Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

I love soup, especially during this ridiculously cold time of year. And out of all the soups I've made lately the one that most says “comfort food” to me is this roasted cauliflower and white cheddar soup. It’s rich. Creamy. Smooth. And so seriously good. 

Pureeing is a great way to create a rich and creamy soup without having to go too heavy on the dairy. I used fat free yogurt in this recipe in place of the heavy cream you would normally see. I prefer the texture of blending only half the soup and leaving the other half untouched. However, if you prefer to puree the entire batch…go for it!

Roasting the cauliflower is what really takes this soup to the next level. The cauliflower and onions caramelize and darken around the edges and it brings such an amazing depth of flavor to the soup. 

Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower cored and chopped into small, bite size pieces

1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried rosemary
3 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 oz) can vegetable broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 bay leaf
4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Place cauliflower and chopped onions on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat, then spread into an even layer and season with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant. While whisking, slowly pour in white wine. Cook for about 1-2 minutes and then pour in vegetable broth. 
• Add in the bay leaf, roasted cauliflower and onions, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to low. Remove bay leaf.
• Carefully ladle about half the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. 
• Add pureed soup back into the pot and stir in yogurt. Add shredded cheese and stir until completely melted. 

Kale and Strawberry Salad with Creamy Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

I've been making this salad for a while now. It's my go-to lunch during the week. It's super filling and full of yummy goodies. Kale is all the trend these days, and I'm definitely jumping on board with this one. 

I just make a huge bowl of this salad and separate it into different tupperware containers for the week. If you decide to make this for lunch, be sure not to add the dressing until right before you eat it. 

The hearty kale is topped with sweet strawberries and crunchy almonds. I love the added crunch from the sunflower seeds too. The tangy goat cheese and creamy dressing is the perfect contrast of flavors. You can completely customize this recipe to suit your taste buds. Sometimes I substitute feta cheese for the goat cheese, dried cranberries for the fresh strawberries, and pecans for the almonds. It's totally up to you. 

The dressing is also super simple. I literally just put all of the ingredients into a jar and shake it all up. It only takes like 2 minutes to make! No more store bought dressing for me...this one is simple, light, refreshing and so much better for you. Enjoy! :)

Kale and Strawberry Salad with a Creamy Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the salad:
3 cups chopped kale, stems removed

1 cup mixed greens
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, hulled
1/4 cup goat cheese

For the Creamy Citrus Balsamic Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp non fat, plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Put the kale and mixed greens in a large bowl.
2. Add the strawberries, sunflower seeds, almonds, and goat cheese. Toss gently.
3. In a small mason jar, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, honey, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Shake until mixed well.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve.

Potatoes in a Creamy Tomato Gravy

Evan and I were craving Indian food last weekend, so instead of going out we decided to cook! We usually cook Indian food with the pre-made gravy packets, but this time we went all homemade! And if you're looking for a great appetizer to with it be sure to check out my baked samosas. :) 

I've tried to make this gravy a handful of times, but it has never turned out this good. I've played around with a couple of different recipes and finally ended up just combining a little part from each of them. Now, this time, it was perfect! This creamy, sweet, and spicy gravy is ammmmaazing! Add some buttery potatoes and it is definitely a classic go-to Indian meal. It is perfect served over rice or with some crispy naan. 

Ingredients
Gravy:
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2-inch thumb ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons paprika
1-2 tablespoons garam masala

1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream
Potatoes:
1 pound small new potatoes
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt 

1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

For the potatoes:

Put the potatoes, garlic, and bay leaf in a large saucepan, add cold water to cover by about an inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 5 to 8 minutes depending on their size. 

Drain and discard the garlic and bay leaf. Halve the potatoes, if large. Melt butter over potatoes and set aside.

For the Gravy: 

Dice one large onion. In a large skillet melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince the garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 by 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions.

Next add the chili powder, garam masala spice, and tomato paste. Let the spices and tomato paste become fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add your can of crushed tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add about 1 tablespoon sugar. Let this mixture simmer on medium for about 20-25 minutes. Add a little bit of water is gravy becomes too thick. 

Pour gravy into a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour back into the pan, and bring back up to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and heavy cream and stir until well combined. Serve over rice with naan. Enjoy!