Roasted butternut squash soup 烤奶油瓜濃湯

Roasted butternut squash soup 

明尼蘇達這邊冷冰冰的，最近還一次又一次的降到零下二十幾度，冷到手指頭都要變硬了。好趁周末來到，我便做了一個十分合宜寒冬飲的濃湯，飲下去寒氣盡消，實在是冬日的暖胃良品。這個濃湯帶有蘋果的微甜，薑的點點辛辣，還有一點含蓄的羅勒香，配上自家製的全麥面包粒，便是簡單健康的一餐。

材料 Ingredients﹕
Serving:　(3-4人份)

奶油瓜 Butternut Squash 1 磅/ pound
馬鈴薯 Russet Potatoes  2個
蘋果Apple 1 個
中等黃洋蔥 Medium Yellow Onion 1 個
牛奶 Milk 2 杯/cup
雞湯 Chicken stock*  3 杯/cup
蘿勒青醬 Pesto sauce 2 tbsp
奶油 Butter 2 tbsp
黑胡椒 Black pepper to taste 適量(按個人喜好)
橄欖油 Olive oil 3 tbsp
薑末 Grated ginger 2 tbsp

*Vegetarians: you can use vegetable stock!

方法 Method ﹕ 
1. 把馬鈴薯和奶油瓜去皮，然後切粒，再混入橄欖油，放入預熱425度 (F) 的烤箱烤約20 至30分鐘。
Remove skins of potatoes and butternut squash. Dice them into small cubes. Pour over with olive oil. Put them into a 425F oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. Avoid over-roast.
2. 把蘋果和洋蔥切粒。預熱煮湯用的鍋，加入奶油、薑末和洋蔥，用中火炒至熟透，然後加入蘿勒青醬拌好。之後，把蘋果加入其中，煮熱備用。
Meanwhile, dice an apple and an onion. Preheat the pot with 2 tbsp of butter and add in the chopped onions as well as the grated ginger. Use medium heat to cook the onions. After 2 to 3 minutes, add in pesto sauce, stir well. When they are well mixed with each other, add in the diced apples. Cook until tender. Your kitchen should now smell like heaven.
3. 當馬鈴薯和奶油瓜烤好的時候，把它們混進(2)，此時馬鈴薯和奶油瓜應該是軟軟的，十分容易爛掉。
When the potatoes and butternut squash are ready, put them into the pot (2). The potatoes and butternut squash should be tender and easily smashed.
4. 把牛奶和雞湯加入湯鍋中，用中火讓所有材料煮沸。
Add in milk and chicken stock. Use medium heat to cook until it boils.
5. 把鍋中的湯料連湯倒進搞拌機 (Blender)，用慢速打成濃湯狀 (puree)。
Pour all the ingredients and liquid from the pot into a blender. Puree in slow speed until done.
6. 加入黑胡椒拌好可立即享用。
Stir in black pepper and it is ready to serve.

蜂蜜柚子蛋糕 Honey Grapefruit Cake

這個蛋糕配花茶或水果茶都很配，特別適合知己朋友聚會時享用。

這個蛋糕的質感是鬆鬆軟軟的，甜度剛好，也不油膩。

看到大學好友Karry做了一個柚子蛋糕，心裡就很羨慕很想吃，我於是做了一個適合亞洲人口味的少甜蜂蜜柚子蛋糕。Karry提供的食譜是來自Thomas Keller，因為我和Karry都不喜歡糖霜 (icing)，所以我們兩個都沒有做。按我個人的經驗和喜好，看到美國人或英國人的食譜都可以立刻把糖份「最少」減掉一半，以免吃得過甜和吸取過多的糖份。(注意﹕ 美國研究有指六湯匙的糖足以減低身體的免疫系統，而蜜糖也是糖份。)


以下的食譜是改良自Thomas Keller的Grapefruit Cake。



材料 Ingredients﹕
低筋面粉 Cake Flour -  2 cups
發粉 Baking powder - 1 3/4 tsp
鹽 Salt - 1 tsp
蛋 Eggs - 2 (*蛋黃跟蛋白分開打 separate yolks and whites)
糖 Sugar - 1/4 cup
蜂蜜 Honey - 1/2 cup
香草精油 Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
檸檬水 Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
柚子皮 grapefruit rinds - 1 tbsp
低脂牛奶 2 % skim milk- 1 cup
芥花子油 Canola Oil - 3/4 cup
*薑粉 ginger powder - 1 tsp

* Optional

基本蜂蜜柚子蛋糕的做法﹕

1. 把烤箱預熱 350F.
Preheat the oven into 350F.
2. 混合低筋面粉、薑粉、發粉、柚子皮和鹽，放在一旁，備用。
Mix together cake flour, ginger powder, baking powder, grapefruit zest, and salt. Put them aside.
3. 把蛋黃跟蛋白分開打，把蛋白用高速打至成「挺身」(一邊打，一邊加入 1/4杯的糖 )，就像Meringue一樣，放在一旁，備用。
Separate egg yolk and egg white. Beat the egg white in high speed (using a handmixer or kitchenaid mixer) until they turn into a meringue. Put it aside when done. *Add 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar to preserve the egg white consistency.
4. 把蛋黃和蜂蜜打在一起，加入芥花子油 、檸檬水和香草精油，再倒入牛奶，繼續搞拌至均衡，然後加入 (2)搞拌，注意千萬不要過份搞拌。
Mix together egg yolk and honey. Add in canola oil, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Pour in milk and mix well. Then, Pour in (2) and stir them together. Avoid over-stirring/mixing.
5. 最後，把(3)慢慢加入至(4)，搞拌時注意要用folding technique ，千萬不要過份搞拌，否則蛋糕不會鬆鬆的。
Finally, put (3) gradually into (4), using folding method. Do not over fold or stir, or else your cake will not come out soft like a chiffon cake.
6. 把 (5)倒進一個長方蛋糕盆 (約5 x 9吋) ，放入烤箱烤60分鐘。
Pour (5) into a rectangular baking tin (approx 5" x 9"). Lower the oven temperature to 300F and bake about 60 minutes. * Put a tray of water underneath the baking tin will allow the cake to be moist.
7. 蛋糕出烤箱後，用筷子穿進蛋糕中(不要穿過底部)，然後慢慢拿出來，這樣可以檢查蛋糕是否完全熟透。如果蛋糕熟透的話，出來的筷子應該沒有東西(或只有很少的蛋糕碎) 黏著。
When the cake is done, use a chopstick to test if the cake is cooked. Poke into the middle of the cake. If it is cooked, your chopstick should come out mostly clean.
* 8. 最後，用筷子在蛋糕針上一些小孔 (約十來多個)，然後按個人喜好，塗上適量的柚子糖漿，柚子糖漿會從一個個小孔滲透蛋糕中。
*Optional: poke several holes on the cake (about 10), depending on personal preferences. Brush on the top with grapefruit syrup when the cake is still warm.
柚子糖漿的做法﹕ Grapefruit syrup recipe 

*在烤的時候，可以準備約1/3杯的鮮柚子果汁，然後加入1/3的白糖煮至糖完全溶化。
When the cake is baking in the oven, prepare 1/3 cup of grapefruit juice and add in 1/3 sugar. Cook them well and until the sugar is dissolved. [I was lazy. I just put them in the microwave for this process.]


等 Honey K洗碗後，我們又可以多吃一片了，這樣叫幸福。