Celebrate the flavours of fall with a steaming bowl of roasted butternut squash soup. This recipe is not only delicious but also easy to make. Simply roast the butternut squash, then combine it with onions, carrots, celery, and a blend of aromatic seasonings. Puree the mixture until smooth and creamy, then finish it off with a splash of heavy cream. This soup is the perfect way to warm your soul and impress your taste buds (and friends) this season. So grab a bowl, cozy up by the fire, and enjoy the spirit of fall with every spoonful of this comforting soup.
MUSSELS IN GARLIC, WHITE WINE AND ROSÉ SAUCE WITH RED PEPPERS AND ONIONS
If you love mussels, then this easy recipe is a must try! This is a definite go to for a quick and flavourful seafood dish without the hassle of long preparations and fussy ingredients. Quite frankly, I just wing it, but then had to document my steps and quantities so that I could create this recipe to share with other seafood aficionados!
My love affair with seafood is most likely because of my Portuguese background. I grew up eating seafood simmered in white wine, garlic, onions, parsley and hot pepper paste. Thinking about it makes my mouth water. This particular recipe isn't necessarily a Portuguese dish. I've added a few extra ingredients to make it richer and saucier (yes, that's a word - haha).
I normally serve these mussels over linguine, but of course, you can have them on their own. Just make sure you have something to soak up the sauce (your favourite pasta and/or crusty fresh bread is a match made in heaven). Once all of the mussels are gone, my husband Steve finishes the sauce with a spoon like he's eating soup!
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 yellow onion sliced thin
- 1 red pepper sliced thin
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 798 ml of good quality roma tomatoes in sauce
- (can be whole, diced or chopped)
- 1 TBSP Portuguese hot pepper paste or 1/2 tsp red pepper
- flakes
- 1 TSP salt (or to taste)
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup 35% whipping cream
- Approximately 3 lbs of fresh mussels rinsed and cleaned (discard any open or broken mussels before adding to sauce)
INSTRUCTIONS
Over medium heat, add olive oil to a large dutch oven or large pot. Add onion and pepper and stir occasionally until onions become translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and parsley to the pot and keep mixing for about 30 seconds to ensure garlic doesn't burn.
Carefully add white wine and simmer for about 5-10 minutes over medium heat until alcohol has evaporated and wine has reduced. Add tomatoes, hot pepper paste (or flakes), salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover with lid and let simmer over medium to low heat for about 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. If you are serving this dish with pasta, boil the water for your pasta at this point and cook pasta according to directions.
Once sauce has reduced, if desired, take a hand held blender and puree the sauce just a bit to thicken and combine even more. This step is optional, but I like to blend the sauce to incorporate the flavours and break up the tomatoes. Check for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Add whipping cream and allow to come to a gentle boil. Add the cleaned and rinsed mussels and cover for about 10-12 minutes. Stir mussels occasionally.
Once mussels are open, it's time to eat! They don't take long to cook so make sure you don't over cook them or they become a rubbery consistency..... and that's no bueno......Discard any unopened mussels.
Bon appetit!
These delicious pumpkin orange muffins are a must-try recipe that will satisfy your taste buds all year round. Made with the perfect blend of pumpkin, orange, and warm spices, these muffins are easy to make and will bring a touch of autumn to any day.
To make these muffins, you'll need simple ingredients like flour, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, and more. You can even add a touch of Young Living Orange essential oil for an extra burst of flavor. Just make sure to use a trusted brand, like Young Living, that is safe for cooking and baking.
Once the batter is mixed, divide it into muffin cups and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. When they come out, you'll be greeted with lightly golden brown muffins that are ready to be enjoyed.
So, whether it's pumpkin spice season or not, give these pumpkin orange muffins a try and indulge in their deliciousness. And if you're in need of some relaxation, don't forget to check out the free Yoga Nidra Guided meditation linked below.
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Cherry Tomato and Vegetable Pasta Sauce You Can Whip up in Flash
I LOVE pasta! I joke that I should have been born Italian because I really haven’t met a pasta that I didn’t like....In my fantasy world, pasta would be considered one of the major food groups.
Because I work from home, I don’t often prepare my lunches ahead of time (although I really should and remind myself of this almost every day). When I’m working, and lunch time rolls around, I usually stand in my pantry, starving at this point, and pray that the lunch fairies whip me up a delicious and healthy meal! Well, of course that doesn’t happen, so sometimes I resort to cooking pasta and adding a jar of premade tomato sauce (confession time....I love Costco’s White Linen pasta sauce when I’m hangry and in a hurry to make a quick meal).
But, whenever possible this girl prefers to cook from scratch so I like to have quick recipes to make especially during those times when the hunger meter is tipping the breaking point.
I really love this recipe for a few reasons:
- It’s super quick to put together.
- It’s a great way to use up vegetables that you have most likely forgotten about in the back of your fridge and are turning kinda wrinkly (you know what I mean).....
- You can tailor it however you want. If you don’t like mushrooms, don’t add them. If you like spinach, add spinach....you get the idea. Basically add whatever vegetables you have on hand.
- The base is olive oil, sautéed onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes. Whatever else you decide to add is really up to you.
This, my friend, is not a fussy recipe. Make it your own and you’ll be happy because you know exactly what’s in it and it cooks up in the same amount of time it takes to boil and cook your pasta. Win-win! ððž
This sauce recipe makes enough for two servings of pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes washed and cut in half
- 1 small onion diced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic crushed or finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A few leaves of fresh basil, or a pinch of dried basil ðŋ
- Optional - Crushed red pepper flakes (or if you’re Portuguese like me, I guarantee you have a jar of “pimenta” in your fridge. Go ahead and add some of that to your sauce. I know you will because we put that in everything we make!)
Instructions
- Begin boiling water for pasta and cook desired pasta according to directions on box.
- Add olive oil to a large sauté pan, over medium heat.
- Add onions, peppers and mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes until onions become translucent.
- Make sure to stir regularly to ensure the veggies aren’t burning.
- Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes or pimenta, if using, and stir to combine.
- Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have broken down and sauce thickens.
- When pasta is finished cooking, add to sauce and stir to combine.
- Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
- Bon appetit!
This is a great option for quick lunch and dinner ideas because it’s loaded with vegetables! I like to use lentil pastas for my dishes because it’s gluten free and full of fibre and protein!
Next time you’re praying for your own lunch fairies to deliver you a meal, know that you can whip this one up in a flash! Enjoy. ð
xo, Bonnie
By the way...if you need a little relaxation in your life, click the link below to get access to my FREE Yoga Nidra Guided meditation for relaxation.
Dairy Free "Cream" of Broccoli Soup Recipe
There's no doubt about it, I LOVE SOUP!!!! I love it so much, it was the first course at my wedding. I could eat it every-single-day! Nothing tops a warm bowl of soup at lunchtime for this girl.
There are so many reasons for my love of soup. Perhaps it's because you make it once, and can eat it for a few days. You can load it with healthy ingredients and it's easy to heat up once it's made (that's my kinda lunch). Because of all the different recipes out there, trust me, you'll never get sick of soup!
One of my favourites is cream of broccoli soup. But, my tummy isn't a fan of dairy, so I make this pot of velvety goodness with cashews instead of cream and nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Even if you're not vegan, I promise, you won't miss the cream or the cheese in this version of broccoli soup and it takes under 30 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 large carrots peeled and diced
- 4 stalks of celery diced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 sprig of thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 6 cups of vegetable stock (store bought or homemade)
- 4-5 cups of broccoli florets chopped into bite sized pieces (about one head/bunch of broccoli you would typically buy at the grocery store)
- 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (this makes up for the cheesy flavour in most broccoli soups)
- 1 cup of raw cashews soaked in two cups of water for three hours (or I cup of cashews boiled with two cups of water for 5 minutes)
- Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Over medium heat, add coconut oil to a large pot or dutch oven
- Add diced onions, carrots and celery to the pot stirring occasionally until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes)
- Add minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds - 1 minute ensuring not to burn garlic
- Add sprig of thyme (or dried thyme) and 6 cups of vegetable broth, cover with lid and bring to a boil
- Once broth starts boiling, turn down and simmer for about 8-10 minutes until carrots and celery begin to soften
- Add broccoli florets and simmer for another 8-10 minutes
- While soup is simmering, drain and rinse soaked cashews and blend with 1 cup of water in a high speed blender until no lumps remain (NOTE: if you haven't pre-soaked the cashews, place them in a pot with 2 cups of water and boil for 5 minutes. Then drain and rinse the cashews and blend with one cup of water in a high speed blender until no lumps remain.
- Once broccoli and vegetables have softened add pureed cashews, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste
- Mix all ingredients together and remove sprig of thyme
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired
- Serve warm
If soup is too thick, add more water or broth. If soup is too thin, simply continuing simmering until desired liquid evaporates.
This soup keeps well in the fridge for a few days. When reheating soup, if it's too thick, add more water or broth to desired consistency.
Now go enjoy your soup already!
xo, Bonnie
By the way...if you liked this post, click the link below to get access to my FREE Yoga Nidra Guided meditation for relaxation.
