Roasted Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup

It's fridge-and-freezer clean-out time. Last weekend when I opened the freezer to grab a package of frozen peas, I nearly got beaned by a block of frozen-solid butternut squash; another time, I narrowly escaped an avalanche of baggies filled with stock cubes - shellfish, veggie, chicken, beef, I've got all sorts of homemade stock in there. In order to store new items in there now, I have to play an intricate game of freezer-tetris. I haven't seen the back of the freezer in ages, so yes, it's time to clear out some of the things in there.

The kids are off school this week, and expect a real lunch and snacks every day - the nerve!- so I imagine that I'll be able to go through my packed fridge and freezer at a pretty good pace even if it means just throwing together small meals from random ingredients.They're finally at a more adventurous eating age, so we can try out new things. Gone are the days when all they will eat is buttered and parmed spaghetti or boxed mac-n-cheese. Thank God.

For lunch yesterday, I made a roasted cauliflower soup and crostini with pesto using some of the ramps I got this weekend. The kids cleaned their soup bowls pretty quickly: Score 1 for Mom.

Roasted Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head small cauliflower, roughly chopped or broken into florets
• 1 small shallot, peeled and cut in half
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• 1/ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• 1 strip of peppered bacon
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsnip, chopped
• 1/4 cup celery root, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable stock - or chicken stock
• 2 fresh sprigs of thyme
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• fresh sprigs of thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Toss the garlic clove, shallot and cauliflower florets with a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 25 minutes or until the florets are browned on the edges. Place in a bowl when they've finished roasting.
2. Chop the bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon pieces to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
3. Add the chopped onions to the bacon fat and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then add the parsnip and celery root. Cook until the vegetables are softened.
4. Add the roasted vegetables, 2 sprigs of thyme and the stock to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, adding a bit more stock or water as needed. 
5. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender until it is the consistency you  like.
6. Add the cheddar and heavy cream, stirring until melted.
7. Serve topped with reserved bacon and more thyme.

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Aloo Gobi

This past weekend, I had an intense craving for Indian food. While there are a few good Indian places near me, I love to fill up the house with the amazing smells as cumin seeds toast in hot oil and then mingle with the other distinctive seasonings in the various curry sauces.

Plus, you have to admit, it's way cheaper to make it yourself.

I had a large menu planned, but I found that I was missing a few key ingredients. I would have had to drag along a sick child to the grocery store for the three missing ingredients, and I finally decided that the risk (child puking all over the produce section) was not worth the reward (green pea and potato samosas). Fear not, I will make those samosas soon.

In the end, I settled for Aloo Gobi, Onion Kulcha and Mango Chutney.

Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower-Potato Curry)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• Large bunch of fresh coriander, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
• Small green chilies, diced
  
• 1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
• 3 large potatoes, cut into even pieces
• 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes with juice
• Fresh ginger, peeled and diced
  
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 green cardamom pods
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• mirch achaar (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
   


2. Add the chopped onion and one tablespoon of cumin seeds to the oil.
   


3. Stir together and cook until onions become soft and translucent.
   


4. Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt.
   


5. Add chopped chili peppers - more or less according to taste.
   


6. Stir tomatoes into onion mixture, reserving the juice.
   


7. Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly.
   


8. Add potatoes to the sauce plus the reserved tomato juice and a few tablespoons of water. Stir well.
   


9. Toss in the green cardamom pods.
   


10. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes, then add the cauliflower.
    


11. Stir thoroughly so that the cauliflower is coated with the curry sauce.
    


12. Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked). You will want to stir from time to time to make sure that it's not sticking. Add more water as necessary.
    


13. Add two teaspoons of garam masala and stir.
    


14. Taste to check the seasoning. Now is when I add the chopped mirch achaar (pickled hot chili peppers) for added kick.
    


15. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry.
    


16. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.

Notes:

1. If you like spice, you can use 2 14-oz cans of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chillies instead of the plain tomatoes.

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Cauliflower Gratin

Another one of the dishes from Christmas Eve, and one which was gone before I could get the chance to take a photo, this is a great vegetable side dish which I make quite often: It's easy, requires few ingredients and the kids eat it.

That right there makes it golden.

Cauliflower Gratin

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• ½ cup mayo
• 1 T whole grain mustard (I like Maille)
• a few dashes of Franks Red Hot Pepper sauce
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
• sea salt
• cracked black pepper
  

Directions:

1. Clean the cauliflower very well, removing the leaves and cutting off some of the thick stem, but keeping the head intact.
   


2. Par-boil or steam the cauliflower until a knife-point can slide into one of the florets without a lot of resistance - about 7 - 10 minutes, depending on the size of the head of cauliflower.
   


3. Drain and plunge into a cold-water bath to stop the cooking process.
   


4. Preheat the oven to 350.
   


5. Put the cauliflower in a baking dish.
   


6. Mix together the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, salt and pepper and the grated cheese. Coat the cauliflower with the mayo mixture.
   


7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the topping starts to turn golden.
   


8. Serve hot.
   

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