Lauren's Winter Squash Soup

My niece, Lauren, wanted to make something for the Thanksgiving dinner, so we suggested that she make a soup. She asked around and her Oma found a recipe that looked great. It is sized to make 8 appetizer servings. Here it is:

Ingredients
2 T. Unsalted Butter
1 T Olive Oil
2 c. Chopped Onions
1.5 lbs Butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
3 c. chicken stock or broth
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
kosher salt, & fresh ground black pepper
1 c. Half & Half
Creme Fraiche, grated Gruyere, crisp cooked bacon or Croutons for serving or garnish

Directions
1. In saucepan heat butter and oil on medium low. Add onions and cook 10 minutes until translucent, stirring occasionally.
2. Add butternut squash, sock, pumpkin, 2 t. salt, 1/2 t. pepper and heat to boiling on medium high. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium low 20 minutes or until squash is very tender, stirring occasionally. Process mixture with immersion blender until smooth.
3. Add Half & Half and heat slowly. Serve with garnishes, if any.

Garlic Aioli

This sauce is a great one for fancy burgers or chicken sandwiches, like the Blackened Chicken Sandwiches I have here on my site. It is easy to make if you have a mini food processor. If you only have a full sized one or blender, double this recipe and it will work better in the larger bowl. If you have a good whisk and glass bowl, you can do it the really old fashioned way.

Ingredients
3 garlic cloves, run through a garlic press
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh if possible
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt, to taste (1/2 teaspoon)
Ground black or White pepper, to taste (1/8 teaspoon)
1/2+ cup top quality extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Combine the garlic, egg, lemon juice, vinegar, water parsley, mustard and a little salt and pepper in a mini food processor and puree. Add the oil in a thin stream while spinning the mix in the processor. Go very slowly at first and then, as the emulsion forms, you can go a little bit faster. Continue to add oil and process until the mixture has formed a thick emulsion, you may need to add more oil depending on how large your egg was. The final product should have a consistency just a bit thinner than store bought mayonnaise. Add the salt and pepper to taste spinning it in the processor after each addition.

This recipe is based on Emeril Lagasse's