Lighten Up!

I am often inspired by my chef friends. They teach me, make me laugh, act as sounding boards, give advice, and share my passion for food and serving others. One such chef is Nancy Waldeck. Nancy's a local Atlanta chef who has made healthy cooking both her mission and her lifestyle. As a cancer survivor, Nancy develops classes and teaches at a local hospital wellness program. Her recipes are based on healthy cooking principles and lightening up foods to give all the flavor with less fat and calories. She recently released a great cookbook called Taste and Savor, which is full of terrific recipes and tips - check it out at amazon.com or on her website www.tasteandsavor.com

Nancy and I both do work with Calphalon and recently she was featured on their website for an excellent article on fresh and healthy ingredient substitutions. One item she mentions is heavy cream, one that I like to use in small quantities. So when I recently looked for a recipe for Roasted Cauliflower Soup, the one I found on a reputable website had a whopping 2 cups of heavy cream in the ingredient list. Using Nancy's recommendation of 2 tablespoons for every cup of cream, I revised the recipe, swapping out the 2 cups of cream for only 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup). I made the recipe, pureeing the soup then adding the smaller amount of cream. It was so tasty with roasted cauliflower, garlic, carrot and shallots that I never missed the omitted cream. Pureeing soup allows thickening without the extra calories of additional thickening ingredients.

Enjoy this flavorful and easy recipe, one that features the humble cauliflower in a tasty way. Pair with a simple salad or sandwich for a great lunch or dinner. Adjust the consistency as you wish with either chicken broth or water if it is too thick.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

2 heads cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 large garlic cloves

3 shallots, peeled & sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

2 medium or 1 large carrot, peeled & sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Kosher salt & either white or black pepper to taste

1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups chicken broth

1 - 2 cups water (or chicken broth)

1 bay leaf (fresh is best)

1/8 teaspoon Penzey's Mural of Flavor seasoning (is salt free)

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Chopped chives for garnish (optinonal)

Preheat your oven to 425 F.

In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower, garlic, shallot and carrot with 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place on a foil-lined sheet pan in an even layer and roast in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes or until browned.

In a stock pot, place the roasted vegetables, broth, 1 cup water, bay leaf and Mural of Flavor seasoning. Bring to a boil and then turn to medium low, simmering for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is smooth. (Or puree in small batches in a blender, taking care when blending hot liquids.) Stir in the cream and fresh thyme. Adjust the consistency with a little more water or chicken broth if necessary. Heat through and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls with chopped chives for garnish.

Note: If you don't have Penzeys seasoning available, you can omit it. Their spices are most excellent and available by mail at http://www.penzeys.com/