Cauliflower soup and Brussels sprouts with garlic and balsamic vinegar

I love soups in the wintertime. Today it was a sunny 68° in south bay, but I was still in the mood for a good soup. At the last moment, I decided to put my Brussels sprouts to good use. Now, I was never a big fan of Brussels sprouts, at least, not until a friend of mine made them with balsamic vinegar. I decided to add garlic and broil them, as I think most things benefit from a healthy dose of garlic.

As for my, err, original combination, the mild taste of the soup was definitely overpowered by the sprouts, but they were both good dishes in their own right. I just won’t be pairing them in the future. Perhaps they would be better if served as separate courses, but I simply never serve food that way at home. I just put it all on the table, and hope that it works.

Cauliflower Soup

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 head cauliflower separated into florets

½ yellow onion, sliced

5 springs fresh thyme

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

3 cups coconut milk (or another type of milk, such as cows milk)

Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil for garnish

Add oil to the sauté pan and lightly sauté the cauliflower and onion over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until they are tender. Let the veggies sweat so they cook maintain their pretty white color.  Season with salt and pepper.

Tie the thyme springs, bay leaves, and garlic together in a piece of cheesecloth to form a satchet. Add the satchet to the pan and add the milk. Bring pan to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes until the cauliflower is soft.

Remove the satchet and discard. Cream the soup with an immersion blender, or blend in a blender (in batches if necessary)—take care at the mixture will be hot and will expand as processed.

Puree until completely smooth. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve into bowls, and garnish with olive oil.

Garlic and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

1 pound Brussels Sprouts

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, diced

Balsamic vinegar

Cut the rough ends off the sprouts and slice them each in half, lengthwise. Toss in olive oil and garlic.

Broil for 7 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Drizzle in balsamic, and serve.

Spinach, Caramelized Onion, Olive and Goat Cheese Pizza

Last weekend, my little sister Brittany visited me from Utah. She loves the beach, so we spent our morning exploring Pescadero and its nearby beaches. We stopped by the Harley goat farm for some yummy cheeses. All week I have been smearing goat cheese on anything I could. Chips, crackers, bread, salads… It has been a yummy week! I had some goat feta left over, and have been trying to find the perfect use of my yummy cheese, and considering my love of a good pizza, it was a natural choice. If you can find a high quality, local cheese I would highly recommend using it in this recipe. The quality really came through in the pizza. As for my vegan husband, Christopher’s pizza left out the cheese, but he said that the onions, spinach and olives were just right for him. 

Spinach, Caramelized Onion, Olive and Goat Cheese Pizza

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion

1 bunch spinach, washed, dried and coarsely chopped

½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 small pizza crusts (I used Udi’s gluten free pizza crusts)

Preheat oven to 375.°

Caramelize onions in a skillet with oil on very low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Turn up the heat and add Spinach. Cook until Spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top pizza crusts with spinach mixture. Sprinkle onions and crumbled goat cheese on top of each, and bake for 7 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting. Serve while hot.

Happy eating,

Amanda

Meet the cook

I love cooking blogs, but have never found one that really fits my lifestyle. Cooking blogs are usually written by beautiful women with kids, perfect kitchens, gourmet pallets, well-stocked pantries, and time. For now, I am an overworked grad student and Bay-Area dweller with no kids, a tiny kitchen, dietary restrictions, no pantry, and little time. I have a tiny, 1970’s galley kitchen with roughly 5 ft counter space divided into 4 pointless counters. My life just doesn’t allow me to wait for food to marinade, bread to rise, or for meals to take hours of prep and cooking time. Nevertheless, I love cooking and eating.

Healthy eating in very important to my husband and I, and was a big part of our decision to move back to California. As Christopher wrapped-up his masters and I got ready for our big move to California, we were exhausted, sleep deprived, and chubby. We needed a reboot, and vowed to get back on track. Once we got to California, we started getting farm fresh veggies from our local CSA and we began to feel more energetic and healthy almost overnight.

We have a couple of major dietary restrictions. Christopher recently became a vegan because he loves animals and wants to live a long, healthy life. I am strictly gluten free, because of IBS (don’t worry, that is my last mention of my health ;). I am not a vegan, but most of the meals I prepare are vegan, because I think food is best when shared.

My goal for writing this blog is to chronicle my adventures in healthy cooking and eating. All of my recipes will be made in my dinky kitchen with little special equipment and over-loved pans and tools. I hope to use it to keep myself on target, while sharing with other less-then-perfect cooks who love food and their bodies.

I would like this blog to remain a positive, collaborative environment. I welcome your feedback, ideas and questions.

Happy eating!

Amanda