Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Soup with Balsamic Apple & Onion Relish

Ingredients

For the soup:

1 large butternut squash (approximately 2 1/2 lbs.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 2 inch pieces*
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into sixths
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tart, firm apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and cayenne pepper to taste (I used 3/4 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. cayenne)
4-5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

* buttercup or kabocha squash also works well

For the relish:

2 tart, firm apples, cored and cut into a 1/2 inch dice
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into a 1/2 inch dice
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a large cookie sheet, or in a large roasting pan, toss the squash, apples, onions, and garlic with the olive oil to coat. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until everything is fork-tender and slightly browned, about 40 minutes.

2. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and place half in a blender or food processor, along with 2 cups of stock. Process until you have a smooth puree. Repeat this process with the other half of the vegetables and the stock. Transfer the pureed mixture to a large pot or bowl, and add more stock if the soup is too thick. Serve warm, topped with the Apple and Onion Relish (directions below).

3. To prepare the relish (I like to do this while the vegetables are roasting), heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the diced apples and onions and sautee for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the apples have started to soften. Turn the heat to low, add the salt, and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the onions are lightly caramelized. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

soup recipe adapted from Dr. Andrew Weil
relish recipe by Kristen Magee

Sugar Free Nectarine Raspberry Jam
recipe yields 8 one half pint jars

Note: Check out my Sugar Free Jam Plan post for more info about what tools you’ll need for home canning. These tools will be referenced in the directions below.

Ingredients

4 1lbs. nectarines, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb. raspberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups xylitol
2 teaspoons liquid stevia
pectin (amount will vary depending on what brand you’re using)

Directions

1. Place canning jars, lids, and rings in a water canning pot or stock pot. Fill the pot with water until it is 2 inches above the tops of the jars. Heat to boiling, and boil the jars, lids, and rings for 15 minutes to sterilize. 5 minutes before removing the jars, place the jar lifter and kitchen tongs in the boiling water to sterilize. Remove jars using the jar lifter and lids and rings using the kitchen tongs, and set on folded tea towels in preparation for the jam. After everything is removed from the pot, continue to keep the water just below a boil.

2. If you prefer a more chunky jam, and you don’t mind the raspberry seeds, you can skip to step 3. But if you prefer a smoother jam, place the nectarine pieces into a blender and puree. Pour into a large saucepan or soup pot/ stock pot. Process the raspberries in the same way, and strain through a sieve to remove the seeds. Add the seeded raspberry puree to the pot with the nectarine puree.

3. Heat the nectarine raspberry mix to boiling. Add the liquid stevia and stir. Next, mix the pectin with the xylitol and add the mix, as well as the lemon juice, to the pot. Stir until blended. Cook over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, or until any foaminess subsides and the jam has thickened. Remove from heat.

4. Immediately transfer the hot jam to a large glass measuring cup, or use a ladle with a large mouth jar funnel, and transfer the jam to the jars, filling until ¼ inch from the top. Using kitchen tongs, place the lids on the jars, and screw the rings over the lids. Since everything is hot, you’ll probably need oven mitts to do this.

5. Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars to the water-filled pot for 5 minutes. Remove from the water and place on folded tea towels to cool. As the jam cools, you should hear distinct “pops” for each jar as a vacuum forms and they seal.

Sugar Free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
adapted from Scoop by Ellen Brown
recipe makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup xylitol
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 vanilla beans
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the xylitol, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream mixture. Add the vanilla pods to the pan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the xylitol has completely dissolved. The mixture will be hot, but be sure not to let it come to a boil.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pods, and stir in the milk, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.

4. Pour the ice cream base into an airtight container and chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Make the ice cream according to your ice cream machine’s instructions. Serve immediately for a soft serve ice cream, or freeze for several hours for a scoopable ice cream.

Gluten Free, Sugar Free Peach & Raspberry Cobbler

Note: If you like a higher ratio of filling to topping, halve the topping recipe.

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING (adapted from Southern Peach Cobbler)

8 fresh peaches – peeled, pitted, and sliced into thin (1/4″) wedges
1 pint fresh raspberries
6 tablespoons xylitol
1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch

FOR THE TOPPING

1 cup cornstarch
1 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
2 tablespoons xylitol
1/8 teaspoon liquid stevia
4 tablespoons butter, unsalted, chilled, cut into small cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2 egg whites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, raspberries, xylitol, stevia, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss the mixture to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients from the topping list: cornstarch, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and xylitol. Using a fork or a small whisk, mix the ingredients until well blended. Add the liquid stevia, buttermilk, and egg whites to a small bowl and whisk until the egg whites are incorporated. Set aside. Add the butter to the dry mix, and blend in using your fingertips or a pastry blender, until the mixture has a sandy, crumbly texture. Add the buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined.

4. Using a disher or a spoon, drop the topping onto the filling. Place baking dish onto a foil covered cookie sheet to prevent any spillover into the oven while baking. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.