Favorite Foods of Fall

Since fall is my favorite season, I had high aspirations of doing series on our blog of my favorite fall recipes.  But, since it's already the week of Thanksgiving and my series never quite got started, here are some of my favorite recipes for fall!  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, & cut into cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth

Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat.  Add squash, onion, & garlic.  Cook 10-15 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.  Add allspice; cook & stir 1 minute.

Add chicken broth & bring to a boil.  Cover; reduce heat to low.  Simmer 15 minutes or until squash is tender.  Add, in batches, to food processor and blend until smooth.  Return to saucepan and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Serve with sour cream, a dash of nutmeg, & saltine crackers.

Sweet Potato Tortilla Soup

(no picture of this one--it was gone too fast!)

We first had this soup last fall, when my friend Ericka brought us dinner one night after we'd brought Isaac home.  We LOVE it, and I've made it 3 times in just the last month.  Isaac loves it too!

Saute until tender:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

Add:

3 medium sweet potatoes (peeled & cubed)

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp child powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Bring all ingredients to a boil & simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

Puree 2 1/2 cups of mixture and return to pot.

Add:

1 can Rotel (or 1 can diced tomatoes + 1 can green chiles)

1 cup frozen corn

3 T chopped fresh cilantro

Cook until heated through.  Top with sour cream and serve with tortilla chips. 

Pumpkin Cream Pie

I made this recipe from Martha Stewart Magazine a few weekends ago for our Community Group.  Mine didn't look quite as beautiful as Martha's does in this picture, but it was delicious!  My favorite thing about the recipe was that all of the work can be done ahead of time (you know I love being efficient!), and then the pie sets up in the fridge until you're ready to serve! 

Makes one 9-inch pie; Serves 8

FOR THE GINGERSNAP CRUST

1 1/4 cups ground gingersnaps (from about 25 cookies)

2 tablespoons sugar

Salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

FOR THE PUMPKIN CREAM FILLING

2 cups whole milk (side note:  Dave is thrilled that we have whole milk for the first time since we've been married now that Isaac is drinking it!  And, I have to admit that it makes recipes taste much better than my usual skim milk)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

1/2 cup sugar

Salt
4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin (from one 15-ounce can)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whisked to medium peaks (or, if you're like me, use Cool Whip...because when I got to this point in the recipe, I realized we'd used most of the cream in our coffee throughout the week)

Make the gingersnap crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine gingersnaps, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch metal pie dish. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Make the pumpkin cream filling:
Bring milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks with cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl.

Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup milk mixture into yolk mixture. Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Return entire mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbling in center, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately whisk in pumpkin. Whisk in butter.

Strain filling through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Pour into gingersnap crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, top with whipped cream, and garnish with nutmeg.