershire sauce,  bay leaves, dried thyme, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil.
7. Add potatoes, making sure they are submerged in liquid then cover and transfer to a 325˚F oven for 1 hour and 45 min. Beef will be very tender.

*For a healthier stew, you can tilt the pot after it comes out of the oven to allow the liquid to pool to one side, then skim off any excess fat. If will also solidify on the top once chilled in the fridge.