Caramelized Cauliflower + Onion Bisque

I know it's almost July, and a recipe for hot soup is probably not what you're looking for, but when your air conditioner is in the kitchen (your favorite room in your house), and the kitchen is where you can be found at all hours of the day, you're going to make something hot to warm up those bones of yours. I mean I can only wear so many layers in the height of summer without looking completely nuts. And yes, I do take advantage of the heat and make my way outside to eat, but I'm also paranoid that I'm getting a sunburn pretty much everyday of the year. So if you don't have a large umbrella and a hat for me, maybe invite someone else over - we'll meet up again come October. 

Even if you have to wait a few months, make this soup. It's delicious. Roasted anything will pretty much guarantee you a sweeter, more flavorful meal. And when you're throwing onions into the mix, they basically come out caramelized, and like a fried egg, caramelized onions can send any recipe over the top. If you've made Greek lemon-roasted potatoes before, this is sort of a soup version of that, just lightened up a bit with the addition of cauliflower. And I'm not sure who's familiar with the Plymouth, MA area (pilgrims, mayflower, think back to your early school days), but my absolute favorite breakfast/lunch/dessert spot, Blue Blinds, serves an incredible butternut bevy soup, where rosemary-roasted butternut squash meets creamy feta meets my mouth. And somehow, in my crazy mind, this caramelized cauliflower and onion bisque is on it's way to being that coveted butternut bevy, with a lot less butter I'm sure. Even without any changes it bares a pretty strong resemblance, but if I sub the majority of the potatoes with butternut squash and throw in some feta cheese, I think I'll find my new favorite thing- check back for an update on that.    

If you're ever in the Plymouth area, make sure you check out Blue Blinds Bakery. Located in America's homeland, in a gorgeous old colonial, everything is made in house, and primarily organic. Their breads are out of this world (all my friends swear by the jalapeno cheddar). They're hours can be a little tricky, and they're closed on Saturdays, so make sure you call ahead to guarantee they're open. I'm sure everything on the menu is delicious, but my frequent visits include the aforementioned butternut bevy (soups are always changing with the seasons), caprese sandwich, egg and cheddar on cranberry almond bread, incredibly fluffy and nutty spelt pancakes, dried fruit, nut, and carob clusters (appropriately named plymouth rocks), and an iced lemon maté to wash it all down. And if that doesn't entice you, come for a little history of where it all began. 

Caramelized Cauliflower + Onion Bisque

make sure to leave the cauliflower, onions, and potatoes pretty chunky for roasting

slightly adapted from The First Mess

2 heads cauliflower, core removed and chopped into rough florets

2 lg Vidalia onions, chopped into 2-inch pieces 

4 sm-med yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced

4 tbsp olive oil

sea salt + pepper

1 lemon, halved, plus 1 more for after pureeing 

4 cups vegetable broth

3 or so cups water

Preheat your oven to 400ºF. 

Spread the cauliflower, onions, and potatoes onto a couple baking sheets, and divide the rosemary and olive oil between the two. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper, and give it a toss. 

Roast the vegetables for about an hour, tossing everything a few times along the way to promote even browning. When everything is nice and caramelized, remove from the oven, and squeeze your lemon halves over the top, dropping the lemon rinds themselves onto the hot pans afterwards. Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of your pans while you spread the lemon juice around. 

Throw everything into a big soup pot and add your broth. Using an immersion blender (or let cool slightly for a regular blender), puree the soup, adding water along the way until you reach your desired consistency. Leave it slightly chunky for some good texture (no baby food here). Stir in the juice of an additional lemon (I LOVE lemon, so maybe start with half, or none at all), taste for seasoning, and pour yourself a bowl of comfort on this warm and sunny Saturday. 

Curried Cauliflower Soup

Did You Know? Scientists believe that turmeric, the spice which turns curry dishes yellow, stops the growth of leukemia cells, and seems to protect against damage from cigarette smoke and some processed food.

I'm guessing I'm like many of you out there. You subscribe to delicious magazines, with all the intentions in the world to recreate all of the recipes you drool over while flipping through the pages. Only to find a stack of read-through magazines at the end of the year, and no recipes to show for it. Determined to change this, when my next issue of Vegetarian Times arrived in the mail, I put my apron on, and got cooking. Soup was the prominent feature of the January issue, so that is what you find yourself with today. Curried cauliflower soup to be exact.

With a snow storm at bay at any given moment, soup is so nourishing this time of year. Thick, creamy, and intensely spiced, this soup is definately for the curry lovers out there. I was so surprised how full-bodied this soup ended up. The pureed cauliflower provided the perfect texture of without any added cream.

I used one apple here, but I may add another the next time. It definately helped to cut the spiciness of the curry powder, but the apple's flavor didn't really come through. I ended up serving this alongside apple slices (for dipping), but chopping them up even finer would make for an excellent garnish. I imagine a fruit chutney would be perfect as well. The recipe calls for one tablespoon of curry powder. If you're not a huge fan of spicy dishes, I would start with a 1/2 tablespoon, as the full tablespoon packed a lot of punch. I usually add buffalo sauce to everything, and I found myself taking a bite of an apple after each spoonful of soup. All that aside, this soup was really tasty, and a big hit when I served it for lunch the other week. Enjoy!

Curried Cauliflower Soup
If you find this soup to be on the thick side for your liking, I imagine a little coconut milk to smooth things out would be wonderful. It would also help to mellow out the heat.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium apple (I used Golden Delicious)
1 tablespoon curry powder (I used red curry)
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 large head cauliflower, chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar*
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft and golden. Stir in apple, curry powder, and garlic, and cook for another 2 minutes, until the curry powder turns a deep yellow.

Add cauliflower and vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool 20 minutes (helps to deepen the flavors), then blend in a food processor until smooth. Stir in honey and vinegar, and season with salt, if needed.

*I know it's only one teaspoon, but don't leave out the honey/agave, it really rounded out the flavors.

Roasted Broccoli & Walnut Pasta

Did You Know? Noodles got their start in China, not Italy as many people might think.

I spent this weekend in my kitchen, cooking some meals for my sister who was home from school for the weekend. I thought she could use a break from all that cafeteria food. After a delicious Friday night of baking with my mom while watching one of our favorite movies, Pride and Prejudice, I thought we could use a nice healthy lunch on Saturday afternoon. The recipe I turned to is one I make a lot, for it incorporates some of my favorite flavors, cranberries and walnuts (you've probably noticed that I add them to just about everything).

The colors of this pasta dish are absolutely beautiful. The bright red, whites, and greens would make a lovely vegetarian addition to your holiday meal (I've already promised my sister I would make this for her on Christmas). This recipe is delicious warm, as it wilts the spinach below. But I also like to serve it cold, and replace the parmesan with some crumbly feta, and tossed with baby spinach - a perfect summer pasta salad. I'll leave you with the recipe, as I leave to watch Pride and Prejudice for the tenth time this weekend...

Roasted Broccoli & Walnut Pasta
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
Handful of walnuts, toasted and chopped, plus some for garnish
1 lb. campanelle pasta (or whichever shape you prefer)
Handful of dried cranberries, plus some for garnish
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus some for garnish
Balsamic Vinegar
6 oz. baby spinach, washed and dried

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss broccoli and cauliflower with a few splashes of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast for about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta in a large pot of boiling water, and start your onions. Heat a few splashes of olive oil in a large skillet, and saute the onions until transluscent. Turn the heat down a bit, season the onions with salt and pepper, and continue to cook until they are lightly caramelized, another twenty minutes or so.

While your pasta cooks, place the cranberries in a bowl and add about a half cup of the pasta water to plump them up a bit while you continue to assemble the meal.

When the pasta is al dente, remove another half cup or so of the pasta water to add back to the dish, before you drain it. Drain the pasta, put it back in the pot on the stove, and add the roasted broccoli, cauliflower, onions, cranberries, walnuts, parmesan, and some salt and pepper to taste. Moisten with the additional pasta water, a good drizzle of olive oil, and a few splashes of balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine, while the heat of the stove melts the cheese and melds the flavors.

Place the washed spinach on your serving platter, and top with the hot pasta. Garnish with additional cranberries, walnuts, and parmesan, and enjoy!