Curried Pumpkin Soup

I will admit, I didn't hold out much hope for this one, which is the big reason I made it for lunch for myself rather than subject my family to it. I have had pumpkin soup in the past that I just didn't care for at all. I happened to have a can of pumpkin in the cupboard so I went for it.

And I liked it. It was really good. I think the curry is what makes the biggest difference. Topped with french fried onions (less carbs than crackers!) I ended up eating two big bowls of it.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1/4 c. minced onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp butter
1 quart chicken broth
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. carb countdown dairy beverage (I use half and half)
2 tsp. curry powder

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in butter. When soft, add chicken broth and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in canned pumpkin, dairy beverage (of choice) and curry powder. Bring to simmer and cook another 15 minutes.

Enjoy

Blue Cheese Scallion "Risotto"

I love risotto. Absolutely positively love it. It is one of the things I missed. I knew that I had to try this recipe and see if something rice free could come anywhere close to the real flavor.

Menu: Aioli Fish Bake (pg 260), Blue Cheese Scallion "Risotto" (pg. 216) and Lemon Pepper Beans (pg. 228)

The fish was ok. It was bland. My normally fish loving kids were not huge fans of the aioli sauce, nor was my husband. Don't think we will do that one again.

The lemon pepper beans were ok. The flavors didn't quite fit together like I was thinking so it tasted weird. Not bad. Just weird. Again, probably not something I will be repeating.

The "risotto" was really good. It didn't taste like risotto, mind you. I don't think it is possible to duplicate the starchy goodness caused by real rice, but the flavor and the texture were very good and I think I would do this one again.

1/2 head cauliflower
8 scallions, thinly sliced
2/3 c. diced green pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (which I did not have, so I dissolved in a cube instead)
1/4 c. dry white wine (I think I used St. Julian's Simply white, which is sweeter than it is dry, but it is relatively cheap which is what I look for in a cooking wine)
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Put cauliflower through the food processor (go ahead and stick the stems in. For this it doesn't matter)
Put the cauliflower in the microwave in a covered casserole with a couple tbsp of water and cook for 7 minutes (I do 10, but I have a small microwave)
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute scallions and peppers in olive oil and butter. Drain the cauliflower. When the green peppers are soft, add the cauliflower to the skillet and stir. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and cook 3-4 minutes.

Try it! It is good :)

Mock Garlic Mashed 'Potatoes'

Dinner: Parmesan Chicken, Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

The parmesan chicken is something that I have been making well before the diet started and never plan on giving up. What is to dislike about a chicken and cheese pairing?

The brussels sprouts were a last ditch effort to get my husband to like them. He doesn't. He probably never will, just like I will never be a fan of eggplant. I thought they were really good. This is the best way I have ever eaten them. Cut in half, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast a while. OMG so good.

The mock garlic mashed potato recipe I got from here  It is a good recipe and while the texture is the tiniest bit off, the taste is pretty darn close to mashed potatoes. I do recommend doubling it, as the first time I made it, there was not nearly enough. Also, make sure you get the cooked cauliflower as dry as you can before mashing. It really does make a difference in taste and texture.

Broccoli Blue Cheese Soup

I am a bit behind, so I am doing some of the recipe changes on memory. By all means, adjust them. I always do.

Menu: Burgers, Southwestern Unpotato Salad (pg. 150) and Broccoli Blue Cheese Soup (pg. 183)

The burger was a burger, and while delicious, I didn't do anything special. Meat and seasoning cooked on the electric skillet.

The Southwestern Unpotato Salad had good flavor, but I guess I was expecting it to be more along the lines of potato salad texture and it wasn't. Call this a decent cauliflower salad.

The Broccoli Blue Cheese Soup was very very good, so that is what I am sharing today.

1 c. chopped onion
2 Tbsp butter
1 turnip, peeled and diced
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
1 lb frozen broccoli thawed (I don't buy it because it's all stems. I go for fresh broccoli every time)
1 c. carb countdown dairy beverage (I used half and half
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 c. crumbled blue cheese

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in the butter over medium heat.
When onion is soft, add the turnip and the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook around 30 minutes.
Add broccoli and simmer again for another 20 minutes.
Puree the soup either in a blender or with a handheld blender. I use a handheld as there is less chance of making a mess and burning myself.
Stir in the dairy beverage (or half and half or just plain milk) and the cream and the blue cheese. Simmer another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally then serve.

This is thick and creamy and delicious and perfect for a cold snowy day.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Going for an asian flair again, dinner included Sweet and Sour Pork (pg. 418) over cauliflower "rice" and Stir Fried Green Beans with Water Chestnuts (pg. 229)

I like this, although I am not confident that my husband did. He isn't the biggest pork fan anyway, and add in a wicked craving for real rice and I don't think he enjoyed it as much as I did.

The recipe is fast. The whole meal was done in maybe 15 minutes.

12 oz boneless pork loin cut into thin strips (I bought a package of "stir fry pork" because I am lazy like that and it was cheaper)
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Splenda
3 Tbsp crushed pineapple in juice
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp black strap molasses
1/2 tsp minced garlic (I didn't measure, just used one clove)
1/2 medium green pepper chopped into squares (I used what I had left which was about 1/3 of a green pepper and 1/3 of a yellow pepper)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
guar or xanthan (I am still using corn starch and adding a carb or two)

Mix together the vinegar, splenda, pineapple, soy sauce, molasses, and garlic. Set aside.

Heat oil in wok, then add pork and stir fry until about halfway done. Add peppers and onions and cook until pork is cook through. Add the vinegar mixture and let simmer 2-3 minutes. Thicken pan juices. Serve over cauli-rice or real rice if you are not on carb restrictions.

I think next time I may double the vinegar mix, because I would liked to have had a little more sauce, but it tasted like a sweet and sour dish is supposed to. I may try this over chicken next to make it more appealing for the husband.

Curried Shrimp in Coconut Milk

Dinner: Curried shrimp in coconut milk, thai stir fried cabbage, and baby bok choy with cashews

Dinner was, in one word, divine. The shrimp was absolutely amazing. This is by far my new favorite seafood recipe.

Curried shrimp in coconut milk, 1001 Low Carb Recipes, pg. 285

1 lb large shrimp, shelled
14 oz coconut milk
1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp chili garlic paste - I actually use Maggi Taste of Asia Sweet Chili Sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp Splenda
3 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

I followed this recipe pretty closely. In a shallow pan, combine coconut milk, curry powder, garlic and chili garlic paste. Heat over medium-low and let simmer 7-10 minutes. Add shrimp, fish sauce and Splenda and let simmer 5-7 minutes or until shrimp are pink all the way through. Stir in green onions, let simmer another minute and serve topped with cilantro.

Now cilantro is a love it or hate it herb. I found out I love it cooked into dishes, but raw, it tastes like soap. Apparently that is a common thing, so make sure you actually like it raw before adding it as a garnishment. The shrimp is absolutely delicious without it.

I can't recommend the recipe enough.

The bok choy we have had before. My husband loves it and was very happy to be having it again. You will find the directions here, on my old blog.

The Thai stir fried cabbage comes from the same cookbook as the shrimp, and is on pg. 240. I followed the recipe exactly, except for one mistake I made. It calls for 2 Tbsp lime juice. I juiced a lime into a bowl, planning on measuring it, then forgot and added it all. So mine had the juice of one lg. lime which gave it a really intense taste, but it was still really really good.

Definitely keepers all the way around!

Roasted Cabbage

Dinner: Lemon Tarragon Chicken, Garlic Mashed Turnips, Roasted Red Cabbage and Green Sweet Peas.

Originally I was going to go with the Lemon-Rosemary chicken recipe on pg. 327 of 1001 Low Carb Recipes, but halfway through I found out that I did not actually have rosemary like I thought I did. Threw in tarragon instead and it still came out delicious.

The Mashed Garlic Turnips (pg 236) were ok. I didn't love them, but I didn't hate them. I think the mashed cauliflower we had before was way better so I will have to get that recipe up next time I make it.

The peas were simply frozen peas, cooked on the stove. Not really exciting but they tasted good.

The highlight of the meal was the roasted cabbage. The idea was on pg. 240, but I didn't have all the ingredients for Roasted Cabbage with Balsamic Vinegar. Instead I decided to try it my way with the ingredients on hand.

I took half a head of red cabbage and cut it into large pieces. I threw the pieces in a pie plate. I drizzled it with olive oil and added salt and fresh ground pepper. While I had the chicken on the top rack of the oven under the broiler, I put the cabbage on the bottom rack. Everything was in the oven for approximately 20 minutes.

It was delicious. I love cabbage in soup but I have never tried roasting it. It had a delicious cooked flavor but was more solid. My husband enjoyed it as well and we have definite plans to have it again.