Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup topped with Cheddar and Croutons
I must have tried to make broccoli soup 50 times and never found one that I like. We made it at school one year, and it wasn’t what I wanted, and I had to serve it to 100 kids. They seemed to like it, but it wasn’t what I was going for. I always know what taste and flavor I have in my head; getting it is the experimenting part.
I came pretty close to finding a recipe a couple of years ago but have since tweaked it a few times; now it comes out perfect every time and is delicious…plus, it is easy to make!
I took everything that I liked about some recipes, took out the things I didn’t like, and voila; Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
I start with a large tight head of broccoli with no yellow or brown florets that I chop into small florets and cut the stalks into smaller pieces. Next, I chop a small onion or about 1/2 cup.
In a saucepan I add 2 Tbsp butter and the onion; sauté until soft. I add the broccoli pieces and 4 cups of broth. I use chicken but you can use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian if you wish.
I bring it to a boil and simmer with the lid on the pot for 30 minutes or until the broccoli is very soft. Next, I let it cool, then pour it into the blender and puree until it is nice and smooth. It’s safer blending cool liquids since the blender’s lid can blow off if you put scalding liquid inside. I cooked the broccoli yesterday and popped it into the fridge, then today at lunch, I blended it and finished the soup in just a few minutes.
Depending on the sodium level of the broth it can affect how you season your soup. If you used low sodium, you could add salt if you aren’t on a low sodium diet. If you used regular chicken or veggie stock, taste it after you blend it and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
I finish the soup with 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese; I used Cabot Extra Sharp. Lastly, I added 1/4 cup of cream, or you can use half and half or milk; this is up to you and how creamy or healthy you want it to be.
Today I served the soup with a Chicken Caesar Cheese Wrap, that’s right, a wrap made from parmesan cheese! Brilliant and holds together way better than gluten-free ones, and carb-friendly.
Today’s lunch after production.
This recipe was enough for Marty and me as part of a soup and sandwich lunch. Double the recipe for larger bowls or 4 people. My recipes are not fancy like on professional cooking blogs; mine are done, the Julzie way. 😉 I am sharing what I’ve learned so you can make it too.
I’ve tested and tweaked all of my recipes to come out correctly, so cooks can be successful when using my recipes. I have a blog post down the road about celebrity chefs and their recipes they share with the public.
Lunch on January 1st…Leftover homemade mini quiches and Caesar salad with broccoli cheddar soup. This was sooooooo good! All of my favorite things!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
1 large head of broccoli cut into florets 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 Tbsp butter 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup cream, half and half or milk Kosher salt and pepper to taste
In a saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add the cut-up broccoli and the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes or until the broccoli is very tender.
Remove the pan from the stove and let cool. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Put back into the saucepan and bring back up to a simmer. Check for seasoning; adding kosher salt and pepper to taste. Add shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Add the cream, half and half, or milk. Serve hot. Top with croutons if desired and more shredded cheese. Enjoy!
The one week old baby lamb named Robin that I visited yesterday.
Yesterday, after I made a couple of deliveries, I stopped by my friends Jon and Maria’s farm, Bedlam Farm.
They had some excitement happen there about a week ago; a baby lamb was born. A surprise baby lamb, they didn’t know that their sheep Laurie was pregnant.
I saw on Jon’s blog Bedlam Farm Journal and Maria’s Fullmoon Fiber Art photos of the new farm’s new addition. The baby lamb was named Robin, and he was adorable. The incredible story of how they saved his life is quite amazing; he was very close to freezing to death right after he was born.
The small and cozy stall Jon and Maria set up for Laurie and her baby.
They quickly worked as a team getting his mother to recognize him and start nursing him before it was too late. You can read about it on their blogs and get the whole story.
I am not a farm girl or even an animal person because I am afraid of anything other than dogs and cats, pretty much. That has changed after yesterday’s visit with Maria.
I had a few bad barnyard incidents, one on a class trip; a goat in the petting zoo we were in jumped up on my shoulders and knocked me over. I was young, and it frightened me.
Another incident was with my oldest son Noah. We were at a friend’s house, and there were horses across the street from her house. She brought us over to say hello, and the house spit and snotted on us. We were both traumatized by this; I wonder if Noah remembers this?
One other time was when Marty and I were still dating and we went for a horse trail ride. The horse must have sensed my fear because the entire time, he kept turning around, trying to bite my feet. I had to keep my feet way back for the whole ride. It was not enjoyable at all.
Jon and Maria held an annual open house at Bedlam Farm, and I was lucky to have attended the last one. I watched from afar a woman named Liz shear some of their sheep. It was awe-inspiring how Liz could handle the sheep during the shearing.
After the shearing, I walked over to a fence near the meadow, and someone put a carrot in my hand and told me to feed the donkeys. I reluctantly did it and gave their heads a quick pat. What a wimp I am when I am afraid but made myself do it.
Did you know donkey’s protect sheep from predators? They are like body guards on the farm warning the sheep if a predator or strange animal is near.
Yesterday, when I arrived at the farm, Maria was in the barn with the baby lamb Robin and his mama Laurie. She opened the gate for me to come into their stall. I focused on the lamb and how cute he was hopping all around that I forgot I was standing a few inches from a sheep!
I relaxed when I realized Laurie the sheep didn’t give a rat’s ass about me. I loved watching Robin nurse from his mama; she was so patient with him; she is such a good mother. He would get underneath her and bump up with his head before he started nursing.
Mama Laurie watching me while she nursed her baby and was having a snack herself.
Next, the two donkeys Fanny & Lulu, came to the fence of the pen. I told Maria how I was afraid of them but gave them a carrot anyway. She didn’t know I was afraid of animals; I told her about my bad experiences, and she listened, nodding her head.
Maria has been my belly dance student for almost four years, but yesterday our roles completely reversed.
When Maria started classes with our belly dance group, she was shy and afraid. She was out of her comfort zone, but she bravely came back week after week. Her shyness went away when she realized we were there to teach and support her, to make her feel comfortable, and not laugh at her if she was struggling.
Yesterday, I was shy and afraid when I stepped into the stall, completely out of my comfort zone. Maria made me feel comfortable and didn’t laugh at me that I was afraid.
The Donkeys Fanny & Lulu. The second photo I used from Maria’s blog and was taken by Jon Katz. Maria is introducing baby Robin to the donkeys and other sheep. It’s important that they know his smell right away and accepts him as part of the group, if not they would think he was a strange animal and may stomp on him. Maria looks so happy, doesn’t she? 🥰
With her, I pet the donkeys and completely relaxed. I even tried to quickly close a gate when Maria went into another stall to get hay. The sheep brushed up against me, and I wasn’t scared. I even got down low and took a few photos of baby Robin.
Maria, myself and some of our dance sisters at our last performance our Holiday Hafla 2019. This was right before Covid-19 hit, little did we all know what was coming…
I will never be a farm girl, but changing places with Maria from teacher to student was such a great experience and lesson. She was so confident and knowledgeable about her farm and animals like I am with musicality and dancing. We are dance sisters, and yesterday she was the big sister!
Eggplant parm is one of my favorite things to eat. I could eat it a couple of times a week. When I worked in NYC, I did eat it a couple of times a week in a sub sandwich.
I make my thin and crispy eggplant cutlets in the oven. My gluten-free ones are as good as the regular version. This is not always the case using gluten-free ingredients.
Thin eggplant cutlets
I never liked how greasy the breaded eggplant got whenever I fried them in a pan. The key when using the baking method is how you bread the eggplant and have a super hot oven.
I don’t salt my eggplant to remove the bitter moisture like every recipe tells you to. I pat my eggplant rounds dry with a paper towel, then dredge the eggplant rounds in flour to absorb those bitter juices. Dredging anything in flour first helps the eggs and breading stick better. My eggplant has never been bitter without salting it, and it saves a time-consuming step.
I like my eggplant peeled and sliced thinly; they get super crispy when they are cut that way. I am also not a skin on my eggplant kind of gal. I’m not picky about too many things, but that is one of them. When choosing eggplant, pick one that is firm with shiny skin without bruises or soft spots.
My version of eggplant parm stackers is a fan favorite because the eggplant stays crispy and doesn’t get mushy from the marinara sauce like in regular baked eggplant parm casserole.
I get my dredging station set up and my oven preheating to 400 degrees before I even touch the eggplant. It turns brown quickly, so you have to move fast after you slice it. I also get my sheet pans oiled lightly and ready to go.
For the dredging station, I use one bowl or pie plate for flour, one for an egg wash, and another with seasoned breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
When I used to watch Emeril Lagasse talk about his dredging station on his Emeril Live TV show, he would say, “I don’t know where you get your eggs from, but mine don’t come seasoned.” He said the same thing about the flour and the breadcrumbs.
Right away, people think, oh, that’s going to be too salty or too whatever since he is seasoning everything. He was trying to teach people how to layer flavor during the cooking process. Adding salt only at the end would be salty on the outside, but the food would be bland inside. You absolutely have to season as you go if you want to become a better cook.
I add a pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, a little Italian seasoning, and garlic powder into my flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs.
When I start the dredging and breading process, I also keep more eggs, seasoning, flour, and breadcrumbs handy because I always need more. Always! 🤦🏻♀️
The eggplant first gets covered in flour completely; next dipped into the egg covering it completely, shaking off excess egg before putting it into the breadcrumbs. The trick is to have one dry hand and one wet hand, so you don’t end up with monster breadcrumb fingers. I keep a roll of paper towels handy if I need to wipe my hands during the process.
I place the breaded eggplant slices on the oiled baking sheet. I always need two of them, so now I have the second one ready to go. After all the eggplant is breaded, I drizzle just a touch of oil on the tops of them. Next, I throw the trays into the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes.
After the 20 minutes are up on the first side, flip them over and put them back into the oven for 10 more minutes. You want them golden and crispy. If you sliced your eggplant thick, they might take longer; that’s cooking with your eyes and touch, not relying on a recipe exclusively.
When the eggplant is done, let it cool, then it can be stored in a storage container or wrapped in foil. I make a lot and freeze some in a container, then one night, I can pull it out and make eggplant parm stackers in a hurry. I usually have small containers of marinara sauce in the freezer for this purpose as well.
I usually make my eggplant cutlets earlier in the day or a day before and cover loosely in the refrigerator until I am ready to assemble the stackers.
I will not be a cooking snob; I won’t tell you that you have to use homemade marinara sauce. Using your favorite jarred sauce is fine. As far as cheese is concerned, I would rather use smaller amounts of whole milk mozzarella than low-fat; it melts and tastes better.
Assembly of the stackers
If you don’t want to buy a whole block of mozzarella because it’s only two of you or just you, you can get a couple of slices of thinly sliced mozzarella at the deli counter. I do that with cold cuts that I need for a recipe that calls for a slice or two, like in chicken cordon bleu. I don’t care if the deli clerk thinks I am a pain in the ass because I want two slices of ham and two slices of swiss.
I suggest always shredding your own cheeses and stay away from the pre-shredded ones. Why? Pre-shredded cheeses are covered in cellulose. Here’s what I found out about it in a Wall Street Journal article about food additives.
“In packaged shredded cheese, cellulose is used to coat the pieces of cheese, blocking out the moisture that causes them to clump. But that is just the beginning; cellulose is also used to replace fat and give a creamier feel to foods like low-fat ice cream, to thicken and stabilize, and to boost fiber content.”
Fiber content, my ass, cellulose is made from wood pulp! Yes indeed. They don’t tell you that on the package of cheese or your low-fat ice cream. I don’t want wood pulp on my eggplant parm, pizza, or tacos. Do you? Anytime I have used pre-shredded cheese, I’ve kicked myself.
I know, I know you don’t have time to shred your own cheese, but I will always say you should be doing your mise en place anyway. I ride people constantly about prepping ahead, especially when they complain they don’t have time. Just taking a few minutes here and there to get it done. Lastly, shredding cheese yourself also saves money.
I served my eggplant stackers the other night with my “pizza fries” and a side of marinara sauce for dipping. I didn’t have any fresh basil, but used frozen basil in the marinara sauce. I added a bit of basil oil on top for garnish.
Wow! I didn’t think I had so much to say about eggplant parm stackers, but I guess when I am super passionate about a recipe, it happens. I hope you will try my recipe and love it as much as I do.
Eggplant Parm Stackers
1 medium eggplant peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds 3 eggs whisked 3 Tbsp water 1/2-3/4 cup regular or gluten-free flour 1 1/2-2 cups seasoned regular or gluten-free breadcrumbs 1/3-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp Italian seasoning Olive oil or pan spray to baking sheets
2-3 cups of marinara sauce or a 24 oz jar of marinara sauce 1 lb mozzarella cheese thinly sliced 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves torn or thinly sliced Pan spray or olive oil to lightly coat a baking sheet or Pyrex dish
For the breaded eggplant:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees F and lightly coat baking sheet(s) with olive oil or pan spray.
For the dredging station, set up three bowls or pie plates. Add the flour to one; in another, whisk the eggs and water to make an egg wash; for the last one, mix breadcrumbs & parmesan cheese. Divide the kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder & Italian seasoning between the egg wash, flour, and breadcrumbs; mix each well.
Prepare the eggplant by peeling and slicing—Bread the eggplant. Dip eggplant rounds into the flour coating completely. Next, dip the eggplant into the egg wash again, coating completely. Place the eggplant into the breadcrumb mixture using light pressure, so breadcrumbs adhere on both sides. Repeat using all eggplant rounds and adding more flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, or parmesans cheese as necessary.
Place each of the breaded eggplant rounds on the prepared baking sheets as you go, arranging in a single layer. Lightly spray or drizzle a small amount of olive oil to the tops of the breaded eggplant rounds.
Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the eggplant and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool and set aside.
To make the stackers:
Lightly coat a sheet pan or pyrex dish with pan spray or olive oil. Divide the eggplant rounds into threes; this will be the number of stackers you will have. You should have between 4-6, depending on how thin the rounds are. Arrange the largest 4-6 rounds on the baking sheet. Top each with two tablespoons of sauce, 1 slice of mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of basil leaves. Repeat with two more layers, medium-size slices for the middle and smallest ones for the top, ending with sauce and cheese. Do not add basil leaves to the top layer, it will burn.
Bake for 20 minutes at 375-degrees or until the stackers are hot and the cheese is melted between all the layers. Remove from the oven and top each stacker with fresh basil leaves. Serve hot.
Breaded eggplant cutlets can be made a day or two in advance and stored wrapped in foil or a covered container. Double the batch and freeze some in a container. Defrost and assemble.
Eggplant parm stackers can be assembled early and refrigerated. 20 minutes before dinner, bake for 20 minutes or until done. Enjoy! Serve with pasta, roasted potatoes, or a salad.
Main Street or Route 7A or Ethan Allen Highway in Arlington.
The weather here in Vermont for the last two days has been glorious! I’ve lived here for 31 years and know that it won’t last, but it seems that everyone is living in the moment and taking advantage of the warm sunny days while we have them. 45-degrees in Vermont after a long winter is t-shirt and sweatshirt weather.
Instead of walking on the treadmill, I’ve been able to walk outdoors again. Yesterday my walk was tricky as I had to puddle jump my way down Main Street. If I had my muck boots on, that wouldn’t have been an issue, but I was wearing sneakers.
I know I keep bringing up how different my life has been since I started living life as a journey and not a destination; my walk yesterday proved it once more.
I used to leave my house, and all I thought about when I walked was getting my exercise in and getting home. Yesterday I really looked at what I was walking through…history.
Arlington, VT, was chartered in 1761 with some pretty historical people who have lived here. Thomas Chittenden the first governor of Vermont, and Arlington was the first capital of Vermont. His home is the oldest wood-framed home in our town.
Thomas Chittenden’s homeSmall creek next to the Chittenden Home was high and running faster than usual.
Norman Rockwell did most of his iconic paintings living in Arlington. He used the townspeople as his models. He was criticized that he wasn’t a real artist using models correctly because he had the models photographed, then he painted. He reasoned that the hard-working people didn’t have time to waste sitting for hours. Many of the model’s families and child models still live here today. It’s very cool.
Dorothy Canfield, another resident, was an author, educator and started the original Montessori way of teaching. Her home is diagonal from our home and is now a community house where I taught my cooking classes.
I love this birdbath in front of the Dorothy Canfield Community House.
Revolutionary War soldiers included Sam Adams, Ethan & Ira Allen, who lived right here as well. The Green Mountain Boys held meetings next door to our house at the Deming House.
Many homes here in Arlington were part of the Underground Railroad and still have hidden doors and hiding places in them. Cool or what?
Our home was built in 1832 across the street from where it is today. The story goes that two brothers who owned homes across the street from each other had an argument, and the one brother decided in 1850 to move the peasant’s quarters across Main Street. Yes, we live in peasant’s quarters! 😂
I took this tonight and captured the sun seconds before it dipped behind the mountain.
Many homes have candles in their windows all year long. I learned from the previous owner that candles were put in windows of homes so that travelers would know what places they could find with different accommodations.
One candle meant the home was open to travelers for drinks. Two candles meant food and drink. Three candles were lodging, food, and drink. The fourth candle meant they had all those things and some nice ladies who could keep you company, putting it nicely. Of course, I ran out and had to put four candles in our windows the next day!
Those “spatzle people’s” house and almost all the snow is gone! Woot!
As I walked around town yesterday, I thought about these very people and how they literally walked the same path I was on, and I imagined what it was like through their eyes. I’ve never looked at it this way before. I love living in such an old historic place, maybe in 150 years people will point to our house and say that’s where those “spätzle people” lived.
Four years ago today was the actual birth date of our business, The Vermont Spatzle Company. Marty and I decided that we were going to start our own business, and we were going to give it 110%. The first thing Marty did was to register the name of our business with the Vermont Secretary of State. That was the easy part.
During April & May, we had a lot to figure out. We both ran other people’s businesses before, but not our own. We both worked full-time jobs, so we had to work on the business in the evenings or any spare second either of us had. First, we designed our logo with a friend of mine.
Next, Marty worked on designing the label and what kind of container to put the spatzle in. There were so many options to chose from. He ordered samples, and we finally decided on the one we are still using today. He also found the right programs available online to help with our nutritional label and our UPC.
Logo and background for new labels
I had to figure out how to increase my batch sizes, drain, cool, package, and label our product. We sold our first package of spatzle at the beginning of June. We were in local businesses by the second week of June, and we were growing in popularity using social media. We had learned so much not only in that first three months but the first year.
We found some people who were so helpful and supportive that first year. One of our wholesale customers pointed out that the label we were using was boring and showed us that when it was merchandised in different freezers and coolers, you couldn’t tell what our product was. He also told us we needed something colorful and eye-catching.
Our first labels
He arranged a meeting with a graphic artist to help us, but we realized quickly that there was no way we could afford to work with anyone professional. The new label design would have cost us thousands of dollars.
Marty started making different prototypes, we would discuss them, and he would tweak them. I looked through different photos I took of the product, and bingo! A photo of the spatzle in a cast iron frying pan was perfect. Then we figured out the color scheme. Next, we had to figure out how big the label needed to be to wrap around our package not only for looks but for safety purposes.
Eye catching and colorful new labels
Before we knew it, our spatzle was on the shelves of almost every co-op in Vermont and many specialty stores. It was bizarre in the beginning walking into a store and seeing our product in the cooler or freezer. We made, touched, weighed, packaged, labeled, and delivered that package ourselves. Now when I see our product in a store, I say hi to it.
Our product in the cooler of one of our wholesale customers. Spatzle getting boxed up and ready to get delivered.
I wrote the date 3/11/17 on our kitchen chalkboard that night so we wouldn’t forget when we said we would make this idea happen. No one erased it. I added the logo to the chalkboard a couple of weeks later. 3/11/17 was the day we both started living the “American Dream.”
All of a sudden, I feel like things are on the upswing. Here in Vermont, the birds are chirping in the morning again, which is such a welcome sound after a long winter. I heard a woodpecker banging away on a tree yesterday. I think skunks are coming out of their hibernation, one sprayed right outside our barn, and I could smell it in the gym, which I never thought I would be happy to smell.
The days are noticeably longer and will be even longer after we “spring ahead,” turning our clocks ahead one hour on Sunday morning. Since January, the snow that has been on the ground is finally melting with the sun higher in the sky and warmer temperatures. Yesterday, it smelled like spring now that areas of dirt are being uncovered.
The snow is melting!
I was able to sign up for my first vaccine on Monday morning as a 55-year-old with health risks. I never thought I would be so happy to have just turned a year older! I go on March 17 and feel some sense of relief just having the appointment; I was experiencing vaccine envy like many people are.
I can’t wait until anyone can sign up to be vaccinated here in Vermont and not have to wait for their age bracket. It’s like trying to reach a carrot that’s being dangled in front of you, so close but still out of reach. I think that time will come very soon since there is now a third vaccine available.
People went from doing toilet paper math to calculating when they will be getting their second shot. Then they add two weeks and have the date they can hug and see other fully vaccinated loved ones and friends again, without masks.
I am planning on returning to the Saturday Saratoga Farmers Market next Saturday, March 20. I haven’t been to the market since right before Christmas when the Covid numbers began spiking not only in Saratoga but here in VT as well. I’ve missed our customers, other market vendors, and staff so much.
It’s been a year since I taught my last real belly dance class. Now I feel extremely hopeful that we will all be back to class without masks and not afraid of each other anymore soon. I can’t wait to dance with my dance sisters and to be able to open our Wednesday night classes to the public once more.
Every year I look forward to spring and do a happy dance when the flowers start popping up. After an entire year of hell that everyone has endured, all the little things on my journey this spring seem to be a little brighter, greener, more beautiful than before.
I never had cauliflower growing up. Not once, not even frozen. I really don’t remember when I started liking it; I think I had it at an Indian restaurant and liked it.
I looked in my 1950-s Betty Crocker cookbook and there it was…Cauliflower Au Gratin or curried cauliflower au gratin. I made it for lunch one day along with some white rice. It was so creamy, exotic from the curry spices, and delicious. It didn’t taste like the cauliflower I heard about people hating. It was satisfying as well.
Since I follow a gluten-free diet there are lots of gluten-free recipes and videos that pop up on my FB and Instagram newsfeeds. There are also a lot of Keto and low carb recipes that get lumped together with gluten-free. All showcasing cauliflower recipes.
Making Cauliflower Pizza Crusts
The debut of the cauliflower pizza crust took the country by storm. People were like, WTF? Everyone, including me, was skeptical. All of the celebrity chefs were on their TV shows making a version. I made my own cauliflower pizza crust, and it was good.
Sausage, Peppers & OnionsPepperoni
Commercial cauliflower pizza crusts have gotten better over the last few years. We always have a case of them in our freezer. We get ours from Restaurant Depot, and it is better than any commercial gluten-free crust out there. I make my own GF pizza dough, but it takes some planning ahead; it takes at least 24 hours to proof in the refrigerator. The cauliflower crust is the quickest dinner I can throw together for lunch or dinner on production and farmer’s market days.
First one Thai Chicken Pizza. Second one Grilled Peach, Prosciutto, Sage, and Burrata Cheese. Third one Grilled Caramelized Onions, Rosemary, Fresh Mozzarella and Ricotta Cheese. Fourth one Grilled New Haven White Pie with Clam Sauce.
Back in 2014, I started experimenting with some of the recipes I saw on my newsfeed only because I was intrigued. I made tater tots, mashed “potatoes” and hash browns from cauliflower. They were really good. So delicious you could fool people with the tater tots, they were that good.
Cauliflower Tater Tots
I also tried making cauliflower rice. This was before Trader Joe’s started selling frozen cauliflower rice. Then everyone did. I made fried rice and Indian spices rice with cauliflower and I have to say they were fantastic. They even held up for lunch the next day.
Indian Spiced and Chinese Fried Cauliflower Rice
One night I made General Tso’s “chicken” with cauliflower. Noah was away at school I’m not sure if he would have tried it, but Sam was a good eater and I didn’t give it a second thought. He took one bite and put his fork down. “Don’t ever try to fool me with this cauliflower business again.” Ooopppps! He’s my food texture kid and he was expecting to bite into a piece of chicken; this was softer than chicken. He ate only the rice for dinner. Thank goodness I didn’t make cauliflower rice too! 😂
The Infamous General Tso’s “Chicken”
A couple of weeks ago, I saw a recipe for buffalos chicken cauliflower. I’ve seen these recipes posted all the time, but this one looked better than the others. I read through the recipe and made it that night. I always have a cauliflower head in my refrigerator as one of my staple veggies to have on hand.
Cauliflower Buffalo Bites
The recipe called for making a batter which I used all-purpose gluten-free flour. I added hot sauce to the batter to layer a little more flavor. I baked them on a baking tray and turned them halfway through. Brushed them with homemade Buffalo sauce and put them back in the oven just like the recipe said.
I made a homemade bleu cheese dressing because I am that asshole who can’t eat the bottled stuff when I can make my own in 5 minutes. I always have some bleu cheese in my cheese drawer. When I put them on the platter, they looked like fucking buffalo wings! The way I cut them, leaving part of the stalk, looked like drum sticks!
When we tried them Marty and I were like, “Holy shit these are so good!” Marty said if he couldn’t have chicken again he would be happy with these; they were that good. We even reheated the rest the next day for lunch and they were just as good. Would Sam like them? Out of principle, he wouldn’t.
Cauliflower Hash Browns, Bacon & Eggs
One of my favorite memes last year was something like this. “If potatoes can be vodka and cauliflower can be pizza & buffalo wings, you can be whatever you want to be!” When you think about it, it’s true!
Here are some boring facts about cauliflower I thought I would share since it is categorized as a superfood. I think it’s a superhero, personally. These are some pretty good reasons to eat or try it, though.
From Inspiring Health Solutions:
▪ Cauliflower is rich in healthy vitamins and minerals, including beta-carotene, lutein, and vitamins C, E, and K; and folate.
▪ One serving of cauliflower contains 75 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C.
▪ Cauliflower is a good source of choline, a B vitamin that aids in brain development and may improve cognitive abilities and prevent against age-related memory loss.
▪ Importantly, cauliflower is a cancer-fighting food. It contains sulfur-containing chemicals called glucosinolates. During digestion, glucosinolates form the compounds indoles and isothiocyanates. According to the National Cancer Institute, indoles and isothiocyanates (in laboratory tests) have been found to inhibit the development of cancer, including breast, colon, lung, stomach, and bladder cancer.
▪ These compounds also have antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.
▪ Cauliflower is a great source of good fiber – aiding digestion and helping you feel fuller, longer.
Now I know some people are still going to hate cauliflower. I hated jumping on the bandwagon with everyone else at first, but I have to give cauliflower the recognition it deserves.
If you decide to try some of the amazing recipes out there, look for a firm and white cauliflower. Avoid ones with yellow or brown spots. Don’t try to use frozen cauliflower florets instead of fresh; it just doesn’t work. I tried…
Whether you are gluten-free, following a Keto diet, or are trying to get more veggies either into yourself or your family, you should look up a few cauliflower recipes and make one. Everyone won’t like it because they hate cauliflower, or haters gonna hate no matter what.
Superplus Super Heroes UK
Cauliflower is a superhero and comes to the rescue for lunch or dinner. In 2017 Time Magazine actually declared cauliflower the new “It” vegetable. It is extraordinarily good; wonderful. By the way that is the definition of the real word su-per-ca-li-fra-gil-is-tic-ex-pi-a-li-do-cious means the same thing extraordinarily good; wonderful. The thing that I can’t believe is there isn’t a cauliflower emoji, dammit!
I usually make Marty and me breakfast and lunch, but today we decided we would fend for ourselves. Marty made his breakfast while I was busy and it smelled delicious.
I wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing and finally asked him what he made. With a smirk, he said bacon, egg, and cheese on waffles. Sounds like a delicious breakfast. I had some honey greek yogurt and a piece of my homemade peanut butter protein bars.
For lunch, he made leftover chicken tenders sautéed in from what I could smell, hoisin sauce, and he added a tiny bit of spätzle we had leftover as well. I made some seafood salad and had it on a rice cake.
Marty’s style of cooking I call mish-mosh. There is nothing wrong with mish-mosh cooking, and it actually impresses the hell out of me. It’s like taking a mystery basket on the TV show Chopped and turning it into a gourmet meal.
Marty cooks by the seat of his pants; the problem for me is that you can never duplicate what you made with that style of cooking. For him that doesn’t matter.
When you are cooking for the public or like I did for kids at school, people expect the dishes you make to taste the same way every time they order them. That is why there are standardized recipes.
I have to give Marty credit that when he has to replicate food, he can and does it well. For 17 years, he cooked a Harvest Buffet Dinner as a fundraiser for the Arlington Rescue Squad. He had the help of a couple of friends that were on the rescue squad with him. I was in the kitchen to do what they asked me to do, and I was the dishwasher or better known as the dish bitch.
Their dinner was Slow Roasted Prime Rib with Horseradish Sauce, Roasted Turkey with Mango Chutney, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Maple Glazed Baby Carrots, and the showstopper Marty’s Famous Autumn Bisque. Desserts and rolls were made and dropped off by local businesses and community members.
People came every year and raved about everything, but the Autumn Bisque was always a home run. It was a savory butternut squash soup with warming spices and a bit of heat from pepper. It was topped off on the buffet line with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ice cream in soup? That was what made his butternut squash soup a bisque, it was the cream in the bisque. When it hit the hot soup it immediately started to melt. When people stirred it looked like a soup latte.
He made a gigantic vat of the soup and was able to duplicate the taste every year. At the end of the cook, he would ask me what it needed and he would readjust his seasonings. It tasted the same year after year which is what people loved and looked forward to all year.
Marty is a great cook when he needs to be but prefers being a mish-mosh cook at home, especially when cooking for himself. I can put together a meal with things that I find in the fridge too, but I give way too much thought about what flavors go together and what compliments what to be a mish-mosh cook.
Does this go back to the banana etiquette piece I wrote about back in January? Does it have anything to do with being right or left-hand thinkers? How about our personality types? This may be since I am a planner and like things organized, and he flies by the seat of his pants and doesn’t stress about stuff.
Whatever we are doing we must balance each other out. We have been together since 1985 and married for almost 32 years. We rarely fight, but squabble about stupid things when one of us is being stubborn.
In our spätzle production kitchen, there is no squabbling. We each have specific jobs, and we work together like a well-oiled machine. We can work in close quarters and not bump into each other. We have a rhythm that flows. When we used to do catering, we had the same kind of workflow. Each of us is good at different things and has separate jobs, getting everything done well and efficiently.
I love that is Marty mish-mosh cook. I love seeing the things he comes up with. He loves my cooking and knows exactly what to expect when I say I am making such and such. We balance each other out and are a good match.
Corned Beef with Colcannon topped with Crispy Bacon and Green Onions
Many people say this time of year, “I don’t like corned beef and cabbage.” Others say, “New England boil dinners are disgusting.” The same people love ordering a Rueben Sandwich at their favorite deli or restaurant.
I grew up eating boiled corned beef and cabbage. My adopted mother is Irish, and this was her biggie every year. I liked it and looked forward to it. I put a shitload of butter on the waterlogged potatoes and cabbage that I smashed with my fork. Even though the corned beef is salty, the potatoes and cabbage were bland and needed salt and pepper. The beef always fell apart, and we ended up with fatty chunks of meat. I’ve had boiled corned beef out, and it is basically served the same way.
A few years ago, I upped my corned beef and cabbage game. Instead of the typical boil dinner, I now roast my corned beef and make either colcannon or other delicious dishes with cabbage, potatoes, and onions.
The meat is the easiest thing to make in the world!!! Just rinse off your corned beef and pat it dry. Top the fatty side with pickling spice and a couple of cloves of minced garlic. The little packet of pickling spice they give you with your corned beef is not enough and, most times, not very fresh. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful store called the Market Wagon in Bennington, VT. They sell dried herbs and spices in bulk. I can promise you their spices and herbs are very fresh; they have the date they weighed and packed it on. Bulk herbs and spices are available at many health food stores and online, which are much better than dollar store spices.
Before and after roasted corned beef.
Pre-heat your oven to 350-degrees. Next, wrap the corned beef tightly in aluminum foil and place it in a Pyrex dish—Bake at 350-degrees an hour for every pound of your beef. Mine was 3 lbs, so I baked for 3 hours. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely!!! Do not unwrap. I like to make mine ahead and will throw it into the refrigerator for a day or two.
Unwrapped corned beef, slicing and reheating in braising juices.
When you are ready to use your corned beef, unwrap and trim off the fat cap and pickling spice on top. I always save the juices that are in the pyrex dish after I unwrap the corned beef. Slice it against the grain they tell you. If you aren’t comfortable slicing meat, slicing the corned beef when it is cool makes it very easy to learn how to slice properly.
Since the meat is cool, you can actually pick it up and see which way the grain or the beef lines are going. You are going to slice in the opposite direction or against the grain. Having a sharp carving knife is also key to slicing any meat. I like my corned beef sliced thinly on an angle. Please don’t be afraid or intimidated; I take my time when I am slicing up a piece of meat that I cooked and cooled longingly.
Rueben Sandwiches are traditionally made with sauerkraut, but we cole slaw on ours.
Now you can have your corned beef as part of a St. Patrick’s Day meal or just for Rueben Sandwiches. They sell corned beef all year, and it doesn’t have to be eaten only once a year or at a deli. After the corned beef is sliced, it’s time to reheat it. This is what all Jewish delicatessens do with their corned beef and pastrami. Basically, you are steaming the meat by slowly heating it in the braising liquid. Just put your sliced beef into a saute pan and add the juices to the pan. Cover with a lid and simmer gently until the beef is hot. If you forget and throw away the braising liquid, use water or low sodium beef broth.
Colcannon is something I never heard of until a few years ago. What can I say, except this is a big game-changer? The best part of boiled corned beef and cabbage was the leftovers the next day, fried up in a cast iron pan. So why eat the flavorless boiled stuff, to begin with? Why wait until the next day to have the cabbage and potatoes the way you like them?
Colcannon topped with sharp cheddar cheese and baked. OMG!
To make colcannon I start by making a batch of homemade mashed potatoes. Next, I slice up some onions and cabbage. I start with the onions cooking them slowly in a little bit of butter in a cast-iron pan until they are soft and translucent.
Next, add the sliced cabbage to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onions and cabbage are caramelized and golden brown. Remove from the pan and mix with the mashed potatoes. The last time I made colcannon, I spread it out in a Pyrex dish, topped it with sharp cheddar, and baked it until the cheese was melted and golden brown. Holy Mother of Jesus was that good! Do that last line with an Irish accent!!! 😆☘️
Cornmeal Crust Caramelized Onion and Cheese Tart and Pasnip Puree with Corned Beef.
Some other side dishes that I have made with my corned beef dinner are Parsnip Puree, Carmalized Onions and Cabbage, Cornmeal Crust Three Cheese Onion Tart, Shaved, and Caramelized Brussel Sprouts. All of them were delicious and there are many more recipes I want to try making with my corned beef.
Corned Beef with Hot Crash Potatoes & Caramelized Cabbage. Shaved Brussel Sprouts with Onions & Bacon with a touch of local honey and Celeriac Au Gratin.
Before you throw your corned beef into a stockpot or crockpot, please consider roasting it. If you still want boiled potatoes and cabbage, you can do that separately. If you want to try something new, go for it. Remember there aren’t any rules, you can make whatever you want or like.
If you aren’t Irish and don’t give a rats ass about St. Patrick’s Day, then roast up some corned beef and make yourself a delicious Rueben Sandwich, Ruben Eggrolls, Ruben Casserole, or have a little corned beef on rye with a schmear of mustard.
Last year before the pandemic, our 1832 Vermont Cape Cod home was painted very dark on the inside. Our dining room was a deep red, the living room was done in a brown suede finish, Noah’s room was black and red, and our bedroom was called midnight.
I loved all of these colors when we were renovating and painting each room at a time. It took us about 12 years to finish all of our projects. We said we were finally done with projects, then Covid hit.
Living room before and after…dark to light.
Being stuck in the house for so long with winter, then the lockdown, we started going stir crazy. This was before I was on the journey and still on the destination; I said, “Our next house is going to be light, bright, and airy, with clean lines. Duh, Julz, you have to wait until your next house?
Noah’s red bedroom and our light and bright office space.
It took us forever to pick out a shade of white paint. There were hundreds to pick from. We had to choose a warm white or a cool white and what finish we wanted. We recently saw our friend’s new living room, and it was a light gray in a velvet finish. Gorgeous!
So we picked sailcloth white with the velvet finish and started painting. We did the living room; then we used the same paint to paint Noah’s newly abandoned bedroom since he moved out at the beginning of March. It was our new office, and both the rooms looked so much better. I got some sheer curtains, and wow, what a difference.
Dining room before and after…red to gray.
Now our dining room was so dark and looked like it didn’t belong. We wanted a very light gray, and again, there were hundreds to choose from. I don’t remember the color we chose, but it came out great and really brightened up our whole downstairs.
At this point, we were getting a little sick and tired of painting and having our house be a wreck moving everything out of each room we were working on it. Then Marty said, “I hate how dark our bedroom is.” That started another project, and we ended up ripping up the carpet that was in there too. We picked edelweiss white, a big change from midnight black. I had to get new linens since the dark black and white sheets didn’t look good at all.
Black to white.
I wanted our room to look like a bedroom in Paris, and I wanted it to be white on different shades of white. I had a canvas photo of the Eiffel Tower hanging up in our black bedroom, but it looks better in our new white one. I love Paris so much; it’s my most favorite place on earth. After all of this covid business is over and we can travel again, we plan to go in the not so far off future. That is a whole other blog post.
Along with the new linens, we picked up a used chandelier since I always wanted one in our bedroom and an area rug. A pair of sheer curtains and a couple of tie-back hooks, and voila! Tres Magnifique!
We both were pleased with how the bedroom came out. It was like sleeping in a bed and breakfast or a hotel room in Paris. Every morning Marty kept saying how it didn’t feel like our bedroom.
The last thing that looked like garbage was the staircase walls and upstairs hallway. We were super busy with the business and getting ready for our biggest season Oktoberfest. We actually hired a painter from town, which we have never done before. Two guys came in, got it done in one afternoon…boom. It was such a huge help not having us set up scaffolding on the stairs to paint at the stairwell’s top.
Our bedroom…today!
As spring is approaching, I decided that I wanted to add just a small touch of color to our all-white bedroom. Purple is my favorite color. I picked out some beautiful purple and gray floral sheets. I was able to reuse my lavender and purple pillows we had in our black bedroom. I just got done putting them on the bed, and I love it! 💜
