Serves 6

The light coconut milk makes this soup healthy yet still creamy. Regular coconut milk is what’s typically used in Thai restaurants and has three times the fat and calories. Fish sauce is located in the Asian section of your supermarket or specialty store. If you can’t find it, feel free to substitute with soy sauce, but double the amount.

1. Lightly coat a large, nonstick pot with cooking spray Add the oil and set over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes or until the onions are just softened.

2. Add the squash, stock, chili sauce, fish sauce and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the squash is tender.

3. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor in batches. Return the soup to the saucepan and add the coconut milk and honey. Heat through. Serve the soup in bowls, and garnish with cilantro or basil.

per serving Calories 120 • Protein 3 g • Carbohydrates 18 g • Fiber 3.9 g • Total fat 5.2 g • Saturated fat 0.2 g • Cholesterol 0 mg • Sodium 480 mg • prep time 10 minutes • cook time 20 minutes • make ahead Prepare soup up to a day in advance. Reheat gently until warm. • nutrition watch Butternut squash is a winter squash that has more beta-carotene and more B vitamins than summer squash. It may help in the fight against cancer, heart disease and cataracts.

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1. Potato corn chowder
2. Wild Mushroom Puree Soup
3. TexMex Chili, Meatball & Egg Noodle Soup

Edith Jakobs of Opulence Events and Chef Rui have put together a series of foodie articles featuring different foods and beverages from the Spanish-speaking countries of the world. Today, we start with Mexico where the culinary scene is amazing, eclectic, much more than tacos and burritos, and well worth exploring.

“Being a caterer we always have to find the next big food trend,” Edith told us. At Opulence our clients always want change since most go to many catered events a year and they want their event to stand out and be different. Latin cuisine – distinctive flavour blends that have been around for ages – is now making an impact on the mainstream dining scene.”

“Chef Rui and I have selected for Tempo Toronto readers an amazing dish that fuses incredible Mexican flavours with lamb. This is a great dish to put on your Easter table. For this, try Ontario or Alberta produced lamb. The flavour is amazing, and it’s grown right here at home.”

Braised Spring Lamb with Vegetables and Smoked Chipotle Sauce

1 lamb shoulder trimmed and cut in 1 inch pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

½ cup onion diced

1 clove of crushed garlic

½ cup carrot diced

½ cup celery diced

5 fresh tomatoes without seeds diced

1 spring fresh thyme finely chopped

1 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped

10 oz red wine

10 oz demi glace (dark beef stock)

1-2 chipotle peppers (from the tin works best)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet or Dutch oven brown the lamb pieces in olive oil (tip you don’t need the expensive olive oil for cooking). Once done, add the vegetables and fine herbs; continue browning. Add the red wine (I suggest choosing one from a Latin country) and demi glace (this is beef stock reduced: just let it simmer on your stove top for about 30 minutes this should do the trick). Cover with lid and put in a pre-heated 400 F oven for about 1½ hours or until tender. Remove from the oven once done, and let rest a few minutes. Remove the meat and put all the liquid with the vegetables and chipotle peppers in the blender until smooth, then pour over meat.

Serve with sautéed vegetables and fresh crusty bread, and enjoy.

Edith Jakobs

Owner and chief visionary officer of Opulence Catering and Event Management,

two locations: Toronto / Muskoka

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3. Stuffed Leg of Lamb