the simple five: slow cooker cheese potato soup

Nothing is better than spending a full day outdoors enjoying winter activities, and then being welcomed to a home filled with comforting aromas indicating that dinner is ready and waiting for you. I love using my slow cooker, and this particular recipe is a nice hearty soup, especially if you're feeding a crowd.  Fun to serve in bread bowls, and perfect to feed a large group or family (maybe for Family Day this weekend?)

This recipe makes a large batch but can be halved if you're not consuming this all in one night. Half can be served right away, and the other half placed in a container (once the soup is cooled) and frozen for up to 3 months. This recipe is quite adaptable, and you can replace the green onions with caramelized onions, roasted garlic, dill or shallots.  I've even used left over Garlic Roasted Cauliflower with good results.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Cheese Potato Soup (for a crowd)

(makes approximately12 servings).

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of stock (chicken, vegetable or beef.... I generally use chicken or vegetable, but have used beef stock when I'm not adding crumbled bacon as a topping).
• 8-10 russet potatoes, cubed
• 1 stalk green onion, (thinly sliced green and white parts)
• 1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (depending on taste).
• 2+ cups of milk or heavy cream.

Preparation:

• Place potatoes in an 8 quart crock pot.  Add stock until it just covers the potatoes, approximately 4 cups or so.
• Add green onion.
• Cook on low for about 8 hours or high for 4.
• Turn slow cooker off.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the contents in the crock pot until it has the consistency of very thick soup (or place contents in batches, in a blender).
• Add the cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.  (I used about 1 ½ cups of cheese).
• Add milk or cream until the soup thickness is to your liking (I use about 2 ½ cups of milk...use more if you want a thinner consistency).

Garnish with sour cream, crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, or dill, if desired.

the simple five: roasted garlic cauliflower

I've read somewhere in those food magazines that cauliflower is the "new vegetable of the year".  Not sure why it's considered "new", since it's been available at grocery stores longer than kale has.  No matter the reason, I'm embracing this new "trend", using this wonderfully dense vegetable as a great side dish instead of potatoes.  It's quite filling, very nutritious, and easy to make.

What I also like about this dish, besides that it only uses five ingredients, is the fact that you can use the leftovers for soup. I've added this to potato and cheese, or broccoli and cheese soup with wonderful results (can you tell I like cheese in my soups!).

Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

(makes approximately 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 3 tsp dried thyme (or about 4 sprigs of thyme, if you're using fresh)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼  cup of Parmesan cheese

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°. 
• Cut 1 head cauliflower into florets; 
• Toss on a large rimmed baking sheet (I used my cast iron skillet) with olive oil, thyme, and garlic cloves.
• Roast, tossing occasionally, until almost tender, about 20 minutes. 
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the grated parmesan on top of the cauliflower.  Put back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

the simple five: five ingredient breakfast sandwich

In order to regulate the salt, sugar and fat intake in our diets, I try to avoid the temptation of convenient drive through/fast food establishments by cooking ahead of time and making use of our freezer. Although it may be convenient to go through the drive through for quick meals (especially in between commutes to work, school, extracurricular activities and social events), with a little planning, this recipe provides a (relatively) healthy and delicious breakfast, ready in minutes and can be taken to go.

I especially like this recipe for early morning commutes.  Usually a large batch of sausage patties are made on a weekend, serving what is needed for that morning, and freezing the remaining for subsequent breakfasts.  It makes the morning rush so much easier.

Enjoy!

Five Ingredient Breakfast Sandwich

(makes approximately 8-12 sausage patties)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon each of various spices and herbs to personal taste (I used chopped garlic, ground thyme and sage).
• 2 pounds organic ground turkey or pork
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Whole wheat english muffins
• Cheese of choice (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss are good choices).

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix the garlic with the pork.  Add the thyme, sage and maple syrup.  Mix well until very well blended.
• Using a spoon or your hands, form the meat into patties about 4 inches round.
• Place as many patties that can fit in a cast iron skillet or glass baking dish.  
• Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, flipping sides midway, until patties are brown.
• Toast the english muffins.  
• Slice the cheese and place with the sausage patties, onto the english muffins (or you can bake eggs in a muffin tin at the same time as the sausage patties).
• FREEZE FOR LATER:  You can freeze half of the sandwiches that will be consumed at a later date.  Wrap individual sandwiches into paper towels and place in a ziplock bag.  Freeze (good for up to 3 months).  When you want to heat the sandwiches, remove  the number of sandwiches you require and heat in the microwave on high for about 2 minutes, depending on the temperature of your microwave.

Serve.