first soup of the year!

I had a chance to make my first soup of the year - the fifth day in! I love soup so much, even more when it's cold outside because a hot soup can fix even the chilliest of chills! This soup is completely vegan, although it does seem quite creamy due to the almond milk, and should cost under $2 per serving!

Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup (adapted from the current Whole Foods circular)

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
5 tsp curry powder (use your favorite)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cloves chopped garlic
5 cups (about 1 small head, or a little over half medium head) of cauliflower
sea salt (to taste)
agave nectar (to taste - about 4 tablespoons)

1.  Preheat oven to 350.
2.  In a small bowl, toss sunflower seeds with 1 teaspoon of almond milk & 1 teaspoon curry powder. Spread out on a small parchment paper-line baking sheet and bake, tossing once or twice, for 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
3.  Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup almond milk in large pot over medium heat.  Add garlic & onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 10 minutes). 
4.  Add cauliflower, remaining 4 teaspoons of curry powder and almond milk. Bring to a boil.
5.  Cover and turn down heat to a simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 40 minutes.
6.  Add salt & agave nectar to taste.
7.  Working in batches, carefully puree soup in blender until smooth.
8.  Transfer to bowls, and top with sunflower seeds!

second

i guess saturday was the day for me to cook this weekend.
i cooked and cooked and cooked. okay, really, i only ended up cooking for 2 hours, but i made three fabulous dishes.

for dinner, we had sweet potato soup with a side of garlic brussels sprouts. i know what you're thinking "brussels sprouts? seriously? gross," and that's exactly what i would have thought a year ago. i promise, those little miniature heads of lettuce are quite delicious though! they smell a little funny, but they taste damn good.



so, you say you want to make these yourself? well, here's the recipes:

snappy sweet potato soup (adapted from creamy sweet potato soup recipe from simply recipes)

1 tbsp butter, salted
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 small chopped celery stalk
1 small chopped leek (be sure to get nice a clean!)
2 medium chopped garlic cloves
3 cups peeled and cut sweet potatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup half and half
1 tbsp maple syrum
salt and pepper to taste (optional)

1. melt your butter in a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high-heat. add onion and saute for about 5 minutes (or until lightly browned, be sure to stir often!). add celery and leeks, saute about 5 minutes more. add garlic, sature for 2 minutes.
2. add your onion/celery mixture to a soup pot. add sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin. bring to boil. reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes, until tender (when you can easily moosh sweet potatoes with a fork).
3. remove cinnamon stick and discard. puree mixture in blender in batches (about 3 or so).
4. add half and half and maple syrup. stir over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper (if you would like).
5. place in serving bowl, bring spoon to mouth, say "mmmm!"

the tastiest brussels sprouts in the world

1 lb brussels sprouts
5 medium chopped garlic cloves
1 tsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth (enough to have brussels sprouts stand in)
salt + pepper, to taste

1. wash brussels sprouts. trim ends, and cut in half.
2. in large pan, saute garlic in 1 tsp of butter plus olive oil for about 3 minutes ( or until golden brown).
3. add brussels sprouts and toss to coat. turn heat to low and turn all brussels sprouts so flat sides are down in pan. add broth, salt, and pepper. cover and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, or until tender.
4. remove cover and turn heat up to medium-high. allow to cook for a couple minutes more, until bottoms of sprouts are slightly browned.

and for desert, yummy yummy delicious berry tapioca pudding!



yummy berry tapioca pudding

2 cups juice (part from canned pineapple, i used orange juice too)
1/2 cup tapioca
1/4 cup honey (use local, if you can!)
1 can drained and crushed/chopped pineapple
2 cups frozen berries (your favorite kind!)

1. put juice, tapioca, and honey in a 2 quart saucepan (a larger pan is okay, but smaller will be a problem). let stand for at least 5 minutes (longer is okay) then bring to a boil over low heat and cool until tapioca is clear, stirring VERY frequently.
2. meanwhile, blend crushed/chopped pineapple and frozen berries. chop, mix, smash, whatever you want to get those berries good and blended.
3. mix the two parts together and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

yum!