Roasted baby potatoes with broccoli and cheese recipe

perfect little bite

Because I have no association with either football team in this year’s Super Bowl, all I really care about is what we’re going to eat!  I’m have no need to read the sports pages or listen to the experts, trying to figure out if my team has a wining chance.  No big deal. I’ll just ponder my repertoire of chili recipes and decide what other deliciousness I can whip together for our little group.  I asked Daughter #1 for some suggestions, and she started begging me for these little cheesy broccoli potato bites.  Great idea!

little yukon golds

slice in half

I’ll be honest, I don’t normally make these for the Super Bowl because I usually have a baked potato bar happening and that would be a little redundant.  But I do make these baby potato hors d’oeuvres very often for dinner parties, sometimes with broccoli, sometimes with lemon creme fraiche and smoked salmon or roasted cherry tomatoes.  But for the Super Bowl, I keep things really casual.  Broccoli it is!

roast potato halves cut-side down

Just like the mini chicken tostadas I posted the other day, I actually think a mini version of a baked potato is better than the  real thing.  These little bites are super easy to eat and you get the perfect ratio of potato to broccoli to cheese.  And the entire bite has a nice bit of saltiness and crispiness.  Love it.  AND I think we can all agree, this is reasonably healthful stuff to boot!  Even if you don’t eat cheese, I’m sure you have found a good non-dairy cheese that you can sub for the mozzarella here.  Keep in mind, the melted cheese is what helps the broccoli stick to the potato.

the cheese helps the broccoli stick to the potatoes

Although these baby potatoes are great any time of the year, I do think they’re better suited for cooler weather, or maybe I should say mind-numbing cold weather, depending on where you live.   Ugh, sorry if that’s you.  Regardless, these bites could very well be the perfect party food.  They’re delicious right out of the oven, but they also stay warm for quite a bit.  And I think they taste perfectly delicious at room temp, too.  You can make the potatoes and the broccoli the day before and then just assemble them with the cheese and bake before you want to serve them.  I promise, these will score you major points!

mini potato broccoli cheese bites | pamela salzman

I could actually eat way more than three of these!

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese

Pamela
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Ingredients
  

  • 12 small potatoes scrubbed and halved (I cut in half the long way)
  • 1 Tablespoon unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 pound broccoli crowns cut into 24 bite-size florets
  • 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella or fontina cheese
  • 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Place potatoes in a bowl and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Place potatoes on parchment paper – cut side down and bake for 30 minutes (until golden brown and tender). Leave oven on if serving right away.
  • Place broccoli in a steamer over boiling water and steam until just tender, about 3 minutes (or blanched in salted water for 2 minutes.) If cooking the broccoli ahead of time, remove from the pot and immediately refresh under cold water to stop the cooking process.
  • Top each potato with a pinch of cheese and then a broccoli floret and bake until cheese is melted or broil it for a few minutes to speed things up.
  • Sprinkle each with a pinch of grated cheese, if desired.

Notes

Potatoes can be made the day before and refrigerated; broccoli can be blanched the day before and refrigerated.
Other complementary toppings include smoked salmon and crème fraiche, pesto and roasted cherry tomato halves
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Roasted fingerling potatoes with gremolata recipe

roasted fingerling potatoes with gremolata | pamela salzman

I hope you all had a merry Christmas!  We’ve had such an amazing few days with my family in New York.  Christmas Eve is always such a special night and this year was no exception, with 94 of us at my aunt’s house for dinner.  NINETY-FOUR.  And four ladies announcing they are expecting so we’ll be 98 next year?  My aunt is an absolute genius to be able to orchestrate a sit-down pot-luck for so many.  I swear she could run a small country.  Heck, she could probably run THIS country! We were in four different rooms eating 7 or 8 different types of fish (and a few veggies for good measure.)  Although it’s really not about the food for me, instead my favorite moment of the evening is listening to all the little ones sing around the Christmas tree watching the staircase in hopes that Santa makes an appearance, which he always does.  Then everyone screams and the flash bulbs go off as if there were paparazzi in the house.  It never gets old for me.

zesting lemon

ingredients in the gremolata

Christmas Day is always the perfect balance to the evening before.  It’s quieter, just 17 of us at my parents’ house and my mom is in charge.  We always start the meal with tortellini in chicken broth, which my kids love.  Then she makes a beef tenderloin with a red wine sauce, stuffed mushrooms, green beans with shallots and a green salad.  This year I was hoping to add these amazing potatoes to the menu.  I made them for Jenni Kayne’s holiday cooking class a few weeks ago and I knew they would be perfect with my mom’s menu.  They would actually be perfect with almost any menu!  But I’ll admit, I bailed at the last minute, thinking we had plenty of food already, I was a little tired from having gone to bed at 2:00 in the morning, and no one would care if we had or didn’t have potatoes on Christmas.  Really, everyone looks forward to all the cookies after dinner anyway.

gremolata

Alas, I still would love to share this recipe with you because I know you will love it and I know you will find a place for it in one of your upcoming weeknight dinners or even for something as special as New Year’s Eve.  I love crispy, roasted potatoes plain and simple, but these have an extra umph from the gremolata.  Gremolata is an Italian garnish traditionally made with finely chopped fresh parsley, raw garlic and grated lemon zest.  I’ve had it before on osso buco, roasted vegetables and even pasta.  It’s just bursting with flavor and freshness and makes ordinary potatoes out of this world.  I love it!  For this version of gremolata, I added a little orange zest, crushed red peppers, and fresh mint and thyme, all of which I adore with potatoes.  I also made the gremolata once with a little fresh rosemary instead of the thyme and dropped the chili flakes just because — also delicious!

baby fingerling potatoes

Try and find these teeny fingerling potatoes if you can.  They are so creamy and super easy to use since you just just have to wash and dry them, no peeling, no chopping.  BUT, if your market only offers Yukon Gold or red skinned potatoes, go for it.  They’ll still be delicious.

roasted halfway

I am hoping you are finding time to rest and restore your energy this week.  Acting like a superhero is totally overrated and people who look like they do it all don’t, and if they do, they’re exhausted.  Being a good parent or a good host/hostess or a good cook is good enough.  Sounds like a good new year’s resolution for me for 2014!

roasted fingerling potatoes with gremolata | pamela salzman

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Gremolata

Pamela
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest about 2 lemons
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest about half an orange
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves and tender stems finely chopped
  • 2 heaping Tablespoons fresh mint leaves finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
  • 1 large clove of garlic minced or grated
  • a pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 2 pounds small fingerling potatoes washed, dried and halved (leave whole if they are only an inch or so long)
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil divided
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
  • Make the gremolata:  in a small bowl mix together the zests, herbs, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Set aside.
  • Place the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Spread the potatoes in an even layer and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper to taste.  Place in the oven for 35 minutes.
  • After 35 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven and add another tablespoon of olive oil and half the gremolata.  Toss until well combined.  Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden.
  • Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl.  Toss with the remaining gremolata and taste for seasoning.  Sprinkle with an extra pinch of salt and pepper, if desired.  Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Vegan mac and cheese recipe

Vegan Mac & Cheese|Pamela Salzman

If someone tried to coax me a year ago with a “vegan mac and cheese” recipe, I would have politely said, “no, thank you.”  First of all, I actually don’t really like mac and cheese.  Not the boxed kind and not even the homemade kind.  Weird, I know.  And sad for my husband who looooooves it.  I used to have to make him the famous “Ronald Reagan’s favorite mac and cheese” recipe all the time when we first got married.  Tons of butter, cheddar cheese, milk, stomach ache for me.  Just not my thing.  It’s now the 21st century, and we’re both eating differently and I am open minded to alternative recipes.

potatoes, carrots, shallot, onion cook the veggies in water, but cover them everything into the blender"cheese sauce"

Although open minded or not, I’ve always felt if I’m not going to like the real deal, why would I like something pretending to be the real deal?  And most vegan mac and cheese recipes call for fake processed cheese or nutritional yeast and they’re just not that tasty, in my opinion.  Are you with me?  Well, according to myself and according to Mr. Picky who still doesn’t like cheese except Pecorino Romano in some soups and on pizza crust, this mac and cheese is the bomb.  I think it’s better than mac and cheese and he likes it because he has watched me make it and is confident there is not a morsel of cheese, real or fake, anywhere in this dish.

bread crumbs

 

You may have seen on a month ago a picture I posted of “vegan nachos” I made for the kids.  Here it is below.  That’s the same sauce for this!  You may have also seen a strange looking bowl of yellow stuff on my baked potato bar.  Same vegan cheese sauce!  Do you see the potential here?  What about as a dip for steamed veggies?  I might even make a soup out of this.  We are not just talking about a mac and cheese recipe.  We are talking about a life-changing delicious not-cheese sauce.   This sauce is a miracle.  It is made from potatoes, cashews, carrots, onions and a bunch of other completely natural foods blended into creamy, cheesy deliciousness.  Completely digestible (unless you are nut-free, in which case I am so sorry.  Buggers.)  I know I sound crazy.  I wouldn’t believe me either.

vegan nachos | pamela salzman

vegan mac & cheese|pamela salzman

vegan mac and cheese | pamela salzman

The only trick with this recipe is that you have to follow it exactly!  No eyeballing measurements.  No leaving things out.  Anytime I have guesstimated an amount with this recipe, it hasn’t worked quite as well, especially with ingredients like cayenne, lemon juice (you can leave this out, but just don’t add more than indicated) and garlic.  Some of the images on this post were taken of light spelt macaroni and some of whole spelt macaroni.  My family much prefers the light spelt pasta with this sauce, but you should use whatever suits you.  I have also tried this with brown rice pasta and a corn-quinoa pasta — both super!   Once I threw some small cauliflower florets into the pasta pot two minutes before the pasta was done and made a cauliflower mac and cheese.  (See above.)  I’m sure broccoli and kale would be great, too!  Can you see how much fun we are going to have with this??!!

vegan mac and cheese | pamela salzman

Vegan Mac & Cheese|Pamela Salzman

 

 
 
 

 
 
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Vegan Mac and Cheese

Pamela, adapted from VegNews
4.86 from 14 votes
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Servings 6 as a side dish

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounce package elbow macaroni pasta I like spelt.
  • 2 slices bread torn into large pieces (whole grain works!)
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter not vegan or organic Earth Balance (vegan), divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped shallots
  • 1 cup about 7 ounces chopped Yukon gold potatoes (you can leave the peel on)
  • ¼ cup chopped carrots about 1 small carrot
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup raw cashews soaked for 1-5 hours and drained if you your blender is weak
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt use 1 ¾ teaspoons if using Earth Balance
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic minced (about 1 medium clove)
  • ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice optional
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, add the shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, drain and put back into the pot.
  • Put the bread pieces, 1 Tablespoon of butter and paprika in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until combined to a medium-fine texture, set aside.
  • Place the cashews, salt, garlic, 5 Tablespoons butter, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne in a blender or food processor. Add the softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender or food processor and process until perfectly smooth.
  • Pour the “cheese” sauce over the cooked pasta and combine until completely coated. Spread the mixture into an un-greased 11 x 8 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown. If you add veggies (such as 1 or 2 cups of blanched cauliflower or broccoli) to the macaroni, cook in a 13 x 9 dish.

Notes

I actually don't make the vegan version for us because we can eat butter.   But I have made this with Earth Balance (which is vegan) many times and it has always turned out great.  I have never made this without the bread crumbs, though.  I think they provide a nice contrast in texture to the soft and creamy macaroni, but if not everyone will eat the bread crumbs, I am sure you can leave a square of the baking dish free of them.
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Broccoli stalk soup recipe

This month I’ve been teaching a broccoli and cauliflower stir-fry in my classes.  I am using only the florets since I know the stalks aren’t as popular in my house.  It’s all very well and good, except for the fact that I’ve been left at the end of each week with a heck of a lot of broccoli stalks.  I’m sure you’ve gathered by now that I am a compulsive use-everything-you’ve-got kind of a cook.  I absolutely hate to waste food!  In fact, I started a tradition in the house called “Frittata Fridays.”  That’s when I pull together bits of leftovers and random vegetables and turn them into breakfast.  Everyone’s happy!

So in order to not throw away the perfectly good broccoli stalks, I have been juicing lots of them into our juices.  But there’s only so much of that I can take.  What else could I use them for?   On a whim I decided to see if I could turn the stalks in a pureed soup like my Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup, which is one of my absolute favorites.  My biggest concern was that the stalks wouldn’t have enough flavor and the soup would taste like nothing — WRONG!  It was delicious.  Warm, rich, creamy and using one of my favorite soup-thickening techniques (cooking and pureeing Yukon Gold potatoes with the soup), it tasted like there was lots of cream or butter when there was none.

Nutritionally speaking, the stalks are quite comparable to the florets, which is awesome since broccoli is once of those super foods you should be eating a lot of (and not throwing into the garbage!)  In fact, I’m big on the whole cruciferous family of vegetables which includes all the cabbages, kale, bok choy, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, collard greens and more.  These vegetables contain incredible amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, cancer-fighting compounds, and even protein.  Load up, people!

I enjoyed this soup straight away with an extra pinch of flaky sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  My husband stirred into his bowl a big pinch of shredded raw cheddar cheese and thought that was great.  For the girls, I made them grilled raw cheddar cheese and kale pesto sandwiches on spelt bread and they loved dipping those into the soup.  Even Mr. Picky finished his entire bowl — plain of course, with absolutely nothing added.  This was a winner all around!

 

Broccoli Stalk Soup

Pamela
4.94 from 16 votes
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or unrefined cold-pressed olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 ¼ - 2 ½ pounds broccoli stalks ends and any tough woody layers removed
  • 1 large Yukon Gold potato about 8 ounces, peeled if desired and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock preferably homemade
  • 2-3 teaspoons sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter or warm the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, covered, until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
  • Add the broccoli, potato, stock and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower to a simmer. Cook partially covered until potatoes and broccoli stalks are tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Puree soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Taste for seasoning.

Notes

You can stir in shredded cheese before serving, garnish with grated Parmesan or Pecorino, top with grilled cheese croutons or chopped chives
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Zucchini-potato latkes

So what does a nice Italian girl from New York make for her nice Jewish husband for Hanukkah?  Zucchini-potato latkes, of course!  Believe me, you don’t have to celebrate Hanukkah to enjoy these little patties.  Grated potatoes mixed with a little onion and lots of fresh zucchini all fried to crispiness.  Mr. Picky has declared that this is the only way he’ll eat zucchini.  So be it.  But uh oh.  That fried bit does make latkes an “occasional” food, which is why we only indulge in them a mere once or twice a year.  Even though frying is a rather unhealthful way to cook, I’ll do it since the latkes are so much more tasty that way.

What’s funny about my education in latke-making is that I learned what I know from an unlikely source — my Puerto Rican mother-in-law, who also did not grow up Jewish.  Darn that woman can make the best latkes in the world!  Although she wouldn’t dare put in any zucchini or sweet potatoes in hers, I have accumulated some great tips from her that I will share here:

  • Russet or Idaho baking potatoes have the highest starch content and the lowest moisture content, which is good for making crispy latkes. But Yukon Gold (medium starch) work great, too.
  • Wear disposable gloves so your hands don’t smell like potatoes and onions for a day.
  • Squeeze out excess water from the potatoes — again helps to keep them crispy and keep them from falling apart.
  • Use the shredding disc on the food processor to make this job a breeze.  I also shred my onions (and zucchini), but my mother-in-law chops the onions and pulses them with the metal blade to avoid getting any big pieces.
  • Don’t make them too big.  The interiors won’t get fully cooked and they may not hold their shape well.
  • Fry them in an inch of oil — this helps to get all sides crispy so they don’t fall apart.  (I can’t bring myself to cook in that much oil and that’s one reason my mother-in-law’s latkes are better than mine.)
Whatever you celebrate, here’s hoping your holidays are happy!

Zucchini-Potato Latkes

Pamela
5 from 2 votes
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds medium zucchini about 6, ends trimmed
  • 1 ½ pounds Russet potatoes about 2, peeled or unpeeled, and cut to fit a food processor
  • 2 medium yellow onions peeled and quartered
  • 3 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 Tablespoon sea salt
  • A few grinds of black pepper
  • ½ - ¾ cup panko bread crumbs or matzo meal
  • Olive oil for frying or a refined peanut oil or grapeseed oil has a higher smoke point, although not exactly healthful

Instructions
 

  • Shred the zucchini in a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment and place in a colander over a large bowl (my preferred method.) Toss with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Call your kids to the kitchen so they can watch the next step. Place the zucchini in a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. There's a ton! Do not add salt to the mixture again. Or shred the zucchini with the potatoes and onions. You will get out more moisture though if you salt them first.
  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment, shred the potatoes and onions. Again, squeeze out as much liquid as humanly possible. Let the mixture rest for a minute and squeeze again.
  • Place all the shredded vegetables in a large bowl. Add the eggs, salt (do not add if you salted the zucchini early), pepper and bread crumbs to the vegetables and combine well.
  • Heat the oil (I use olive) in 2 large skillets until hot, but not smoking. An inch of oil will give you the best results.
  • Using about 2-3 tablespoons of the zucchini-potato mixture, form the latkes into 2 ½-inch pancakes. Flatten slightly and carefully place into the pan. When the edges are brown and crisp, turn them over and continue cooking until deep golden. I usually flatten them slightly in the pan when I flip.
  • Lay paper towels on a cooling rack or brown paper bag. Transfer the latkes from the pan to the rack. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Serve immediately with applesauce or sour cream (if you must).

Notes

TO BAKE LATKES:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with oil. Place formed (raw) latkes on baking sheet and brush tops with oil. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until undersides are golden. Flip latkes and bake another 10-15 minutes until golden on both sides. They won’t be as crispy as the traditional, but a good alternative if you don’t like to fry.
TO FREEZE AND REHEAT LATKES:
Cook, cool and freeze immediately. Reheat at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until heated through.
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Cauliflower and roasted garlic soup recipe

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup | Pamela Salzman

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup | Pamela Salzman

Who wouldn’t love a soup that is sophisticated enough to serve at a dinner party, but simple enough to make on a weeknight?   I know I would!  It’s amazing what happens when you blend cauliflower and a few ho-hum potatoes and give them a big boost from a whole head of roasted garlic. Utter creamy deliciousness, and not just by my standards.   Mr. Picky gave me a fabulous back-handed compliment when he tried this soup, “this tastes like French fries!”   To set the record straight, this soup does not taste like French fries, but I why would I argue?

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup | Pamela Salzman

There aren’t too many white foods that I am gung-ho about, but cauliflower happens to be one of them.  So it’s missing some chloropyhll.  That’s nothing to get worked up about when there’s so much more going for it.  Since Mr. Picky really likes broccoli, we called cauliflower “white broccoli” for many years.  That isn’t much of a stretch since both are members of the cruciferous family of vegetables which include cabbage, brussels sprouts, collards and bok choy, too.  These vegetables are known for their powerful anti-cancer properties and it is recommended that you regularly include them in your diet.  This soup is just one delicious way to do that.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup | Pamela Salzman

One of the reasons I love cauliflower is for its versatility.  My favorite way to eat it is tossed with coconut oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and roasted until it’s sweet and golden.  I couldn’t resist adding a few crispy baby florets as a garnish on this bowl of soup here, but really,  you can have so much fun with toppings.  You can go fancy with some truffle oil or shaved Parmigiano.  Or you can go in a homey direction with a grilled cheese sandwich cut into croutons.  This soup seems very elegant and earthy at the same time, which is why I think you can get away with not peeling the potatoes.  Why give up all the fiber and nutrients right under the skin just so you can have a perfectly smooth soup?  Sure when you puree the soup, you’ll be left with a few small flecks of peel here and there, but I’ve never been one to get hung up on things like that.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup | Pamela Salzman

My strategy is usually to get the garlic in the oven right away and while it roasts, start prepping the vegetables.  By the time you finish simmering the cauliflower for 20 minutes, the garlic is ready to be squeezed into the pot.  To save maximum time, roast your garlic a few days in advance and keep it refrigerated.  Prep your onions and cauliflower and keep them refrigerated in airtight containers in the fridge.  The potatoes will only take a minute to chop.  You can make this a day or two ahead if you like, but it will thicken slightly as it sits.  The next day, add some cooked white beans to your child’s thermos and pour the hot soup right on top for a well balanced school lunch.

Now if I can only make spinach taste like French fries …

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup | Pamela Salzman

 

 
 
 

 
 
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If you give this recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes,  updates and things I’m loving lately.  If you enjoy this recipe, I taught it last year in my online class!  Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better, healthier cook!

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

Pamela
5 from 4 votes
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large head of garlic
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 large head cauliflower about 2 ¼ lbs, or 2 small heads, cut into florets
  • 1 large Yukon Gold potato about 8 ounces, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock preferably homemade
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt or more if your stock is unsalted

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice off the top fifth of the head of unpeeled garlic. Add a drop of olive oil. Replace the top. Wrap with parchment paper, then aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour. Your house will smell amazing. (You can also speed this up by roasting for 45 minutes at 400 degrees, but I usually like to keep olive oil in the 350 degree range.)
  • In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté, covered, until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir occasionally. Pour the wine over the onions and simmer uncovered until the wine has been reduced slightly, about 2-4 minutes.
  • Add the cauliflower, potato, stock and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower to a simmer. Cook partially covered until potatoes and cauliflower are tender, about 20 minutes. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze the soft garlic directly into the pot. Discard the papery skins. Cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. It is important that you taste for seasoning since all stocks have different levels of sodium. Add extra salt if you need it.

Notes

There are lots of ways you can garnish this soup whether for a dinner party or for the family: Freshly ground black pepper, truffle oil, chopped fresh chives, shavings of parmesan cheese, small florets of roasted cauliflower, garlic croutons, chopped up grilled cheese sandwich....
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Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup | Pamela Salzman

 

The perfect baked potato recipe

perfect baked potatoes | pamela salzman

Potatoes get a bad rap because of the misconception that they are fattening.  Potatoes unto themselves are not “fattening,” but they certainly become less healthful after they have been peeled, deep-fried in over-heated, refined oil or turned into chips or mashed with their weight in butter and cream (not that those don’t all taste lovely.)  The classic Russet or Idaho baking potato is a perfect example of a whole food.  It came into this world as a package of vitamins (such as C), minerals (like potassium) and fiber.  When eaten that way, the potato offers its maximum health benefits.  Unfortunately, the majority of the potato’s nutrients are concentrated in the skin and just below.  Therefore, when we discard the skin, we do miss out on the best part, nutritionally speaking.

perfect baked potato | pamela salzman

This method for baking potatoes is adapted from Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel’s book, Two Chefs Cook for Family and Friends. No aluminum foil, no microwaves, just a perfectly cooked potato with a dry, fluffy interior and the best skin ever.  I learned a while back that different types of potatoes have different levels of starch and that affects how you should cook them.  High starch potatoes, aka baking potatoes, are best used for, you guessed it, baking.  They likewise make terrible potatoes for potato salad (you just have to try this once and you’ll never make that mistake again.)

perfect baked potato | pamela salzman

 

One of the reasons I love baked potatoes is because I can set up a topping bar at dinner and everyone can customize the way he or she wants.  I find that the kids eat more of something when they are given the opportunity to control it.  I enjoy my baked potato with a dollop of strained goat yogurt (my version of sour cream) and some chopped chives or scallions.  I allow my 7-year-old to put a squirt of (fruit-sweetened organic) ketchup on his and the girls tend to like butter and some steamed broccoli.  We can turn the potato into a meal if there’s some vegetable chili from the night before that I can dollop on top.  Yum!

a different baked potato bar | pamela salzman

with vegan "cheese" sauce, broccoli, cooked onions and salsa | pamela salzman

 

 

perfectly baked potatoes laying on a plate

The Perfect Baked Potato Recipe

Pamela Salzman
An easy and customizable side dish that is perfect for everyone - this recipe is great with a topping bar at dinner and everyone can customize the way he or she wants. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium Russet or Idaho baking potatoes about 6 ounces each
  • 4 teaspoons unsalted butter softened
  • Coarse kosher salt preferably additive-free such as Diamond Crystal
  • Favorite toppings: sour cream, creme fraiche or strained yogurt, chopped fresh chives or scallions, unsalted butter, steamed vegetables such as broccoli or spinach, chili

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Scrub the potatoes, dry and rub each with 1 teaspoon of butter. Pour a layer of salt on the bottom of a shallow baking dish or cookie sheet. 1 1/2 cups is perfect for a 13 x 9 -inch dish.
  • Place the potatoes 2 inches apart on top of the salt and bake for 50 minutes, until tender.
  • When each potato is removed from the baking dish, rub off any salt clinging to the bottom of the potato. Split open lengthwise and top as desired.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!