Roasted Butternut Squash Soup ｜ 烤葫蘆南瓜湯

Compare to the non-roasted version, roasted butternut squash instead brings a tremendous different in the flavour.  The caramelized squash enhances the natural sweetness and roasty taste in the soup.

This classic soup is so easy to make and many people are properly eat it throughout fall and winter.  

To fasten the roasting process, I diced the butternut squash and roast it with other ingredients until they are caramelized.  In this way, all ingredients will be ready at the same time and simplify the cooking process.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

烤葫蘆南瓜湯

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash

1 Onion

1 cup Carrot

2 sprigs, Sage

1 canned Chicken Soup

2 cups Water

1/4 cup Heavy Cream, plus more to serve

Olive Oil

Salt

How to make it:

1. Rinse the butternut squash; dry it.

2. Half the squash lengthwise.  Scoop out and discard the seeds.

3. Cut off and discard the skin.

4. Dice the squash; set it in a mixing bowl.

5. Skin the onion; cut the onion into 2 cm slices.  Add it to the mixing bowl.

6. Dice the carrot.

7. Slice the sage.

8. In the mixing bowl, combine the carrot, squash, onion, sage.  Drizzle olive oil and mix it until the ingredients are evenly coated.

9. Add the mixture on a roasting pan.  Roast it in the pre-heated at 420F for about 20 minutes or until it is caramelized.  Remove it from the oven.

10. Add the mixture in a pot.  Pour in chicken stock and 2 cups of water.

11. Blend the soup until smooth and make sure no chunks of vegetables left.

12. Heat up the soup over high heat; stirring constantly.

13. Add heavy cream.

14.  Continuously cook until the soup heat through.  Serve immediately.

15.  Add some more cream when serve if desire.

Stir-fried Green Mango with Pork Belly

 

Ingredients:

2 Green Mangoes

400 gram Pork Belly

4 Star Anise

5 Garlic Cloves, chopped

2 large cubes Rock Sugar

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Wine

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Direction:

1. Peel the mangoes; cut them into thin slices. Cut the pork belly into thin slices.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine pork belly, vegetable oil, garlic, soy sauce, and cooking wine together. Mix well. Leave it for about 20 minutes.

3. Heat up about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Add rock sugar and and star anises. Fry until fragrant and the rock sugar is half dissolved.

4. Add pork belly. Stir fry over high heat until the pork belly change colour. Add mangoes; continue to stir fry until the pork belly is thoroughly cooked and the mangoes heat through. Serve with steamed rice.

Soba Noodles with Ginger and Green Onion Oil

 

Ingredients:

1 bundle Soba Noodles

5 Green Onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons Ginger, finely chopped

4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Direction:

1. To make the oil, combine ginger, garlic, green onion, and salt in a large bowl. Heat up the oil over medium-high until it reaches the cooking point. Immediately pour it over the oil.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add soba noodles. Boil over high heat until they are soften. Drain well. Mix the noodles with the oil.

Spicy Green Mango

Ingredients:

1 Mango

1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Water

Direction:

1. Peel and pit the mango; cut the flesh into chunks.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients; mix well. Serve immediately.

Simple Garlicky Okra

Ingredient:

20 Okras

1 head Garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Direction:

1. Bring a boil of water to a boil. Add okras; boil them over high heat for 5 minutes. Drain. Place them on a serving plate.

2. Drizzle the soy sauce over the okras. Top them with chopped garlic.

3. In a fry pot, heat up the vegetable oil until it reaches the smoking point. Pour it slowly over the garlic. It’s ready to serve.

Summer Avocado Corn Salad

Avocado Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 Avocados, pitted and cubed

3 Corn

1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/4 Red Onion, sliced

1/3 cup Parsley, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Lime, juiced

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTION:

1. Remove the kernels from the corn. Boil a pot of water. Boil the corn until cooked. Run the corn under cold water to cool off. Drain.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients. Gently mix to combine.

Pan-fried Eggplant with Soy

Ingredients:

2 Eggplants, halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1.5 tablespoons Sugar

3 tablespoons Ginger, grated

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Sesame Seed for garnish (optional)

Direction:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the vegetable oil and eggplants.

2. Add oil in a non stick pan. Place the eggplants in the pan with skin side up.  Turn on the heat to medium. Fry them for about 5 minutes.

3. Pour the sauce over the eggplant. Continue to fry until the sauce is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if using. Enjoy.