Crunchy red leaves, fairytale pumpkin squash, big bulky scarves, Chai tea, knit blankets and of course, my Crock Pot!
Now that its gets dark so soon, I feel like my time to cook dinner has shortened. The kids get home from school, play for an hour and then it's dark outside. I know we have the same number of hours, but it doesn't feel that way especially since we all get tired earlier.
So I feel like the crock pot gives me extra time. At around lunch time, I throw some ingredients into the crockpot and forget about it. (OK, so I follow a recipe - it sounds much better though when I say I just "throw in" the ingredients!) Then at dinner time, all I have to do is make a side of pasta or a veggie and set the table.
I like to make cream based soups because I find them so much cozier and filling, but I don't like using actual cream. Instead, I boil a whole cauliflower (minus the green part) until it's soft. Then, drain it and throw it in the blender or food processor with a little skim milk or Earth Balance buttery spread. I know it sounds weird, but what you get is rich cream that doesn't taste like cauliflower.
I first got this idea from the South Beach Diet Book's mashed "potatoes" that was actually boiled and mashed cauliflower. I add this rich cream to the soup and no one knows the difference. I add it at the end though, right before I serve it. I don't know why, but I feel like it might retain more nutrients if I don't let it sit in the crock pot for hours. I know this doesn't make sense since I just boiled it to death!
Yesterday, I made New England Clam Chowder with cauliflower instead of cream and everyone loved it - no one knew! It tastes great and it's an easy way to slip in some extra nutrients like vitamin K and C, fiber, potassium, boran, phosphorus, and B vitamins.
Please feel free to share some of your favorite Fall things and healthy tips. Thanks for reading!
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