Southwestern Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ah, here I am, jumping back into the more "regular" posting of some tasty recipes. Who knows how long this'll last, but I'll try to keep up the good work.

Today has been a busy day so far, and I had to hit up 3 grocery stores throughout this past week to find the hashbrowns I needed for this recipe. They're my favorite for morning breakfasts, but very hard to find around here. I'd say the search was worth it; the soup is good as it is now, but Buppy and I agree that the addition of some protein (sausage or chicken) might be a nice, too. But it's light, and it's tasty, and I don't feel guilty eating it. Always nice to be able to say that!

Southwestern Broccoli Cheese Soup
Slightly Adapted from Taste of Home's Light and Tasty Annual Recipes 2005
Submitted by Peggy Hendrix, Richardson, TX

4 c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon powder (I prefer Orrington Farms)
4 c. fresh broccoli florets
3 c. frozen southern-style hashbrowns (I prefer Simply Potatoes)
1 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped celery
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 c. 2% milk
6 oz. 2% processed cheese (I prefer Velveeta)
1 c. chunky medium salsa

In a large saucepan, combine the water, bouillon powder, vegetables, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Combine the cornstarch and milk until smooth; gradually stir into the soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Add the cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add the salsa; cook and stir until heated through. Yield: 9 servings (about 2 quarts).I think next time I might use a mild salsa instead of a medium because the potatoes lend a lot of heat to the soup, too. This reminds me of a salsa con queso dip, with extra (lots of extra) veggies. I'm thinking it'll be a superb lunch at work with some garlic bread or some type of toast. Enjoy!

Linked to: My Sweet and Savory's Meatless Monday, 2/21/11

A Quickie Nacho Creation

I'll admit that sometimes I'm not the most creative cook. I use recipes more often than not, but everyone has their own style. Sometimes though, especially when Buppy's not home for dinner, I'll just look around, assess the ingredients I can possibly use, and toss 'em all together. This was one of my favorites. I wanted more after it was gone, which is really sayin' something 'cause it made quite a bit!I tossed some Cool Ranch Doritos into a baking dish, topped 'em with some leftover slow cooker Italian beef, shredded cheese, chopped green olives & diced onions. I heated it in the oven until the cheese melted [probably at 350F or so, but I don't actually remember], then topped it with chopped lettuce and tomato. It was a fabulous low-maintenance meal, which is often the best kind!

Well, I won't get scurvy!

Buppy and I tried a new recipe from eatbetteramerica.com last night that sounded tasty and got pretty good reviews. I think the fact that we used pork loin chops instead of chicken breasts might have changed the outcome, but then again, some reviews did mention that it was extremely lime-y. I love lime, so this wasn't really a concern for me. My problem with last night's meal was that the cilantro was completely overpowered, to the point where I couldn't even tell there had been cilantro in the marinade. I love cilantro, so that made me one sad panda.

What follows below is the recipe I used. For the original with chicken, go here. If you try out the original, let me know how the chicken turns out.

Lime Pork
Adapted from eatbetteramerica

1/2 c. lime juice
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
3 pork loin chops, approximately 1/2 in. thick
1 tsp. olive oil

In a resealable plastic bag, mix lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Rub pork with oil; place in same bag, turning to coat pork in lime mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 hours [I refrigerated it approximately 12 hours].
Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Cover and grill 4-6 inches from medium-high heat about 8 minutes per side or until cooked through and juices run clear.

I think this would be great wrapped up in a flour tortilla with some home-made guacamole and/or pico de gallo. Or on a tortilla with cheese, lettuce, tomato, black olives & sour cream. It definitely gives off that Tex-Mex vibe, but it needs fresh cilantro in my opinion. Enjoy!

Pork Carnitas --- Success!

Yes, we made pork carnitas for dinner on Wednesday night as planned [and blogged about] and they were really good. While the flavor of the meat was mild and I feel like I might want something more [although, to be honest, I have no idea what I'd add], this recipe is a keeper as is. And pretty simple too, which is always a bonus. It's not really fast since the pork has to boil for awhile, but I'd still say it's well worth the time.I used the recipe for the pork almost exactly as I found it here, at For the Love of Cooking. Well, to be honest, I'm not sure what cut of pork I used. We recently got half a pig from a co-worker of Buppy's and all it said was "boneless p. roast". Eh, it worked for me. And we didn't use the same toppings [all of them anyway] as she did, but still, the meat, the main part of this wonderful recipe, was the same.

Pork Carnitas
Adapted from For the Love of Cooking
Adapted from Noble Pig & Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

2 pounds boneless pork roast, cut into 1" pieces
2 tsp. jarred minced garlic
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. milk
Water

Flour tortillas, warmed
Homemade guacamole
Homemade pico de gallo
Shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pot over high heat, combine pork, garlic, salt, pepper, and 8 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Empty into a colander to drain well.

In the same pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pork back to the pot, orange juice and milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and pork has browned, approximately 8 to 12 minutes. The browning will take place after the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the pork in the warmed flour tortillas with shredded cheese, guacamole and pico de gallo. Enjoy!
*Side note: to help keep the leftover pork moist, I stored it in some of the broth it had originally boiled in [I strained it into a bowl so I'd have that option]. I tried a bite yesterday and it's still pretty moist. I was worried because the pork didn't have much fat on it, and Pam [For the Love of Cooking] mentioned having some issues with hers drying out for that very reason. This seems like a good way to help with that.