Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Yum you guys, this recipe is fabulous!  I bookmarked it almost a year ago and remembered it when we were working on our grocery list for the week.  I wanted potato soup, Tyler wanted a veggie soup, this was our version of compromise.  I ended up leaving out the carrots as my digestive system does not like them, even though my tastebuds do.  I served it with some Tastefully Simple beer bread and we scarfed it down.  I may even take leftovers for lunch tomorrow, and that is rare for me!  Try this soup, you won’t be sorry!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup (adapted from Food Network, as seen on Amber’s blog)

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups broccoli florets, stems removed (about 1 head)
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp white and 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 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 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you’ll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)

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

Pan-Fried Chicken Fingers with Spicy Dipping Sauce

These were a great alternative to your standard chicken fingers.  The sauce definitely had a kick to it, but Tyler altered the recipe a bit so it wasn’t too much.  We’ll definitely make these again, I think they’d be great with a variety of dipping sauces, whatever floats your boat!

Pan-Fried Chicken Fingers with Spicy Dipping Sauce (from Cooking Light)

• Sauce:
• 1/4  cup  canola mayonnaise
• 1  teaspoons  chili-garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lime juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  lower-sodium soy sauce
• Chicken:
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  paprika
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1  tablespoon  water
• 3  cups corn flakes , finely crushed (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1  pound  chicken breast tenders
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  canola oil

1. To prepare sauce, combine the mayonnaise, chili-garlic sauce, lime juice, honey, and soy sauce in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cover and chill.

2. To prepare chicken, combine flour, black pepper, and paprika. Place flour mixture in a shallow dish. Combine eggs and 1 tablespoon water; place in another shallow dish. Place crushed cereal in another shallow dish.

3. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in cereal.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken pieces to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Serve immediately with sauce.

 

Spaghetti with Zucchini, Walnuts, and Raisins

We bookmarked this recipe over the summer and Tyler whipped it up for dinner tonight, subbing the raisins for craisins.  It was quick and flavorful, and a really filling vegetarian meal.  Loved it!

Spaghetti with Zucchini, Walnuts, and Raisins (from Real Simple)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti (3⁄4 box)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds small zucchini (4 to 5), cut into thin half-moons
• 3/4 cup raisins
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 1 minute.
4. Add the zucchini and raisins and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the zucchini is just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

Mushroom-Herb Mac n Cheese

I’ve stayed out of the kitchen as much as possible since starting my new job in June, but I finally got up the energy and inspiration to make dinner this weekend, and try a new recipe to boot.  Tyler was happy to have a break I’m sure (and I’m happy to have a break from doing the dishes!)  I bookmarked this recipe months ago and found it sitting there waiting patiently in my Google Reader the other day.  We love cheese and mushrooms so we knew we’d love it.  And love it we did!  Next time I will probably try a different herb mix, or cut back on them a bit as I felt like they overpowered the flavor of the cheese when all was said and done.  The recipe is definitely a keeper though, and it felt good to be in front of the stove again.

Mushroom Herb Mac and Cheese (from Annie’s Eats and Brown Eyed Baker)

Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta shapes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. cremini (baby bella mushrooms), roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion (HyVee was out of shallots, boo)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
2 cups whole milk
6 oz. (1½ cups) shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
6 oz. (1½ cups) shredded white cheddar cheese, divided
½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:
Grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions, just until al dente.  Drain the pasta, return to the pot, and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped mushrooms and onion to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and almost all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and sauté about 1 minute more, just until fragrant.  Remove the pan from the heat, season the mixture with salt and pepper, and mix in the white wine vinegar.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden.  Stir in the fresh herbs and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.  Whisk in the milk and cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the mixture simmers and begins to thicken.  Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat.  Whisk in the shredded Gruyere and cheddar cheeses until completely melted and smooth.

Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta.  Add the mushroom and shallot mixture to the pot as well.  Toss well to thoroughly combine.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.  In a small bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, melted.  Toss with fork to coat the crumbs evenly.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta in the baking dish.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Beef Dip Sandwiches

This was such an easy meal and SO good.  Definitely a keeper.  Great to come home to dinner ready for you on a Monday night!

Best Beef Dip Sandwiches (from Joelen/All Recipes)

Ingredients:

4 lbs beef chuck roast
1 T minced garlic
1 T dried rosemary
3 bay leaves
1 cup soy sauce
6 cups water

Place roast in slow cooker. Season with garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour in soy sauce and water. Cook on low setting for 6 to 10 hours.  Serve with your preferred cheese (I used monterey jack) on the rolls/buns of your choice.

Arugula Salad

This was a great simple salad!  You could definitely add more to it, but it was great just the way it was!

Arugula Salad (from Cooking Light)

• 1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  sherry vinegar
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  Dijon mustard
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 4  cups  baby arugula
• 1/3  cup  vertically sliced red onion

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add arugula and onion; toss well.

Chili-Espresso Rubbed Steaks with Warm Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes are ripening left and right and we decided to take advantage!  Not only did the grape tomatoes come from our garden but the parsley did as well.  We actually didn’t have espresso powder on hand but the steak was very flavorful without it.

Chili-Espresso Rubbed Steaks with Warm Tomato Sauce (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

• 2  teaspoons  espresso powder
• 1  teaspoon  garlic salt
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  (12-ounce) flat-iron steaks
• Cooking spray
• 1  cup  grape tomatoes
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  teaspoon  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  sherry vinegar

1. Combine first 6 ingredients; stir well. Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of steaks; cover and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

3. Place steaks on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill; let stand 10 minutes.

4. Place tomatoes and remaining ingredients in a mini chopper or blender; process until coarsely chopped. Spoon tomato mixture into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Cut steaks diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place 3 ounces steak on each of 4 plates (roughly 2/3 of cooked meat). (Reserve remaining steak for Sunday brunch.) Top each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce.