Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

There’s been a lone sweet potato sitting in my pantry for the last couple of weeks. Every time I would open the pantry door there it would be, looking at back at me, as if to say, “why don’t you make something with me already?!”

I have a habit of buying perishables with the noblest of intentions, only to forget them in the sea of everyday distractions, until they’re good for nothing but compost.

Fortunately for this root vegetable, inspiration arrived in the form of a several year old blog post from a favorite fellow food blogger who had made a soup from a Donna Hay recipe. The distinguishing elements of the original recipe were sweet potato, red onion, and cumin. I changed it a little bit, opting for shallots instead of red onions, using much less cumin (it’s a strong spice), adding some thyme, and finishing with a swirl of sour cream.

Oh my gosh, so good! And so incredibly easy. You peel and cube the sweet potato, roast it for half an hour with some shallots, and purée everything in a blender with some stock and seasonings. The soup lasts for days and reheats beautifully.

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup Recipe

 

 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 2 to 4

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound garnet sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 large shallots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt (Greek or regular, omit for paleo version)

Read More: Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” with Browned Butter

I had to laugh at our last holiday meal when my sister proclaimed, “these are the best mashed potatoes ever!” only to be informed that she was eating mashed cauliflower.

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes have been around for a while, and if you have yet to get on the bandwagon, I encourage you to try them!

Cauliflower makes an excellent low carb substitute for starchy potatoes. Though we like mashed cauliflower so much that we usually serve both—cauliflower and mashed potatoes—at our holiday meals.


In this version we are steam boiling the cauliflower first in salted water, then draining and mashing. While the cauliflower is cooking, we brown some butter on the side to get mashed with the cauliflower. Do you ever make browned butter? It’s easy to make and brings a warm, nutty, deeply buttery flavor to everything it touches.

The addition of sour cream provides some tang and helps smooth out the mashed cauliflower.
The result? Amazing! Seriously good. Like, I’ll pass on the potatoes, just give me some more of the mashed cauliflower good.

Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” with Browned Butter Recipe

 

Prep time : 5 minutes
Cook time : 15 minutes
Yield : Serves 4

Cauliflowers vary in size. If you are working with a cauliflower that is larger or smaller than 1 1/4 pounds, increase or decrease the amount of butter and sour cream to add.

Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower (about 1 1/4 pound or 565 g), core removed, cut into large florets (see How to Cut and Core Cauliflower)
• 1 cup (235 ml) water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp (60 ml) sour cream
• Chopped chives, green onions, and/or parsley for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Read More: Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” with Browned Butter

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glaze

I started eating Brussels sprouts as a kid when my preschool served them boiled for lunch. You’d think that serving unseasoned, boiled Brussels sprouts would be the worst way to expose a child to the vegetable but, surprisingly, I was undeterred.
Brussels sprouts are still one of my favorite fall vegetables, though these days I prefer them roasted instead of boiled.
Here I’ve paired roasted Brussels sprouts with a sweet and tangy pomegranate-balsamic glaze. This makes a great side dish for Thanksgiving or any fall meal.


Don’t be intimidated by making the glaze. You just combine pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar and let it simmer until it reduces to a thick, syrupy glaze.
You’ll only need a few tablespoons of the pomegranate-balsamic glaze for this recipe. The leftover will keep refrigerated for up to a month and you can use it for glazing other vegetable dishes, to spoon over roasted meats, or even mixed into a cocktail.
I recommend tossing the sprouts with the glaze after the Brussels sprouts are fully cooked because. The sprouts look better that way, and you can really taste the flavor of the glaze.
Sprinkle some fresh pomegranate arils over the finished Brussels sprouts and you have a beautiful side dish for your holiday table!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glaze Recipe

 

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

The pomegranate-balsamic glaze can be made ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Ingredients:

For the glaze:

• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the Brussels sprouts:

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup pomegranate arils

Read More: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glaze

Easy No-Knead Pizza Dough

It seems that every time I decide to make pizza at home (usually on a Friday night) my well-laid plans are disrupted by a last-minute impulse to go to the movies or to meet with friends.
That’s why I love this dough recipe.
You can make it and let it rise, then use it — or change your mind and leave it in the fridge for the next day. Or even the day after that. Or even freeze it for a few weeks. It’s a very forgiving dough!
And if that weren’t enough to sell you on this pizza, you don’t have to do a bit of kneading.
Furthermore, an overnight rise in the refrigerator helps develop fantastic flavor. The dough is soft and full of delicious air bubbles.
This recipe makes about two pounds of dough, which is enough for four 10-inch personal pizzas or two larger pizzas. Use it to make any pizza recipe you like!
By the way, if you like this no-knead approach, check out Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois and My Bread by Jim Lahey. This pizza recipe was based on their no-knead techniques.

Easy No-Knead Pizza Dough Recipe

 

Prep time: 5 minutes
Rising time: 2 hours
Yield: 4 10-inch pizzas

 

This recipe makes two 1-pound balls of pizza dough, which is enough for two large pizzas or four "personal sized" 10-inch pizzas.
Instant or rapid-rise yeast is actually a different strain of yeast from the usual granulated yeast. It is designed to be mixed directly into the flour. If you can’t find it, use the equivalent amount of active dry yeast and proof it in warm water according to the package directions.
Leftover dough can be placed it in a zip-top freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge before using.
If halving the recipe (which is fine!), mix the dough by hand since the volume may be too small for your mixer to properly mix.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (500g) flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (slightly less than a full packet) instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups (350g) lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Read More: Easy No-Knead Pizza Dough

Canned Tomato Salsa

Sometimes, during the summer, our tomato plants decide to have a party on the vine, so to speak, and produce way more tomatoes than we can possibly eat, even if we are eating them every day, sliced, salted, and served with a little balsamic or mayo.
What do you do with your excess garden tomatoes?
Last week my dad made his favorite tomato juice. This week we made and canned some simple tomato and green chile salsa, which I expect will be great to pull out in the middle of winter and munch with some tortilla chips (if the jars last that long, we go through salsa pretty quickly around here.)


Note:that it is the vinegar in the salsa ingredients that make this salsa safe for canning using a water bath canning method. Tomatoes are already slightly acidic, and only need a little more acid to be safely canned using this method. But the chiles are not acidic, so they need more vinegar.

Canned Tomato Salsa Recipe

 

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: Makes about 5 pints

Before starting, prepare your workspace so that it is clean and uncluttered. If you don't want to roast your own green chiles, you can sub with about two 7-ounce cans of green chiles, chopped.
This recipe uses specific amounts of ingredients, balancing the non-acidic ingredients with the amount of added acid needed to make the recipe safe. Do not increase the amount of green chiles beyond 1 1/2 cups, or decrease the amount of tomatoes less than 7 cups.

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs of tomatoes
• 1 lb large Anaheim green chiles (5-6 chiles)
• 3 jalapeno chilies, seeded and stems removed, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro (including stems)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 to 2 Tbsp sugar or more (to taste, depending on how sweet your tomatoes are)

Canning equipment needed:

• 5 to 6 pint-sized canning jars, with rings and new lids
• A very large stockpot or canning pot (16-qt)
• A flat steamer rack on which to place the filled jar for the water bath canning, so that they don't touch the bottom of the pan and crack from excess heat

Canning equipment recommended:

• Canning tongs to make it easy to lift the jars in and out of boiling water
• Rubber or latex coated gardening gloves to make it easier on your hands for handling hot jars

Read More: Canned Tomato Salsa

How To Steam-Fry Vegetables

Need a quick side dish of vegetables to go with your meal? Try steam-frying them!
Using this method, you quickly stir-fry vegetables to develop some color, and then steam them until tender. Steam-frying uses less oil than a regular stir-fry, but the vegetables still quickly cook through.
The veggies also pick up a little browning from the stir-fry step and some flavor from the liquid used for the steaming step, making them more exciting than plain steamed vegetables.
You can use this technique to cook just about any vegetable in the fridge, from cauliflower to green beans.

The most important piece of equipment for steam-frying is a medium to large skillet. Nonstick, stainless steel, or cast iron skillets are all fine, so use what you have and feel comfortable with. You’ll also need a lid for your skillet.
The size of skillet depends on how many people you’re feeding. Use a 10-inch skillet to make about 4 servings of vegetables, or a 12-inch skillet if you’re making six servings.
The steam-frying method is pretty simple: Heat a little oil in a pan, add the vegetables and a pinch of salt, then stir-fry just long enough to get a little bit of color on the veggies. After that, add a splash of liquid to the pan and quickly cover with a lid to trap the steam inside.
For the liquid, you can use water, stock, juice, wine, beer… most any liquid will do, really!.You want just enough liquid to steam the vegetables, not braise them. This means about two tablespoons of liquid for four servings (about 1 pound of vegetables) or, 3 or 4 tablespoons for six servings (about 1 1/2 pounds of vegetables).
At this point, you also can also add extra flavoring ingredients like soy sauce, fish sauce, or a squeeze of lemon.


The vegetables steam their way to tenderness in just a few minutes. Use a fork to spear a vegetable and check if it’s tender and cooked through. If it is, let the vegetables cook, uncovered, for another minute to let the steam evaporate.. If they’re still not done, add another tablespoon or two of liquid, close, and steam a bit longer.
Some of my favorite vegetables to steam fry are broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, onion, fennel, zucchini, and green beans. So they all cook at the same speed, these vegetables should be cut into bite-sized pieces for cooking. Aim for 1- to 2-inch lengths for green beans. For broccoli and cauliflower, chop or break them up into 1-inch florets.
Carrots and other hardy vegetables are also great for steam-frying. Slice them thinly (1/4 inch or so) before cooking and cook them alongside other vegetables. (FYI, asparagus is also great steam-fried, but will cook slightly more quickly than other vegetables. Best to cook asparagus separately.)
For some extra flavor once the vegetables are done cooking, add a handful of chopped herbs, a squeeze of lemon, or a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.

How To Steam-Fry Vegetables

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Feel free to substitute any of favorite vegetable for those in this recipe, such as broccoli, bell peppers, onion, fennel, asparagus, or zucchini. Cut into bite-sized pieces for cooking. (Note: Asparagus and other delicate vegetables will cook slightly more quickly; begin checking for doneness sooner than with other vegetables.)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2  pound (1/2  of one medium head) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
• 1/2  pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2  pound (3 medium) carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1/4  cup water, stock, wine, or other liquid (see Note)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Read More: How To Steam-Fry Vegetables

How to Make Rice Without a Recipe

I


If all you need is a plain bowl of rice to serve with dinner, this is the easiest, most foolproof method that I know.
You don’t need measuring cups, a recipe, or even a specific water-to-rice ratio — just cover the rice with a few inches of water, bring it to a boil, then simmer until the rice is tender. Drain the rice, return it to the pot, and let it steam in its own residual heat until you’re ready to serve.
Super easy, right? It’s nothing fancy, but I promise that it gets the job done.

first learned this rice-cooking method in culinary school. As someone who always seems to burn the rice at the bottom of the pot no matter what recipe I follow, learning this way of cooking rice was a life-saver. I’ve used it ever since whenever I want a simple, un-fussy bowl of rice.
This technique works best with long-grain white rice, like basmati, Texmati, or jasmine, or long-grain brown rice. You can also use it to cook short-grain rice (or barley, farro, or any other grain, for that matter), but you’ll lose some of the unique textures and sticky properties that come from properly cooking those grains.

You can cook any amount of rice you like, one serving or ten servings, as long as you use a big enough pot. One cup of dry rice will make about four cups of cooked rice, so just scale up or down depending on how much you need to make.
You also don’t need to measure out an exact amount of water or remember any water-to-rice ratios. Just cover your rice with enough water so that it has room to bob up and down. It’s like cooking pasta! (If the lack of precision makes you nervous, use roughly three or four cups of water for each cup of rice.)

Think of this as your “everyday rice.” It’s great for things like weeknight stir-fries, freezer burritos, and easy rice bowls. If you’re in the market for something a little fancier — like what you might serve at a nice dinner or when trying to impress a date — go for a rice pilaf or something like this Cilantro Lime Rice.

A few tips to follow

• It’s best to undercook your rice ever so slightly at the boiling stage. You want it to be tender, but still a touch more firm that you usually like it. It will continue to cook as it steams. (If you wait until it’s perfectly cooked before draining, then it might become mushy or overcooked as it steams.)
• If you loathe gummy rice and strive for individual, distinct grains, try rinsing the uncooked rice a few times with water before cooking. This rinses the excess starch from the grains. You can also toast the rinsed grains in a little butter or olive oil before adding the water, or toss the cooked rice with a little butter or olive oil when you transfer it back to the pan for steaming.
• You can save the liquid from cooking the rice and use it to thicken soups, use in baking, or even drink on its own. Just remember that it’s been salted so you’ll need to like want to adjust the salt in the recipe where it’s used.
• Scrub and clean your strainer right away after using so that the starch from the rice doesn’t have time to dry on the strainer. Trust me, dried rice starch is very annoying to clean.

How to Make Rice Without a Recipe

 

Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 or more cups of cooked rice

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup or more long-grain white or brown rice
• Water
• Salt

Special equipment:

• Medium (2-quart) or larger pot with lid
• Large strainer

Read More: How to Make Rice Without a Recipe