Cauliflower Soup 2 Ways

So I found what I thought was going to be this wonderfully delicious and not mention healthy cauliflower soup, man  reading the description of it I was drooling. I made it, and it was alright. This happens when I try to adventure with healthy foods, which is bad because it makes me not want to make healthy foods. I'll tell you how to make it and then what I did to make it better.

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower

2 carrots

1 onion

7 cups chicken broth

3 tbs unsalted butter

3 cups milk

4 tbs flour

2 1/2 tbs sour cream

1/4 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp parsley, 2 bay leafs (leaves?), salt

Chop up the onions and saute them in 2 tbs of the butter til they get a little color

Then add the carrots (they will be chopped of course because this is soup, and I assume your not an idiot and put a whole carrot in a soup). Saute for around 3 minutes until the carrots get a little softer.

Throw in the chicken broth, cauliflower, and herbs.

Stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let simmer for 25-30 minutes.

In the meantime we are going to "thicken" the soup with the milk/flour mixture.... I didn't see it that thick but whatever they say. Mix the milk and flour with a whisk.

Melt a tbs of butter in a pan then pour in the milk/flour mix. Stir constantly over medium heat til it comes to a boil then stir for another 2 minutes.

Then add to the soup. Does it look super thick to you? Then add the low fat sour cream and some salt to taste they say... let simmer 5-10 minutes more.

And ta da you have watery lumpy cauliflower soup, yay for you!!!

Well, I make a Carrot Soup ("Crazy Soup") that uses a potato to thicken the soup, and since cauliflower kind of behaves like a potato pureed I thought maybe it might have the same effect, now THIS soup was good. Who knew all it took was a immersion blender and some more spices (a little ginger, fresh cracked pepper, and a tiny bit of fat free half and half).

Try both and let me know which you like better...

Chinease Tea Eggs

I love eggs. Hard boiled, poached, fried anyway you can cook an egg I love it. I founds these beautiful eggs that are infused with the taste of black tea, cinnamon, and soy sauce and I just had to try.

Put eggs in a medium-sized pot with enough water to cover the eggs. Bring water to boil, then lower heat to simmer for 3 minutes.

Pull eggs out and let them cool a bit, to speed up this process you can run them under cool water. Don't get rid of the water from the pot.

To get the marbling effect use the back of a knife and slightly crack the shell all around the egg.

Then add 2 tablespoons or 2 tea bags of black tea, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons sugar, 4 pieces star anise, and 1 cinnamon stick to the water mixture.

Bring liquid to boil again, then simmer for 1 to 3 hours, longer for a more intense flavor and color, adding water if level gets too low. 

I only did around 1 hour, since it was my first time I didn't know how strong the eggs would taste. 

You can also tell because the color is not that dark. However they were delicious and next time I'm doing the full 3 hours. Eat them in the morning for breakfast or for a snack midday. 

Spaghetti Squash

So me and Hercules have been on a health kick lately. My cute friend Katie had been talking how she had made spaghetti squash the other night and it was delicious, so I highjacked her and she taught me the ways for a small girls dinner. I then fingers crossed made it for Hercules and I the next week because I just thought it was so good. 

Start by cutting the squash in half and scoop of the seeds (I used a grapefruit spoon because it has those little grooves on it, it's groovy, ok enough). Drizzle a little olive oil on them and maybe some spices of choice: I did salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon pepper and maybe something else can't remember. Note: about 1 squash will feed 2 people.

Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Of course for the girls dinner we just had a little sauce, but for Hercules it was enough I was making him eat spaghetti made out of the very vegetable that he hates. So I added pork sausage to the mix.

Also added a spicy tomato sauce, I bought because I was too lazy to make one.

Bubble bubble, I spiced it up a little more with some oregano and red pepper flakes.

Pull the squash out of the oven and let cool a little bit so you don't burn yourself (lesson learned the hard way).

And you have baked it the perfect amount so all you need is a fork and just shred it to bits.

Hold your breath while serving hoping your anti-squash husband isn't starving at the end of the night because he refuses to eat the rest of this "nastiness"....

Top with a little parmesan. And what.... he likes it!!!! It is soooo good and sooo much better for you (skip the sausage if you wanna be really healthy, or maybe some ground turkey?)

Enjoy!

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Was going to make an almond fig tart for dessert for a small girl's dinner party, but a sweet friend brought a delicious pumpkin cheesecake so I switched the figs I had already purchased to make an appetizer.

All you need is this: figs, prosciutto, and honey goat cheese (to be healthier opt out on the cheese).

Lay out prosciutto

Put a little thing of goat cheese on there. The roll that beautiful fig up!

Use your plate that has figs on it, naturally.

And then bake at 400 degrees for around 10 minutes.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Pasta

As I told yall in my last lemon garlic chicken post I used the leftovers for a pasta with all the rest of the other leftover things I had in my fridge.

Chicken, asparagus, cherry tomatoes... 

Saute the asparagus first because it will take the longest to become tender and everything else really just needs to be heated up. I even found a jar of marinated artichoke hearts in the fridge during the process. Cook a little olive oil and the leftover juices from the lemon garlic chicken.

For a little bit of a sauce I melted and whisked together some fat free milk, butter, pepper and parmesan cheese (my dad used to always do this instead of a store bought alfredo).

And whole wheat Farafelle, the meal wasn't terrible for you.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

A friend made this for a small dinner party and it was so yummy I just had to try it myself and probably make it a million times again. It is the oh so fabulous Ina Garten's Lemon Garlic Chicken from How Easy is That? I'll put her directions and then what I did.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. I just used my garlic in olive oil from a jar. 

Zest 2 lemons.

 Add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Look at that delicious sauciness.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken. Then Bake!

I then roasted a little asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper, roasted garlic, and parmasean.

Add a little wild rice..... Heaven. Don't forget to pour lots of that saucy goodness on the chicken and in the rice! I then used the leftover chicken for pasta the next night (post to follow). Thanks Ina and Mal!

Easy Copy, Paste, and Print Recipe

• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

Southwestern Corn

I'm back: After buying/moving/decorating a new home while in the midst of Thanksgiving/Birthdays/Wedding Showers this ginger is cooking again! This was so easy and delicious I ended up eating it basically as my meal.

Start with some corn, and cut it off the cob.

Saute in a little bit of butter with some bell peppers (I did a medley) and a jalapeno for heat.

Remove half of the corn mixture to a bowl.

Before hand mix a little cornstarch and cream together (I actually used fat free half and half because it is what I had). The original recipe actually said to use coconut milk, but honestly I couldn't find that in the grocery store so rather that wonder aimlessly between isles i said to hell with it. Mix the half and half and corn together and blend, just enough so it is a little creamy but still with chunks of kernels.

Put the "creamed" corn back with his friends, and add some salt and pepper and maybe a few other spices if you wish.

Mix and then bake in the oven at 350* for around 40 minutes.

Ta Da!

And yummmmm...... it totally counts as a vegetable too right?