I Dream of Cream of Pumpkin Soup

A few years ago, I brought cream of pumpkin soup (along with several other dishes) to a small get-together. It must have made an impression because I got a message recently from one of my friends that she was craving this soup. She has since moved to California so the best I could do was send her the recipe, which I did. But then it got me craving the soup. Carol, this is for you!

Cream of Pumpkin Soup (4 to 5 servings)

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped very finely
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• pinch ground nutmeg
• pinch ground cloves
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin purée (unsweetened)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup light cream

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the spices and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add the pumpkin. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Purée or strain the soup so it's very smooth.
3. Add the cream and heat gently.

Smoky, Sweet and Satisfying

I love a good pulled chicken or pulled pork sandwich. It’s warm, flavorful comfort food. I found this recipe for a quick barbecue pulled chicken sandwich that looked tempting. As I read through the recipe, though, the quantities didn’t sound quite right, so I made a number of adjustments. Cole slaw is a traditional accompaniment and while I do like cole slaw, I wanted something that would be as sweet and smoky as the sandwich itself. So I went with roasted sweet potatoes with smoked paprika. It’s a different smoky-sweet, but one that complements the smoky-sweet of the barbecue sauce very well.

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches (4 servings)

• 6 tbsp. ketchup
• 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. ground ginger
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half
• 4 sandwich rolls, sliced and toasted

1. Combine all the ingredients except the rolls in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Shred the chicken with two forks and return to the sauce. Cook over medium-high until heated through, 1-2 minutes.
3. Spoon chicken onto the toasted rolls.

Sweet Potatoes Roasted with Smoked Paprika (4 servings)

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• ½ tsp. kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.
2. Toss the sweet potato wedges with the oil, smoked paprika and salt. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.