P Dub's Cauliflower Soup

I'm sure you all are familiar with the Pioneer Woman This soup is pretty dang good! Brant and I are trying to be part time vegetarians for health reasons and to eat meat sparingly. My personal opinion is that we as an American Society overuse meat WAY too much! Plus, every vegetarian I know is like a bean pole! Enjoy!

(Serena, if you liked the Potato Cheese Soup, you're going to LOVE this!)

PW’s Mom’s Cauliflower Soup
1 stick butter
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 to 2 heads cauliflower, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried parsley
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or stock

2 cups whole milk

6 tablespoons flour

1 cup half & half

2 to 4 teaspoons salt, to taste
1 generous cup sour cream, at room temperature

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons 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 addition 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 & half.
Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.
I added a little cheddar on top! Nothin' wrong with a little cheese!
Serve immediately.

Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Vegtable

Am I the only one that cooks around here? Where's all your recipes guys? Anyway, this dish is SO delicious, EASY, and healthy! You can freeze half for later if you'd like It's from Rookie Cookie.

Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Vegtables

1 pound new potatoes
2 carrots
2 small zucchini
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
1 bunch rosemary
Kosher salt and pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 1-quart resealable plastic freezer bags

Quarter the potatoes. Peel the carrots. Cut the carrots and zucchini into 2-inch sticks. Mix them in a bowl with olive oil, mustard, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide everything among 4 bags. Freeze, until ready to cook, for up to 3 months.

Cook It:
Heat oven to 400° F.

Remove the bags from the freezer (you'll need 1 bag for each serving). Empty the contents of the bags into a baking dish. Roast for 25 minutes. Toss the vegetables, turn the chicken, and continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Divide among individual plates.

Greek Frittata

My family/those who know me well would have a heart attack!  I ate eggs and LOVED it! It's vegetarian, low fat, easy, and very flavorful!

Greek Frittata
3 tablespoons olive oil (I used coconut oil, it's better for you and flushes fat)
10 large eggs (I use cage free. Vegetarian fed, no antibiotics or growth hormones, plus apparently they taste better!)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
4 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
8 ounces Feta, crumbled

Heat toaster oven to 350° F.

Add the oil to a 2-quart casserole and transfer to oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach, tomatoes, and scallions and combine. Gently stir in the Feta.

Remove casserole from oven. Pour the egg mixture into casserole. Bake until the frittata is browned around the edges and slightly puffed and a knife comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. ( I had to bake mine for 40-50)

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Pesto

I love pesto sauce. We usually put it with pasta, but there are so many uses! If you don't want to put this with a 16 oz. pkg of penne, you can use it on a panini, (or any sandwhich) or use it as a sauce on your pizza. If you want a yummy appetizer or snack, spread pesto on a pitas, srpinkle with parmesan, cut it into wedges and broil it until the pita becomes crispy.

Combine in a processor and mix until a thick sauce forms:
20 basil leaves
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 cloves of garlic crushed, or minced
pepper

*If you are using this for pasta sauce, add one ladleful of starchy pasta water to pesto to thin it out, making it easier to mix with pasta.

Ratatouille

I've never made this, but I want to try!

Ratatouille

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 small bay leaf
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into slivers
4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Over medium-low heat, add the oil to a large skillet with the onion, garlic, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the eggplant has softened. Stir in the zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the basil and a few grinds of pepper to taste.

Last minute Lasagna

Why am I the only one posting? haha! Anyway, here's another delicious one from Real Simple! Thanks to my hubby who bought me this cook book for Christmas!

Last Minute Lasagna

1 24- or 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
2 18- or 20-ounce bags refrigerated large cheese ravioli
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 375° F.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with a single layer of ravioli. Top with half the spinach, half the mozzarella, and a third of the sauce. Repeat with another layer of ravioli and the remaining spinach, mozzarella, and half the remaining sauce. Top with another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce (not all the ravioli may be needed). Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes more.

I'll never buy grocery store hummus again!

I can't remember where I got this recipe, but it's delicious! Eat up your hummus with pita chips, pita bread, cucumbers, carrots, crackers, whatever your little heart desires. It's delicious and totally fat free! yum yum!

I'll-Never-Buy-Grocery-Store-Hummus-Again Hummus



1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained, reserving liquid

3-4 T tahini (a sesame seed paste)

3-4 T lemon juice

1 t salt

1 T olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves



Place all ingredients in the food processor. Blend until smooth. If too thick, add some of the chickpea "juice," 1-2 T at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Since tahini, lemon juice and garlic are strong flavors, work with them to see what your favorite combination is for your hummus.

15-Minute Warm and Hearty Taco Soup

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 15 oz cans chicken broth
1 oz pkg Lawry's taco seasoning (or 2 Tablespoons of your own taco seasoning mix)
1 oz pkg dry Ranch Dressing Mix
2 10 oz cans rotel mild tomatoes
4 oz can diced green chilies 

1lb can or frozen corn, drained
15 oz can black beans, drained 

15 oz can red kidney beans, drained 

15 oz can white beans, drained 


Garnish With: 
Sour Cream 
Frito's 
Cilantro leaves

 Place oil into a large 5 qt dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add beef, salt and pepper; cook until brown and crumbled. Add remaining ingredients until well combined. Simmer on low until ready to serve. Top with sour cream, Frito's and cilantro leaves if desired. 

8 large servings

Easy French Bread

I have never made bread until I made this. It was very easy, and super yummy! Also, I did not have a mixer, so I just mixed and kneaded the dough with my hands.

3 cups hot water
2Tbls yeast
2 Tbls sugar
1Tbls salt
2tbls butter
7 cups flour
Mix all ingredients on low till mixed
Then mix on high for 4 minutes
Divide into four rolled logs
Grease cookie sheet and sprinkle bottom with corn meal
Left dough rest for 30 minutes
Bake on 400 degrees for 20 minutes