Cauliflower Soup.... low carb, low fat & high taste

I don’t know what it is driving me to make soup lately. It could be the fact that I have a huge amount of fresh vegies to get through, or that it is so easy and quick and it’s great for bringing to work for lunch (as part of my pre-KL holiday savings plan I am not allowed to buy lunch!) or it could be driven by the loss of daylight savings so I’ve been tricked into thinking that it is practically winter and therefore soup should be the meal of choice. Either way, soup is a great way to get loads of goodness in without expending a lot of effort.

And as mentioned in an earlier post, I had a very handsome and large cauliflower to use up – hence this cauliflower soup.

I did some skimming on the net for recipes, and the one I really wanted to make was what seemed to be an American favourite, as in that it was everywhere on my search –however it contained frozen vegies and/or a tin of potato soup (what the?) and a cup of cheese! It sounded so good – but it wasn’t in my healthy eating plan so I devised this super easy, low fat number.... which was still great – and one day, I’ll treat myself by adding a whole cup of cheese. Yummy!

(Light) Cauliflower Soup – in the Slow Cooker

1 Cauliflower- chopped into florets, stalk removed
1 Onion
3 Sticks of Celery – sliced
3 Small Potatoes – peeled and chopped into quarters
4 Cups Stock – I used Vegeta
½ Cup White Wine
2/3 Cup Milk – I used Skim
Nutmeg

Place cauliflower, onion, celery, potatoes, stock and wine into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or to your required setting.
When cooked carefully blend in batches, adding nutmeg and milk to your desired consistency.

This can also be cooked on the stove top – fry off onion and celery for a few minutes in some oil, adding cauliflower, potatoes, stock and wine and then simmer until vegies are cooked. Add milk and nutmeg when blending at the end.

Tasting Notes

• This was super easy, super healthy and quick.


• I did also think (way too late) that I could’ve added the rind of some parmesan I had to the cooking process... I’m sure this would’ve added a nice flavour and dimension to the soup. I will try this next time.

When we grow up, we wanna be....

.... on this list!

Seriously, I've just stumbled across this article, and after a few super quick clicks on the first few sites, I'm feeling entirely humbled and inadequate. There probably isn't much more to be said, other than that one day when we win lotto, we too will have the time to produce something as beautiful.

So, go ahead and check out the Times Online 50 Best Food Blogs - it'll be fun, I promise!

Click here for the link

New twist on a retro fave.... Zucchini Slice.... and it was nice....

The Monday night theme of cooking decent healthy meals seems to be continuing nicely at Chez H. In fact if it’s become routine, then I’m happy about it as it not only means I used all the fresh stuff I bought on the weekend straight away, but that I have lunches for the week as well as dinner waiting for me after yoga on Tuesday nights.... it’s very sensible. And sensible is something that I’m not, usually...

So, I finally made it to the Subi Station Street markets on Saturday and adopted a massive pile of luscious healthy vegies, some sexy bread from Lawley’s and some funky ‘n fun liquorice (from a new stall that’s just popped up - they have a heap of fruity flavours like sour cola, sour lemon ‘n lime, mango, berry as well as the usual liquorice. Go check it out!) and was determined to eat super healthy all week (bar the licquorice) and so far, I’m going good.

One of the best market bargains were really big fresh zucchini’s for 99c so I thought I’d grab a pair in anticipation of making my first zucchini slice.... which is something I’ve been meaning to do forever. It just seems so retro and happy homemaker that it was on my list of things to bake, and I think it worked out OK...?! I also got a huge cauliflower that is taking up far too much space in my fridge, so hence the adaptation of adding cauli in with zucchini... which again, was a very sensible idea! Here’s the recipe that I ‘tweaked’ from a really popular Aussie version that seems to be everywhere on the web (I think it may have been a AWW number).

Zucchini, Cauliflower & Cacciatore Slice

1 large onion, finely chopped
200g cacciatore (or salami or chorizo), diced
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 tsp garlic, crushed
6 eggs
½ cup skim milk
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup Zucchini, grated
1 cup Cauliflower, finely chopped (exclude stalks if possible)
½ cup red Capsicum, chopped finely
½ cup Mushrooms, chopped finely
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Pepper
Paprika

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease your pan (I used a lasagne dish as this makes a fair quantity).

Sauté onion in a splash of EVOO in a pan until soft and slightly brown. Sprinkle with stock powder, add garlic and wine and simmer until liquid has evaporated and onions are translucent. Remove onion and set aside. In the same pan, lightly fry the diced cacciatore until slightly crisp. Drain on a paper towel and set aside with onions.

In a food-processor, whiz up the zucchini, cauliflower, mushrooms and capsicum until it is finely chopped (only give it a quick blast if you prefer yours chunky). Remove to a large bowl along with the onions and cacciatore.

In the same processor, whiz the eggs until beaten. Add sifted flour and nutmeg and blast again until smooth (at this point, wipe the bowl down with a spatula for any missed bits). Add milk until whiz until well combined and the consistency of thick cream (add more milk if you are using more vegies).

Add the wet mix to the vegetables, along with the cheddar cheese and stir well to combine. Pour into the prepared pan, sprinkle with parmesan, breadcrumbs, pepper and paprika. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool slightly in the pan before serving.

(adapted from a recipe on http://www.taste.com.au/)

Tasting Notes

• This is super healthy, quick and filling - although it was a little blander than I expected – I will definitely make this again, however I would like to give it a bit more ‘oomph’ so will have to have a bit of a play with it. Right now, I’m thinking some chopped artichokes would be a lovely addition, as well as perhaps some olives?
• I actually much preferred this cold for lunch the next day, as to when I ate it warm from the oven. It seemed to set much better and it also allowed the flavours to mingle and mature
• The original recipe called for bacon. I opted to use the cacciatore to balance out the blandness of the zuch and cauli. It also did not use cauliflower, milk or capsicum – these I added and I’m glad I did
• Seriously, I think you could throw whatever you liked into this and it would be nice... it's a very basic recipe that would take whatever you had in the fridge
• This would serve say 4 adults.... so far I've had 2 meals and I still have heaps left over! I don't know if you could freeze it, but I guess its worth a try!

Lamb, Leek and Cannellini Bean Soup.... and the return of the Slow Cooker

Last week had been a not really very healthy eating week.... with 3 family dinners in the diary plus a night out at yoga, it wasn’t a good week for being strict and sensible. So around Thursday or Friday I made a pact that this week would be all about vegies – you know soups, salads, slices and stuff?

And when I thought of soups, I thought of George. And my next thought was then that perhaps he would be allowed out of the cupboard (following the chicken disaster earlier.... see the post!) since (a) it had been a while and (b) I find soup totally boring to cook so why not throw it in the slow cooker and be done with it?

I was also totally out of freezer space so something had to go and it was decided that it would be some lamb chops. Therefore I decided a meat ‘n bean soup would be in order and that’s how this recipe came about.

Lamb, Leek and Cannellini Bean Soup

Lamb - I used those chump style chops, and I had 3 of them (thawed). Or use 2 shanks, which would be far easier
1 Leek – sliced
2 Carrots – peeled and chopped
2 sticks Celery – chopped
1 cup Cannellini Beans – rinsed well
1 clove Garlic - crushed
4 cups Stock – I used a mixture of Vegeta and chicken stock powders
1 cup water
Rosemary

Spray the slow cooker insert with non-stick spray. Place chops on the bottom, add carrots, celery, dried (washed) beans, garlic, leeks and pour over stock. Lay the rosemary sprigs on top and cover.
I cooked this on high for 2 hours, gave it all a bit of a stir and then cooked on low for another 4 ½ hours.

Remove all bones and the rosemary stalks. Remove half the soup and blend (carefully) in a blender. Return the blended mix to the rest of the soup and stir well.

Tasting Notes

• This was surprisingly good! I really didn’t know how this would turn out, but it made a very thick and flavoursome soup and was a great way to use up cheap cuts of meat.


• Serves = heaps ie. it made a big potfull of thick tasty soup.


• The lamb almost melted into the soup with the long slow cooking, however, due to the lamb being on the bone, it was a bit fiddly trying to pluck out the bits.


• I did mean to add potato for the last bit of cooking, but was actually out at the Opera and didn’t get home until late... it didn’t need to starch or bulk from the spuds as the beans were more than hearty enough.

Rather Luscious, Slightly Healthy, Chicken & Veg Pies.... free form style....

Come Monday nights, a funny thing has happened... I’ve been finding myself cooking rather fabulous dinners. I’m not sure if it’s a way of cleansing after the weekend or it’s a way of setting myself up just right for the week. Either way, there’ve been some great snacks created from a Monday evening cook-a-thon, and this Monday was no different. Although, it was a Martha Stewart marathon of a thing. And it was accidental.

See, I’d taken a chicken breast out of the freezer (a nice, plump corn fed one) and all day had no idea what to with it. So, I browsed a few sites like www.taste.com.au and a new favourite discovery at www.cuisine.com.au as well as some real life cookbooks for inspiration.

Then I saw it... a lovely image of a luscious chicken and veg pie, shrouded in crispy buttery pastry and I knew that’s what I wanted. I knew it was what I had to have – and was going to have it no matter what. No matter about having to make the pastry myself, or having to cut up tons of vegies, or having to make a white sauce to bind it all.... and not to mention having to wash a million dishes, all while Underbelly was on!

The other problem was that none of the recipes were quite what I wanted. So in the end I had to make it all up... but it worked and I was happy (although if anyone can give me a few bullet points on the gist of Underbelly, that would be great!).

So, before I forget how it all happened, I thought I’d write it down NOW and post it.

Chicken & Vegetable 'Pot' Pies... Free Form style
(this made 12 mini/med pies)

Pastry

1 Cup Wholemeal Flour
½ Cup Plain Flour
125gm Butter – chilled, chopped
Pinch Salt
Cold water

Sift flour and salt, add to food processor. Dot butter around and whiz until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. With the motor running, slowly add chilled water until the mix comes together in a ball. It should be slightly sticky, like playdough.

Wrap dough in cling wrap, and refrigerate for 30 mins (this will prevent shrinkage when baking).
When ready to use, flatten to a disk, before removing from wrap and rolling out to desired thickness on a floured bench.

Chicken and Vegetable Filling

1 Large Chicken Breast
1 Cup Leek – chopped
1 Cup Sweet Potato – peeled and chopped
½ Cup Carrot - chopped
1 Cup Mushrooms – chopped
1 Cup Zucchini – chopped
½ Cup Frozen Corn Kernels
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Garlic – minced
½ cup White Wine
½ cup Chicken Stock
Salt, Pepper, Paprika
Olive Oil

Parboil sweet potato (about 10 mins) in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.
Sauté leek and carrot in olive oil until soft and slightly browned. Add garlic and mustard. Sweat down for a few minutes before raising heat and adding chopped chicken. Brown together, stirring to prevent sticking.

Add stock and wine and bring to a simmer. Add mushrooms and zucchini and cook on a low simmer for a few minutes. Add corn and sweet potato as well as salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of paprika. Stir through and remove from heat.

Add white sauce (recipe below) to bring the mixture together – you may not need all the sauce, the mix should not be too wet, just nicely thickened to bind the filling together.

When combined, assemble pies.

White Sauce

2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Plain Flour
2 Cups Milk (warmed)
Salt & Pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan, when melted, add flour and stir until well combined. Allow the flour to cook for a few minutes, lower heat and then add a splash of milk, stirring briskly to break up lumps. When thickened, slowly add more milk, stirring constantly. Continue adding milk until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble pies – cut round discs of pastry (I used a saucer) place on a greased baking sheet. Add a spoonful of chicken filling. Bring up sides, slightly overlapping the mix, crimping to make the pastry hold up. Alternatively you can also line muffin tins with the pastry, adding the filling.

Bake - in a pre-heated (220’C) oven until pastry is cooked through and filling bubbling (mine took around 35 mins). Allow to rest for a few minutes, before turning onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

Tasting Notes

• The wholemeal pastry took longer than expected and was rather heavy, but I was trying to be healthy! If you don’t want to use wholemeal flour, use 2 cups of plain white flour to the same ratio of butter.



• These can be adapted for any ingredients that you may have in the fridge. The vegies above are what I had to hand...



• You could also make one large pie, you could double the pastry mix so the pie was enclosed



• If you have leftover white sauce, it freezes well so pop it away for another use

MYO Bailey's Liqueur... and it's low fat!

So for something totally different...... may I present a recipe to make your own Bailey's Irish Cream. I have to admit this has to be one of my favourite discoveries of 2008 - it is so super quick and easy, and you can make either a full fat version, or you can alter it if you are watching your calorie intake. And really, to me, it tastes totally like the original - although you are welcome to beg to differ.

Either way, this keeps marvellously in the fridge (if it lasts that long) and makes up a big batch that works out to be far more econmical than buying it.

Home-made Bailey's Irish Cream

250ml (1 Cup) thickened/whipping cream - can use full or non fat
1 can sweet condensed milk - can use full fat or Skim/99% fat free
1 2/3 cups Whiskey

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons chocolate ice cream topping (ie. Cottee's - can use diet)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 teaspoon almond or coconut essence

Add everything to a blender and whiz for about a minute until all ingredients are combined, coffee has dissolved and it's nice and thick and creamy.

Pour into sealable bottles and keep in the refridgerator. Makes approx 1 litre or a little more....

Tasting notes

• This makes approx 1 litre - you can make 3 batches from 1 bottle of whiskey, making this totally economical
• I've made both full and diet/low fat versions and they both taste great, although the low fat version does seem to be slighly sweeter
• You do not need to use any coconut/almond essence - use this to taste, or substitute with mint essence to get a similar flavour to the mint version of Baileys
• I've stored this tightly sealed in the fridge for 2 months and it has been fine to drink!

Prad Kra Pow..... and an uninvited dinner guest!

Well Miss A, after such glowing recommendations on Hawkers Cuisine, we set out in search of it on Thursday night (following the opening party at the Ellington Jazz Club -where we missed out on the free snacks!). It started really well, until in a moment of confusion, it seems we were hijacked by the uber enthusiastic staff at Billy Lees and were seated in their establishment, rather than Hawkers....!

So, given we were so hungry we figured that would be fine too. And it was until we had an uninvited dinner guest and were forced to abandon ship half way through our meal. And a fine meal it was - we ordered the BBQ Duck and the XO Pork Spare ribs, which were indeed XO good! We couldn't in fact quite work out what they were - it was like a lovely, unhealthy cross between KFC chicken, schnitzel and pork.... boneless for the most part, they were covered in a lovely, crumby, tasty batter and deep fried and served with a melange of fried chilli, spring onions, garlic and ginger liberally sprinked over the top! Yum. As was the duck. And the rice. Until, half way through our feast, we had a massive flying cockroach dive bomb the duck - it had a wee swim around in the sauce and then decided it would like to take a walk across our rice.... at which point the uber enthusiastic staff decided to totally disappear inside and we were left to fend for ourselves. When the cockroach made it clear that it didn't want to leave, we decided that we would have to, sadly leaving behind half a duck and the XO ribs.... shame.

On another note, I did make one of my favourite quick weeknight dinners, where the recipe comes courtesy of another Northbridge icon - Dusit Thai. They run cooking classes every 6 weeks or so where they teach you how to make some of their flagship recipes - and then the class all sit down to devour the creations. For $60 a class, it's a stelllar idea - see their website for details....

So, this is their Prad Kra Pow Nued or Stir Fried Beef with Chilli & Basil.... and trust me, it really does taste exactly like theirs, which to me, is the pinnacle of good cookery!

Beef with Chill and Basil (courtesy of Dusit Thai) - Serving for 4

2 Large Pieces of Beef Rump Steak
2 Red Chillies sliced finely
2 Green Chillies sliced finely (I usually omit these and it still tastes fab!)
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Large Brown Onion - peeled and sliced finely
1 Tbs Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 Tbs Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
Fresh Basil Leaves

Slice the beef really finely - a tip is to partly freeze the meat which makes it really easy to slice in even, fine strips.

Use 3/4 of the chopped chillies and crush these together with the garlic cloves. Fry this paste in some oil, then add the beef and onions and toss together until mostly cooked. Add the sugar, sauces and mix together.

Add the chicken stock to taste - I like quite a 'saucy' sauce so I add it all - and stir through. Add the basil and the remaining chillies and serve with a big bowl of steamed rice.

Tasting Notes:

• This is super simple yet has a lovely zesty heat to it....
• You can add other vegetables - I've made this with asparagus, chopped and thrown in at the end, as well as red peppers. Vary it to your taste.
• Obviously adjust the heat to your taste by omitting or adding chilli
• Again, thanks to Dusit Thai for teaching and sharing this recipe. If you can get to a class, I highly recommend them!