Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

Cream cheese, chicken, potatoes? Definitely a winner with the kiddos. :o)

Source: Jackie

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3 cups chicken broth
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in butter. Add broth, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the chicken, parsley, salt and pepper; heat through. Combine flour and milk until smooth; add to the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add the cream cheese; cook and stir until melted. Yield: 8 servings.

Disclaimer: I do not normally measure any of my ingredients, but these are the measurements on the recipe that I have. I usually use about half the amount of cream cheese that it calls for, but if cream cheese is your thing, then go for it! You can alter the recipe to your taste by adding or deleting pretty much anything....I always like to throw in some extra vegetables.

Cauliflower Soup

Comforting, hot, creamy soup. Yum!

I didn't have carrot or celery, but this was still yummy.

I did have both cauliflower and broccoli that both needed to be used up, so that's what I used.

Source: Annie's Eats
Image Source: Last Call for Corn

Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients:
7 tbsp. butter, divided
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 1/2 to 2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup half-and-half
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt, to taste
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and stir them around for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to brown.  Add in the carrots and celery, stir, and cook for about 1 minute.   Add in the cauliflower and the fresh parsley and stir.  Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and let simmer 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Pour in the chicken broth, turn up the heat and bring to a boil.  Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Pour the whole milk into a separate bowl.  Add the flour to the bowl and whisk together.  As soon as the butter is melted, pour in the milk/flour mixture and whisk to combine.  The mixture should thicken into a white sauce.  Once thickened, whisk in the half-and-half.  Then pour the whole mixture into the simmering soup.  Add bay leaves to the pot, as well as the salt.  Let the mixture simmer 15-20 minutes.  

Just before serving, remove the soup from the heat.  Mix in sour cream and stir until completely incorporated.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Vietnamese Cauli-Fried Rice W/Nước Chấm

This was definitely one of the most creative and delicious ways I've eaten cauliflower!

There is a lot of prepping of vegetables, so it would be good to plan ahead. 

Once you have everything prepped, everything else goes pretty quickly.

So worth it! Also, if this is your main dish and you are feeding a family, you'll want to double it.

(p.s. I didn't have asparagus on hand, but we didn't miss it, 

this would be a great recipe to use up whatever veggies you have!)

Source: The Urban Poser

Directions for Nước Chấm Sauce:

1/4 cup water 

2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (to taste)

2 tablespoons fish sauce (Get a Paleo friendly brand HERE)

1 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon honey or agave (For 'strict Paleo', skip the honey)

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Chili flakes optional

In a mason jar, combine all the Nước chấm Sauce ingredients. Shake or mix well. Sprinkle as desired onto fried rice, salads or even use a dipping sauce.

For The Fried Rice:
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil or preferred cooking oil

1 cup carrots, diced 

1 cup onion, diced 

3-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup asparagus, diced  

1 cup sausage, chopped (traditionally Chinese sausage is used, I used Kielbasa)

1 cup shrimp (about 9 large 16 count shrimp, raw or cooked) chopped 

3 cups of grated cauliflower (1-2 heads depending on the size)

2 large eggs, cracked & lightly beaten

1/4 cup spring onions, chopped

1/4 cilantro

Coarse sea salt and cracked pepper to taste (less salt is needed if using the sauce below)

Directions:

Grate the Cauliflower using a food processor with the grater attachment or use a hand grater.

Prep the rest of the ingredients as stated in the ingredient list above. I find it helpful to put each ingredient into a separate prep bowl.

Preheat your wok over medium-high heat. Note: Flat bottomed woks work best on a stove top. You could also use a regular frying pan. In this case, it may be best to cook the ingredients in two batches to ensure that the ingredients ' fry' instead of steam.

Add the oil and the onions to the hot wok. Fry the onions till soft and translucent. Add the garlic and the carrots, cooking till the carrots begin to soften and the onions begin to caramelize. Then add the asparagus, sausage and shrimp. Continue to fry for a few minutes, stirring & tossing the ingredients often. You want the vegetables and protein to be mostly cooked through before adding the cauliflower.

Add the cauliflower. Stir and toss to combine the ingredients and then spread the ingredients out in the wok into a thin layer. Allow them to fry like this for a minute or two. This will help the mixture to 'fry' and brown instead of steam. (Again, sometimes it helps to cook in two batches if your pan is not very large) Toss and spread out again. Do this a few times until some of the cauliflower starts to brown.

Make a well in the center of the 'rice' mixture. Pour the lightly beaten eggs in to the 'well'. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the eggs until they begin to thicken. Once thickened and just beginning to scramble, mix and toss them into the rice. Mix well. The rice will become fluffier and you should only see little bits of egg throughout the mixture. Continue to cook the mixture until it looks good to you. 

Garnish by tossing in the spring onions, cilantro and  just a splash of Nước Chấm per serving (or just fish sauce)

If not using the Nước Chấm or fish sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Best served hot. 

Roasted Root Vegetable Pizza

Had this at Amy's house. Yum!

You can roast the root vegetables ahead of time to help with prep work.
You could also grab some dough from Trader Joe's to save time.

Source: Everyday Food

Roasted Root Vegetables:

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 1 pound red onions, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 1 pound carrots, halved lengthwise if thick, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Divide vegetables and garlic evenly between two rimmed baking sheets; drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, then spread in single layers.
2. Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing vegetables and rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

For the pizza:

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 pound Basic Pizza Dough, or store-bought pizza dough, fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 6 cups (about 1/2 recipe) Roasted Root Vegetables
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (optional)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush a large rimless baking sheet with oil. Gently stretch dough into 12-by-16-inch oval (or as large as will fit on baking sheet); transfer to prepared sheet.
2. Sprinkle dough evenly with half the mozzarella. Scatter vegetables on top, then dollop with ricotta; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and the rosemary, if desired. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake rotating sheet from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Coconut Pumpkin Soup

This soup is one of my absolute favorites. I look forward to making it every fall/winter and always double the recipe below! It's easy to add some cooked shredded chicken breast for a little protein as well (especially easy if I remember to grab a rotisserie chicken before I checkout!).

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Makes: 12 (1/2-cup) servings

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium green sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 15-ounce can pumpkin (or you can roast your own pie pumpkin!)
1 14-ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 medium fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro 

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook carrots, sweet pepper, and onion in hot oil over medium heat about 5 minutes or until vegetables are nearly tender. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and broth. Stir in brown sugar, jalapeno pepper, salt, and ginger. Stir pumpkin mixture into cooked carrot mixture. 


2. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Before serving, stir in cilantro. 

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

We also make a quick gravy using some of the meat juice and mixing it with flour, salt and pepper.

Also I rarely have dry onion soup mix in the house, so I just caramelize some onions and toss them in there.


Source: All Recipes

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 pounds chuck roast
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix
• 1 cup water or beef broth
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 stalk celery

DIRECTIONS

1. Take the chuck roast and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brown on all sides in a large skillet over high heat.
2. Place in the slow cooker and add the soup mix and water. Then add carrots, onion, potatoes and celery half way through cook time.
3. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.