Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 4 TB butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (*see notes to make Gluten Free)
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup milk (** see notes)
• 3 cup chicken stock or broth (homemade is best-recipe under the How to tab)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp white and/or yellow cheddar cheese plus more for garnish

Directions

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half and milk until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20minutes.

Add the broccoli florets and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. If desired, mash broccoli a bit with a potato masher, or puree soup a bit with an immersion blender.  You can also puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you’ll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot.

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup broth, milk or water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the  bowls and garnish with cheese if desired.

*to make this gluten free like I did–simply omit the 1/4 c flour and use 1/4 c of your favorite GF blend.  Our favorite is Pamela’s and we buy it on Amazon.  It is fantastic!  makes the best GF waffles, pancakes and muffins by far!!

**Use all milk or all half and half depending on how rich and creamy you want it.  Just be careful if you use all low fat milk that the mixture doesn’t curdle.  The lower the fat content is the easier it is to curdle.

Recipe source: adapted from Food Network Magazine

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Bars

These are a new favorite to the tradition no bake cookie.  I love the coconut in them.

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 cup of peanut butter (or sometimes we do 1/2 c peanut butter and 1/2 cup nutella)
• ½ cup of honey
• ½ cup of coconut oil
• 2 cups of dry oats (not instant)
• 1 cup of shredded coconut
• 1½ cups of chocolate chips
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Melt the PB and then add the honey and coconut oil over medium low heat.
2. Once it is combined completely, remove the mixture from the heat and add oats, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and vanilla.
3. Stir until chocolate has entirely melted
4. Pour into a bowl and place into the refrigerator to cool
5. Enjoy!

Chow Mein Noodles

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 (5.6 oz) packages refrigerated Yaki Soba noodles (found in the produce section of the grocery store.. usually the 3 packages are sold together in one 17oz. pack)
• 2/3 c. chopped celery (chopped diagonally) **I actually just used Udon noodles that I had on hand, and it turned out great.**
• 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
• 2 c. chopped cabbage

Instructions

• In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Set aside.
• Remove Yaki Soba from packages and discard included flavoring packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add celery and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes or until onions start to become soft and transparent. Add cabbage and saute an additional minute or so.
• Toss Yaki Soba noodles and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables over medium-high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until noodles are heated through.

Glazed Orange Scones

For the Scones

1/3 cup sugar
zest of two medium oranges
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Sour Cream
1 large egg

For the Glaze

3 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and orange zest; mix with your fingertips until the sugar is moistened and fragrant. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.

3. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and egg until smooth.

5. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. The dough will be sticky first, but as you press, the dough will come together.

6. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and prepare the glaze.

7. In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and orange juice. Whisk until smooth. Dip the top of the scones into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. At this point, you can leave them as is or go for the double dip. I glazed my scones twice.

Balsamic BBQ Sauce

Balsamic BBQ Sauce

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and mix well. Simmer over medium heat until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Lightly coat meat with the BBQ sauce. Place the meat on the grill. Set remaining BBQ sauce aside to use for basting.

Cook the chicken about 8 minutes per side, steaks starting at about 4 minutes per side and pork steaks about  until a meat thermometer reads the desired temperature Continually brush the meat with BBQ sauce every few minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Baste remaining  BBQ sauce on meat and serve.

Alternately, the chicken can be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken skin side up in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the BBQ sauce all over the top of the chicken. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes

Pesto Grilled Chicken

Recipe courtesy of 71toes.blogspot.com

Mix:

1 c. pesto

1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar

Pour into a ziploc with chicken breasts.  Let marinate as long as you can in the fridge.

Grill and enjoy!

Carne Asada

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. olive oil

1 (1 pound) Flat Iron Steak (Or skirt steak or flank steak)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Combine 1/4 cup juice, garlic, olive oil and steak in shallow dish.  Sprinkle cumin, salt and red pepper over both sides of steak.  Marinate for 3 hours.  

Heat grill or grill pan over high heat.  Let rest for 10 minutes and then cut into thin slices or pieces.

Serve with Pico De Gallo, Guacamole, Lime/Cilantro Rice, Black Beans, Lettuce, Cheese, and Sour Cream on tortillas.