This is a tasty, savory autumn soup. The smokiness of the paprika contrasts with the sweetness of the squash and earthiness of the lentils beautifully. I made it to pair with a chipotle cheddar potatoes au gratin.
Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash or equivalent, cut into half-inch chunks
1 leek, chopped
1/2 cup green lentils
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1 and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
1. Heat a bit of olive oil in a pot. Add garlic, bay leaf, and thyme, sautee.
2. Add squash and leek. Cover pot and allow vegetables to cook down. It can be helpful to add a small amount of water to keep them from scorching to the bottom of the pan.
3. While the vegetables are cooking down, mix in smoked paprika.
4. Add lentils once the squash has softened. Allow the squash to cook until it can be crushed against the side or bottom of the pot. The goal is for the soup to be thick and fairly smooth while retaining the textures of the ingredients.
5. Add 1-2 cups of water or stock until the desired consistency is reached. Mix the soup with a broad spoon until the squash falls apart, forming a thick soup base.It helps to crush it against the pot.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Cauliflower & Sausage Casserole
1 medium head cauliflower, about 2 pounds
1 teaspoon fine table salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound uncooked herbed chicken sausage OR spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 medium onion, about 1/2 pound, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stems fresh thyme, leaves only
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and liquid reserved
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to tasteHeat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
Cut the cauliflower head in quarters. Slice away the leaves and stem, and with an angled cut cut away the core from each quarter of the cauliflower head. Chop cauliflower roughly into bite-sized florets, each about 1-inch across.
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the salt. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for 2 minutes. Drain into a colander set in the sink. Run cold water over the florets to stop the cooking process and shake the colander to drain any excess water. Return the cauliflower to the cooking pot and set aside.
Place a 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and then, when the pan is quite hot, add the sausage. Use a spoon to break up the meat. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through and beginning to get crispy. If using chicken sausage there should not be a great deal of fat in the pan, but if using Italian sausage, drain all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of fat.
Turn the heat to medium-low and add the onion, garlic, and thyme to the pan with the sausage. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Scrape up any brown bits as you sauté. Crush the tomatoes, and add them to the sausage. Stir thoroughly, then add the reserved tomato sauce and cook for about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and taste the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the sauce with the cauliflower in the cooking pot. Spread the cauliflower and sausage mix in the prepared baking dish and distribute evenly. Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan and sprinkle them evenly over the cauliflower. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until breadcrumbs have browned and the sauce is bubbling. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
***I made this for dinner today, it was beyond amazing. Very low-fat/low-cal, very flavorful; I was pleasantly surprised.***
Happy Sunday, guys. I hope you’ve all enjoyed your extra hour today.
I’m the proud owner of Kathryn Budig’s new book, and this weekend, I decided to try a variation of her raw tomato soup recipe.
What you’ll need:
2-3 tomatoes
1 jalapeño
1/2 small onion
1 cup of basil
Garlic (2-3 cloves)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepperWhat you’ll need to do:
Using a food processor (or blender), combine all ingredients until it reaches your preferred consistency. Budig’s recipe is raw, but I prefer mine cooked, so I heated it up in a medium saucepan. Serve with crackers and a smile.
Baked Eggs over Bratwurst and Potatoes by The Hungry Giant
(serves 2 – 3)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pieces bratwurst/hungarian sausage, sliced thinly, around 125 grams each
- 4 strips of bacon, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- half a bulb of garlic, minced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 small potato, around 150 grams, peeled and diced small
- 50 grams green peas
- 4 – 5 eggs
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- Spanish paprika, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Chili flakes, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F. In a pan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and the onion. Saute until fragrant.
- Add the potatoes and cook until it starts to brown at the sides.
- Toss in the bacon and saute until it starts to render. Add the sausage slices and mix together.
- Add the peas. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika.
- Remove the pan from heat and crack the eggs over the mixture. Season the yolks with a little bit of salt, pepper and paprika.
- Place the pan in the oven and allow to cook for about 15 minutes or until the yolks are set but still slightly runny. When done, remove from the oven, garnish with chili flakes and serve warm with rice. Enjoy!
Leek, lentil, and butternut squash soup
I used to think that I hated cauliflower until last winter when I had a great cauliflower soup. The garnishes to that soup were mustard-coated croutons and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Amping up those two elements led to a hot dish of delicious: cauliflower gratin — essentially mac and cheese but with cauliflower instead of macaroni noodles, which it turns out is still pretty great.
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
4 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch nutmeg
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 TBSP breadcrumbs
salt
pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook head of cauliflower in a pot of salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Drain and cut into florets.
Meanwhile, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter; add flour and stir to combine. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking continuously until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add spices, mustard, cheddar cheese, half of the parmesan cheese; salt and pepper to taste.
Coat bottom of a baking dish with roughly 1/3 of the sauce. Arrange florets in a single layer in baking dish. Cover evenly with remaining sauce.
Combine breadcrumbs with remaining parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top of the dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until it is bubbly and the top begins to brown.
Scalloped Potatoes with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
- 1 cup chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth, heated to boiling
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cups sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed under a knife and peeled
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Steps:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly oil an 11 1/2 x 8-inch (2-quart) baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Process all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until the mixture forms a coarse paste. (The pesto can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 month).
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (a mandoline or food processor does the quickest work). Add to the boiling water and cook until barely tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and toss with the pesto to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Layer half of the potatoes in the dish, sprinkle with one third of the cheese, and sprinkle with basil. Continue until you have 3 layers, finishing with cheese. Pour in the hot broth. Cover tightly with aluminum foil
- Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.
I love potatoes. I love cheese. I love pesto. I love tomatoes. I love this casserole. It looks like we’ve found a winner! Next time I need to make a dinner for a group of people, this will be there. Next time I need to feed myself, this will be there. These actually sound dangerous, because I’ll justify it as healthy because of the tomatoes, and then I’ll just eat all of it. Also, I love things like this right out of the fridge, so even microwaving this (a common obstacle in me eating, because it’s just so tedious) won’t get in the way. ALSO, it’s only four steps, so. I’m excited for this. Bring it on.
Request: The Sims - Goopy Carbonara
Despite my love of pasta/spaghetti, I’ve never made carbonara in my life. I’m mostly familiar with it coming in a powdered form in packets that you add milk to, with the result being more oddly acidic than creamy or delicious. I also understand that this is possibly the most bastardised recipe in Italian history, and in the effort of gaming authenticity I’ll be destroying carbonara once again by using cream and an onion, as is a mandatory inventory staple for any Sim.
Please make sure you have a smoke alarm installed before going any further, and don’t get distracted by a sudden urge to use the bathroom - the results could be disastrous! If a Sim can master this classic by Level 2, then so can anyone (or so you’d hope).
This recipe serves 2-3.
What you will need: A large pot, a large frying pan/skillet, a colander and a grater.
Ingredients:
250g / 9 oz Spaghetti/Bucatini
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Small White Onion (Diced)
140g / 1 Cup Smoked Pancetta (Cubed)
25ml / .85 fl oz. White Wine (Optional)
2 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
5 Tablespoons Percorino Cheese (Finely Grated)
40ml / 1.35 fl oz. Double/Heavy Cream
Fresh Black Pepper
Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
Making the Goopy Carbonara:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook your spaghetti ‘al dente’.
- Meanwhile, heat a the olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and fry it quickly until it’s lightly crisped. If you’re adding the wine, do so now and cook until evaporated.
- By now your spaghetti should be done, strain it off but keep the water it cooked in to thin out the sauce later. Add the spaghetti to the pancetta and onion on a low heat and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, cream, grated cheese and pepper together. Take the frying pan off the heat and add the cream mixture, some chopped parsley and toss until the spaghetti is evenly coated.
- Use the spaghetti water to thin out the sauce as desired, then ‘Call Household’ to the meal.
This Goopy Carbonara would be an incredible final meal for any Sim destined to enter a pool sometime later today, only to have the ladder mysteriously disappear… like I know so many of you are planning to do. For shame.
Like this? You might also enjoy The Sims - Key Lime Pie.
SDFKSDLJKF SHIT I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY THIS
Warm Cauliflower & Israeli Couscous Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
- olive oil mister or cooking spray
- 1/2 c. pitted and halved kalamata olives
- 1 c. Israeli (pearl) couscous
- 1/4 c. chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Spray rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or cooking spray. Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet; spray with additional cooking spray and sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir in kalamata olives. Cook for 15-20 minutes more or until cauliflower is beginning to turn golden brown and olives have started to shrivel.
- While cauliflower is roasting, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in Israeli couscous; return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until water is absorbed. (Keep an eye on the couscous as it cooks—if you overcook it, it will stick to the bottom of the saucepan!)
- Combine cauliflower and olives, couscous, and parsley in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Pour dressing over salad and stir to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
portabella parmesan
This recipe rocked. I found it on Pinterest and will definitely make it again. I served it with a side of pasta of course.
Baked Portobello Parmesan…from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs—-I used panko
1 cup (3-oz.) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided use
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley, divided use
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
3/4 cup egg substitute—I used one egg
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon marjoram leaves—I did not use this
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
4 large (5 to 6-inches wide) stemmed potobello mushrooms, brushed clean
1-1/2 cups (6-oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup commercially prepared “light” tomato sauce
Cooking spray
Directions:
1) Position a baking rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 17-1/2 x 11-3/4 baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a 16-1/2 x 11-1/2-inch wire cooling rack inside the baking sheet. Mist rack with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons parsley, paprika and 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow pan. Mix well. Set aside.
3) In a separate bowl, combine egg substitute, remaining 1 teaspoon salt. pepper, marjoram, garlic powder and oregano. Mix well.
4) Dip both sides of mushrooms into egg mixture. Dredge in crumb mixture until both sides are completely coated. Transfer, stem side down, to prepared wire rack. Spray tops with cooking spray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Remove pan form oven.
5) Reset oven thermostat to 450 degrees F. Meanwhile, carefully turn mushrooms stem side up. Cover each mushroom with 2 tablespoons of remaining Parmesan cheese, 1/4 of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Spray tops lightly. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and mushrooms are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer mushrooms to a serving platter. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon parsley. Yield: 4 servings.
key west grilled chicken with cilantro-lime cauliflower rice
This recipe is from Iowagirleats.com and is definitely worth sharing. The cauliflower rice is amazing, and a nice, no carb side option.
Ingredients:
For the Key West Grilled Chicken:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
3 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (1-2 limes worth)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 jalapeno, seeded
4 chicken breasts
For the Mango Salsa:
1 mango, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded & minced
2 green onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt & pepper, to taste
For the Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice:
6 cups shredded cauliflower (about 1 head)
4 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
salt
1-2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions:
1. For the chicken: Whisk together soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in a ziplock bag and pour mixture on top. Add jalapeno, squish to coat chicken in marinade, then refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 8 hours. Grill chicken over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes a side, basting with the leftover marinade a few times as it grills.
2. For the mango salsa: Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. For the cilantro-lime cauliflower rice: Shred cauliflower using the shredding blade on a food processor, or by hand with a flat or box grater. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower, season with salt, then saute until soft and just starting to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, then add 1 Tablespoon lime juice and cilantro. Taste and add more lime juice if desired.
*Tip: To make all three components of this recipe you’ll need 1 bunch cilantro, 1 jalapeno, and 4 limes.
