Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Easy and delicious, low-carb, no-dairy, cauliflower soup. Hit that thing with some hot sauce, if you like.

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced, or more to taste

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

• ¼ cup raw cashews

• 1 tablespoon tahini

• ¼ avocado

Directions

• Step 1

  Place cauliflower florets into a bowl of lightly salted water and soak for 20 minutes.

• Step 2

  Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.

• Step 3

  Broil in the preheated oven until brown on top, 20 to 30 minutes.

• Step 4

  Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in the hot oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Let simmer until cauliflower is ready.

• Step 5

  Stir cauliflower into the broth with cashews and tahini. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add avocado and blend using an immersion blender. Serve.

Restaurant Style Fried Rice

A quick fried rice like you get at your favorite Chinese restaurant. A couple of eggs, baby carrots, peas and soy sauce is all you need.

Ingredients

• 2 cups enriched white rice

• 4 cups water

• ⅔ cup chopped baby carrots

• ½ cup frozen green peas

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 eggs

• soy sauce to taste

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, to taste

Directions

• Step 1

  In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Step 2

  In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.

• Step 3

  Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

Greek Chicken Skewers

Greek-inspired chicken skewers with lots of flavor! Marinade is also wonderful on grilled vegetables.

Ingredient Checklist

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• ¼ cup wok oil

• ⅛ cup red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon onion flakes

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 lemon, zested

• 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning

• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or as needed, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 8 bamboo skewers, or as needed, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions

• Step 1

  Whisk lemon juice, oil, vinegar, onion flakes, garlic, lemon zest, Greek seasoning, poultry seasoning, oregano, pepper, and thyme together in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag.

• Step 2

  Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

• Step 3

  Preheat the oven to 350 F.

• Step 4

  Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess; thread onto skewers. Discard the remaining marinade. Place the skewers on a baking sheet.

• Step 5

  Roast in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Cook's Note:

The skewers can also be cooked on the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 165 F.

Christmas Stollen

This recipe comes from London's Dorchester Hotel. It's packed with dried fruit and filled with a marzipan surprise.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

• ⅔ cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

• 1 large egg

• ⅓ cup white sugar 

• ½ tablespoon salt

• ⅓ cup butter, softened

• 2 ½ cups bread flour

• ⅓ cup currants

• ⅓ cup sultana raisins

• ⅓ cup red candied cherries, quartered

• ⅔ cup diced candied citron

• 6 ounces marzipan

• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

• Step 1

  In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

• Step 2

  In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the egg, white sugar, salt, butter, and 2 cups bread flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has begun to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead in the currants, raisins, dried cherries, and citrus peel. Continue kneading until smooth, about 8 minutes.

• Step 3

  Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

• Step 4

  Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the marzipan into a rope and place it in the center of the dough. Fold the dough over to cover it; pinch the seams together to seal. Place the loaf, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

• Step 5

  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack. Dust the cooled loaf with confectioners' sugar, and sprinkle with the cinnamon.

Rugelach

Rugelach is a filled pastry product originating in the Jewish communities of Poland.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup unsalted butter

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

• ⅓ cup sour cream

• ½ cup white sugar 

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

• ½ cup raisins

Directions

• Step 1

  Cut cold butter or margarine and cream cheese into bits. In food processor pulse flour, salt, butter or margarine, cream cheese and sour cream until crumbly.

• Step 2

  Shape crumbly mixture into four equal disks. Wrap each disk and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days.

• Step 3

  Combine sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped raisins (may substitute miniature chocolate chips for raisins).

• Step 4

  Roll each disk into a 9 inch round keeping other disks chilled until ready to roll them. Sprinkle round with sugar/nut mixture. Press lightly into dough. With chefs knife or pizza cutter, cut each round into 12 wedges. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, you will end up with point on outside of cookie. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill rugelach 20 minutes before baking.

• Step 5

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

• Step 6

  After rugelach are chilled, bake them in the center rack of your oven 22 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers...they freeze very well.

• Step 7

  Variations: Before putting the filling on the dough, use a pastry brush to layer apricot jam as well as brown sugar. Then add the recommended filling. You may also make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and roll the rugelach in this prior to putting them on the cookie sheets.

Marzipan Christmas Kringle

This marzipan tubular bread is an ABSOLUTE must for the Christmas season, and a traditional dinner would not be complete without this Christmas Kringle for dessert. It may seem complicated at first glance, but if you follow the recipe step by step, it is actually quite easy and you will amaze your family with this beautiful dessert. This is an extremely rich and decadent treat so guests only need a little. Often a coin is hidden in the kringle and it is thought that the finder will be guaranteed good luck for the upcoming year. As such, it is considered bad luck not to indulge at Christmas!

Ingredients

• ½ cup warm milk

• 1 tablespoon white sugar 

• 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup white sugar 

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

• ½ cup butter

• 1 (8 ounce) can almond paste

• ½ cup crushed sliced almonds

• ½ cup white sugar 

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• ½ cup white sugar 

• 1 egg white, beaten

• ½ cup sliced almonds

Directions

• Step 1

  In a small bowl, stir together the milk and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let stand for 10 minutes to dissolve. Stir in cream.

• Step 2

  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and cardamom. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or pinching with your fingers until it is a course mealy texture. Stir in the yeast mixture until well blended. Pat into a ball, flatten slightly, then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

• Step 3

  To make the filling, mix the almond paste, almonds, sugar, cinnamon and almond extract using an electric mixer until evenly blended. It may be crumbly.

• Step 4

  Roll the chilled dough out into a 2 inch wide and 24 inch long rectangle. Spread the filling to within 2 inches of the sides and roll up into a tube. Cover your work surface with sugar, and roll the tube of dough in the sugar to coat thoroughly. Roll and stretch the dough out to form a long rope about 40 inches long. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and shape into a pretzel shape.

• Step 5

  Brush the top of the pretzel with egg white and sprinkle with almonds. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

• Step 6

  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the kringle in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into slices to serve.