Mostly Cauliflower-Leek Soup- a recipie redux

When it is a rainy, chilly night, there is nothing more comforting then a warm bowl of soup.  I love potato-leek soup, but wanted to make a healthier, lower carb version. I took my regular potato-leek soup recipe and cut the potatoes down to two small yukon golds.  I replaced the rest of the potatoes with a head of cauliflower.  I omitted the cauliflower part from my husband when describing what I was making for dinner. I didn't tell him until after he'd eaten the soup that it was in fact, made mostly with cauliflower. He said he didn't know the difference.  It is still satisfying, creamy and delicious. Trust me, you don't miss the potatoes at all.

Quick & Easy Brunch

I love brunch. The idea of waking up late on the weekend and indulging in the perfect combination of breakfast and lunch is one of the most appealing concepts to me. There is something a bit classy and refined about brunch (maybe it is the mimosas), yet it still gives off the relaxed, laid-back vibe of the weekend.  I love it so much that I often find myself planning and dreaming of the delectable feast I will prepare when I awake the next Saturday or Sunday morning.  However, for reasons which I won't go into in the post (but usually as a result of my over indulgences the night before), I often find myself walking up on that lazy weekend morning feeling anything but motivated to prepare the elaborate brunch feast I thought up the night before. So I found this easy go to brunch dish that I can throw together quickly and easily, but still presents that "classy" image that you think of when you think of brunch.

Smoked Salmon Pizza
Precooked pizza crust (such a Boboli)
Chive cream cheese (buy it or chop up some chives and mix into cream cheese)
 Smoked salmon
Sliced tomato
 Sliced red onion
 Capers

Spread a layer of chive cream cheese on the pizza crust
Top with a layer of smoked salmon, sliced tomato, and sliced red onion
Sprinkle capers on top
Slice, serve and enjoy with your favorite brunch cocktail (mimosa, bloody mary, etc)

A Pantry to Table Meal

Pasta with Greens and Cannellini Beans

In an effort to eat out less and save money, I make sure I keep a well stocked pantry with staples I can easily throw together in a pinch to make a great, hearty meal.  All you dish needs to be comprised of is a starch (pasta), a green (spinach, kale) and a protein (beans), and you and your fellow diners will be satisfied.
Open your pantry door and look for the following items
Pasta (I really like whole grain pasta for this but any old pasta you have will do)
Oil (preferably olive, extra virgin is even better)
Anchovy paste (okay you might not have that, but it is a pantry MUST, so get some, after you open it, store it in the fridge)
Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
Chicken Broth (or white wine)
1 can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
2-3 Garlic cloves chopped

Got it?  You are thisclose to having an amazing meal on your table in roughly 30 mins

Now open your fridge/freezer and see what you have in there. Do you see....
Some kind of green (spinach, kale, chard, etc)
Parmesan Cheese?
Got it? Now, take out a large skillet, a pasta pot, colinder  and wooden spoon
You now have all the components you need to make a healthy, delicious meal.
Take it out and get to cooking!

Sockeye Salmon & Cedar Planks

Gotta love sockeye salmon season! This wild-caught, full-flavored, rosy- pink salmon is one of my favorite summer time treats.  You can find this sustainable fish frozen all year long, but the price is much better when it is fresh, and seasonal. I got mine for $9.99 a pound at Publix this week. There are a zillion ways to prepare sockeye salmon, but on a cedar plank on the grill is my personal favorite. You can season it what ever way you prefer, but this fish has a lot of flavor doesn't need a lot of seasoning. Plus, you get lots of flavor from the cedar plank. This is an easy fish to cook, but because sockeye isn't the fattiest salmon,  one of the biggest mistakes you can make is over cooking it. Don't be scared though, it is delicious and the cedar plank helps a lot. Here is a recipe for my lemon-dill cedar plank salmon.

The most important thing you need to know is to make sure you soak the cedar plank(s) in water for a few hours (2 hours at the least) prior to putting it on the grill. Otherwise, your cedar plank will catch fire and burn up on the grill.

French Toast

When life gives you leftover challah bread, make French toast. This is exactly what I did. In my opinion, french toast is the perfect meal for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. It's easy and affordable. You really only need three major ingredients. Bread, milk and eggs (I can only assume people in Atlanta must survive on french toast when we have ice/snow storms). You can throw in some extra ingredients if you want to make it fancy, but they are optional. Here is my recipe for French toast.

Ingredients
6-8 slices of bread (preferably challah, but any will do)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons butter

Bonus Ingredient: 1 tablespoon Gran Marnier(optional and you can sub orange juice)









Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon & Gran Marnier together until combined.

2. Slice 6-8 pieces of challah bread (about 1/2 in or 1 in thick, depending on how you like it)


3. Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture. Coat completely and then place on a rack and let excess drip off. Repeat this process one more time.

4. Heat a large, nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add butter. When the butter starts to foam, add the bread 2 to 3 pieces at a time.  After about a minute or so, check to see if the other side is browning. When lightly brown, turn bread over and brown the other side. Once browned on both sides, remove from pan and repeat with the remaining slices of bread.

5. Serve with real maple syrup, fresh fruit, and/or powdered sugar.

"Challah" Back Girl!

Sorry! I can't resist a bad pun!
      I find myself stuck at home this Saturday morning. My husband's car is in the shop and he needed to use mine to get to work (yes, he works on a Saturday, everything about this post is not Kosher for Shabbat). The weather is unseasonably cool, so I got up early and went for a run. Came home. Ate breakfast. Took the dog out. Now what? So I got to thinking, I have a whole day to kill at home. What can I do that takes almost all day and I can only do from home? Bake bread! Duh!
    After the success of my bagels I was feeling ambitious and really wanted to attempt bread. Of course not just any bread. I have to keep with my Jewish homemaker theme and make challah bread. Challah bread is a traditional Jewish bread that is served with Shabbat dinner (the Sabbath). Jews making challah bread dates back more than 4,000 years where it is mentioned in the book of Leviticus & things pertaining to Moses. It is usually a braided loaf, but is a braided round on the high holidays. It can contain raisins but I've always preferred it plain with a shmear of butter. It is similar to brioche or any type of egg bread. Here is a bit more about this history of Challah if you are interested History of Challah. It's history could really warrent its own post.
It has been so hot here for the past week, I haven't wanted to turn on the oven, but with temperatures in the low 70s this morning, I figured now was as good a time as any. I came across this recipe for Challah Bread from my favorite food blog www.smittenkitchen.com.  Needless to say, if Jews are going to make it, they usually do it Friday before sundown (or buy it at Publix :) ) not Saturday morning. Anyway, it turned out delicious and even your average shiksa can do it!  Keep reading for the recipe I followed.

My Favorite Things

I know this is a common blog feature but I hope to share (weekly) my favorite things from the food world, whether it is a recipe, ingredient, kitchen gadget, restaurant dish, blog, cookbook, cooking show, etc.
 

This week is frozen, cooked shrimp that you find in your local grocery store (got mine at Publix on sale for $11.99 for a 24 oz bag)

It has been so hot here lately that the idea of turning on the oven or even stove are not appealing.  Frozen, cooked shrimp are also super easy. Just thaw under cold running water for 5-10 minutes and they are ready to eat on their own with some cocktail sauce or tossed in your favorite recipe like this one, Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad, from www.skinnytaste.com.