DINNER PARTY- December Edition

DINNER PARTY- December Edition

This month's menu was designed out of a desire for cozy yet fresh. We are in the middle of the holidays, and sometimes a hearty (yet completely allergen free!) soup is what we need paired with a refreshing salad.

 

Recipes included in this month's edition are: 
Cauliflower Chowder with Ham
Savory Thyme Biscuits
Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Simple Vinaigrette
Blueberry Apple Crisp

  
Serves: 6 adults 
Prep Time: 20 minutes 
Cook Time: 30-50 minutes

To make this meal come together as seamlessly as quick as possible, follow the guidelines below. 

Step 1: Prep the ingredients for the soup and begin sauteing the cauliflower. 

Step 2: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 3: Mix up biscuit dough and honey roasted pecans and bake. 

Step 4: Continue cooking soup, adding the broth, blending it, and adding remaining ingredients. 

Step 5: Mix up dressing and throw salad together. Top with cooled pecans. 


Cauliflower Chowder with Ham

Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

    • 6 T olive oil, divided
    • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
    • 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
    • 1 lb. ham, chopped
    • 8 cups chicken broth
    • 3-4 cloves garlic
    • 1 T white cooking wine
    • 1/2-1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    • 1/2 tsp onion powder

    Instructions: 

    Wash and chop cauliflower into florets. Heat dutch oven over medium heat and add garlic and 3 T olive oil, stirring for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add cauliflower. Reduce heat to med-low and cover for 10 minutes.

    Bring heat back up to medium and deglaze dutch oven with white cooking wine. To do this, simply add cooking wine to pot and "scrape" bottom of pan. This greatly enhances flavor.

    Add chicken broth and heat to boiling. Simmer for 5-10 minutes over medium-low heat. In a blender, add 1 cup cooked cauliflower florets (from soup pot) as well as 1 cup of liquid (from soup pot). Add remaining 3 T olive oil and blend until emulsified, about 1 minute. Return to soup along with chopped ham and broccoli. Continue simmering until broccoli is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Taste, and adjust salt accordingly.

    Serve and enjoy! 

    Savory Thyme Biscuits

    Prep Time: 10 minutes 
    Cook Time: 20 minutes

    Ingredients:

    • 4 cups all purpose flour (or desired substitute)
    • 2 T baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
    • 12 T chilled butter, divided
    • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
    • 2 T fresh thyme, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced 

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

    In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add 8 tablespoons butter and mix into flour with pastry blender. Add fresh thyme, garlic, and cheddar cheese and mix together. Add buttermilk and mix until dough becomes sticky.

    On a baking stone or greased pan, spread biscuit dough into a rectangle with your hands until approximately 1 1/2 inches thick. With a pizza cutter or large knife, gently cut biscuits into 15-20 squares. 

    Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges turn golden on top. Melt remaining 4 T butter and mix in 1/2 tsp. garlic powder. Spread evenly on top of warm biscuits. Serve directly from warm baking stone. 

    Spinach Pomegranate Salad with Honey Roasted Pecans

    Prep Time: 15 minutes 

    Bake Time: 10 minutes

    Salad

    • 5 ounce container of spinach/spring salad mix
    • 1 pomegranate, deseeded 
    • 2 apples, cut into cubes
    • 1/2 cucumber, diced (optional)
    • 1 batch of honey roasted pecans (recipe blow)
    • simple vinaigrette (recipe below) or use your favorite store bought vinaigrette!

    Honey Roasted Pecans

    • 2 T honey
    • 1 1/2 cups pecans
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

    Simple Vinaigrette

    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1 T white wine vinegar
    • 1/4 t salt
    • 1/8 t pepper
    • 1/4 t garlic powder
    • 1/4 t onion powder
    • 1/4 t herbs de Provence (or Italian herb blend)

    Instructions:

    Assemble salad by placing greens into serving bowl. Add pomegranate seeds, apples, and cucumber pieces.  

    For the honey roasted pecans, combine ingredients together in small bowl to coat pecans. Spread out on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until browned- be careful not to burn! Let cool. Sprinkle atop salad. 

    For the simple vinaigrette, blend all ingredients together by hand or with hand blender. 

    Blueberry Apple Cobbler

    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Bake Time: 20-25 minutes

     Ingredients:

    • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
    • 2 cups fresh or frozen apples
    • 1 T lemon juice
    • 2 T arrowroot powder 
    • 1 tsp vanilla

    Topping: 

    • 3/4 cup rolled oats
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 6 T coconut sugar
    • 1/2 cup whole wheat or almond flour
    • 6 T butter, chilled

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

    In a skillet, over medium heat, place blueberries and apples. Add arrowroot powder and mix to coat. Add remaining ingredients and gently mix together. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredient. When mixing in chilled butter, use a pastry blender until mixture is evenly chunky. Spread on top of fruit and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or simply by itself. 

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