This is one of my "go to" soups. It makes a great weeknight dinner because most of the cooking is done in the crock pot. I can toss everything in and turn it on before I got to work and then when I get home, it's almost all done. I just have to puree it and add a few things and it's done!
1 med-large head of cauliflower (all depends on the size of your crock pot)
1 med onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped (more if you're using a larger cauliflower)
1 rib of celery, chopped (more if you're using a larger cauliflower)
4 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. The amount depends on the size of your crock pot. I used a nice, sharp 4 year old raw cheddar. So good!
2 cups half and half or light cream or milk
salt and pepper
chopped chives (optional)
Combine the first 5 ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Puree in a blender in batches or use an immersion blender. Blend it to your desired consistency. I like it really well pureed. Return to the slow cooker. Add in the cream/milk, cheese and Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Turn the slow cooker onto high until soup is heated through. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped chives (optional) or more shredded cheese. This serves about 6 people.
Enjoy!
Sarah
Sunday, 30 September 2012
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Garlic Top Sirloin Roast and a Baked Apple
Another some what chilly fall day and I was back to cooking. After yesterday's soup success, I decided to experiment a little tonight.
For dinner, I cooked a top sirloin roast and made mashed potatoes and mashed turnip with carrots.
1 Top Sirloin Roast (whatever size you need to feed your group)
3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
An hour before cooking, take the roast out of the fridge and let it warm up. When ready to go, pre-heat the oven to 325F. Cut the garlic cloves into several thin slices. Puncture the roast in several places and slip a garlic slice into each over. Generously sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Heat a couple tbsps of olive oil in a large frying pan. When hot, put the roast in the frying pan and sear it for about 5 minutes a side. Transfer to your baking dish and put it in the oven.
Cook for 22-25 minutes per pound for med rare. Drop to 18-22 minutes per pound for rare. You can use a meat thermometer and cook to your desired level. When done, transfer to a cutting board and cover with foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
For the side dish, I did turnip with carrots. Turnip can be a little bitter so if you add in some carrots, it sweetens it up a bit and cuts the bitter. Just drain and mash with some butter or margarine.
Slice the roast and serve with your veggies and enjoy!
Dessert was the experiment. I didn't have the time to peel applies for an apple crisp, so I decided to attempt a baked apple.
1 large baking apple
1 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp instant rolled oats
1 tbsp real maple syrup
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
water
Hollow out the core of the apple, leaving the bottom in tact. Use a melon baller or small spoon for this. Put the apple into a small baking dish. Mix all of the above together except for the maple syrup. Put the mixture into the middle of the apple. Put a few tsps of water in the bottom of the dish. Bake at 375 for about a half hour. With 10 minutes left, pour the maple syrup over the top of the apple.
When done, us tongs to carefully transfer the apple to a plate or bowl and then pour whatever liquid is left in the bowl over the top of the apple. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy.
I have to say, that experiment turned out really well!
Sarah
For dinner, I cooked a top sirloin roast and made mashed potatoes and mashed turnip with carrots.
1 Top Sirloin Roast (whatever size you need to feed your group)
3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
An hour before cooking, take the roast out of the fridge and let it warm up. When ready to go, pre-heat the oven to 325F. Cut the garlic cloves into several thin slices. Puncture the roast in several places and slip a garlic slice into each over. Generously sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Heat a couple tbsps of olive oil in a large frying pan. When hot, put the roast in the frying pan and sear it for about 5 minutes a side. Transfer to your baking dish and put it in the oven.
Cook for 22-25 minutes per pound for med rare. Drop to 18-22 minutes per pound for rare. You can use a meat thermometer and cook to your desired level. When done, transfer to a cutting board and cover with foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
For the side dish, I did turnip with carrots. Turnip can be a little bitter so if you add in some carrots, it sweetens it up a bit and cuts the bitter. Just drain and mash with some butter or margarine.
Slice the roast and serve with your veggies and enjoy!
Dessert was the experiment. I didn't have the time to peel applies for an apple crisp, so I decided to attempt a baked apple.
1 large baking apple
1 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp instant rolled oats
1 tbsp real maple syrup
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
water
Hollow out the core of the apple, leaving the bottom in tact. Use a melon baller or small spoon for this. Put the apple into a small baking dish. Mix all of the above together except for the maple syrup. Put the mixture into the middle of the apple. Put a few tsps of water in the bottom of the dish. Bake at 375 for about a half hour. With 10 minutes left, pour the maple syrup over the top of the apple.
When done, us tongs to carefully transfer the apple to a plate or bowl and then pour whatever liquid is left in the bowl over the top of the apple. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy.
I have to say, that experiment turned out really well!
Sarah
Saturday, 22 September 2012
Pasta and Lentil Soup
I've had so much fun with my other blog (Shenanigans, Nonsense and other Miscellaneous Ramblings) that I decided I would start a second blog solely dedicated to cooking! I should warn you, I'm no pro. I've never had any formal training, other than Family Studies Food classes in high school. My success rate is somewhere around 50/50 and I am a bit of a klutz. I do still have all of my fingers though, so that's a plus.
My apartment smell so amazing right now. It's the first day of autumn and I have a pot of my favourite homemade soup simmering on the stove. How awesome is that??!! It's a rather simple Pasta and Lentil soup that I got out of the October 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine. It's so good, that I had 2 bowls for dinner.
Here's the recipe and my take on making it:
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion chopped (or finely chopped if you're like me and don't like onions! But the flavour is great)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed. I sometimes chop them into chunks. If the cloves are small, I use more.
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - the soup is not spicy. This just adds flavour.
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (use regular if you want, just be careful with the salt later)
4 cups of water
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1 piece cheese rind (optional) - adding the rind adds crazy flavour. I know it sounds odd, but it's good. If you buy parm cheese that hasn't been shredded, you can get a piece with the rind still on it. Just cut it off (you can see a colour difference where the cheese ends and the rind begins) and toss it in!
8 ounces (just over 2 cups uncooked) orecchiette or other small pasta ( I went to a speciality Italian shop to find orecchitte. I've used wagon wheels and small shells before and they all work).
2 14oz cans of lentils - 1 with liquid and 1 drained and rinsed (Problem I have is that I can only get 19oz cans and it makes a difference when cooking - too thick if you use the 19oz. So I just take 5-6 tbsps, liquid and lentils, out of each can. I then drain one and continue).
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley (or cheat like me and use the dried stuff. LOL).
Kosher salt (or just normal salt)
1.Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is slightly soft, 2-3 minutes. If you want, you can remove 1 tbsp of the oil and reserve it to drizzle over the soup later. I skip this. I usually end up burning myself :)
2. Once onion is soft, stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock, water and cheese rind if you're using it. Bring to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add in the lentils and lentil liquid from one can. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
5. If you saved the oil, mix it with 1 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of fresh parsley. If not, just skip this!
6. Remove the cheese rind (if you added it). Stir in 1/4 cup of the grated parm cheese and the parsley. If you're using fresh, I add about 2tbsp of dried. Stir. Taste the liquid. Add salt to taste.
7. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining parm cheese and drizzle with the oil if you did that step.
Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
This takes 35-45 minutes to prepare and feeds 4-6 people. It freezes well. Sometimes when you re-heat it, the pasta gets mushy. If you're going to freeze a lot of it, omit the pasta and freeze. When you're re-heating it, add the pasta and boil for 10 minutes.
I hope you like it as much as I do!
Sarah
My apartment smell so amazing right now. It's the first day of autumn and I have a pot of my favourite homemade soup simmering on the stove. How awesome is that??!! It's a rather simple Pasta and Lentil soup that I got out of the October 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine. It's so good, that I had 2 bowls for dinner.
Here's the recipe and my take on making it:
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion chopped (or finely chopped if you're like me and don't like onions! But the flavour is great)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed. I sometimes chop them into chunks. If the cloves are small, I use more.
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - the soup is not spicy. This just adds flavour.
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (use regular if you want, just be careful with the salt later)
4 cups of water
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1 piece cheese rind (optional) - adding the rind adds crazy flavour. I know it sounds odd, but it's good. If you buy parm cheese that hasn't been shredded, you can get a piece with the rind still on it. Just cut it off (you can see a colour difference where the cheese ends and the rind begins) and toss it in!
8 ounces (just over 2 cups uncooked) orecchiette or other small pasta ( I went to a speciality Italian shop to find orecchitte. I've used wagon wheels and small shells before and they all work).
2 14oz cans of lentils - 1 with liquid and 1 drained and rinsed (Problem I have is that I can only get 19oz cans and it makes a difference when cooking - too thick if you use the 19oz. So I just take 5-6 tbsps, liquid and lentils, out of each can. I then drain one and continue).
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley (or cheat like me and use the dried stuff. LOL).
Kosher salt (or just normal salt)
1.Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is slightly soft, 2-3 minutes. If you want, you can remove 1 tbsp of the oil and reserve it to drizzle over the soup later. I skip this. I usually end up burning myself :)
2. Once onion is soft, stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock, water and cheese rind if you're using it. Bring to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add in the lentils and lentil liquid from one can. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
5. If you saved the oil, mix it with 1 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of fresh parsley. If not, just skip this!
6. Remove the cheese rind (if you added it). Stir in 1/4 cup of the grated parm cheese and the parsley. If you're using fresh, I add about 2tbsp of dried. Stir. Taste the liquid. Add salt to taste.
7. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining parm cheese and drizzle with the oil if you did that step.
Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
This takes 35-45 minutes to prepare and feeds 4-6 people. It freezes well. Sometimes when you re-heat it, the pasta gets mushy. If you're going to freeze a lot of it, omit the pasta and freeze. When you're re-heating it, add the pasta and boil for 10 minutes.
I hope you like it as much as I do!
Sarah
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