Baked Potato Soup

It's been so cold in Utah lately. And snowy. If I'm not out skiing or snowboarding, my next favorite way to spend a snowy day is cuddled up on the couch with a warm blanket and have a hot bowl of soup for dinner. I used to think that my Roasted Carrot Bacon Soup was my new favorite soup, but this Baked Potato Soup is even better. It's like a warm hug in a bowl. 

There aren't a whole lot of ingredients and it doesn't take all that long to make. And it's even better the next day. Next time I'm definitely going to have to make a double batch.

Baked Potato Soup

3 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 slices of bacon
1 onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk

1. Cook bacon in a dutch oven sized pot over medium heat. Remove bacon when crispy and keep the grease in the pot.
2. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook until the onion is tender.
3. Add the potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender. (About 15-20 min).
4. Mash the potatoes in the pot until your desired smoothness. I left some chunks and it added a nice texture.
5. Stir in the coconut milk and crumbled bacon.

Gluten and Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole

Note: For this casserole, I used the solids and liquid separately from one can of coconut milk. I know that the coconut milk I have in my pantry already has the solids and liquid separated. If you're unsure, put the unopened can of coconut milk in the fridge for several hours. When you're opening the can, scoop out the solids to measure 1 cup and then use the remaining coconut milk for the fried onions. 

This casserole took a long time to make, but it was delicious. I love green bean casserole, and this recipe is very similar to the good old traditional cream of mushroom and french fried onion classic.

Gluten and Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole

8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup thick coconut milk solids from can (see note above)
1 cup broth
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp sherry
1 Tbsp potato or tapioca starch
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground thyme
4 cans green beans, drained
3 cups Gluten Free French Fried onions (see below), divided

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with oil or nonstick spray.
2. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms, salt, pepper and thyme in oil until browned. Add the garlic and saute for 1 min.
3. Add the sherry and starch, stirring for a minute. Add the broth and coconut milk. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. 
4. Combine mushroom sauce with green beans and 1 cup of Gluten Free French Fried Onions.
5. Pour casserole into baking dish. Top with the remaining 2 cups of fried onions. Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes

Gluten Free French Fried Onions

1 large onion
Liquid from 1 can coconut milk (see note above)
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Canola oil for frying

1. Cut onion in half and slice into thin slices.
2. Put the coconut milk into a large bowl. Soak the onion slices in the milk.
3. Combine the sorghum flour, potato starch, salt, and pepper in a gallon ziploc bag. Close and shake well to mix.
4. In a heavy bottomed pot, add enough oil to be at least an inch deep. Heat oil over medium high heat.
5. Working in small batches, shake the excess coconut milk from the onion slices and place in bag. Seal and shake thoroughly to coat all the pieces in the flour mixture. You want the onion slices to be pretty dry. If they are still wet, toss the onions in a little more potato starch.
6. Fry the onions for several minutes until crispy. The onions won't turn dark brown, but they will become more firm when they are crispy. Drain on paper towels. 
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have cooked all the onions. 

Banana's Foster Coconut Ice Cream

I was searching Pinterest for coconut milk ice cream recipes, and I saw one for a roasted banana ice cream. It had no added sugar. Just bananas, coconut oil and coconut milk. After our disappointing venture into date sweetened coconut ice cream (somehow it tastes like a weird medicinal bourbon), I'm leery of ice cream without added sugar. As Ben said, "There's a reason you never see date sweetened ice cream." I decided if banana ice cream was good, then Banana's Foster ice cream must be amazing! In the pre-Tommy days sometimes I would saute some bananas in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and serve it over ice cream. So I took those flavors and just blended it all together.

OMG, I wish I had a video of Ben licking the spoon after I poured the mixture out of the blender. He said, "Wow, that could be the best ice cream ever made." Unlike the date ice cream, which tasted good before we froze it but tastes weird now, this ice cream just tastes amazing. It's nice and sweet and the flavors of banana and cinnamon really come through. I think I'll have to make another batch in the near future.

Banana's Foster Coconut Ice Cream

3 medium or 2 large bananas
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 can full fat coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice the bananas in half through the width and half through the length.
3. In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. 
4. Toss the bananas in the sugar mixture. Bake for 10 minutes. Be careful, the syrup will be VERY hot.
5. Combine the banana mixture and coconut milk in a blender. Be sure to include all the syrup. Puree until smooth.
6. Cool mixture in a bowl with a spout in the fridge for 2 hours. Follow the directions for your ice cream maker. Enjoy!

We're Home! Creamy Broccoli Soup

Tommy's tonsils and adenoids are gone! His surgery went very well, and after a night in the hospital for observation since he's not even two years old yet, we're finally back home. The first day he was feeling pretty good. He even roamed the halls a bit and played in the peds playroom. But last night and today he's been a lot more miserable. He has a pretty sad little cry and cough and he just seems to be a lot more uncomfortable. Poor little guy. But we're all happy to be home. Now he's had dinner and a bath and he's pretty happy for the moment!

Tommy hasn't been all that interested in drinking today, but he's eating food like a champ. Lots of jello, oatmeal and applesauce. He hasn't had much fat or salt, so for dinner I made Creamy Broccoli Soup and Corn-Free Cornbread. By far this is Tommy's favorite way to eat broccoli.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp minced garlic
3 chicken broth
2 cups water
2 heads broccoli, chopped
1 can full fat coconut milk

1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven sized pot over medium low heat. Add the onion through garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the broccoli and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the broccoli is soft (about 15 min).
3. Add the coconut milk and puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.
4. Heat the soup over medium low until warm.