Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

I am LOVING this cooler weather and trying some new soup recipes for the winter.  I had the best Broccoli Cheese Soup at Pita Jungle awhile back and I have been on a mission to find a recipe that could compare.  I whipped this up for dinner a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised how yummy it turned out!
Nutrition tips:  My quest for nutritional enlightenment is never ending and I am constantly reading books, magazines, news articles, and websites to further my knowledge.  Since this is also a spiritual journey for me, it is fitting that probably my favorite source of inspiration is the Word of Wisdom Living blog.  My friends over at Please Hold the Onions posted about it awhile back, but it wasn't until recently that I really began to read it.  I would recommend it to everyone interested in health.  He is one smart man who has read countless nutrition books, and he goes really deep sometimes but try to stay with him.  He takes his knowledge and then applies scripture to write his posts.  I love how he breaks everything down into making one healthy change a week and then adding another one when you are ready.
Anyways, a growing amount of recent research shows the importance of eating your cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) because they are thought to be very protective of cancer.  Therefore, I have been making sure they are on our menu multiple times a week!  Luckily, this little one cannot get enough and tries to steal the broccoli from me before I can get it cooked.  That's okay though, raw food can be even better!

Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
adapted from Panera Bread
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/8 cup melted butter + 1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups fresh broccoli
2 cups cauliflower
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
PREPARATION:
Saute onion in olive oil. Set aside. Cook melted butter/oil and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the milk (this is called making a roux). Add the broth whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the broccoli and cauliflower. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. (This gives it that smooth consistency.)  Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended.
Someday I will get better at taking my own pictures, but for now this one looks yummy.  (As does this newly discovered website… foodformyfamily.com.)

Enjoy!!

Roasted Broccoli

TRY.... THIS.... NOW

 Recipe & photo from "Can You Stay For Dinner"

Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 2 heads broccoli, chopped into florets
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, or any oil you like
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lay the florets in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
2. Pour oil into small bowl and dip a pastry brush into the oil and then onto each floret to coat lightly.
3. Sprinkle evenly with salt.
4. Roast for 15-18 minutes, or until broccoli tips have begun to blacken and they can be easily pierced with a fork.

serves 2

Bountiful Baskets

 

My cute sister-in-law, Holly, found out about Bountiful Baskets recently.  We got our first baskets last Saturday (for only 15$) and I am in love for these reasons…

1.  Saves me time at the grocery store.  (Hooray!)

2.  Saves me money!

3.  Forces us to eat even more fruits/vegetables than we normally do.

4.  Supports eating local and seasonal produce.

5.  Encourages us to try new foods.  (I just found out that purple thing is kale, a serious superfood.)

Go here to read more about them and how to order.  They also offer amazing deals on fresh, clean bread and other yummy foods.  I just ordered my basket for this week along with a box of organic mangoes!  I believe you have until Tuesday at noon to put your order in, but they go pretty fast.  Thanks, Holly! 

Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie

Adapted from pleaseholdtheonions.blogspot.com

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time 30 min.

Ingredients:

3/4 - 1 lb. chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (use 3 T. butter + 3 T. Oil)
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
4 cups chicken broth (you should BUY THIS at Shar's Bosch Kitchen Center, will be your new best friend)
1/4 cup flour (use whole wheat when you can!)
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
2 T. milk
12 herb biscuits (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat and add carrots and celery. Saute, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add flour and cook, while stirring, until flour is light brown, 3-4 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and bring to a low boil. Add peas. Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick, 10-15 minutes. Add chicken, remove from heat, and transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Top with biscuits. Beat egg and milk together and brush over biscuits. Bake until biscuits are golden brown and chicken mixture is bubbling around edges, 25-30 minutes.

Herb Biscuits
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting (again USE WHOLE WHEAT!!!!)

1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted cold butter, cut into small cubes (use 1/2 stick butter + 1/4 c. oil)
1 tablespoons dried parsley

3/4 cups buttermilk

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Stir in parsley. Make a well in center of flour mixture, pour in buttermilk, and stir using a fork until dough comes together- do not overmix. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and pat dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out biscuits using a floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter.

Roasted Red Potatoes and Carrots

This recipe is amazing for so many reasons. Use it as a side dish to grilled meat and salad or be extra clean and make it your main entree! I love this recipe because it requires NO butter, milk, or cheese to make the potatoes delicious. Have not found another potato recipe that does that yet! MAKE THIS tonight and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Also experiment with other vegetables you enjoy.

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

* 2 c. baby carrots

* 2-3 T. Olive Oil

* 1 clove garlic (minced)

* Salt & Pepper, to taste

* 1 T. dried parsley flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large ziploc bag, combine cubed potatoes, baby carrots, olive oil, and minced garlic. Shake bag to coat the vegetables thoroughly.

3. Spray a large baking sheet with a small amount of non-stick spray, and remove the vegetables from the bag. Spread out onto the sheet in a single layer.

4. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley and stir the vegetables to evenly coat. 

5. Cook for 30 minutes, then turn the oven to 400 degrees and finish cooking for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are crisp on the edges.

**Tips**

1. before turning to 400 degrees, stir the vegetables to prevent sticking and to get an even crisp on both sides.

2. turning to 400 degrees for the last 20 minutes brings out the sweetness in the carrots and creates an amazing flavor!!!