Creamy Roasted Parsnip, Cauliflower, and Fennel Soup (Gluten Free, Vegan, and Paleo-Friendly)

Published on March 29, 2014 by Alissa1 Comment

I have a divided house when it comes to silky smooth soups that only contain vegetables and no cream. Pureed smooth, they show off the amazing flavor of just the vegetables without anything masking their natural deliciousness. I love them…a lot. They are creamy without being loaded with cream. They are smooth and comforting and light. I want them in my belly.

The other person in this house does not like them because, well…they are creamy without being loaded with cream and they are smooth and light and in his words, “like baby food”. He wants heartiness. He wants carbs. He wants meat. He wants cream. He wants butter. He wants bacon. Do I live with Paula Dean?

And I craaaave creamy soups that have NO cream but are just ALL vegetables. I love smooth and creamy tomato soup, or carrot soup, or butternut squash soup. And every time I make them, my poor hubs has to eat this nourishing amazing bowl of yumminess and smile and leave ALL the leftovers for me. GOOD. Best lunches EVER. He can have his can of tuna and weird packages of sardines for lunch. Meanwhile, I will enjoy my creamy roasted soups and everyone at work will smell them and say “whoa…what are you having?”. In a good way. At least, that’s how it plays out in my head.

I stumbled on this Parsnip and Apple soup the other day on the most beautiful blog called Golubka Kitchen and I instantly began drooling. I couldn’t get the soup out of my brain box. I adapted it to roast the parsnips and I swapped out the potatoes for cauliflower. I found fennel on sale at the store and so I through it in as well to round out the awesome white soup. I recommend saving some of the fennel fronds and some thyme for topping these delicious bowls of comfort. The soup is also yummy with a good drizzle of olive oil.

So despite knowing that I have a divided house on smooth and creamy dreamless soups, I MADE it. and I loooooved it. I recommend you do the same, because then you will have a few days worth of amazing lunches and they get stuck with canned tuna.

Creamy Roasted Parsnip, Cauliflower, and Fennel Soup (Vegan, Gluten Free, and Paleo-Friendly)

Adapted from Golubka Kitchen

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main dish

Ingredients

1/2 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1/2 large head of cauliflower, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 large fennel bulb, sliced into 1/2-inch wide slices
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for drizzling on finished soup bowls)
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more for seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (plus more for garnish)
3 to 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Toppings: thyme leaves, olive oil, yogurt, quinoa

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a roasting pan with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
Place chopped parsnips, cauliflower florets, fennel slices, apple slices, and garlic cloves in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toss to coat evenly and then spread evenly on baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing at 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. Place half of vegetables into a blender or food processor along with half of the chicken stock, cumin, and thyme. Blend well for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the pureed mixture to a medium stock pot. Blend next batch of roasted vegetables and remaining chicken stock for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer remaining soup puree to stock pot.
Heat soup in stockpot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add additional liquid if soup is too thick. Adjust seasonings as needed.
Distribute evenly into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and thyme leaves. I added some quinoa to mine for a more substantial dinner.

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw

Published on March 22, 2014 by Alissa1 Comment

We are all getting antsy around here. Am I right? I hate getting taunted with a few days of warm weather, then blasted with too many days of cold. It’s a terrible tease. Tulips are peaking out of the ground. Trees are beginning to bud. Patio weather one day and then fire-place/wool socks/snuggy weather the next. Ugh.

Does anyone else feel a little bipolar weather insanity coming on? My body and cravings are in a constant state of flux… Sun!!!!! Give me fresh veggies! Give me fresh fruit! More spring greens!!!!

OOOOoooooh wait…clouds? Snow? Blaaaah. Carb me up it’s cold! Where’s the chili? Where’s the chowder? Salad, really???? Why is it not covered in cheese? Helloooo! I like my cupcake handles, thank you very much! Gotta keep some padding on this bod against the polar vortex!

Wait. But NO! Let’s think positive. Let’s all send out SPRING THOUGHTS. (Don’t roll your eyes! I’m trying to quit being so crabby….I said trying, people).

Wish for camping. Wish for tulips. Wish for gardening. Wish for the smell of grills. Wish for the sound of neighbors chatting with each other. Wish that your lawn will mow itself (get a goat). Wish that those cupcake handles will magically disappear once bathing suite season rears its ugly head (or maybe swimming t-shirts will come back in style).

As you send out your good vibes into the world, here is my positive food vibe. I used one of my fave winter veggies, brussels sprouts, to make a springy slaw! Lime and cilantro pump this puppy up another notch. Red cabbage makes this a total beauty to serve. Oh ya, give me a badge! Healthy and Hawt!

Personally, I love this slaw on my fish tacos. Mmmmmm….recipe to come later. So put down the carbs and chili for just a few minutes and try to get a positive spring mind.

Maybe if we all think positive, spring will finally move in for good. But summer will stay asleep for a loooong time.

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 lb medium-sized brussels sprouts, ends trimmed
1/2 head small red cabbage
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 green onion, white and green parts sliced
juice of 1 large lime (about 2 to 3 tablespoons)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Remove any brown or spotted out leaves of the sprouts. The sprouts can be shredded several different methods: shredded in a food processor (using the slicing blade), sliced as thin as possible using a good knife, or using a mandolin slicer. Place in a large bowl.
Shred half of a head of small red cabbage or slice as thin as possible. Add the shredded cabbage, cilantro, and green onions to the large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, salt, and olive oil together. Pour dressing over shredded veggies. Toss and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to distribute the dressing. Eat up!

Roasted Carrot and Butternut Squash Tahini Soup with Tahini Yogurt

Published on March 8, 2014March 8, 2014 by Alissa6 Comments

I’ve been having crazy dreams lately. Actually, I don’t even think the word “crazy” is appropriate. I need new words, like mind-blowingly-weird, redonculous, craztaculuar. Case in point…

Last night I dreamt that I was a midget lesbian that was throwing a dinner party and the guest of honor was Vladimir Putin. In the dream, I was telling my other guests “hey guys, I know he has kind of been shady lately but, seriously, he’s a great FOODIE!”. Which as we all know, erases all errors in life. Shyah. The other thing was that this dinner party was going to feature a bit of a Top Chef blind taste-testing challenge. In my dream, I remember thinking how awesome it was going to be that Vladimir got to taste my food blindly because then he wouldn’t judge me on the fact that I was a midget lesbian, he would only judge my awesome food.

Now the secret is out. I’m officially crazy.

So take your best stab at what that means. Do Russian dictators appear in the dream books? I’ll let you marinate on that dream while I move on to more important things…real FOOD. Not just dream food.

The inspiration of this soup is from one of my favorite snacks, carrots + hummus. The carrots, butternut squash, and a few whole cloves of garlic are slow roasted which brings out the roasty-carmelized tastiness that these veggies hold. Then they were pureed with some vegetable broth. That’s it.

Oh. Wait. I almost forgot!!! The winning touch! TAHINI YOGURT! I HIGHLY recommend swirling a dollop of tahini yogurt into each bowl. I really think this would have won my dream blind taste testing challenge with dream Vladimir. Super nutritious. Super dreamy. Just sayin.

Roasted Carrot and Butternut Squash Tahini Soup with Tahini Yogurt

Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Anja’s Food 4 Thought

Soup Ingredients

1 lb of carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 to 3 cups of cubed butternut squash
3 whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (or water)
2 tablespoons tahini
pinch of smoked paprika

Tahini Yogurt Ingredients

½ cup greek yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a roasting pan (or line with parchment paper) and set aside. Toss carrot pieces, butternut squash cubes, and garlic cloves with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place onto rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile near the end of the cooking time of the veggies, heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until it is translucent. Stir in the cumin and coriander. Add broth and reduce heat to a simmer.
When the veggies are done, add the roasted veggies to the stock pot. Blend the soup with either an immersion blender, blender, or food processor, until the soup is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile in a separate small bowl, whisk together the greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and just a pinch of salt.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top with a dollop of tahini yogurt, and sprinkled with a smidge of smoked paprika. Mmmmmm.

Grain Free Samoa Bars

Published on March 2, 2014 by Alissa2 Comments

It’s Girl Scout cookie season. People are walking around with goofy grins, Do-Si-Do crumbs on their shirts, stupid Thin-Min-covered fingers, Tagalong-scented breath, and boxes of Samoas stuffed in their sock drawers so that no one else will get THEIR cookies. Or is this just me?

And who came up with those names anyways? Do-Si-Do? Tagalong? What is a Samoa even?

But in reality I’m jealous. Seethingly jealous. I can’t have any of them. I just stare with dark, wide-eyed, frothing and foaming desire.

But this year, the ol’ Girl Scouts gave the gluten-free crowd a consolation prize and came out with a GF cookie. I was pumped, until I found out it was a shortbread. Womp womp. Really? Shortbread? That all you got? No badge for you! Get back in the kitchen. TRY AGAIN.

Never fear. After being challenged by a friend that Grain Free Samoas would not be good, I woke up on Saturday morning with a mission. A cookie mission.

These cookies deserve a badge! A medal! An Oscar, even! They make you THINK they are the real deal, but alas…they have no wheat, no grains, no processed sugar. Ya…SUCK IT TRABECK!

Instead of making single cookie-disks, I opted for bars. Because seriously, these puppies disappear so quickly into your mouth that cutting out little stupid tire shaped cookies is not worth it. Lets save time. Let’s make bars! The shortbread crust is perfect and crisp. I saved even more time by not dipping each bar in chocolate and instead spread the chocolate layer between the shortbread crust and the caramel coconut layer. The caramel coconut layer is a delicious concoction of honey and a smidge of molasses that has been cooked down to an amber-caramel-heavenly syrup.

These do take a bit of time to make each part. But the wait and work is WELL worth it. So make a batch, hide several (because they will go fast if you share them), turn on the Oscars, grab a yummy Samoa bar, and do your best Matthew McConaughey impersonation….”alright, alright, alright”.

Grain Free Samoa Bars

Makes 16 small bars

Shortbread Crust Ingredients (inspired by Deliciously Organic)

1 1/2 Cup almond flour (such as Honeyville)
2 Tablespoons coconut flour
2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons honey

Chocolate Layer

1 Cup semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped

Coconut Caramel Topping (adapted from Against All Grains)

1/2 Cup honey
1 Tablespoon molasses
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 Cup coconut milk or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Chocolate Drizzle

1/2 Cup semisweet or dark chocolate

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place parchment paper in the bottom of an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Combine crust ingredients in a medium bowl until just combined. The mixture will be crumbly. Press the crust evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 350 for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
Meanwhile, place the unsweetened coconut on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Place on the top rack to toast. Toast the coconut for about 5 to 7 minutes, keeping an eye on it so that it doesn’t burn. Remove the toasted coconut from oven when golden brown and allow to cool on a wire rack.
After the crust is finished baking, pull the crust from the oven. Turn the oven off. Sprinkle 1 cup of chopped chocolate onto the warm crust. Place back into the warm oven for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a rubber spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the shortbread crust. Set on a wire rack and allow to cool. Place in refrigerator after cooled.
For the caramel sauce, place honey and molasses in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low bubbling boil for about 7 minutes, swirling frequently to caramelize evenly. Remove from heat and stir in butter, coconut milk, and salt until smooth and completely combined. Stir in toasted coconut.
Remove cooled shortbread crust from the refrigerator. Spread the coconut caramel mixture on top of the chocolate covered crust.
Microwave remaining chocolate in a microwave safe dish for about 2 to 3 minutes, in 30 second intervals, stirring in between intervals. Once the chocolate is completely melted, drizzle the chocolate (using a spoon or fork) over the Samoa bars. Cool bars completely in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Use parchment paper to pull out the bars from the baking dish. Place on a cutting board and cut into 12 to 16 bars. Place bar in hand and shove into mouth. Mmmmm. 🙂