Go Frogs!

All souped up for the next week with cauliflower soup and red cabbage soup. I wasn’t sure how the red cabbage would turn out, but it’s delicious and a really pretty TCU purple!

My mom combined several recipes to make a simple, easy cauliflower soup (see recipe below).  It’s that time of year, so we’ll probably get a head of cauli every week until March from Elizabeth Anna’s community supported agriculture (CSA) group. Yea!

I’ve gotten better at putting foods together and relying less on recipes, but I still like to have a guide.  For the cabbage soup, I have yet to use the variety of cabbage that is listed.  I never have scallions on hand, so onions work fine.  I use whatever potatoes I have…it’s soup, not rocket science!  Enjoy.

Cauliflower Soup

50 grams butter ( about 1/4 cup or 1/2 stick)
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic chopped

Cook these about 5 minutes or until soft.

Add 1/2 cauliflower head
1 large potato peeled and chunked
900 ml ( about 3 2/3 cups) hot chicken or veg stock

Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool slightly; purée with stick blender.

Blanch remaining 1/2 head of cauliflower in salted water for 6 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water.

Add 142 ml (1/3 cup) milk or cream to puréed part and reheat.  Season to taste.  Add blanched florets.  Serve in oven proof bowls with sprinkling of gruyere or Swiss cheese on top. Heat under broiler until bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.

 

 

Soup on deck!

Future meals are waiting in the freezer.  I’m taking the time to cook two soups a week.  I store them in serving-size container and freeze half of them.  The soups I make are easy, one-pot meals.  It takes some time preparing, but I save time during the hectic school/work week and always have a healthy meal.  No more starving or succumbing to eating lesser quality food out when I shouldn’t be spending the money anyway.  What’s that saying? If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  I’m trying to plan ahead here!

I used up some zucchini that were threatening to spoil using this Zucchini Soup recipe from a new find, Primally Inspired.  The Nourishing Gourmet has a very similar one using thyme, but I haven’t had a chance to try it for myself.  The other soup pictured is from a mix that had been taking up space in the cabinet for too long! Time to put those dry goods to use!

Lunch is served

…between classes enjoying the sunshine by the fountain.  Green cabbage soup with beef and goat meatballs.

I was looking for a dairy-free ice cream recipe when I discovered The Nourishing Gourmet.  Kimi posts great recipes and healthful information.  I used her recipe for these meatballs.   I doubled the batch, so I used 1 lb goat meat mixed with 1 lb grass fed beef.  I freeze them on a plate before putting them in a container.  Just grab three frozen meatballs and a jar of soup to go!  They will be thawed in time to eat.

I’m sharing ideas here that work for me, but if you have any questions about food safety, please search out appropriate information.  I don’t eat a ton of meat because I’ve learned my body doesn’t require much in the form of animal protein.  Too much makes me feel sluggish or even ill.  Also, I’m just not a huge fan of animal meat.  I’m just more comfortable with vegetables.   It’s easy to tell when they go bad to the point you shouldn’t eat them, and they are so easy! Veggies come in their own packing. They can be eaten raw, roasted or steamed and more!

I’m a non-tradi…

I’m a non-traditional student which means I know what life is like after high school and college, but I’m back on in the classroom. I’ve been spoiled with adequate sleep and nutritious food, and now I’m living in the land of late-night study and Ramen noodles. Doritos and Hostess are not going to fuel my mind and keep the returning-student-15 off my relatively sedentary self. It’s a priority and a struggle, and I see the losing battle of my classmates everyday. I decided to share my ideas here in hopes that a fellow student, teacher, cube-dweller or whoever will benefit….and hopefully share some tricks with me 🙂