My coworker Karla came into work last week excited about a butternut squash soup she had concocted from a little bit of this and that. The spice combination she chose—aji amarillo paste (she’s Peruvian), smoked paprika and saffron—already inhabited my pantry and wouldn’t escape my brain until I gave it a try.

Some butternut squash soups lean toward sweet. Others rely on cream for richness. This one has smokey, spicy undertones that know their place and let the starlet squash stand out. The Parmesan and splash of milk provide ample fatty pleasure. 

Karla’s Butternut Squash Soup
1 medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons aji amarillo paste
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Generous pinch saffron
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus 8 Parmesan curls

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Trim ends off squash and split lengthwise.  Remove seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon. Coat squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and place on a baking sheet, flesh side down. Bake squash for 40 to 45 minutes, until tender. Remove squash from oven, and cool slightly. Peel squash, and cut into large cubes. 

Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a medium pot. Add onion, aji amarillo paste, smoked paprika, and saffron to the pot. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant—about 1 minute. Transfer squash, stock, milk, and salt to the pot. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Remove soup from the burner, and puree with an immersion blender (or cool soup slightly, and puree in a blender). Return to heat and stir in grated Parmesan. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Ladle soup  into bowls and top with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a few parmesan curls. 

Serves 4 to 5

With leftover poached chicken thighs in my freezer, I hoped to make an easy Friday night meal of chicken and yellow rice (arroz con pollo en Miami). My childhood version involved a package of Mahatma saffron rice, which I was more than happy to rely on. 

But with closer product scrutiny, I discovered that Mahatma’s vivid flavor relies on MSG. And it wasn’t just Mathatma. EVERY package of saffron rice at Publix contained the chemical. 

I didn’t want to voluntarily sign us up for a dose of MSG, so I decided to make a homemade version instead. 

To make the rice a sunny yellow, I used turmeric and saffron (traditional recipes call for annatto oil). Fresh vegetables (onion, peppers and garlic) replaced freeze-dried veggies in the packaged mix.

I served black beans and fresh field peas on the side. Normally I’d opt for frozen green peas, but the peas (from William’s Granddad, thanks!) were a special summer treat. 

Thanks for the memories Mahatma. But we’re moving on to real (delicious) chicken and yellow rice from now on. 

Chicken and Yellow Rice
For chicken:
1 pound bone-in chicken thighs (or white meat if you prefer)
Aromatics (1/2 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 bay leaf, herbs … whatever you have on hand)
2 teaspoons kosher salt 
Black pepper

For rice:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion 
1/2 diced red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, sliced into thin rounds (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups chicken broth or water
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter, optional 
6 lemon wedges
1/3 cup chopped cilantro 

Instructions
Place chicken in a medium-sized stock pot and cover with cool water, about 3 1/2 cups. Add aromatics to the water. Heat water to a boil, add salt and several grinds of pepper, and reduce heat to a simmer. If foam forms on the top of the pot, remove. Cook chicken for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender.

Remove chicken from the pot, cool, and coarsely chop. Pour liquid through a fine mesh strainer and reserve. 

For the rice, heat olive oil in a medium-size pot. Add onion, red pepper, garlic, and jalapeno (if using), cooking until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric and saffron, and cook 1 minute more. Add rice to the pot, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes to infuse the flavor of the spices into the grains. Pour in reserved chicken broth, adding water if necessary to make 3 cups. Bring liquid to a boil, add chicken to the pot, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. 

Cook rice for 20 to 25 minutes, until the grains have absorbed all of the liquid. If desired, add butter. Fluff rice with a fork, and serve with lemon wedges and cilantro. 

Serves 6

I searched and searched last week for a vegetarian garbanzo bean soup to peak my interest. I didn’t feel like Italian or anything with winter greens, which are long gone here in Miami. I finally  located this Mexican recipe on MexConnect, which I adapted to suit my pantry and taste. I used dried pasilla chiles, which are sweet and have little to no heat, so I compensated with cayenne. If I had a spicier chile on hand I would have used it. 

The recipe is unintentionally healthy and full of distinct chile flavor. I topped my bowl with diced avocado and fried corn tortillas—crumbled queso fresco also would make a nice addition.

Garbanzo Bean Soup with Chiles and Saffron
2 cups dried garbanzo beans*
1 carrot, cut into large hunks
1 large onion, cut in half
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 large pinch ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 chiles pasilla, soaked to soften
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
Salt and pepper

Instructions
In a large bowl, soak beans overnight, covered by 3 inches of water. Drain and rinse beans. Transfer beans to a stock pot, along with the carrot, 1/2 onion (reserving the other half), 2 bay leaves, thyme springs, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, and stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender—1 1/2 to 2 hours. (I cheated and used the slow cooker while I was at work. The beans were a tad too tender, but the convenience was worth the sacrifice.) Turn off heat, and set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium in a large stock pot. Dice the remaining half onion, and saute for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add sweet potato, saffron, cumin, cloves, and cayenne,  and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. 

Meanwhile, blend chiles and tomatoes with 1/4 cup bean cooking liquid. Add to pot with onion mixture, simmering gently.

Next, puree half of the cooked garbanzo beans. Add puree, whole beans, and remaining cooking liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 6

*You can substitute 6 cups canned garbanzo beans that have been drained and rinsed. If you do, I recommend using vegetable or chicken stock to help add flavor to the soup.