Healthy Cold Weather Comfort Food

Everyone loves comfort foods especially when it is cold outside! Since I am always trying to find ways to make my recipes healthier I came up with a way to make these two recipes taste really delicious and comforting without all the guilt you feel after eating them....let alone having to take a nap after! These recipes are also a great way to sneak more vegetables into your diet. No one will ever know they are eating something healthy either! I hope you enjoy these recipes and share them with your friends.

Cream of Chicken Soup

1 medium head of cauliflower flowerets

4 Cups chicken broth

1 Cup diced carrot

1 Cup diced celery

1 Cup diced onion

1 Cup sliced mushrooms

2 TB sherry

2-3 Cups fresh spinach

2 tsp olive oil for sautéing

Salt and pepper to taste1 (12 oz) can evaporated low-fat milk

2 C cooked wild rice

2-3 Cups cooked chicken

Add the cauliflower to a pot and cover with chicken broth. Simmer covered until the cauliflower is very soft. Let cool. Put the mixture into a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Set aside. Sauté carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add salt and pepper and cook until soft. Add sherry and spinach and cook until wilted. Add the chicken broth, cauliflower mixture, milk, chicken, and rice. Heat until hot and serve.

Ham Pot Pie (5 big servings)

 1 medium head of cauliflower flowerets 

1 box low sodium or no salt added chicken broth (4 Cups)

 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese (or more to taste) 

1/4 tsp nutmeg pepper

 1 LB diced ham 

1 pkg frozen vegetables (in a bag and lightly cooked by instructions)

 1 pkg frozen pearl onions (lightly cooked by instructions)

 Lite Jarlsberg, cheddar, or Swiss cheese (5 slices)

 2 slices of 100% whole wheat bread (made into fresh bread crumbs) 

Salt and pepper 

1 TB dried parsley 

2 tsp olive oil or melted butter

  Place cauliflower and chicken broth into a pot and simmer covered until  the cauliflower is really soft. Let cool. After it is cooled put it into  a blender and add the parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and pepper. Blend until  very smooth. Set aside. Meanwhile add the oil or melted butter, salt, pepper, and parsley to the  bread crumbs stirring until the oil has coated all the bread. Set aside.

Mix the ham, onions and vegetables together and spoon into 5 individual  serving dishes. Ladle and even amount of the cauliflower sauce into each  dish on top of the ham mixture and stir to combine. Top with a slice of  cheese and then the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 until bubbly and browned.  If the bread crumbs get too brown before it is done just drape a piece  of foil over them.