Cheesy, Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

Snow is falling and I have been craving a hearty, warming soup. I was thinking broccoli, potato, cheese and bacon, but figured if I was going to eat broccoli, why not make something lighter but still full of flavor. So, I roasted the veggies to bring out really deep flavor, used white beans to thicken instead of potatoes, used light processed cheese because it melts so well without clumping and it has less fat/calories than even 2% shredded cheddar. I also added just a bit of bacon that is already cooked to give me great flavor without extra fat. I am my harshest critic and I have to say that this is one of the best soups I’ve ever made.  

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into quarters

3 medium cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole

3 cups fresh broccoli (florets and stems), cut into chunks

3 cups fresh cauliflower, cut into chunks

3-4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 (15 ounce) can white beans (like Great Northern or Cannellini), drained and rinsed

3 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (microwaveable bacon is great here)

8 ounces processed light American cheese, cubed (like Velveeta Light ®), about 2 cups

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil. Toss the onions and garlic on one baking sheet. Toss the broccoli and cauliflower on the other. Using 1-2 teaspoons olive oil for each tray, toss the veggies in the oil, making sure the pieces are completely coated, and sprinkle lightly with a bit of kosher salt. Make sure all the veggies are in a single layer with a little room between each piece, if possible. Put in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, stirring around half way through. I put the onions/garlic on the middle oven rack so they don’t burn and found that they are done while the broccoli and cauliflower (which I put on the top rack) took a few minutes longer.  The veggies should be just starting to brown on the edges. Remove from the oven.

Toss the veggies, stock, white beans and bacon into a Dutch oven and heat to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour (the longer the better in my book).  Use an immersion blender to cream everything together (or add cups at a time to a blender and process until creamy).

Add in the cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve in bowls and garnish with extra crumbled bacon, fresh parsley, some chopped green onion and/or maybe a little shredded cheddar or light sour cream. 

Alpine Turkey Burgers

Oh my goodness, oh my gosh. I started this burger on a whim when I saw ground turkey on sale today. Then I noticed I had already picked up Swiss cheese. No special magic on my part here, these ingredients just seem to go together. The burgers are moist and rich tasting. I hope you'll give this one a try. 

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 ½ cup finely sliced onion

Pinch of granulated sugar

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 pound ground turkey (93% lean)

½ teaspoon Worcestershire

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

¾ to 1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (hey, it’s cheese—I can’t have enough!)

Directions: Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium low heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and pinch of sugar and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized. Add in the mushrooms and cook for another 6 or so minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Put the ground turkey in a bowl and add the Worcestershire, Dijon, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the onion/mushroom mixture and mix well.  Add in the Swiss and mix thoroughly. Form into 4 patties. Raise the heat under the skillet to the medium and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Cook the patties about 7-8 minutes per side or until done to your liking.   

Orange Oat Pancakes with Creamy Filling

Adapted from “Breakfast Heaven” Edited by Deborah Gray, 2011

These pancakes are so light and healthy, yet they have a deep flavor from the buttermilk and wheat germ that lets you know you are having something substantial. I really love the filling here. It tastes quite a bit like cannoli filling. I came really close to tossing some mini chocolate chips into the filling. Next time, I’m going for it.

Ingredients (makes about 9 or so pancakes):

Pancakes:

2/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon ground flax seed

1 Tablespoon toasted wheat germ

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup orange juice

2/3 cups buttermilk

2 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks

Cooking spray

Filling:

1 ½ cups low fat cottage cheese, drained

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon orange zest

Small splash of orange juice

Garnish:

Fresh raspberries

More orange zest

Fresh mint sprigs

Orange blossom honey

Directions:

For the pancakes: In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flour, flax seed, wheat germ, salt, orange zest, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually stir in the vanilla, orange juice and buttermilk. Let this mixture sit for 15 minutes so the oats can soak up the liquid. Fold in the egg whites.

Spray a non-stick skillet or a griddle with cooking spray and heat to medium. Pour in about 1/3 cup pancake batter for each pancake. Do just 1-2 at a time so they don’t all run together. Just enough batter to cover the bottom of the skillet. Cook the pancakes until they bubble and brown on the underside. Flip (psst-spray your spatula with cooking spray, too to make this easier) and cook the other sides. Cook the remainder of the batter the same way.

For the filling: Combine the cottage cheese, powdered sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest in a food processor and pulse until smooth. 

To serve: Place a pancake on a plate, place a generous dollop of filling in the middle and sprinkle with raspberries, orange zest, fresh mint and honey. Repeat as you see fit.

Goulash for a winter’s night

Somewhere between a soup and a stew, this is a hearty and warming bowl of comfort on a cold night. I love how satisfying this is and the fact that it has lots of veggies. Also, this is a one pot dish that you can easily make the day before and just warm up. You won’t believe how much flavor you get from the 2 different paprikas and the caraway—this is just great. If you really want to kick this up, serve it over True Grits. YUM!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon canola oil

½ cup chopped carrots

½ cup chopped celery

1 small onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large green pepper, diced (about 1 cup)

1 pound ground beef

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid

2 cups water

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (optional, but I love mushrooms)

2 cups shredded cabbage (I cheat and use slaw mix)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons ketchup (yes, really)

2 teaspoons beef base (like “Better than Bouillon”®)

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Green onions and sour cream for garnish

Directions: Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Toss in the carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes or until the veggies are fragrant. Add in the garlic and green peppers and cook for another 3 minutes or so—just until you can smell the garlic, but it isn’t brown.

Crumble the ground beef into the pot and cook, stirring often, until the beef is browned. Drain off any excess fat if you like.

Next add in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook, stirring occasionally for 1 hour (longer is even better). Note: I left mine uncovered to get it thicker, but you can certainly cover yours if you want.

Serve in bowls garnished with a spoonful of sour cream and some sliced green onions. Great with crusty bread or spooned over noodles.