Butternut Squash Soup

(recipe at the bottom of you want to skip all this verbiage)

So, you may have read that I am trying to reduce the grains and starches in my diet.  I know my body does better both physically and mentally without these things.  I also believe that we just don't need them in our diet.  Human beings didn't evolve eating the amount of grains and starches that we now consume or think we should consume based on the food pyramid.  (I won't go off about the supposedly "balanced" food pyramid that was pushed through by the big agriculture lobbyists.)

I have done pretty well avoiding these things (grains and starches, not carbs per se) and have slowly started reducing or eliminating them from my family's meals at home.  I examined how much grains, starches and sugars my kids were eating away from home and decided they did not need any when they eat dinner at home.  It is disturbing how much of these grains and starches they eat in a day.

Here is what my son ate yesterday (not including dinner):

Breakfast at home: lean sausage, and oatmeal with blueberries

2nd breakfast at daycare: cereal, milk and banana

Lunch at daycare: Breakfast Burritos made with white flour tortillas and filled with kids' choice of any or all of scrambled eggs, cheese, pinto beans, potatoes.  This was served with a sides of sugary yogurt and canned pineapple chunks. (Yes there was some protein and some fruit here...but it is HEAVY on carbs!)

Snack at daycare: graham crackers and apple juice (ummmm, really?)

OMG!  Is it no wonder that he is starving when I pick him up?? The poor boy has been going through insulin spikes all day.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE his daycare, I am even on the parent board, but I hate the menu.  Thank goodness they are a "sugar-free" facility.  Can't imagine if cookies and brownies were a regular menu item.   I have tried to get a nutrition committee going, but was told that I didn't want to take on the cook, it doesn't work and she will leave.  To her credit, she does get the kids to try a lot of new things and makes amazing, veggie-filled soups.

Anyway, you can see that my son gets all the carbs he needs in a day at his daycare.  My daughter's situation is very similar, but she does bring snacks from home.  I have tried to eliminate the grains from the breakfast table, but have met with considerable resistance.  But, we haven't bought any packaged cereals for awhile despite occasional complaints from the peanut gallery.  One thing at a time right?  I am focusing on dinner and have slowly been weaning them off of grain side dishes.

In fact, for the last 2 nights we haven't had a grain on the table and zero complaints.  It was amazing.  I am doing my best to create 2 yummy veggie side dishes.  Last night I made this butternut squash soup.  I got the original from Martha Stewart and have since tweaked it a tad.  I think the soup is so much improved if you have the time to caramelize the onions.  If you are short on time, just saute them long enough for them to be translucent.

Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 4

2 Tbs butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2, 10 oz bags of frozen, chopped butternut squash

4 C water

fresh orange juice from 1 orange

1 1/2 tsp salt

ground pepper

Sour cream or yogurt, (optional)

Martha's Spicy Pumpkin Seeds 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and squash; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until squash is tender, 20 minutes.

You can purée the soup with an immersion blender in the pot or do it in the blender, vitamix, food processor in two batches. The immersion blender will not produce a completely smooth result. When using a blender for hot foods, allow the heat to escape to prevent splattering. Remove the cap from the hole of the blender’s lid, and cover with a dish towel. Return soup to pan and add 1 1/2 tsp salt. Slowly stir in the orange juice a small amount at a time.  This way you can control for taste. Last night I needed all the juice to give it the taste I wanted. Previous batches have required less. I don't like an overwhelming orange taste (or even a medium orange flavor to the soup, I just want a hint).

Serve hot, with  a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, pepper, and spicy pumpkin seeds, if desired (yes, make these seeds, they add a warm heat and tangy depth to the soup that is amazing).

The kids and the hubby loved this.  I haven't told them what is in it cause they don't like any of the main individual components.  LOL. 

Here's to eating your veggies!

Enjoy!

Amy