Friday Food Files - the final episode!

Today I'm publishing my last Friday Food File! During this past year I published almost 50 Friday Food Files, some as simple as a bowl of cereal or a sprinkle doughnut, others more elaborate such as brownie meringue cupcakes, my sister's wedding cake or this birthday cake, this birthday cake and even a pretty ice cream cake. But I also shared some healthy options, such as a quinoa salad, cod on Cape Cod or lunch in a jar. I've really enjoyed this project - it allowed me to improve my photography, my food styling and pushed me to try new food adventures. Some posts were thought out and well planned, others I shot in the moment or right before a wedding reception! I'm particularly proud of the 12 days of baking post, which was so much work, but was by far the most popular post on my blog ever -  and something I never would have attempted a year ago.

I'm closing today with a healthier option - a pop of colour and zing amongst all your winter comfort food and holiday sweets. I hope you like it.

I don’t usually follow a recipe for my soups – that’s the beauty of a soup, you can throw in most anything and end of up with a great meal. Here is roughly what I did, but feel free to adapt.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut and Ginger

• 2 pounds of butternut squash, cubed
• 1 generous tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons of minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon of minced lemongrass
• 1/2 tablespoon of minced chilli
• water
• salt and pepper
• cilantro (optional)

Heat the oil in a deep soup pot, add garlic and cook until fragrant – less than a minute. Add the butternut squash and toss until covered in the oil and garlic, let warm a couple of minutes. Add the coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, chilli and stir well. Add a bit of water to cover all the squash.

Cover with lid and let it cook on medium-high until squash is soft and breaks apart easily with a spatula. Use a immersion blender to smooth soup (If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular blender and blend it in batches. Watch out with the hot liquid). Once smooth, decide if you are happy with the consistency or add a bit of liquid if you like your soup not to be too thick. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve with chopped cilantro. Enjoy hot or cold.