My family waits all year for butternut squash to be ready. We eat it all sorts of ways - even baked in a pie like pumpkin. Butternut squash is loaded with vitamin A. This soup is a great way to warm your family and fill them up. Served by the cup-ful, it’s a nice introduction to the cranberry chicken that follows.

Butternut Squash Bisque

This soup would be beautiful garnished with halved cranberries and a sprig of parsley!

1 butternut squash, halved and cleaned
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 qt. chicken stock
½ c. heavy cream

Bake squash in 400F oven for 45 minutes or until soft. Scoop flesh from the shell and pass through a food mill. In large soup pot, sauté onion in oil until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add spices, squash, stock, and cream. Gently heat through. Serve.

I’ve seen recipes for cranberry chicken all over the web. Unfortunately, the ingredients are laden with corn syrup - a no-no on our list. I have nothing against corn syrup on it’s own. It’s just that it lurks in all sorts of places like salad dressings, sodas, and condiments. There are also all sorts of hidden nasties like preservatives and lots of sodium.

So I offer you what I think is a much better recipe.

Cranberry Chicken

Whole chicken, giblets removed
2 c. homemade cranberry sauce** see recipe below
1 c. homemade French dressing ** see recipe below
1 med onion, sliced thinly
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. parsley
1 tsp. thyme
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Saute onions and garlic in oil, over medium heat until caramelized. Combine with remaining ingredients, and pour over top of the chicken.

Roast at 400F in a covered Dutch oven or roaster for approximately 60 minutes. This roasting method should take 10-12 minutes per pound. Check with a meat thermometer – it should register 165-170F.

Cranberry Sauce

12 oz. fresh cranberries
¾ c. organic sugar
1 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until all berries have popped. Pass sauce through a sieve to remove spices, skins and pips.

French Dressing

¼ c. Dijon mustard
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tsp. tarragon or marjoram
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine mustard and lemon juice in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify. Season with herbs, salt and pepper. You can also use a blender or food processor, or you can shake ingredients together in a glass jar with tight-fitting lid.

These recipes will also be in the upcoming Simple Gifts Cookbook!

Posted: 10|25|07 at 12:18 pm. Filed under: from our hearth and home, from the kitchen.
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