White Asparagus Goat Cheese Soup

I’ve been meaning to make this soup for quite awhile now. Since last June, in fact, when I tasted it at a conference in Washington D.C. I’d never had white asparagus before, and it tasted so good and creamy in soup form. Plus, add goat cheese to anything and I’m a goner. Anyway, it’s a rainy and cold day, so I figured today would be the perfect time to post this recipe. Since I only knew that the original recipe contained white asparagus and goat cheese, I kept it pretty basic.

A fair warning though- white asparagus MUST be peeled before eating. As I had never worked with this variation of asparagus before, I was unaware until I started chopping it up and came away with long, woody pieces. So yes, there is a bit of prep required for this recipe. Luckily for me, I was in the middle of my 13 Reasons Why Netflix binge while peeling. Made the process so much easier as I was sympathizing with Clay while having ill thoughts about several of the other characters the whole time. Most addicting show ever.

White Asparagus Goat Cheese Soup

1 lb white asparagus, PEELED and chopped into 1 inch-sized pieces

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

2 cups water

2 oz goat cheese

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish: chives

Directions:

Add the asparagus, onion, broth, and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes. With an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add in the goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir until the goat cheese has melted. Top individual bowls with chives before serving.

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Raw Carrot Cake Balls (Paleo)

Easter recipe- carrot cake bites on the go!

Raw Carrot Cake Balls (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup nut butter of choice

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 dried ginger

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup carrot chunks* + extra for garnish (optional)

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut + extra for garnish (optional)

3 tbsp raisins

Directions:

In a bowl, stir together the nut butter, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix VERY well (the mixture will seem dry at first, but it all comes together once the carrots get mixed in well). Roll your carrot cake dough into balls.

Optional: Place the extra carrot chunks and coconut into 2 separate shallow dishes. Roll your carrot cake balls into one of the toppings

Sweet Potato Tater Tots (Paleo)

For the last few weeks, I’ve got to experience what it’s like to be a “hockey (goalie) mom” while nannying for a family. And goodness gracious, let me tell you, there’s a lot of lugging around bulky gear to a different arena each day. And wondering which rink you’re supposed to be at. And sitting in cold seats. And eavesdropping into other people’s conversation. And intaking all the scents coming from the concession stand and wishing there was actually something healthy there that I could eat.

Thus, my desire to make tater tots was born! Honestly, I’m impressed how these turned out! I was expecting a total fail since I just added ingredients as I went. But the end product has a crisp outside and soft inside. Score! (Hockey reference intended).

After making these, I would highly suggest waiting for the tots to COMPLETELY cool. The flavor intensifies. In fact, eating these on the second day made them taste the best 🙂   

Sweet Potato Tater Tots (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into thick coin slices

1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 tbsp hot sauce

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a baking pan with oil. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in sweet potato. Let boil for 5 minutes. Afterwards, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon. Place into a food processor and pulse until the sweet potatoes are in small pieces and starting to turn into mash. Transfer potatoes into a bowl.

Place your cauliflower into the boiling water and also cook for 5 minutes. Afterwards, drain and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until you have cauliflower  rice. Measure out 1 cup of cauliflower rice and place in the bowl with the sweet potatoes (save the remaining cauliflower rice for another recipe!)

Stir in the hot sauce, garlic, salt, and egg to the bowl. Add in the flours and mix altogether. Let batter sit for 3 minutes to thicken. Using your hands, roll the batter into individual tater tots and place on the oiled baking sheet. Lightly salt your tater tots. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out, flip over with a spatula, and bake for another 8 minutes. Let cool before eating (tastes best the longer you wait).