Category Archives: Food

Cauliflower, Three Ways

I had a ball on Fox19 this morning sharing three cool ways to cook cauliflower (which, you may have heard, is trending in 2014!). It’s not surprising, since this humble veggie is incredibly versatile. It makes a great stand-in for potatoes when mashed and is a lifesaver for people living gluten free when transformed into…wait for it…PIZZA CRUST!

Here’s the clip!
Cincinnati News, FOX19-WXIX TV

And here are the recipes.

Roasted Cauliflower with Parsley-Lemon Drizzle

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (about 2 lb.), cut into florets, including 
    tender leaves
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Toss cauliflower and 3 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and easily pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a food processor until very finely chopped; season with salt and pepper. Toss cauliflower with lemon-parsley mixture and top with lemon zest.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ingredients:

1 head (Small Head) Cauliflower
¼ cups Parmesan Cheese
¼ cups Mozzarella Cheese
¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt
½ teaspoons Dried Basil
½ teaspoons Dried Oregano
½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
Red Pepper Flakes
1 whole egg
1 c. pizza sauce
Additional mozzarella cheese and desired pizza toppings

Directions:
1. Heat a pizza stone at 450. Meanwhile, place a large piece of parchment on a cutting board and spray with cooking spray.
2. Wash cauliflower and cut off the florets. Dry with paper towels and pulse florets in  food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get 2-3 cups of powdery “snow like” cauliflower.
3. Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl, cover, and cook on high for 4 minutes. Pour cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes.
4. Wring out the cauliflower, squeezing out as much water as possible to ensure you get a chewy crust.
5. Pour squeezed cauliflower into a bowl and add Parmesan, mozzarella, salt, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and a dash of red pepper. Add the egg and mix with your hands and form a ball.
6. Press the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down thoroughly until it forms a pizza shape, making sure it sticks together.
7. Using a cutting board, slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone (or baking sheet)in the oven. Bake 8-11 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
8. Top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and desired toppings. Cook 5-7 minutes more until cheese is bubbling.

 

Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”

Ingredients:
8 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk (add 1 Tbsp. at a time)
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Snipped fresh chives for garnish

Directions:
Place cauliflower florets in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)
Drain VERY WELL and place the cooked cauliflower in a food processor. Add buttermilk (1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached), butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.

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Smoked Turkey, Barley & Shiitaki Soup

Okay class, we’re doing a little Soup Math today. Nothing too difficult, but it helps me make my point!

If you think about Chicken Rice soup as a formula:

[Chicken + Rice + Button Mushrooms] = Chicken Rice Soup

then you’ll see how a few simple substitutions gets you to this NEW soup!

[Smoked turkey + Barley + Shiitaki mushrooms] = New Riff on Chicken Rice Soup

This is what I mean when I talk about “riffing off of a basic recipe.” You break the recipe down to it’s basic elements and then play with substitutions, altering flavor and texture till you find a combination you like. This is a good example of making just enough of a change from the old standby to be interesting but not so much as to be unrecognizable.

See what you think – or better yet, create your OWN riff on the original!

 

Smoked Turkey, Shiitaki & Barley Soup

Serves: 5

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces smoked turkey, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
3-4 oz. thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
4 1/2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add turkey, onion, carrot, and celery, and saute 5 minutes till meat is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Add mushrooms, cook 2 minutes or until tender.  Add water and rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes or until barley is cooked.  Discard bay leaf before serving.

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Shrimp & Corn Chowder

I have tested FOUR soups this week and my family is still speaking to me! In fact, they’re loving these new soups and are already asking when we can have them again. I love it when that happens. Cooking is much more fun when the people you’re cooking for are delighted with the end result!

This chowder is a great weeknight choice because it is takes so little time to make. Plus,  the ingredients are easy to find even in the dead of winter. My kids adore shrimp, but if you’d rather use chicken in this, you could easily substitute chicken that you’d pre-cooked and diced. If you go that route, add the chicken at the same time as you’d add the shrimp and just heat it through.

 

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 bunch green onions
3 cups diced red potatoes
3 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth/stock ( I like the Pacific Foods brand)
1 (16 ounce) package frozen white corn, thawed
3/4 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions

1.  Remove green tops from onions. In one pile, chop white and light green portions and set aside. In another pile, chop dark green parts of onions. (You’ll use both.)

2.  Combine diced potatoes and chicken broth in a medium saucepan; bring mixture to a boil.  Cook for 5 minutes, add corn and sliced onion.  Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.

3. Place 2 cups potato mixture in a blender (or bowl of immersion blender), and process until smooth.  Return to pan, and stir in shrimp.  Cook for 3 minutes or until shrimp are done.  Just before serving, stir in dark green onion tops, cream, and lemon juice.  Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.

 

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