My husband and I are huge vegetable lovers… my kids?  Not so much.  But one day I discovered that when I pureed veggies into a velvety soup, all of the sudden they became HUGE fans.  It was like magic.  I’m not sure why this works but I’m just content knowing that it does.  Here is a list of vegetables that my kids won’t touch on a plate but will devour if unrecognizable in a bowl.

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Peas
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Fennel
• Onions
• Leeks

I am always on the quest for healthy meals that are delicious AND kid approved…pureed soups definitely fit the bill.  The only required vegetable for this recipe is the peas, you can add any combination of the other vegetables listed above and the soup will turn out great, I promise!  I picked out a few to share with you today…

Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes, cook time: 2 hrs 30 minutes

Equipment needed: Immersion  Blender

• 1 head cauliflower (coarsely chopped)
• 1 – 16 oz. bag dry split peas
• 1 onion (coarsely chopped)
• 1 leek (cleaned and coarsely chopped)
• 32 oz. chicken or vegetable stock
• 32 oz. water
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, sauté the onion in a drizzle of olive oil. Once the onion begins to soften, add the leak (or any other vegetables you choose) and continue to cook.
2. Add the liquid, peas, and thyme. Cover loosely with a lid and cook over medium low heat for about 2 hours, stirring the mixture every 20 minutes.
3. Once the peas have softened completely, add the cauliflower and continue to cook until soft. You can always add more liquid to the soup if needed.
4. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until all of the clumps are gone.
5. Season with a tsp of salt and ½ tsp of pepper to start. Add more if desired.

My sous chef, Georgie.  Another tip to get kids to eat healthy, let them help you make the meal!

This is so filling and packed with nutrients, my husband and I get to enjoy a satisfying and healthy meal and the kids are happy too, total win/win.  These soups also refrigerate and freeze very well, I’m always taking leftovers to work.

A tip for enticing kids to try this out is to set up a soup “toppings bar”.  Just put out bowls of homemade croutons, cubed ham, cheese, etc.  They love the idea of customizing their own soup, it gives them some decision making power and let’s face it, everyone loves a good bar!

I hope you try this soup recipe with your family…you just might make some magic happen.

For the record, I am not an expert dessert maker…and that’s why I love galettes.  A monkey could make a galette.  If you gave a monkey the ingredients to make a galette I really think that monkey would come through for you.  I don’t have a way to test this theory but you get the idea.  Galettes are “rustic” which is just another term for “not fancy”.  There’s no need to crimp edges or create intricate lattice patterns, no pie art skills needed for this one.  You essentially just have to roll out some dough, throw in the filling, haphazardly fold the edges over, and then throw it in the oven…somehow it comes out actually looking pretty freaking good.

Here’s what you need to make your rustic galette…

• 3 large baking apples (I use Granny Smith) peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar

Now I prefer to use Granny Smith apples because I like the tartness but I do know that golden delicious apples work fine too…and I know that because in the past I’ve sent my husband to the store to get me granny smith’s and he brought home golden delicious.  I’m getting annoyed thinking about it so let’s move on.

The first thing you need to do is combine the apples, lemon juice, vanilla extract, sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

For the dough I make my life super easy by using a store bought pie dough from Immaculate Baking Company.  Their products are the answer to all of your ready-to-bake dough prayers, and they don’t contain any junk which is why I use them.  I buy their products at Whole Foods but I know they are sold at several major grocery chains…and on Amazon of course.

The dough comes frozen but it only takes about 15 minutes to defrost at room temperature.  Once it’s pliable, unroll the dough onto a floured surface and then roll it out a little more until it’s about 10-11 inches in diameter.

Now you need to transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, wrap the dough around the rolling pin for one turn and then use the rolling pin to lift the dough onto the baking sheet or in my case, a pizza pan.

Now you’re going to grab your apple mixture and start placing the apples in a very precise circular pattern in the center of the dough.

And then you’re going to start getting tired of being so precise and your pattern will get a little messy…

And then you will give up on the fancy circular pattern all together and just dump the rest of the apples on top…this is exactly how it’s supposed to play out.

Now you’re going to take the edges of the pie dough and fold them over however you feel like it.

The last thing you need to do is just brush on some egg wash and sprinkle the whole thing with turbinado sugar.  Shove it in the oven at 400°F for 30-40 minutes and this is what comes out.

Not. Too. Shabby.

This really is a pretty light dessert when you think about it, the only fat is coming from the dough…but I recommend adding a mountain of ice cream and caramel sauce to round things out.

Pass the stretchy pants please.

RECIPE

• 3 large baking apples (I use Granny Smith) peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the piecrust until it is about 10 inches in diameter. (A standard packaged piecrust is 9 inches, so lightly roll it out to flatten it and make it a bit bigger.) Transfer the crust to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered while you prepare the filling.
3. In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice and vanilla extract to combine.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar with the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt to combine. Toss the apples with the flour mixture.
5. Take the piecrust out of the refrigerator and pile the apples in the center of the crust, leaving about an inch uncovered around the edge.
6. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the apples at the perimeter to encase the filling.
7. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the water to combine. Lightly brush the egg wash around the edge of the crust. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar around the edge of the crust.
8. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.