TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) -- — The Good Morning Tucson team is in the north side of town to learn what goes into a healthy but filling fall soup that residents at Sunrise Senior Living community are already enjoying.
On River and First, dozens of seasoned, well-traveled neighbors have tucked their napkins for a fall favorite comfort food: homemade butternut squash soup.
Since its starting to feel cooler outside, the team joined Sunrise's Bob Kowalske by the outdoor patio grill.
Kowalske, the complex's dining service coordinator, got the vegetables ready for many of the day's meals. For Kowalske, he said it's about giving his diners both a tasty and healthy experience.
"We kind of party here in the back patio," he said. "We'll grill corn, grill onions... lemons, we'll use it as a garnish and all that."
Kowalske said he and his kitchen staff spend time thinking of new ways to present classic meals that residents ate as children. In other ways, he said they also want to broaden people's palates.
"Some people are here from the Midwest," Kowalske observed. "Potatoes and pot roast — they're comfort food, right? So again, we're trying to open them up a little bit."
However, that doesn't mean the kitchen staff can't whip up a healthy twist on comfort food like butternut squash soup.
"The vegetables from outside, we'll dice them up, put them into our broth," Kowalske said. "From there, we saute them."
Kowalske said he particularly enjoys incorporating spices that can bring a dish to life without relying on extra salt, sugar or cream.
"Like gasoline for your car... (it's) gasoline for energy, for your body," he said. "(A little) ground cinnamon in here... nutmeg... There's black pepper going into it and introduce the orange juice."
For good measure, after incorporating vegetable broth in the soup, Kowalske added a little texture from cilantro. "Flip it over and use the other part, it's cilantro chives... we'll finish it off with some toasted pumpkin seeds."
Needless to say, Kowalske said he knows this recipe is a favorite pick in the dining room.
