Pesto Greek Yogurt Hummus | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Pesto Greek Yogurt Hummus** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Have you heard? As soon as Thanksgiving rolls around we are officially in The Holidays (capital H). For me The Holidays means house parties, celebratory dinners, and rounds of drinks where I have to do my best to remember that an all cookie and cheese in puff pastry diet in December means new pants in January.

I know I can’t be the only one who wants to make something special that won’t leave me or my guests feeling guilty. I’m also in favor of keeping things as simple and low stress as possible. In my world a frazzled hostess is a grumpy hostess.

Thank goodness for Pesto Greek Yogurt Hummus. The chickpeas and greek yogurt (Chobani, naturally) blended with the deep pure flavor of the garlic, basil and parmesan in the pesto are an awesome combination.

And here’s your get out of anxiety free card - if you don’t have pesto stashed in your freezer from the summer like I did (remember this recipe?), and are running low on the time or energy to make the pesto from scratch then pick up a small container when you’re buying the other ingredients. Taste a little before you add it to the mix to see how strong the flavors are and adjust as needed. A little more pesto here, a little less salt there.

This is also easy to make ahead and stash in the fridge for a day or two, which has the special bonus of allowing the flavors to mingle and grow in power. Delicious, healthy, simple, low stress – sounds perfect for The Holidays, or really anytime of year.

Pesto Greek Yogurt Hummus (yield: 2 cups)

Hummus Ingredients:

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
1/2 cup Chobani whole milk 4% plain greek yogurt
6 tablespoons prepared pesto (recipe below)
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Hummus Instructions:

Drain the chickpeas through a sieve and place in the bowl of a medium food processor. Measure the Chobani whole milk 4% plain greek yogurt, pesto, and kosher salt into the food processor.

Process for 1-2 minutes, or until the hummus reaches your desired consistency and the ingredients are well mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve with your favorite accompaniment. Enjoy!

Pesto Ingredients:

¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup pine nuts (aka pignoli)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Pesto Instructions: (yield: 4 cups)
Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and chopped garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the fresh basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute.

Important storage note: This will make more pesto than needed for the recipe and exposure to air will turn it an unappetizing brown. So plan to use the extra right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container with a thin film of olive oil or plastic wrap pressed directly on top to remove air pockets.

Small Kitchen Friendly:
Yes, assuming you have access to a medium-sized food processor. Ours is a 7 cup and it was just right for this recipe, too much smaller and I would have had trouble getting everything to fit. A sieve to drain the chickpeas, dry and liquid measuring cups, measuring spoons, a rubber spatula, a microplane grater, and one medium cutting board finished the job.

The Verdict:
Mike and I both really liked the results of my experiment with Pesto Greek Yogurt Hummus. The freshness of basil and garlic in the pesto balances nicely with the creamy yogurt and nutty chickpeas. The texture is smooth and cool a perfect pairing with crudité, pita chips, or to jazz up a leftover turkey sandwich.

Curried Winter Squash Soup with Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Crème Fraîche | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Curried Winter Squash Soup with Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Crème Fraîche** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

Maybe this makes me weird, but one of the things I love most about late fall is the arrival of the pumpkins and squashes. Their deep orange and gold tones echo the leaves on the ground and are a welcome splash of color on the dinner table, especially now when sunset seems earlier and earlier.

I love them roasted and tossed with cranberries, or grilled on salads, and of course I love them pureed into beautifully smooth soup. Butternut squash bisque is a classic for a reason – it’s delicious – but I wanted to try something a little different by adding some elements that would complement the richness of the squash and add a little depth. The flavors are influenced by Indian food, but the amount of each spice called for us relatively small, so the effect is a subtle undercurrent of warm, perfumed spice. That richness is brought into balance by the tang of the cool pumpkin and cinnamon greek yogurt.

Extra bonus: this is a two-in-one recipe, because if you’re not curry-inclined it’s easy to skip the last four spices (garam masala, ginger, curry, turmeric) and just use a plain greek yogurt for the crème fraîche step. A slice of multi-grain bread with toasted Gruyere and you’re in business with a light meal that’s still satisfying.

Curried Winter Squash Soup with Greek Yogurt Crème Fraiche (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

6 cups (1 medium) diced butternut squash
2 cups (1/2 medium) diced acorn squash
1/2 cup (2 medium) minced shallots
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
5.3 ounces (1 container) Chobani Pumpkin Spice Yogurt
1 teaspoon 2% milk
1/4 cup squash seeds
ground black pepper
kosher salt

Instructions:

Peel the butternut and acorn squashes, cut in half length-wise, and scoop out the pulp and seeds from the core with a spoon. Reserve the seeds in a small bowl and discard the pulp. Cut the two squashes into approximately 1/2 inch cubes. Next, mince the shallots.

Meanwhile, in a medium French oven or large pot melt the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté the shallots in the melted butter until softened, then add the squash pieces and stir to coat with the butter and shallot mixture. Season with 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.

Add the chicken broth to the pot and raise the heat to bring the soup to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the squash pieces are easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, spread the reserved squash seeds on a baking sheet and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Toast in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until crisp and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Next, use a blender or food processor to puree the softened squash and broth in batches until the texture is smooth (about 1-1 1/2 minutes per batch), reserving the pureed soup in a large bowl. Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir in the garam masala, curry powder, ground ginger, and turmeric. Bring the soup back up to a low simmer.

Stir together the Chobani Pumpkin Spice Yogurt and 2% milk in a small bowl (or right in the yogurt container) until evenly combined.

Finally, serve the winter squash bisque hot with a teaspoon or two of the pumpkin greek yogurt crème fraîche (a plastic squeeze bottle will help get that perfect swirl) in each bowl and a sprinkle of toasted squash seeds and a finishing pinch of garam masala. Accompany with a toasted piece of whole grain bread.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, indeed! The Le Creuset French oven (5.5 quart) rides again, along with a large cutting board, a chef’s knife, Y-shaped vegetable peeler, wooden spatula, measuring spoons and cups. I also used a blender, a medium bowl (for reserving pureed batches of the soup), a sheet pan, and plastic squeeze bottle to get that perfect swirl of greek yogurt crème fraîche.

The Verdict:

Mike and my sister Katherine humored me by doing “blind” taste tests of the various combinations of classic/curried squash soup with both plain and pumpkin spice yogurt to see which we liked best. I didn’t realize they were fans of curry, but they surprised me when by giving the spicier version high marks. In the end, all the combinations were successful, so you really can’t go wrong here. And, since this is such a simple soup it would be a perfect make-ahead first course for an elegant Thanksgiving supper.