Today I'm Fiber Crafting

And you thought the fiber was fabric.....nope....I went to get my flu shot today.  BTW...if you haven't gotten yours, you'd best take that little arm of yours and get protected against that nasty bug.  Anyway, while waiting at the pharmacy I started reading the booklet Rite Health.  In it is a recipe for Roasted Squash Soup.  It sounded yummy so off to the grocery I went and got what I needed.

 Let me tell you....it is yummy as is, however, I like things a bit more spicy. So I added 1 tsp of cumin.  Still not enough so I added 1/8 tsp hot curry powder, ground black pepper and a bit of salt  to my cup....now we're talkin!  When I make this again, I am going to reduce the orange zest and orange juice to half the amount.  I think the orange is over powering.  Perhaps I used too big of an orange, and it was really, really juicy.  I am also going to add 1 tsp each of curry powder and cumin. 

The recipe made exactly 8 cups and the Weight Watcher points value is 4 PP per cup.  It's one of those smooth soups that taste so good on a cold and wet day.  The soup and 1/2 a sandwich is the perfect anytime meal. 

Per serving 136 calories, 4 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 5 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 43 mg sodium (adjust if you add more to your cup). 

Here is the recipe:
3 lb butternut squash, peeled, cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
1 cup onions chopped fine
1 TBL olive oil
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 orange (zest and juice)
1/2 cup orange juice. 

Heat oven to 375 degrees and spray roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Add cubed squash and spray the top of the squash.  Roast 20 to 25 minutes. 

Add squash, chicken stock  to the pot and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.  Add contents to  the blender  and blend until smooth.  You may need to do this in batches.   (I used an immersion  blender in the cooking pot). 

When smooth, add the orange juice and zest.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

The recipe also had a Coconut Puree Garnish, which I did not make.  Here's the recipe for it. 

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 Serrano chili pepper, 1/2 bench cilantro - leaves only, and juice and zest from one orange. 

Blend all ingredients.  If it's too thick, thin with water.   Garnish each cup with approximately 1 tsp.

I'm off to take a quart to a friend.  I hope it warms her tummy and brings a smile to her face. 

Hugs from Northern California....
Mary Mac
AKA:  Glitter Grammy