Better Homes and Gardens: Fall into flavor

Better Homes and Gardens (MCT) - That chill in the air means it's time for a different kind of fresh. Let onions, squash, grapes, pears and pumpkins take a seat at your dinner table.

Here are two recipes, Spice Rubbed Chicken and Curry Pumpkin Soup, from the October issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine to get you started.

Nestled beneath the chicken as it cooks, onions are both a roasting rack and a flavorful side dish. A rustic rub of cinnamon, paprika, cumin and coriander gives the chicken bold color. Using canned pumpkin makes the soup quick to prepare. Pumpkin pie spice and a hit of curry give the dish bright, seasonal flavor.

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CURRY PUMPKIN SOUP

This recipe can be prepared through Step 3, then refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. To serve, thaw, reheat, and proceed with Step 4.

Prep 20 Min. Cook: 30 Min.

2 tbsp. butter

2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)

1 medium carrot, chopped (½ cup)

1 stalk celery, chopped (½ cup)

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 15-oz. cans pumpkin

2 14-oz. cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup water

1 cup half-and-half or light cream

½ tsp. salt

ÂĽ tsp. ground black pepper

1 recipe Orange- Cranberry Topper (below)

1. Prepare Orange-Cranberry Topper.

2. In 4-quart Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery. Cook, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add curry powder and pumpkin pie spice. Cook and stir 1 minute. Add pumpkin, broth, and water. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

3. In food processor or blender, add one-third of the pumpkin mixture at a time, cover, and process or blend until smooth. Return all pumpkin mixture to Dutch oven.

4. Stir half-and-half, salt, and pepper into pumpkin mixture; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with Orange-Cranberry Topper. serves 8.

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ORANGE CRANBERRY TOPPER

In small bowl combine ½ cup dried cranberries, 1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel, and 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf ) parsley.

Each 1 Cup Serving 145 cal, 7 g fat (4 g sat. fat), 19 mg chol, 433 mg sodium, 20 g carbo, 4 g fiber, 4 g pro. Daily Values: 363 percent vit. A, 15 percent vit. C, 8 percent calcium, 10 percent iron.

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SPICE RUBBED CHICKEN

Roasting chickens are larger than broiler/fryer chickens and tend to be juicier. They're ideal for whole-roasting and rotisserie cooking.

Prep: 20 Min. roast: 2 hr. oven: 350°F

4 cups thickly sliced or quartered red, white, and/or yellow onions, and/or boiling or ciopollini onions, peeled

1 5- to 6-lb. whole roasting chicken

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. salt

ÂĽ tsp. ground cinnamon

ÂĽ tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tbsp. olive oil

Chard leaves (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In large shallow roasting pan place half the onions in an even layer. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt; set aside. Fold chicken neck skin onto chicken back, secure with small skewer; tie legs to tail with kitchen string. Tie wings close to body or twist wing tips up and tuck under back of the chicken.

2. In small bowl combine sugar and remaining seasonings. Brush chicken all over with oil. Sprinkle spice mixture and rub in with fingers. Place chicken, breast side up, on onions in pan. If desired, insert meat thermometer into center of inside thigh muscle. (Thermometer should not touch bone.) Loosely cover with foil.

3. Roast 1 hour. Remove foil. Add remaining onions to pan. Roast, uncovered, 30 minutes; cut strings on legs and wings. Roast 30 to 45 minutes more or until drumsticks move easily in their sockets and chicken is no longer pink (180°F in thigh). Cover with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve chicken with roasted onions and chard leaves.

Serves 6 to 8.

Each Serving 618 cal, 42 g fat (11 g sat. fat), 191 mg chol, 438 mg sodium, 9 g carbo, 2 g fiber, 49 g pro. Daily Values: 9 percent vit. A, 14 percent vit. C, 5 percent calcium, 13 percent iron.

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(Want to see what else is coming from Better Homes and Gardens magazine? Go to www.bhg.com for more.)

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© 2008, Better Homes and Gardens.