Category Archives: food

the last soup before summer

25 Friday May 2012

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a recent spell of rainshowers and colder-than-usual may temperatures inspired me to whip up one last soup.  i suspect it will be my last soup until october (hot soup, that is).

also, i couldn’t resist putting in a picture of my beloved staub (the color is officially called aubergine).  along with my wusthof knife, it was probably my best kitchen purchase.

cauliflower and white bean soup (again, i sort of made this up quickly so please excuse any errors)

  • a few tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 medium carrot (or two small carrots), peeled and diced small
  • 1 medium or 3/4 large white onion, diced small
  • 4-5 stalks of celery, diced small
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced (adjust according to your preference for garlic)
  • 1/2 to 1 full head of cauliflower, chopped small with hard stems removed (the amount depends on how much cauliflower you want.  i use 1 full head.)
  • 1 15oz. can of white beans
  • 1 quart vegetable stock (can use chicken also.  i am vegetarian so i use veggie)
  • crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • shaved parmesan (optional)

1) heat oil in large pot.  add carrot, onion, and celery, and cook for about 4-5 minutes. add garlic and cook for 1-2 additional minutes.

2) add cauliflower, pepper, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes.  stir to combine. *note:  i do not typically add salt here, because there is salt in the veggie broth.

3) reduce heat to as low as possible and cover the pot.  let everything cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) uncover pot and stir.  add white beans (with liquid) and vegetable stock.  add more pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt, as desired.

5) let soup simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.  you can let it go longer if you want the flavors to develop more.

6) spoon soup into a bowl.  top with shaved parmesan, if using.

7) *note: i think some fresh herbs might work nicely in this soup as well.  i didn’t have any on hand, which is why they aren’t part of the recipe.  i have used parsley and thyme in the past, and the soup was delicious.

homemade granola

20 Sunday May 2012

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since a cupcake apparently does not constitute an appropriate breakfast, i decided to go for something a bit healthier this week.  homemade granola + banana + soy vanilla yogurt.

homemade granola recipe (i sort of made this up quickly so please excuse any errors)

  • 2 1/2 cups oats (not quick cooking)
  • 1 cup sliced almonds (you can reduce if this is too much for you.  or you can replace with any chopped nuts that you may fancy.)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup crisped rice cereal
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • salt to taste (optional)
  • a few tablespoons of vegetable oil (optional)

1) preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) mix oats & almonds.  spread onto large baking sheet.  cook in oven until lightly toasted, stirring every 10 minutes or so.  this took me 20 minutes.

3) mix together cranberries & rice cereal in a large mixing bowl.

4) remove oats and almonds from oven and let cool.

5) heat honey in small saucepan until thin and runny.  you can add the vegetable oil if necessary to thin it out.  take off the heat and stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  if you like salt in your baked food, add it here.  i generally do not cook with salt so i did not add any.

6) add oats & almonds to large bowl with cranberries & rice cereal.  stir.

7) pour honey mixture over dry mixture and stir until well coated.

8) spread granola onto baking sheet (make sure to cover the baking sheet with parchment paper beforehand, because the mixture is really sticky!).  bake until golden brown and crispy, stirring occasionally.  this took me about 35-40 minutes.

9) remove granola from oven and let cool completely, before storing.

10) serve with a dollop of yogurt.