In her latest cookbook, Rose Reisman The Complete Light Kitchen (published by Whitecap Books), the author suggests that this book is a must. In our super-charged, faster than fast society, we’re eating more and eating less healthily than we used to. Rose says, “Obesity rates have doubled over the past 10 years. Today’s youngsters are suffering from high blood pressure and high cholesterol and are at risk of getting Type 2 diabetes at an early age. The onset of these diseases will shorten their life span.” Sombre news and it’s nothing new. We’ve been headed down this road for years.
In The Complete Light Kitchen, Reisman makes it easy to break down the building blocks of nutrition and successfully plan healthy meals that nourish you instead of fill you up on empty calories. From Breakfast and Brunch, Salads, Fish and Seafood, Chicken to Vegetables, Reisman breaks down the chapters into foods to make fixing dinner a snap. The Coconut Layer Cake with Italian Meringue Icing in the dessert chapter (Rose’s motto is everything in moderation and that makes undeniably good sense!) looks particularly appealing.
So what better way to celebrate autumn’s glorious fall colours than to prepare a warm, satisfying bowl of Butternut Squash soup that reflect the burnt orange on our trees. In this accessible and delectable version, Reisman adds apple and apple juice concentrate to brighten and balance out the soups flavours. You can dress up your bowl of soup any way you like; Rose prefers a simple drizzle of low-fat sour cream with some parsley.
Butternut Squash and Apple Puree
Serves 8
Rose Reisman says, “This combination of sweet and tart flavours is incredible. To save time, shop for squash that has been peeled and cubed.”
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2 tsp chopped fresh garlic
- 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- 3 ½ cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed (approximately 6 ½ cups)
- 1 medium green apple, peel and diced
- 1/3 cup apple juice concentrate
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp low-fat sour cream
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Method:
1. Spray a non-stick saucepan with cooking oil, add the vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and ginger for 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown.
2. Ad the stock, squash, apple, apple juice concentrate and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
3. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary.
4. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Make Ahead:
Prepare up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. Reheat gently over low heat, adding more stock if too thick. Garnish just before serving.
- Calories per serving: 112
- Fiber: 3.7 g
- Fat: 1.9 g
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