Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Inspiration: skinnytaste
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
 Serves: 4 as a main dish

Description: Something magical happens to cauliflower when it is roasted. This summer I had a head of cauliflower from my CSA box . I had no idea what to do with it and came across this recipe. I have made it SO many times since then. It is a great starter to a fancy pansy meal, or satisfying enough for a cold weeknight meal near the fire. I like to serve it with crunchy garlic bread. This is right up there to my garlic soup.

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower,chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
 5 cups of chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. On a cookie sheet spread out chopped cauliflower. S&P and oil well.
2. Broil until cauliflower is a light brown.
3. In a large soup pan, add butter and onions and saute until soft.
4. Add cauliflower and chicken broth. Bring to a light boil.
5. Puree with an immersion blender until soup is smooth.
6. Adjust S&P
7. When ladle into bowls add a hearty pinch of shredded mozzarella. and serve immediately.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Inspiration: cookinqueen
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes: 24 cupcakes


Description: These little critters were full of flavor and all the fabulous spices of Fall. The pumpkin kept the cupcake moist and the icing was....to die for...seriously it was. They did not last long at my house.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup of pumpkin puree

Frosting
1 package of cream cheese, softened.
1/4 cup of soft butter
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spices (the above 5 spices)

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the spices.
2. Beat the oil, sugars, until light and fluffy
3. Add eggs, milk, and pumpkin puree to the oil and sugar mixture.
4. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry.
5. Add pumpkin batter to a cupcake tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 25 minutes.
6. Combine the frosting ingredients and mix together until fluffy.
7. Frost the cream cheese icing to the cooled cupcakes.

Tips and Tricks
A tub of cream cheese frosting with a tsp of pumpkin pie spices whipped into it works as a great time saver for the frosting .

Variations

pumpkin pancakes

Inspiration: skinnytaste
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Serves: about 6


Description: I had bought some canned pumpkin and wanted to make something different than pumpkin pie. I have tried some really good recipe's so far.  These were light fluffy and incredibly tasty.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of milk
1 cup pumkin puree
1 egg
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs vinegar
2 cups flour
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt


Directions:

1. In a bowl, mis together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar.
2. In a second bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powders, baking soda, and spices.
3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet.
4. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium high heat. Pour the batter onto the hot pan (about 1/4 cup each)
5. Brown on both sides and keep warm until ready to serve.

Laurie's Potato Rolls

Inspiration: Laurie D.
Prep time: overnight
Cook time: about 1 hour
Makes:

Description:

 
                               

Ingredients
2 potatoes
2 cups of potato water
2/3 cups of butter
1 tsp of salt
2 eggs
1 package of yeast
6-7 cups of flour
olive oil

1. Mix together 2 cups of hot potato water, 1 cup of mashed potatoes. 2/3 cups of butter and 1 tsp of salt.
2. Cool mixture until lukewarm then add two beaten eggs, and 1 package of yeast.
3. Slowly incorporate 6-7 cups of flour. Mix until smooth and sticky.
4. Put dough into greased bowl, cover and refrigerate one hour.
5. Shape pieces into roll shaped balls. Cover and let rise overnight.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes in muffin tins or casserole pans.

Tips and Tricks
These go quick so just double or triple the batch.

Variations

Fancy Green Beans

Inspiration: Paula Deen
Prep time:
Cook time: less than 30
Makes: 6-8 servings

Description:

Ingredients
2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp butter melted
1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans
2 slices of bacon 
1/2 c red bell pepper strips
1/2 thin onion cut into strips
1/2 c whole cashews

1. Mix teriyaki, honey, and butter in small bowl. Set aside.
2. Blanch and drain green beans.
3. Cook bacon till very crispy, crumble and set aside.
4. Saute bell pepper and onion in bacon fat for 2 min.
5. In the same saute pan add beans, nuts, and bacon.
5. Toss in sauce and pour onto desired platter.

Tips and Tricks
I like to add more than 2 pieces of bacon because it gives the dish more flavor.

Variations
I sometimes omit the nuts.

Country Sausage Stuffing

Paula Deen
10+
1 1/2 hours


                                            

2 loaves oven dried white bread (pepperidge farm)
2 c cooked white rice
1 sleeve crushed saltines
1 lb jimmy dean sausage
2 c chopped celery
1 large onion chopped
7 c chicken stock
S&P
1 tsp sage leaves
1 tbs poultry seasoning
3 eggs beaten
1/4 stick butter, melted

1. Crumble dried bread into an extra large bowl, add rice and saltines.
2. Cook sausage until no longer pink. Add celery, onion, and saute until transparent 10 min.
3. Pour over bread and rice mixture.
4. Add stock and mix well. Add seasonings mix again.
5. Add eggs and butter, mix well.
6. Pour stuffing into greased pan and bake until golden brown. 350 45-60 minutes.

Pumpkin Roll

Inspiration: Beginning cooking series
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 8 servings

Description:  This is a complicated recipe, but totally worth it! I learned a lot of tricks to making this from my cooking class. The presentation and the taste is amazing. I like this especially for thanksgiving or fall.

Cake:
3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs room temp
1 c sugar
3/4 c canned pumpkin
1/4 c confectioners sugar +

Filling:
12 oz marscapone cheese
1 1/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp cream
1/4 cup of  lemon zest
pinch of salt

1. Stir together dry cake ingredients.
2. Put eggs and sugar in mixer and beat until yellow and thickened.
3. Add pumpkin and slowly add dry ingredients until just incorporated.
4. Generously spray cookie sheet with pam, put bakers sheet on and spray that.
5. Add batter to greased cookie sheet bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 min.
6. As the cake is cooking, lay out a thin dish towel and sift entire towel with confectioners sugar.
7. Remove cake from oven, loosen around the edges, and invert the cake onto the towel.
8. Peel away the bakers sheet and roll the warm cake and towel into a log. Let cool completely.
9. Beat marscapone, sugar, and cream until fluffy, add aromatic as desired.
10. Unroll the cooled cake and spread the filling evenly over cake.
11. Reroll the cake and transfer to a plate.
12. Trim and eat the edges. Dust the cake with confectioners sugar.

Tips and Tricks
When you reroll the cake, use the towel you dusted with confectioners sugar as a guide to roll the cake squarely.

Variations
 You can use any aromatic you want like orange zest, crystallized ginger or a mix of lemon, orange, and ginger.