Take the edge off Autum chill with Curried Pumpkin Soup

pumpkin soup
Originally uploaded by Siddity.

Ingredients:
2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped carrot
1.5 c. chopped white mushroom
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chopped boniato (white sweet potato)
4 tbs. butter
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar

In large stock pot, sautee onions, garlic, carrots and mushrooms in butter over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add boniato and sautee additional 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add canned pumpkin, one cup at a time, stirring until dispersed. Add curry powder, cumin, cinnamon and sugar and stir, then simmer additional 10 minutes on very low heat.

Remove from heat and serve topped with slices of green apple and cold, roasted chicken.

Serves about 10. Without the chicken and apple, soup is approximately 132 calories per bowl, packed with vitamins and in-season, fall harvest vegetables. Warm, fragrant, spicy and delicious.

Enjoy!

what is this, velvet?

what is this, velvet?

i baked this cake for one of my friends, who requested it for her birthday. this cake is supposedly a southern specialty, but i didn't hear of it until last year. at any rate, this cake is smooth, fluffy, delicious; but the flavor of it can't really be tamped down. it's not really chocolate, it's definitely not vanilla -- it's just red velvet.

Red Vevet Cake

Vegetable oil for the pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Crushed pecans, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans (i made 2 layers, instead of 3).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer. Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days (if you do two layers, you will most definitely have extra).


recipe courtesy of cakeman raven confectionary via food network