Have you noticed that I'm on a soup making frenzy at the moment.. really tasty and super easy! jazz it up with some chopped crispy bacon (according to my husband everything is better with bacon!!!)
Enjoy!
Serves 4 people
Preparation Time 10 mins
Cooking Time 30 mins
Ingredients
3 Shallots finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp butter
2 courgettes, cubed
450g (1lb) broccoli florets
1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
500ml (2 cups) water
125g (1/4 lb)stilton
Salt & Pepper
4 tbsp Double cream
1. Cook the courgette in the butter with the garlic. When courgette starts to soften add the broccoli florets and cover.
2. Make up the chicken or vegetable stock and add to the saucepan.
3. Cook until broccoli is soft then either transfer to liquidiser or use a hand blender.
4. Return blended soup back to heat.
5. Crumble Stilton into soup, melting through
6. Serve with a swirl of cream
I was in a 'couldn't be bothered mood' today. Couldn't be bothered to do the ironing, couldn't be bothered to put any make up on, didn't even make the bed until half an hour ago...really I wasn't in the mood to even chew anything for dinner.... So what can I make for dinner that I wouldn't have to chew? Well the easy answer would be to nip to Panera, 5 mins away, and buy some broccoli & cheddar soup... but hold on a minute, surely I can knock some up and maybe enough for the freezer too... On checking the fridge I had most of the ingredients...so here is my broccoli & cheddar soup.
I've tried to keep the calories to a minimum except for the cheese - in the end it is cheddar & broccoli !!Enjoy!
Serves 6-8 people
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves or garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1lb small chopped broccoli -you can use stalk and florets
- 4 cups of chicken broth (low sodium, fat free)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups fat free milk
- salt & cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb shredded sharp Cheddar cheese - try and get block cheese and shred yourself, it melts better than the pre-shredded.
1. Over a medium-low heat melt the butter in a largish saucepan and then add the onion and garlic and saute until softened
2. Add the onion, garlic powder and white pepper and cook for a minute
3. Add the broccoli and chicken broth, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 mins until broccoli is softened
4. In the meantime whisk the flour with the milk until flour dissolved.
5, With a hand blender, rough blend the soup leaving some broccoli pieces. You don't want it completely smooth.
6. On a medium heat gradually add the milk mixture. The soup will thicken.
7. Once milk mixture added add the cheddar and melt through the soup.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. If the soup is too thick, add some more milk to thin
Ever wondered what to do with turkey breasts? This easy recipe not only looks good it will change how you think about turkey!!!..You can make it as healthy as you want by substituting olive oil for the butter and using extra low fat cheeses.
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Serves 2
Enjoy!
• 2 turkey breasts
• 2 shallots finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 160g Arborio Rice (risotto rice)
• Handful of basil leaves, torn
• 1 glass dry white wine
• 500g vegetable stock
• 12 thin slices of pancetta
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 150g cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt & Ground Black Pepper
• Cling Film
1. Heat oven to 200 deg C
2. Lay a sheet of cling film out on a flat surface
3. Lay out the turkey breasts on the cling film and then cover with another piece
4. Using a rolling pin or something else heavy to flatten the breasts until ¼ “ thick.
5. In a small frying pan gently fry half the shallots with half the garlic
6. When softened add the spinach and cook down until wilted
7. In a bowl combine the soft cheese, lemon zest and season with salt and pepper
8. Add the wilted spinach mixture and stir
9. Lay out 6 slices of the pancetta next to each other on some cling film
10. Lay a turkey breast out, one side level with edges of pancetta, season with black pepper & salt
11. Cover with half of the spinach mixture
12. Roll the turkey breast until you have a log shape
13. Repeat for second breast
14. In a frying pan brown the rolls on all sides
15. Place on a greased baking sheet in the oven for 20mins
16. Whilst turkey cooks make the risotto
17. Heat the stock
18. Heat the remaining shallots and garlic in a frying pan in 1 teaspoon of butter. When softened add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes.
19. Add the wine and keep stirring until wine has evaporated
20. Add a ladle of stock and stir and cook until evaporated – continue process until rice has doubled in size and is slighty hard in the middle
21. Add basil, parmesan and rest of butter
22. Season
23. Serve sliced turkey rolls on the rice
