Thyme Out

Our Ginger Spice Blend adds an exotic punch to traditional butternut squash soup. Roasting the squash rather than boiling it enhances its sweetness and results in a richer taste and texture. The  addition of apple adds a light citrus twist and the hot sauce is the perfect balance for the natural sugars in the squash.

I just split and seeded the squash and tossed it in the oven while I was getting ready for work. I put the whole thing in the fridge (roasting pan and all) and pulled it out when I got back from work to finish the soup. I had the soup on the table 20 minutes after I walked in the door.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 honey crisp apple
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Smith & Truslow organic Ginger Spice Blend
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon organic freshly ground Black Pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 Tablespoons half & half (or sour cream or yogurt)
• Cholula sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Slice squash in half and remove seeds.
3. Seed and cut apple into quarters.
4. Place squash face down on a greased roasting pan.
5. Roast squash in the oven for 20 minutes, add apple and roast an additional 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, let cool, and peel skins off squash and apple pieces.
7. Add chicken stock, squash and apple to a stock pot. Bring to a boil, and lower heat to a simmer.
8. Simmer for 10 minutes, blend using an immersion blender until soup is one consistency and there are no remaining chunks of squash.
9. Stir in Ginger Spice Blend, salt, pepper and cream.
10. Let soup rest for 5 minutes before serving.
11. Drizzle the top of each bowl with Cholula sauce.

A year ago, I was testing out this gingerbread recipe using our Ginger Spice Blend. I was just pulling it out of the oven when Ann, my neighbor, appeared at my door wanting to know what smelled so good. This was the first time I met Daniel, not quite two, newly adopted from Russia. He was pale and skinny, speechless, and had pure blue eyes filled with trepidation.

We sat down for a cup of tea, and gave Daniel his first taste of gingerbread. I put a small bite on his stroller tray, and after watching both Ann and I each take a bite, he too took a taste. He watched us, unable to understand a word we said, and didn’t even try to speak any of the Russian he already knew. Totally silent, he slowly reached his hand out toward the gingerbread, indicating he wanted more. I can’t tell you how much my heart grew watching that little boy, pale as a ghost, eating gingerbread.

Now a year later, I listen for him in the hall outside our condo. When I open the door, I hear him sing “Jean”, and immediately get ready to catch him as he runs straight at me and launches into the air. He is all boy, has endless energy, and shows little resemblance to the pale listless child who arrive a year ago. He is a sponge, absorbing everything around him, constantly in search of ball to throw, and a companion with whom to play.

Whenever I make this gingerbread, I think of Daniel, and the world that awaits him, and what he will make of it with his unbridled enthusiasm.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons Smith & Truslow organic Ginger Spice Blend

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan.
2. Cream together butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in molasses, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and Smith & Truslow Ginger Spice Blend.
5. Stir flour mixture into wet batter in small batches being careful not to over-beat.
6. Bake 30-45 minutes in a preheated oven. Toothpick test the center of the cake to determine if it is done.

Delicious and easy—potato pancakes. If you used garlic in your mashed potatoes, even better. Serve with ketchup, hot sauce or apple sauce.

Ingredients:

• mashed potatoes, about 2 cups
• small onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon organic freeze-dried chives

Directions:

1. Beat eggs. Blend in potatoes, flour, salt, pepper and chives. Add more flour if needed.
2. Heat up skillet medium-high with canola or safflower oil.
3. Drop 1/4 cup batter on skillet.  Cook until golden, then flip.

To be honest, the first few times I tried to make this recipe, I ate the roasted sweet potatoes before they made it into the soup. They are fantastic!  I especially like them as a left over for breakfast. I finally restrained myself enough to make the soup …. and am glad I persevered. Who said comfort food can’t be healthy?

Ingredients

• 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons unrefined virgin coconut oil, melted, or olive oil (I just use olive oil)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon organic freshly ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon organic freshly ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon organic freshly ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon organic freshly ground nutmeg
• 6 to 8 cups magic mineral broth or vegetable broth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes with coconut oil until they are evenly coated.
3. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt with the cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and nutmeg and stir until well combined.
4. Sprinkle spice mixture over the potatoes and toss again until evenly coated.
5. Place the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the prepared pan and roast for 40 minutes until tender.
6. Pour 1/3 cup of the broth into a blender, add one third of the roasted potatoes, and blend until smooth, adding more liquid as needed. Transfer to a soup pot over low heat and repeat the process two more times. Stir in any remaining broth, along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, before serving.

This recipe is from Rebecca Katz’s cookbook, The Cancer Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery (reprinted with permission). To find out more about cancer-fighting ingredients, go to www.rebeccakatz.com.

A few weeks ago, I stopped in the Little Raven Vinyards Wine Shop to pick up a bottle of wine for a friends birthday dinner.  It was my first visit, but definitely will not be my last. The unpretentious wisdom of their in-house sommelier makes exploring their diverse collection of undiscovered wines fun and educational. If your a local, give them a visit at 1590 Little Raven, near commons park. If you aren’t local, you can still share their wisdom by signing up for “The Grape Vine”, their weekly e-newsletter. It’s filled with great recipes and information on wine and food pairings. The recipe below was in this weeks newsletter—just in “thyme” for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients

• peel and juice of 1 medium orange
• peel and juice of 1/2 medium lemon
• 3 cups ruby port*
• 1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, washed
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 ounce fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon organic ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon (or apple pie spice blend)
• 2 Tablespoons orange liqueur

Directions

1. Julienne the orange lemon peels. In a small saucepan, heat the juices and 1/2 cup of the port. Over medium-high heat, cook the peels until tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, onion, 2 cups of the port, ginger, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Over medium-high heat, cook until the relish thickens, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup port, the orange liqueur, and the reserved orange and lemon peel mixture. Cool. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate, covered until needed. This will keep up to one week, so it can be prepared ahead of time.

Recipe adapted from Wolfgang Puck’s Adventure in the Kitchen (New York: Random House), 1991.

Not merely turkey redux, but a whole new animal. Transports you from Plymouth to Oaxaca. This is adapted from Mark Bittman and was printed in the San Francisco Chronicle a few years ago. He started with fresh turkey legs; I use my leftover turkey meat from Thanksgiving. Muy sabroso!

Ingredients:

• leftover turkey breast and/or thighs,
  about 3 lbs total
• 2 dried ancho or other mild chiles
• 1/4 cup corn or canola oil
• 1 dried red (hot) chile
• 1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup blanched almonds
• salt and at least 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 5 or more large cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 or 4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon organic freshly ground cinnamon
• pinch organic freshly ground cloves
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 cups chicken stock
• sesame seeds for garnish, as needed
• tortillas

Directions:

1. Soak ancho or other mild chili in hot water to cover. Once softened, remove from water and remove stems and seeds. Set aside.
2. Heat half the oil at medium-high in heavy skillet or casserole that can later be covered. Add hot chili and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add almonds, salt, pepper, garlic, tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, mild chiles, vinegar and half the stock. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to break down. Cool slightly (or for several hours) then puree in blender. Add remaining stock as needed to allow the blender to do its work. Taste, and add more salt, pepper and vinegar to taste.
3. Shred turkey (or use whole legs), and add to mole until heated throughout.
4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with tortillas.