Monday, October 20, 2014

Broccoli Cheese Soup

via iowagirleats.com
Ingredients: 
4 Tablespoons butter
1 large carrot, shredded
1/2 C onion, chopped
salt and pepper
4 Tablespoons gluten-free or regular all purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 cups small-chopped fresh broccoli florets
8oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
Directions: 
  1. Melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat then add carrots and shallot, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until carrots are tender, 3-5 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle in flour then whisk to combine and cook while whisking for 1 minute. Slowly stream in chicken broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps (I add a big splash at a time then whisk until smooth before adding more.) Add milk then season with salt and pepper and then turn heat up to medium-high to bring soup to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add broccoli florets to pot then simmer for 20 more minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Remove pot from heat then add cheese in three batches, stirring until completely smooth before adding the next batch. Mash florets slightly with a potato masher to reach desired texture – this is optional. Taste soup then add salt and pepper if necessary and then ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cheese on top.
  4. NOTE: I do not recommend freezing this soup.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli

It's a little strong as is... Next time I will tone it down. 

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb. boneless, beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (I used Tri Tip)
  • 1 cup beef consumme or beef broth
  • ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup dark brown sugar (I used light)
  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 4 tbsp. sauce (from the crockpot after dish is cooked)
  • 2-3 cups Frozen broccoli florets
  • White rice, cooked
Instructions:
  1. In the insert of the crockpot, whisk together beef consume, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
  2. Gently place your slices of beef in the liquid and toss to coat.
  3. Turn crockpot on low and cook for 4-5 hours.
  4. When done, in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cooking liquid to create a slurry, pour into crockpot, stir to mix well. Cook on low for an additional 30 minutes to thicken up the sauce.
  5. Toss in your broccoli florets then serve hot over white rice.

Prep time:  
Cook time:  4-5
















Total time:  4-5
Serves: 4