Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup 

Day two of the Coronavirus "telework" for David.... and another winner from NYT Cooking - I made a few minor changes and simplified a bit.  (Kids, if any of you want an immersion blender, I will help you get one.  I've never had one, and now I'm totally converted.)

The miso brings the umami.  The lemon is important.  This is a great great healthy soup!  We ate it with those cheesy rolls from Maison Kayser bakery.

40 minutes
4 servings




2 T good olive oil - and more for serving 

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices 

1 tsp salt (more as needed) 

1/4 - 1 tsp ground coriander, to taste 

2 bouillon cubes (optional - I used those good Japanese bouillon cubes)

1/2-1  head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets 

3 T miso (recipe call for putting white miso into the soup before simmering; I used red miso and put it in at the END - you don't ever want to boil miso!) 

zest and juice of 1/2 - 1  lemon - start with zest of one lemon but add juice gradually, to taste. 

A few good shakes of Cholula 



1.  Add olive oil to soup pot on medium heat.  Stir in onion; cook until soft and lightly colored, about 10 min.  Add in garlic, stir. 

2.  Add the veggies, crushed coriander, salt, a couple of bouillon cubes (optional), 6 C water to the pot.   Bring to a simmer; cover, and simmer until all the veggies are very tender.  It will seem like a lot of broth in proportion to the vege.  15-20 min or so. 

3.  Remove from heat.  Stir in miso!  Use an immersion blender to purée the soup.  Stir in lemon zest and juice.  Check for seasoning.  

Serve.  (optional - drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cilantro leaves, and sea salt to taste).  YUM. 

(terrible photo - if you make it send me a better photo) 

Scalloped Potatoes

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes 

from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

I use a lot of potatoes - light on the sauce.  10 servings

prep:  25 min.  Bake: 70 min.   350 degrees

1 C chopped onion (1 large) 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
4 T butter 
4 T flour
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt 

2 1/2  C milk (2% or whole) 
1 1/2 C shredded white cheddar cheese 

6-8  medium potatoes - Yukon Gold (not baking potatoes) peeled and thinly sliced.  

1.  Grease a casserole dish.  For sauce, cook onion and garlic in butter until tender but not brown.  Stir in flour, pepper, salt.  Add milk, whisk over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Add shredded cheese, stir.  

2.  Thinly slice potatoes.  Place into casserole in layers, alternating with the sauce.  End with sauce. 

3.  Bake, COVERED, 40 min.  Uncover and bake another 30 minutes or more til potatoes are tender (check with fork).  Makes 8 - 10 servings.  

Great with ham, at Christmas time! 

xo 

Carrot Salad

ANOTHER CARROT SALAD

This is a fresh update to the old carrot/raisin/mayo salad.

dressing:
1/4 C olive oil
2 T lemon juice (1-2 lemons, to taste)
1 T flat leaf parsley (or freeze dried)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

10 oz package shredded carrots
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C slivered almonds, toasted

Make up the dressing in the bottom of the salad bowl.  Taste and adjust for seasonings (I added more lemon and a tad more sugar).  Add salad ingredients, toss, and check again to adjust seasonings.

Let chill in fridge 2 or more hours.

A double recipe is good for pot lucks (like Heritage Park break-fast Sundays) - healthy, easy, and pretty color!  It doesn't need to stay cold or warm, it's a veggie salad and goes with anything.  All of these amounts are approximate. For a double recipe I used slightly less than 1/2 C olive oil; 3 lemons; slightly more cranberries (a whole small package); most of a medium red onion; sliced almonds because I didn't have slivered.   

Macho Peas

Macho Peas
- similar to the peas we get at Nando's in London.  So yummy!  Cynthia

1 package frozen peas, just cooked (ex. Steam fresh)
1 T butter
about 1/4 C chopped fresh mint
salt and pepper
Hot pepper flakes, to taste

Method:  Add all ingredients into bowl, stir together, and then slightly mash about 1/4 of the peas with a fork.

Stir again, and adjust seasonings. 

Janette's Vidalia Onion Casserole

Janette's Vidalia Onion Casserole
Very good as a side with steak - Aunt Janette

Vegetable Beef Soup

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 pound good stew beef
1 can Campbell's beef stock*

1 onion
2 stalks celery
1 small package carrots
1 large baking potato or a few small Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 small can diced tomatoes, with juice
salt and pepper

1. Dredge the stew beef in some flour/salt/pepper.  Brown the meat in a little olive oil on high heat.
2. Add can of beef stock and some water, stir the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck on bits.  Add one onion, quartered, two carrots, the celery.  Cover and simmer on very low for 1-3 hours. 
3. Strain the broth.  Remove the meat, cut it into very small pieces and set aside.  
4. Peel and chop the potato and the remaining carrots.  Add to the broth (carrots first), and add a little water if necessary to make sure the potatoes are covered.  Simmer for a few minutes.  Add the frozen beans. 
5. Add the corn, the tomatoes, and the reserved meat.  Bring to a slow simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender.   If the soup doesn't look as thick as you'd like, do not cover the pot. 
6. Check for seasoning - may or may not need more salt and pepper.  I go easy on salt but like to add dried basil, oregano, and parsley.   Maybe add a dash of Cholula. 

All the quantities are approximate.  This soup is a "wing it" type of soup.   

It's great the next day too.  It does not freeze well in terms of the potatoes, so eat it up. 

Ideas:  serve with crusty bread or cheddar cheese scones, and maybe some parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.  (Grandma Janis used to cook up some small pasta for people to add to their bowls)

*In Japan I used beef bouillon cubes, and some dashi, which was delicious. 

Easy gingered carrots

Easy Gingered Carrots 

1. Slice a bag of carrots into rounds.  Put in saucepan with cold water to cover.  Add a dash or two of salt.  Bring to a simmer and cook gently until carrots are barely tender.  
2. Drain and add carrot back to the pan. 
3. Add a pat or two of butter, about 1 T of brown sugar, and a sprinkling of ground ginger.  Stir and serve.  Yum! 

Roasted vegetables

Mix and Match Roasted Vegetables

This is a great, healthy way to prepare vegetables, and your kitchen will smell heavenly!

Vegetables to mix and match: 

Carrots (not baby carrots), peeled and cut into long slices 
Potatoes - peeled and cut into large cubes
Turnip - peeled and cut into large cubes
Acorn squash, peeled and cut into large cubes
Sweet potato - peeled and cut into large cubes 
a couple of handfuls fresh green beans
a handful of Brussels sprouts, cut in half
an onion, cut into large chunks
a few whole cloves of garlic, peeled
salt and pepper 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F while you prep the veggies. 
2. Line the biggest pan you have with foil, and drizzle it with olive oil.  You can use a large rimmed cookie sheet.  You want a surface big enough to be able to spread out the veggies in one layer, or almost one layer. 
3. Add the veggies to the pan, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat, adding more olive oil if needed.
4. Roast, stirring 2-3 times, 30-45 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.  As you stir the veggies, the onions will break up. 
5. Serve hot.

Note:  Over time, you will learn by instinct how big/small to cut the vegetables so that they end up being done at the same time. 

Apple Carrot Salad

This is such a pretty, fresh, tangy, healthy side dish.  It is good any season (apples and carrots are good year round).  

• 2 large apples, 1 green (granny smith) and 1 red (Gala or honey crisp), cored, thinly sliced, and cut into matchsticks.

• 1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice (to taste - the juice of one lemon will be plenty)

• 3 C carrots, cut into matchsticks (you can probably find these already prepared in the store)

• 1/4 C chives, chopped 

• 1 T olive oil 
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp each) 

• 2 oz feta cheese (French variety is great), crumbled.

In large bowl, toss apple matchsticks in lemon juice as you cut them.  Add everything else, toss to mix, adjust seasonings, and enjoy!

(Kaela, half of this recipe would be more than enough for you and Joe, as a side with fish or chicken.)