Soup and dippers for one

Butternut squash soup with apple and spinach quesadillas

So, I'm going to take a page out of Maryea's book at Happy Healthy Mama and blog a fall soup. This is one I actually make quite a bit, but since I've only blogged 20 or so recipes and two of them have been about butternut squash, I've been saving this one.

Pretty much this is a lame dinner week at the Chenail household (unless you'd like me to blog ANOTHER veggie pasta?) I didn't have my creative hat on during my routine Saturday Hannaford trip. Therefore, the house is full of a bunch of staples and nothing that I would call fun...so here we are a big bowl of hot squash - YUM! (Somewhere my husband just threw up in his mouth)

Where this recipe came from
Ummmm....I cooked frozen squash in a pan one day - voila! The quesadillas though, are a collection of flavors I had in a panini out for a work lunch one day. the panini was actually spinach, apple and brie -but I swapped cheddar and mozerella since I didn't have any brie (PS...the brie was fab - so if you're shopping before making this one - or happen to have some on hand (do people "keep" brie in the house?), go for it!

Making the recipe
The squash cooks quicker that you would think, even when it's right out of the freezer. That means this is one that could be whipped up in less than 15 minutes!

The results
I had intended to serve the soup to the kids as a dip for quesadillas. And I was about to go easy on myself and make one spinach apple quesadilla and one plain cheese for the (likely) event that they wouldn't eat the spinach apple. While I was making dinner, however, Bodie moseyed on over asking for bowtie pasta. For some reason, he is recently obsessed. At any rate, we had leftovers from last night (bowtie pasta) which he happened to see in the fridge (ooops), and I couldn't find an excuse for why he couldn't have them. He also spotted the package of tortillas and asked for a round one (i.e. he wanted to eat it out of the package). So, I compromised....I heated up a tortilla, cut it into squares, and served them to the kids with cheese, pasta, cucumbers and the apple. For me - dinner was delightful!

The recipe(s)
*Note: as the title indicates, this made one (plus a little) serving. Feel free to multiply as needed (although if your family is like mine - a serving for one works just fine!

Butternut squash soup
1/2 bag frozen butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
1 - 1 1/2 cup chicken stock (depending on how thick or thin you like your soup)
2 tbsp milk or half and half
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of crushed red pepped (if desired)

Put a small saucepan over med high heat and add squash.

Cook, stirring until the squash begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add chicken stock and cook for a few more minutes.

Use an immersion blender to process until smooth (or transfer to a blender if you don't have an immersion blender). Add milk and all spices. Stir together and serve.

Apple spinach quesadilla
1 tbsp olive oil
1 whole grain tortilla
1/4 box frozen spinach, defrosted with all liquid squeezed out
1/4 apple sliced thin
2 tbsp shredded cheddar
2 tbsp shredded mozzarella

Heat olive oil in a skillet over med heat. Put tortilla in pan and layer spinach, apple and cheese over half of the tortilla.

Cook for 2 minutes. Flip "un-topped" tortilla top over the "topped' side. Cook for 2 minutes, until browned. Flip tortilla to the other side and cook for another minute or two until fully browned and cheese is melted. Serve warm!