So just like all of you my email inbox is being bombarded right now with holiday gift ideas. This morning I woke up to yet another 60 of these style of emails, however one of them caught my eye as it was for....a chocolate facial. Sure I haven't had one so maybe I shouldn't knock it, but seriously I love my chocolate and I can think of a lot of uses for chocolate but spreading it on my face is not one of them. I will even go so far as to say I have seen chocolate chip shower gel and I was like ok maybe, but a chocolate facial just gives me an image of some lady taking out a bottle of Hersheys chocolate syrup, squeezing it all over my face, rubbing it in and just letting me sit there....as I got sticky and crusty. Sure this could all just be an imaginary bias, but I think I will keep my chocolate in the kitchen.




However, this blog is actually about the Thai Winter Squash Soup I made last night in the crock pot. I love those recipes you can put in the crock pot and forget about. Especially during this crazy busy time of year there is nothing better than turning a knob and coming home to a warm and cozy meal. I will admit I was a little worried about this soup because as it was cooking it did smell a little odd, but once I added the cilantro and coconut milk at the end it really had some nice flavor from the cilantro, jalapeno and ginger. It also had a smooth creamy texture from the coconut milk that was complimented by the sweet butternut squash. Yum!!! And I have to admit I really liked this recipe because it wasn't your typical crock pot dish...sure there is a time and place for crock pot pot roast or chili but I liked the fact that I was making something out of the ordinary in this 1950's cooking accoutrement.

I also liked the fact that this was seriously one of the easiest crock pot dishes ever. There was none of this brown the meat first before putting it in the slow cooker...it was throw everything into the crock pot, put it on low and go on your merry way. It is also low in calories and low in fat which during this time of year there just isn't many things you can say that about...just saying.

So here is the recipe:

2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces **I actually bought it at Fresh and Easy already peeled and chopped. I know that Trader Joe's also sells it like this **
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges ** I used red onion and it does turn a slightly odd color when it cooks but it tastes great **
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped ** watch your eyes **
1/2 tsp finely shredded lime peel
2 T lime juice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 oz cans vegetable broth ** I used vegetable bouillon in a jar for the first time and it worked great **
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 T fresh cilantro
1T fresh basil

1. In a slow cooker combine squash, bok choy, onion, chile pepper, lime peel, lime juice, ginger, garlic and salt. Pour broth over it all

2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high 3 1/2-4 hours

3. Stir in coconut milk, cilantro and basil.