Cauliflower & Cheese Soup

Name: Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower, chopped; 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped; 2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped; 4 cups (950ml) chicken broth; 2 cups (480ml) whipping cream; 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 cup (120g) grated sharp cheddar cheese; salt and white pepper to taste

Friday, 2 December 2022

It's been rather a cold blustery day here in Nova Scotia today. I fancied making myself some soup. I had picked up a lovely looking cauliflower when I was out with my sister the other day so thought I would use that. I love cauliflower soup, and especially cauliflower cheese soup.

I actually cut this recipe in half but am showing you the full-sized measurements. It is rich and creamy, and just cheesy enough.

Cauliflower Cheese is one of my absolute favorite things to eat. I could make a meal of that without anything else on the plate. I also love it when I mix broccoli in as well.

Cauliflower cheese as a soup is also really delicious, and something which I enjoy.

This recipe I am sharing today is very elegant and not boring in the least. It is rich and creamy and filled with lovely flavors. I adapted it from a recipe I found in a Gooseberry Patch Cookery book, entitled, "A Very Merry Christmas Cookbook."

I enjoyed it as a supper dish along with some tasty bread, but it would also make an excellent first course for a dinner party or celebratory dinner.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CAULIFLOWER & CHEESE SOUP

Very simple ingredients. Nothing extraordinary here.

1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
4 cups (950ml) chicken broth
2 cups (480ml) whipping cream
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (120g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and white pepper to taste

HINTS AND TIPS

When you are preparing the celery, remove the strings. Your pureed soup with be much smoother if you do. I just take a sharp knife and hold the end of each string between my thumb and the knife and pull down. The strings pull right out. Discard them.

Don't let the soup come to a boil after you have added the cream and the cheese, or it will curdle.

If you want a really smooth finish, put the soup through a fine sieve before you add the cream and the cheese. Discard any solids.

Use a nice strong/sharp farmhouse cheddar for this if you can get it. The flavor can't be beat!

If you want, you can garnish the soup with some chopped chives for even more color. They would also add a hint of sharpness that would be quite nice with the flavor of the cauliflower and the cheese.

HOW TO MAKE CAULIFLOWER & CHEESE SOUP

This is really very simple. As I mentioned above, for a smoother finish you can press the cooked vegetable mixture through a sieve, although I do not mention that in the recipe. Its a personal preference of mine.

Combine the cauliflower, onion, celery and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer until the cauliflower is very tender.

Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and process until pureed. Return to the soup pot.

Blend in the cream, Worcestershire sauce and cheese. Season to taste with the salt and pepper, mixing all in well together.

Cook over medium heat until thickened and heated through. I like to sprinkle some more cheese and chopped parsley on top to serve.

I served mine with a really delicious Fizzy Soda Bread. It went very nicely. Crackers would be nice as would crusty rolls or bread.

This was a really simple, delicious soup. Perfect for a light lunch or a first course. Enjoy!

If you are a fan of cauliflower in general, you might also enjoy the following recipes:

TWICE BAKED CAULIFLOWER CHEESE POTATOES - Two of my favorite things all rolled into one! Cauliflower Cheese and Twice Baked Potatoes. Let me tell you, it doesn't get much better than this!! These are fabulously tasty!

LOADED CAULIFLOWER & CHICKEN CASSEROLE - This is low carb, gluten and sugar free and is very diabetic and keto friendly! I might also add it's incredibly simple to make and very delicious!

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min

This is heartwarming and delicious. A real favorite.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
4 cups (950ml) chicken broth
2 cups (480ml) whipping cream
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (120g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and white pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the cauliflower, onion, celery and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer until the cauliflower is very tender.
Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and process until pureed. Return to the soup pot.
Blend in the cream, Worcestershire sauce and cheese. Season to taste with the salt and pepper, mixing all in well together.
Cook over medium heat until thickened and heated through.
I like to sprinkle some more cheese and chopped parsley on top to serve.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it # marierayner5530

I thought I would give you the recipe for the bread that I prepared to serve with this. It was delicious as well. It was actually meant to be biscuits, but the dough was far too wet to cut, so I just spread it into the baking tin.

Once baked it was very easy to cut into squares and was lovely.

It has a beautiful light texture and a somewhat tangy flavor. The bottom was lovely and buttery. I quite enjoyed it. This would go well with any soup, salad, stew, etc.

Yield: 12 squares

Author: Marie Rayner

Fizzy Soda Bread

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

This is light, buttery, and delicious. We like it with soup, stews or salads.

Ingredients

2 cups (240g) biscuit baking mix
1/2 cup (120g) dairy sour cream
1/2 cup (120ml) lemon lime soda
1/4 cup (60g) butter melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Have ready an 8-inch square pan.
Measure the baking mix into a bowl. Drop in the sour cream and cut it into the baking mix using a pastry blender or two round bladed knives.
Add the soda and mix until you get a dough.
Melt the butter in the bottom of the 8-inch pan. Spread the dough in the pan on top of the butter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. Cut into squares to serve.

Did you make this recipe?

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Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles

Thursday, 1 December 2022

I have been craving Chinese food for weeks and weeks now. I could probably just take myself to a Chinese restaurant if I wanted to, but to be honest the food at the restaurant here in town is the pits. The best one is in the next town over and when I think about driving all the way there, I end up just eating whatever I have in the house.

Sometimes I do go with my father and his friends for a Chinese meal, but that is a very rare occurrence. I am not one to go out and eat all by myself. Where is the fun in that.

It's not often that our local grocery store has flank steak for sale. When my sister and I were there yesterday we spied to packages of it. I snapped up one and she snapped up the other.

And then I headed to the produce aisle to pick up some broccoli so I could make myself a stir fry for my supper.

I love, Love, LOVE Beef and Broccoli. It is one of my favorite Chinese dishes. I had spied a tasty looking Mongolian Beef & Broccoli recipe the other day however, and I wanted to try that.

I have adapted this recipe for Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with noodles from one I found on a page called Creme de la Crumb. The original recipe was sized for four people. I small batched it to feed only two.

I chose that recipe because I happened to have all of the ingredients needed in my larder. I keep a whole shelf on the door of my refrigerator stocked with ingredients to make Chinese food.

I also love any Chinese dish that contains noodles. One thing I used to love ordering when I lived in the UK was the Singapore noodles with vermicelli.

My husband hated it because he didn't like noodles, but oh well, more for me!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MONGOLIAN BEEF & BROCCOLI WITH NOODLES

It looks like a long list, but really once you have gathered all of the components, this is a dish that goes together in a flash!

1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce
1/4 cup (60ml) water
1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce
1 TBS hoisin sauce
1 TBS rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 TBS cold water + 1 tsp. corn starch (corn flour)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 TBS light olive oil
3/4 lb. (340g) stir fry beef - or very thin sliced steak
1 package ramen noodles - boiled until tender and drained
chopped spring onions - for garnish (optional)

I like to use Kikkoman soy sauce. It is fermented and has a nice flavor. It's also not quite as salty as other kinds. You can leave the sriracha sauce out if you want, or even add a bit more if you like. Its lovely and spicy and garlicky.

Use the freshest broccoli that you can find and then cut your broccoli into bite sized pieces. Cut any larger florets in half. You don't want anything larger than a bite.

If you are slicing your own steak to use in this, it's much easier to slice it thinly if your steak is partially frozen. I don't really like buying stir fry strips of beef. I find them to be too thick. I prefer to cut my own.

I highly recommend using flank or sirloin steak for this, but you can use whatever steak you wish. It is so thin and so quickly cooked it won't be tough anyways.

My son told me about these Ramen noodles a few months ago. The brand is Indomie Mi goreng fried noodles. They are lovely. I like them much more than other kinds. You can find them at Walmart and on Amazon and in the grocery stores.

They come with seasoning powders and oils in the packets. You won't need them for this recipe. Just the noodles.

My grandsons have gotten the prep of these noodles down to an art form. They delighted in showing me how they make them on their recent visit to me. They really are delicious.

HOW TO MAKE MONGOLIAN BEEF & BROCCOLI WITH NOODLES

This is a really quick and easy dish to make, especially if you have all of your ingredients measured, prepped, gathered and grouped prior to beginning cooking.

Whisk the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice wine vinegar together in a cup. Set aside.

Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef strips and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Whisk the cold water and corn starch together in a small bowl until the corn starch dissolves.

Add ingredients in the sauce cup to the skillet and bring to a boil. Whisk in corn starch slurry until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low.

Stir in noodles, and heat through. Garnish with spring onions if desired and serve.

I really REALLY enjoyed this dish, and it satisfied my Chinese food craving, for the time being anyways! It was quick and easy to make and incredibly delicious.

You could serve it with steamed rice if you wanted to or add extra vegetables if you like. I was quite fond of it just as is. If you like your food really spicy why not add some dried chili flakes?

A sprinkle of chopped salted peanuts on top is also very nice. I was in such a hurry to eat this that I completely forgot to sprinkle the spring onions on top before I took all my photos! They do add a nice sharpness to the dish so don't leave them out!

If I have whetted your appetite for a Chinese meal and want to add a few more dishes why not check out the following:

VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN - What if I told you that you could fix a quick and easy Vegetable Chow Mien which is delicious and nutritious and contains plenty of crunch and color? I have used fresh cabbage, carrots, cooking onions, and spring onions along with some fresh bean sprouts, mushrooms and a few water chestnuts for plenty of crunch. This is simply delicious.

QUICK AND EASY FIRECRACKER CHICKEN - Quick, easy, spicy and delicious!Chunks of crispy chicken in a sweet and spicy glaze. This quick and easy dinner option is sure to be popular with the family! I served it with steamed rice and broccoli spears.

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with Noodles

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Perfectly cooked beef and crispy tender broccoli in a spicy sweet and garlicky sauce with noodles. Delicious!

Ingredients

1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce -
1/4 cup (60ml) water
1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce
1 TBS hoisin sauce
1 TBS rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 TBS cold water + 1 tsp. corn starch (corn flour)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 TBS light olive oil
3/4 lb. (340g) stir fry beef - or very thin sliced steak
1 package ramen noodles - boiled until tender and drained
chopped spring onions - for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Whisk the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice wine vinegar together in a cup. Set aside.
Heat your oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef strips and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes longer.
Whisk the cold water and corn starch together in a small bowl until the corn starch dissolves.
Add ingredients in the sauce cup to the skillet and bring to a boil. Whisk in corn starch slurry until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low.
Stir in noodles, and heat through. Garnish with spring onions if desired and serve.

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Sweet Treats for The Christmas Cookie Tray

Wednesday, 30 November 2022

I always loved this time of year when my children were growing up. I would spend the few weeks in the run up to Christmas baking all sorts of treats for my children and family to enjoy over the holidays. I also used to like making up Christmas Cookie Trays as gifts for my family and friends.

There wasn't always a lot of money to buy gifts for others, but I always knew that a cookie tray was something that could put a light in anyone's eyes!

Of course, my children had their favorites that they liked me to bake such as Candy Cane Cookies. Somehow mine never came off looking as pretty as they did in the magazines, but the children didn't mind. They loved them all the same.

Each year I would do them a gingerbread house or some other gingerbread creation. I had so much fun decorating them. This Gingerbread Cookie Wreath was always very popular.

One year I actually did a Gingerbread Tree, which took me hours and hours to decorate. The children loved it! It was covered with gummy bears and all sorts of sweeties. The decorations slowly disappeared over the holidays, but I never did see anyone in particular eating them. It must have been the Elf on the Shelf.

One year I decorated our Christmas Tree with gingerbread men and popcorn & cranberry garlands. That, I think, was my absolute favorite tree of all time.

I thought it would be fun today to share with you some of my favorite cookies that I like to bake for the holidays. I also thought it would be nice if you could share some of your favorites in the comments section. Let's share!

RASPBERRY THUMBPRINTS - It wouldn't be Christmas without a few of these on the cookie tray. They have a short buttery texture which is perfectly set off by the dollop of raspberry jam in the middle. I like to give them a sweet drizzle glaze to dress them up.

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK SNOWBALLS -With only 5 ingredients, these make a quick and easy Christmas cookie. Everybody loves them. Not too sweet, they are puffy, but are very reminiscent of shortbreads. These are fabulously delicious.

SUGARED DATE SQUARES - Delectable little bites of Christmas happiness I only make once a year. There is no baking required. Dates, walnuts, crisp rice cereal, etc. Things are heated and mixed in a saucepan, then pressed into a pan. Once they are solid you cut into squares and roll them in icing sugar. These are a real family favorite.

WHIPPED SHORTBREADS - These always turn out perfectly with no faffing about or trouble. Easy peasy lemon squeasy as they say. Simply beat everything together, drop on the pan, decorate with a bit of cherry or some sprinkles and bake. These are the easiest and tastiest shortbread cookies you could ever make.

EGGNOG THUMBPRINTS - Crisp, short, buttery and filled with plenty of eggnog flavor. Mix up, roll into balls, indent the center and bake. A lush eggnog buttercream icing fills the center of the finished cookies.

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES - These are not Biscotti in the sense of the crunchy dunking Italian Biscotti, but rather they are soft buttery vanilla pillows of scrumminess. Adapted from a recipe found on The Merchant Baker. These are simple, quick and delicious to make. Very pretty.

GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI - The smell of these cookies baking will rock your world to heaven and back again. Crisp and spicy, perfect with a nice hot cup of mocha. These are beautiful on a cookie tray, or gift them to a good friend along with a nice mug and a container of their favorite coffee blend.

RUGELACH COOKIES - Crisp buttery cookies rolled around a delicious walnut, honey and cinnamon filling. The recipe can be successfully cut in half, in which case I recommend you leave out the egg yolk. They are a tiny bit faffy, but well worth the effort. Plan ahead as the dough needs to chill.

OLD FASHIONED GINGER CUTOUTS - Cut them into stars or gingerbread men, or whatever shape you wish to cut them into. These deliciously crisp and spicy cookies are a wonderful addition to any holiday tray.

DUTCH ALMOND COOKIES - These delicious cookies won a Christmas Cookie contest at Canadian Living Magazine. I clipped the recipe from the magazine years ago and have been making them every year since. Crisp, buttery, almondy with a sweet almond filling. These are fabulous.

MARY BERRY'S SHORTBREAD - This is the perfect shortbread. Baked in a round, marked into wedges prior to baking. I guarantee nobody will be sorry if you give them a tin filled with these short buttery cookies/biscuits!

And there you have it, some of my very favorite Christmas Bakes. This is by no stretch everything I love to bake at Christmas, but I can guarantee each of these recipes is an absolute winner!

What are the cookies/bakes you have to make each Christmas for your family? Let's share recipes!

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Cauliflower & Cheese Soup