Cauliflower Leek Soup

This is a super simple soup that I got from a friend just the other day and I made for supper club tonight. It has a lovely, mild flavor and seemed to hit the spot for me when I heard about it the other day. For me, the recipe lived up to expectations. Leeks are a yummy and often under-utilized veggie so this was fun to be able to use several of them. I've also never been a big fan of raw cauliflower but cauliflower in a pureed soup? Yummy! So, here is the recipe. 

CAULIFLOWER LEEK SOUP

2 bunches of leeks

1 head of cauliflower

2 T. butter

3 c. chicken broth

1 c. or 8 oz. Greek plain yogurt

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop up the white and light green parts of the leeks (I chopped just a bit of the dark green too). Turn soup pan on medium-high heat and add the butter. Sautee the chopped leeks in the butter for several minutes until they soften. Chop the garlic and add to the leeks and immediately add the chicken broth. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to soften the cauliflower. 

Take the soup off the heat and let cool for a few minutes. At this point you can use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup. I used my immersion blender to puree the soup. If you do it in a regular blender, just do the soup in batches. (You may have to let the soup cool a bit longer before adding to the blender.)  Once the soup is fully pureed, add the Greek yogurt (or you could try just plain yogurt). If the soup is too cool at this point reheat for a few minutes and then salt and pepper to taste. Serve. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I got this from Sugarcrafter. I made a couple small changes.. and I felt like mine was a tad underdone. It was soft in the middle. But still pretty yummy!

For the graham cracker crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ginger
• 7 Tbsp butter, melted

For the filling:

• 2 pounds cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Crush 2 cups worth of graham crackers into a medium bowl. Stir in the ginger, and then stir in the melted butter so that the mixture becomes moist.

Press the crust into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9″ springform pan. Stick the pan in the freezer while you make the cheesecake batter so that the butter will firm up the crust.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sugars and spices. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and pumpkin.

Pour the batter into the graham cracker crust and smooth out on the top.

Bake 15 minutes, and then open the oven door and lower the temperature to 200 degrees. Close the door and continue baking for about an hour longer or until the edges of the cheesecake are set but the center still wiggles when the pan is shaken. Cool the cheesecake on a rack and then refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Serve drizzled with warm caramel sauce.

Pumpkin Muffins/Cupcakes

The inspiration for this recipe came from this Vanilla Bean Cake which was so yummy (particularly frosted with Nutella and topped with fresh strawberries) that I wanted to recreate it into some kind of pumpkin creation. Thanks to some dumb luck of accidentally leaving out the coconut oil they actually turned out yummy.

In a blender or food processor combine:

1 1/2 cups white beans (either use canned beans and rinse them or soak dry beans overnight and cook in the morning)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp vanilla creme stevia

1/3 cup honey

Blend until smooth and add:

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp salt (only a 1/4 tsp if using canned beans)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

Blend again

Pour into 12 muffin cups and bake at 325 degrees for around 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted come out clean.

Top with Elana's Cream Cheese Frosting for the cupcake version.

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

3 Tbsp agave

Half and Half or Cream

Beat cream cheese and agave until smooth and add enough liquid for desired consistency.

*This would make a great pumpkin cake if done in a square pan and topped with frosting.

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is actually Annie Ashton's grandma's and it is one of my favorite fall soups. At the bottom I will post some of the changes I made to make it dairy-free and gluten-free.

(This is for half of the original recipe which serves 10-12 people and my little family could never get through that much soup.)

1/2 cube sweet butter

3 whole slices of white bread

2 whole apples

2 1/2 lbs butternut squash

1/2 medium onion

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp tarragon

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

salt and white pepper to taste

Peel, core and chunk the apples

Peel and chop the squash (Annie cuts the entire squash into 1 1/2 inch slices then cuts off the rind)

Slice the onions

Melt butter in a soup pot over a low flame.

Saute the onions for a few minutes and then add squash and apples and saute until tender

Cut bread slices into cubes and add to the mixture

Add chicken stock, terragon and salt and white pepper to taste

Bring to a boil then cover and simmer over a low flame until squash and apples are fully cooked, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and food process until almost creamy. Stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

***Gluten-free, Dairy-free changes***

A few Tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 medium onion

2 - 2 1/2 lbs butternut squash

2 apples

4 cups chicken stock

1 tsp tarragon

1 cup white beans (already cooked)

1/2 - 1 cup fresh Apple Cider (or more cooked apple)

Salt and white pepper to taste

Saute onion in olive oil for a few minutes.

Add squash and apples and saute until tender.

Add chicken stock, tarragon and white beans.

Bring to a boil and let simmer until squash and apples are cooked through.

Blend in batches

Add 1/2 to 1 cup Apple Cider (if using) depending on the sweetness you're looking for.

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with a swirl of light coconut milk and cilantro leaf.

Cake Pops!

I haven't posted on here forever! I've been neglectful! However, I did just do a fun Cake Pop post on my personal blog. But I'm lazy and I'm not going to redo it, so if you want to see it, you're welcome to check it out right here!

Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

I originally found this recipe in The Barefoot Contessa cookbook, but I have altered it for our tastes. (Note: the original makes a large 9x13 dish, while mine makes a nice 8x8 or similar size.)

1/2 pound large elbow macaroni, or pasta of your choice

2 cups milk

3Tbsp. butter

scant 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

1 1/2 cups extra sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella

1/4 tsp. pepper

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

2-3 small tomatoes (I use Roma)

1 cups fresh bread crumbs

olive oil

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the milk in the microwave for about 2 minutes; set aside. On stovetop, melt butter in a large pot and add flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. While whisking, stir in hot mild and cook for a minute or two longer, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and add cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fold pasta into mixture and pour into 8x8 baking dish.

Slice tomatoes and arrange on top. Combine fresh bread crumbs with a little drizzled olive oil; sprinkle crumbs on top of macaroni. Bake 20 minutes covered with tin foil. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.

Simply Recipes' Tomato Pie

Elise at Simply Recipes is one of my favorite food bloggers. When I saw her picture and recipe for Tomato Pie I knew I had to try it. The reviews last night seemed really good and my mom couldn't keep quiet this afternoon as she finished off the last piece. (It's on her menu this week.) I think the extra step of caramelizing the onions was certainly worth it as well as the splurge on Gruyere cheese--I love that stuff.

Ingredients
1 9-inch pie shell,
1 yellow or red onion, caramalized
3-4 tomatoes, chopped and juice squeezed out, approximately 3 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced basil 2 cups grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozarella) (splurge on the Gruyere)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of Frank's Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden.

2 Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a potato ricer.

3 Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with caramalized onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.

4 In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snow ball. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

5 Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.

Serves 6.