Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower & Herbed Goat Cheese Soup

This easy twist will take a classic cauliflower cheese soup to a whole new level! With just a few simple ingredients, you can elevate these humble soup beginnings into something fancy enough to grace the table at the most elegant soiree. Roasting the cauliflower brings out the natural sweet and nutty flavors of the vegetable, while the creamy goat cheese adds richness and a touch of acidity to balance it out.

Roasted Cauliflower & Herbed Goat Cheese Soup
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup of crumbled herbed goat cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and get out large baking sheet.
• Put cauliflower on baking sheet, drizzle on 1 Tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and spread around with your hands. Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, using a spatula several times during cooking times to turn cauliflower pieces over; remove when fork tender and set aside.
• In a large soup pot, add the onion with a Tbsp of olive oil, put over medium-low heat and cook until the onion softens, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
• Add the roasted cauliflower into the pot, scraping all the oils off the baking sheet along with the cauliflower.
• Continue cooking over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring the cauliflower into the onion mixture.
• Stir in the vegetable broth, turn heat up and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, loosely cover pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and let cool slightly.
• Ladle soup into a blender and puree until smooth, then return to pot over low heat.
• Slowly stir in the goat cheese, continuing to stir until cheese completely melts.
• Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot.

Recipe: Spaghetti With Cauliflower Anchovy Sauce

This is a unique pasta dish for those who love full-flavored sauces and interesting flavor combinations! While anchovies and cauliflower may sound like an odd combination for a pasta dish, it actually comes together quite well. Relatively simple to make, yet packed with complex flavors, this one may just become a new favorite in your recipe book. Serve with a lighter red wine such as a Merlot or Sangiovese, or a full-bodied white like a good Chardonnay.

Spaghetti With Cauliflower Anchovy Sauce
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

Spaghetti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 box (1 lb) thin spaghetti
2 tsp salt
3 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 medium size head fresh cauliflower, clean and chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1 oz anchovy fillets, patted dry
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (packed tight) finely chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Put large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil, add salt, then drop in spaghetti and cook until still a bit solid, but just starting to soften, and drain through a colander over a bowl, reserving the water; return spaghetti to pot and set aside, with cover on to keep warm.
• Put a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 of the tablespoons olive oil.
• Add cauliflower to skillet and 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir and cook 2 or 3 minutes or until starting to brown and soften.
• Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet and cook 3 or 4 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork tender, stirring occasionally. 
• Reduce heat to medium and add anchovies, garlic, and remaining olive oil; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to break up anchovies into smaller pieces.
• Uncover the big pot containing the drained spaghetti and add parsley, hot cauliflower/anchovy mixture, 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
• Put pot over burner on medium heat and cook 1 or 2 minutes more or until pasta is al dente, stirring well to combine as it cooks.
• Add more of the reserved pasta water if the spaghetti needs to cook more or if the mixtures seems dry.
• Serve hot in pasta bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired.

Low Carb Recipe: Fancy Faux Mashed Potatoes

Try this recipe for a low-carb side dish for your holiday dinner this Thanksgiving, or just anytime you want the creamy taste of mashed potatoes without all the carbs. It's pretty easy, and very tasty! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, and be sure to check back Friday for a great recipe to use up some of those leftovers!

Fancy Faux Mashed Potatoes

Making mashed cauliflower (Photo credit: mary_thompson)

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower
1 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp chicken base or bouillon (or 1/2 tsp salt)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
chives and butter for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Clean and wash cauliflower, then cut into even size small pieces.
2. Bring a big pot of water to a boil, drop cauliflower pieces in and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until very tender.
3. Drain well, then dump onto a surface covered in paper towels to remove any leftover moisture; do not let cool off.
4. Put warm cauliflower in food processor and add the remaining ingredients (except garnish) and pulse process until blended well and has the consistency of mashed potatoes.  Don't over-blend; leave a few lumps, or the "potatoes" will start to get runny.
5. Serve with a sprinkle of chives and pats of butter.

Recipe - Indian Curry Chicken

Diets can sometimes seem tedious. This dish is packed with powerful flavors to keep it interesting and to satisfy your hunger. The coconut milk does contain fat, but for many diets this fat is considered "good" fat.  You may substitute other milk if that is more suited to your diet instructions. In general this recipe should work well for "O" or "B" types if following the blood type diet.


Indian Curry Chicken
(Serves 4.)

Chicken Curry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed or grated
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 can (13.5 oz size) unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water or broth
1 1/2 lbs. cooked chicken, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, put the oil and and diced onion, stirring until onion is translucent.
2. Stir in the garlic, curry powder, and ginger, and continue cooking just until the garlic gets fragrant.
3. Add the cauliflower, coconut milk, and water or broth, turn heat down to low, loosely cover the skillet, and simmer until cauliflower is fork-tender.
4. Add the chicken to the skillet, stir, taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings to your liking.
5. Simmer, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is hot and the liquid has thickened a little and reduces slightly.
6. Serve hot over rice, if that suits your diet. Otherwise, serve as is in bowls like a thick stew. (Type O might want to omit or limit the rice.)

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