Cauli Crust Grilled Cheese with Roasted Tomato Bisque
Cauli Grilled Cheese Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower raw, cut into small florets and stem removed
1 large egg
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
2 thick slices of white cheddar cheese you can also use shredded cheddar cheese
Roasted Tomato Bisque Ingredients:
4 Tbs grassfed butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons coconut flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 lb tomatoes (or 28 oz cans), diced, fire-roasted, drained
3 tablespoons organic tomato paste
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
1/4 cup nut or oat milk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place cauliflower into food processor and pulse until crumbs about half the size of a grain of rice. If using a blender, pulse with some water, then drain out and wring with a cheese cloth. Bake cauli for a few min to evoporate some of the liquid (or just bake a frozen cauli crust)
Chop all the veggies while cauli is baking
Allow cauliflower to cool for a few minutes. Then add in egg and cheese. Stir to combine until smooth paste forms. Stir in seasoning. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Place onto large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using your knuckles and fingers, shape into square bread slices about 1/3 inch thick. Bake cauliflower bread for about 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes.
Bisque: In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic, cover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir over low heat for 1 minute, or until the flour is fully incorporated. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook the soup over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 15 minutes.
Using a good spatula, carefully slide cauliflower bread off of parchment paper. Now you are ready to assemble your sandwiches. You can do this a few different ways. You can either cook on the stove top as you would normally cook a grilled cheese. You can also place sandwiches into toaster oven and broil for several minutes (5-10) until cheese is completely melted and bread is toasty. If you don't own a toaster oven, you can also do this in the oven.
Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the saucepan, add the heavy cream and cook until the soup is just heated through. Season the soup with salt and white pepper and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
