Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

I have been making a variety soups lately because my son LOVES them. It is a great way to have him eat lots of vegetables and protein and he is very proud to demonstrate his spoon skills. In the past few weeks I have shared my Cauliflower Soup with Maple Bacon and Thyme and my Fast and Easy Butternut Squash Soup recipes.  This Broccoli and Cheddar soup is another great meal that is packed with vegetables and protein and I made it decadent without using butter and cream. I decided to add a large Yukon Gold potato to the soup to add a creamy texture without having to use heavy cream or butter. This is a great trick when wanting to cut out the fat without compromising great taste. One large potato and 1 cup of homogenized milk make this soup just as creamy and delicious without the extra calories. I also use 2 cups of cheddar because that could not be avoided when making a broccoli and cheddar soup.  I have used this trick when making seafood chowder. I puree a portion of the soup that includes potato and it gives the chowder a wonderful creamy texture without all the fat.

I decided to take a shortcut by using frozen broccoli instead of fresh to save on time on a busy weeknight. I have no problem substituting frozen for fresh vegetables when making soups. Frozen vegetables are often frozen at their best and I find it much faster for weeknight meals. It cuts down on my chopping time allowing me to have dinner ready in 30 minutes or less.

I hope that you give this soup a whirl, and enjoy it as much as we do!

Please let me know if you have any questions by posting in the comments section below.

AA

Ingredients- Serves 6

1 large onion- small cubes
1 large carrot- small cubes
1 large Yukon gold potato- small cubes
4 cloves of garlic- diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 bag  (500 grams) frozen broccoli
2 cups of  no salt added chicken stock
1 cup homogenized milk
1 tsp- Dijon mustard (optional)
2 cups of orange cheddar


Garnish options- Placing the garnishes on the table will allow your family to garnish their own bowl and will make dinner time fun!  

chives
paprika
Greek yogurt
bacon
croutons
shredded cheddar

Directions

1.  Heat a large heavy bottom pot on medium heat and add the olive oil. 
2. Add the onion, potato, and carrot to the pot and saute for 5 to 6 minutes. 
3. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Add the paprika and garlic powder to the pot and stir into the vegetables. Cook for about a minute. 
5. Delgaze the pot with the chicken stock scraping all the flavor bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Cook for 12 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are soft.
7. Add the broccoli and cook for 4 minutes or until soft.
8. Turn the heat down and add the milk and mustard. Once simmering remove from the heat.
9. Using a hand blender or stand blender puree the soup. Once it is pureed slowly add the shredded cheese while the blender is running. This will melt the cheese into the soup and make it smooth and not sink to the bottom of the pot or blender. 
10. Once smooth taste and season with salt and pepper. 
11. Serve and enjoy! 

Note: I used my kitchen aid stand blender and pureed the soup in two batches. I removed the clear circular top in the lid and slowly added a cup of cheddar cheese to each batch while the blender was running.  I poured both batches into a new pot once pureed. If you are not ready to serve, place the pureed soup on low heat stirring often until needed. If the soup is too thick add a little extra stock while you are blending. I found the thickness perfect for us so I didn't add any extra liquid.

Fast and Easy Butternut Squash Soup

I have been making soup a couple times a week and this butternut squash soup is one of my favorite weeknight meals. It is fast, simple and incredibility tasty.  It can be garnished with many different toppings to give it extra color, texture and flavor. If you are looking for a fast, filling and versatile soup, this is it!


Ingredients- 4 servings

1 bag (750 grams) of frozen butternut squash- I use PC frozen butternut squash on busy weeknights
1 red onion- diced
4 cloves garlic- diced
8 sage leaves (stems removed) - rosemary or thyme are also great substitutes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (900 ml) container of no salt chicken or vegetable stock. - I used chicken
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat a large heavy bottom pot and add the olive oil and sage leaves. Fry the sage leaves until they are dark green in color. This takes about a minute. Remove the leaves and set aside for garnish is you desire. 
2. Add the onions and garlic to the flavored olive oil and saute for about 5-6 minutes. 
3. Add the frozen squash to the pot and stir until the onions and garlic are well incorporated. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the Chicken stock to the pot. I only add enough to just cover the squash. I add more after the soup is blended if it is too thick. If you add the entire container at this stage your soup could watery. 
5. Cook for 10 minutes until the squash starts to fall apart.
6. Blend the soup in a blender or by using a hand blender in the pot. Add additional stock a little at a time ( if needed) until you achieve the consistency you are looking for. 
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
8. Garnish with the fried sage leaves. Below is a list of garnishes that go well with this soup.
9. Enjoy! 

Sunflower seeds
Croutons/crostini
Toasted hazelnuts
Greek yogurt
Pomegranate seeds
Chives
Green onions
Sliced apples
Sliced pears

Prosciutto and Sage Wrapped Maple Mustard Salmon Parcels

Crispy salty prosciutto, savory sage, and sticky maple mustard glaze makes this salmon dish so decadent and moist. It was the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I have been on a sage and maple kick all week and this meal came together because I had to use up all the sage, bacon and prosciutto I had in the fridge.   I was really happy with the results and I had to share them will all of you. This will be the first meal I make for my hubby once he is home and he is going to LOVE it! The outside is crispy but the fish is so moist because it is steamed in the parchment after it is seared. The leeks with lentils and maple bacon are the perfect side dish that not only tasted great but also allowed be to skip the starch in this meal as the lentils are very hearty. I was able to do all the dishes while the parcels were baking in the oven which allowed me to spend extra time with my little one after dinner. I tossed our 2 plates and the sheet pan in the dishwasher and dinner clean up was complete. WIN!!

If you have any questions about this recipe or any others, please feel free to comment below. Thanks for reading!

Ingredients

3 leeks- trimmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic- shaved or finely chopped
1 thick cut slice of maple bacon- finely diced (I used chemical free nitrate free)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil plus 2 tbsp for searing the salmon
1 can of lentils- rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
4 skin on salmon fillets
8 thin slices of prosciutto
12 sage leaves
4 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp maple syrup
cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Heat a deep non stick pan on med high heat and add the butter and 2 tbsp of the olive oil.
3. Add the leeks and cook for 4 to 5 minutes stirring often. 
4. Add the finely diced bacon and cook for another 5 minutes until the bacon is crispy and the leeks are caramelized. 
5. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. 
6. Add the lentils and toss around incorporating all the ingredients. Once well combined turn off the heat and set the pan of lentils aside. Taste. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
7. Gently wash and pat the salmon dry on all sides.
8. In a bowl mix together Maple syrup, Dijon and cracked pepper.
9. Brush the flesh side of each salmon fillet with 1 tsp of the marinade. This should use half the marinade leaving the other half for later.
10. Place two or three sage leaves on top of the marinated salmon and wrap 2 pieces of prosciutto around each fillet covering the fish and the sage leaves.
11. Place a sheet pan size piece of parchment paper down. In the center on one half of the parchment place 1/4 of the lentil mixture down. Do this four times.
12.  Heat a clean non stick pan and add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Sear the salmon on all sides starting with the flesh side down. Be gentle with the salmon as you turn it to avoid it from breaking. Do not cook the salmon all the way through. Make sure to sear all sides crisping the prosciutto. About 1 to 2 minutes per side.
13. Once the prosciutto is crispy turn the heat off and gently place each piece of salmon on the prepared lentil parchment parcels. Drizzle each piece of fish with the remaining marinade. Fold the parchment over and seal the parchment by rolling up the edges all the way around. 
14. Bake the parcels for 12 to 14 minutes. Place each parcel on a serving plate or bowl and let each person tear into their parcel. They can eat out of the parchment. If you prefer you can remove the parchment and plate the dish for each person.
15. Enjoy!

AA

Cauliflower Soup with Maple Bacon and Thyme

Cauliflower soup is my new favorite way to enjoy this hearty vegetable. This soup was so silky smooth it is hard to believe I didn't add any butter, cream or coconut milk to it. The color was so vibrant and beautiful it really added that extra visual component to the dish.  The crispy maple bacon was a great addition however, if you wanted to make this soup vegetarian you could just leave out the bacon and replace bacon fat with extra olive oil. I also added a little extra sweetness to the soup by swirling some local extra dark maple syrup as a garnish and a dollop of tangy Greek yogurt speckled with thyme leaves and lemon juice. There are many ways to garnish this soup but I really enjoyed the ingredients I used this evening. I hope this fall soup recipe finds its way into your meal rotation. 


Ingredients

1 medium sized cauliflower- chopped
1 large yellow onion- cut in 6 wedges
4 cloves of garlic- left in husks
1 large carrot- chopped
6 sprigs of thyme plus extra for garnish
4 slices of maple bacon- sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
900ml chicken or vegetable stock- I used chicken stock (no salt added)

Garnishes

Crostini- slice the crostini and brush each piece with some olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Bake until golden and toasted.
6 slices of ciabatta
olive oil
garlic powder
Greek yogurt topping- mix the Greek yogurt  
1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
1 tsp lemon juice
thyme leaves from one sprig

Maple syrup, crispy bacon and fresh thyme leaves are also a great way to finish this soup and add a little extra presentation before serving. If you do not want to make crostini, croutons are also a great option. 

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place all the chopped vegetables, thyme and garlic on the pan.  Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper making sure everything is evenly coated. 
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until the veggies have some color. 
4.  Meanwhile in a large heavy bottom pot on medium heat saute the bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving its bacon fat in the pot, and set bacon aside for the garnish.
5.  When the vegetables are done in the oven add them to the bacon fat and saute for a minute. Add the chicken or vegetable stock to the pot making sure to scrape all the flavor bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Turn it down to medium heat once it reaches a boil and simmer for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
6.  Prepare all your garnishes while you wait for the vegetables in the soup to soften. 
7. Transfer the soup into a blender. Make sure to close the lid 100% and use a tea towel over the blender in case it splashes up. Blend until smooth. Place pureed soup back into the pot. simmer on low heat until you are ready to serve.
8. Garnish and enjoy!

AA

Slow Cooker Meat Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 large yellow onions- diced
1 large red onion- diced
4 large carrots- diced
1 yellow pepper- diced
1 red pepper- diced
1orange pepper- diced
4 stalks of celery- diced
1/2 fennel bulb diced
10 brown mushrooms-diced
1 cup parsley stems- finely diced Reserve the leaves for garnish
6 large cloves of garlic- grated
1 tsp dried chilies
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper
1 cup dry full bodied red wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 can of diced San Marzano tomatoes
1 jar or tomato puree/passata
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Heat a large deep pan and saute the ground meat. Once the meat starts to sizzle add the fennel seeds , chilies, garlic and salt and pepper.
2. Once the meat is cooked dump it into a slow cooker. Using the same pan add the olive oil and saute the vegetables and parsley stems stirring often . Saute  for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly cooked and starting to show some color.
3. Deglaze  the pan with red wine scraping all the bits from the bottom. Once the alcohol evaporates after a minute or 2 dump all the pan ingredients into the crock-pot  along with the meat.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and stir until well combined. Set the crock-pot on low for 6 hours.
5. Boil your favorite pasta making sure to follow the package for al dente cooking time. Remove the bay leaves from the sauce.
6. Toss with some freshly chopped parsley leaves and garnish with your favorite cheese.
7. Enjoy!

AA

Sheet Pan Steinhart Maple Pork Chops

Steinhart Maple Vodka is something I discovered last year when I moved back to the province. It is  great in cocktails, poured over ice cream, mixed into whipped cream or used in savory meals like my Sheet Pan Pork Chops. This easy meal is so moist, flavorful and satisfying on a chilly fall day you will want to add it in to the meal rotation every week. Growing up we would often have breaded pork chops and apple sauce and this recipe was inspired by that memory. This modern updated version is my new favorite way to enjoy a classic dish and another great way to enjoy my Steinhart Maple Vodka.


Ingredients

4 bone-in pork chops
2 yellow onions- sliced 1/2 inch thick half rounds
2 large honey crisp apples
4 cloves of garlic- do not peel
12 sage leaves
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil plus 1 Tbsp for the onions and garlic
1tbsp of each garlic powder, paprika, black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 oz Steinhart Maple Vodka


NOTE: If you do not have maple vodka on hand you can substitute 2 oz of maple syrup. Whisk maple syrup with 1/2 cup of vegetable or chicken stock and deglaze  with this liquid in place of the vodka in step 7. 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix garlic powder, paprika, black pepper and salt in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the pork chops.
3. Slice the onions and place them in the sheet pan with the unpeeled garlic cloves. Toss in olive oil and scatter evenly across the pan. Slice the apples into wedges leaving the skin on. Remove core from each wedge and set aside.
4. Heat a large non stick pan. Once hot add the 2 tbsp of olive oil and sear the pork chops until they are a deep golden colour. It will be about 3 minutes per side on medium high heat.
5. Once seared place them on the sheet pan over the onions and garlic.
6. Add the butter to the pan and once melted add the apples and sage. Saute the apples on medium high heat until they are golden. Remove the sage leaves and set aside.
7. Deglaze the pan with the maple vodka and cook off the alcohol for about a minute. The apples should still be firm as they will bake in the oven later on.
8. Add the apple slice on top of each pork chop and pour all the pan juices over the chops as well. Place a few sage leaves on each pork chop.
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pork is just cooked through.
10. Let rest for 10 minutes covered with foil. Remove garlic skins and discard.
11. Serve over rice or cauliflower mash pouring some of the pan juices over each chop.
12. Enjoy!

AA

Spaghetti al Tonno

15 MINUTE MEAL!!!! Spaghetti al Tonno is one of my fastest weeknight recipes and although it takes so little time to make it packs AMAZING flavor you would think you were slaving in the kitchen for hours. This dish for me, is the Italian version of a tuna casserole. It was also one of my childhood weeknight meals and I have wonderful memories of my mother every time I make this family favorite. The secret to this incredible tuna pasta is .....wait for it.....ANCHOVIES.
These little fish packed so tightly in a tiny tin and covered in olive oil are the key to a fast, bold, briny, salty, delicious pasta. The anchovies amplify the pasta sauce without making it taste fishy. I LOVE anchovies in my Caesar salad dressing, on my pizza, and in my Spaghetti al Tonno. I use the entire tin of anchovies in my pasta sauce but if you are unsure if you like anchovies start by only adding two or three the first time you make this dish instead of the entire can. I hope that you enjoy this meal and add this spaghetti sauce into the dinner rotation in your home.


Ingredients
Serves 4

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tin of anchovies packed in olive oil
2 tsp capers
1 tsp chili flakes- optional
3 cloves of garlic- finely chopped or grated
1 can diced San Marzano tomatoes
1 can Italian tuna packed in olive oil
cracked black pepper
fresh parsley- chopped or torn for garnish
tbsp of salt - for the pasta water
500 grams of spaghetti- I combined black cuttlefish noodles and red pepper noodles (cooking times were the same)


Directions

1. Fill a large pot with water and turn the heat on high. While you wait for the water to boil you can make this very fast pasta sauce.

2. Using another burner, place a medium pot on the stove and set the temperature to medium high. Setting  5 or 6. Add the tin of anchovies with the oil they are packed in. Using a fork start mashing the anchovies in the oil and help them dissolve as the oil heats up. This takes about a minute.  It is very important to do this because you do not want big pieces of anchovies visible. 

3. Once the anchovies are dissolved in the oil they were packed in, add the extra virgin olive oil, capers, chilies and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes stirring often making sure the garlic does not burn. 

4. Add the San Marzano tomatoes, tuna with the oil it is packed in and cracked pepper to taste. Mix well.

5. Add a good tbsp of salt to the boiling water followed by Spaghetti. Follow package instructions for cooking time. I usually cook my pasta 1 minute less than the package time. It will continue to cook once I add the sauce to the pasta. 

6. When the pasta has 1 minute left remove one cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. 

7. Drain the pasta and place back into the pot on with the burner still set to medium high heat. Add the sauce to the pasta pot with some of the reserved pasta water. Only add a little water at a time to assist in making the sauce come together with the pasta. 

8. Tear some fresh parley into the pot and mix until well combined. 

9. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AA

Slow Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Onions

The weather is getting colder and I have been craving soups, stews and pasta dishes. This evening I decided to make a slow braised beef stew that loaded with mushrooms and onions.  This braised beef is a great make ahead meal that can be prepared on the weekend and enjoyed throughout a busy work week.  This meal is definitely one of my toddlers top 5 dinner meals. I could not even take a picture of this dish without him sticking his adorable fingers in the plate. I hope that you enjoy this meal as much as we do!


Ingredients

2 lbs  beef stewing meat cubes
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp dried  ground rosemary
1 tsp dried ground thyme
salt and pepper as desired
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion - half moon sliced
4 medium portobello mushrooms- sliced
3 cloves garlic- finely grated
1 heaping tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
900ml no salt added beef stock
2 cups of good quality full body red wine
1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped

Directions

1. Place beef cubes onto a sheet pan and toss them in garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, rosemary, thyme, and s&p.
2. Heat a large heavy bottom pot and add half the olive oil. Sear the beef cubes on all sides until they have a nice deep color. Do not crowd the pot or the beef will not sear. The beef may have to be seared in a couple of batches. Set seared meat aside.
3. Once all meat is seared, add the remainder of the olive oil and saute the onions and mushrooms on medium high heat for 5-6 minutes stirring often to avoid them burning.
4. Add the garlic and stir into the onions and mushrooms. Let cook for 1 minute and add the beef back into the pot.
5. Deglaze the pot with the red wine making sure to scrape all the flavor bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the alcohol evaporate for about a minute.
6. Add Worcestershire, mustard, beef stock and stir until all are well incorporated.
7. Turn heat to low and cover. Let cook on low for 2 hours or until the beef falls apart.
8. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and served with oven roasted veg, peas and garlic bread.


AA