With an abundance of winter squash puree on my hands, I decided to come up with a meal that is good for you and packed with flavor.This soup has been one of my favorites for a long time. The addition of apples helps give it a touch of sweetness.
The pumpkin rolls were a huge hit! I reinvented my favorite dinner roll recipe to include pumpkin. The pumpkin made them very moist. They were as soft and delicious on day 3 as they were when they were fresh.
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 c. Earth Balance, melted and cooled (or butter)
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. Vital Wheat Gluten (helps whole wheat breads rise)
1 cup warm water
4 1/2-5 1/2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour (you may need more or less depending on humidity)
-In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the flour. Stir well to combine.
-Mix in the flour until the dough comes together without being too sticky or too dry. When in doubt, put in less flour. A dough that is too dry will be hard to work with and not as tasty to eat. You can always mix in more flour as you knead if it's too sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes dusting lightly with flour to keep it from sticking to the surface and your hands.
-Put dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam or a damp kitchen towel. Set in a warm place to rise until about doubled in size (about 90 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 350*. Grease (spray well with Pam) an 11"x18" pan or two 9"cake pans. Form about 18 rolls equal in size (about the size of a large egg,but round)and place in the pan(s). Let them rise until almost doubled in a warm place (about 45-60 minutes).
Place in the preheated, 350* oven for 35-40 minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted into the center of a roll reaches 190*.
-Turn the rolls out onto a cooling rack and brush the tops of the rolls with melted Earth Balance. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Autumn Harvest Soup4 cups butternut squash puree
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil or Earth Balance
2 medium apples, diced (not Granny Smith)
1 quart chicken stock (homemade preferred but LOW sodium if you buy it)
salt
1. In a large pot, saute onions and apples in oil or Earth Balance on medium-low heat until VERY soft. They need to be very soft or they won't puree into a smooth soup. Don't let them brown.
2. Puree onions and apples in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Add back to the pot and turn heat to medium. Add butternut squash puree and chicken stock. Add salt to taste.
(The amount of salt will vary greatly depending on your broth. Store bought broth has so much salt that you may not have to add any additional salt. I use homemade stock without any added salt so I use close to 1 1/2tsp. of salt to my soup. )
3. Let soup simmer until heated through. Taste to be sure any onions were well pureed. If you taste tiny bits of onion, let the soup boil for about 15-20 minutes to fully cook the onions. Check seasonings. Serve. Serves approx. 6 large adults.
I'm excited to enter these recipes in the Naturally Frugal Food Challenge. Wish me luck!
