Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

Wow, all I can say is wow. I cannot believe I haven't posted since April. Craziness. Anyway, since that fine April day, a lot has changed. I started at KCEN in May as a Meteorologist and Web Producer. Maybe that is why I haven't posted since then? Nope, not going to make excuses.
It's not like I haven't been experimenting in the kitchen either. Yes, I know, lame. Okay, rant over.

So, over this long period of time that I haven't been blogging, I have been experimenting with food, barbeque, TexMex, Texas staples, etc. After giving everything a shot, I realized maybe putting gravy on everything wasn't so healthy (I didn't really put it on everything, but it is offered on almost everything here). Although it may have been good, I couldn't allow myself to eat like that anymore.

Looking for new options, trying new fads, nothing I seemed to enjoy was working. Then, I took note that my extremely fit and healthy friend, Nikki did this thing called the 'Paleo Diet'. She looked like she was bringing in some bomb meals everyday for dinner, so I thought, let's give that a shot.

What is Paleo, you ask? Well, the short of it... Stop putting crap into your body. Stop eating processed foods, eat more vegetables, and start eating organic. The best thing about it all?? NO PORTIONS!! As long as you are eating the right things, you can eat as much as you want. Sayyyy whattttt??!! I can have a big 'ol burger or steak as long as the cows that it came from were grass-fed? Deal!

I had an awesome time with the Paleo diet. I felt in shape, had more energy, and didn't actually think of it as a diet, more of a lifestyle. Also, I started appreciating natural and organic foods a lot more.

Have I stuck with the Paleo lifestyle? Not to the fullest, no. BUT, I do use a lot more fresh and natural ingredients in my cooking. And come on, let's be honest, I LOVE ICE CREAM!

Okay, how about we actually get to the recipe. Coconut Butternut Squash Soup. Boom.

We are under a Freeze Warning in Central Texas. I have adapted to the Texas lifestyle and started wearing sweatshirts when high temperatures were in the 60s. But guess what, we are supposed to be in the upper 20s tonight. Goodness. If that doesn't call for soup, I don't know what does.

Without further ado, Coconut Butternut Squash Soup.

Recipe

Ingredients
2 small butternut squash (or 1 large), skinned and diced into one to half inch cubes
1 onion, diced
1 cup of organic coconut milk
2 cups of chick broth/stock
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Add oil and the chopped onion to a stock pot. Cook until translucent.
2. Once onions are cooked, add in the butternut squash and butter. Once the butter is melted, add sugar, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cover and stir occasionally. 
3. After the squash starts to get soft, add in the chicken broth/stock and let simmer for 10 minutes. 
4. Scoop out onions and squash and put in a blender, leaving remaining liquid in the stock pot.
5. Blend the onions, squash, and coconut milk until smooth. 
6. Stir in the blended mixture back to the stock pot with the remaining liquid. Let simmer for several more minutes, serve and enjoy!