Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Rain, rain, and rain. We have had so much rain lately! I love the rain, except that it forces my kids to play inside all day which makes a much bigger mess. Mess = memories so it's all good, right? That's what I'll tell myself anyways. The good thing about this weather is the soup! And bread! And desserts! I am always in the mood for these things when the weather turns colder.

I'm an Idaho girl so I absolutely love potato soups. But I'm also trying to eat a little healthier to make room for all those breads and desserts so I thought I would try this soup out. I had the rough draft of the recipe in my head for the last couple of weeks so when I got two heads of cauliflower from Bountiful Baskets, I knew the time was right. And fortunately I had a huge group of gals to try it out on from my neighborhood. They loved it! Awww, success. I love when my recipes get the thumbs up.

 

Loaded Cauliflower Soup

• 1 lb bacon
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 1-2 heads cauliflower (I used 1 1/2 large heads)
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 2 Tbsp chives
• 1 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper

Preparation Instructions

Start by chopping bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy. Spoon bacon onto a paper towel covered plate and pour out most of the bacon fat into a bowl to discard. Save about two tablespoons of fat in pot.

While bacon is rendering, chop onions, carrots, and celery finely. After removing bacon and excess fat from pot, add onion and saute for a couple minutes until soft. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Chop cauliflower pretty small. Don't  worry about making nice florets, just a good rough chop, discarding the green leaves and the core. Add cauliflower and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in milk and cook until thickened. Add shredded cheese and mix until smooth.

Remove from heat. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add heavy cream (optional), chives, bacon, and sour cream. Check seasoning and add salt or pepper.


Looking for more comforting soups? Look no further, here they are:
Leeky Potato and Chicken Soup
Tuscan Chicken Soup with Fall Veggies
Fiesta Lentil Soup
Potatoes and Leek Soup

Or try this Italian Oven Roasted Cauliflower.

Skinny Cream of Asparagus Soup

Oh, I think I've died and gone to heaven. This soup is so delicious I'm sure I could eat it every day for the rest of my life and be happy. You probably don't view cream of anything soup as something to fall in love with but this one is different. The smooth savory taste of asparagus with just the right touch of cream (which is actually Greek yogurt!) is scrumptious. Try it, I know you'll love it!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

  

2 lbs asparagus (2 bunches)

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cups fat free chicken broth

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

salt and fresh white pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt better on low heat. Add onion and sauté on low for about 2-3 minutes. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and disgard. Chop the asparagus into 2 inch pieces. Add to the pot with the onions. Add chicken broth, salt and white pepper. Cover and cook about 20-25 minutes or until asparagus is very tender. Remove from heat, add yogurt an immersion blender, puree until smooth.

Slightly adapted from Skinny Taste

Waterzooi

aka Leeky Potato and Chicken Soup

 I love soup! I would make it every day if my hubby would let me. It's such a great way to eat veggies and make them taste great. I got some leeks from Bountiful Baskets a couple of weeks ago and they have just been hanging out in my fridge, begging to be used since. I debated make this Potatoes and Leek Soup because I had the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and leeks to make it. However, I love trying new things so I decided to play a spin off of this recipe for Waterzooi. I changed it up a bit to suit my families taste. It's a winner for sure! Makes me want to grow leeks in my garden just so I can make it all the time. I looked up what Waterzooi meant, and loosely translated I think it means "boiled water". But trust me, this soup is more than just boiled water. In fact the exact text from my hubby when he ate it was "This soup is awesome babe, I approve!" which is really high praise coming from my not-so-in-love-with-soup hubby.

Waterzooi
 
2 tablespoons butter
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 leeks, chopped, rinsed and dried (white and light green parts only)
2 all-purpose potatoes, peeled or unpeeled and diced
Salt and white pepper (or black, I used both)
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped fine
2 sprigs oregano, chopped fine
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup chopped parsley
Crusty baguette, warmed, for passing

In a deep pot over moderate heat melt butter and saute the vegetables for 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper. Add oregano and rosemary to the pot with stock or broth. Cover the pot and raise heat to bring liquid to a boil. Add chicken to the pot, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Poach the chicken 10 minutes. Uncover the pot. Remove chicken and dice. Whisk cream and egg together. Add a ladle of cooking broth to cream and egg to temper it. Stir cream and egg mixture into the waterzooi and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Add chicken back to the pot along with chopped parsley. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Ladle waterzooi into warm shallow bowls and serve with crusty baguette for dipping.

Pirate Party!!

November was my son's birthday! He was born 15 weeks early and has endured so much that I really wanted to throw a big themed party for him to celebrate turning 5. We honestly didn't know if this day would ever come. He has grown so much and is the kindest, sweetest boy I know. I really wanted to celebrate him. And he LOVES Jake and the Neverland Pirates. He's slightly obsessed. So we did a Pirate Party!

I didn't want it to be just Jake and the Neverland Pirates, instead I went with the cute pirate theme because it's so much cheaper not to buy all that name brand stuff. It turned out really cute and the kids had a blast! We also rented a bounce house from a neighbor and that was a big hit! It was a great gathering activity and a fun activity after the party was done so everyone could just leave as they wanted.

When the kids first came in they had to walk through our doorway of streamers. For some of the younger kids, that was their favorite part. We had the bounce house and pirate coloring pages to keep them entertained while everyone was still on their way. Each chair had a balloon tied to it for the kids to keep as well.

The food was my favorite part to plan. I made "Arrr" Bananas, "Dead Man Fingers (aka little smokies), Jello Ship, Fruit Swords, "Polly Crackers" with crab dip and "Seaweed Salad" (Ceasar Salad).

We also had "Treasure Sandwiches" (ham and cheese sandwiches cut out with cookie cutters in the shape of ships and pirate treasure), "Pirate Punch" (Crystal Light), Catch 'O' the Day Soup (Clam Chowder), and "Shark Bait" (pretzel gold fish).

 I made a Pirate Hat Cake, Pina Colada Cupcakes, and "Gold "Dubloon" cookies (aka, sugar cookies with yellow glaze). This was the first birthday cake that I actually cut out and created from scratch. It didn't turn out too bad if I do say so myself.

After dinner we did our Treasure Hunt! It was a lot of fun. I forgot to make a treasure map before hand so I just jotted one down when we got there but it turned out great. I taped a plastic treasure coin at each stop that the kids had to find. Some of the stops we had to do something. I blew up black water balloons and they had to "Swab the Deck" of all the cannonballs (or coconuts, I can't remember what I decided). I taped down a square on the floor and they had to kick all the balloons into the square. Then they had to Walk the Plank. I just got a plank from Home Depot and had then cut four 10 inch planks off of it and wood glued it together. Then I painted the words "Walk the Plank" on it. The treasure was out in the hall behind a small tree. I filled the goody bags with pirate fruit snacks, beaded necklaces, coins, stickers, and more.

I set up a back drop to have all the kids stand on and take a picture all decked out in their pirate gear (we got it all at the dollar store and had them dress up before the treasure hunt). It was fun to see all their pirate imitations. My friend's little girl was the best one.

All in all, everyone had a blast! I'm so glad I have my little man to make my life so much more interesting.

Bounce Hous-ing fun!

Credits
*Pina Colada Cupcakes from Buttercream Bakehouse
*Ship Jello Cups from Make and Takes 
*Pirate Hat Cake idea form Disney
 *Pirate dress up from Dollar Tree
*Table supplies and treasure bags from Walmart and Target
*Coloring Pages from Disney Junior

Fiesta Lentil Soup

This is another quick and easy soup recipe that is sure to warm you up on a cold day.

When I cook, I look for ways to incorporate more nutrition. That is what I did with lentils in this recipe. Lentils are packed with fiber. Fiber makes you feel fuller quicker and thus you tend to eat less because you aren't as hungry.  This soup is a twist on taco soup and chili, check it out.

Fiesta Lentil Soup

1 can black beans

2 cans (14.5 oz) Mexican style stewed tomatoes

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 can corn

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

4 ribs of celery, chopped

1/2 cup lentils sorted and rinsed

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 bay leaf

Combine everything into a pot*. Let it come to a boil for a few minutes then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving. I topped it off with green onions, sour cream, cheese, and tortillas chips.

*You could easily combine everything in the crockpot and let it cook for a few hours.

Potatoes and Leek Soup

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is to go get my Bountiful Basket. I love seeing all the different fruits and veggies that I get to use in my cooking all through the week. In my basket a few weeks back we received leeks, sweet potatoes and a pluthera of other yummy produce. I decided to take a classic soup, Potato and Leek Soup, and put my own little spin on it. It was delicious! I still used mostly russet potatoes, but threw in a sweet potato (okay, a yam, but everyone uses them interchangeably) to give it more depth of flavor and a great color. My husband does not like sweet potatoes and he loved this soup, as did my kids and myself. If your totally opposed to sweet potatoes (or yams), by all means, use only russet, or new, or red potatoes. Whatever whim you wish to follow.

Potatoes and Leek Soup

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 large or 2 small leeks chopped, white & green parts only
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1 lb russet potatoes, peeled & chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped
2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup milk
1/4 cup light sour cream

Salt & pepper

Chives for garnish

Crispy bacon for garnish if desired

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, onions & potatoes then sauté for 3 minutes. Add the stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat heat, cover & simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Pureé the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Add the milk and sour cream. Season with salt & pepper. Simmer for 5 - 10 more minutes. Pureé again is you want it even creamier. Serve sprinkled with chives. I also drizzled in some cream.

To make crusty croutons: Slice up a baguette in 1/2 inch slices. Butter both sides of each slice generously with butter and fry in a non stick skillet or cast iron pan.

Tuscan Chicken Soup with Fall Veggies

Prepare yourself for a long anecdote of my discovery of this delectable soup.

I love the fall. The colors, the flavors, the smells just make me happy. I did not enjoy the dip into winter a couple of days ago though. I know the weather in Utah can vary from warm and sunny to windy and snowing in a matter of hours but I am never prepared for it.

Fortunately this soup was on the menu for dinner. This is fall comfort food at it's finest. The best part about it is it's jammed full of veggies and very little calories to add to the waistline. It's easy to change up with what you have on hand or to go with the seasons. I'd probably use peas in the spring in place of butternut squash and a summer squash like crookneck or zucchini in the summer.

The first time I had this was at my sister-in-laws house when we spontaneously popped in on them and demanded food (or at least my husband did). Actually we just wanted to catch up but we hadn't eaten dinner so it worked. As I walked up to her house I could smell something delicious clear from outside her house that had zero windows open. I didn't think it could possible be coming from her house, someone close by must have a window open while cooking something yummy. Fortunately it was from their house. I was salivating the entire time it was simmering, it smelled so good. She got the recipe from here and followed almost exactly, only subbing half and half for heavy cream.

Two days later I was already craving it and made it again. I wanted a little more of a fall theme so I used a butternut squash that I had from my Bountiful Basket and a red pepper. I also altered the ratios a bit. If you don't want to buy a whole butternut squash and peel and dice it, most grocery stores (Wal-mart for sure) have it already diced and bagged next to the salad section. I literally ate four bowls of it throughout that evening and my kids loved it! My son was actually picking the veggies out and popping them into his mouth. He's kind of a messy eater, as in it looks like a tornado hit after every meal.

Tuscan Chicken Soup with Fall Veggies

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 medium yellow onion, diced

 4  carrots, peeled and sliced

4 stalks celery, sliced

2 cups diced butternut squash
1 red pepper, diced (or orange or yellow)
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or pressed
1 heaping tsp dried oregano
1 heaping tsp dried basil
1/2 cup half and half (optional)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  15 oz can crushed tomatoes
8 cups good chicken stock (I used Rachel Ray's)
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Acini de pepe pasta

 
In a large pot add olive oil and saute onions, celery, carrots, squash, red pepper and garlic over medium high heat for 10-12 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, basil, oregano and chicken. Simmer soup for 20 minutes, vegetables should be tender. Add the pasta and cook right in the soup for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  Add half and half if using and allow to simmer for a couple more minutes.
*Adapted from Peanut Blossom's Tuscan Chicken Soup

**One thing that I love doing with soups is to cut up double or triple the veggies and put the extra in the freezer as "soup starters". That way you are not taking up a bunch of room in your freezer with a whole pot of soup and your pasta doesn't expand beyond control and absorb all the liquid. In this "soup starter" I put the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, squash, red pepper, garlic, oregano and basil in the ziploc bag. When you're ready to make it just skip the saute step, dump the entire bag into your chicken stock, simmer for 20 minutes, add pasta and simmer for 10 more minutes. Put in a little half and half and Viola! Fast, easy, healthful meal on a busy day!

Check it out, we were featured on Something Swanky!

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