September Stew and Almond Zucchini Cake

I must be on the mend - I can't keep out of the kitchen. Tonight's supper was "September Stew", served with fresh baguette slices, followed by a dessert of frosted "Almond Zucchini (sshhh! they'll never know) Cake".

September Stew

1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, trimmed and cubed
2 1/2 cups peeled, seeded butternut squash
3 medium shallots, coarsely chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. onion soup mix

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 tbs worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/8 tsp allspice

2 tbs cold water

4 tsp cornstarch

3 cups frozen french-style green beans

Place all but the last three ingredients in a slowcooker. Cook on high for 4 hours (or on slow for 8-10 hours). In a small bowl, combine the cold water and the cornstarch. Stir in some of the hot liquid. Stir mix into slow cooker. Add the green beans, cover and cook for 15 more minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Almond-Zucchini Cake

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp almond extract

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups peeled, grated zucchini (courgettes)

3/4 cup ground almonds.

Glaze
1 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar
2 tbs water
1 tsp almond extract

In mixer, beat eggs until frothy. Add brown sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and continue mixing until thick and smooth. Add oil and almond extract and continue beating for 1 min.

Combine dry ingredients (next 4 in list) in a separate bowl. Add alternately, in three parts, with grated zucchini to egg mixture. Beat well. Stir in ground almonds. Turn into well-greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 F. for 1 hour 5 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. While still warm, drizzle glaze over cake, letting it run down the sides. Enjoy - and don't mention the zucchini to your kids - they'll never know they're eating a vegetable.

Roasted yellow tomato and pepper soup

By accidental fortune, we have an amazing crop of yellow tomatoes this year. We've enjoyed a surfeit of tomato sandwiches, toasted or otherwise, and have had sides of sliced tomatoes with just about every meal for several weeks now. I've experimented with yellow tomato pasta sauce (may post that recipe one day), and today, as I've got a hankering for soup, I've created "Roasted yellow tomato and pepper soup". It provides some sunny warmth to a not-so-warm fall day.

Roasted Yellow Tomato and Pepper Soup

2+ tbs olive oil

8-10 med. sized yellow tomatoes

1 yellow pepper

1-2 green onions, chopped and reserving 1 tbs for garnish

3 med. sized shallots

1 tsp paprika

1 bay leaf

1 tbs maple syrup

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheet with foil and spray foil lightly with olive oil. Halve and seed tomatoes (I find it easier to remove the small stem core at this time too). Place tomatoes cut side down on foil. On a separate, foil-lined and sprayed sheet, place seeded and sliced strips of yellow pepper, insides facing up. Spray both the tomatoes and the peppers liberally with olive oil. Place in pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes, turning pans around half way through. Meanwhile, peel and coarsely chop shallots. In large saucepan, saute shallots in 2 tbs olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add paprika and continue cooking for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

  

Once tomatoes and peppers are roasted (skins should be slightly blackened), remove from oven. Immediately cover the tomatoes with saran wrap (clingfilm) and let the steam continue to loosen the skins (takes about 10 minutes). Add the peppers to the sauce pan. Remove and discard skins from tomatoes. Add remaining pulp and liquid to sauce pan, along with bay leaf, chopped green onion, chicken broth, and maple syrup. Bring to low boil and let simmer 20 min. Remove bay leaf. Use stickblender to puree. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with a dollop of heavy cream and a sprinkling of reserved green onion.