I was faced with three large crookneck squashes (see what they looked like in my post for Zucchini soup). My creamy butternut squash soup recipe beckoned.

But wait: these were not butternut squash. Would crookneck squash give me that sweet, substantial, creamy smooth tongue-sensation that a butternut never fails to deliver? Would the soup be too watery to be filling and satisfying? I had to know.

First, I weilded my vegetable peeler and gave the bumpy, rough yellow rind the thinnest of peels. Ideally, I prefer to eat the skin and all of summer squash since once you peel something it no longer is a “whole food” containing everything needed for complete and efficient digestion, but these had been sitting around a few days and the rind looked pretty tough. My kids aren’t big fans of skins, either, and I wanted them to eat this, too. So I compromised with a super thin peel that removed the outer layer of skin but left the darker layer containing most of the nutrition.

After scooping out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon (try it: it works really well), I cut them into chunks and covered them with about 2 cups of purified water in a saucepan. I brought the water up to a boil, then simmered until the squash was fork-tender but not mushy.

By setting a colander into a soup pot in my sink, I saved the cooking water and any vitamins that had leached into it. Leaving the water for a moment, I dumped the squash back into the saucepan and used my handblender to puree. Handblenders are one of my favorite kitchen appliances because you can do your blending right in the same pot, without adding a blender to your dishes chore. This is the handblender I have. Braun MR430HC Multiquick Deluxe Handblender & Chopper

Now, to melt 3 Tbsp. butter or trans-fat-free margarine or just heat olive oil, and saute the squash for 3-5 minutes. This soup could be completely dairy-free (yes, a dairy-free creamy soup — how can that be? stay tuned as the secret ingredient is coming…), but I really like the savory flavor real, organic butter gives the squash. I keep sticks of butter in the freezer just for times like these.

Break out the whisk and whisk in 1 beaten egg and 3 Tbsp. semolina flour until the mixture attains a pastelike consistency. Semolina is the super finely ground duram wheat flour used to make pasta. In this recipe, it gives the soup body and heft. Mmmmm….

Heat for a few more minutes until heated through, season lightly with sea salt (remember that the butter will give it a salty taste, too) then transfer into the soup pot (pour the squash water into another container first). Over low heat, whisk in the reserved water from boiling the squash along with 2 cups of broth. I love the little 1-cup, single-serving broth-in-a-box options from companies like Imagine. Look for them in the soup sections of regular and health food grocery stores. Simmer for about 30 minutes, whisking often, particularly during the first 10 minutes. If still too chunky, use handblender to puree again.

Taste and add sea salt just until the flavor pops. Top with freshly chopped parsley. Serve with toasted whole grain bread, which is what I would have done, had we had any bread in the house when I made this!

The verdict: it doesn’t seem to matter what kind of squash you use in this soup. The butter saute step imparts a tongue-smacking buttery sensation that perfectly compliments the thick, almost applesaucy texture that gives the mouth something to work on and makes it more satisfying than a brothy soup.

This soup freezes well and makes a hearty treat on a winter night.

One of my weight-loss/weight-management/healthy eating secrets is my lunchtime salad ritual.

Like many people, my weight fluctuates, especially when I lapse into poor eating habits and end up eating too many processed foods. Yes, I have my weaknesses — mostly around desserts!

So I try to follow a routine that includes a salad for lunch. I believe it can be an enormous quantity of food, as long as it is based in a leafy green and is mostly vegetables, nuts and seeds. The other 20-30% can be protein, grains and/or fruits.

Sometimes I chop up the leftovers from my Glorious One-Pot Meal the previous night and add a bunch of fresh lettuce and a vinaigrette.

The fresh greens are important as they provide enzymes our digestive systems need to function effectively. Anything other than iceberg lettuce is suitable. I like to switch things around between various types of lettuce, spinach, kale and chard.

The other day I received a bag of fresh tomatoes from my mother. I had a ripe avocado and some beautiful green leaf lettuce for a base. A monster cucumber from my garden that I’ve been trying to work our way through contributed green-jacketed cubes of creamy white. These were my vegetables and fruits.

Poor avocados: They got a terrible rap during the fat-phobic 80’s. The truth is that avocados are full of unsaturated fats, the kind we need to cushion our organs, feed our brains, and give us healthy skin and shiny hair. Avocados are one of nature’s most perfect foods: you can live off avocados and water for quite some time. They were one of the first foods I fed my babies when they began to eat. At some point, we’ll talk about making your own babyfood, but that’s another post.

Then I added my toppings to my salad.

Annie’s Naturals Shitake & Sesame Vinaigrette has been a favorite since I first discovered it in the early 90’s. Vinaigrettes are usually a healthier choice than creamy dressings laden with saturated fats. When looking for a vinaigrette, choose one without any trans-fats, artificial sugars or artificial flavors.

And then the seeds. Sunflower seeds make any salad into a party! I buy mine in the bulk food bins at the health food grocery store.

I keep a variety of yummy toppings in cannisters on my counters not only for convenient additions to my salads, but a handful often makes a great snack, too. Besides sunflower seeds, you’ll see roasted pumpkin seeds (shelled and unshelled, some flavored with teriyaki), dried cranberries, dried currents, sun-dried tomatoes (not the kind in oil; these come packed in vacuum-sealed bags), pistacios, shelled almonds, sesame sticks, and various other goodies that catch my fancy.

Oh yes, and did you notice what’s floating inside my water glass? It’s a cucumber slice! Cucumber-infused water is unbelievably refreshing. I first learned of it in a fun little modern-Vietnamese restaurant in Denver called Parallel 17.