Yes, a sandwich maker grill
Pickled Beets, Feta Cheese and Arugula/
Brie, Caramelized Onion and Apricot Preserves
Making sandwiches is pretty easy, but when experimenting with hot paninis, it's important to not mix too many flavors and to trust your instincts when it comes to pairing things. I was afraid the brie, caramelized onion and apricot would be too much, but it turned out to be one of the best fancy sandwiches I made.
Since Ireland is cold and rainy almost all the time, soup was called for quite often. I was lucky enough to find butternut squash at the nearby supermarket. I wanted to make pumpkin soup, but there were no pumpkins to be found.
Butternut Squash Soup
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 vegetable stock bullion cube
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small green or red bell pepper
1 tablespoon of natural yogurt or 1/4 cup of milk (oe soy milk)
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
salt & pepper to taste
In a large pot, heat the oil and add the onion. Let cook over medium heat until soft/slightly brown. Add carrots and pepper. let cook for another 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add garlic and bullion cube. stir well until cube dissolves. Add squash and an additional 3 cups of water. Add the paprika and salt & pepper. Let cook 30-45 minutes until the squash is soft.
Take a potato masher/ricer or you can get fancy and pour the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the yogurt/milk/soymilk and stir well.
Serve with fancy sandwiches!
