Cauliflower cream

Since it is winter, I thought a cauliflower soup would work rather well. It's one of the simplest soups you can make, and done in about 40 minutes with maybe ten minutes of work involved. I do the soup with the basic white one, the dark green one you'll need to add 1/2 teasp of mustard to the recipe, and I'm most curious if anyone is willing to dare one of the other colors. Hah

 

Cauliflower soup.

4-6 servings

Cauliflower: 1 mid-size, uncut

Onion: 1/2, chopped roughly

Leek: 5 inches, chopped roughly

Stock cubes: 2-3

Olive oil: 1 tablesp.

Honey: 1 teasp

Milk/cream: 1 1/2 mug

Salt: 1/2-1 teasp

Pepper/chilli peppers: 1/4 teasp. (2-4 grinds with your mill)

Basil: 15 leaves fresh, chopped. (dried, 1 small teasp)

Parsley: Same as basil.

Chives: 1/2 inch bushel, chopped

  

Wash your cauliflower. You don't need to chop it, just find a pan it fits in, and put it in. Fill with hot water until your cauliflower is submerged and then put it on a stove, high heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and set to boil until the cauliflower gets a bit of a mushy quality. Doesn't take long, 10 to 15 mins. Drain 2/3 of the water and leave on a low fire. Add everything except the milk and leave it to bubble for another 10-15 mins. Use an immersion blender and blender the soup, adding bits of milk until it is a smooth creamy mass. Let boil two or three more minutes, et voila, your soup is ready.

Serve with sturdy brown bread and butter and maybe a nice white wine, a sprinkle of cheese on top, and enjoy.

Cauliflower on the side

Cauliflower

I am a big fan of cauliflower; there are such diverse ways of preparing it that it is definitely one of my favorite veggies…now don’t start thinking that you don’t like the smell, I have several recipe’s where you won’t smell “that” smell at all, so don’t worry. Added to the fact that I love the taste of it, it is also extremely healthy (lots of vitamins) and very good for people who feel the need to watch their carb intake...cauliflower is often considered a potato replacement.

The recipe I’m going to put down is fast (about fifteen minutes of actual baking time) yummy, and it will serve well with boiled or baked potatoes, rice (boiled or fried) or even pasta if you opt to make it with a cheese sauce.

Fresh garden herbs today. If you don’t have them, go with a dried basic Italian or Sicilian herbal mix, or use the individual dried herbs (amounts of the herbs need to be quartered in that case).

Green herb Cauliflower

Serves 3-4 as a side dish. 2 as the main course.

Cauliflower: 1 mid-size. Small parts.

Onion/Leek: ½. Chopped

Tomato: (optional) 2. Quartered

Bell pepper (optional) ½. Chopped

Garlic:  (optional) 1 clove. Minced

Butter/Olive oil: 1-2 tablesp.

Cream/Milk: ½-1 mug

Sweet chili sauce: (optional) 1 tablesp.

Salt: 1 teasp. To taste.

Sugar: 1 teasp.

Pepper: 1-2 turns. (1 knifepoint)

Basil: 3 tablesp. Chopped

Oregano: 1-2 tablesp. Chopped

Parsley: 3 tablesp. Chopped

Chives: 3 tablesp. Chopped

Thyme: (optional) 1 small branch. Just the leaves. Chopped

Rosemary: (optional) 1 small branch. Just the leaves. Chopped

Heat your butter or olive oil in a skilled, or better yet, a wok…if you opted for garlic, bake it for a minute prior to the cauliflower. Throw in your cauliflower and keep the heat high, stirring frequently. Add your onion and herbs and salt. Keep stirring. When the cauliflower start to soften and crust a little add your cream or milk and the pepper and chili sauce. Then, if you opted for either the bell pepper or tomato, add that now, too.

Keep baking until you can easily “spear” the vegetable with a fork…al dente (hot and barely softened…so just a little baked so it isn’t raw anymore) is nicest.

Serve with the staple food of choice and add a salad and/or meat for a full meal.

Enjoy.

Zucchini on the side

Zucchini

Another easy one for the lazy cook who wants to make a stab at healthy regardless. I tried it just the other day and it worked like a charm. I served it with pasta, which was very good, but I think it would go well with baked potatoes (normal or sweet) as well. As usual, cheese of choice, but I used the salty Edam. The flour can be white, whole wheat, or Maizena. Normally I would prefer fresh green garden herbs, but in this case I used a basic dried Italian mix with extra Basil.

Creamy Zucchini

Zucchini: 3-4 mid-size. Cubed or sliced

Onion: 1 mid size/big. Chopped

Red Bell Pepper: (optional) ½. Chopped

Cream/Milk: 100 ml (1/4 mug)

Cheese: 100 gr (1/2 mug). Grated

Olive oil: 2-3 tablesp.

Peach jam: 2 tablesp.

Flour: 1 big tablesp.

Sweet chili sauce: 2-3 tablesp.

Salt: 1 teasp. Or to taste. (Or herbal salt)

Pepper: 1 knife point

Paprika: 1 knife point

Italian herb mix: (dried) 2 teasp.

Thyme: (dried) 1 knife point

Basil: (dried) 1 teasp.

Take a nice big skillet or wok, and heat the olive oil for about thirty seconds on medium fire. Throw in your onion and zucchini. Add the herbs, salt and pepper, stirring well. By the time liquid begins to gather in your pan, add the jam and cream (or milk). Keep stirring, keep the medium fire the same if possible. Your zucchini pieces should be turning glassy and soft when you add the bell pepper pieces and all the remaining ingredients except for your flour. Wait a few minutes then push the solids in your pan to the side, allowing some space for the excess liquid to gather. Carefully mix your flour through the liquid with a fork or small whisk and then stir it through the pan. After a few minutes you should have a soft creamy substance between your veggies, which is when it is ready serve.

Enjoy.