Snapper Provencale with Roasted Butternut Squash-Apple Soup with Garam Masala

Ready for a winter-licious meal? Imagine delicately flavored fish with warmly ripened winter tomatoes and luscious, creamy soup that somehow doesn't up the calorie count. This meal pairs just those two pieces while also tossing in the delicious stuffed artichokes that I have prepared in the past.

I'm especially excited about the soup featured below. Typically, while delicious, squash soups actually pile on the calories. They are filled with heavy whipping cream to give them that tantalizing texture and flavor, but that also means they are stock full of calories when you are least expecting that to be the case. Here we lighten up the soup considerably leaving you guilt-free while enjoying the now very nutritious yet still yummy classic.

Time: 1 hr 15 min
Difficulty: Medium

Roasted Butternut Squash-Apple Soup with Garam Masala

Time: 1 hr 15 min
So let's get started on the soup! This will take the bulk of your cooking time as you can see from the estimate listed above. The good news is that a lot of that time is taken up by the roasting of the squash. As that is in the oven you can work on prepping the rest of your meal.

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, in 1" peeled cubes
1 tbsp vegetable (canola) oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 cup shallots, diced
2 cups chopped apple (3-4 apples depending on size)
1/4 cup white wine
7 oz (1/2 can) vegetable or chicken broth
1 tbsp fat-free half and half (optional)
(this recipe is based upon a recipe from Cooking Light)

Preheat your oven to 400. Peel and chop your squash into 1" cubes. Combine in a greased glass baking dish with vegetable oil, maple syrup, Garam Masala, and black pepper. Make sure to toss well so the squash is evenly coated. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

While the squash is baking you can get everything else ready so you can assemble the soup quickly. Make sure you chop the shallots and apple and if you are like me and make all of your broth from bouillon cubes you'll want to boil water and get that ready as well.

Once your squash is just about ready you can start putting together the rest of the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and stir frequently to avoid burning. Cook them for about 5 minutes or just until they start to turn translucent. Add the apple and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the apple begins to get soft, continuing to stir frequently. Add the wine and stir well.

You'll now want to add your roasted squash to the pan along with the broth and another 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a quick simmer and allow the soup to simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour half of the mixture into a blender. Take the small center piece out of the lid to allow steam to escape and instead place a paper towel over the opening, making sure it is secure to avoid splattering. Blend until smooth. Pour that half into a large bowl and repeat with the other half. Your soup should be relatively thick.

You can now stir in 1 tbsp fat-free half and half to add a bit of creaminess or skip this altogether. I left it out and found the soup quite tasty without it!

Servings: 4
Serving size: about 1.5 cups
Nutrition: calories 184; fat 5.4g; carbs 34g; cholesterol 0mg; sodium 429mg; iron 8mg

Snapper Provencale
Time: 20 minutes
Ready for the fish? You can start this when the soup has about twenty minutes left to go to make sure all of your food finishes on time.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups grape tomatoes, halved
3 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp shallots, diced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb red snapper
black pepper
(this recipe is based upon one from Cooking Light)

Toss your grape tomatoes, basil, shallots, balsamic vinegar, and 1.5 tsp olive oil in a bowl. Make sure the tomatoes are well coated.

Heat the remaining 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle your snapper with black pepper and put in the pan when the oil is hot. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until the fish is nearly done.

Pour the tomato mixture over the fish and allow it took for another 3 or so minutes or until the mixture is warm. Serve immediately.