Cauliflower Soup

One of my favorite favorite favorite soups to make is cauliflower soup.  The flavor is light, so it's ideal before almost any meal, but the texture is so thick and creamy you would swear there's dairy in it (spoiler alert: there isn't). It's quick to whip up, absolutely loaded with vitamin C to help keep you from getting sick, AND has 16g of protein to keep you full.  This particular recipe is based on one of my favorite cookbooks "Essential Pepin," and you absolutely must give it a try if you're in the market for a guilt free soup recipe.

Cauliflower Soup
Serves 6
2 tbsp Canola Oil
2 C sliced onions
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp curry powder
2 C low salt chicken broth
2 C Water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 large or 2 small heads cauliflower, cored, separated into florets, and trimmed
2 tbsp unsalted butter

1) Add oil to a large saucepan, when it is hot saute the onions for 2-3 minutes
2) Sprinkle with flour and curry powder, then mix well
3) Stir in the chicken broth, water, salt, and pepper, mix well, then bring to a boil.
4) Add cauliflower, return to a boil, cover, reduce heat to very low, and boil gently for 30 mintues
5) Use a submersion blender (or pouring the soup into a food processor), puree with the butter
6) You should have 7 C of soup, if you have less, add enough water to bring it up to this level
7) Be sure soup is heated throughout, and then serve!

The Great State of Vermont Will not Apologize for It's Cheese

Have you seen "Thank You for Smoking?"  If not, see it immediately.  This is *actually* how all Vermonters feel about our cheddar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcvVhD5X3f0

Growing up in a dairy state like Vermont, there are few phrases in the English language that make my hair curl the way "reduced fat cheddar" does.  Runners up would probably be "processed cheese food" and "frozen dessert" in place of ice cream.  So when I set out to satisfy my ridiculous macaroni and cheese craving in a more healthy way, the cheese was non-negotiable.  The noodles on the other hand, are really just a vehicle to transport cheese sauce to my mouth. I don't know about you, but I am not in the business of wasting empty calories on bland vehicles. Pinterest swore to me substituting spaghetti squash was a brilliant idea, and shockingly (seriously. this sounded like an awful idea), they were right! I also substituted greek yogurt for the heavier milk and butter I usually use, and ultimately cut the calories down to about 263 per serving!  During baking the squash creates some liquid, rather than absorbing the way pasta does, so the sauce ends up thinner than the classic bechamel, but all in all this was freaking DELICIOUS.  Guilt free mac and cheese, I will probably be eating you weekly.

Guilt Free Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 5 Servings

1 large Spaghetti Squash
1 tbsp butter
1/2 Vidalia Onion
2 cloves Garlic, minced
8 oz Sharp (Vermont!) Cheddar, grated
1/4 C Water
1/2 C Plain Low Fat Greek Yogurt
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half (optional)
1 Cup peas (optional)
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 C Bread Crumbs
1/4 C Grated Parmesan
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 425

2) Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Place squash (hollow side down) in a microwave safe dish with about 1cm of water in the bottom.

3) Microwave until tender (mine took about 11 minutes for each half).  Be sure the squash is *really* tender, it won't cook much more after this point and no one wants it crunchy.

4) When squash is cooked, use a fork to scrape out the flesh out of the inside - it should come out in strings that look just like spaghetti

5) In a heavy bottom sauce pan, saute the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat until onions are translucent.  Add Cheddar and 1/4 C water, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.

6) Add the greek yogurt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, and stir until incorporated.  Remove from heat. I have a weird dislike for onion chunks, and at this point I also used an immersion blender to make the sauce completely smooth.

7) Combine sauce with spaghetti squash (and tomatoes and peas if desired), transfer this to a large baking dish.  Combine bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle all over the top of the pasta.

8) Bake for 30 minutes, or until topping becomes a golden brown, and serve!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcvVhD5X3f0


Per Serving: 263 Calories, 6g Protein, 2g Fat

Summer Orzo with Basil Pesto

All of the tell-tale signs of autumn are ever so slightly starting to appear.  It's not quite light out when I wake up, the morning walk to my car is getting a little too brisk to be sleeveless, and many of my favorite summer food prices at the supermarket are beginning to drift back up (why can't we just have $2.50 pineapples forever??). I love love love fall, but I'm not sure I'm ready yet to say good-bye to long days and abundant sunshine. 

When summer nostalgia hits, the only thing to make is pesto.  There is nothing more summery than fresh basil. It's like those bright little leaves have stored up all the flavors of sunshine and are just waiting to burst out into a party on your tongue. This particular pesto is very easy to make and, tossed with an assortment of summer foods, was the perfect dinner to remind me that warm days are still here.

Side note: Patrick would like me to inform all of you that this is "So so good. Want more in my belly. Now." ...So there's an endorsement for 'ya.

-Recipe after the jump-

Balsamic Chicken

Do you ever have those days where you want to make dinner, you want to craft some beautiful dish that would make Julia Child proud, you want to be the culinary master of your kitchen, but you just can't find the inspiration?

I do.

Those days make for some rough grocery store trips, let me tell you.  I'll just stand in the middle of the Trader Joe's produce section looking around thinking, "What on earth is a potato even good for!?"

Well fret not, my friends, because I have a solution for you and it's called balsamic chicken.  I discovered it as I casually perused the food section of pinterest (while irritatingly blocking the tiny aisles of the produce department - but that part isn't important) and I am soooo glad that I did!  Balsamic vinegar just has a magical way of turning boring foods into exceptional ones, doesn't it?

Recipe after the jump!

Savory Orange-Roasted Tofu and Asparagus

Up until I made this recipe, my entire life experience with miso consisted of two dishes: miso soup, and my father's oatmeal.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my Dad puts miso in his oatmeal.

Usually he accompanies this addition with the comment "Hey Katie! What does THIS remind you of?" while ceremoniously displaying a spoonful of brown gook.

As you can imagine, the obvious correlation he drew between miso and...other things I won't name here...didn't exactly turn me into an 8 year old miso fan. In fact, I've spent my whole life avoiding miso and assuming it tastes like some gross cousin to peanut butter. Recently however I've been trying to branch out of my normal food rut, and when I saw this recipe in my favorite cookbook I had to try it.

You guys. This recipe. Is sooooooo delicious. Thank goodness I was just cooking for myself, because after taking a minor break when my better senses said, "Katie stop putting food in your mouth!!" I returned to finish the whole thing in one night.

Miso is a bit expensive to buy upfront, but you don't use much at a time, and just a tablespoon has considerable nutritional benefits (what's up vitamin b12!). If you are also a little afraid of miso I think this is probably a great training wheels dish - the sweet of the orange juice perfectly counteracts the more salty qualities of the miso, and the tofu just soooooaks up all the goodness! Yummmmmmmm

-Recipe after the jump-

Simple Turkey Avocado Wraps

Working in Cancer research at a major hospital, every day I'm literally smacked in the face with more data to support that almost every chronic disease, to some degree, is preventable.  It is natural then that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding all these horrible conditions, is generally in the forefront of my mind.  I eat well, go to the gym often, and (this is the hardest part when you're in grad school) try to sleep enough every night.  

With summer in mind, my boyfriend Pat and I have decided to kick up our normal routine to a super-healthy-super-human zone in order to wiggle into those beach bodies everyone is so obsessed with.  We're making all of our own food (as opposed to eating Starbucks every morning), which ensures we know exactly what's in there, and can eat more nutritious meals for fewer calories and dollar bills.  This past Sunday we went to the gym early and then did a massive amount of grocery shopping.  By the time we got back to my apartment we were starving.  To start the week off on a good note, I threw together these simple turkey wraps which were summery, tasty, and just right to get us in the spirit of the healthy week ahead.

Sloppy Joes

I think we all remember that scene in "It Takes Two" where Mary-Kate shows the world the correct way to eat a sloppy Joe.
...No? Just me? Why aren't you all huge Mary-Kate and Ashley fans?????
Suffice to say, girlfriend knew how it was DONE when she was 9.

Just to be clear, the way it is "done" is pretty much to just smash the sandwich into your face, getting meat and sauce everywhere.  Thoroughly enjoy the sticky, gooey mess and red stained cheeks that result.

In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm not big on red meat, so when I started craving the sloppiest possible meal last week I decided to come up with a leaner turkey alternative.  I seriously modified a beef recipe I found on allrecipes.com, and I couldn't be happier with the results!  This sloppy joe is just as it should be: simple, no frills, delicious, comfort food.

Ratatouille

Hi Everyone!

Did you all just assume I died in the tough mudder? YE OF LITTLE FAITH!!! I'm so tough! Orange headband and all we crossed that finish line almost an hour faster than my boyfriend and his dad did last time.  I'm so proud of of my team, and I absolutely can't wait to do it again!

Here's the thing about grueling days of physical activity, post facto you eat....like a PIG.  You sit there and shove macaroni and cheese in your mouth like there's no tomorrow because you deserve it, and you 100% do not feel guilty.
Here's the thing about macaroni and cheese, the good stuff is approximately a bajillion calories a bite, and after all that face stuffing you realize....there is a tomorrow.  In that tomorrow, you're middle is.......soft.  Really soft.  And it's bikini season.

I came to this very sad realization about a week ago, and decided something must be done to protect all that hard working out I've been doing for the last three months. So what did I do? I made ratatouille.  Not only is it fun to say, the name of a charming cartoon mouse, and deliciously vegetables-gone-crazy, it's ridiculously easy to make. Eat it as a side dish, or toss it with pasta, either way it's scrum-diddley-umtpious.

And you can sound super fancy when you say it with a french accent.

Spicy Quinoa with Black Beans, Corn, and Tomatoes

Whenever I hear the word "superfood" I imagine a cucumber flying around in a superman cape sprinkling vitamin dust on little children's cereal.  MAYBE superfoods aren't actually as cool as that....but I'm gonna go on believing that they are.  

Take quinoa for example.  To start, it is hands down the trendiest food in town.  In the last six months or so it catapulted from a relatively obscure health food, to practically dominating food magazines, the foodie blogosphere, and restaurant menus across the city.  Why shouldn't it?  Just 3/4 of a cup contains a whopping 14g of complete protein, 6 g of fiber,  and copious amounts of B vitamins, iron, potassium, and tons of other nutrients.  

Ask not what quinoa can do for you, but rather what you can do with quinoa.

This recipe is (once again) something that started as a mash up of foods already sitting in my pantry, and ended up being awesome.  It's excessively easy (the actual amount of work probably takes a total of 10 minutes), and although I ate it as a main dish, it would be equally great as a side dish to add some color to your plate.  The cheese is optional, but in the words of Julia Child, "You can leave it out....but you'll regret it."

Cauliflower Steaks with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce

I don't know if you read the January issue of Bon Appetite, but it. was. amazing.  It wasn't just overflowing with fantastic recipes and gorgeous pictures (per usual), but a solid 90% of those recipes were insanely healthy.  At first I was completely overwhelmed with the decision of what to make first, and then I saw this recipe. I was sold. Granted, using a caramelized cauliflower steak in place of a regular steak isn't exactly a fair trade, but when you think of it in the context of "yummy food" rather than "meat substitute"it is absolutely delicious.

I'll be honest this recipe is a bit of work since you're making a total of three dishes.  I don't know if it was the beer I was drinking while cooking, or my inability to concentrate on the conversation at hand as well as read the recipe, but there was a moment I thought to myself, "There is absolutely NO way you can blog this, you're going nuts!!" But then................

.....then I tried it.  Each of the components by themselves may seem a bit boring, but together they are aaaahhhhhmazing.  This dish perfectly harmonizes the sweet and savory of the relish with the light creaminess of the tomato sauce, and then completely surprises you with texture contrast between the raw and caramelized cauliflower. You absolutely MUST try it.  

Bonus, it's heavy on the veggies, light on the calories, AND it's another great use for your  Immersion Blender!