Soup, Chips, & Sweets: Yummy Cold-Weather Reveille Recipes

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Joan Lunden

Food & Home /

Cauliflower soup

Reveille Camper: Lindsay Weinberg

Reveille Camper: Since 2007

Reveille Staff Member: Since 2008

SILKY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

I love soups in the winter and I love cauliflower. I think it is one of the more underrated vegetables and I love to use it in cooking. My husband and I have a favorite date night spot near our apartment in NYC. It's a delicious steak house that opened a more casual version of the namesake next door, smartly named Strip House Next Door. We love to go there on cold winter nights and share a steak, a caesar salad, and a couple of their yummy sides. At the beginning of each meal while you look over the menu they bring you a taste (in a large shot glass) of the most delectable creamy silk cauliflower soup. I have been trying to recreate it without using a pound of butter and a vat of heavy cream! You can make a really rich indulgent version but I have been wanting to have this soup more often so I found this recipe on Food Network (love!) that is a lighter version of the creamy soup. I always love variations of dishes I'm making, so let me know if you have one! 

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 
  • Optional: splash of heavy cream to finish a creamier soup or some butter to add extra rich flavor at end
  • Garnishes: Here are my personal suggestions for add-ons that will really enhance this soups flavor without adding a ton of calories: Truffle oil, extra shaved parmesan, rosemary, thyme, cracked black pepper, pesto or pesto oil, truffle salt, cayenne pepper, roasted garlic, chopped green onion, or crisp pancetta or bacon crumbles.

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 
  • Remove the leaves and core from cauliflower and coarsely chop
  • Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat
  • Add onions and garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes
  • Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil
  • Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes
  • Remove from heat and using a handheld immersion blender (one of my favorite tools!) purred the soup.  You can also puree in small batches in a blender* and then return to pot
  • Add Parmesan and stir until smooth
  • Optional: This is where you can stir in some heavy cream for some extra creaminess or some butter to finish off the rich flavor
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper
  • Serve warm with garnishes (see below for suggestions) and enjoy! 
  • Here are garnishes that I think enhance the flavor of this soup: Truffle oil, extra shaved parmesan, rosemary, thyme, cracked black pepper, pesto or pesto oil, truffle salt, cayenne pepper, roasted garlic, chopped green onion, or crisp pancetta or bacon crumbles.
  • *Blending hot liquids can be dangerous so be sure to let your soup cool for at least 5 minutes off the heat before starting this process. Do not fill the blender more than halfway. Release one corner of the lid to avoid a "vacuum effect" that can create a heat explosions. Place a towel over the machine while pulsing a few ties before switching to high speed to finish the process. 

 


 

Sweet potato chips

Debi's Sweet Potato Chips 

Reveille Recipe Contributor: Debi Gray from Harrison, Maine

I'm a huge chipaholic. YUP, I loooove chips! Love them so much that I eat them just about every day. Blue, kale, corn, and zucchini, but my favorite are sweet potato! Ok, so truth be told, I don't eat them just because they're undoubtedly delicious, I eat them for my skin. That’s right; sweet potatoes have a very high nutritional value. They are loaded with vitamin A, which is essential for healthy skin. So if you want your skin to glow...eat up!

Ingredients:

  • 2 organic sweet potatoes 
  • Sea Salt (Debi's recommendation is Real Salt. Find out where to purchase here.
  • Pepper to taste

Directions: 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
  • Scrub potatoes and dry completely. 
  • Slice thinly (I use a mandolin) 
  • Add Salt & Pepper to potatoes, then toss with your hands to get the best coverage. 
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. 
  • Yum! I bet you can't eat just one!
Applecranberrydessert

ASK's Apple Treat

Reveille Camper: Eileen Kaplan

Camper In: 2010, 2011, 2013 

My husband is a great chef!  He cooks great dinners to help me while i'm on my diet. The other day he made me the most delicious apple dessert...sugar free! I love apple pie and apple crumble and this recipe keeps the carbs down while I still get the delicious satisfaction of eating an apple desert. 

Ingredients: 

  • 6-7 peeled & sliced Gala apples
  • 1 tbsp Splenda OR 4 packets of Truvia
  • Cinnamon to taste 
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/4 plumped raisins (if desired)

Directions:

  • Peel and cut apples into slices. 
  • Place into large bowl
  • Add cinnamon, sweetener of your choice, and Vanilla. 
  • Add plumped raisins (if you choose) 
  • Mix up good
  • Transfer apples into an 8x8 pan (I always us glass)
  • Bake for 30 mins UNCOVERED until tender at 375 degrees F

NOTE: Careful not to let it turn to applesauce

  • Eat cold or warm up in a microwave
  • Top with a swirl of light or low cal whipping cream.
  • Enjoy!
Categories: Food & Home, Recipes
About The Author
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Joan Lunden truly exemplifies today’s modern working woman. An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur, one of America’s most recognized and trusted television personalities, this mom of seven continues to do it all. As host of Good Morning America for nearly two decades, Lunden brought insight to top issues for millions of Americans each day. The longest running host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 4 presidents and 5 Olympics and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families and themselves.

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