To Taste: Curried Chicken Wrap + Cumin-Mint Cauliflower Soup

Now that I’m armed with an immersion mixer and a bountiful harvest from my farm share, I’ve been a soup-making maniac. From a lower-carb version of 101Cookbook’s ribollita to 2 rounds of butternut squash + leek, my favorite creation of the fall was a bowlful of cumin-mint cauliflower soup. It was a one pot, minimal ingredient, flavorful blend of cheddar cauliflower via Greensgrow, toasted cumin powder, onion, chicken stock, fresh mint from my herb garden, and S&P.

What’s soup for dinner without a sandwich? My sister, Kerry, gave me a fragrant curry powder that had been taunting me from the spice cabinet and seemed like a curry chicken wrap was the right match. As the weather cools, this meal definitely warmed my belly.


Cumin-Mint Cauliflower Soup

Serves (6). Makes approx. 1.5 quarts.

  • cheddar or standard cauliflower – one head, chopped into florets
  • chicken stock – 3 cups, about 1.5 small cans
  • yellow onion – medium, chopped
  • butter or olive oil
  • ground cumin – 1tsp or to taste
  • fresh mint – 2T, chopped
  • S&P
  1. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a heavy stock pot. Add chopped cauliflower, cover, and bring back to a boil. Simmer for about 10 min or until cauliflower is fork tender.
  2. While cauliflower is cooking, heat a deep saute pan on medium. Add butter/olive oil, chopped onion, & cumin. Sweat for approx 8 min. until tender & translucent, making sure to turn lower heat if they begin to brown.
  3. Add onion & cumin mixture to the pot of cauliflower & stock. Combine and simmer for 10 min on medium heat.
  4. Turn off heat and stir in mint and S&P to taste.
  5. Blend mixture in the stock pot with an immersion blender or in batches in a standard blender. Thin as needed with water or additional chicken stock.
  6. Serve with shredded cheese, fresh mint garnish, and your favorite sandwich.


Chicken Curry Wrap

Serves 2.

  • boneless, skinless chicken breast – 2 breasts, trimmed & cut into strips
  • yellow onion – 2 medium, sliced
  • dry wine – 1/2 cup
  • yellow curry powder – 2 tsp
  • sour cream – 3/4 cups
  • lettuce – chopped or shredded, your preference
  • tomato – chopped or sliced, your preference
  • tortillas – 2 burrito-sized flour wraps
  • S&P
  1. Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat. Season chicken breast with 1 tsp of the curry powder and S&P. Add to hot pan and toss regularly, until browned & cooked through, approx. 10min. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Keep pan on medium and add 1/2 cup of white wine to deglaze. Scrape brown bits from bottled to pan with a spatula. Allow to evaporate until minimal amount of liquid remains in pan.
  3. Heat 2 T of olive oil in the same pan over medium until shimmering. Add onions and saute for about 5 min.
  4. Add remaining 1 tsp of curry powder and sweat for approx 4 min longer until tender and browned.
  5. Return chicken to pan and add sour cream. Combine ingredients and warm over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes.
  6. Lay out tortillas. Add chicken, lettuce, & tomato. Wrap like a burrito and enjoy with a toasty bowl of cumin-mint cauliflower soup.

Saturday w/ Sarah: Ansill’s Menu @ Ladder 15

This past weekend, Dre & I went on a mission to the bookstore for Dalai Llama wisdom, food rules via Michael Pollan, & hopefully a continued subscription to Cook’s Illustrated. He headed off to work at 3 and I ventured across Broad is pursuit of a long-overdue Saturday w/ Sarah.

I’m glad I recalled that David Ansill (of Pif & Ansill restaurant notoriety) had revamped the menu* at the relatively new Ladder 15 – 1528 Sansom Street. Our waitress was great and beyond adorable, so I took her recommendation on the Pear Complex from their (also newly revamped) cocktail menu. DELICIOUS! We started off the meal with the Curried Lamb Empanadas. The three rich, crispy, & dense pockets wereΒ  savory and perfectly paired with an Apple Chutney & Mango Yogurt.

Curried Lamb Empanadas w/ Apple Chutney & Mango Yogurt

Ahh, the new buzz menu item around Phily – the Ladder 15 Burger! This burger is on a new level of decadence. Eff a kobe burger… a sizzling bone full of marrow & truffle sauce are where it’s at! For those that can’t handle it, they have a classic burger, too. Both are paired with perfectly crisp fries & parmesan mayo dipping sauce… with caviar on top?!?!

Burger 15 - Prime Sirloin, Braised Short Rib, Red Wine Mushrooms, Grilled Red Onion, Bone Marrow, & Truffle Sauce on Metropolitan Bakery Brioche**

Ansill’s self-titled restaurant (that unfortunatley closed last Summer) had a buzz menu item of its own – Korean Tacos! I never had the opportunity to try them, so it was exciting to have a second chance. The order came with (2) soft tacos – a Pork Belly one & a Braised Short Rib one. They were of a richness beyond my imagination with a fatty Korean BBQ marinade, kim chi, scallion, & sesame seeds. I WILL be back for these again soon… and to try whatever flaming dish I envied as it was delivered to another table.

Ansill's Korean Tacos - (1) Pork Belly & (1) Braised Short Rib

The highlight of the experience was not one, but two visits to our table by Chef Ansill. He made a welcome point to show Sarah his vision on topping off the Burger 15 and popped over again to see how we were enjoying everything. Now that’s a chef I can surely respect & support!

*Check out Ansill’s full new Ladder 15 menu HERE!

**Thanks to Metropolitan Bakery for their Twitter shoutout of my Burger 15 pic on Flickr!

To Taste: Red Curry Chicken Pitas & Mashed White Beans

Friday night, a blizzard was heading our way so I wanted to make a spicy dinner to warm our bellies. I drew inspiration from my Summer Feast with the ladies and decided on to make Chicken Breast marinated in Red Curry Paste & Greek Yogurt again. I whipped up a simple Tzatziki with fresh Dill, Cucumber, Scallions, Garlic, & the remaining Greek Yogurt. They combined perfectly with some Romaine & Tomatoes on Whole Wheat Pitas.

Red Curry Chicken Pitas w/ Cucumber Dill Tzatziki

I came across a recipe for Mashed Cannellini Beans on elly says opa and thought it’d be a perfect side dish for my Red Curry Chicken Pitas. I switched up the rosemary for fresh thyme and simmered the beans with Garlic & Chicken Stock. They look good enough eat even before I mashed them!

Simmering White Beans

After a few smashes with the potato masher & a dash of chili powder, the White Beans were a perfect consistency & pairing for our snowed in dinner. Next time I have to remember a splash of white truffle oil!

Mashed Cannellini Beans w/ Garlic & Fresh Thyme

RED CURRY CHICKEN PITAS w/ MASHED WHITE BEANS

  • Red Curry Chicken
  • Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki Sauce
  • Chopped Romaine Lettuce & Roma Tomatoes
  • Whole Wheat Pitas
  • Mashed White Beans w/ Garlic & Fresh Thyme
  1. Stuff Pita halves with Lettuce, Tomato, & Red Curry Chicken. Top with dollops of Tzatziki.
  2. Pair with a hearty scoop of Mashed White Beans and finish them with a dash of Chili Powder on top.
  3. Enjoy!

Red Curry Chicken

Prepared for (2) people

  • Chicken Breast – (2) breasts – rinsed, patted dry, & cubed
  • Greek Yogurt – (1/3) of a 6oz container – I prefer Fage Total 0% or 2%
  • Red Curry Paste – (1) T
  1. Combine Chicken cubes, Greek Yogurt, & Red Curry Paste in a mixing bowl and coat thoroughly. Marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Heat a saute pan on Medium and add (2) T of Olive Oil.
  3. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken and brown each side until cooked through. Or you can kebab the marinated Chicken cubes and throw them on the grill.

Cucumber Dill Tzatziki

Makes about (1/2) cup

  • Greek Yogurt – (2/3) of a 6oz container – I prefer Fage Total 0% or 2%
  • Cucumber – (1/2) cup – peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise, & sliced thin
  • Garlic – (1) T, minced
  • Shallot – (1/2) bulb, sliced paper thin
  • Fresh Dill – (1) T , chopped
  • Lemon Juice – (2) tsp
  • S&P – to taste
  1. Put sliced cucumber in a colander and salt generously. Toss to coat and allow to rest in sink for about 5 minutes to draw out moisture.
  2. Combine drained cucumber and other ingredients in a mixing bowl and fold gently.
  3. Chill for at least 15 minutes in the fridge before using.

Mashed White Beans w/ Garlic & Fresh Thyme

Adapted from elly say opa!’s recipe

  • Cannellini / White Beans – (1) 15oz can, drained
  • Garlic – (1) T, minced
  • Chicken Stock – (1) cup – feel free to use veggie stock instead
  • Lemon Juice – (2) tsp
  • Fresh Thyme – (2) tsp
  • S&P – to taste
  1. Bring a saute pan or wok to medium heat and add about (2) T of Olive Oil. Once glistening, add Garlic and brown about 1 minute.
  2. Add beans and saute about 3 minutes.
  3. Pour in chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer over Medium-Low heat.
  4. Once stock has almost completely evaporated (about 10-15 minutes), add Fresh Thyme and combine.
  5. Immediately turn off heat, add Lemon Juice, and mash beans with a potato masher or puree in a food processor until desired consistency. Add splashes of additional chicken stock to smooth if necessary.
  6. Serve immediately with a dash of Chili Powder on top.