It's finally here!!

It was a blustery Friday morning as I made my early trek to Jack's. For the first time, I snuggled into my corduroy jacket to deflect the chilly breeze around 7th ave and W.4th......It's FALL!!....and Fall equals soup....so without any further adieu, I bring you my first soup of the season.....Roasted Butternut and Acorn Sqaush with Coconut Milk...it's silky, a little spicy and has a gentle sweet finish from the coconut milk -BONUS: it's ridiculously easy and accidently vegan!There is definetly enough soup here to freeze or, as another meal serve with basmati rice and top with nuts and unsweetened coconut.....mmmm!

Roasted Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup with Cocounut Milk

1 medium size Butternut Squash, cut in half, seeds removed
1 medium size Acorn Squash, cut in half, seeds removed

2 tbsp Olive Oil or Coconut Oil* (nutritional information below)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Chili flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 medium sized Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
3 cups Vegetable Stock

1/2 can Coconut Milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish arrange the squash with the cut sides up. Mix together oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and chili flakes in a small bowl, spread evenly over squash and garnish with salt and pepper. Place in oven, uncovered and bake for about an hour or until golden, tender and beautifully carmelized......baste the squash occasionally if you want to as the juicy goodness pools in the scooped out center....

In the meantime, saute the onions in a little olive oil in a medium sized soup-ish pot until they begin to sweat and then add garlic. Saute until fragrant and then add vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover, turn down heat and set aside.

When squash is roasted, scoop the flesh and add to stock and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes allowing flavours to marry. Transfer to blender, and blend until smooth (do this in a couple of batches to avoid any blender overflow accidents!). Pour puree back into pot and add 1/2 can of coconut milk. Over low heat, bring to desired tempuature and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls topped with pumpkin seeds and a little coconut milk drizzled on top.

*Coconut Oil is a wonderful fat to use for cooking and baking. Besides having a very high burning tempurature, it imparts a great coconut flavour if you purchase the raw, unfiltered and unbleached oil. Coconut Oil behaves very similarly to butter so this chirstmas it may be time to try it in shortbread cookies!!...I have read it is reccommended to reduce coconut oil 25 perecent in place of butter....
Though a great deal of the fat in Coconut Oil is saturated, it comes from the 'meduim-chain' strand of fats which actually helps the body metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy, making coconut oil a great fat choice for athletes, so blend this stuff into your smoothie along with or implace of peanut butter.....mmm!It is also lower in calories than most fats and oils.....
Raw, Unrefined Coconut Oil is a good source of maganese,one of the only plant sources of lauric acid (enhances brain function and immune system) and fiber.
Seek this oil out at health food stores - the brands I have used and liked are: Nutiva and Artisana

Until next time!