well, i’m back from a quick vacation to new york and VERY ready to get back in the kitchen. wes and i headed to the other coast to visit my bestie who just moved back to the US after years abroad, and of course, to eat. we were hoping for some crispy, fall weather to inspire us, but alas, it was nothing but warm and muggy.

but caliifornia came through. we arrived home to cooler temperatures, shorter days and SOUP season.

soup was the first thing i really enjoyed cooking. i have always been a fan of eating soup, but to me, it’s the ultimate food to cook. you can pack it full of flavor and nutrients, it is easy to make and even better, it is easy to clean!

i’ve made quite a few butternut squash soups, but let’s be real, bacon takes everything to the next level. salty, crispy bacon atop a creamy, robust soup is a real winner.

butternut squash & bacon soup

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 40 minutes

total time: 50 minutes

ingredients: 2 lbs cubed butternut squash. 1 small brown onion, halved and sliced. 1 large shallot, halved and sliced. 3 garlic cloves, smashed. 4 slices of bacon, thinly sliced. 1 tbs finely chopped rosemary. 4 cups chicken stock. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. immersion blender, blender or food processor. large heavy pot. optional 2 tbs finely chopped parsley for serving.

start by heating a large, heavy pot over medium heat till the pan is nice and hot. add your bacon to the pot in a nice even layer and cook over medium heat until the bacon is nice and crispy. stirring every few minutes. about 8-10 minutes.

use a slotted spoon to remove half the bacon to a paper towel to dry. reserve for serving. turn up the heat on your pot to medium high so the bacon fat gets nice and hot.

add in the butternut squash and half the salt and pepper and allow it to start to brown. stir it only every few minutes. that browning is flavor! don’t rush it. after 7-10 minutes, when the squash is starting to soften and has browned a bit, push the squash to one side of your pan.

add to the open side the onion, shallot and garlic so they start to cook down. season with the remaining salt and pepper. stir the onion mixture after a few minutes and cook until they start to become translucent. when they are starting to turn, toss the squash and onion mixture together till everything is well combined.

add in the rosemary and stir well.

pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil.

once your soup has boiled, reduce the heat so the soup is just simmering and cook for 5-10 minutes until the butternut squash is nice and tender.

turn off the heat. using your immersion blender, or in batches in your blender or food processor, puree until your soup is nice and smooth.

serve topped with reserved bacon and parsley.

xo, a

butternut squash & bacon soup

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 40 minutes

total time: 50 minutes

ingredients: 2 lbs cubed butternut squash. 1 small brown onion, halved and sliced. 1 large shallot, halved and sliced. 3 garlic cloves, smashed. 4 slices of bacon, thinly sliced. 1 tbs finely chopped rosemary. 4 cups chicken stock. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. immersion blender, blender or food processor. large heavy pot. optional 2 tbs finely chopped parsley for serving.

start by heating a large, heavy pot over medium heat till the pan is nice and hot. add your bacon to the pot in a nice even layer and cook over medium heat until the bacon is nice and crispy. stirring every few minutes. about 8-10 minutes. use a slotted spoon to remove half the bacon to a paper towel to dry. reserve for serving. turn up the heat on your pot to medium high so the bacon fat gets nice and hot. add in the butternut squash and half the salt and pepper and allow it to start to brown. stir it only every few minutes. that browning is flavor! don’t rush it. after 7-10 minutes, when the squash is starting to soften and has browned a bit, push the squash to one side of your pan. add to the open side the onion, shallot and garlic so they start to cook down. season with the remaining salt and pepper. stir the onion mixture after a few minutes and cook until they start to become translucent. when they are starting to turn, toss the squash and onion mixture together till everything is well combined. add in the rosemary and stir well. pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. once your soup has boiled, reduce the heat so the soup is just simmering and cook for 5-10 minutes until the butternut squash is nice and tender. turn off the heat. using your immersion blender, or in batches in your blender or food processor, puree until your soup is nice and smooth. serve topped with reserved bacon and parsley.

since i grew up in sunny socal, tacos are basically a food group. and in our house, they are eaten in one form of or another a few times a week. so i decided to start diving deep into my taco recipes on the first taco tuesday of every month.

first up on the list is one of my favorite fish tacos. salmon makes a tasty, beautiful substitute to the usual white fish options used for fish tacos. the sauce is zesty and bright and the purple cabbage adds some delicious CRUNCH to each bite.

salmon tacos

serves: 2

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 10 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

ingredients: 8 oz wild salmon (i like the skin on, but if you are not comfortable cooking the skin to a crisp, ask your fish guy to remove the skin, remove it your self or purchase salmon with the skin already removed). .5 cup greek yogurt. .25 mayonnaise. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper. .5 tsp garlic powder. .5 tsp cumin. .25 tsp paprika. 2 lime. 1 clove garlic, minced. 3 tbs coconut oil. 1 shallot, thinly sliced. .25 tsp apple cider vinegar. .25 cup cilantro leaves. 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage. 6 small corn tortillas. large non-stick pan.

start by patting your salmon down with paper towels. put it in the back of your refrigerator, uncovered to dry out the skin about while you prep your other ingredients. combine your shallots and the apple cider vinegar in a small bowl to make quick pickled shallots. zest one of your limes and juice it. slice the second lime into wedges and reserve for serving. combine all but .5 tsp of your salt in a small bowl to make your spice blend.

then in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, .25 of the spice blend, the lime juice, the lime zest and the garlic clove. mix well to combine and set it aside. start heating your pan over medium high heat.

while the pan is heating, season the fish with .5 tsp of salt and then rub it with the remaining spice blend.

when the pan is hot, add in the coconut oil till it is shiny and hot. cook your salmon, skin side down first if you have skin on, until the skin is really crispy and you can see the fish is cooked a little more than half way through. flip the fish and continue cooking until you can see that is cooked through. remove the salmon and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

while the fish is resting, wipe out your pan and heat your tortillas for 30 seconds a side until they are nice and toasty. chop up your salmon.

to assemble your tacos, spread some of your zesty sauce on the bottom of your taco.

top with salmon, crunchy cabbage, pickled shallots, some cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime. serve hot and enjoy.

xo, a

salmon tacos

serves: 2

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 10 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

ingredients: 8 oz wild salmon (i like the skin on, but if you are not comfortable cooking the skin to a crisp, ask your fish guy to remove the skin, remove it your self or purchase salmon with the skin already removed). .5 cup greek yogurt. .25 mayonnaise. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper. .5 tsp garlic powder. .5 tsp cumin. .25 tsp paprika. 2 lime. 1 clove garlic, minced. 3 tbs coconut oil. 1 shallot, thinly sliced. .25 tsp apple cider vinegar. .25 cup cilantro leaves. 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage. 6 small corn tortillas. large non-stick pan.

start by patting your salmon down with paper towels. put it in the back of your refrigerator, uncovered to dry out the skin about while you prep your other ingredients. combine your shallots and the apple cider vinegar in a small bowl to make quick pickled shallots. zest one of your limes and juice it. slice the second lime into wedges and reserve for serving. combine all but .5 tsp of your salt in a small bowl to make your spice blend. then in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, .25 of the spice blend, the lime juice, the lime zest and the garlic clove. mix well to combine and set it aside. start heating your pan over medium high heat. while the pan is heating, season the fish with .5 tsp of salt and then rub it with the remaining spice blend. when the pan is hot, add in the coconut oil till it is shiny and hot. cook your salmon, skin side down first if you have skin on, until the skin is really crispy and you can see the fish is cooked a little more than half way through. flip the fish and continue cooking until you can see that is cooked through. remove the salmon and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. while the fish is resting, wipe out your pan and heat your tortillas for 30 seconds a side until they are nice and toasty. chop up your salmon. to assemble your tacos, spread some of your zesty sauce on the bottom of your taco. top with salmon, crunchy cabbage, pickled shallots, some cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime. serve hot and enjoy.