Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup in a Bread BowlMy Cream of Broccoli Secret!

Cream of Broccoli Soup doesn’t get any better than putting it in a toasted Bread Bowl, does it?  It’s not a necessity but it sure does boost the look and comfort of eating soup with bread.  For this Cream of Broccoli Soup recipe, I decided to dig deep and give you the best of the best with combinations of 5 star rating recipes.  So I know for a fact that this soup will strike a new chord for you and bless you with a terrific way to make Cream of Broccoli Soup in the future.

Cream of Broccoli SoupMy top 3 favorite soups start out sautéing onions.  At least the way I do it.  It seems to bring out more of a rich flavor in the soup when it’s done that way.  In my Cream of Broccoli recipe, I sauté the onions until they almost caramelize.  A little bit of sugar helps to speed that process up so it doesn’t take so long just caramelizing onions.  Also, I like my cream of Broccoli to be a little more on the chunky side, so I don’t puree the broccoli.  Of course that’s a personal preference, but I find that picking a happy medium allows the soup to consume the flavor of the smaller ground pieces, giving it that sweet broccoli flavor, and the larger pieces that throw in that meaty effect, giving the best of both worlds.  Who could ask for anything more?  Toyota probably!

Cream of Broccoli Soup Ingredients:

1 qt Chicken Stock or Broth
4 Broccoli Stalk Heads
1 Celery stalk (optional)
1 carrot (optional)
1 Onion
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp sugar
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp ground pepper
4 Bread Soup Bowls

Bring Chicken stock or bouillon seasoned water to a boil.  Cut all the vegetables and combine the Broccoli, Celery and Carrot in a Food Processor and blend to desired consistency, pureed or chunky, then add to stock and reduce heat to medium. Saute chopped onion in butter, add sugar and cook until it’s golden brown and caramelized.  Add Flour, stir, then add the cream and stir again until it thickens and turns almost pasty.  Then add the creamy onions to the stock.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the pepper.

The Bread Bowl should be toasted but they don’t have to be.  I usually throw them in the oven under a high broil and watch them carefully. This allows the bread to have a toasted crispy exterior yet a soft fluffy interior, and it’s the way I like it.  Pull from the oven and fill with soup.  I like to top my Cream of Broccoli with a mild cheddar cheese before I serve.

Lomo Saltado with Hash Browns

Lomo SaltadoLomo Saltado for breakfast?

If you’re like me, you probably wouldn’t mind Lomo Saltado for breakfast, it’s that good.  But could you substitute those French fries for hash browns?  It wasn’t even a question for me.  I got home with a grocery bag of ingredients for this recipe when I soon realize I forgot to by French fries.  I suppose I could’ve chopped up a few of my russets, but when I realized I had hash browns in the freezer, my curiosity dominated my decision making.  Lomo Saltado with Hash browns it is!

This dish is Peruvian in nature.  Though I don’t follow the intended recipe to a “T”, my recipe is quite good.  If you aren’t familiar with this dish, let me break it down for you.  This is another one of those “East meets West” kind of recipes, just like the Chow Mein recipe we talked about the other day.  Depending on what kind of beef cut you want to go with, you can chop up Mongolian style slices of a filet mignon, beef flank or a chuck, then of course marinate in soy, garlic, cumin and some chopped Jalapeno.  In this Vegies for Lomo Saltadocase, I’m using a sliced chuck cut into 1/8 inch slices.  An assortment of vegetables is stir fried and mixed with beef and a secret sauce, then tossed with French Fries and served over rice.  And there you have it; Lomo Saltado.

Of course I’m showing you how effective a decent substitute can be.  I believe a substitute is effective if the use can be logically explained in a manner that everyone understands its purpose and the flavor still holds its integrity.  In this case it’s a TomAto/Tomato scenario.  French fries and Hash browns are just salted potatoes.  And for argument sake, the Hash browns aren’t deep fried, so it might even be a pinch healthier for you.

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Lomo Saltado Ingredients:

1 lbs slice Beef
1 Sliced Bell Pepper
½ sliced Onion
1 Large Tomato or 2 Romas
1 Potato sliced into French Fries or Hash Browns
Fresh Chopped Cilantro to taste
2 cups of cooked long grain rice

Beef Marinade:

2 tbsp of Soy
1 tsp of Hoisin
1 tsp of water
1 chopped Jalapeno
4 chopped Garlic Cloves
½ tsp of Cumin

Saute Vegetable sauce:

2 tbsp of Soy
2 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
Marinate the Beef for 15 minutes minimum, then cook thoroughly.  Cook the rice and cook the Hash browns or French fries.  Sauté the vegetables in the soy and balsamic, adding the pepper.  Mix all ingredients together and serve your Lomo Saltado over rice.

Japanese Cold Cucumber

IMG_0271A Cold Cucumber is Hot!

There really isn’t a lot to be said about making a Cold Cucumber.  It’s simple.  I have yet to find anyone that doesn’t think it’s refreshing.  It’s normally an appetizer or side dish but I often find myself eating an entire bowl of this recipe for lunch.  So that being said, if you don’t already know about this recipe, I will be imparting it to you here today.

 

 

Cold Cucumber Ingredients are:

1 Japanese or Mexican Cucumber
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds

Partially peel Cucumber into stripes.  Cut in half and in half again if your cold cucumber is large.  Slice bite size pieces on a 45 degree angle and toss in a bowl with all the ingredients.  Serve your cold cucumber immediately, and enjoy!