Squash Curry Soup

Yesterday was my down day after an amazing event on Saturday (Seriously, getting to give the Cleveland Foodbank the money to help serve 200,000 meals? Pretty incredible!). But as with most Sundays, I have to start thinking about what the week will hold for gluten-free lunches.   Fortunately for me, I have this tendency to pick up ridiculous amounts of winter squash when autumn comes around, so there was no doubt in my mind what I was going to be working with.

Three butternut and one acorn squash were halved, cleaned out, and popped in the oven for baking.  While that was working away, I started scavenging through my cupboards to see what I could find. The results? A can of coconut milk, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, cayenne, and black pepper.  That certainly sounded like a great addition and I decided to try my hand at a squash curry soup.

In a large soup pot, I combined the spices with some butter and then added the coconut milk and squash (I used one butternut and one acorn for this recipe). After adding some sage, and a half a round of chevre (I can't resist the call of cheese, I can't!), I put my immersion blender to use and it turned the combination into a creamy, rich golden soup. Upon final tasting I added some yellow mustard to try and cut through the richness.

All-in-all this turned out to be a pretty amazing soup. Hearty, flavorful, and full of fall flavor. Definitely looking forward to having this throughout the week!

Alternative Flours and Mixes Angst

One perk for me going gluten-free is that, because of relatively limited finances, I don’t have the option to buy those expensive flours, flour blends, and mixes. Oh right. That’s not a “perk” per se, but the eating healthier because of it definitely is! I’m forced now to eat a lot more in the way of whole foods than I ever had before.

But every now and then I just get this craving for a brownie. I REALLY miss brownies.  I made these and they’re delicious, but they just aren’t the same (and almond flour or meal costs an arm and a leg).  This has resulted in me not eating brownies (my favorite food group --and yes, they qualify as a food group all on their own) for several months.

I reached my breaking point yesterday and decided to buy a gluten-free brownie mix when I was out grocery-shopping. Can I just say this: “WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THE PRICES?” OK. Maybe a little bit of an over-reaction. I know that gluten-free alternatives are expensive. But really. Nine dollars for a cake or brownie mix? OK, so your flour mix works miracles, but if I can’t afford to buy it, let alone use it on a regular basis, it is useless to me.

In a haze of chocolate desperation, I broke down and dished out the $5 for the cheapest gluten-free brownie mix available and I tried it last night. But I’m not happy. I know that there are a lot of reasons that these items are so costly. Phrases like niche market, supply and demand, come to mind. I can afford to buy a couple extra cans of chickpeas. I cannot afford to buy Better Batter flour mixes. OK. I said it. I was really upset over the cost of Better Batter flour blend. Especially after hearing so much amazing stuff about it.

My go-to for treats is actually usually a Pinterest search for “paleo desserts”. I know the paleo diet gets a lot of flack, but they are definitely some of the best (and generally most affordable) recipes I’ve found out there for gluten-free desserts and treats. Especially when compared to the flour alternatives we’re working with now. If you follow my gluten-free board on Pinterest, you will see “paleo” recipes pop up on a regular basis. I’ve found several cookie and cake recipes that work really well by searching for paleo options. And I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get the ingredients either.