Bettie Stewart’s Squash and Cranberries

• 2 lbs butternut squash
• salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (can substitute maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries, cut in half (frozen berries don’t need to be halved)
• freshly grated nutmeg (or regular ground nutmeg)

Peel the squash and cut into cubes. Cook in lightly salted water until tender. Drain well, then puree by putting through a food mill or food processor. There should be about 4 cups. Mix well with the eggs, butter, sugar, salt, pepper, and cranberries. Put in a buttered 1½-quart casserole. Grate nutmeg over the top. Bake in a preheated oven at about 350° F. for 45 minutes.

Note: to make this soup low-sodium, substitute water for the chicken broth. There is enough flavor from the other ingredients that you won’t miss the extra salt.

Whole Foods Market Butternut Squash and Crab Bisque 

• 4 large cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup fresh carrots, diced
• 1 cup fresh celery, diced
• 1 quart chicken broth, divided use
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
• 8 ounces crab claw meat
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1.  In a large (at least 5 quart) soup pot over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Once butter is melted, add garlic and cook gently over low heat for about 5 minutes. Do not let the garlic get deep golden brown .

2.  Turn the heat up to medium and add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

3.  Add the squash and 3 cups of broth. Cover pot and simmer until squash is very tender (about one hour).

4.  Add the cream and puree the mixture with a stick blender until very smooth (or blend in batches in blender and return to pan). Thin with remaining broth if needed.

5.  Fold in the crab meat and sage. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes 12 1-cup servings. Nutritional information per cup: 217 cal., 15 g fat (7 g sat.), 43 mg chol., 12 g carb., 623 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 10 g pro.