Slow

This slow-cooker butternut squash and apple soup couldn’t be simpler. It’s a matter of throwing a bunch of vegetables into a slow cooker with some water and letting it cook for 4 to 8 hours. When it’s time to serve, plunge in your immersion blender and purée with some coconut milk. Healthy and delicious!

Last week my Aunt Vicki was in town from California. Predictably , I took her to Riverview Orchards for cider donuts and to Mrs. London’s for almond croissants. When we weren’t out and about, we sat at home, sipping lemon-ginger tea, flipping through cookbooks at the kitchen table.

One night Vicki spotted this recipe in the new SkinnyTaste cookbook , and we then made it three times before she left.

It couldn’t be simpler: chop up an apple (no need to peel), a few carrots (no need to peel), an onion or a leek, and a peeled butternut squash. You throw all of these vegetables in a slow cooker with some water (or stock) and let it cook for 4 to 8 hours. When it’s time to serve, plunge in your immersion blender and purée with some coconut milk. That’s it!

I’m always tempted to add curry powder or curry paste to squash soups, but I find the flavors here so pure—the apple and carrots provide a touch of sweetness, the coconut milk a hint of richness. I’ve yet to try making the soup with stock, because it doesn’t seem necessary—after 4 or 8 hours of simmering, the water essentially becomes a vegetable stock.

We served the soup with bread , of course, and simple salads: one night this black bean and sweet potato salad , another a shaved Brussels sprout salad with an anchovy dressing, and another night Swiss chard with lemon and breadcrumbs .

There’s no need to expound the virtues of a slow cooker, but sometimes using one really feels like a miracle. Three times last week, dinner was nearly done before the kids had left for school. This made the days relaxed and the evenings leisurely. Last Friday night before heading out to the Union hockey game, we all sat down for soup and salad. There was no scramble, no stress, and we still arrived with 5 minutes to spare—the biggest miracle of all.

PS: ALL the Soup Recipes here

PPS: How To Be a More Efficient Soup Maker .

Here’s the play-by-play:

How to Make Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

First, gather your vegetables:

Add the coarsely chopped, unpeeled apples and carrots to a slow cooker. Peel the butternut squash and onion, and add them, too:

Simmer for 4 to 8 hours; then purée with a bit of coconut milk:

Serve with lots of bread on the side.

A crispy leek garnish is a nice touch, too:

Description

From SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow

Notes: I’ve made this with as much as 2.5 lbs. of butternut squash post peeling. I’ve never made this with chicken or vegetable stock—I’ve only used water—but I imagine either of those stocks would add even more flavor. The leek garnish is delicious but totally optional—confession: I never actually made it until it was time to take photos.

If you don’t have a slow-cooker, I think you could make this stovetop—simmer everything until the squash and carrots are cooked through. With a faster cooking time, I would suggest using vegetable or chicken stock.

• 2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped or 1 leek (white part only, rinsed and roughly chopped)
• 1 apple, any kind you like, roughly chopped, no need to peel (I’ve been using Honey Crisp or Fuji)
• 1 medium (or a couple small) carrots, roughly chopped
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups water or low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, plus more to tastefor the garnish:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced leeks, white part only, rinsed if necessary
• pinch sea salt

1. Place the squash, onion or leek, apple, carrot, and water or stock in a slow cooker. If using water, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. If using stock, add a pinch of salt, then adjust at the end. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, until the squash and carrots are cooked through.
2. Stir in the coconut milk. Puree the soup in the slow cooker with an immersion blender until smooth (or in a stand blender in batches.) Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. I consistently add 3/4 cup coconut milk (total) and another teaspoon of kosher salt, but make your adjustments to taste.
3. For the garnish, which is optional: Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the oil and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
4. To serve, pour the soup into 6 serving bowls and garnish with the crispy leeks. Drizzle with more coconut milk if desired. I like lots of cracked black pepper over top.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Category: Soup
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Description

From SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow

Notes: I’ve made this with as much as 2.5 lbs. of butternut squash post peeling. I’ve never made this with chicken or vegetable stock—I’ve only used water—but I imagine either of those stocks would add even more flavor. The leek garnish is delicious but totally optional—confession: I never actually made it until it was time to take photos.

If you don’t have a slow-cooker, I think you could make this stovetop—simmer everything until the squash and carrots are cooked through. With a faster cooking time, I would suggest using vegetable or chicken stock.

• 2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped or 1 leek (white part only, rinsed and roughly chopped)
• 1 apple, any kind you like, roughly chopped, no need to peel (I’ve been using Honey Crisp or Fuji)
• 1 medium (or a couple small) carrots, roughly chopped
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups water or low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, plus more to tastefor the garnish:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced leeks, white part only, rinsed if necessary
• pinch sea salt

1. Place the squash, onion or leek, apple, carrot, and water or stock in a slow cooker. If using water, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. If using stock, add a pinch of salt, then adjust at the end. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, until the squash and carrots are cooked through.
2. Stir in the coconut milk. Puree the soup in the slow cooker with an immersion blender until smooth (or in a stand blender in batches.) Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. I consistently add 3/4 cup coconut milk (total) and another teaspoon of kosher salt, but make your adjustments to taste.
3. For the garnish, which is optional: Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the oil and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
4. To serve, pour the soup into 6 serving bowls and garnish with the crispy leeks. Drizzle with more coconut milk if desired. I like lots of cracked black pepper over top.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Category: Soup
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2016/11/11/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-apple-soup/

I think at this point I’ve posted four variations of this same galette. I can’t help it — to me there is nothing more delicious than the combination of flaky pastry, vanilla- or bourbon-spiked frangipane, and sweet slices of fruit ( peach , pluot , tomato ).

This is a longtime favorite David Lebovitz recipe. The pastry, which is impossibly flaky, slightly sweet, and completely delicious, can be made entirely in the food processor as can the frangipane — no need to clean the bowl in between activities. What’s more, the whole galette can be assembled and in your oven in about 15 minutes. Yesterday afternoon I made a little Facebook Live video of the entire process, and even though I forgot the butter in the fridge (oops!), the galette was ready for the oven in about 13 minutes.

Friends, Thanksgiving is fast approaching! If you’ve been charged with dessert duties, I suggest apple galette. Hope your week is off to a good start.

Description

This is a longtime favorite recipe from David Lebovitz. It was published in Fine Cooking years ago, and I think I’ve made it 1,000 times. I finally have my method down, which is reflected in the recipe below. Pastry dough yields 2 rounds. Don’t halve the recipe. Freeze the other round or keep it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

Frangipane can be made up to a week in advance. Double the recipe if you are making 2 galettes. Use 1 egg for a double recipe.

For the pastry:

• 2½ (320g) cups all-purpose flour
• 2 T. sugar
• ½ tsp . table salt
• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons | 8 oz | 227g ) unsalted butter
• ½ C. + 2 T. ice water

for the frangipane:

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1 egg (small if possible)
• 2 teaspoons Bourbon, rum, brandy or vanilla

for assembly:

• 1 to 2 apples, I like Honey Crisp or Fuji, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, turbinado is nice
• vanilla ice cream for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place a rack in the center of the oven. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt together. Cut the butter into small pieces, then add to the food processor. Pulse at 1-second intervals until butter is the size of peas—should be about 10 quick pulses. Add the ice water and pulse again about 10 times until the mixture is crumbly but holds together when pinched. See video for guidance. Lay two clean tea towels on a work surface. Dump half of the crumbly dough mixture into the center of each. Grab the four corners of the towel together and twist to create a beggar’s purse— the video really helps explain this step —pressing the dough into a disk. Use your hands to pack and pat the disk together. Store one of the rounds. Keep one handy.
2. Don’t wash the food processor! Combine almond flour, sugar, salt, butter and egg in the dirty bowl of the food processor. Pulse until combined, then add vanilla or alcohol. Purée until smooth.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12- or 13-inch round. Use as much flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking, and every few rolls, flip the dough over. Transfer dough to a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheetpan. Spoon the frangipane into the center leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles starting at the outer edge of the frangipane. Fold the exposed edge of dough towards the center to make a rustic enclosure— the video might help with this. Brush the edge of the dough with melted butter. Drizzle the remainder over the exposed apples. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the top. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Remove pan from the oven and let rest on cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes or until Silpat or paper is cool enough to handle. Grab the edges of the paper or Silpat and slide to a cooling rack to cool further or to a cutting board to serve. Cut into wedges. Serve on its own or with vanilla ice cream.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Food Processor
• Cuisine: American