Herbed Roasted "Chicken," Potatoes, and Leeks with Creamy Champagne Sauce

First of all, OMG this is good.

Secondly, the inspiration: I'm trying to make sure that I get enough protein, especially since I'm kicking up my weight training regimen. For starters, I'm going to look for the best veggie chicken. I really love Gardein, but they don't seem to have "naked" chicken. :-( I picked up Quorn's plain cutlets for this exercise. I decided to go this particular direction because of a poem I recently workshopped. No photos, alas. I snarfed it down pretty fast.

Here's what you need for the roast:
2 Quorn chicken "cutlets"
1 medium leek, trimmed
1 fist-sized Yukon Gold potato
A few sprigs of thyme
One sprig of rosemary
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
Champagne (or sparkling white. . . nothing too sweet, though)

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven to 375.
Lightly oil a non-stick loaf pan. (I don't have a small enough roasting pan.)
Slice and quarter the potato.
Slice the leek (use as much as you can).
Toss the veggies in the oiled pan, then lightly salt and pepper. Toss on some minced fresh rosemary and  thyme.
Open the champagne and sample some.
Lightly oil the cutlets on one side, then season as you did the veggies.
Pour in enough champagne to cover the bottom by about 1/4 inch. Place in oven.
Double check the champagne and start the sauce*.
After ten minutes, flip the cutlets and lightly oil and season the other side. Put back in the oven, pouring in more champagne if it's gone dry. Cook for ten minutes.

* The sauce

1 T. butter
1 T. flour
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
About 2/3-3/4 c. milk
About 1/3 c. champagne
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary and thyme

Melt the butter with the garlic in a cute little saucepan over medium heat. When the garlic starts to smell nice and get a little bit soft, you're reading to move on.
Whisk in the flour. Let it bubble and thicken a bit.
Whisk in the milk. Let it bubble and thicken a bit, adding more milk if it gets too thick.
Turn the heat down to medium low.
Add the herbs, champagne, and salt and pepper. Whisk again. Let bubble to cook off some of the alcohol.
Cook until desired texture, tasting as you go.
You might need to add a pinch of sugar if the alcohol hasn't all burned off.

Makes 2 servings. I put the veggies on a plate, topped them with the Quorn, then spooned sauce over everything. I'm not ashamed to say that I literally licked my plate. I'd totally serve this to a guy. . . three aphrodisiacs!

Curried Butternut Squash soup

Step One:
1 butternut squash, cut into large chunks
1 large cipollini onion, outer papery skin removed
six or so cloves of garlic, unpeeled

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prepare the veggies and put on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Brush with a mild oil, like canola, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Put about 1 cup of hot water into the pan (enough to cover the bottom). Roast the veggies until very tender, adding a bit more water if needed to keep it from going completely dry.

Step Two:
Roasted veggies
Water or veggie broth as needed

Scoop the cooked squash from its skin into a large soup pot. Squirt the garlic from its skins into the pot. Remove the outer layer from the onion, cut it into large chunks, and add to the pot. Add water or vegetable broth to nearly cover, then bring to a simmer. When the squash begins to fall apart, transfer the mixture to a blender (in batches if necessary). Puree until smooth, adding more liquid as needed to get it to turn over.

Step Three:
Pureed veggies
1 can of coconut milk
Curry powder or paste (additional spices as needed)
Salt and pepper
Garam masala if you want it

Add the coconut milk to the mixture, stirring well. If you need more liquid, add it. (Use broth or water.) Season with curry powder or paste, salt, and pepper. If you want a stronger flavor of cumin, coriander, or cayenne, add it now. Dish into bowls and sprinkle with a bit of garam masala if you want it.