Roasted Root Vegetable Soup and Curried Chicken Puffs

1 large sweet potato
4 carrots, peeled and cut up
2 parsnips, peeled and cut up
1 small apple, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 onion, chopped and sauteed
3-4 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Oven Grilling Method:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread vegetables in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle on the oil and mix with your hands to evenly distribute the oil. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until vegetables are lightly browned and tender. Transfer to a large saucepan, and add the broth and seasonings. 


Easy Slow-Cooker Method:  Sautee chopped onion in a fry pan and transfer to slow cooker. Place all cut up vegetables in slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours. Add broth and seasonings and cook and additional 1 1/2 hour. Mash vegetables with a potato masher or blend in a blender in batches till smooth. Serve 


CURRIED CHICKEN PUFFS (from sparkpeople recipes)
Pastry Puffs:
1 c water
1/2 c hard margarine, butter, or shortening
1/4 tsp salt


1 c all-purpose flour


4 large eggs


Curried Chicken Filling:
2 c chopped cooked chicken (for veg version may use tofu, crumbled)
10 oz. can of low-fat condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom, or your own white gravy or     cream mix)
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/16 tsp pepper


For Pastry Puffs: Combine first 3 ingredients in medium heavy saucepan. Heat and stir on med-hi until boiling and margarine is melted. Reduce heat to medium.
Add flour. Stir vigorously for about 1 min until mixture pulls away from side of sacepan to form soft dough. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 min.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until well combined and dough is thick and glossy. Drop, using about 2 tsp for each, about 3 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake in 425 degree F oven for about 30 minutes until dry. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes about 48 pastry puffs. Trim 1/4 inch slice from top of each. Set tops aside.


Curried Chicken Filling: Combine all 5 ingredients in large saucepan. Heat and stir on med-low for about 10 minutes until heated through. Makes about 2 1/3 c filling. Spoon about 2 tsp filling into each pastry puff. Cover with tops. Serve immediately. Makes about 51 puffs.