Cauliflower Is So Hot Right Now Soup

Cauliflower is so in right now. – actual quote overheard at a West Village restaurant

Here in New York, they can make anything trendy. Even the often forgotten, relatively bland white cousin of broccoli. The line made me laugh, but sure enough cauliflower has been appearing on menus more and more. Roasted, fried, pureed. Mixed with bacon, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds.

I made my cauliflower into an easy soup that knocked my socks off. You start by roasting the cauliflower until it’s golden brown. The original recipe called for a cup of cream which wasn’t going to happen in my kitchen, but it truly didn’t need it. The whole thing blended into such luscious heaven, cream was really not needed. It is among my new favorite soups.

You heard it here. Cauliflower will be 2013′s answer to the beloved 2012 brussel sprout.

cauliflower soup

Cauliflower Is So Hot Right Now Soup

Author: Love U Madly, via Sweet Paul

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cauliflower, broken into pieces
3 cups chicken stock
½ cup milk (i used fat free lactaid milk) (yogurt would be nice too)
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 380F.
Place onion and cauliflower in a large oven proof dish and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
Roast until golden.
Place the cauliflower and onions in a large pot and add stock (keep a handful of cauliflowers aside to top the soup at the end).
Bring to a boil.
Let it boil 5 minutes.
Puree with a blender and add milk, salt, and pepper.
Allow to cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve topped with roasted cauliflower on top.

cauliflower pan

cauiflower soup bowl

Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:00 am | 2 Comments

Holiday Party Host Gift: Christmas Vodka

On the first night of Hanukkah, we went to an awesome Christmas party and I, a total non-drinker, brought my own infused vodka. It made it all the more fun. The party was at a friend’s newly renovated apartment that I couldn’t help but drool at their gorgeous and open outside-the-city-sized kitchen including the farm-style sink and chef’s stovetop.

To celebrate the occasion, we brought our home-infused very merry cranberry lime vodka. It was a big hit (even with the non-drinker ahem,) and the only thing I would have done differently was make much more of it!

Ingredients

1 bag of cranberries
1 lime
2 tbs of sugar
Vodka

Instructions

Peel the rind of the lime.
Poke a hole in each cranberry (I used one prong of a fork).
Drop each cranberry into your empty bottle or jar. Drop pieces of lime rind alternatively throughout the layers of cranberry. Fill to the top.
Add the sugar.
Using a funnel fill the bottle with as much vodka as can fit. Seal the top of the bottle/jar. Leave in a dark place for 7 days.

Posted on December 10, 2012 at 6:00 am | 9 Comments

Will Workout For Latkes: Earning My Holiday Treats

I’m not good about working out. I generally lack the discipline and motivation and, instead, I get a random burst of get-my-butt-to-the-gym inspiration, also known as shoot-my-butt-doesn’t-fit-in-my-pants inspiration. Last week, I was a gym rat. Okay, I went three times but that’s pretty impressive, don’t you think? I returned to my old stomping ground at Physique 57 for two sessions of crazy burning in my quads, abs, and above-mentioned butt and I also tried Soul Cycle for the first time. I now see why people are absolutely crazed for it. It’s basically spinning on crack with awesome music, hot instructors, and tons of energy.

This weekend, I also tested out a new latke recipe. They have a delicious Greek twist – packed with feta, spinach, and topped with tzatziki. And if you do three workout classes in the same week you make them you can have as many as you want. And, I did.

Spanolatkes

Author: Love U Madly via Food Network Magazine

Recipe type: Hanukkah, Holiday

Cuisine: Jewish, Greek

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 12 latkes

Ingredients

•3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
•3 ounces spinach, stems removed, chopped (about 4 cups)
•2 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
•Kosher salt
•4 scallions, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
•1 pound russet potatoes
•3 large eggs
•2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
•1 cup crumbled feta cheese
•Freshly ground pepper
•Tzatziki, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Heat 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander set in a large bowl; refrigerate until cold, about 15 minutes. Squeeze out any excess moisture; set the spinach aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the scallions and cook 3 to 4 more minutes. Let cool.
Peel the potatoes and grate on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel, gather into a pouch and twist closed, then squeeze over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a large bowl; add the leek-scallion mixture, spinach, eggs, flour, dill, feta, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and mix with your hands until combined.
Heat ½ inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in batches, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture into the pan for each latke and flatten with a spatula; fry until golden brown and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. (Return the oil to 350 degrees F between batches.) Serve with tzatziki.

Posted on December 3, 2012 at 6:00 am | 1 Comment

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

Dean and I really have the best of all worlds. We get to live in New York City, the most amazing city in the world, and frequently visit our families in Miami (the best place to escape while NYC is throwing it’s annual winter tantrum) and in New England which is currently painted orange and yellow with the foliage.

This weekend we hiked Connecticut’s Candy Mountain – not the real name, but what my nephew’s know it as since there is an abundance of candy that magically appears along the paths – (note: we don’t bribe our children, we encourage them to continue on with sugar).

Fall in New England also calls for cider and donuts. We tackled the latter with an easy recipe for baked pumpkin donut holes. I loved this recipe because no fancy equipment was needed. Though the original recipe called for donut pans and pastry bags, we made do with what we had and they turned out perfect.

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

Author: Love U Madly via Sweetened with Honey

Serves: 30

Ingredients

for the donuts:
1¾ cup all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup canned pumpkin
½ cup milk
for coating:
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup sugar
½ – 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter a mini-muffin pan and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together, and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until just combined, do not over mix batter.
Using a mini ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon as a scoop, drop 1 scoop of batter in the cup (about halfway filled). Bake for 11-13 minutes, until donuts spring back when gently pressed. Turn donuts onto a wire each and allow to cool for a few minutes.
While the donuts are cooling, melt the butter in one bowl, and combine the sugar and cinnamon in anther. While donuts are still warm, brush each donut with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve immediately.
**You can bake these a day ahead of time, and store in an airtight container. Do not coat them in the butter/ cinnamon-sugar mixture until day of serving or they will get soggy**

Posted on October 22, 2012 at 6:00 am | 4 Comments

Escaping Reality with An Easy Breakfast at Home

This past week, I’ve watched Argo at the movie theater, Homeland on HBO, and the Vice Presidential Debate on primetime. All were as entertaining as they were terrifying. We live in a scary world and so sometimes I welcome a Saturday when I don’t step outside of our apartment at all. Meals are thrown together and accidentally end up fantastic; more TV is watched than I care to admit; and naps are more like full night’s sleep in the middle of the day.

Ever since my mom discovered breakfast pizza at Whole Foods, I’ve been wanting to try it at home. It should be no surprise that it was easy to prepare and devoured in seconds. You should try it at home. And by “it” I mean the TV watching, nap taking, and pizza making.

Breakfast Pizza

Author: Love U Madly

This can be a creation of your own making. Throw in any veggies, meat, cheese that you like!

Ingredients

Eggs
Whole-wheat naan (or any pizza dough)
Cheese (I used shredded cheddar)
Tomatoes
Any other veg or meat you like
Herbs of your choice
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Crisp both sides of the naan or bread of your choice in an oiled-and-salted skillet.
In another skillet, scramble eggs. I like to continuously whisk while scrambling.
Add toppings and cheese to scrambled mixture and season well.
Once cooked completely, top the naan with your egg combination.
Have a great morning!