Fall Miso Soup

It's that time of year, FALL! Aren't you excited to smell the apple ciders, pumpkin spices, and savor the flavor of pumpkins, acorns, and squashes?! During this time of the year, when the weather is getting chillier and we have lots of orange veggies it is best to make soup. A few years ago when we were browsing through HULU, we found an interesting clip featuring Miya's restuarant's chef/owner Bun Lai. He made a winter miso soup that is still available through ABC, called "Warm You Up Miso Soup".  My human tried this original version with regular seaweed before, and it is SO DELICIOUS. So she decided to make it again this year using fall vegetables (squash) instead of sweet potatoes.

FALL MISO SOUP

Ingredients

• 1 Onion, chopped in chunks
• 1 Medium Squash, chopped in chunks
• 3-4 Garlic, crushed
• 2 Medium Potatoes, chopped in chunks
• 1/2 tablespoon crushed pepper flakes
• 4-5 Dried Shiitake Mushroom, sliced
• Please be sure to soak in water first
• 6 oz. Sliced Portabella Mushroom, sliced
• Please be sure to wash first
• Bunch of Dried Seaweed, chopped 
• Please be sure to soak in water first
• 1/2- 1 cup Miso Paste
• Hon Dashi (for taste) 
• Sesame Oil

Instructions

1. Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Add in the first 5 ingredients. Let it cook for about 10 minutes so onions are translucent. (Please remember to reduce heat once it boils).
2. Add mushrooms and seaweed and simmer for another 10 minutes. You will see that the seaweed turns bright green.
3. Turn off the heat and wisk in miso paste.  Add in some Hon Dashi for taste and then add Sesame oil. Bon Appetite!

You can watch the winter soup version from Bun Lai here....
http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/miya-chef-sushi-bun-lai-miso-soup-food-15452937 
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Cheesy Butternut Squash with Chicken Casserole

Let the Fall Festivities start! Today will be the start of Pumpkin season for us. :3 Hope my human will create something for me soon...

Cheesy Butternut Squash with Chicken Casserole (Recipe)

•  3 1/2 cups Butternut Squash, cubed
  
• 1 chicken breast, chopped
• 8 oz. corkscrew macaroni
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 oz. sliced portabella mushroom
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced (angled slices looks better)
• 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Vermont Sharp Cheddar cheese (white)
• 1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 3 slices of bacon, fully cooked and crumbled
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°F, lightly coat a 2 quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray
2. In a medium microwave safe bowl combine squash and 2 tablespoon of water; cover with plastic wrap (saran wrap). Microwave for 4 minutes, take it out and mix it up a bit, microwave for another 3 minutes. Once it's tender, mash the squash.
3. Cook pasta, according to box instructions and drain afterwards.
4. Use a pot on medium-high heat to brown the chicken in the meantime.
5. Once it's completely browned, remove from pot.
6. Melt butter, add mushroom and sliced onions. Make sure you save at least 2 tablespoon of green onions for later.
7. After mushrooms are cooked, slowly sprinkle in the flour to create a roux/ rue. Salt and pepper it to your discretion.
8. Add milk and cook until thickened. Remove from heat immediately.
9. Fold in squash, chicken and then pasta to combine.
10. Transfer half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish, add half of your mixture of cheeses on top. Followed by the remaining pasta and cheeses. Top with crumbled bacon.
11. Cook for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and add the remaining  scallions.

Enjoy!