BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR SOUP WITH GARLICKY CROUTONS

Posted on by Laura Geraty – By

Soup season is upon us. With temperatures entering frigid territory, now is the time to make this Broccoli and Cheddar Soup with Garlicky Croutons.

Can I let you in on a secret? On the whole, a big old bowl of soup doesn’t typically excite me.

While I’m oversimplifying the process a bit here, to make soup, you put a bunch of stuff in a pot and let it do its thing. Each ingredient gently imparts its flavor on its neighbor. Components like vegetables, legumes and grains soften until they can be slurped up with a spoon in one homogeneous gulp.

Yawn.

Who wants to eat something where the first bite tastes exactly like the last? While I know the answer to this question is “many people,” I crave distinct flavors and competing textures in every bite.

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FARRO, CHARRED BROCCOLI AND CASTELVETRANO OLIVE SALAD

Posted on by Laura Geraty – By

With all the buzz around grain bowls over the last few years, I’ve gotten away from making grain salads. But what is a grain bowl after all than a grain salad with its parts disassembled?

One could certainly argue that grain salads are better. In fact, I might be arguing it? When you mix ingredients, flavors meld. Every bite has a little bit of this and that without you having to gather ingredients from around your plate.

There are also times when photo ready grain bowls just aren’t practical. Are you a new parent, cradling a baby in your arms while trying to shovel something nourishing into your mouth? Are you eating while driving your kids to soccer practice or doing work at your computer? Do you want to prep something ahead to easily pull from the fridge throughout the week? Grain bowls are pretty but they take work to assemble and eat. Of course, the ideal is to mindfully dine at our kitchen tables with no distractions but that is not always practical. Enter, the grain salad.

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ROASTED ROMANESCO WITH PICKLED SHALLOT, CILANTRO AND GREEK YOGURT

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     I have a real love affair going on with full fat Greek yogurt. Yes, I like it like everyone else with granola and fruit or blended into smoothies, but my favorite way to enjoy it is in savory preparations.

I spoon a thick layer of it across the bottom of a platter and heap atop highly seasoned roasted vegetables like eggplant or the Romanesco here; a fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and plenty of mint; dressed grains, or simple olive-oil fried eggs dusted with smoked paprika. The smooth Greek yogurt has a way of both carrying and mellowing out flavors. It adds richness to whatever you put with it, making it feel decadent and filling. Continue reading “ROASTED ROMANESCO WITH PICKLED SHALLOT, CILANTRO AND GREEK YOGURT” →

KALE PESTO PASTA WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND MINT

Posted on by Laura Geraty – By

Kale and squash are two of my kitchen staples in the fall and winter. In fact, they have already been so heavily in rotation around here that you’d think I was on a mission to see how quickly I can burn myself out. (For the record, I’m not even close.)

While they are a perfect match in salad, sometimes a girl just wants pasta – kale pesto pasta with roasted butternut squash and mint to be exact. The kale lends its signature grassy flavor to the pesto, which is captured by the curves and grooves of al dente fusilli. The deeply roasted butternut squash provides caramelized sweetness and the mint a hit of freshness.

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