The Savory and the Sweet
Boo!
Happy post-Halloween. I just finished folding up my slutty schoolgirl costume and putting it away for next year. Score!
Yeeeah. Kidding, people. It’s been a while since this girl “dressed up” for October 31st. I did stop by a party last night, but I was dressed up in the very creative guise of a book editor and nutritionist living in New York City. Translation: jeans, flats, and a top. End of story.
In any case, I did take advantage of the weekend to whip up some tasty food. Remember how I promised you an abundance of soups in the week to come? True to my word, I decided to whip up one of my very favorites: raw cauliflower soup.
The last time I shared a raw cauliflower recipe, a bunch of you expressed some trepidation about eating this cruciferous gem in the raw. I assure you, friends, that there’s no reason to be afraid. With its super mild taste and pleasantly crunchy texture, raw cauliflower is a highly palatable treat! The trick is, of course, to prepare it in pleasing ways. Nothing could be more pleasing than this rich and creamy soup, which elevates cauliflower and autumn spices to a new level of perfection. It’s very reminiscent of regular cream of cauliflower soup, but uses healthy pine nuts in place of dairy.
Raw Cream of Cauliflower Soup (serves 2-3)
Ingredients:
½ head (4 heaping cups) chopped cauliflower
½ cup pine nuts
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large dates, soaked and pitted
1 tbsp mellow white miso
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup water
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp celery seed
1/8 cup chopped onion or ¼ tsp onion powder (optional)
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8-1/4 tsp pepper (to taste)
Procedure:
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor till well combined. Sprinkle with a touch of nutmeg, and enjoy!
Yesterday, I had a kitchen tutorial with one of my local clients. The topic? How to open a young coconut. After a pleasant hour of coconut hacking and food chatter with my client—and faced with the prospect of a few long hours of work—I returned my apartment inspired to whip up a tasty, sweet, coconut-based treat. Fortunately, I had some leftover butternut squash cubes in the fridge that were begging to be used up, and in no time at all, my spooky pumpkin smoothie—a sweet treat in honor of Halloween—was born.
I call this a pumpkin smoothie because I think pumpkin would make it perfect. But any winter squash will do (the butternut was great), and so would yams.
For those of you who have regular blenders, I recommend steaming the pumpkin lightly before you blend. Or, if you’ve got some organic canned pumpkin or squash on hand, feel free to substitute 1/3 cup of it for the cubes!
Gena’s Spooky Pumpkin Smoothie (serves 2)
Ingredients:
Meat of one young coconut
1 cup coconut water
1/3 cup pumpkin, cut into small cubes (raw will work in a VitaMix; steamed in a normal blender; use canned if you’ve got it!)
4 large dates, pitted and soaked for ten minutes or so (you can use stevia, too)
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash (each) nutmeg and cloves
Procedure:
Blend all ingredients on high till the mix is super thick and smooth. You may need to add a touch more water to the mix. It should be on the sweet side, but if it’s not, feel free to add a touch of agave. Far more satisfying than mini-Butterfinger bars, or whatever the kids are eating these days!
I hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed the extra hour of sleep. I’d like to take a moment to give all of the amazing folks in the NYC marathon a big shout out – especially the brave and unbeatable Melissa, who’s running right now! Additional props to Katherine, who completed a marathon of her own last week.
And finally?
LET’S GO YANKEES!!!!! (Sorry, Phillie readers 
)
xo
40 Responses to “The Savory and the Sweet”
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Both of these recipes look delicious! I have tried to make cauliflower soup before and miserably failed. I love anything with nutmeg so I am thinking about trying this recipe. Thanks. Happy November Gena.
*evil glare at Yankees hat* I live in Philly what can I say? The cauliflower soup looks excellent, and I think I may have to make this for Thanksgiving for my mostly carnivorous family! Pumpkin is wonderful
I actually have a butternut squash sitting here near my computer (along with other various pumpkins and squashes) and I need to do something with it this month. I love autumn!!!
Ha! I think we can manage to tolerate each other regardless
Both these recipes sound great
Can’t wait to try them and watch the yankees win!! Happy Halloween!
Recipes sound great! I have made a few raw soups recipes before… still trying to get used to them… somehow it is hard not having a warm soup
I tried cooked cauliflower the other night and tummy was not a fan… so I will have to try raw cauliflower now to see if my tummy likes it better.
Raw soup doesn’t have to mean cold soup, lovely twins —> Stay Warm & Raw This Winter.
Yikes!
I hope you didn’t scare any children with your super-frightening costume idea
I love cauliflower… but not so much the Yankees!
I need to make the cauliflower soup, you know how much I loved Organic Avenue’s version! The smoothie sounds delicious as well, thanks for so many great recipes. Go Melissa and Yankees!
I really like raw cauliflower, so I might try this one. I’m a little wary of raw soups in general as I don’t usually like cold soups. But the mix of ingredients sounds really good, especially the pine nuts.
Your “boo” opening and costume description made me laugh out loud, haha. You know I feel the same way about dressing up for Halloween these days, so I just say that I went as VeggieGirl
VERY intriguing soup! But I’m more inclined to liking that smoothie – very festive.
Ahh, the “in person” young coconut tutorial… memories, memories.
Congratulations to Melissa and Katherine!
Go Yankees, indeed!!
The soup looks delicious but I’m most excited about the smoothie – I opened my first young coconut a few weeks ago and am super psyched to have yet another excuse to bring out the cleaver
Thanks for the shout out! I’ve been stalking Melissa all morning online and just saw she finished!!
I just love raw cauliflower and raw broccoli, as well! Super yummy looking recipes!
Slutty schoolgirl!!! I always had you pegged for Naughty Nurse. The recipes look delicious, hon!
It was a partial knock at my childhood, Sarah dear: I went to an all girls’ private school!
Woo hoo Yankees!!
That smoothie sounds deee-lish.
LOL, when I first read that first line, I read it over 4 times before I got to the next line because I couldn’t believe it. HAHA! That smoothie sounds sooo gooood! I am going to make it next weekend when I get coconuts from Whole Foods! Thanks!
You know this Jersey girl is a Yankees fan!
You had me going there with the slutty schoolgirl! I was waiting for pictures!
Okay, again with the same wavelength…I made a Pumpkin Coconut Smoothie this afternoon! Hand to God! You are now entering The Twilight Zone…
You know you could have just carried a McDonald’s bag and REALLY scared someone. I’m just sayin.
Good call with raw soup right about now! I dig–raw soup is on the menu this week, whether or not I feed it to you. I wanna get in on the waning zucchini crops!
The soup sounds good. I am not sure I can used to cold soup though:-)
Slutty Schoolgirl?! You stole my costume! haha just kidding.
I’m not a big fan of raw cauliflower but the soup does sound lovely. The pumpkin smoothie sounds amazing, perfect for fall! I love the addition of coconut too.
Hope you had a great Halloween!
Tasty, tasty, but the question is : Will a young coconut blend in a non-Vitamix blender?
Yes ma’am
Thank you for posting the cauli soup recipe. Earlier in the week I posted a raw broccoli salad recipe and was astounded at the number of people who think raw brock is gross. It’s pungent & strong, some heads of brock more so than others, but I like it. And cauli is wayyyy less strong & pungent and far more palatable raw, to me at least, so I am even more shocked that people freak about raw cauli. Wow, guess I was destined to be a raw foodie
cuz I like them both. I can’t hang with the raw brussels, turnips, or parsnips like you can but cauli and brock, no prob.
Butterfingers I confess have infiltrated our house and garnished husband’s oatmeal. It’s what happens when you have a kid…they give your child cheap plastic toys full of BPA from China OR Butterfingers. Surely not easy for the conscious parent, I tell you
That’s what husbands are for to eat up the “leftovers” 
When I saw the recipe of the soup I thought it was hot chocolate. I was a tad disappointed.
I hope tonight is the Yankees night! Could end it- fingers crossed!
Ha… should have read this earlier. we vetured into a first young coconut “ice cream” adventure. i think your recipe sounds a little better that our first attempt , but my husband opened the coconut quite beautifully!!! the “chocolate” sauce made up for the ok ice cream. 2 more coconuts, can’t wait to try this one!
Go Yanks! Awesome game last night.
1. Ever since you mentioned the C word last post I have been digging in my freezer stash. I have officially had 3 mini dark chocolate bars in the last 5 days. Not. good!
2. GO PHILLIES!
and
3. I think one thing I wouldn’t be able to appreciate is cold soup. I usually eat soup when I am craving something warm and comforting! However, I will say that the photo of this soup makes raw soup look super appetizing.
Wow, that pumpkin smoothie looks amazing. Perfect excuse to buy my first young coconut!!
Ummmmmmmm….that pumpkin smoothie looks so good.
oh, the soup looks awesome. I am already excited for raw wednesday! yay! and seriously, let’s go yankees!
thanks for the shout out. you are too too kind.
Yum! You definitely knew what what was in my kitchen this time!
Mmmm, the cauliflower looks awesome … now I just need to pick up fresh cauliflower
are dates always supposed to be soaked before eating?
No, J, they’re not. But if you’re going to be blending them, it’s helpful for them to be soaked.
that soup and smoothie sound delicious! i need to tackle a coconut one of these days
I made the cauliflower soup last night – WOW I was amazed, I have always loved this vegetable and it was a delicious change of pace. Thank you
That soup looks so good. I’ve been thinking about making a cream of cauliflower soup for a while now. Can I use cashews or something instead of pine nuts?