SQUASH it!

It's that time of year again! It's cooling down and your body is starting to crave warm foods.  Walking around the markets reminds you of just how wonderful fall is, with all of those beautiful pumpkins and squash varieties for decoration and for eating!
​If you are eating Paleo30, Whole30 or PaleoFlex, butternut squash has a place in your belly.
Roast it, toast it, smash it and make it into soup. 
This beauty has a wonderful sweet flavour and is considered a Qi tonic and a warming food that is medicinal to the Spleen, stomach, large intestine and lungs in Chinese Medicine. 
It improves energy. 
YES!!! It improves energy!!! If my latest batch of clients are any indication of general energy levels out there...well then, we could all use a little boost!
​If you've been told your spleen needs a little help, well then this is a great recipe for you.
​This squash is a source of carbohydrates and beta-carotene.  Want to reduce Vata and Pitta?  This is your veg!
​Buy a bunch because they say this squash will keep for up to 6 months!  If you can keep them around that long.
​Enough chit chat, let's get to this recipe.

​Warming Spice Butternut Squash Soup
​-spleen qi friendly

​INGREDIENTS
You need a small or medium size butternut squash. 
​1 TBSP coconut oil
​1 Spanish or Vidalia onion diced.  Why not a normal onion?  Cause I hate tears in the kitchen!
3 cloves garlic smashed or diced
​5 cups vegetable stock (My lazy veggie stock is 5-6 cups of water + 1 TBSP herbes salés du Bas-du-Fleuve)
​1 tsp or more, to taste of Clef des Champs Garam Masala Culinary mix (cumin, coriander, pepper, bay leaf, mace, cardamom, clove, cinnamon)
​1 tsp or more, to taste of Clef de Champs Spice Cake Culinary mix (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves)
​4 cups spinach leaves or beet tops or any other green leafs that you need to sneak into your diet.
​1 can organic coconut milk
​Salt and Pepper to taste.

In a large soup pot, sauté onion and garlic in oil. 
Add stock, squash and spices.  Now is a good time to purée the mix in your blender before you heat it up.  Put it back in the pot and heat it to the temperature that you like. 
Add the coconut milk and then simmer another 5 minutes.
​Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
​Add a handful of julienned dark leafy greens to your bowl and spoon the hot soup over top.
​Savour with joy and gratitude (your spleen and stomach will thank you)
​Store in mason jars in the fridge for a few days or freeze for later.
​Cheers to Health!
​Love
Dani