RECIPES | threewomeninthekitchen

deborahreinhardt

Nov 2, 20233 min read

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Sweet autumn squash is the star to this creamy, dairy-free recipe.

creamy orange butternut squash soup in bowl on autumn table — Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

My Toast to Roasts closes out with an easy, inexpensive, and budget-friendly recipe. Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is everything you could want in a comforting bowl. It also would make a wonderful first course for your Thanksgiving feast.

I grew up with vegetables on my dinner plate. Mom and Grandma, who believed in the three square meals per day mantra, made certain dinner had a protein, starch, vegetable or a salad. However, the vegetables often were steamed, canned, or lost in a creamy casserole.

In addition to carrots, vegetables to roast include Brussel sprouts, beets, tomatoes (it makes the best pasta sauce), broccoli, cauliflower—well, you get the idea. And winter squash—although technically a fruit—was made for the oven; roasted butternut squash is divine. The squash’s sugars caramelize while roasting, which intensifies the flavor. Another plus to this recipe is there’s no need to break down the raw squash, which can be a real challenge if you’ve never done that.

The natural starches in butternut squash will create a beautiful, creamy consistency when blended right before serving. You’d swear there was milk or cream in this recipe, but there isn’t. It’s also a perfect vegan dish because the veggies simmer in vegetable broth. If you’re not vegan, you could use butter instead of olive oil when softening the soup’s mirepoix. Let’s get cooking!

To make my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, which yields 8 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup yellow onion, diced
¼ cup celery, diced
¼ cup carrots, diced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 cups vegetable stock
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

butternut squash on sheet tray lined with foil. cook uses sharp knife to make slits in squash — Before placing the squash into your oven, make several small slits all around to help it cook evenly.

Directions for making Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the whole, raw squash on a foil-lined baking sheet. Carefully prick squash several times all around with tip of sharp knife. This helps the squash to cook more evenly. Roast at least 45 minutes up to one hour (depending on size of squash). You’ll want a knife to easily slide into the squash when it’s finished.

When the squash is done, allow it to cool about 15 minutes so you can easily handle it. Cut the squash in half lengthwise down the middle. You’ll see the seeds and membranes need to be removed, which you can easily do with a spoon. Some folks like to wash, dry, and toast the seeds.

Then, using the same spoon, scoop the baked squash off the vegetable’s outer skin and put into a bowl. Set aside.

Bring a Dutch oven up to medium-high heat on our stovetop. Add olive oil, onion, celery, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until onions are translucent; you’re now browning these vegetables, just softening them.

Turn heat to medium and stir in the curry powder and brown sugar until mixture is completely coated. Add vegetable stock. Stir to combine.

Add cooked squash and red chili flakes. Simmer 20 minutes and remove from heat to cool.

Using an immersion tool or a standing blender, puree the soup until creamy. Serve while warm.

Tips to safely blend hot liquid

When using a blender to puree soup, remember hot liquid will expand quickly, potentially spewing hot soup all over your kitchen! The trick is to only fill the blender no more than half full. Make sure the lid is securely on. Some folks like to take the insert of the rubber top out and put a thick towel over the lid.

Start on low and before turning up to pureeing speed. Transfer the blended soup to a clean bowl for serving. Repeat this process until all the soup has been beautifully blended into creamy, delicious bowls of love.

Make it pretty

Here are a few garnishing ideas for my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Lightly toast pepitas in a skillet over low heat. Sprinkle with salt. Add a pinch of pepitas to the soup right before serving.
A light swirl of tangy plain yogurt or sour cream would balance the soup’s richness.
A simple sprig of fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, thyme) is beautiful.
Squash and apples are best friends. A thin slice of your favorite apple would present well as a garnish.

About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.

deborahreinhardt

Oct 23, 20234 min read

Best Bottom Round Roast

A funky rub made with dried mushrooms and other seasonings dresses up this budget-friendly cut for the Sunday family dinner table.

Bottom round roast, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, Canva photo — Bottom Round Roast

Our toast to roasts continues with my Best Bottom Round Roast recipe. Mom called this cut a “rump roast” and we often had it on our Sunday dinner table. I remember the carrots that were added near the end that caramelized in the beef juices—I’ve never been able to replicate what Grandma and Mom did there, but I’m still trying! Served with Grandma’s decadent whipped potatoes, memories of those Sunday dinners always bring a smile.

Let’s face it: proteins are expensive today, so if you splurge on a beef roast—even a more economical cut like this one—you want to get it right. First, look for a rump roast that still has a fat cap. While it’s a naturally leaner piece of meat because it comes from rump and hind leg of the animal, a fat cap will self-baste your roast in the oven. You’ll need a bit of time to tenderize the meat, so a bottom round (rump) roast is good for oven roasting or even in a braise.

I paid about $7 per pound (or about $17) for the rump roast. While that price surely would have caused my mother to spit out a few choice words, keep in mind that you’ll get 8 to 10 servings from the roast. After Sunday dinner, use the beef in sandwiches (grilled with Swiss is amazing) or in other recipes as I suggest below. For about $2.13 per serving, you’ve got an economical showstopper here.

Every home cook should know how to make roast beef, and although there are millions of recipes out there, I like this one. Beef and mushrooms are best buddies. You could simply season the meat with salt and pepper and then make a mushroom gravy, but I think the dry mushroom rub has concentrated flavor that really compliment the beef. Serve with a drizzle of the pan sauce, and holy cow (no pun intended) is this delicious. Well, my mouth is watering, so let’s get cooking!

To make my Best Bottom Round Roast, which yields 8 to 10 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

1 beef bottom round roast (about 2½ pounds)
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cracked pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
Olive oil

The dried porcini mushrooms I bought came in a 1-ounce bag; I used half the bag. If you find a particularly tough stem (as I did) do not use it. You’re looking for pieces that can be easily broken up in your spice grinder.

beef roast on platter, rump roast — The dried mushroom rub creates a beautiful and tasty crust on the roast.

Directions for perfect roast beef

To make the beef rub, place mushrooms in a spice grinder to grind into powder. I broke this process down into two batches and it worked fine. If you don’t have a spice grinder, you can try pounding mushrooms placed in a zipper-top bag into a powder. Honestly, grinders are not expensive ($10 to $20) and are a useful tool to have.

Transfer mushroom powder to a small bowl and add salt, pepper, and onion powder.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Rub the beef roast with seasoned mushroom powder on all sides. An easy way to do this is to sprinkle the mixture on a board and roll meat until fully covered. Pat down and let the seasoned meat rest about 30 minutes to get to room temperature. This also allows some of the flavor to seep into the meat before roasting. If you have time, put the seasoned meat uncovered into the refrigerator for a couple hours.

Place meat on in a roasting pan with a rack with the fat cap facing up. You could also use a cooling rack and a casserole dish or a baking sheet with taller sides so the roasting juices do not spill if you don’t have the roasting pan. The idea is for air to circulate under the meat, too.

Start the roast at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then drop the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and roast another hour or so until a probe thermometer reaches 125 degrees internal temperature for medium rare.

Remove roast from oven and let rest for 15 minutes in the pan. Carve and serve. Remember, this cut comes from the working part of the animal so look for muscle striation pattern and cut across the grain or against the striations.

How to make an easy sauce

I had a bit of fat and flavored drippings from the roast. Chefs call this “fond.” Don’t wash this down the sink! Deglaze on the stovetop with some red wine or beef stock. I did ½ cup each. As it starts to bubble, using a wooden spoon, scrape the fond from the pan. If you have a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme, throw it in the pan for extra flavor and let the sauce reduce to a syrup consistency. Remove from heat the add a couple pats of butter. You also could cook the sauce with a bit of shallot or add briny capers at the end.

Leftover lovin’

My favorite for leftover beef roast is stovetop Beef Stroganoff. In a large skillet, add a pat of butter and about a teaspoon of olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add a small onion (yellow or white) that you’ve thinly sliced. To the skillet, add a cup of beef broth, a tablespoon of Worcestershire, a small can of cream of mushroom soup, and ½ up of plain Greek full-fat yogurt. Mix well. While that simmers, cut leftover roast into slices about ½-inch thick (remember, cut against the grain of meat) and then cut slices into strips. Warm the meat in this amazing sauce and serve over cooked egg noodles and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

About the blog

deborahreinhardt

Oct 7, 20234 min read

Deb's Favorite Roast Chicken Recipe

A rub of lemon zest, sumac, and thyme dress up a simple, classic roast chicken.

whole roast chicken on platter with greens and lemons — Roast Chicken with sumac, lemon, thyme, and rosemary

Every home cook should have a good roast chicken recipe. It’s a classic dish that I think is best when kept simple. Maybe you like Ina Garten’s recipe or prefer one of the other 300 million takes (No kidding. Google roast chicken recipe and see 312 million results.) on how to bake a chicken in the oven, but I think this one is the best because it’s easy and allows the chicken’s natural flavor to shine. Forget the Peruvian marinade, hot tub chicken, and all the other tricks to dress up the simple whole bird because all you need for this recipe is lemon, sumac, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil. And of course, a quality chicken.

Where I live in Missouri, we’ve recently had our first real taste of cool autumn weather. Fall is the best season for roasts, whether it’s chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables. There’s something about putting dinner in the oven and allowing the aromas to perfume your kitchen. Simple, comforting food at its best. That’s why each recipe this month is a toast to roasts!

By the way, has Costco killed the need to roast our own chickens at home? It is tough to beat their $5 buck clucks, but what if you don’t have a box store membership? Grocery rotisserie chickens are about $8 near my home, and while that’s an economical base for a meal, they don’t compare to a roasted chicken just brought out of your own oven. A home-roasted chicken will be juicier and, maybe more importantly, you can control the ingredients.

Speaking of ingredients, when dealing with a simple, classic recipe, spring for the best. This roast chicken recipe, for example, uses free-range, organic chicken. I’d also recommend organic lemon for this recipe. Although citrus didn’t appear on this year’s “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and vegetables, you will make a rub using lemon zest, so organic makes more sense to me. Of course, wash the skin before zesting.

To make my Favorite Roast Chicken Recipe, which yields four to six servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

1 whole organic, free-range chicken (about 3- to 4-pounds)
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Olive oil

If you’ve never cooked with culinary sumac (not to be confused with the poisonous shrub by the same name), you’re in for a lovely surprise. I think most sumac we see is from Turkey, although it’s also grown in parts of the Mediterranean. Don’t let the dark color of the spice fool you; it has a light, lemony flavor that pairs beautifully with chicken, as well as lamb, duck, and some vegetables.

Gonna roast a chicken like my mama taught me

Remove giblet package from cavity and pat chicken dry with paper towel.

To make the rub, combine lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, sumac, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle just enough oil to make a rub. Using clean hands, rub chicken thoroughly with mixture.

Salt cavity of bird with 1 teaspoon salt. Cut lemon in half and stuff in cavity. Place rubbed chicken in a zip-top bag, close and refrigerate from 1–3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove chicken from bag and place in a roasting pan with wire rack. You can also use a heavy casserole pan and put a cooling rack on the bottom. Fill with about a cup of water. Roast until internal temperature is 160 degrees F. Check the temperature after 70 minutes to gauge how far along is the chicken to desired doneness. Another tip: Juices should be clear.

When the chicken reaches 160 degrees F internal temperature, remove from oven, and let rest for about 15 minutes or until temperature nears 165 degrees.

Don't follow the Golden Girls' lead in this video clip; chicken juice is flying everywhere! Still, it's a catchy tune.

Sanitation station

Let's talk about safely handling raw chicken. Do not rinse raw chicken at your sink! According to a study by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) in 2019, bacteria is likely to be splattered in and around your sink area and sometimes remains, even after cleaning surfaces. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and immediately through the towel in the trash.

Wash your hands after touching raw poultry or a surface that’s touched it. Be sure to clean and sanitize all utensils, boards, and other surfaces that touch raw poultry. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends after cleaning boards in hot, soapy water, disinfect with a spritz of bleach water (1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of water). Plastic boards usually are dishwasher safe, so after cleaning in soapy water, place the plastic board in your dishwasher. It’s also recommended to keep a board for raw meat and one for vegetables and other uses.

Leftover Lovin’

Another plus to roasting a chicken are the great leftover possibilities. Use the chicken in a stir fry. Add to a pot of soup or chicken chili. Shred for chicken tacos or chop up for chicken salad. And remember to freeze the carcass to make homemade chicken stock later!

If you have any questions about safely handling poultry or roasting a chicken, drop a comment below. I'm happy to answer them! Try this Roast Chicken recipe and let me know how it turned out for you.