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Thai Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

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It’s finally soup season over here! October hasn’t been too much of a fall weather so far but now the temperatures are starting to drop. Finally! It’s time for comforting soups on cozy evenings in front of your TV in PJs! Couldn’t wait for that time of the year.

I love eating soups, they are so filling, warm, delicious and can be packed with so many nutrients. They are just like pasta, so versatile, just amazing. The first soup we usually make each year is a pumpkin cream soup with sausages. One of the best dishes my mom cooks! Or we go for a beef soup, which is a typical Austrian food and so delicious. We also make it for Christmas ever single year, and no one gets sick of it! 

When not making it for guests, it is such a perfect Sunday night dinner. An ideal meal to round up the week and enjoy while sitting together when it’s cold outside! This Thai Sweet Potato Cauliflower soup is a great dish for such an occasion but it also works great as a starter for guests or even for meal prep to take for lunch or enjoy for dinner. Jut make a big batch on the weekend and keep it in the fridge when enjoying within a week, you can just heat it up whenever you want, or freeze it in pre portioned containers so you can store them over moths and have it whenever you are craving it!

The soup is vegan, and only 9 ingredients! Isn’t that amazing?! It is super easy to make doesn’t ask for a lot of work! First you need to sauté the onion, ginger, and lemongras in the oil until glassy and soft. This already brings out such a nice smell and the glazing it at the beginning intensifies the flavor which makes an awesome soup later on. Next you add the chopped up sweet potato and cauliflower and let the roast for a few minutes. Once these are also coated in the oil it is time to pour over some vegetable stock and let it simmer. The vegetable stock gives it more density and more heartiness.

This should simmer for about 20 minutes but really until the sweet potatoes and cauliflower are soft, this can be easily tested by piecing through it with a fork! Then either blend it with a hand blender until creamy or if on hand, blend it with a high speed blender! I used my Kenwood blender which gave me a perfect result! If it is too thick, add a little more broth. The soup already smells so good it’s incredible! But honestly your entire house will smell amazing.

After it has been poured back into the pot, there is only one thing left to do. Add the coconut milk and stir it in. You can either serve it now or let it sit for later or freeze it right away. When serving it, top with some Resy cilantro if you wish and some more coconut milk. If you are not opting for a plant based version some Asian marinated chicken or prawn skewers would be a great addition but it also is really delicious as it is. Serve with some toasted croutons on the side and enjoy! 

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Thai Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

A asian inspired soup that packs all the falll goodness. Sweet Potato, Cauliflower, Coconut milk. Perfect fall dinner and even vegan.

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine asian, thai
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 35 Minuten
Total Time 50 Minuten
Servings 4 people
Calories 371 kcal

What you will need

  • 2 tbsp oil neutral in taste
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 4 cm Ginger
  • 500 g Sweet Potato
  • 500 g Cauliflower
  • 2 l vegetable stock
  • 250 m Coconut milk
  • cilantro for garnish

How to

That’s how it works:

  1. Finely mince up the onion and ginger. Remove the purest layer of the lemongrass and finely mince it too. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into about 1,5cm sized chunks. Also cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces. 

  2. In a large pot heat up the oil. Once hot add the onion, lemongrass and ginger. Let this glaze until see through and glassy. Meanwhile set up a second put with some vegetable broth, this can either be pre packaged or made with stock cubes, whatever you have on hand. 

  3. After about 2-3 minutes of glazing the vegetables add in the sweet potato and cauliflower. Let them roast for another 3-4 minutes until they are all coated with oil. Pour the vegetable stock over and let it all simmer for about 20 minutes. 

  4. The vegetables should be soft by now, simply test it by piecing through with a fork. Of not ready yet, continue for a little more. If ready, pour it into a high speed blender or blend it up with a hand blender until creamy and no chunks left. When not blended in the pot, pour it back into there now. Add the coconut milk.

  5. Serve it either right away or keep it on the stove until eating or freeze it right away if prepping it. When serving hernias with some fresh cilantro, a little more coconut milk, and some croutons on the side. 

Notes

Notes:
If making a big batch, it will last in the fridge for about a week. If wanting to keep it for longer, freeze it up to several months. 
Also, when not vegan or vegetarian, serve it with some Thai prawn or chicken skewers for some extra protein!

Super Green 20-Minute Curry

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The temperatures are sinking and it’s getting colder outside. The time for cozy sweaters and comfortable evenings with hot chocolates is coming. Finally! Isn’t it one of the best times of a year? I do believe so (at least when you don’t have to go outside)! But also when it’s not warm outside you want to have something warm on the inside and you can best get this with a warm, comfortable dish. 

A big bowl of pasta, some good soup, a pot roast or even a curry. I love a good curry at this time of the year, especially when it’s spicy, it really gets me warm and makes me have a comfortable feeling. But I don’t only love curries in the winter to be honest, they are one of my favorite dishes of all. They are so flavorful, versatile and super nutritious. With a hearty side such as rice, quinoa or naan they make a perfect balanced meal.

Also, I really love the different colors you can have when making curries. It feels like eating the rainbow and they are all the same but different in flavors at the same time. You can make them spicy, mild or without any spice at all, you get basically add whichever vegetables you like, and eat it with whatever side you like. 

In this Curry I added three different greens as I think especially in this time of the year when comfort meals are in focus, it is hard to get all the veggies in an eat balanced meals. The great thing with veggies in curries is, that even if you don’t like the taste of a single vegetable a lot, it won’t matter that much since they are going to absorb a lot of the flavor of the curry paste. So you can be generous with the vegetables you add in. Just be careful, since they might have different cooking times. 

As a protein source I used chickpeas in this recipe because I decided to go for a vegan version. But again, it is very versatile. If you want a meaty version you can add in chicken, lamb, or beef, if you are craving fish, feel free to add salmon, mixed fish, or prawns or if you want to go for something plant based but don’t like chickpeas it don’t have them in hand, it works great with tofu too. Since the chickpeas are already pre cooked I add them at the end, but if you use something like chicken that is not cooked beforehand, make sure to add it before the vegetables so it will get completely cooked through. 

I like to serve mine with a side or rice but really any carb works. This curry is really great for meal prep too, I actually believe that it intensifies the flavor of you keep it in the fridge for one or more days. I also like this dish as a weeknight dinner because it is really simple and quick when you don’t feel like cooking after a long day. I hope that you will enjoy it and I would love to see it if you recreated to be sure to tag me with @uneptcuisiniere or with #unepetitecuisiniere on Instagram and leave a comment! 

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Super Green 20-Minute Curry

A great comforting dish for any weeknight dinner or as a perfect meal prep dish. Warming, nourishing and super delicious! The best part? – It only takes 20 minutes!

Course lunch, Main Course
Cuisine thai
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 2 people
Calories 473 kcal

What you will need

  • 100 g rice
  • 200 ml water
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 50 g green curry paste you can use homemade or storebought ones, whichever you prefer or have on hand
  • 150 g Brussel Sprouts
  • 200 g Cauliflower
  • 1/2 Zucchini
  • 200 ml Light coconut milk
  • 100 ml water
  • 100 g canned chickpeas rinsed
  • 2 handful spinach
  • Cilantro for garnish

How to

That is how it works:

  1. In a pot add the rice along with 200ml of water and a generous amount of salt. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a very low simmer and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for about 12-15 minutes without lifting the cover.

  2. Meanwhile half the brusselsprouts, and cut both the zucchini and cauliflower into small chunks. In a non-stick pan heat up the oil. Once hot add the curry paste and gently stir until it is all combined with the oil. When adding the paste before the vegetables the flavors get even more intense.

  3. Next, add the veggies except the spinach. The zucchini has a slightly shorter cooking time, so if you do not want it to get extra soft then add it maybe 3-4 minutes later. If you do not mind or actually like it, as I do, just add it now with the brussel sprouts and cauliflower.

  4. Fry them for about 3 minutes then pour the coconut milk and the water on top. Stir until the curry paste from the veggies and the sauce is well combined. Let this simmer for about 8 minutes and then add in the precooked chickpeas and the spinach. The greens will wilt down so do not worry if they seem huge at first! Let it all simmer for another 5 minutes. Salt it if necessary, this depends on your curry paste.

  5. By now the rice should be done too. Fluff it up with a fork so it gets nice and soft. Seperate it onto the plates and add the curry too! Top it with a little cilantro and some crushed peanuts if wanted.

    Serve and enjoy!

Veal Stuffed Zucchini Cannelloni

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This dish basically is a lighter twist on stuffed cannelloni – just without the cannelloni. When I was in the kitchen creating this dish, I actually did not mean to recreate cannelloni or put a lighter twist in them. I just let myself experiment. After finishing cooking, when I ate this dish I realized that it actually looked like the typically Italian pasta. It tasted sooo good. Just all the flavors and textures worked really well together. The crunch of the zucchini, the texture of the ground meat, the softness of the melted cheese, and the intense flavor of the tomato sauce. 

It is a little work, to make this dish, so it is not the perfect dish to have as a quick dinner, but it is if you have some more time and want to cook it together with someone else on a date night or a family dinner. I really, really like this dish because it is family friendly, still sneaks in some vegetables and kind of is a lighter twist on a baked pasta dish.

I decided to use minced veal as a meat simply because I really like the flavor and it is pretty lean. If you prefer to use beef, turkey, pig, or even a vegetarian mince that would work too. I just think that the veal doesn’t overpower the other ingredients but still brings a nice flavor and texture. Also, it makes the dish a little bit more Italian because in Italy, veal is used very often. When frying it in the pan, don’t leave it in there for too long since it shouldn’t be completely cooked through as it would get dry in the oven. Also if you do not have an oven safe pan, you can use any other oven safe dish to bake the “cannelloni” in.

The Ricotta that is in the filling along with the meat gives this entire dish such a delicious richness and hearty flavor, which I realllllyyy like. Of course, you can use cream cheese or curd cheese instead but it won’t be the same. Ricotta just has this little something and this instant-Italian twist on every dish you use it in, so I would not substitute it with anything else. All the herbs that are packed into the Ricotta just give it a freshness and make it real good. Never skip the herbs & spices!

When baking the zucchini in the oven, the sauce will get more liquid since the zucchini will loose water. I personally like it because you can pour some more onto your plate but if you prefer to having it thick you can blanch the zucchini strips in simmering water for a few minutes and dry them with a paper towel. This is quite a lot of work because there are a lot of them, so I leave this step out and go for the thinner sauce. Especially when there is not too much time then I’d recommend not doing this extra step.

All in all, this is a pretty simple Italian inspired dish. It is a little bit of work but really fun to make and such a great way to lighten up stuffed cannelloni. I know that some Italians would come and beat me up now if I keep calling this “cannelloni” but it is really good. A dinner that all of your family is going to love!! If you do make it, be sure to share it with me on Instagram and tag me with @uneptcuisiniere or #unepetitecuisiniere. I’d love to see it! 

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Veal Stuffed Zucchini Cannelloni

A delicious lighter twist on the traditional italian classic. Made with ground veal and herbed ricotta, which is all packed into nourishing Zucchini and topped with fresh tomato sauce and molten cheese. Just good.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Total Time 50 Minuten
Servings 4 people
Calories 370 kcal

What you will need

  • 2 Zucchini
  • 1.5 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 White Onion
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 400 g Ground Veal can substitute for any other meat
  • 200 g Ricotta
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 tbsp Minced Basil
  • 1 tbsp Minced Sage
  • 1 tbsp Minced Oregano
  • 400 ml Tomatoe Sauce
  • 50 g Parmesan Cheese Do not use pre-grated ones if possible since the quality is alway lower
  • 50 g Mozarella Cheese Buffalo is best

How to

That´s how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. With a peeler, peel of strips of the Zucchini that are about 1-2mm thick. In a pan heat up the olive oil. Meanwhile finely mince the onion and garlic. Once hot add them to the oil and cook them for about 1 minute. Add the meat and generously salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, it does not have to be completely cooked through. 

  2. In a bowl mix the Ricotta with the egg yolk, the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. On a flat surface lay out about three to four Zucchini strips* at a time, depending on how big they are, slightly overlaping. 

  3. Grate the parmesan cheese and chop of the mozarella into about 1.5 cm large pieces. 

  4. At the lower end of them spread one tablespoon of the Ricotta mixture and 1 tablespoon of the minced veal on top. Carefully roll them up and place them aside. Continue until there is no Zucchini and Meat left. 

  5. In an oven-safe dish or pan spread half of the tomato sauce. Carefully place the Cannelloni horizonatlly in it. Top them with the rest of the tomato sauce and the different cheeses.

  6. Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, so the cheese has all molten and the Zucchini is cooked through. Serve with some fresh basil and enjoy!

Notes

*if you want the dish to be less watery, blanch the Zucchini strips in simmering water for about 1 minute here. Then transfer them into an ice bath and pat them dry. Continue to follow along the recipe. 

I do not think that this step is necessary because I like it to be saucy but this depends on your preference.