Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Hey everyone! I hope you're all having a great weekend. I had the perfect Saturday. Sure, a day of cleaning and laundry might not sound perfect to some people, but that's what I did today. I needed a day to re-group. After being away for over a week and then returning to one activity after another around here this week, things had really piled up. I'm one of those people that can't stand piles of laundry, dirty floors, an empty fridge, and toys everywhere. It makes me feel out of control. I'm SO "Type A", I know. So today, I stayed in my p.j.'s and worked at restoring order. Sure, a day of rest is great too...but these days a day to re-group is more valuable to me. And honestly, I find that if I rest, the mess just keeps growing. So today, I finally posted my entry for Paula Deen's Real Women of Philadelphia contest (you can check it out HERE), played with my girls, then I picked up, put away, sorted some mail, did all of the laundry (it's clean, just not folded...yet), made a big pot of soup, and took the kiddos for a bike ride. In our absence the trees here have flowered and daffodils and hyacinths are sprouting in the flower beds and around mail boxes. It was gorgeous outside tonight. When all was said and done we returned to a clean house, pulled off our muddy tennis shoes and sat down to steaming bowls of this cauliflower soup. Ahhhhh.



After nearly a month without going to the grocery, I really stocked up yesterday. Cauliflower was on sale,$1.99 for a big bunch. I grabbed a head and said out loud, "Oooh. Soup." An older gentleman looked at me funny and my toddler repeated over and over again, "Soup! Soup!" as we weaved through the apples, oranges, and onions in the produce section. I was sure that I'd seen a cauliflower soup recipe on one of the blogs that I read. I couldn't remember which one, so I Googled "Cauliflower Soup" and The Pioneer Woman's Recipe came up. "That's it!" I thought.

You begin this soup with sauteing half of a diced onion in butter. I cut the amount of butter in PW's recipe in half. (1 month until I'm supposed to shimmy into my tankini in Florida.) Then add in a diced carrot and a stalk of diced celery.



While the veggies sauteed, I attended to this giant head of cauliflower.



I really like cauliflower for the reason that you can make it relatively inconspicuous and get your kids to eat a vegetable. I chopped up the cauliflower and...



added it to the other veggies with a couple of tablespoons of chopped parsley (I only had dried parsley). Stir it around and then cover and cook for 15 minutes.



Add in 2 quarts of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.



While the soup boils, mix together the flour and milk.



Melt half a stick of butter in a saucepan.



Then add in the flour and milk mixture. Cook until it thickens, then remove from the heat and add in a cup of half and half.



Add the milk mixture to the broth/veggie mixture.



Whisk it all together.



Toss in a couple of bay leaves. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes.



I decided to try serving this the Ree's (The Pioneer Woman) way first. Put a dollop of sour cream in your bowl...



Then ladle the soup over the top. Give it a little stir to incorporate the sour cream into the soup.



First bite!



This was pretty darn good, but I decided to take it in another direction. First of all, because I have a child that suffers from an aversion to chunky soups. I knew that she would definitely eat this soup if A) it were "smoother" and B) if it were "cheesy".

Here's what I did: I enlisted my Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender and I blended.



Then, I blended a little more. Umm, be sure to remove the bay leaves before this step. I totally blended them...again (I did it with this Spicy Black Bean Soup too). Why can't I ever remember to take out those bay leaves!?



Then I stirred in some cheese. I had an assortment of opened cheese in my fridge. I think that I ended up with shredded Colby Jack and a couple slices of American. My recommendation for this recipe is 1-2 cups, depending on how cheesy you like your soup. Following this step, I covered the pot and kept it warm while we took an evening bike tour of our blossoming neighborhood.



When we arrived home, I turned the kids loose on our backyard playset and made some BLT's to go along with the soup. You can read about my BLT secret ingredient HERE. Now that my kiddos have had BLT Wraps, they actually requested them. Half of us had sandwiches and the other half ate wraps. I have to say that the soup was a big hit with everyone...even the picky kiddo! Ha ha. I got her to eat cauliflower, onion, carrot, and celery without a complaint! Sneaky, sneaky, aren't I?



Here's the recipe, based on The Pioneer Woman's Cauliflower Soup and adapted by me.

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Servings: 6 Difficulty: Easy


Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, divided
½ whole onion, finely diced
1 whole carrot finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 whole cauliflower Head, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh Or dried parsley (chopped)
2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
rounded 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons salt
1-2 cups shredded or cut up cheese (colby, jack, colby jack, cheddar, American)

Preparation Instructions
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a blender or immersion blender to reach desired consistency. Stir in cheese until melted. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Yummy, yummy black bean soup. We had this for dinner early last week and I ate the leftovers for lunch over the next few days. Surprisingly, I didn't tire of it. On Thursday I even invited a friend over for lunch, toasting leftover Ciabatta rolls(from the Cajun Steak Sandwiches) for sopping and grating pepper jack cheese over the top.

As you've probably figured out from the title of this post, to make this you will need black beans. 2 cups of shiny, dry, black beans.



Soak the black beans in cold water overnight.



In my usual step-by-step style, this is where I would usually show you how the beans had absorbed much of the water overnight. How some of the beans had turned a really pretty deep purple color. How I fried up bacon, nice and crispy and then sauteed chopped onion in the drippings. How I added in garlic, water, the drained beans, bay leaves, chopped chilies, carrots and cumin and let the soup simmer away the afternoon. Only, I didn't get a single picture of any of this. My husband swiped my camera before I even got out of bed and took it to work for the day. My camera and husband returned home at the tail end of the simmering step. By then, the soup looked like this:



Although I didn't get many pictures of the process, I do want to look a little more closely at one of the ingredients. This was my first time using chilpotle chilies in adobo sauce. This ingredient puts the "spicy" in the name of this soup. I found them in the International Foods aisle at my local grocery.



These smoky, spicy chilies are stewed in a sauce with tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and spices.



I chopped them up before adding to the soup. Go easy...they pack a punch! I added the required 2 chilpotle chilies and the result was too spicy for my kiddos, although "just right" for the adults who shared this soup.



I found this recipe in The Mixer Bible, so the mixer should serve a purpose here. The recipe instructed to used the fruit/vegetable strainer mixer attachment and run the soup through twice. It seemed like such a hassle to assemble the attachment just to run the soup through and then have to take the attachment apart and wash it when I was finished. Instead I reached for my trusty Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender and went to town on those beans. Oh, before you "go to town" with your blender, you should probably remove the bay leaves. I forgot. Ooops.



It wasn't pretty.



Kind of like a field trip to the sewage plant. Ewww. Did I just type that? I guess no one is trying this recipe now.



It was effective, though. I'd guess that the immersion blender created a smoother soup than the mixer's strainer attachment. The next time I make this I might take out two cups of cooked beans, blend the rest, then stir the beans back in to give it more texture.

After blending, I stirred in the chicken broth and brought it back to a simmer. Stir in 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro before serving.



All that's left to do is dish it up and garnish.



A dollop of sour cream cuts the heat and adds a nice tangy touch. The crunch of the bacon and the freshness of the cilantro pretty much made this perfect for me!



If I didn't completely turn you off with the immersion blender demonstration then give this a try! You can't go wrong with black bean soup. It's high in fiber, low in fat, and completely delicious.

Spicy Black Bean Soup from The Mixer Bible: Over 300 Recipes for Your Stand Mixer
Serves: 4

2 cups dried black beans
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 1/2 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 large carrot, chopped
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
sour cream
additional chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 2 inches. Cover and soak overnight at room temperature. Rinse and drain.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add in the water, beans, bay leaves, chilies, carrot, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender, at least 70 minutes.

3. Attach the fruit/vegetable strainer attachment to the mixer. Set to speed 4. Run soup, one ladleful at a time through the strainer into a large bowl, with another bowl to catch the solids. Run the solids through one more time. OR process with your immersion blender, blender, or food processor.

4. Return soup to saucepan. Add chicken stock and return to a simmer over medium heat, thinning with more stock if necessary. Stir in cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and reserved bacon.

To download or print this recipe click here!

Ghost Chili and Corn Bread

This was the perfect meal for yet another cold night. Spring where are you? Hearty, savory, and a little spicy, with delicious corn bread sprinkled on top, this just "hit the spot". The prep work was minimal. Any time tied up in this dinner is really just baking and simmering. Not at all labor intensive. I found both recipes while exploring on Tasty Kitchen. The name "Ghost Chili" is what first caught my attention. After reading through the recipe, I thought that this creamy chili would be nicely complimented with corn bread. I was off and searching again. One of the first recipes that appeared on the site when I searched "corn bread" was this recipe called "Cornbread For Your Chili". Since that's precisely what I wanted, I decided that I'd better make this one. Plus, the community member that submitted this recipe described it as such: This tasty cornbread recipe is one with which to win friends and influence people. It is perfect to crumble in the bottom of a bowl of chili. This must be some powerful cornbread. Her sales pitch made me smile. It was worth a try.


I cut the recipe in half because I had 1/2 lb. of already cooked, cut-up chicken breast in my freezer and just enough of the other ingredients to make it happen for dinner. To begin, you heat a little oil in your pot and then toss in chopped onion, chicken, and garlic powder. Cook until the onion is tender and the chicken is no longer pink.



Then dump in some broth, beans, green chilies, and spices and simmer for 30 minutes.



Before serving, stir in sour cream and whipping cream. I used low fat sour cream and half and half. I wanted to try it with fat free half and half, but I needed to use my already open carton of half and half first. Next time... I'm sure the fat free will been fine. With the spices and other ingredients, it's a flavorful chili and we probably won't miss the fat.



I sprinkled a little chopped cilantro over top of mine.



Oh, and then there was the cornbread. Seriously good...but not so good for you.

Again, this came together quickly. Just stir together self-rising cornmeal, eggs, cream style corn, onion, sour cream, and sugar. I didn't have any self-rising cornmeal in my pantry, so I dumped in a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix. As a result my cornbread was more dense and a little less crumbly, but it was still SO good!



Now dump in a stick of melted butter. See, I told you it wasn't going to be good for you.



I poured mine into an 8X8 inch pan.



After 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven, it was perfectly golden brown.



Here's a close up. The chopped onion and little bits of corn really made this for me.



The chili was even better with that corn bread crumbled over top.



Three cheers for Tasty Kitchen! I'm going to have to join the community over there. Good stuff!

Ghost Chili original recipe found HERE on Tasty Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes Servings: 8 Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
•1 pound Chicken Breast, Cubed
•1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
•1-½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
•1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
•2 cans (15.5 Oz) Great Northern Beans, Rinsed And Drained
•1 can (14.5 Oz) Chicken Broth
•2 cans (4 Oz.) Chopped Green Chilies
•1 teaspoon Salt
•1 teaspoon Cumin
•1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
•½ teaspoons Black Pepper
•¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
•1 cup Sour Cream
•½ cups Whipping Cream

Preparation Instructions
Heat oil in a large pot. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream.

If you like your chili very mild, reduce the amount of chilies to 1 can, or rinse and drain the chilies well.

To make a less rich, healthier version, use 2 cups sour cream and 1/4 cup milk.

(Or you could use low fat sour cream and fat free half and half)




Cornbread For Your Chili original recipe found HERE on Tasty Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

•1 stick Salted Butter
•1 cup Self-rising Cornmeal (if You Can Find It--self Rising Cornmeal Mix Will Work, Too)
•½ cups Cream Style Corn
•1 cup Sour Cream
•1 Tablespoon Sugar
•2 whole Eggs
•1 whole Small Onion Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the stick of butter in a small baking dish (see note below), and place in the oven.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. When the butter is melted, mix it into the batter. Pour the batter back into the casserole and bake for 40 minutes.

Note: this recipe is for a small baking dish. I used a 7 x 11 dish, and it was perfect (an 8 x 8 would work, too). If you use a standard 9 x 13 dish, double the recipe.

To print this recipe click here!

Ham and Bean Soup with Corn Dog Muffins

When I was a kid, my mom made ham and beans and cornbread in the fall. A lot. So often, that I have to admit, I was sick of it. But last week, with leftover smoked pork loin in the fridge and the temperatures dropping, I craved the elements of this comfort food from my youth. I took my mom's tried and true recipe and went in another direction, creating this soup from ingredients in my fridge and pantry. I also veered away from the traditional cornbread and made a kid friendly version. Rather than a loaf of plain old cornbread, I went with corn dog muffins...individual serving sizes featuring chopped hot dogs and whole kernels of corn in every bite. This meal completely hit the spot and the leftovers were even better the next day!

No play by play this week on the construction of each recipe. My husband borrowed my camera for work and luckily returned home just as dinner was ready so that I could snap a few pictures of the finished product.



My Ham and Bean Soup

2 cups fully cooked ham or smoked pork loin, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (spicy)
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
salt and pepper, to taste
parsley for garnish

In a soup pot saute the ham, onion, and garlic until the onion is tender. Add the next seven ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and boil another 20 minutes. (I did this to reduce some of the liquid. I wanted it just a little less "soupy"). Serve topped with parsley.


I found the recipe for these corn dog muffins in the "Cooking with 5 Ingredients" cookbook. After my 5 ingredient challenge, I am lovin' that cookbook! If your kids don't eat the soup, they will eat these! I enjoyed them too...with my soup and then again as a midnight snack. I warmed em' up and topped with ketchup and mustard, just like a real corn dog.



Broken apart, just to show you the yummy inside.



I cut this recipe in half. It still made 11 muffins. Plenty for dinner and leftovers for the next day too. You know, if you're anti-hotdog, you could use the leftover ham in these too.

Kid's Corn Dog Muffins from "Cooking with 5 Ingredients"

2 boxes corn bread muffin mix
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 8 oz. can whole kernel corn (I used frozen corn, thawed)
5 hot dogs, chopped

1. In a bowl, combine cornbread mix and brown sugar. Combine eggs and milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in corn and hot dogs.
2. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. (I used muffin papers. Don't forget to spray them with nonstick cooking spray. Mine stuck to the papers.)Bake at 400 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown.