I really enjoy pumpkin soup in its many Asian varieties. This cozy soup is great in the evenings and it comes together easily in a saucepan of a slow cooker. This recipe is for a slow cooker, but it's easily modified. 

Ingredients:

4 cups pure pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp red curry paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 can coconut milk reserving 1-2 tbsp for garnish
pumpkin seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. In a 5 to 6 quart (4.7-5.7 L) slow cooker, stir in the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, red curry paste and garlic powder until combined. 

2. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

3. Stir in the coconut milk and cook on high for 20 minutes or until heated through.

4. Serve warm and garnish with the reserved coconut milk and pumpkin seeds!

Let's talk through my new love of lentil soup. It's fall and there is just something wonderful about a steaming pot of soup at this time of year!

This a light-bodied, curry-spiced coconut broth thickened with cooked red lentils and structured with yellow split peas. This soup is based on an Ayurvedic dal recipe in the Esalen Cookbook and appeared on 101cookbooks.com with a number of other wonderful soups that deserve exploration.

I made a few substitutes. I used cumin and reduced the amount of carrot and added cut up bokchoi (Chinese cabbage) near the end because cilantro was unavailable.

Vegans - you can easily make this vegan by using coconut or olive oil in place of the butter called for.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup / 7 oz / 200g yellow split peas
• 1 cup 7 oz / 200g red split lentils (masoor dal)
• 7 cups / 1.6 liters water
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons butter, ghee, or coconut oil
• 8 green onions or scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1/3 / 80 ml cup tomato paste
• 1 14- ounce can coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
• one small handful cilantro, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

2. In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.
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3. Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency if you like by adding more water, a bit at a time, if you like. Or simmer longer for a thicker consistency. The thicker this soup got, the more I liked it.

​4. I've been enjoying big ladles of this soup over leftover rice. It’s also good with buns or crusty bread. Sprinkle each bowl generously with cilantro and the remaining green onions.

This one bowl banana bread is a new household favorite. Feel free to throw in chocolate chips, sunflower seeds or other seeds as desired.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups / 12 oz / 340 g mashed, RIPE bananas (~3 bananas)
1/3 cup / 80 ml melted coconut oil (or melted butter)
3/4 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g dark muscovado or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup / 60 ml full-fat coconut milk (or yogurt, or sour cream)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125g all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140g whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place a rack in the center. Oil a 9-by 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan, or equivalent.

2. Place the mashed bananas in a large bowl. Stir in the coconut oil, and then the brown sugar and coconut milk. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir until well combined. Add the flours, baking soda, and salt (sprinkling the baking soda and salt across the surface of the batter), and mix just until the batter combines, avoid over-mixing.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan to cool completely. Slice, and enjoy!
 
Serves 10.

This easily lends itself to banana muffins. Pour the batter into a prepared muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. The muffins will be done when you can poke a muffin in the middle with a toothpick and the toothpick comes out clean.

A similar version originally appeared on 101cookbooks.com

This goes down as the easiest banana bread ever!  I tend to make muffins out of this, but it does make a lovely afternoon snack!

Ingredients: 
​
1 1/2 cups / 12 oz / 340 g mashed, RIPE bananas (~3 bananas)
1/3 cup / 80 ml melted coconut oil (or melted butter)
3/4 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g dark muscovado or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup / 60 ml full-fat coconut milk (or yogurt, or sour cream)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125g all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140g whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place a rack in the center. Oil a 9-by 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan, or equivalent.

2. Place the mashed bananas in a large bowl. Stir in the coconut oil, and then the brown sugar and coconut milk. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir until well combined. Add the flours, baking soda, and salt (sprinkling the baking soda and salt across the surface of the batter), and mix just until the batter combines, avoid over-mixing.
​
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan to cool completely. Slice, and enjoy!
 
Serves 10.
PREP TIME: 10 MIN - COOK TIME: 50 MIN

This soup was lovely and has two of my favorite ingredients, butter nut squash and red lentils.

Ingredients:

6 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions diced
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 Tbs tomato paste
2 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
Freshly ground pepper to taste
12 ounces butter nut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 cup red lentils
2 cups chicken stock
1 13.5 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
5 ounces baby spinach (optional)
1 tsp grated lime zest
Fresh lime juice as needed

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering.  Add the onions and garlic, and cook until they are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the tomato pate, cumin, cayenne, the 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste; cook for 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the squash and the lentils.  Pour in the stock and four cups of the water, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Then reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot; simmer until the lentils and squash are soft, about 30 minutes.

3. Stir the coconut milk into the soup and heat it through.  Taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed.

4. Using an immersion blender (or working in batches in a blender or food processor), coarsely puree the soup.  Then stir in the spinach if the using and the lime zest, and cook until the spinach wilts.  Season with lime juice right before serving.