Autumn is here! To celebrate the time of year at the UBS Cooking School I always love to highlight poplar Northeast seasonal ingredients. Tis the season for apples of all shapes and sizes, and delicious winter squash, which also happens to be the superfood for the month of October! This recipe highlights both of these amazing fall ingredients which are available in many varieties all season long. Happy Fall everyone!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Bacon Croutons

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 yellow onion, peeled, and diced
• ½ red bell pepper, seeded, and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 3-4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 (400ml) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 pink lady apples, skin on, seeded, and diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chives, sliced
• 1 tablespoon sour cream or crème fraiche

Croutons

• 4 strips sliced bacon
• 4 slices sourdough bread, diced

Instructions

Season butternut squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until squash is tender and fully cooked.

Heat stock pot- add remaining olive oil, and sauté onions until golden brown (season onions with salt and pepper). Add red bell pepper, apples, garlic, thyme, coconut milk, and enough stock to cover. Bring mix to boil and turn down to simmer for 25-30 minutes on low heat. Using a ladle puree soup and add more chicken stock if needed. Taste for seasoning.

Croutons: Add bacon to cold sauté pan- heat on med high to render fat. Once fat is rendered and bacon is crispy- remove from heat and leave the remaining fat inside the sauté pan. Add cut sourdough and fry in the bacon fat until golden brown. Once bread is at the desired consistency, remove from the heat and mix with the bacon.

Top your soup with the bacon croutons and a spoon full of sour cream or crème fraiche as desired. Serve, and enjoy!

-Chef Dana

• Gatherings are a time to indulge, but you can still be mindful of your approach. Make an effort to get in some exercise that you enjoy beforehand and try not to arrive too hungry. Ensure you consume a nutritionally balanced meal and/or snack beforehand.

• Limit the amount of holiday treats to what they are supposed to be…a treat. Reduce the amount you have in the home and enjoy them at the valuable times like when you are out with friends and family. If you are traveling, plan and bring some staple, nourishing snacks to maintain some normalcy. Just remember, you are the expert of your body, and your needs so take an intuitive approach and honor your needs and preferences.

• Be mindful, but do not be worried. The holidays last for a brief period over an entire year and while it can have an impact on some healthy habits you have developed, take the opportunity to enjoy festivities with family and friends. Balancing socialization and health can both be achieved and are equally important. A celebration is in order. Happy Holidays!

• It’s better for the atmosphere. In-season produce typically correlates positively with local produce, which often means your produce has traveled a shorter distance to get to you. Shorter distances traveled mean less gas used during transit, and thus fewer greenhouse gases emitted!

• It’s better for the soil. In-season produce typically require fewer chemicals – such as pesticide and others – to grow, which can be harmful to wildlife or leach into bodies of water around farms.

• It’s better for your wallet. Not only does produce taste best when it is in-season, it is typically also cheaper! When a fruit or vegetable is in-season is when there is the highest supply available. This high supply can then lead to a lower price.

• Shop in Season. Most consumers associate seasonal eating with regards to produce and animal protein. Yet, many fish have months when they are abundant and others when they should not be fished or purchased. For example, halibut, blue crab and rainbow trout are all available during National Seafood Month from sustainable sources.

• Try Something New. Consider expanding your recipe repertoire with meals featuring raw or smoked fish, hearty fish stews, or even sushi and sashimi. Try adding spices like saffron, turmeric, dill, thyme, and cumin to fish dishes to enhance you seafood dishes.

• Get to know you fishmonger. Fishmongers should be your best friends when it comes to sourcing great seafood. They can tell you where your fish is from, and if the fish was sustainably fished or farmed. Your fishmonger can also cut and de-bone the fish to save you time at home. In addition, the fishmonger can share various cooking techniques—pan-fried, steamed, baked, grilled—and what pairs well with your fish.

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states every fall. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. Many years later, Thanksgiving has become a day centered around football, family, and of course great food. According to the National Turkey Federation, nearly 90% of all Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Other traditional foods include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and of course pumpkin pie, hopefully a la mode.

This month the Virtual Cooking School will help you to be the star of the show on Thanksgiving by offering a series of both virtual and in person classes featuring many holiday favorites. Click the links below to sign-up on Eventbrite.com for some of these fantastic classes and become this years’ Thanksgiving Master Chef. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 7 Cornbread Dressing

November 11 Fig and Goat Cheese Stuffed Filo

November 14 Sausage, Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

November 21 Gruyere and Parmesan Gratin

November 22 Confit Turkey and Dumplings

October 10 Winter Squash Ravioli, Hazelnut Butter
October 11 Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Aglio e Olio
October 17 Kombucha Miso Coconut Soup
November 18 Pumpkin Coffee Cake
November 29 Caramelized Onion and Butternut Squash Pasta

As we head into the holiday season, the UBS Cooking School wanted to thank all our participants, both virtual and in-person, for all their support throughout 2022. The Cooking School Team takes great pride in providing a platform where the UBS universe can gather and learn through the cooking experience. It has been a joy to see how the students have grown throughout the year. For those of you who have participated in 1 class, or 100, we cannot thank you enough. Cheers to You!

To celebrate the Holidays, the UBS Cooking School will be featuring a few holiday themed classes sure to make you the hit of any dinner party. December 13^th and 15^thwill feature international holiday entrees bound to make your celebration the must attend event of the year. On December 16^th and 19^th, the Cooking School will be holding virtual Holiday Cookie Workshops sure to please anyone out there with a holiday sweet tooth. Finally, we will feature 4 in-person Holiday Mocktails and Hors d’oeuvre classes closing out our holiday series on December 20^th and 21st. Sign up for classes on Eventbrite.com today!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

December 13 West African Chicken Yassa
December 15 Calabrian Chili and Crab Linguini
December 16 Buttery Nutella Hamantaschen
December 19 Sugar Cookie Decorating
December 20 Potato Latkes & Hot Cranberry Apple Cider
December 21 Mini Empanadas & Coquito

By Mary Leung

Day Job: Tech Risk & Control Specialist (AD)

Role Location: Weehawken, NJ

Date Joined UBS: Too long to mention…

“I love, love, love the Cooking School! No matter what your level of cooking experience, there is always something that you can learn from Chef Dana. Chef Dana is amazing and makes the classes fun, informative and very, very tasty !!”

-Mary L.

Think your finished dish looks “Picture Perfect”? With so many great class pictures being emailed to the chefs every day, we figured it was time to recognize some of those stellar shots every month. All you must do is email us a shot of your finished dish and be entered to win a UBS 3-Keys logo apron! Use the email link here, and see if your shot has what it takes…

Bon Appetit!

goto/gcs-food

Scan below and leave a comment on anything you would like to see in our Cooking School!