broccoli cheese soup

I received this recipe from a friend and mostly followed directions. Here is what I used and/or how I'd tweak it for next time. 

Ingredients:

3T butter

1 medium diced onion 

1tsp minced garlic 

2T gf flour blend 

2C milk (I used whole)

2c veg broth/chicken broth/water* See note 

1.5 pounds broccoli- diced

1C diced carrots (diced/bite size)

1tsp salt/pepper, Hungarian Paprika

1C American cheese block, cubed

1/2c sliced from block cheddar cheese (white cheddar)

*optional cubed ham, cubed chicken, Avocado

*[note] While we thought TheMike was reacting to Annato /orange coloring in cheese, it turned out he is reacting digestively to celery/celery seed/salt/coriander/cilantro/parsley (which are all part of celery family). 

As to this, I had crock pot cooked a chicken earlier this week using some seasonings *not celery*. 

I had leftover gelatin/stock from this and used it in the recipe for flavoring, and then used water.....as the chicken and veg broth I have on hand uses celery (as most will). 

Directions: 

In stock pot melt 3T butter.  

Add onion. Cook until almost translucent. Add garlic. Cook for a minute. 

Add flour and mix, stir, blend, and cook for 2 minutes. 

Add Vegetable/Chicken Broth/ *OR* water, add milk. Stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Add chopped broccoli and carrots. Use larger pieces if you want that. Use diced/bite size pieces if you want that-or don't want to use food processor /hand held blender to blend to a smoother consistency.  

[I had used larger pieces and then removed, let cool a bit, then blended to puree. Next time i will dice broccoli and carrots to small pieces in prep.]

Cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. 

Add salt, pepper, paprika (and whatever seasonings you'd like- Thyme or Marjoram would be good). 

Add cubed  or sliced cheese.  Stir to blend. 

Top with cheese or avocado if desired. 

Would be good with precooked cubed chicken or diced ham after adding broccoli and carrots - or after pureeing the veggies. 

Enjoy!   Perfect for after a snowshoe hike on overcast day! 

*Denby blue bowls are perfect contrast to first eat with the eyes. 😊 

Grilled cheese with cream cheese blend

The next recipe we decided to try was the Disney Grilled Three-Cheese Sandwich.  We have never been to any Disney, so we don't know what these are like in person. However, we can say that they were a mess to eat and not as thin as the photo showed.  After the first time, we never made them as the recipe says.  Instead, we have used parts of the recipe and adapted to make our own. I wonder if the 'artisan bread' they use is also perhaps much larger in size than the gluten free breads.  Putting two slices of cheese, and the cream cheese mixture was too much cheese --and that's saying something as I was raised in a dairy farming family, and we like our cheese! 

Steps:
We use Canyon Gluten Free Bakehouse Mountain White bread, which seems to be the first GF store bought bread that we can eat out of the bag-without toasting-or for making grilled sandwiches.

We used real butter on the outside of the bread, just enough to skim the surface.  There is enough fat in this recipe to compensate for less butter! 

On the inside of the bread we apply the mayo mix--which we use with Sir Kensington's soy free mayo, real garlic, and then add in some garlic powder as well. The recipe calls for a HUGE amount to be made, and we  reduced this down to a quarter cup of mayo and 1/4 tsp of garlic, and a couple dashes of garlic powder.  We only put this spread on one interior side of the sandwich.

Then we layer the sliced cheese--one slice only of either American or Cheddar is what we usually have on hand.

We do use the cream cheese spread, but we definitely reduce this down.  We used 2oz of cream cheese, microwave to soften (about 30 seconds), then blended in a couple Tablespoons of Gruyere and a couple Tablespoons of  Gouda. Added 1 T of heavy cream, and a pinch of salt. Mix well.  We made three sandwiches, and divided this mixture evenly. It was still too much for the finished sandwich.

In a skillet over just under medium heat, we placed the sandwiches, let cook for about three minutes or so, then flipped and covered with a lid just slightly askew. This helped to hold the heat in to melt the cheeses.

After making the first time, we learned to let the sandwich set for a few minutes before cutting. Waiting was the hard part.  The cream cheese mixture still squeezed out a bit when we ate the sandwiches, but they were delicious! 

Recipe:

Canyon Bakehouse gluten free bread
Real butter

Mayo blend--even with this reduced amount we still had left over
1/4 c mayo (sir kensington)
1/2 tsp minced garlic (we use the jar)
2 dashes of garlic powder

Cream cheese mix:
2 oz cream cheese
1 T Gruyere
1 T Gouda
Soften cream cheese, and blend well together.   We just mix by hand, but the official recipe calls for using the food processor.

1 slice of cheese for each sandwich (American, Cheddar, Pepper Jack)

Create sandwiches, grill--covering skillet to keep the heat to melt the cheeses).
Let rest a few minutes before cutting.
Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

The Mike had asked if we had any soup in the cupboard and I hadn't bought any in sometime. I did head to the store on Sunday and bought some gluten free/organic soups that we can heat up (with ingredient lists that  are not scary).

Thursday night we had some ice and the weather turned cold (and frightful). . .
After the snow came on Saturday evening/Sunday morning we had about 4 inches of (delightful) fresh powder.  The Mike went out snow-biking (wide tire bike) and I baked away in the kitchen (banana bread, cookies, rice krispie treats--the box now says "gluten free made in dedicated facility!)

Three hours later The Mike came home from his bike ride, cold, but not frozen, and I whipped up some fresh Hershey hot chocolate to warm his body.  Then we had some of the soup I bought at the store with UDIs bread grilled cheese sandwiches.

Later, when the cookies were done baking, I made this chicken soup for Sunday evening.

Chicken cheese soup

I modified a recipe I had printed off the internet for Chicken Tortilla Soup and sadly, the page I had printed out didn't have the webpage/owner on it, so I cannot give credit. However, since I modified the recipe, I can say this one is my own.

I used three Just BARE Chicken breasts (14oz package), cooked those in the stockpot. When they were done, I removed them and --when cool--cut into small cube

To the hot pan I then added:
1 diced onion
 and heated until translucent.

Then I added:
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
2Tgarlic

When these were all in the pot and had been stirred/heated to let the flavors of the spices come out, I added a can of diced tomatoes, two small cans of diced green chiles. I added in the cut up chicken.  

I let that heat up/simmer while I made the 'roux'/thickening agent.  The recipe calls for 1 cup room temp milk, so I just microwaved it for 30 seconds or so and got it up to room temperature. [If you're doing a paleo version, you could use other milk, or just chicken broth at this point]

In a small pan, I melted 2T butter [or ghee, or coconut oil], added 2 T of tapioca flour, mixed that together until it thickened, then poured in and started whisking the milk into the flour mixture.  I added in a cup of shredded cheese at this point and whisked that until smooth. [you could leave out the cheese]

Then I poured all of this into the mixture of the chicken/tomatoes/onion and stirred well.  At this point I added in about 16 oz of chicken broth and then brought all of the soup up to a small boil and then simmered for about ten minutes.

I served with sliced avocado, crushed corn crackers ( Food Should Taste Good® is what we had on hand).

You can finish off with sour cream, shredded cheese, diced fresh tomatoes, diced cilantro, guacamole or whatever interests you!

I'd say it took about 40 minutes from start to finish, but I wasn't really watching the clock.

The soup would be fine without the cheese if you're doing a paleo recipe

Colorful chicken soup for the holiday season

 Ingredients/shopping list:

Chicken ( I used 14oz, you can use more or less)
1 diced onion ( I used white onion since it was a chicken dish)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
2Tgarlic
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 small cans of diced green chiles

1 cup room temp milk [other milk or extra chicken broth]
2T butter [ghee, or coconut oil]
2T of tapioca flour
1-2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar)  [this could be omitted]
16 oz of chicken broth

Toppings:
sliced avocado
crushed corn crackers
sour cream
shredded cheese
diced fresh tomatoes
diced cilantro
guacamole

or whatever interests you!

Cheese be gone.

Sunday I had to do an hour on the bike. Since it was in the 60s (even if it was windy), I rode outside. Hubby went with me (isn't he awesome? doing 11mph for me instead of his normal 17 or 19!).  The thing I knew before, and was reaffirmed in riding, was that biking outside for me is much different than just pedaling inside.  My bum starts to hurt on the stationary set up, but outside 50minutes had gone by before I noticed this part.  I also noticed very few people wearing helmets!  For the longest time The Mike was the only person I saw with a helmet on, and that's because he was riding in front of me!  Adults, parents, kids, almost none wore helmets.  My favorite to see in the summer is the parent with no helmet pulling a burley or hike a bike with the small kid wearing helmets. This is my "favorite" because I'm sure a four year old would be able to get aid when on a trail in the middle of nowhere (for all intents and purposes) if mom or dad had an accident and hit their respective head.  I've almost been hit by a deer out for a run, and braked on Sunday before a ground squirrel was able to hit my front wheel.  I know people who have been tossed from bikes on the recreational trail system from dogs unleashed, deer, squirrels, downed tree limbs and more.  While most end up with bruising, one even slid into a tree stump, requiring many stitches on his cheek (inside and out).  Interested in more horror stories?  Check out the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute page. It's also one of the reasons I wear a Road ID  with my contact information on it and in the interactive system.




I am officially giving up cheese. I made this decision last night and starting today, March 13, 2012 I am not ingesting any cheese (okay, I haven't decided on cottage cheese). I'd  like to work towards giving up all dairy, but since there are so many things I can't eat, why should I try to eliminate ones I can handle? Cheese can be salty and fatty (hey, this dairy farmer's daughter is NOT  into buying "fat free" anything dairy!)   I'm debating on pasta, but definitely going back to this brand instead of this one.  One it's cheaper and two, it's just rice, whereas the second one is potato and corn.  I found some Tinkyada in the pantry last night and think it's soo much better.  


Sunday night I made a pretty awesome (lazy) dinner even though we weren't that hungry with the time change and having had something after our bike ride. Baked chicken with thyme (in honor of spring forward day, HA) and basil with baked sweet potatoes (ah, put it in the oven and forget about it).   Last night's was so pathetic I'm not even putting it on the blog ;-) 






Edit: The Mike reminded me that I have flown before without him. just last year!. . . and to see the same two siblings I'm seeing this time as well :-)

How could I forget Vegas?