Saturday Morning Snapshot
Edible props from the morning’s shoots and the /Fimcast to help pass the time…
State of the Blog
Hey look, my Simply Delicious Asian Chicken Salad is in a round up of 15 Tasty Recipes To Help You Keep Those Healthy Eating Resolutions on Buzzfeed. You should check out the other recipes on the list. There are some really good ones on there.
Also on the internets, Baking Mischief was Foodista’s featured blog of the day on Wednesday. Many thanks to them for that!
On the blog this week, I got to share my Green Eggs and Ham Mini Quiches, which I’ve been wanting to make for YEARS. Wednesday, post numero uno of our new “Waste Not” series went up, which included buttermilk freezing and substitution tips and links to forty fantastic recipes to use up leftover buttermilk. And Friday, we had my Sharp Cheddar Broccoli Chowder, of which I still have a serving in my freezer and am thinking about eating right now…
Next week, we have one of my favorite sides to pair with soups, the final entry in our February soup and stew series, and a special treat inspired by our friends across the pond.
Recipes/posts released this week were:
Green Eggs and Ham Mini Quiche – Green eggs, ham, and cheddar cheese in a buttermilk crust make a fun and delicious tribute to one of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved works. So tasty you might not want to share them with the kids! What to Do With Leftover Buttermilk – How to freeze and substitute for buttermilk and 40+ recipe ideas to use up this often-wasted ingredient! Sharp Cheddar Broccoli and Ham Chowder – Broccoli and ham chowder made with sharp and delicious cheddar cheese. A perfect and easy weeknight dinner for those nights when cheese is a necessity.
Pop-culture Corner
Did you watch the Grammys last week? I tuned in and out throughout the evening, but that Hamilton number was perfection.
Any comics fans in the house? Soooooo, I read Civil War last weekend and let’s just say, way less nuance and way more gratuitous Spiderman crotch shots than I was expecting… Kinda glad Cap 3 is going to be a loose adaptation.
I am obsessed with the Sherrilyn Kenyon/Cassandra Clare lawsuit going on right now, not just because as a young teen, I devoured everything Kenyon ever wrote, but also because Clare is such a polarizing figure in the literary world.
New Girl creator, Liz Meriwether’s Vulture essay that ran this week on the comedy inspired by living in and hating LA is so lovely it almost makes me want to start watching New Girl again.
Finally, I’ve been doing a Pushing Daisies rewatch, and man, I had forgotten how just how much good singing there is on that show. A Pushing Daisies recipe is percolating. I just have to figure out when to fit it in…
Meal Planning
Saturday: Spaghetti Sunday: Oven-baked Beef Ribs Monday: Teriyaki Chicken Tuesday: Simply Delicious Asian Chicken Wednesday: Carne Asada Burrito Bowls Thursday: Chicken in Cream Sauce Friday: World’s Easiest Chicken Taco Soup
Easy Broccoli Chowder made with sharp and delicious cheddar cheese and ham. A perfect and easy weeknight dinner for those nights when cheese is a necessity.
This post and images have been updated. Don’t worry. You’re in the right place. 😉
We are in week three of our February soup series. So far, we’ve had the World’s Easiest Chicken Taco Soup and Easy and Comforting Ham and Potato Soup . This week, we’re moving onto something a little heavier and A LOT cheesier, Easy Cheesy Broccoli Chowder.
Proving that good recipes come from all over the place, the original version of this one came out of a recycling bin. A couple of years ago, I used up the last stick of butter in a Danish Creamery Butter box, broke the box down, and threw it in my kitchen recycling bin. Just as I was walking away, the recipe printed on the inside caught my eye. I fished it out, gave it a shot, and I’ve never looked back.
Of all the soup recipes floating around the interwebs, aside from your classic chicken noodle, broccoli chowder is the one I see with the most variations. I think that’s because everyone likes something a little different from their broccoli chowder. Are you there for the slightly sweet, earthy broccoli? Is it all about the salty ham? Do you like the rich creaminess of the broth with just a hint of cheddar?
This particular broccoli chowder is all about the cheese. And not just any cheese. This is sharp, tangy cheddar in a broth so thick, you could practically stand a spoon up in it. If you don’t like sharp cheese, that’s okay, there are a million other broccoli chowders out there for you. If you do, oh, my friend, you are in for a treat.
This soup is fast and easy, and you can do all the prep work a couple of days in advance. It’s absolutely gorgeous when it’s done and is so rich and delicious, you’ll feel like it should be eaten curled up by a roaring fire under a giant fluffy throw.
More Easy Weeknight Meals
- Tri-tip in the Oven
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Chicken in Cream Sauce
- Chicken in White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 1/2 pounds broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
- ▢ 3 cups chicken broth
- ▢ 4 tablespoons ( 2 oz) butter
- ▢ 1 cup diced onion
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 30 g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1 1/2 cup milk any percentage
- ▢ 1 1/2 cup ( 6 oz) sharp cheddar cheese cubed or shredded
- ▢ 1 cup ( 6 oz) fully-cooked ham diced
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ▢ Salt
Instructions
- In a medium pot, combine broccoli and chicken broth. Cover and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the chicken broth into a separate container to use later and set broccoli and broth aside.
- In a large pot, over medium heat, melt butter and add onions, cooking until translucent.
- Add flour and cook, whisking continuously for about 2 minutes, until the flour is just golden.
- Continue to stir and slowly pour in chicken broth and milk. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the broth has thickened.
- Stir in cheese, ham, broccoli, pepper, and salt generously to taste. Heat until cheese is melted and soup is warmed through.
Notes
Nutritional Information Recipe Adapted From: Challenge Dairy
Low-yield Instructions: This recipe halves cleanly. Make-ahead Instructions: Broccoli, ham, onions, and cheese can be cut up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container. Make sure your broccoli is dry when you store it. Freezer Instructions: This soup will keep in the freezer for up to four months in an airtight container. It must be defrosted in the refrigerator. If you try to defrost it in the microwave, the broccoli will turn to mush.
Warm, buttery cheddar cheese scones with a kick of cayenne. The perfect side for any soup or salad.
It’s been soup month here, so I would be remiss if I didn’t post one of my favorite sides to pair with soup, Cayenne and Cheddar Cheese Scones. Honestly, these things are like the bastard love child of a biscuit and scone. They are a little more substantial than a biscuit but lighter and less crumbly than a traditional scone.
I actually went and did some research on the difference between the two because I wanted to make sure I was labeling them correctly, and apparently, people have some VERY strong opinions on the subject. (BTW, I love that article, you should read it.)
And I get it. I can be pretty pedantic about things (you’ll pry the oxford comma from my cold dead hands), but these scones are so good that you could call them cupcakes and no one’s going to complain when they bite into one.
They’re just slightly crisp on the outside, buttery on the inside and full of cheesy flavor. The slight warmth of the cayenne makes them incredibly satisfying and the perfect side for soups with milder flavors. I almost always pair them with classic chicken noodle and my Easy Chicken Peasant Soup to round out the meal. They really take whatever dish you serve them with and level it up in a big way.
More Recipes to Serve With Scones
- Beef Stew
- Ham and Potato Soup
- Chicken Carcass Soup
- Roasted Tri-tip
Ingredients
Scones
- ▢ 2 1/4 cups ( 315 g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 25 g) granulated sugar
- ▢ 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 4 oz) cold butter cubed
- ▢ 1 cup ( 4 oz) sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
Egg Wash
- ▢ 1 egg beaten
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper or foil.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne and salt in a large bowl.
- Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut butter into flour mixture until no butter pieces larger than a pea remain. Add cheese and stir.
- Mix in buttermilk, stirring until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky, about 6-7 times.
- Re-flour surface and press dough out to 1/2-inch thick and cut into 16 2 1/2-inch rounds.
- Beat egg and water together.
- Place scones on baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake for 12-14 minutes until scones are golden. If you are unsure if scones are done, carefully lift one and check the bottom of the scone. If it’s lightly browned, it’s done.
Nutritional Information Recipe Slightly Adapted From: Food.com
Small-batch Instructions: Recipe halves cleanly, no cooking changes needed. Freezer Instructions: Freeze cut-out dough on a baking sheet for about an hour, until firm. Then store in an airtight container. Dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook, bake frozen scones at normal temperature for 2-3 minutes longer than usual.
