Kabocha Squash Soup With Creme Fraiche Caramelized Granny Smith Apple And Madras Curry Cotton Candy Recipes

ASIAN KABOCHA SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Brush flesh side of squash with vegetable oil. Place halves, flesh down, on prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool. Scoop out flesh and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion; cook and stir until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and ginger root; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in red curry paste. Add cooked squash. Stir in Swanson® Unsalted Chicken Broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour soup into a blender or food processor no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth. Add additional Swanson® Unsalted Chicken Broth to bring the soup to your preferred consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

KABOCHA (CREAMY JAPANESE SQUASH SOUP)

Steps:

• Wash the exterior of the kabocha squash. Cut in half and remove seeds and inner strands of the squash.
• Place kabocha on a microwave-safe plate and heat in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave. This helps to soften the kabocha just a bit.
• Cut the kabocha into thin slices and remove exterior skin. Set slices aside.
• In a medium pot, melt butter and sauté onion slices until translucent and softened.
• Add kabocha and sauté together with onions until the kabocha is cooked.
• Pour water and add chicken bouillon powder in the pot. (Note: Chicken broth may be substituted for the bouillon and water.) Simmer on low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until kabocha is softened.
• Either use an immersion hand blender to blend the vegetables with the broth, or allow the mixture to cool slightly and then pour it into a traditional blender to puree, then add it back to the pot.
• On medium-high heat, add milk to the kabocha mixture and bring to a boil, constantly stirring the soup. Turn off the heat, and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and serve immediately. Garnish with additional freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley.

ROAST KABOCHA SOUP WITH LEMON GRASS CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season inside of the kabocha with thyme, salt and pepper and rub with 4 tablespoons oil. Place onto a roasting pan flesh side up, and roast until caramelized and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• In a small saucepan combine the cream with the lemon grass and reduce by half. Strain into another small pan and hold warm.
• In a medium pot over high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the carrots, onion and leek and cook until browned. Add the hot stock, reduce the heat to medium, and season, to taste.
• When the squash is done, remove the cooked flesh from the squash and add to the pot. Transfer the contents of the pot, in batches, to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a second pot and reduce until desired consistency is achieved. Season, to taste.
• Serve soup in a warm soup bowl, and gently swirl in a dollop of the cream reduction. Garnish with chives.

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH | JAPANESE PUMPKIN

Steps:

• First option: The skin of the kabocha squash is tough to cut into so start by cutting off the stem of the kabocha to reveal the orange flesh. The flesh is much easier to cut into than the skin. Using a heavy duty knife or cleaver, stick the pointy end of your knife into the flesh and cut into the kabocha all the way down by using a rocking motion. Cut the other end of the kabocha so that you end up with 2 halves. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and cut your kabocha into 6 or 7 wedges.
• Second option: You can microwave the whole kabocha until it's soft enough to cut into. Start by microwaving it for about 2 minutes and increase by 90 seconds at a time until you can cut it in half. Microwaving times will vary by microwave and the size of the kabocha. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and cut your kabocha into 6 or 7 wedges.
• Third option: Loosely cover with foil and place the entire whole kabocha squash into a preheated 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until soft to cut into. Completely cool it off and then cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and cut your kabocha into 6 or 7 wedges.
• Preheat your oven to 400°F. Liberally apply oil to the surface of the kabocha squash wedges. Add additional flavorings now. Place the wedges skin side down on a baking sheet and place it on the center rack of your oven. Bake them for 35 minutes or until the surface becomes a golden brown color. Sprinkle with salt.

KABOCHA SQUASH SOUP WITH CREME FRAICHE, CARAMELIZED GRANNY SMITH APPLE AND MADRAS CURRY COTTON CANDY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Roast kabocha squash whole for approximately 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and set aside until cool. Peel skin and discard seeds keeping only the flesh. Combine flesh in a medium sauce pot with the chicken stock and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. With an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth. Place mixture back on stove and keep simmering for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add honey, cinnamon sticks and star anise and allow to steep for 1 hour. Strain and keep warm.
• Peel apple and cut it into 12 equal size cube shapes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon superfine sugar among the apple cubes and broil or brulee until golden brown.
• Put a dollop of creme fraiche on the bottom of a soup bowl, and top with 1 caramelized apple cube.
• In a household or commercial cotton candy maker, add 1 tablespoon of superfine sugar and make 12 equal size balls of cotton candy. Dust curry powder equally on the cotton candy.
• To serve: Pour soup tableside and then spoon cotton candy onto soup.