Butternut Squash Soup with Apples & Coconut Cream

I think I've improved a Martha Stewart recipe! I know, that's a big deal! :)  I added the coconut cream to this recipe, a dash of orange juice and changed some of the spices. Cumin has a really strong taste, so I only add 1/4 tsp. The original recipe needed just a bit more flavor and the coconut cream gave it that extra richness. Yum.

INGREDIENTS Those listed above + 1/2 cup orange juice 1 can of coconut cream 4 cups water (or broth)

****I had a can of coconut cream in my fridge b/c I was planning on making coconut whip cream with it. I recommend chilling the can of coconut cream, so that the cream and the water separate. Then pour the water out of the can, so that only the cream itself is added. It's a delicious addition!! *****

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1: Melt  little coconut oil (or butter, or oil) in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion until soft then add your spices: ginger, garlic, cumin & cayenne. 

STEP 2: Next add your squash; cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is soft, 6 to 8 minutes. 

STEP 3: Now add your apples and water (or vegetable broth, your choice). Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer everything, stirring occasionally until squash is fully cooked, 20-25 minutes and your apples are nice and soft. Add a splash of orange juice at this point (about 1/2 a cup) 

STEP 3: If you have a stick blender you can use it to smooth out the consistency of the soup. (That's what I did.) I didn't blend it entirely as I wanted the apples to be highlighted and not completely mixed in. If you don't have a stick blender set half the soup aside to cool and blend it in a normal blender then add it back to the rest of the batch. You could also just leave the soup thick and chunky without blending it. Whichever you prefer. Finally, stir in a can of coconut cream! I drained the coconut water out of mine and just added the chilled cream. YUM.

Enjoy with cracked pepper or cinnamon!

Doesn't soup warm up your insides? It's my favorite during these chilled months. It hasn't been that cold actually, 80 degrees here! Haha :) But it's the idea of fall that makes me want to sit by the fire and be bundled up with a bowl of soup. It will get cold soon enough! :)

P.S.  A few more delicious fall recipes: frittata pizza and crispy butternut squash fries!

Pizza Night is BACK! Crispy Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I've tried making gluten free/grain free pizza in a variety of ways using: almond flour, gluten free pizza crust mixes, combining almond flour & coconut flour etc...but this recipe takes the cake! It's now our favorite. I used another cauliflower pizza crust recipe from Pinterest, but it was not as good (the crust was a bit soggy). This recipe is THE BEST. Tried and true. It's from one of my favorite blogs, The Detoxinista. I added a few of my favorite spices to the recipe I made below and put my pictures into a grid so I can go back and reference it. I also made my own tomato sauce. I'll post that recipe later in the week. Yummmm. Next time I'm getting some good ham + pineapple + onions and making Hawaiian Pizza! Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS 4 cups of cauliflower "rice" (2 medium heads) 1 Tb. oregano 1 tsp. fennel seeds 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 egg, beaten 1/3 c soft mozzarella goat cheese (I'm sure regular mozzarella would work!)

STEPS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. ________ Total Prep Time: 25minutes Total Cook Time: crust 30minutes, pizza 10 minutes

1. Cut up your cauliflower into florets and pulse in a food processor until it has the shape of  rice. I did mine in 3 batches so I didn't overfill my food processor.

>>Next, you'll need to fill a pot with 1-2in water and bring it to a boil. Add your cauliflower rice and cook it for 3-5minutes.

2. Strain the cauliflower rice and rinse it with cold water. Then dump it into a dish cloth or cheese cloth if you have it (that's what I used) and SQUEEEEEEEZE, SQUEEZE, SQUEEZE!! As you can tell those are man hands in that picture. Grant squeezed out the water multiple times. This is a crucial step to ensure your crust is not soggy.

3. In a bowl mix together your spices, egg and grated mozzarella goat cheese. Add your dried cauliflower rice to the bowl and mix well. I used my hands!

4. Roll your crust into a ball and then flatten out on parchment paper. I would strongly recommend using parchment paper. Grant went out and bought it while I was preparing the recipe because we were out. I used aluminum foil last time I made it, I even sprayed it, but it did not work--the bottom of the crust stuck! Bake your crust for at least 30 minutes. You want it to be CRISPY and BROWN on the edges.

5. When crust is golden brown and crispy remove from oven, add your sauce and all your toppings then put it back in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

6. Let your pizza cool a bit then slice, serve & EAT IT UP! yummm.

^^^ I tripled the recipe and made 4 individual sized pizza crusts to eat later. I froze them on parchment paper so they're ready to pop in the oven. ^^^

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UPDATE : I unfroze 2 of the individual pizza crusts (from above picture) for a quick Saturday Pizza night and baked them at 400 degrees for about 30minutes. Delicious! They were perfectly crispy. Picture below:

Enjoy!!