Cauliflower Puree with Braised Short Ribs

I'm a meat eater.  I love my veggies too.  But I love the sight of a big hunk of a short rib on a plate that's been braised until the meat flakes off with a fork.  When braised short ribs are on a menu I tend to be unable to resist them.  Hence, this was my birthday dinner last weekend, thanks to my lovely husband.  He followed this recent recipe from Pioneer Woman and we decided to pair it with some pureed cauliflower and some French green beans (why are theirs better?).  I find it nothing short of amazing how creamy pureed cauliflower can be....with very little cream.  In fact, you really don't need any, we just had some so I spilled in just a spoon.  


1 head of cauliflower
1 T cream (optional)
2 T olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt, pepper      


Prep cauliflower and cut into quarters and place in a medium sized pot of water.  Place on stove and allow water to come to a slow boil.  Let boil for about 8 minutes, until cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Strain. Dump cauliflower and garlic into Vitamix or food processor.  Puree while pouring in olive oil and a little cream.  Salt and pepper to taste.    

Carrot Soup

When my mother told me this soup had apples in it she quickly said "but it's not sweet".  I admit that being told it had apples in it did not sound appealing.  I thought it would taste like a smoothie.  But I was wrong.  It's a rich and velvety soup that's all savory and complex flavors.It's a nice change from tomato soup and pairs well with a grilled cheese or another hot sandwich.  It's healthy, easy to make and a great soup recipe for fall.  This recipe comes from the Washington Post.

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into thin slices

1 apple, peeled cored and chopped

8 cups no-salt-added chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt

Salt 

Heat oil in a large pot and add the onion, carrots and apple; cook, covered, until the vegetables soften, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the solids and transfer them to the blender or food processor (or Vitamix!). Process until smooth. Add the yogurt, if desired, and process again, then stir this mixture back into the soup in the pot. Season with salt

Strawberry Shortcake

I meant to post this recipe before summer ended so my apologies for tempting you with a lovely summer recipe.  Not that you shouldn't make it.  If you can find some good strawberries I highly encourage you to make this cake - it's such an incredibly upbeat cake that will brighten any mood.  This recipe is adapted from chef Dennis Marron, the chef at Jackson 20.  I took one bite of this dessert at his restaurant several weeks ago and was desperate for the recipe so I could make it at home.  To my delight he was quite willingly to share it with me.  He instantly became a favorite of mine. I decided to whip this up for my cooking club gathering because though I am 7 months pregnant I could not eat an entire cake myself.  In fact, one of the reasons I love this cake so much is it isn't overly sweet as I have been very sensitive to overly sugary desserts during this pregnancy (in fact I cut back a bit on the sugar called for).  The cake reminds me of a shortbread and the frosting is a perfect buttery cream cheese frosting full with plump strawberries that tint it pink.  I will be making this recipe for many summers to come.          

Strawberry Cake

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 egg whites

2 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup corn starch

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl and reserve. Place butter, sugar, vanilla to a stand mixer and beat with a paddle until smooth. Add egg whites and beat to incorporate, continue mixing on medium high for 1 minute. Turn down to medium and add remainder of ingredients slowly alternating dry and wet. Finish with the wet.  Poor into 2 greased 10 inch cake pans. Bake on 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Check doneness with a skewer. Skewer should come out clean. Allow cake to cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Strawberry Frosting

12 oz. Cream Cheese

4 oz. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 cup diced strawberries


Mix butter, cream cheese, sugar and scraped vanilla bean in a stand mixer until smooth. Add strawberries and mix to incorporate.  Frost cake, and eat!