Broccoli-Cheddar Soup Bread Bowl

Broccoli cheddar soup is definitely one of my favorite go-to soups. It is relatively easy and quick to make, and I almost always have frozen broccoli on hand. I've tried several ways, adding and taking out ingredients as I had them available, but this batch was the best by far. It was thick, smooth, and creamy, with a perfect balance of flavors. I had some large bread rolls so I hollowed them out to use as bread bowls, and it was a perfect meal. Try it yourself!

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup milk

1 cup frozen broccoli florets

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

3-4 tbsp butter/margerine

Salt & black pepper

Step 1: In a sauce pot, bring butter, chicken stock and milk to a simmer. Cook the broccoli for 5-10 minutes, until heated through and soft.

Step 2: In a blender, combine the soup, spices, cheese, and sour cream. [You can use an immersion blender if you're fancy enough to have one] Reserve 1 cup if you want broccoli chunks in the finished soup. Blend until smooth and return to the pot. Heat through, about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Hollow out a large round bread roll by cutting at an angle with a sharp knife all along the edges. Pull the middle out, and fill with hot soup. Sprinkle a little cheddar on top, and enjoy!

This soup was so good I had to have two bowls. Luckily the bread roll was big enough that I had plenty left for dipping. If you'd like to make this vegetarian soup vegan, just omit the milk and cheese, maybe use some vegan cheese product instead.

What's your favorite soup to eat in a bread bowl?

Balsamic pork and potato wedges - dinner in under 30 minutes

For a simple, quick weeknight meal, I keep packages of pork chops in the freezer. I buy them in bulk when they are on sale, on of the many ways I mentioned in my post on how to save money on groceries. So I know there are packs of 2 pork chops in the freezer, ready to be thawed and made into a meal in under 30 minutes. Just add a side or two, and dinner is served. This meal is one of my favorites, I love the soft inside and crispy outside of homemade potato wedges, and balsamic vinegar is one of the best marinades for meat.

Ingredients:

2 pork chops

1 tbsp olive oil

~4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Garlic salt

2 small potatoes, cut into wedges

1 cup frozen or fresh veggies

2 tbsp butter

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350, and spray a baking pan with oil. Put the potato wedges on, and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Bake them for about 20 minutes, turning at least once to crisp on all sides.

Step 2: While potatoes are in the oven, put olive oil and vinegar in a frying pan. Add the pork chops and cover. Cook on medium heat for 10-20 minutes, turning at least once. Cut through to make sure there is no pink in the center.

Step 3: For the final few minutes of cooking, add in 1-2 cups frozen vegetables. I used broccoli and carrots. Cover again, and let cook until the vegetables are thawed, warmed through, and soft to the touch. Sprinkle everything with some garlic salt, and serve.

The potatoes baking takes the longest amount of time, so if you use a different starch, like minute rice or frozen fries that you just microwave, you could get this on the table in 20 minutes. The balsamic is tangy yet umami, and pairs perfectly with pork. And I am always a fan of meat & potatoes, with enough vegetables to balance everything out. 

What's you favorite go-to weeknight meal?

 

Broccoli cheddar rice

Everyone has days when they just don't know what to make with dinner. Maybe you have a perfect roast in the crock pot, or stopped on the way home for burger meat but don't know what to go with it. This is a recipe for one of my go-to side dishes, broccoli cheddar rice. A while back I posted on how to make it in a slow cooker, now I'll tell you it can also be done in the oven! This was perfect because I had a whole chicken roasting in the oven, so I just whipped this up and popped it in there with it. Super simple, filling and tasty.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 cup broccoli florets
About 3 tbsp butter/margerine
Garlic salt

I don't know why it won't let me flip the photo. I tried uploading it four times...

Step 1: Into an oven-safe dish (small-ish, or double/triple the recipe and use larger) pour 1 cup water, 1 cup milk and 1 cup rice. Mix it up well. Add a few tbsp margarine, broccoli and cheese on top.

 Step 2: Pop it in the oven at 350-375 for about 20-30 minutes (depends on the temp. I had it at 375 for the chicken so it only needed about 21 minutes to cook fully).

Full meal with the chicken, broccoli cheddar rice and candied carrots.

Spiced pork roast & oven-roasted vegetables

This is a satisfying, hearty meal that takes so little effort! I'd been craving pork, and roasted veggies is just the best side dish for anything! I had spontaneously decided to try brussel sprouts because they were on sale. Guess what? They are delicious! Trust me, just try it and you will be amazed you ever lived without them.

Pork rub:
1 tsp cayenne or chipotle powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp dried onion

2-3 pound pork roast

5-10 cloves fresh garlic

Vegetables

1 cup fresh broccoli florets

1 cup cauliflower florets

2 cups brussels sprouts

2 stalks celery, in 1" chunks

3 carrots, in 1" chunks

1 large potato, diced

1 whole red onion & 1 whole white onion, sliced thin

~1/2 cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

 Step 1: Cut slices into pork roast and insert one garlic clove into each. Mix spices together, rub over pork roast. Let sit in refrigerator an hour - overnight.

Step 2: Cut all veggies. Mix well in olive oil to coat, sprinkle on seasonings. Spread in a 9x13 baking pan and roast at 350 for about one hour. Cover to keep broccoli & cauliflower from scorching.

Step 3: Bake pork at 350 for at least 1 hour, covered, or until no longer pink. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes.

Step 4: The pork should be fork-tender and slightly spicy, while the veggies are crispy-soft and slightly sweet. Enjoy the amazing flavors & textures! Leftover pork can be shredded and covered in BBQ sauce for sandwiches the next day.

Crock Pot Veggie Stew

I recently moved across America to the great state of Colorado! That explains my lack of posts for a while. However, since my new place has an oven, my repertoire has quadrupled, and thus I intend to make up for it! So this was inspired by a trip to a local farmer's market. There was so much delicious produce, to be had super cheaply! Then a few days later, I needed to do something with the veggies I hadn't eaten yet. As many cooks know, fresh is best but it also spoils quickest. Another complication I will be dealing with this year is my first year of doctoral classes and research, so I will be gone the majority of the day, 6am - 6pm most days. So you will likely see a lot of make-ahead or Crock Pot meals!

Ingredients:

1 large carrot, diced

1 large onion, diced

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

3-4 stalks celery, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1/3 of a red, orange & yellow bell pepper (or 1 of any color) diced

2 small heads broccoli, cut into small florets

4-5 green onions, diced

3 cups chicken stock or 3 bouillon cubes + water

Turmeric, chipotle chili pepper, paprika, black pepper, garlic, salt

I don't add amounts for the spices because it depends on how hot you like it. I found out after the fact that I added a *bit* too much chipotle pepper, because man did this soup clear the sinuses! I need to make it again mid-winter...

 Step 1: This is the only work-intensive step. Dice all the veggies and layer in the Crock Pot.

 Step 2: Add spices and broth. If you're a strict vegetarian or vegan, use vegetable broth or plain water instead of the chicken stock.

Step 3: Cook on low at least 4 hours up to 12 hours. The longer it cooks the softer the vegetables will get, but the more flavors will come out and mingle. My boyfriend is a carnivore and insisted on adding shredded chicken before he would eat it. But he did say it was delicious. =)
You can add really any vegetable you have on hand that you need to use up. If you don't want to take the time to dice everything, you can buy pre-cut from a salad bar or use frozen vegetables and just throw them in! Couldn't be easier. Plus it makes quite a bit, so you have several meals for very cheap, and likely enough to freeze for later meals.

Hawaiian shrimp & broccoli

I am once again moving, so I make due with whatever is left in the house for dinner. I had in my freezer:

1/2 bag frozen broccoli

1/2 bag frozen shrimp

In the fridge: 

1/4 fresh pineapple

Soy sauce, Worchestershire, BBQ, ketchup

In the pantry:

1 bag simple rice, brown rice

Step 1: Microwave the rice 90 seconds and fluff.
Step 2: In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce, 2 tbsp BBQ sauce, 1 tbsp sugar. Add shrimp, coat well. Microwave on high 4 minutes. 
Step 3: Add broccoli, microwave another minute.
Step 4: Dice pineapple very small. Add and mix well.
Put 1/2 cup rice on plate, add 1 cup shrimp mix and some sauce. Dinner in under ten minutes! Enjoy!

Sweet and tangy, protein plus fruit & veggies!

Cheddar Broccoli Rice in a slow cooker

This is a super easy side dish, requiring only a few hours in a crock pot. It goes well with most anything. The end result is creamy, cheesy, and delicious. 

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

2 cups broccoli

1 full bag shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cup water

Step 1: Pour 1 cup rice into crock pot. Add 1 1/2 cups water.
Step 2: Add as much broccoli as you want, I put in about 2 cups pieces.
Step 3: Cover with shredded cheese.
Step 4: Cook on high 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until rice is fully cooked and cheese is melted.

 

Makes about 5 cups, enough for 3-6 sides depending on what else is in the meal.

Cous cous vegetarian stuffed peppers

So I'm going to a dinner party, and planned to bring my old standby, stuffed peppers . However, at least one of the guests is vegetarian, and I am also trying to eat a more vegetarian diet. So I decided to get the best of both worlds, and make both! 

Veggie:

3 bell peppers (any color)

1/2 cup cous cous

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup broccoli

3 large baby bella mushrooms

1/2 onion

1/2 cup diced red bell peppers

Lemon juice, soy sauce (optional)

Garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, olive oil

Step 1: Add 1/2 cup boiling water to 1/2 cup cous cous and microwave 3 minutes.

 Step 2: Cut up all the veggies while its cooking.

 Step 3: To cooked cous cous, add about 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cumin and 1 tbsp olive oil. Fluff well & set aside.

Step 4:  Add a tbsp olive oil to a frying pan, and begin sauteeing veggies, hardest one first. Broccoli and asparagus, then peppers and onions, and finally the mushrooms. I added a squirt of lemon juice and a dash of soy sauce too.

 Step 5: Add cooked veggies to cous cous and mix well.

Step 6: Stuff the peppers with the mixture. Cook in oven at 350 for 1 hour, or a Crock Pot on high for one hour. Sprinkle with cheese if you like.

 

Tonight at the party we will see how well I did! I snuck a spoonful while stuffing though, and it tastes pretty darn good. I included some shots of my meat-eater stuffed peppers too, just to make you drool a little! =)

Cooking the meat and rice

Cooked meat & onions, rice, and tomato sauce stuffing!

Scooping the filling into the peppers

Mmmmm stuffed bell peppers!

Vegetarian Stir Fry

This is one of my favorite go-to meals because: 

a) it is quick

b) it is easy 

c) it is cheap

d) it is different and delicious every time! 

Stir fry is great because it is so versatile. Basically it's rice and whatever else you want to put in it! I'm sure I will be stir frying a LOT this summer, because I'm working on an organic CSA farm (http://www.facebook.com/schoonerfarms) and will have a ton of fresh veggies once the growing season gets into full swing. Also, I'm trying to eat at least 2 full days a week vegetarian, for health purposes. So anyways, here is the stir fry du jour.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup white rice ($2 for 24 oz)

2 large baby bella mushrooms ($1 for the pack)

Handfull snow peas (Free from the farm)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped ($1 for pepper)

1/2 large carrot, shredded ($1 for 1 lb bag)

1/2 cup small broccoli pieces ($1 for a head)

1 stick celery (~1 for 2 lbs)

2 tbsp each soy sauce, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce

Garlic salt

Total cost: ~$2

Step 1: assemble ingredients, put oil in a frying pan on low. Boil water for the rice.

Step 2: Dice up all the veggies while the rice cooks.

Step 3: Begin cooking veggies, toughest one first. I put in the broccoli for about 2 minutes alone, then the celery and peppers, then the carrots and peas, and finally the mushrooms. It helps to add a few tbsp water and cover tightly to steam them for a few minutes.

Step 4: Add the cooked rice and sauces, fry everything together for a minute or 2, and enjoy! There are endless variations of this, you can add as much sauce and different kinds or none at all, you can scramble an egg or add meats if you like. This is also very frugal and budget-friendly because you can use up all the odds and ends of vegetables in your fridge before they go bad!

Steak salad

In summer, everything tastes better on the grill. So when craving beef, it is only natural to want to grill a steak. I don't have pictures of them, but I wish I did. Because I came home to a pound and a half steak that was bigger than my head! That's what I get for letting my manly man boyfriend plan dinner. So there was a sizable chunk left (of mine anyways) for the next day. Since we had also bought a head of romaine and I work on a farm, a salad with steak on top worked wonderfully. The farm I work on had radishes by the truckload, and some wild leafy greens that I had harvested 2 days before. Add to it the last leftovers of a veggie tray from a Memorial Day cookout, and a beautiful salad took shape.

Ingredients:

4 oz steak

2 cups torn romaine

1/2 cup leafy greens

1/2 cup baby carrots

2 radishes, sliced

Handful broccoli florets

Balsamic vinaigrette

Put all the vegetables on top of the greens, microwave the steak slices for a minute and top with 2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette. Tasty and super healthy! Of course, you don't need the steak on top if you're vegetarian or vegan. You can also use any other kind of grilled meat if you're into that. =)

Shrimp and veggie fetuccini

Shrimp, carrot, broccoli fetuccini with garlic butter

This is one of my absolute favorite quick & easy dishes because the flavors complement each other so well. You will need:

1/2 pound of noodles (I use plain straight pasta)

2 cups peeled and deveined shrimp

4-5 large carrots

1 1/2 cups broccoli

Butter

Garlic

Salt

Step 1: Thinly slice the carrots (your choice to peel them or not). In a skillet over medium heat, melt about 2 tbsp. of butter and add the carrot slices. They will need to cook until soft to a fork, about 15 minutes.

This is my friend Aris putting his cut-up carrots into the skillet.

Step 2: While carrots are cooking, bring water to a boil and add the pasta of your choice. Amounts always depend on how many you're cooking for. For one person, a 1/2 pound should be plenty with some left over.

Step 3: When the noodles are about done (al dente = soft but not total mush. If thrown at a wall, the noodles should stick. Seriously. Try it.) and the carrots are soft when poked with a fork, add the broccoli to the carrots. Sprinkle on some garlic and salt to taste (or garlic salt, for those who are impatient).

Step 4: If you have pre-cooked shrimp they are the fastest and the last thing to cook. Throw those in a skillet with about 2 tbsp butter to get nice and pink. When the shrimp is pink and warm throughout, and the broccoli has become tender to a fork, you can put all 3 into one skillet until the pasta is done and drained.

Step 5: Drain the pasta, and pour the shrimp, carrots and broccoli on top. Add in as much butter, garlic and salt as your palette and stomach can handle, and enjoy!