Foodie Fridays: Roasted Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup

Now that the holiday feasting is over, it is time to think about eating healthier foods.  I found a recipe for Soothing Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup that sounded like a good candidate, but decided to roast the butternut squash rather than boiling it as the recipe suggests.  I used fresh rosemary as the herb, but I think I would try a different herb next time as I did not really care for the taste of rosemary in this soup.  Otherwise this is a great cold weather soup, and I will make it again soon.

Roasted Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup

1 medium butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans
4 C. vegetable stock
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or thyme
1 T. sherry vinegar

Place the squash halves, cut side up, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 T. oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip the squash halves over.

Roast at 425 degrees, cut side down, until fork tender, 40-45 minutes.  Cool slightly and scoop the flesh out of the shells.

Heat the remaining oil in a large pot.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.  Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in the beans, herbs, and cooked squash.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add a little extra water if needed, then blend the mixture with an immersion blender.  Serves 4.

I highly recommend serving this soup with a fruit and cheese plate such as the one I made shown below:

One of my brothers sent us a food gift from La Tienda, one of our favorite online specialty food sites, which included numerous cheeses plus several loaves of their Galician bread and a variety of green olives.  For this plate, I melted some of the absolutely delicious San Simon Smoked Cow's Milk Cheese on slices of the bread, cut up a Bartlett pear to serve with wedges of blue cheese (I can't remember now which of their blue cheeses we had, but I think it was the Cabrales Blue Cheese from Asturias), and added a few olives to the plate as well.  This is my idea of the perfect meal!

Wish List Wednesdays: Valentine's Day Red Heart Pendant Necklace from Chico's

Necklaces are about the only jewelry that I wear (except for a few favorite cuff bracelets), and I have an impressive collection, but if I were looking for a new necklace then the Valentine's Day Red Heart Pendant from Chico's ($39.50, but currently on sale for 25% off) would be at the top of my list.  I love the simplicity, the pendant style, and most of all the adjustable length, since one of my biggest problems with necklaces is trying to match the necklace length to the necklines of my tops.  Multiple layers and thick sweaters in colder weather call for longer necklaces, so one that adjusts means that I could wear this pendant more often no matter what outfit I am wearing.  I think it may be time to drop a few hints to a certain someone about a perfect Valentine's Day gift!