Sunday we came off of one of the biggest Jewish eating binges on the planet. Anyone who is a Jew or knows a Jew can attest to the fact that we like to eat. We eat to celebrate a wedding, a holiday, birthdays, and even death. Yes, there I said it, the amount of food in a shiva house one cannot believe. However, I think these holidays and every other event brings families and communities together, so I say bring it on!
However, coming off one of these three day binges is enough to make you want to fast for a week, which we will be doing come Friday night and Saturday for Yom Kippur. Alas, I have kids and a husband, and much as we could not think of another morsel to put in our mouths, at 6 pm we were hungry. So the conundrum was, what can we eat for dinner that will be light enough that we can handle it but significant enough for us to be satisfied? Ah the soup and salad night....thank god my kids like soup and salad. So can yours...
Fist of all I asked them what kind of soup they wanted, and inevitably, I received three different ideas. French Onion Soup, Pasta Fagioli and Broccoli Cheddar. French Onion soup was nixed by child #2, Jessica who said it's too sweet and too beefy flavored. We all decided we were not in the mood for such a hearty soup as Pasta Fagioli, so we came to Broccoli Cheddar and every child said YES!!!!!!!
Nothing like adding cheese to a soup to get kids to eat their veggies. This soup has a standard base as do all creamy vegetable soups. They start with the standard celery, carrot and onion as a base, and then add the vegetable of choice with chicken or vegetable stock. The addition of potatoes to these soups serves as a natural thickener, when you puree the soup at the end. You want to let this cook as is, until everything is very tender. (Makes it easy to puree) Once it is all cooked through puree and voila, Cream of (insert your own veg here) Soup. At this point you can add cream, milk or even soy milk to add to the creaminess but its not necessary.
Cheesy Broccoli Soup
1 Chopped Onion 1 Large or 2 Small Carrots
1 Stalk Chopped Celery 2 Tbs Margarine of Butter
6 cups Chicken Broth 2 Heads of Broccoli or 2 bags frozen Broccoli
4 Idaho Potatoes Chopped 2 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Cup Milk or Cream 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Saute onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in margarine until soft. Add broth, broccoli florets, and potatoes. Bring up to a boil and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are cooked and the florets are very soft. Take off heat and let cool briefly. Transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. If he own an immersion blender you can use this as well. return soup to the pot. Put back on the stove and heat through. Once the soup comes back to temperature add cream and cheese until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
On to the salad . One of things I love to do is see how many ways I can turn a regular salad into something special. If you have oil, assorted vinegars, lemon juice, lime juice, even pomegranate juice, mayonnaise, salsa, I could keep going...you have a great dressing.
A couple rules when making a salad,
1. Use fresh veggies,
2. Always use ingredients that you like.
A salad can never be bad if it includes all the things you like. I personally likes chopped salads, bite size no mess. My parents tear all of their lettuce so the pieces are ginormous. I used to get teased all the time in restaurants because I would cut all my salad prior to eating. There are two schools of thought, I grew up with my mom telling me that you should not cut lettuce with a knife because it make the lettuce turn brown. I on the other hand chop all my salad with a knife and do not find that it add to the lettuce browning any quicker. So have at it, try either way and let me know what you think.
Back to Sunday dinner. Soup taken care of now on to the salad. Chopped my romaine, cucumbers (English, don't like the bur pee seeds), red onion, Bell Pepper, and an Ode to my daughter #1 Alex, soup croutons. Gotta have some crunch. OK salad is colorful, and full of great vitamins. On to the dressing...I asked Jessica what kind of dressing she felt like having and she said something garlic. Then the light bulb went on. In my pantry I have a package of Garlic and Herb Dressing from Good Seasons. You might remember, they make the dressing pack with the Cruet to mix a delicious vinaigrette, but this time I had a plan. I pulled out the mayonnaise dropped about 3 Tablespoons into a bowl, and sprinkled the seasoning packet on top. I did not use the whole packet. A little at a time, and taste as you go along, this way you don't end up with too much seasoning. Once I had the desired flavor, I added some water to thin out the dressing and would you believe we all loved it!
It just goes to show that Good Food In Good Time may come with some strange last minute additions that make all the difference to your meal. Enjoy!
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