Broccoli Soup

I try not to waste food. I save celery tops, and chicken carcasses for chicken stock. I save all matter of glass and plastic jars. Recently I've been eating a lot of broccoli and saving the stems. The pretty flower part of broccoli is usually the part we eat. But, that huge stem is just as tasty and useful. So every time I had a broccoli stem I'd do a rough chop and stick it in a freezer bag with the rest of my discarded stems. I even threw a few cauliflower stems in the bag.

This last weekend I decided it was time to use the stems. I used them, and a few other sad, wilting, vegetables and made soup. Soup is the best way I know to clean out a fridge. This soup is creamy without cream or flour. It is a delicious vegetable soup with just enough kick to warm those cold toes.

Broccoli Soup
one mostly full freezer bag of broccoli/cauliflower stems. (about 6 cups I think)
3 sad and wilted stalks of celery
2 sad and wilted sprigs of green onion
1 diced small yellow onion
1 diced red jalapeno (jalapenos get red and spicier when ripe)
2 chicken bullion cubes (chicken stock would have been better but I didn't have it)
4 qt of water
1 roasted head of garlic
4tbs almond flour and butter for a roux (you can use regular flour too)

I forgot the pepper oops!

Start by roasting the garlic. Place the entire head into some tinfoil cover completely and roast at 350 until soft 20-30 minutes.
While that roasts cook the celery, onion, and jalapeno in a little butter. Cook on medium high until the onions start to look clear.
Put broccoli, cooked veggies, bullion, and water into a large stock pot.
Bring to a boil and stir until bullion is combined into water.
Add the garlic. When the garlic is cooked you can easily peel off the cloves and squeeze it out like toothpaste. Roasted garlic is much more mild than fresh garlic so use all of it.
Reduce the temperature to low and let it simmer for about 45 minutes.
When all the veggies are soft turn off the heat.
Carefully blend the soup in a blender and return to stock pot.

It got frothy in the blender.

I made a roux out of the almond flour and butter. I wasn't able to get it as browned as I could with regular flour but it helped thicken the soup a little more. If you don't want to make a roux you can always cook the soup uncovered for a little longer to thicken it up.

This is such a warm and delicious soup that I'm having it twice today. If you eat dairy I'd suggest some cheese to top this too.

The soup is not the most photogenic so please don't judge it based on it's looks.

quick and easy

I wanted something quick and easy for dinner tonight. Chicken quarters, a dash of Spike Original seasoning, and a drizzle of olive oil. Easy for me means little hands on time. This is something you can throw together and then forget about while you unwind from your day or finish up homework.

If you have never tried Spike seasoning I highly recommend their spice mixes. They are very tasty and make a 5 minute prep taste like an all day prep.

Quick and Easy Chicken
4 leg quarters
olive oil
Spike Original seasoning
1/2 Butternut squash
guar gum as a thickener for gravy

Heat an oven safe pan like a cast iron skillet, drizzle with olive oil
Brown the chicken in the pan, about 2 minutes a side
Place in baking dish uncovered and bake at 350 until internal temperature is 180. About 1.5 hours. Chicken breasts without bones will cook faster.
In same pan toss the squash in the drippings and then place in oven with chicken for the last 20 minutes. Cook until soft.

Pour out drippings from chicken and whisk in about 1-2 tbs of guar gum to make a gravy. We have just started using guar gum in place of flour. The consistency and taste are right but it separates quickly. I'll have to research this one a little more.

This is a super easy dinner that is pretty typical of our normal meals. T and I try to keep to a primal/paleo diet so we eat a l ot of meat and veggies, a little fruit, some nuts, no grains. If you've never heard of it check out Marksdailyapple.com or Paleo Diet for more information.