Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Its cold out and I work all day, so nothing could be better than a good, easy to make bowl of soup.  I think, in theory, soups are supposed to be easy, but often times they involved a lot of chopping and waiting and simmering and sometimes I just don't have time for that.

This recipe was so good I had to jump right on here and tell you about it.  The ingredients are minimal and the chopping will take you five minutes at the most.  Prep and actual involved cooking time is minimal, there is some waiting, just watch some tv or do some yoga or sit and stare at your oven while the cauliflower bakes.

It is pretty low calorie, but not low fat (remember, fat doesn't make you fat!).  I think it approximately 300 calories per serving (makes 4 servings).  The fat will keep you full for a long time, longer than low cal, low fat, high carb!  Now, before this turns into a rant or a lecture, the recipe!!

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
adapted from: Elana's Pantry

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 or two cloves of garlic, minced (honestly, I used the jarred stuff!)
• 4 cups of chick stock (or 4 cups of water and some Better than Bouillon, love this stuff!)
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (not low fat, remember?)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper (Max likes lots of pepper, but season to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Take off the green stalk of your cauliflower.  Chop the head in half and then slice it.  Put on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil and sprinkle with one tablespoon of olive oil.  Bake until brown and caramelized, about 30-45 minutes.  This step is important because the flavor it develops is outstanding.
3. Once the cauliflower is done cooking (and you are done with that show you were watching), heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pot on medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add chopped onion.
4. Cook the onion for about five minutes, or until onion starts to become translucent.  Add garlic and cook for about one more minute.
5. Chop your cooked and cooling cauliflower into slightly smaller pieces (rough chop or do like I did and hack at it with your wooden spoon) and add to pot.  Add your chicken stock now as well.
6. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very soft (like over-cooked broccoli). 
7. Now, you can use a immersion blender or a regular one for the next part (have you gotten an immersion blender yet?  You should).  Turn the heat off and blend soup until smooth and creamy.  While you are blending, add the heavy cream.
8. Turn the stove back onto low just to make sure the soup is nice and hot before serving.  Top with bacon, cheese, or eat as is and enjoy!

I'm back again!

Hello there!  Its been a long while and things have changed so much.  Max and I are now living in our own little apartment with our kitty, Lela.  It is a small, one bedroom apartment, that is often messier than it should be and I'm pretty happy here!  As much as I love my parents, its nice to be on our own again.

Now, reason for my absence this time: I haven't been baking much.  Shocking, I know.  The reason for my lack of baking: I have lost twenty pounds.  Part of the reason for my weight loss is cutting back on the carbs and I have gone gluten free for the most part (with some MAJOR lapses during Christmas).  I also use a website called myfitnesspal.com, which is an awesome place for losing weight (as Allison and Joann can also attest to).

I will be playing with some gluten free baking soon, but for now I've been making some delicious, healthy, real food for dinner, breakfast and lunch.  I have not gone low fat or vegetarian or anything like that.  I am eating the realest foods that I can, which I am finding much more filling than processed food.  Real fats and protein also help with satiety, making this weight loss effort much easier than previous.

I am planning on sharing more healthy foods and I will share my gluten free baking ventures when I get a chance to try them!!  Enjoy!

Carrot Soup
from: All Recipes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 cups chicken broth
• plain yogurt (optional)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon of agave nectar (or sweetener of your choice)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and chicken broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
4. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add cream, agave nectar, and milk as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish if you would like.

This recipe has great reviews on All recipes.  I thought it was really delicious, you can taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  I made some adjustments from the website's version and I added them above.  If you would like the original version, following the link above.  

Pumpkin Soup

Max and I were watching Food Network the other day and on one of the competition shows someone made pumpkin soup.  Max said that he really likes squash soup, so I went online, bookmarked the recipe, and made it today.  This recipe only takes about 30 minutes and is pretty cheap, especially if you have a decent collection of spices on hand.  This was super filling too; I only had one bowl and was satisfied 2 hours later.  I didn't take a picture because I forgot! 

On a side note, it snowed here yesterday! It was 65 on Friday, snowed on Saturday, and tomorrow its supposed to be 65 again!  It wasn't a ton of snow, but very odd for March in Oklahoma.

Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Soup
From: Food Network

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1/3 cup finely chopped celery
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup half-and-half (I used fat-free)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat, and cook, whisking frequently, until the butter starts to brown and foam, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
2. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery, sage, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and cook until tender, stirring frequently, until tender. 
3. Stir in the garlic and cook an additional minute.
4. Stir together the half-and-half and cornstarch in a liquid measuring cup, and pour it into the pot, along with the chicken broth, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt and pepper. 
5. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. When the soup starts to thicken reduce the heat to low. 
6. Using an immersion blender*, puree the soup until a smooth consistency is reached and simmer until ready to serve. Ladle the soup into serving bowls.

* If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender.  Just remember, hot soup expands when you blend it so don't overfill the blender.

taco soup

Sorry for the lack of pictures in these last two posts, but today's food wasn't pretty, however it was delicious!  I made taco soup for dinner.  It couldn't be easier: the prep is about ten minutes and then the crock-pot does the rest of the work.  I adapted it a little, not much.  I'll give you the original recipe, but I used ground turkey, yellow onion, hot and spicy taco seasoning, and an extra can of drained kidney beans.  I wish I could remember where I got this, but thank you to whoever created this!!

Taco Soup

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 can corn, undrained
• 1 can black beans, undrained
• 1 can kidney beans, undrained
• 2 cans Rotel (chopped tomatoes and chiles)
• 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 envelope taco seasoning.

1. Brown beef in a large skillet.  When it is close to done, add chopped onions and mix well.  You can drain the beef before you add the onions if you want.  Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the onions are soft.
2. Dumb onion and beef with the remaining ingredients into a large crockpot.  Mix well.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally (or not if you aren't home).
3. Serving options: grated cheese, sour cream, or tortilla chips.