Creamy Cauliflower Soup

There is no shortage of vegetable soup recipes , but this one is very special. It’s so good , you forget you’re eating something so healthy. Roasting the cauliflower and toasting the walnuts makes all the difference.  Do not skip this step. For a special treat, serve the soup with grilled cheese and bacon croutons ! Add brown Basmati rice on the side for a light lunch . Let guests help themselves. We usually have it as a first course or light meal with garlic rye croutons.The soup is very thick but can be successfully thinned with small amounts of unsalted veggie, chicken broth, or even milk. We like milk because it does not overpower the taste of the cauliflower . We all know that milk flavor and aroma is changed from contact with other foods.The milk just picks up the flavor and aroma of the soup.

    To Roast Cauliflower 

 

4 cups cauliflower
4 cloves Garlic, or more if desired
Olive oil, as needed

  To Make Soup
 1 quart of light broth or water
 2 tablespoons of sweet butter
 ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 cup of yogurt; Greek style is best
 2 teaspoon of corn starch
5 tablespoons of shredded reduced fat cheddar

Break cauliflower into florets. Toss with olive oil , 3 tablespoons or more if needed, 2 teaspoons of pressed garlic, and sprinkle with salt. Place in a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and roast in a slow oven on top rack until soft and lightly brown. Next process cauliflower and pepper until smooth. Add half the water/broth and process. Pour into a saucepan and cover. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, then add the rest of the water/broth that has been mixed with the cornstarch. Add the yogurt and heat thoroughly. Adjust seasonings and consistency. You can cook it down uncovered to thicken it, or add a little more yogurt or milk . Add liquids only at a spoonful at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Add butter and stir. Stir in cheese. Serve with garlic toasted rye croutons and toasted walnuts.

Rye Croutons 
Sliced rye bread Butter or oil Pressed garlic; can substitute granulated garlic Cut bread into small cubes. Toss with oil or melted butter and garlic. Toast on a cookie sheet until browned and crisp
Toasted Walnuts 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts Oven should be as low as possible; nuts burn fast. Place nuts on sheet and toast lightly .

Grilled Cheese and Bacon Croutons

8 thin slices of white bread
4 thin slices of smoked gouda, fontina, or a good sharp cheddar
4 crisp slices of bacon
unsalted butter or olive oil

Crumble bacon. Place one slice of cheese on each of 4 slices of bread. Top each with some of the crumbled bacon. Cover with the remaining bread slices. Coat with butter or oil and grill until crispy and brown. Cut into small cubes and top soup.

Fusion Pork

We call this a fusion dish because of the mix of flavorings and spices. It’s a little bit Polynesian with the pork, coconut, and pineapple; a little bit Mexican with the cumin and chipotle, and a little Asian with the Ponzu,garlic, and rice. Speaking of rice, we use a fragrant variety for this dish such as Basmati or Jasmine, both are available in brown variety which adds chew and is far healthier.This is a quick and easy dish , very similar to a stir fry but with a twist. It is lightly “stewed” if you will, to produce a tender bite, as the pieces are cut larger than a stir fry.Serve with rice or Asian style noodles; buckwheat noodles are great!

4 large lean boneless pork chops; we used sirloin
1 large green bell pepper
1 large red pepper
1 large onion
1 large carrot
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
3 tablespoons of oil; we used coconut for this
3 quarter sized discs of ginger
¼ cup of smoky chipotle cooking sauce or 2 smoked chipotles
3 tablespoons of Ponzu with lime
¾ cup of crushed pineapple in juice
Pinch of crushed dried red pepper
½ cup water
Cumin

Cut the pork into bite-sized cubes and set aside. Slice the pepper and onion into strips. Add the coconut oil to a heavy skillet and heat. Add the porkand cook, while occasionally stirring, until brown. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon. Add the onion and pepper to the skillet and saute until wilted. Add the garlic, ginger, and 2 smoked chipotles finely chopped, if using the whole pepper in lieu of the jarred sauce. Return the pork to the pan and add 1 cup of halved cherry or grape tomatoes. Stir and cook adding ½ cup water. Add the 2 bunches of broccoli crowns and cook leaving it slightly crunchy . Add the pineapple and dash of cumin. Stir in shredded carrots and cover. Remove from heat and prepare rice according to package directions.
Scoop rice/noodles onto a rimmed platter or shallow serving bowl. Ladle pork and veggies into the center, working out to the edge. Leaving a little “border “ of rice/noodles.

Individual Stuffef Chicken Breasts

If you like chicken cordon bleu, you will really like this tasty, but guilt free version. Plus, it can be sauteed or even baked, we make it in Summer on the outdoor grill where it takes on those lovely caramelized grill marks. It is easy and quick. Sides can be simple or more elaborate.You can substitute your preference of ham and cheese, but we like black forest ham and smoked Gouda. We do alternate and sometimes go prosciutto and provolone .

Sides can be simple or more elaborate. Some good choices to choose from are mashed yams, asparagus, rice, pasta, broccoli di rapa, or a simple green salad. Your choice. Drinking wine? We like this with a fruity white or rose. Recipe feeds 4.

4 whole chicken breasts, bone in or boneless. We always go boneless and save the breast frames for broth or stock; cooks quicker too.

4 ounces of thin sliced lean ham

4 ounces of smoked Gouda

4 tablespoons of flour

Roasted garlic bread crumbs

4 tablespoons of compound butter; recipe follows

4 teaspoons of butter

Create a deep pocket in each breast by slicing horizontally almost completely through to the opposite side of where your cut begins. If using bone in, cut very close to the bone. If boneless, just make your cut midway with an equal amount of chicken on top and bottom. Next open the pocket and spread a teaspoon of plain unsalted butter inside ,top and bottom. Sprinkle with black pepper. Lay half of the cheese on the bottom half, top with 1 ounce of ham, finish with the rest of the cheese. Using small skewers or toothpicks, seal each breast, closing completely. This is important to avoid losing the butter and cheese. Next coat each breast with 1 tablespoon of the compound butter. Finally roll it gently in the bread crumbs, covering all sides. Refrigerate.

If grilling : oil the surface and when very hot, place chicken on grill. Brown on one side and then turn only once. Use a thermometer to check doneness

If baking : Coat a non-stick, parchment, or foil lined shallow baking dish with a small amount of olive oil. Place the chicken in the pan and cover .Bake at 350 until cooked though , about 30 minutes.Then uncover and raise flame allowing crumbs to turn golden brown.

To saute: saute inn butter or oil, or a mixture of both. Cook until golden and crisp. Remove from pan and serve.

Serve with lemon wedges or a creamy honey mustard.

Compound Butter

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon of finely minced parsley leaves

1 teaspoon of finely minced tarragon or rosemary leaves

A healthy dash of garlic powder, not salt

Dash of paprika

Mix all ingredients together and keep refrigerated until using.

Rotisserie Chicken Corn Chowder

Like most Italians my wife absolutely will not waste food of any kind as long as it’s fresh. She and her talented family have created enough recipes to fill at least 5 cookbooks, many utilizing leftovers and scraps. This is one such recipe that replaces the rich creamy corn chowder we prepare in Fall and Winter. This is a much lighter version chock full of vegetables and without the creamy base. It’s a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken which most stores on selling for $4.99 all over the Bronx and Westchester. Unprepared chicken goes for the same price and sometimes even higher, so this a bargain with which to begin. Using the leftovers to create another meal makes it even more economical. Leftover grilled corn is best, but you can oil a few ears and grill it indoors for about 5 minutes to get the char marks. Use your overripe tomatoes for this. If you don’t feel like making or eating soup in warm weather, toss it in a freezer bag.We do use a crock pot overnight  for this in Summer. In fact, we have done this and added frames to the bag. In Autumn, we make a giant batch of really good stock. When doing this, toss in scraps of raw celery, carrot,onion, parsley,turnip, parsnip,etc. Soup stock will be ready to go!

I rotisserie chicken frame with any meat left on it, a little or a lot

Bay leaves

2 ears of corn

½ diced onion

½ large green bell pepper

1  cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned; we use fresh cherry,grape,or plum)

1 cup diced celery or fennel

1 diced carrot

2 strips bacon or ham

1 medium diced potato

4 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

3 cups raw chopped spinach or small  leaves from kale, turnip, dandelion, or even mustard greens or half greens and half broccoli crowns

1 small branch of tarragon or rosemary

Place the frame in a deep soup pot with 2-3 bay leaves and cover with water. Cook until everything falls apart, about an hour or so on medium high, covered. If you have enough chicken to cut up into soup size chunks, remove them first and refrigerate to avoid overcooking. When done,strain using a colander to catch bones.

In the same pot, place the bacon or ham snipped into small pieces. Cook, stirring until fat is rendered. Add onions and bell peppers. When lightly browned, add carrot  and celery and cook about 5 minutes more. Add potato, corn, and 2 quarts of water, or salt free broth. We use water.

Add corn on the cob that has been grilled and tomatoes. Add tarragon Cover and cook on low for 90-120 minutes. Add greens and parsley. Remove ears of corn, strip the kernels and return to the soup with the reserved chicken. Cook until wilted and tender. If using broccoli, you will have to cook it a few minutes more. Serve with a nice crusty toast and pass pepper mill.

  We love this in hot weather and so will you. Today was our first go-round of the season. With sweltering heat, unless you’re lucky enough to have central air, you’re pretty much tied to one room. Who wants to be cooking in a hot kitchen? This is quick, cool , healthy, delicious, and EASY! It’s a win-win and can also be used as a great side or appetizer with grilled meats, chicken, or fish. Grilled chicken can be added right to the salad . We have also done this with lean boneless pork; excellent! Or, go vegetarian and make your side grilled veggies like eggplant, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes…. Possibilities are endless. Greens can be mixed; use your favorite. Today we used Romaine, spinach, and arugula to vary the intensity and texture. We like to soak the sliced onion in cold water, refrigerated, for about an hour to remove the “sting”. Use an ordinary box grater to shred the cheese right over the salad. We always use Balsamic fig dressing on this salad.

As a main dish  you will need :

4 cups of greens per serving

 2-3 ounces of ricotta salata per serving

1 sliced  and peeled peach for each serving

2 tablespoons of Chia or chopped pistachios per serving

1 diced green bell pepper , per 4 servings

1  diced mild/burpless/pickling  cucumber, per 4 servings

1 thinly sliced small red onion, per 4 servings

Prepare the greens, washing and tearing into bite size pieces. Place in a shallow bowl. Arrange ¼ of the diced green pepper, cucumber, and thinly sliced onion on top of the greens. Add the peaches in a circular pattern. Drizzle lightly with dressing. Top with shredded cheese and then Chia or chopped pistachios. Pass dressing and pepper at the table.

White or Rose and a snowy Christmas movie pairs well  with this meal!