veg in the southwest

Fall is the season of orange superfoods, like pumpkin, acorn squash, and - my favorite - butternut squash. A member of the gourd family, this fall vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s chock full of fiber and contains lots of great vitamins and minerals, including beta carotene, folic acid, magnesium, vitamins A and C, and potassium. Just as important, it is incredibly flavorful, versatile, and easy to prepare. Read on for five quick and easy ways to prepare butternut squash that are sure to please even the pickiest eaters!

If you don't have it already, Chef Chloe Coscarelli's Vegan Italian Kitchen cookbook is a MUST HAVE. All of the recipes I've tried from the cookbook are stellar - and I have made this soup three times in the past two and a half weeks! I made it twice with canned tomatoes and once with frozen home-grown tomatoes. All three times, it was amazing! I used an immersion blender instead of a regular one, for easier clean-up. Once you try this recipe, you'll never buy canned tomato soup again. (If you don't like spicy food, just omit the crushed red pepper.)

Miso soup is tasty, easy to make, and very healthy. The Okinawans, who are known for living long, healthy lives, drink miso soup every morning. Made from fermented soybean paste, miso contains live enzymes that aid in digestion. (Make sure to purchase non-pasteurized miso). It also has cancer-fighting properties and is rich in beta carotene and protein. Wakame is dried seaweed that is easily re-hydrated by soaking for a few minutes in cold water. Seaweed contains protein, iodine, calcium, Vitamin A, iron, and antioxidants.