Roasted Purple Cauliflower and Garlic Soup

This week in our produce delivery from Timber Creek Farms we received a purple cauliflower. I had never seen one before and was excited at the challenge that something new presented. Turns out, it was beautiful and the soup was delicious. Plus, the girls got a huge kick out of eating purple soup!

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ head garlic
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut the tips off of the head of garlic and place on a baking sheet with the cauliflower. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until soft and tender about 40 minutes.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
1 can (14oz.) chicken broth (preferably organic free range, but at least make sure it contains no MSG)
1 cup milk

Sauté onion until soft. Add flour and cook slowly while stirring for about 2 minutes over low heat. Add chicken broth and milk and stir until bubbly and thickened. Next, add the cauliflower and garlic (removed from their skins). Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Puree with a hand immersion blender until desired consistency is reached. Serve with a crusty bread and a leafy salad. To enhance the purple color of the soup, garnish with blue corn tortilla chips crumbled on top. Enjoy!

Fun with Food

I always said in high school that I liked Chemistry because it was like cooking. Well, these guys have taken both to a whole new level. Not too sure how healthy some of these dishes are, but the whole presentation is fascinating.

High tech Dining with Homaro Cantu

Auntie Rita's Minestrone Soup

While our dear friends the Baileys were in the states over Christmas, their friend "Auntie" Rita gave them this fantastic recipe. Just looking at the page, spattered in olive oil with penciled-in additions, you can tell that this in one of those well-loved and made-often recipes that has gradually improved over the years.

It has gotten COLD here in Santiago (the talk is that it might snow!), so today this soup really warmed us up. It was relatively simple to make and even better, it made a ton. Since I do most of the cooking, I love leftovers!

One thing to look out for when purchasing your ingredients is to make sure that your chicken broth or bouillon cubes don't have any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or MSG (monosodiun glutamate). You want to avoid the hydrogenated oils to protect your heart and the MSG to avoid migraines, headaches,and even asthma-like symptoms.

¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups (2L) chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups chopped celery
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and quartered
¾ cup small shell pasta
2 cups chopped cabbage (collards or grelos work well too)
2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil. Sauté onion and celery about 3 minutes on med high heat. Add minced garlic and sauté another minute, careful not to burn the garlic. Add broth, diced tomatoes, carrots, parsley, and cabbage.

Add
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. italian seasoning
1 tbsp. oregano
½ tsp. salt and ground pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add zucchini and beans, bring to a boil again. Then add the pasta, boil for one minute and then shut off heat and let sit for approx. 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and serve with a nice crusty whole-grain bread.

Southwest Chicken and Black Bean Soup

This recipe came together in about 15 minutes this morning and it was great! I used leftover homemade black beans, so if you choose to use the canned variety be sure to rinse them to eliminate the excess sodium. This is fantastic with corn bread.

1 onion, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cups water
2 cans black beans or 2 cups cooked
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked brown rice
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. garlic powder (not garlic salt)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 10oz. package frozen corn
½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces

In a large sauce pan, sautee the onion in the olive oil until soft. Then add water, beans, tomatoes, rice, seasonings, corn and chicken. Simmer at least 15 to 20 minutes to allow the chicken to cook and the flavors to blend.
Serves 10.