Broccoli and Potato Soup

It may be 115º outside, but when the thought of soup sounds good, it doesn't matter how hot it is outside!  This soup is very creamy and rich.  A little goes a long way, I ended up freezing about half the batch because we just weren't going to eat it all.  Can't wait for the cooler months to hit so I can defrost my leftovers!

Broccoli and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp oil

1/2 c white onion, chopped

5 russett potatoes, cubed

6 chicken bouillon cubes

4 tsp salt

2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 c flour

4 c milk

4 c broccoli, chopped

Directions

In a large pot saute onions in oil.  Once onions are soft, add potatoes, bouillon cubes, salt and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Simmer until potatoes are tender.  

In a bowl, blend cream cheese with flour until smooth.  Beat in milk until smooth.  Add to the potato pot, slowly.  Pour in broccoli.  Stir frequently.  Boil until thick and broccoli is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. 

*When I make this again, I'll be chopping the broccoli a little smaller. 

Broccoli and Beef

If you like broccoli and beef, you must try this recipe.  Every bite bursts with flavor.  Be careful not to overcook the meat...the juicier the better.


Broccoli and Beef

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1 Tablespoon rice wine vinagar

2 Tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth

5 Tablespoons oyster sauce

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Beef and Broccoli:

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

1-2 lbs flank staeak, cut into 2-inch wide strips with the grain, the sliced across the grain in to 1/4 inch-thick slices

6 garlic cloves, pressed

1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced

1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/3 cup water

3 medium scallions, sliced

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combie beef and soy sauce.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.  Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Set aside.

In another small bowl, combine garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon peanut oil.  Set aside. 

Heat 1-2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.  Add half the beef and break up clumps.  Cook, without stirring, for about 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges and cooked through.  About 1-2 minutes.  

*Don't overcook the meat (cook just barely so the meat stays tender)  

Transfer the beef to a bowl and cover with foil. 

Heat another 1-2 teaspoons of oil and repeat with the remaining beef. 

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same, now empty, skillet.  Heat until hot and add broccoli and cook for 30 seconds; add water, cover pan and lower heat to medium.  Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. 

Push broccoli to the sides of the skillet and add the garlic/ginger mixture.  Cook, mashing the mixture with a spoon, until fragrant, about 20 seconds.  Stir the mixture into the broccoli.  

Add the beef back to the skillet and toss to combine. 

Whisk the sauce to recombine and add to the skillet.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 1-2 minutes.  

Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions and serve on top of rice. 

It's not THAT bad...

Turns out, I had MOST of my blog photos saved either on iphoto, my phone or in my email.  I am dilligently re-adding pictures to my posts.  My OCD has instructed me to begin from the beginning, so if you read my blog, or refer to it....all pictures should will be returning in the order they were originally posted.  It just makes more sense that way, doesn't it?

If you don't read it or refer to it...then what are you doing reading this?!

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY!

How come no one told me that if I delete a picture from my google+ account that they would DISAPPEAR from my blog?!

Yeah!  That would explain the sea of BLACK BOXES where my pictures were....I'm going to go throw up now.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Following food blogs is a favorite past time/time waster for me.  Recently, my favorite one is Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  She's got some great meal ideas and 9 times out of 10, they are easy to make and taste as good as her pictures.  

When I saw this recipe for grilled pork tenderloin, I wanted to try it because her picture makes it looks so appetizing.  Also, I'd never cooked (or eaten) a pork tenderloin. 

At the store when I went to get the pork there is a selection of pre-marinated tenderloins you can buy.  They looked tempting, but I was eager to try out Mel's marinade.  It was worth the effort. And I think grilling gave it the nudge it needed to be a "repeatable" meal. 

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds pork tenderloin

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons Worchestersire sauce

1 Tablespoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients except the pork and whisk together, until well combined.  Pour the marinade into a ziploc bag and add the pork tenderloin.  Make sure the marinade covers the pork completely and squeeze all the air out of the bag.  Marinade for 8-10 hours. 

Preheat an outdoor grill.  Grill the pork about 3-4 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature is about 155º.  

Remove from grill and place on a plate, tenting with foil.  Allow to sit about 10 minutes before serving. 

*Tastes great over rice.  I used Basmati rice.  

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

If you ask me, sweet potatoes are gross.  I just can't bring myself to eat them.  They LOOK good, and I wish I liked them.  So the only reason I decided to make these was for my husband.  He loves sweet potatoes.  

See how much I love him?

So as we are eating dinner, I am looking at these orange potato chunks and encouraging my 5 year old to eat them.  I realize that I can't talk to him about trying out the food that was prepared for dinner if I'm not willing to do it myself.  

I take a few pieces and put them on my plate.  I pick one up.  I take a moment to prepare myself for the yuck I'm about to eat.  I pop it in and chew.  And chew.  And chew.  Swallow.  

Surprise!  These babies aren't bad!  In fact, I enjoyed how they tasted so much I ate 2 more skewers full of sweet potatoes!  I felt like such a big girl, trying out new food!  

Glad I did!

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

2-4 medium sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

Peel each potato and cut into chunks.  Place all the chunks in a microwaveable bowl and cover with plastic or a ziplock bag if the bowl will fit inside.  Microwave for 3 minutes, stir, recover and microwave again for another few minutes.  You want the chucks to be tender enough to put on a skewer, but not cooked all the way through.

Place 5-6 pieces on a skewer.  Lay all the loaded skewers on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Use a brush to coat all sides of the potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Preheat the outdoor grill and grill the potato skewers for about 5 minutes on each side.  Cooking time may vary, so just grill until the potatoes are cooked through.  

Fruit or Dessert Dip

"What should I take to the BBQ?"  That's the question!  Recently I attended a family BBQ and my mom had 90% of the meal already covered.  I wanted to contribute something so this is what I decided to take.  

It worked great becuase it's such a sweet topping.  Pefect for my older brother who doesn't eat fruit.  He created a brownie dessert topped with this dip and some Almond Joy drops.  

Yum!

Fruit or Dessert Dip

Tasty on fruit or brownies!

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

7 ounces sweetened, condensed milk

8 ounces cool whip

Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the milk and mix until there are no lumps.  Lastly, beat in the cool whip until well blended. 

Chill and serve with your favorite treat!

*You could easily add a few drops of red food coloring to make it pretty!