MEAL OF THE MONTH: SEPTEMBER

Roasted Cauliflower Soup With Bacon & Thyme

2 heads cauliflower
1/4 cup olive oil
1 quart chicken broth
1 pint half and half
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
10 slices apple wood smoked bacon (or 3 slices country ham) minced & cooked
Pinh of white paper
kosher salt

Heat your oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil lightly misted with cooking spray.

Cut out and discard the core of each head of cauliflower and then cut off the heads into large florets.

Drizzle florets with olive oil and toss to evenly coat.  Next, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of salt and toss again.

Arrange florets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.  Flip the florets and roast for an additional 30 minutes until deeply caramelized and golden.

Transfer roasted florets to blender and add 2 cups of broth.  Puree and then add half and half.  Puree for an additional 3 minutes or until smooth.  At this point the puree will be very thick.  With the blender running, add the remaining both, thyme, and white pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

The soup can be transferred to a saucepan and gently heated.  It can also be refrigerated and reheated easily.  The flavor is best when allowed to rest overnight.


Gluten-Free Nutella Cheesecake Pots
(This recipe is in grams so use a kitchen scale)
Makes 6-8 ramekins.

Crust:

150g gluten-free graham crackers
50-60g butter, melted

Cheesecake:

390g cream cheese, room temperature
50g light brown sugar
90g Nutella
40g chocolate chips

In a food processor, pulse the butter and graham cracker until they form crumbs.

Scoop spoonfuls of the crust mixture into small ramekins or mugs.  Press down lightly, but not as much as you would a normal cheesecake.

Clean food processor thoroughly.

Next, pulse together the cream cheese, sugar, and Nutella until smooth.  Take a taste and add additional Nutella if you wish.

Add chocolate chips and pulse until ground into fine bits.

Divide the cheese cake between the ramekins.  Cover and chill for six hours or until set.

Remove from fridge and let set on the counter for 20 minutes before serving.

(Thanks to The Gluten Free Scallywag for this epic recipe.)

It's that good!

Food Tip Round Up!!!

Here are some wonderful food/kitchen tips our research and development department have come up with!

1. Flatten chicken breasts by placing them between two thin cutting sheets and pounding with a heavy skillet or sauce pan.
2. A potato ricer works just as well if not better for juicing limes or lemons.
3. Before juicing aforementioned citrus fruit, pop them in the microwave for ten seconds to optimize the juice!
4. When cooking on the grill, place meat and veggies about 4" from the heat source and poultry 6"-8" away.  Don't forget dark meat takes longer to cook then white meat.
5. Need to serve soup to the masses but don't have the proper serving dish, try pouring into an insulated ice bucket.  It works great for hot or cold soups.
6. Contrary to popular opinion, do not add oil to your pasta water.  It will prevent the sauce from sticking!  You need the extra starch in the water, stir frequently for the first few minutes to keep the pasta separated.
7. Don't overcrowd the pan when sauteing and searing meats and veggies.  You will end up steaming them instead of the desired effect.
8. Fresh herbs, such as basil keeps better and longer at room temperature with stems in water.
9. Season in stages to bring out the best in your ingredients and produce the most flavor.
10. When cooking cauliflower add a splash of milk to the water.  It will keep the cauliflower bright white.  Shock it immediately by soaking it in ice water.
11. Extend the life of your salad greens by wrapping them loosely in a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic, resealable bag.
12. Store your onions and potatoes separately.  The gases released from onions will spoil your potatoes faster.
13. For mashed potatoes, boil them, drain them, and return them to the hot covered pan for 5 minutes.  This steams them and dries them out.  When you mix in your butter and cream/milk, the texture will be perfect and the absorption spot on!
14. Cook the perfect hard boiled egg every time!  Place your eggs in a pan of cold water just high enough to cover the eggs.  Next, bring the water to a boil.  As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat and cover the pan.  Set a timer for 15 minutes.  When the timer goes off, place the eggs in an ice bath for approximately 5 minutes or until the eggs are cool enough to handle.  Crack the shells completely on the counter.  The shells will peel off like butter and the yolks will be sunny yellow with no ugly greish green ring.