Chilled Papaya Bisque

I'm baaaack! :)

Finally, after days of cloudy, windy, rainy weather, we have some sun! WOO! So, I decided to grill for dinner. We had a giant papaya and pineapple laying in the fruit bowl, so I threw together this wonderful chilled fruit soup to go with the grilled entree. And, since we ended up with a ton of alcohol after the wedding, I thought I'd add some rum into the mix to give it a little kick. Cuz I'm like that. ;) By substituting cashew cream for dairy, this soup gives you all the creamy goodness while avoiding the unhealthy fats.

This recipe was so fun to throw together. I had friends over for dinner and they were amazed at how quickly it turned into yummy goodness! I love entertaining. :D

Chilled Papaya Bisque

4 cups papaya, blended
1/4 cup papaya, diced small
2 Tbsp. papaya seeds
4 cups pineapple, blended
1/2 cup cashew cream (see recipe below)
1/2 cup Orange-Mango juice
2 shots dark rum (optional)

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve garnished with a swirl of cashew cream.

How to make cashew cream:
1 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup water
Blend until smooth!

Pumpkin-Coconut Soup

As the days grow shorter and the maple leaves start to turn a golden hue, it reminds us all to stock up on winter produce that stores well. In my case, I turned to my trusty farmer's market stands, and scouted for some nice, big winter squashes.

I got a few acorns, a couple of ambercups, a nice, big hubbard, and a couple of small carnival squashes. Last but not least, I got a cute little squash that looked like a hubbard, but smaller and less egg-shaped. I didn't think to ask at the time, but I looked it up when I got home and it turns out it's called "Blue Ballet", ah heirloom hubbard variety sold by Seeds of Change. Our Farmer's Market is a pesticide-, herbicide-, and GMO-free zone; the town of Powell River itself is actually the first GMO-free zone in North America!

So, yesterday being a lazy Friday, I started rummaging through my fridge and produce. I already had some baby lima beans soaking, so I grabbed my Blue Ballet and got to work.

Baby limas are one of my favorite beans - not only a simple comfort food that reminds me of my Gramma, but they're a good source of protein, and I find them easily digestible. I tend to have a hard time with heavier proteins (like gluten! haha.. but also meats, and larger beans) so I generally stay away from beans, but I really love lima beans. I think these baby limas give a great boost to this puréed soup because they have a delicate, creamy texture, and the skins aren't too thick so they cream right up!

I initially didn't think to put coconut milk in, honestly. I had puréed the soup down and it was smooth and delicious - but needed something. And then it came to me: coconut milk! :)


Pumpkin-Coconut Soup

1 "Blue Ballet" squash (or any Hubbard or dry winter squash)
1 cup baby lima beans (soaked overnight, drained)
10 cups veggie stock
1 rather large carrot, sliced into rounds
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/2-3/4 can of coconut milk (don't use the "light", it's just watered down)
salt and pepper to taste

After you've quartered and seeded your squash, bake it in a 350 degree oven until tender (about an hour). I put mine into a baking dish with about 1/2'' of water in the bottom, so it wouldn't dry out too much. Scoop out the flesh, which should make about two cups.

Bring 10 cups of stock to a boil in a large pot. Add beans; continue to cook on high. Add garlic, carrot rounds, and the flesh of the pumpkin. Once it returns to a boil, reduce to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Simmer for about an hour until the beans are tender. If the soup gets too thick and starts to stick (I rhymed!) add some more stock. You want a very thick soup, but not dry. ;)

When everything is tender, turn off the heat. With either a hand blender (which is what I have - so handy! hehe) or food processor, blend the soup down until smooth. Add half a can of coconut milk, and blend again, adding more coconut milk to get the desired consistency. I like a thick soup, though. :)

Garnish with shredded coconut and a pinch of paprika. Enjoy!

Raspberry-Acai Gazpacho

Gazpacho is definitely a summer favorite of mine – light and cooling, it's the perfect introduction to an outdoor meal served on the patio. Traditionally it’s based around mostly tomatoes and bread (of all things!) – but I wanted something more fruity, showcasing fresh raspberries, so I came up with this little ditty! :) I think the contrast of the acidic onions and peppers with the sweet, tangy (sub-acid) raspberries makes for a nice complement.

Raspberry-Acai Gazpacho

1 medium tomato, diced, 1 tbsp. reserved
2 medium bell peppers, diced, 1 tbsp. each reserved (any color except green)
1/2 small sweet onion, diced, 1 tbsp. reserved
1/2-pint raspberries, crushed
1 cup raspberry-acai juice*
1/3 cup orange juice
Juice of 1/2 lime

Blend tomato, peppers, and onion in a food processor until mostly smooth. Mix remaining ingredients and serve garnished with the reserved diced tomato and peppers.


*If you can't find raspberry-acai juice, you can blend up some extra raspberries with 3/4 cup of acai juice, which can be found at health food stores.