Family Favorite Friday: Creamy Cauliflower and Carrot Curry Soup

With the ever-fluctuating cold/warm weather we've been having lately, a sudden cold spell put me in the mood for a cozy soup...and then it put me in the mood for curry. I looked in my fridge and saw that I had a head of cauliflower that needed to be used and a few carrots. I had those, and all the required ingredients for making a curry soup. Huzzah!

Creamy Cauliflower and Carrot Curry Soup
(serves 8+)


Ingredients:


1 head of cauliflower, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups water
2 cups cream (light or heavy)
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive, coconut or canola oil (all taste great!)
2 tbsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste (optional)


Saute the onion and garlic in a large pot with the oil for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Mix in the curry powder until onions and garlic are well-coated, cook for another minute, then add the cauliflower and carrot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously for another minute, then add the water and broth. Bring to a boil, adding the salt and pepper to taste and more curry if desired as it cooks. Cook for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Once, ready, remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender. If you're like me and do not have one of those nifty things, then pour into blender in batches. Be careful not to fill to the top of the blender to avoid over-flowing, and be careful not to burn yourself! Set blended soup mixture aside in separate bowl. 


In the same pot you cooked the vegetables in, melt butter over low heat. Mix in the flour with a beater until smooth, then add the cream. Cook over medium-low heat until smooth and bubbly, whisking as it cooks. Slowly stir in the vegetable soup mix until well-blended with the cream mix. Add in hot sauce if you want it hotter, otherwise serve as is with some toasted bread (I recommend sourdough, naan or rye). 

I decided to add a little extra curry after soup and cream were combined

garnished with a few drops of hot sauce and some parsley

I made this soup for Meatless Monday this week and it has been the best leftovers. I just couldn't wait until Meatless Monday next week to post about it! Paul loved it, I loved it, and even Lily loved it. This is how she had it- as a sauce over steamed cauliflower and carrots:

with a happy blue unicorn!

This is such a yummy soup for a cozy, rainy day that anyone will enjoy. If you don't add the hot sauce, it is quite mild in spiciness so picky eaters should love it too. The carrots give it a nice sweetness, while the cauliflower blends perfectly with the cream. This soup is also a powerhouse of nutrients and health aides, containing vitamins C and K from the cauliflower, vitamin A from the carrots, the cleansing power of turmeric from the curry, and the anti-cancerous and blood pressure-lowering benefits from the garlic. 


Baby can enjoy some of the carrots and cauliflower steamed until very soft, pureed and mixed with breast milk or formula. Add a little whole grain cereal for extra "umph." Carrots and cauliflower are safe for infants over 3 months to eat (depending on what your pediatrician recommends, always check with them first!).


Have a great weekend!

Meatless Monday: Zesty Corn Fritters

It's a little late in the day, but I figured better late than never! The reason for my tardiness with this post is because Boo-Boovania now has another resident: moi. Yes, as you may have read in my last post, April has been a month for accidents mainly targeted at poor Lily, but yesterday I slipped on the playground I took her to and busted my foot. It was okay at first after the initial shock of pain wore off, but as the day wore on, I realized the pain was not subsiding but getting worse and worse. Fearing the worst after reading about symptoms surrounding broken bones in feet, I made a trip to the emergency room with my dear mother, only to find that I had merely sprained it. They hooked me up with a boot (pictured below) and a pair of crutches (which are just a pain and going unused). My foot feels much better today, but needless to say, being in the ER kept me from writing a post.

This boot was made for limpin'

Today's Meatless Monday post is a recipe a I first made over a month ago and have since replicated in different ways by adding or subtracting ingredients. Overall, this particular concoction is not your average overly-battered corn fritter. Enjoy!

Zesty Corn Fritters

Serving suggestion for if it weren't Meatless Monday

 Ingredients

1 14 oz package frozen corn defrosted, or fresh corn from 3-4 ears

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 small jalapenos or 1 large, de-seeded and diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped scallion

1 lime, juiced

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 cup water (plus extra if needed) 

Apprx. 1 cup oil for frying (canola, grapeseed or vegetable)

In a large bowl, mix flour, seasonings and baking powder together in bowl, then beat in the eggs, lime and water. Stir until smooth, then add all other ingredients except for the oil. If mixture looks too wet, add a little more flour; if it looks too dry, add a little more water. It should basically look like pancake batter with chunks of veggies in it. 

Pre-mixing

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot enough (simmering and smoking, but not boiling), drop spoonfuls of the fritter batter into pan like in the picture below.

Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from pan with a spatula and set on paper toweled plate or cookie sheets. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. These babies go nicely with black beans (such as this soup), enchiladas, or a Southwestern-style salad.

getting golden

a version I made with slightly less flour

Lily-approved

My family and I enjoy these just fine without any dipping sauce, but you can find some tasty sauce recipes at the two links below, where I also based my recipe off of.

 

Raita

Sweet Chili Sauce

These are SO GOOD and quite easy to make. You can bake them too, but these are one of the few foods I really do enjoy more fried. Using a healthier oil such as grapeseed or canola keeps the calories down. You could even use coconut or olive, although I never tried either.

These will be a hit with your family and any dinner guests you might have over. They are also ideal for cook-outs and parties. You can mix it up and add other ingredients to make it unique to your tastes with the greatest of ease. Just use the batter ingredients and corn as your base.

Grapeseed oil is not an oil I commonly use, mainly because it can be a bit costly, but you should be informed of its potential health benefits. It's most commonly known for promoting healthy skin, but it also very good for your heart, full of healthy fats and omegas, and has a high amount of antioxidants from vitamins C, E and beta carotene.  To get the most potent grapeseed oil, go organic!

Once again I hope to be posting more often as soon as possible, until then thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated!

Family Favorite Friday: Sausage, Spinach and Potato Skillet

Today's Family Favorite is a new favorite I recently whipped up. It was such a huge hit I decided to go ahead and give it "fam fave" status since it's still fresh in my mind. The brand of sausage is a great one because not only is it tasty, but also organic at a fair price. The addition of feta to the combo of flavorful chicken sausage, green spinach, and the mildly sweet Yukon Golds (which were also featured on this week's Meatless Monday) makes this a unique dish that you can mix-up with other veggies, such as bell peppers, black olives and fresh tomato, if desired. 


Sausage, Spinach and Potato Skillet
(serves 4-6)

Ingredients


3 links of chicken sausage 
3 cubed Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes
1 cup baby spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil + extra
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
About 1/2 cup crumbled feta for topping


Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil in a medium-large skillet over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and paprika to the garlic and onion and fry, stirring, for a few more minutes or until fragrant. You can add extra paprika if you want, but I felt it would be too overpowering. Add the potatoes and mix up with the rest of the skillet's contents and then cover, cooking over medium-low heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, slice the sausages into sections. Once the potatoes are ready, add the sausage and spinach to the pan and stir. Add more olive oil if it looks dry. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve with a sprinkling of feta cheese. We had ours with some sliced avocado drizzled with lemon juice and a smattering of salt and pepper.

brand I used, but you can use any sausage you like, although I recommend using a garlic or other mild blend

It's not the prettiest looking dish, but it sure is tasty! This sausage in particular is very good. Like I said before, I especially like it because it's organic and not too pricey! I found Bilinski's at Shop Rite.


Babies 3-6 months can enjoy some nummy mashed potato mixed with steamed spinach and a little olive oil, and babies over 9 months can have some of the sausage and avocado as well. Avocado and olive oil are good for baby's skin and contain many nutrients to support their growth, such as omega-3s and healthy fats. And we all know iron-packed spinach is good for everyone!


You may not know that potatoes are surprisingly nutritious, and not just the starchy, carb-packed vegetable that they've been labeled as by some. They actually contain a high amount of vitamin c, vitamin b6, potassium, and magnesium.
Potatoes- especially those with darker colors, such as Yukon Gold and Blue -contain high amounts of carotenoids and flavonoids, and they even contain more phytonutrients than broccoli, components that guard against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers! That is something I just learned!


So don't ditch the potato...maybe just lay off the chips and fries!


Have a great weekend!

Family Favorite Friday: Sloppy Joes

Yeah, I know. Sloppy Joes aren’t exactly healthy. My family doesn’t eat them very often. No, these babies are reserved for “special occasions.” Besides, I only eat red meat about once a month and when I do I want it to count! Using grass-fed, organic ground beef helps to make them healthier along with the use of whole wheat buns. I hope you like, it’s a very simple recipe, and it’s an American classic I’m sure everyone is familiar with.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

    1 pound ground beef

    1 medium onion, diced

    1 cup ketchup

    ¼ cup water

    2 tbsp brown sugar or 1 ½ tbsp agave syrup

    2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

    2 tsp mustard

    1 tbsp canola oil

    ½ tsp garlic powder

    ½ tsp onion powder

    ½ tsp salt

    4 hamburger buns, split

Saute the diced onion for about 5 minutes. Add the meat and brown in a wide pan over medium heat and then drain. Stir in remaining ingredients (except the buns!) and stir. Bring to a boil and then allow mixture to simmer at medium-low for about 20 more minutes or so. Serve over toasted burger buns with salad, mixed veggies, or French fries (you can bake them to cut back on the calories!).

 Lily loved this when she first had it. I had made them from scratch at Paul’s request one day, and after years of never really liking Sloppy Joes, I discovered that this recipe was quite tasty. I don’t know what kind I have been served in the past, but I know the sauce out of the can doesn’t taste this good! 

Lily's and Mommy's plates

Served with green beans and corn topped with her favorite topping- grated Parmesan cheese

Me likey

Although I greatly dislike the way animals are treated on factory farms, red meat once in a while can be very good for you. Making an effort to buy ones marked "grass-fed, pasture-raised, growth and antibiotic-free, organic" will greatly reduce your carbon footprint on the livestock raising parts of the world and will also be much better for you and the animals. Red meat is chock full of iron and B vitamins which provide you with healthy brain function, energy, and a balanced mood. Red meat is also very good for the heart and can help to prevent heart disease.

As I have mentioned in a previous post, when I was pregnant I got sudden cravings for red meat and my OBGYN told me this was because my body was lacking in iron due to Miss Lily sucking it all up. I have always been mildly anemic, so I was not surprised by this. Apparently, supplements were not enough to keep my body happy, and I had to take what was meant to be a break from vegetarianism and start eating red meat again. I have not been able to get back on the no-meat diet since, but I do limit my intake.

I had also meant to raise Lily vegetarian, and did for her first year. She didn’t try any meat until she was about 16 months old, and that was all Paul’s doing. I allowed it, just chicken and turkey at first, but then when she was 18 months old she caught a rare case of Bell’s Palsy which cannot be easily cured. It’s a virus that has to be “waited out” and the only things that supposedly help are massaging the affected area and taking vitamin B supplements. Well, I don’t know if the massaging did much, especially since it was near impossible to get Lily to stay still long enough for me to do it effectively, but shortly after she started recovering and I started giving her B complex chewable vitamins, the weakness the Palsy left in her right eye started to subside. Since then, she eats meat whenever we do.

It’s funny how life works like that, how you can plan and even anticipate for it to go one way, but something comes out of left field and completely changes that. I would like to go back to a stricter veggie diet eventually, but right now I am just going along with what my body tells me, and sometimes it wants to eat meat.

I don’t intend to post a Sweet Saturday post or link-up this weekend because I have so much going on (as always). We’re moving next weekend and Lily’s big party is this Sunday, and these things keep me busy! But, who knows, maybe I will find the time :) I do have something yummy lined up for the next Meatless Monday though, so do check back for that! I do intend to post something sweet next week though, as I will have plenty from Lily’s Mickey and Minnie party to fuel that!

Just a reminder, I’m holding a recipe contest in honor of my 1 year Blogiversary. Please send me your yummy, healthy, family-friendly recipes to healthymommyhealthybaby@gmail.com and be entered to win a 1 year subscription to Eating Well magazine and have your recipe featured here on HMHB! I can’t wait to see what you send me! Have a nice weekend!