Cream of butternut squash and golden apples

Another butternut squash summer recipe for the joy of Gloria and Franci. To be eaten warm or at room temperature but not cold otherwise the squash smoothy flavour will be lost.

Ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash, 1 onion, 2 golden apples, 800ml vegetable stock, 1 Tbsp sultans, 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts, 1 Tbsp natural yoghurt to garnish, oil, salt and pepper

Chop the butternut squash and put it on a baking tin in the oven at in 250 C for 20 minutes or as long as it takes to soften the pulp and roast the exterior. In the meantime fry the chopped onion with a bit of olive oil. Add the chopped apples and stir to brown them. Put the sultans in a couple of spoons of boiling water to soften. Take the butternut squash out of the oven, remove the skin, and put it in the pan whit the onion and the apples. Mix well for a couple of minutes. Add salt and pepper. Mix everything with a blender or an electric mixer adding the stock to obtain a smooth cream. Serve it by garnishing with yoghurt, sultans, chopped walnuts and golden apple slices.

Caring Oranges

They take care of you and you should take care of them. That's how caring oranges are. A moment of tenderness, a way to care for yourself and for the ones you love. Very easy to prepare, for breakfast, for lunch, tea time or dinner. Choose your favourite fruit, the freshest one, the one you prefer, the one in season.

Ingredients: 2 oranges, 1 banana, few strawberries, few cherries, 50gr dark chocolate, a splash of orange liqueur, few pistachios, 1Tbsp sugar, the juice of 1 lemon juice, few mint leaves

Half the oranges and with the help of a knife and a spoon, take the content out and put it into a bowl. Add chopped strawberries, chopped banana, unstoned cherries, lemon juice and sugar. Mix very well. Melt the chocolate in a double saucepan splashing with orange liqueur. Finally, arrange the mixed fruit into the orange bowls, add the melted chocolate and garnish with some chopped pistachios and fresh mint. Serve immediately.

Butternut squash Ice Cream

I know I have been too lazy these past weeks! Too many recipes behind to be translated but perhaps it's never too late! You can always have a look at my Italian blog for all the recipes. But for now, I am coming back with this beautiful ice cream which I would never imagine to eat one day. Butternut squash is one of my favourite vegetable, and one of my favourite among all squashes. Easy to handle and cut, versatile, you can do so many things with it, great flavour and last but not least the color! It speaks for itself! Very summertime and very unusual, not only for its shape! With this I'd also like to remind you of a Summer Ice Cream Event hosted by Sam. Have a look and be ready to start making your favourite ice cream!

Ingredients: 300gr butternut squash flash, 3 eggs yolk, 75gr sugar, 80ml maple syrup, 300ml double cream, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp powdered vanilla essence

Cut the butternut squash, remove the skin and cook it in a small pan with little water, otherwise steam it until soft. Work it with a fork quickly until smooth and let it cool. In another bowl whisk eggs and sugar with an electric mixer, until creamy and thick. Gradually add maple syrup and finally the butternut squash flash. Transfer the mixture into a bigger bowl. Beat the double cream with nutmeg and vanilla, then fold it into the squash mixture. Pour it into a plum cake stamp and freeze for at least 4 hours. After four hours, remove the stamp from the freezer, break it with a spoon and process the mixture again with a blender or a mixer until smooth. Freeze again until ready to serve.
Alternatively use your own ice cream maker and follow the instructions.