Friday, December 30, 2011

Broccoli Soup

Photo source
Broccoli soup is a hearty, cold-weather soup that is very adaptable to what you have on hand in the kitchen or wish to use. The ingredients listed below are just the basics and lend themselves to any combination of quantity, seasonings and additions. I, for one, make my broccoli soup with potatoes but you certainly don't need to. And I like lots of garlic.
Serve this soup with a good sour dough french or a dense whole wheat bread.
Thanks to Julia Martinez for sharing her broccoli soup recipe and thoughts on healthy cooking.
Cleo, Food Bank volunteer




Ingredients:

1 bunch of broccoli, stems sliced and florets chopped into smaller pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed
Pinch dried thyme leaves and or other herbs as desired
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
2-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Milk, dairy or non-dairy
Freshly ground black pepper
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

-Melt the butter or oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
-Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
-Add the broccoli (and potato, if using), herbs of choice, salt, and enough broth to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil.
-Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook uncovered until the broccoli is  tender but not overcooked, about 5-7 minutes.
-Puree the soup in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender.
-Return soup to the pot and add milk to the puree, keeping the consistency fairly thick.. Bring to a simmer, taste, and season with salt and pepper.
Serve with the shredded cheddar cheese as a topping.

Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

Friday, December 23, 2011

Broccoli Quesadilla Recipe.

Photo source
This recipe was adapted from a Veggie Quesadilla recipe on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/veggie-quesadillas/








Ingredients

·         3 Minced Cloves of Garlic
·         ½ chopped Red onion
·         2 chopped Mexican zucchini (calabazitas)
·         ½ chopped red bell pepper
·         1 cup of fresh broccoli florets
·         Olive oil
·         Cheddar cheese (shredded)
·         Whole Wheat tortillas
·          
Preparation:

1.        In a big sauce pan, heat the oil and add the minced garlic, chopped red onions, and chopped red bell pepper.
2.        Cook for two minutes and then add the chopped Mexican zucchini and the broccoli florets.
3.        Cover and cook it until they are tendered.
4.        On a different heating pan, place two whole wheat tortillas and add the cheese and cooked vegetables in between the two tortillas. Flip over when the flour tortilla side is brown.
5.        Once the cheese is melted, remove from the pan and cut into four pieces and serve.