Cheddar Broccoli Soup

I am really not a fan of broccoli. I've tried eating it many ways...in a QUICHE, raw in a salad, stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese into pastry, and in a soup.

I think food has to be better than "just edible", and for me, broccoli is "just edible".  I don't know why I always buy it. I guess because as I'm wondering the isle of my market with a shopping cart full of ingredients to make yummy sweets, I had to throw something green and healthy in there also.

On a brighter broccoli note, cheese really does make everything taste better. So please folks, load this soup with your favorite sharp cheddar cheese.  And have lots of crusty bread on hand for dunking. Cheese and bread now that's my kind of meal.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

1 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
1 onion, diced
1 head broccoli, florets chopped and stems peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken broth or stock
2-3 cups half and half
2-3 cups milk
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper

 In a large pot add the butter and onions.  Saute for a few minutes until the onions soften.  Add a tsp of salt and pepper.  Add in a heaping 1/4 cup of flour and stir, cooking for about a minute.  Add in the chicken stock and let the mixture come to a boil.  It should thicken up.  Next add in 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of half and half, along with the broccoli florets and stems.  Let everything simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Now depending on how thick or thin you like your soup, you can add more milk or half and half until you reached your desired thickness. 

After 20 to 30 minutes, and the broccoli stems are softened, give the soup a taste and adjust the seasonings if need be.  Pour half the soup into a blender and puree or use an immersion blender.  I only blended half the soup and left half of it chunky for some texture.

Add 2-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, stirring to mix everything together.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with crusty bread and more cheese. Eat hot.

3 Ingredient Pineapple Cobbler

This was really good. I mean reallyyyy goooood.

 Summer is here in Chicago. It's been dreadfully hot lately and I just haven't had it in me to turn on the oven. My poor baking has gone to the way-side while I attempt to remain cool in my poorly-insulated-money-sink-of-an apartment.

It dropped in temperature the other night before bed, so the windows flew open to let the cool breeze circulate, and I decided that it was my chance to make something yummy.

I used canned fruit for this cobbler. You need the juice. But I'm sure frozen berries would work if you added a little liquid.  The awesome thing about this cobbler is you can literally use any kind of fruit or cake mix you want. Peaches, pineapple, apples or pears with white cake, or cherries, raspberries, blackberries with chocolate cake. Mix it up and create something that is perfectly perfect for your own sweet tooth.


Pineapple Cobbler


1-28oz. can pineapple chunks with juice
1 box white cake mix
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

In a baking dish, dump in the fruit along with the juice.  Next, dump the cake mix on top of the fruit, spreading it out evenly over the top.  Then dot the top with the cubed butter.  Bake cobbler in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until it is bubbling and golden brown.  Serve with some whipped cream on top.

"Fried" Ice Cream and a Memory

Today is Memorial Day, a day in which the nation remembers all of the men and women who gave there lives serving in the US Armed Forces. I never personally knew any of these people and yet I feel I am in debt to them. I don't know that I'd ever be brave enough to do half of what they did for this country. So to all of them, whoever you are, thank you.

 Even though this day is reserved for remembering the Armed Forces, I can't help but think of my grandmother. I miss her so much.  She had the best laugh, the most beautifully wrinkled hands, and she always smelled like rose soap. I used to spend the night with her and I would be by her side the entire time I was at her house. I remember helping her pick raspberries in the garden. We would tie buckets around our waist so we could pick with both hands. After very little time had passed her bucket would be filled to the top with plump, burgundy berries, and my bucket barely had a layer coating the bottom. Now this could have been either from lack of speed...or the most logical answer would be that I would be eating most of them. One raspberry in the bucket, then five in my mouth...one raspberry in the bucket, then five in my mouth. You get the idea.

Because it's getting so unbearably hot outside, and my air conditioning has refused to blow anything but warm air, I have refused to cook or bake anything. The fiance and I have been eating a lot of sandwiches, and man that gets old fast. But today I decided to bust out the crockpot and make some country ribs (recipe and pictures coming to a theater near you!) and corn on the cob.  But today, it's "fried" ice cream.


I am like my dad in the sense that I have to put something crunchy with ice cream. He liked to put pop corn on his rocky road ice cream, which sounds weird to some people, but to the rest of us, salty crunchy popcorn on top of rich chocolate ice cream, is pretty damn good.

"Fried" Ice Cream


Vanilla Ice Cream
Corn Flakes
Cinnamon 
Honey


Buy your favorite kind of ice cream and scoop out 8 softball size scoops.  Form them into a ball and then place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Put the ice cream balls in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, to firm up.  In a ziplock bag add 2 cups of corn flakes and 2 tsp cinnamon. Pound the bag lightly until the corn flakes are broken up.  Next bring the cookie sheet out of the freezer and one by one put each ice cream ball into the bag and roll it around in the cinnamon and corn flakes. Use your hands to press the mixture into the ice cream.  After coating each one, return to the freezer for another 30 minutes.  When you are ready to serve, put one or two ice cream balls into a bowl and drizzle with honey. 

So refreshingly cold.

Quiche--Two Ways

This was the best thing I've ever done with left overs. Quiche can be made with absolutely anything you want.  I am showing you two different ideas for making quiche, but by all means add or subtract anything you desire. The possibilities are literally endless.

Store bought pie crust works excellent for this. It's so quick and makes life (and dinner) really easy.  Two pie crusts typically come in a box, so freeze one of them if you don't plan on using it right away.  Whenever you need it just pull it out and refrigerate the night before using it.

And I have to tell you a little secret.  The one ingredient that takes ordinary quiche to extraordinary quiche is Dijon mustard. It may sound weird, but trust me. It adds a flavor to the dish that is so perfectly perfect.

My fiance really loved the first quiche I made because it looked like a pizza. There was no meat in it, but the potatoes and all the veggies made it a substantial meal along side a nice spinach salad.

Veggie Quiche:
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 large potatoes, peeled, diced and sauteed until golden brown
1 onion, diced and sauteed
1 clove garlic, minced and sauteed
15 cherry tomatoes
1 pie crust
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Parmesan cheese 
Dijon mustard

Roll out the pie crust and place it in a pie dish coated with non-stick spray. Next (and most importantly) slather the bottom of the pie crust with Dijon mustard.  At least 1/4 of a cup, but you the more the merrier.  Dump in all of your veggies--the spinach, sauteed potatoes and onion. 


In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and milk until combined.  Pour egg mixture over veggies.  Next arrange the cherry tomatoes around the top.  Bake quiche at 375 for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese then continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Slice and eat hot, or at room temperature.

Cheesy Broccoli and Ham Quiche:
1 head broccoli, steamed
1 cup ham, diced
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
1 onion, sauteed
1 clove garlic, sauteed
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
Dijon Mustard


Roll out the pie crust and place it in a pie dish coasted with non-stick spray.  Next (and most importantly) slather the bottom of the pie crust with Dijon mustard, at least 1/4 of a cup.  Dump spinach, broccoli, onions, garlic and ham into the pie crust.


In a separate bowl combine eggs and milk.  Pour egg mixture over filling.  Bake quiche at 375 for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle the top with grated cheddar cheese, then continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

It's dinner time.

Rustic Apple Tart

There is only one thing I love more than desserts, and that's EASY desserts.

 

I am usually not a fan of apple pies.  They are too doughy and just don't excite me.  But this tart was so delicious. The apples were perfectly tart, with a melt in your mouth buttery crust and warm cinnamon throughout the entire tart.

This is also an excellent way to use up left over apples.  I had some in the fridge that were on the verge of going bad. Which was my reason for trying to find a last minute use for them. This was no mistake. Not only should this tart replace any apple pie you normally make, it shouldn't be reserved for special occasions. This tart is so great with tea or coffee, a scoop of ice cream, or crumbled over yogurt the next day. You can't go wrong.

Hello gorgeous. Look at those specs of cinnamon. Blissful.

Rustic Apple Tart

2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tbs lemon juice
pinch of salt

In a food processor or mixer combine flour, sugar, salt and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Add in the butter and mix until the dough resembles peas.  Press two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan.

Toss apple slices with lemon juice and put half of the apples into the pan. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. of cinnamon. Add the remaining apples and sprinkle with another tsp. of cinnamon. Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture on top of the apples.

Bake the tart in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. 

I know you have apples buried in your fridge somewhere! Go make this tart right now.

Turkey Burger Pitas with Grilled Pineapple

As I was walking up and down each isle of the grocery store, with an empty cart, scanning the shelves waiting to become inspired for the week's meals, I stopped in the canned fruit area. My eye was drawn to the pineapple. Pineapple in chunks, crushed pineapple, pineapple rings. Man I hate cutting up a pineapple. It's so much easier to buy it pre-cut. So I bought a can of each kind of pineapple and continued on my way.

I turned the corner and headed for the meat section. I went straight for the chicken breast by default, and then I noticed the ground turkey. Hmm, maybe I can make a turkey meatloaf? I don't know but I'm sure I can do something with it. Next to the bread. The pitas were on sale, so I grabbed a bag and finished the rest of my shopping. 

Once I got home and unloaded everything, the 3 novel items that I purchased during this trip, pitas, ground turkey and canned pineapple just sat on the counter. Why not make sandwiches? Seems easy enough. And boy, was it delicious. I made the turkey burgers smokey and spicy with some smoked paprika and crushed red pepper. The grilled pineapple was so sweet and just melded perfectly with the red onion. 

For the Turkey Burgers:
1-1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 small onion, grated
2 heaping tbs. Dijon mustard
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and form into 4 large patties.  Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil and place each burger on the grill. After about 4-5 minutes when the first side has nice dark brown grill marks, flip burgers and continue cooking on other side, until cooked all the way through. Remove turkey burgers from grill and knock the heat down to medium low. Grill pineapple slices for 30 seconds to a minute on each side.  

To assemble burgers, slice pitas in half. Fill each half with your favorite toppings. I used:
Mayo
Spinach
Sliced Red Onion
Turkey Burgers
Grilled Pineapple
Pepper jack Cheese 

Seriously, you have to try this.

Crispy Chicken Balls with Triple Cheese

Panko breadcrumbs rock my world. 

Really they do. It took me way too long to discover them.  Anytime I needed to bread something like chicken breasts or mozzarella sticks, or create a crunchy layer on top of baked mac and cheese, my default was always seasoned bread crumbs. But bread crumbs never reached high enough on my crunch factor. I am definitely a texture person. The texture I crave most often is crunch.

 These delightful little balls are crispy-crunchy-cheesy-spicy-justplaingood. Look at that cheese oozing out from that golden crust? Yum.

Crispy Cheesy Chicken Balls:

2 large chicken breasts, cooked cooled and shredded
1/2 cup scallions
3/4 cup Colby cheese
3/4 cup sharp cheddar
hot sauce
salt and pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
flour
3 eggs
panko breadcrumbs

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the chicken, cream cheese, Colby and cheddar cheese, scallions, salt and pepper, and hot sauce to taste.  Mix then set aside.

In 3 different bowls put flour, eggs then panko.  Scramble the eggs with a fork.  Form 2 inch balls of the chicken mixture.  Roll each ball through the flour, then the egg wash, then the panko.  Set on a baking sheet.  Once you have formed each ball, place baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the panko crumbs are golden brown.  Serve along side ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Nothing more to say.