…there was a cauliflower in the fridge that needed to be eaten. So then there was soup.

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water
bouillon for two cups of water (I used a cube of Knorr)
2 small (or 1 medium) potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cauliflower, broken into flowerettes
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/2 c. cream
3 oz. grated medium cheddar
2 oz. American cheese, diced
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil and butter in a stock pot. Add onion, celery, and garlic and sautée until tender.

Add water, bouillon cube, potato, cauliflower, bay and thyme, and simmer until vegetables are very tender.

Remove from heat. Remove the bay leaf and purée the soup with an immersion blender.

Return to low heat. Stir in cream. Stir in cheeses and paprika until incorporated. You can use the immersion blender again if it helps. Remember not to boil the soup at this point, as the cheese will separate if boiled.

Adjust seasonings — I think I threw in a teaspoon of salt and several enthusiastic turns of the pepper grinder — and serve hot.

…voilà! Delicious and cheesy Welsh Rarebit for Saturday brunch! SO DELICIOUS! I COULD EAT THIS A LOT.

1. Make the cheese sauce. (In this case, re-heat the leftover cheese soup from the Beer and Cheddar Soup with Kielbasa Sausage and add some dijon and cayenne.)

2. Fry half of a tomato and two slices of whole wheat bread (homemade, three days old, and beginning to get a little dry) in generous amounts of butter.

3. Cover the toast with cheese sauce and put it under the broiler until bubbly and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.

4. Poach an egg. Mince some parsley, if you have it. Or spring onions would also be nice.

5. Remove the toast from the broiler, top with poached egg, season, garnish, add the tomato, and PUT THE WHOLE MESS INTO YOUR VERY HUNGRY FACE.

Great way to make use of stale bread.

– www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/perfectwelshrarebit_13772
– www.seriouseats.com/2012/09/british-bites-welsh-rarebit-w…
– goo.gl/WpNb21

…cook 1 c. rinsed brown rice in 2 c. water with 2 cardamom pods, a clove, and a piece of cinnamon bark. Remove the aromatics when rice is tender, stir in a generous dollop of butter and salt & pepper to taste.

Toward the end of the rice’s cooking time, melt 1-1/2 Tbsp. butter in a sauce pan and add 1/2 tsp. minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, then add a can of undrained white beans. Simmer until thick and the beans have made their own garlicky gravy.

Use a shallow mold to plate the rice, spoon beans and their liquor over. Garnish with diced tomato, black pepper, and flat leaf parsley.

…this is a weird concoction I copied from a restaurant I used to eat at in Portland 25 years ago. It’s weirdly delicious, and it’s a great way to extend a small amount of avocado to a lot of servings.

Cottage Cheese Guacamole

Mash together in a bowl and serve on tostadas.

…using the Instant Pot’s sauté setting, heat:

2 c water
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (or bacon fat)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp paprika

Add:

1/5 c pinto beans
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Bring to a boil. Turn off heat, seal, and pressure cook on Chili/Beans for 30-50 minutes, depending on the freshness of your beans.

Quick release. Adjust seasonings if needed; cook awhile to reduce, if it’s too saucy for you. Stir in a pat of butter, if desired.

Serve as a side dish, or over rice or toast, with any garnishes you like (cheese, scallions, diced tomato, sour cream), as a meal.

I was attempting to copy Kuhner’s chili beans. It didn’t work, but was still yummy.

…this is such a great batch of salsa, guys.

In a non-stick pan, heat until shimmering:

1 tsp. oil

Add:

10 dried red chiles, stems removed
1 small white onion, quartered
2-3 cloves of garlic

Roast over high heat until charred and fragrant.

Into a blender, pour:

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes and their juice
1 tsp. salt, or to taste

Add the roasted vegetables, and blend to desired texture.

…I attempted Chinese food!

SAUCE:
sesame oil
soy sauce
rice vinegar
ginger
garlic
red pepper flakes
vegetable/mushroom broth
corn starch & water

VEGETABLES:
baby bok choy
red pepper
onion
carrots
mushrooms
broccoli

CRISPY TOFU:
tofu
corn starch
salt & pepper

SIDE:
brown rice
scallions
sesame seeds

1. Cook brown rice in water with salt.

2. Cube tofu and toss in corn starch, salt, and pepper, and fry in a non-stick pan with oil or ghee. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the first 6 sauce ingredients. Put 1/2 c. of vegetable broth in a handy cup. Whisk cool tap water with corn starch.

4. Stir fry the harder vegetables in the wok in a little oil. When jst starting to soften, add the rest of the vegetables and broth and toss. Cover and allow to steam briefly.

5. When the vegetables are crisp-tender, add the sauce and bring to a brief boil until thickened. Remove from heat and toss until evenly coated.

6. Serve over brown rice with the fried tofu and garnished with scallions and sesame seeds.

…when there’s some spinach you need to use up before it goes bad, you can make this awesome salad dressing!

It’s basically the following, in whatever proportions you’re feeling, in a blender: raw spinach, fresh parsley, a clove of garlic, tahini paste, water, lime juice (or lemon), olive oil, salt, and pepper.

2 c cooked chickpeas (or any other bean; blackeye peas work well)
375 ml coconut milk
1 tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 whole cloves
1.5 tsp turmeric
.5 tsp salt

Combine ingredients, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Make a day ahead and reheat for best flavor.

…restaurant-style smooth red salsa is awesome and you totally want some so here’s one OF APPROXIMATELY EIGHT BILLION WAYS to make some for your face to eat.

1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, diced
2-3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. chile pequin, or more to taste
1/2 – 1 tsp. ground cumin, to taste
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper, or 1/4 tsp. regular grind
1/2 lime, juiced, or about 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pan over low-medium heat Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic, and sautee for three minutes. Add the chile pequin, cumin seeds, and pepper. Sautee for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the sauteed mixture to the chopped tomatoes and puree — in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender — until smooth. Add any remaining tomato juice, lime juice, and salt. Adjust seasonings and serve with tortilla chips.

Notes: 1-Most of these measurements are ballpark; I think I used more oil and less pepper, but whatever, I was winging it. Everything is to taste. 2-You can add a few pinches of dried oregano or epazote if you want to. 3-You can also roast some or most of the ingredients for added deliciousness — the jalapeno, for example, would be great roasted — if you’re feeling energetic.