Creamed Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

2 T butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ C flour

1 C whole milk

2-4 C chicken broth

1 bay leaf

2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely minced

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Optional: 1 C shredded white cheddar and ¼ C dry white wine (or 1 T sherry)

Directions

Melt butter in a stock pot or dutch oven; cook onion and garlic over medium heat until very soft and translucent (5-7 minutes). Add caulifower, salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower just begins to brown (another 5-7 minutes).

Sprinkle in flour, stirring to coat. Add milk, 2 C broth, bay leaf and rosemary; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender -- it may take a little longer if you chopped the cauliflower in large chunks.

Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée mixture, adding additional broth to achieve desired consistency. (If you don't have an immersion blender, work in batches in a traditional blender; then return everything to the stock pot.)

If desired, add shredded cheddar and white wine. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg just before serving.

Sheet Pan Eggs/Omelet Roll-Up

Whether you dish it up flat, or roll it and slice it, baking a large batch of eggs topped with veggies, cheese and/or meats makes a one-pan meal, all on it's own...though a side of salad or fruit is nice too! This basic recipe will get you started making endless flavor combinations:

* Disclaimer: Neither of the photos are my own originals -- I ate it up without remembering to snap any pics! I'll add originals next time I whip out a batch!

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs

½ C milk

½ C flour

½ tsp each, salt & pepper

1½ C thin sliced or small diced vegetables

¾ C shredded cheese(s)

¾ C pre-cooked meat

1 T 'flavor booster'

Vegetables: Almost any vegetables will work -- mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, spinach, kale etc. Tomatoes can be pretty juicy and water down the egg mixture; consider draining some of the liquid before adding them; or pair them with some eggplant, which tends to absorb excess liquid! Veggies can be pre-cooked (great way to use up leftovers!), but it's not necessary. If you want to use firm vegetables like potatoes, yams, butternut squash, parsnips, beets, turnips... they probably should be pre-cooked (at least par-cooked), and thin sliced so they cook all the way through.

Cheeses: What's your favorite? Go for it! ...cheddar, parmesan, Gruyère, chevre, feta, gouda (smoked gouda adds another layer of flavor!)

Meats: Breakfast meats like bacon, ham (or pancetta!) or sausage work well, but fish, ground or shredded poultry works too! Meats should be pre-cooked, for food safety. Tofu or beans would be fine as well, for a non-animal protein, if that's your preference.

'Flavor boosters': Any herbs or spices work fine here...dill, thyme, rosemary, basil, cayenne, chile powder, curry, Za'atar, peri peri, or other spice blends, etc. Feel free to combine for a total of 1 tablespoon. Foods with stronger, intense flavors can also be delicious: capers, garlic, chives, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, salsa, chile peppers... With these, you can use more than a tablespoon, but don't go overboard as the more intense flavors can become overpowering.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Coat a jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet with a rim) with non-stick cooking spray.*

* If you're planning on rolling the baked egg dish and you have parchment paper, lining the pan with parchment paper makes rolling easier; but you can still roll it without parchment.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt & pepper. If your 'flavor booster' is an herb or spice, add that in with the egg mixture; larger 'flavor booster' ingredients can be added later with the vegetables, cheese(s) and meat. Pour egg mixture ino the pan; sprinkle with vegetables, cheese(s) and meat.

Bake 25 minutes.

Slice and serve as is, or... 

Roll it as soon as you can (not too, too hot!), starting on one of the long edges; transfer to a serving platter. Top, if desired with extra cheese or herbs; slice and serve!

Gouda Grits with Hillshire Lit'l Smokies

This isn't really a recipe; I'm just posting pics as a reminder when I'm looking for dinner 'inspiration'! And you wouldn't have to use Hillshire Lit'l Smokies, of course. Sausage and grits -- with ANY sausage, even ground breakfast sausage, would be equally good. I had Lit'l Smokies (something I don't buy often) left over from another use and remembered a sausage & grits recipe I'd seen. I can't find the recipe anymore, but just made savory grits (pictured, top) using chicken stock and adding gouda cheese at the end along with the Smokies.

I actually made this twice more to use up all the all the Lit'l Smokies: when I'd used up all the grits I had, I made creamy polenta. Equally good, especiallly with gouda cheese melted into the mixture--substituted for the parmesan in the polenta recipe linked above).

And finally, I used up the last of the Lit'l Smokies and this time skipped both grits & polenta and substituted creamed cauliflower (pictured, bottom)...not bad with the smoked gouda, though it didn't have the same textural heartiness as the grits or polenta. 

Beefy Mushroom Sloppy Joes

Adding more veggies to a meaty meal... I've seen a few different recipes that replace some ground beef with finely chopped mushrooms (burgers, meatballs, meatloaf, etc). Here's a spin on Sloppy Joes:

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 lb cremini mushrooms, very finely chopped

1 C choppedonion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 T minced fresh (or 1 tsp dried) oregano

2/3 C tomoato paste

2 T each red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, molasses

salt & pepper to taste

hot sauce, to taste

Directions

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms; cook until onions are tender and excess liquid is reduced. Add remaining ingredients - seasoning with salt & pepper, and hot sauce as desired.

Serve on toaste Kaiser rolls -- top bun optional.

Croissants

Ingredients

1/3 C warm water

1½ T active dry yeast

2 T + ½ tsp sugar

2 C flour

1 tsp salt

¼ C + 1 T cream

1½ T melted unsalted butter

¾ C very cold butter

1 egg yolk

Directions

In a small bowl combine warm water, yeast and ½ tsp sugar; let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).

In bowl of stand mixer, combine flour, 2 T sugar and salt in a bowl, set aside.

Add melted butter and ¼ C cream to yeast mixture. With stand mixer on low speed, add yeast & butter mixture to dry ingredients. Increase spead to medium-low and knead dough utnil smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes). Dough will remain slightly tacky.

Shape dough into ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours).

Unwrap chilled dough. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ½" thick rectangle (approx 8x12"). Layer with butter, folding and rolling to laminate in many layers. Refrigerate an hour between foldings and rollings as needed to make sure the butter stays cold.

There are various methods here for layering/laminating the butter into the dough. Some pound and flatten the butter into a ¼" thick rectangle (about 8x4") laying it in the center of the dough so the 8" length of butter spans the 8" width of the dough, then folding the 4 inches of dough from either side over the butter. Others grate the very cold butter -- can even be frozen -- using a cheese grater and sprinkle the butter between layers of dough, alternating folding and rolling between adding additional layers. The purpose is to create layers of dough and butter that will bake into the flakey layers traditional with croissants. I've not yet experimented enough to say which is my personal preferred method.

Refrigerate dough 1 hour after last folding/lamination.

Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll dough to a rectangle approximately 12x18". Using a sharp knife (or pizza cutter) cut dough into 6-8 triangles 3-4 inches at the base, 12" tall (see picture). Roll each croissant from base to tip; shape, if desired, into a crescent and place on parchment lined baking sheet.*

*If you want to make pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants), they are traditionally rectangular pieces of dough rolled around 'bars' of chocolate.

In a small bowl, combine egg yolk with 1 T cream; brush croissants with mixture.

Proof croissants by placing the baking sheet of croissants in a cold/off oven; boil 2 cups of water, place the bowl of boiling water in the bottom of the oven. Close the door. Let croissants proof 2-4 hours until doubled in size.

Remove croissants from oven (and remove the bowl of water). Preheat oven to 425° F.

Brush croissants with a second layer of egg-cream mixture. Place in middle rack of oven and immediately reduce heat to 375° F. Bake until deep golden brown (25-30 minutes).

Cinnamon Spiced Brussels Sprouts

Honey-Sriracha Brussels sprouts is still my 'go-to' preparation (with our without the bacon). But I've been trying new things lately. Cinnamon Spiced Brussels sprouts is a BH&G idea.

I like the idea of avoiding sweeteners and using cinnamon--which often fools us into interpreting a dish as sweet since cinnamon is used in many sweet preparations (maple flavor can often do the same). Although I generally like a splash of acid in many dishes, I wasn't wild at all about the combination of lemon with the cinnamon in this. I think I'd reduce the amount, and opt for apple cider vinegar next time around...

Ingredients

1½ C shaved Brussels sprouts*

1½ T olive oil

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

pinch salt

* I have a mandolin, so this is quick and easy; you could also slice them very thinly by hand, or just opt to quarter them. But the shaved or thinly sliced preparation allows for more surface to caramelize and pick up the spice, so that's definitely an advantage. Look for shaved Brussels sprouts near the bagged salads at your supermarket.

Directions

Toss shaved Brussels sprouts with olive oil in a bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss to coat evenly.

Sauté over medium heat until sprouts are crisp tender and  beginning to brown, and cinnamon is fragrant.

Add apple cider vinegar, tossing in the pan. Season with salt.

French Fries -- crispy outside, soft & tender inside

I don't always do this when I roast potatoes to make fries. It's an extra step, and sometimes I don't bother. But pre-boiling with some salt and acid does make a noticable difference on a crispier outside and still soft inside. Not quite as good as the texture achieved with deep frying, but this one skips the oil/fat!

Ingredients

1 lb potatoes

1 T cider vinegar

2-3 T olive oil

2 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Bring  a large pot of water (5 or 6 cups) to boil; add vinegar and 1 tsp salt.

Slice potatoes into ½ inch thick wedges & sticks. Add to boiling water; cook about 10 minutes until just beginning to become tender. Gently remove potatoes, draining off excess water (pat with paper towel).

Gently toss potato fries with olive oil in a medium bowl, coating evenly. Spread fries in a single layer on a baking sheet -- line with parchment or foil for easy clean-up -- and bake 20 minutes. Use tongs to turn fries; return to oven for an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Sprinkle remaining salt over hot fries to serve.

Bourbon-Peach Sauce on Pork Tenderloin

This is my own spin inspired by a couple different recipes...bourbon-peach over chicken, pork chops...or ice cream! I had a pork tenderloin this time around, but the sauce would work with other cuts and proteins. And the ice cream sounds like a winner too! Fresh peaches would be ideal, but this time of year, I used canned...and even added a little of the juice to the sauce.

Ingredients

1-1.5 lb pork tenderloin (or chops, chicken, etc.)

s & p

1-2 T neutral flavored oil (I used olive oil)

2 C sliced, peeled peaches*

2 T bourbon

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 T honey

1 T butter

* fresh peaches wouldn't have to be peeled; it's just a textural preference for me

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. rub oil all over the tenderloin and season with salt & pepper. Sear the tenderloin until well-browned on all sides. Transfer the tenderloin to a baking sheet to finish in the oven. (Depending on the thickness of your tenderloin, you could do all the cooking in the skillet. It's done when a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reaches 145° F; actually, you can pull it off the heat around 140° F as it will continue to heat/cook a bit as it rests. A thicker cut can be finished in the oven while you work on the sauce.) When the internal temp reaches 145° F,  remove it from the heat onto a plate or cutting board, tent it with foil and let it rest while you prepare the sauce.

Add peaches to the skillet with a little extra oil, if needed; cook until they just begin to brown and caramelize, but are still firm. Add bourbon, vinegar and honey; stir or swirl often as sauce boils, cooking 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; add butter swirling or stirring--gently, don't smash the peaches--until melted and incorporated. Season with salt & pepper as desired.

Slice the tenderloin; serve with peaches & sauce.

Smoky Brussels Sprouts

I've learned to like Brussels sprouts over the past few -- okay, quite a few -- years. And I often fix them very similarly (roasted, with a honey-sriracha glaze). But this recipe from Cooking Light sounded good.

I made them just like their recipe, though I cut it in half, with the exception of subbing in dry roasted peanuts for the salted smoked almonds (me and my nut allergies). I could even go for a little more of the smoked paprika, especially as it gets off-set a bit by the acidic splash from the vinegar -- which I also like!

Sautéed Cabbage & Apples

Cabbage on it's own doesn't interest me much. Still, it's low cal, high in Vitamin C and K, has lots of fiber, and it's relatively cheap too. So...throw in some apples to sweeten the deal, and a few seeds for a hint of nuttiness, and now it's got more appeal. (And it's super easy!)

Ingredients

2-3 C thin sliced cabbage

1 C very thin sliced apples

1 T butter

pinch salt

¼ C toasted sunflower seeds (sliced, toasted almonds would probably work well too)

Directions

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add cabbage & apples; tossing to coat. Cover and cook about 5 minutes. Uncover; stir or toss, and cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until cabbage and apples are tender. Season with additional salt if needed.

Mustard-Glazed Chicken with Roasted Root Vegetables

Cooking Light published this recipe (back in March of 2015). I've used the basic idea for inspiration before, and did again just recently. BOTH times, I've completely forgotten to take a photo. (The one at right was published with the original recipe in Cooking Light; I'll TRY to remember and take one of my own next time I make something along these lines!)

I've no complaints about the original recipe as it is except...  It's one of their "cook once, eat three times" features and starts off with 3 pounds of butternut squash and then adds carrots, parsnips, onions and sweet potatoes on top of that. As a single person, I'd be eating for not three meals, but three months!!

But...

I diced (large dice) ONE sweet potato, ONE small onion, and ONE parsnip; toss them in a tablespoon or two of olive oil with some salt & pepper (I used cayenne, not black pepper) and a generous sprinkling of minced rosemary. Spread on a baking sheet, they went into a hot (425° F) oven for about 40 minutes, turning them once half way through.

While they were roasting, I seasoned two chicken thighs with salt & pepper (cayenne again for me), and sautéed them over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through (4-5 minutes per side). Remove them aside -- onto a plate -- and cover them with foil to keep them warm. Add about a ¼ cup chicken stock and a splash of white wine (or just more stock) and deglaze the pan. Then add a teaspoon or two of whole-grain mustard, a teaspoon of honey, and simmer to reduce and thicken it just a bit.

Pour this over the roasted, diced vegetables and the chicken. Season with additional salt & pepper if needed.

With these amounts, I had two generous meals (not weeks or months worth).

Citrus "Walnut" Salad ... knock off!

 A few years ago (November 2018) Food Network Magazine published a recipe for "Citrus-Walnut Salad" that looked and sounded delicious. I ripped it out of the magazine to try. 

Then it sat around for a couple years. 

Whenever I'd think about making it...

the time to supreme the citrus (which I've done for other recipes), 

toast the walnuts (yes, I've toasted and candied a variety of nuts before), 

and then realize that I didn't have endive or maybe the radicchio... 

As delicious as it would be, I've never yet taken that much time for 'just' a salad. 

So, here's my knock-off version that takes it from gourmet to every day (and still super tastey!!)

1) I used a store bought bag (gasp! yes!) of spring mix salad greens.

2) I didn't supreme my own tangerines and blood oranges, but opened up a can of mandarins.

3) I didn't roast or candy my own walnuts (I'm allergic anyway), but substituted some honey roasted peanuts.

4) I did make my own dressing, very similar to FN's.

Dressing Ingredients

1-2 T orange juice

   (Yup...drained from the canned mandarins!)

1 T rice wine vinegar or mirin

   (Mirin is sweetend rice wine vinegar; if the orange juice is really sweet, opt for the rice wine vinegar.)

1 T grainy Dijon mustard

pinch crushed pink peppercorns

pinch salt

2 T olive oil

   (I had blood orange infused olive oil...worked great to intensify the orange flavor, but that wouldn't be necessary.)

Directions

Combine everything except the olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk vigorously while slowly pouring in the olive oil to emulsify. Season with additional salt & pepper as desired.