Sunday 17 July 2016

Leftover cauliflower cheese, veg and rice soup - and food for thought

After our Christmas in July dinner last weekend we ended up with lots of leftovers to see us through the week.  On Monday night I made a soup out of some leftover roast vegies, other vegies that needed using, rice from the freezer and the rest of the cauliflower cheese.  It was a beautiful melding of leftovers!  Creamy with just a little texture.  Even Sylvia ate a small bowl of it.

For the rest of the week we ate leftover gravy stewed up with lots of vegies and lentil (above).  We had leftover flapjackds that we ate at interval at Matilda the Musical so we could feel better about eating Saint Churros afterwards.  (If you don't know much about this musical, check out this article from the New Yorker in 2013 about Australian comedian and musician Tim Minchin who wrote the songs.)

If you prefer not to read about Matilda and Minchin, I have some more food for thought.  Here are a few articles I have loved reading lately:

"Scruffy hospitality means you’re not waiting for everything in your house to be in order before you host and serve friends in your home. Scruffy hospitality means you hunger more for good conversation and serving a simple meal of what you have, not what you don’t have. Scruffy hospitality means you’re more interested in quality conversation than the impression your home or lawn makes." Rev Jack King
in In Praise of Scruffy Hospitality by Robin Reeves in Mother Nature Network

"In a wiser, more self-aware society than our own, a standard question on any early dinner date would quite simply be: "And how are you mad?""
in Why You Will Marry the Wrong Person by Alain de Botton in Daily Life

"Algorithms such as the one that powers Facebook’s news feed are designed to give us more of what they think we want – which means that the version of the world we encounter every day in our own personal stream has been invisibly curated to reinforce our pre-existing beliefs." 
in How Technology Disrupted the Truth by Katharine Viner in the Guardian

I am sending this soup to Lisa (with Jac) for a favourite vegetarian soup and salad blog event, No Croutons Required.

More leftover meals at Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Beetroot koftas in carrot sauce
Kalyn's stuffed peppers
Leftovers pasta bake
Pizza piled with kale and leftover stew
Vegan bubble and squeak
What to do with nut roast leftovers

Leftover cauliflower cheese, veg and rice soup
Serves 2-3

2 celery, diced
3 medium red peppers, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 cups of cauliflower cheese
1 chunk of peeled roasted pumpkin
4 large cloves of roast garlic, squeezed out of the skin
1 large spoonful of gravy
1-2 cups cooked rice
1 cup diced roast potato
salt and pepper
60g grated mature cheddar cheese

Cook celery in a small amount of water in a large saucepan for a few minutes until it softens.  Add red pepper and zucchini and cook in a small amount of water until softened.  Add cauliflower cheese, pumpkin, garlic, gravy and about 2 cups of water.  Cook briefly until warmed -  about 5-10 minutes.  Puree with blender.  Season lightly and add rice and potato.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Check and adjust seasoning.  Serve warm.

NOTES: The soup seemed quite thin when blended by thickened up when potato and rice were added.  This recipe could be adjusted to use up other leftover roast vegies but lighter colored veg are best if you want the lovely warm orange colour.   To read about how I make cauliflower cheese, roast vegies, and gravy, check out this winter solstice roast dinner.

On the Stereo:
Grantchester (Original Television Soundtrack)

14 comments:

  1. I do love Christmas in July although I haven't prepared a meal like you did. Must remember to do that next year! Tim is super-talented. He's currently working with my brother-in-law on a feature film due to be released in 2018 xx

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    1. Thanks Charlie - I will look forward to the film with interest (your brother in law must be very talented too)

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  2. I'd never thought to use leftover cauliflower cheese in a soup - what a great idea! It must make it lovely and creamy.

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    1. Thanks Corina - this is not the first time I have had creamy cauliflower soups - they are great - but it is the first time I have just added cauliflower cheese

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  3. All the best Christmases generate leftovers so I'm glad you got some good dishes out of your Christmas in July leftover ingredients. And did you like Matilda? We don't go to many musicals / theatre performances but saw that in NYC and both really liked it. Conversely, I really, really dislike the FB news feed algorithms which are always scarily related to what I've recently been searching for or shopping for online...

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    1. Thanks Kari - we loved Matilda - it was lots of fun and lots of intelligent lyrics - and yep it is quite odd when the FB or Google algorithims throw up something I have just read in the advertisements

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  4. Like Kari, I adore Christmas leftovers. That soup looks like a delicious concoction. I've got tickets to see Matilda closer to Christmas time. I'm taking my daughter who has assured me she can sit still for so long. I hope so, as I'm really looking forward to it. I love the theatre.

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    1. Thanks Lisa - I hope you enjoy Matilda - I think this was Sylvia's first big performance where she sat through without spending the a decent amount of time under the seat or in the aisles - good luck with Ellie at the show - hope she loves it and you get to enjoy it without too much distraction

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  5. Haha I think we definitely do scruffy hospitality here! I can't help it as I can't clean up after my husband quickly enough (nor is it my job to do so) :)

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    1. Thanks Lorraine - I feel the same about cleaning up after my husband - wish he was the only one to blame for scruffy hospitality - if it comes to a choice between clean and cooking I know which one I choose!

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  6. This soup sounds hearty and is a great way to use up leftovers. I adore Matilda the Musical - I am seeing it again with my mother in Brisbane.

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    1. Thanks Cakelaw - Lucky you to see Matilda twice - it is such fun

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  7. Ah how I love leftovers after a holiday. I'm always so tired and lacking in energy, it's welcoming to know I don't have to think about meal planning ;)
    "Matilda the Musical"? Oh Matilda was one of my very favourite books when I was a little girl. I still watch the movie regularly. I had no idea the original book was so dark. Wow. I bet the musical was hysterical ;p
    I think I need to do more "scruffy hospitality". I'm one of those that likes the place to look perfectly clean & tidy with everything in order before having people over. I really need to get over it ;)

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  8. Just lovely. Thanks so much for your ongoing support for NCR. The roundup should be appearing soon.

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