Creamy Garlic Penne and Broccoli

Ingredients

8 clove garlic, peeled

3 cup broccoli, cut into small florets

6 oz penne pasta

2 cup evaporated skim milk

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour

1 1⁄2 oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1⁄2 oz parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1⁄2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1⁄4 salt

Instructions

Cook garlic in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes until softened. Remove garlic, mince, and set aside.

In the same pot of boiling water, cook broccoli for 3 minutes until bright green and just softened. Remove from water and set aside.

In the same pot of boiling water, cook penne pasta for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain, discard liquid, and set aside.

Whisk together milk and flour in large nonstick skillet until the flour is dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened. Stir in minced garlic. Reduce heat to low and add cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheeses are melted. Mix in cooked broccoli and penne pasta. Cook, stirring frequently, just until heated through.

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Oven Baked Salmon

INGREDIENTS

1½ pound filet of salmon

1 pound baby fingerling potatoes

½ cup red onion, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1½ cups small broccoli florets

1 large clove garlic, sliced very thinly

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Salt and black pepper

Lemon for flavor if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the salmon into 5 pieces. Slice the potatoes in half and set on a large baking tray (17inches x 12inches). Add the broccoli, red onions, garlic and both herbs to the potatoes. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over the mixture and toss well. Spread the vegetables out evenly. Place each piece of salmon onto the baking tray with the vegetables around them. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the salmon. Pour the white wine over the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

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Vegetable Pasta Salad

6-8 servings
Ingredients

12 oz. bow tie pasta
2 medium roma tomatoes
1 medium summer squash
1 medium zucchini
1 medium broccoli crown
½ medium red onion
⅔ (15 oz.) jar roasted red peppers
½ bunch parsley

VINAIGRETTE
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
¾ tsp salt
to taste fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and boil for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander.
While you’re waiting for the pasta water to boil and the pasta to cook, prepare the vegetables (squash, zucchini, broccoli, tomato, onion, parsley, red pepper). Give the vegetables a good wash and then cut into bite sized pieces (onions and red pepper thinly sliced; parsley removed from stems and chopped).
While the pasta is cooling, prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Combine the cooked pasta, chopped vegetables, and vinaigrette. Stir until everything is well mixed and coated with vinaigrette. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

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Beef and Broccoli

Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1.5 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced and chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 cup beef broth
⅔ cup low sodium soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
4 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons corn starch + 4 tablespoons cold water


INSTRUCTIONS
Grease the inside of a slow cooker. Add steak, beef froth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and chili flakes. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours.
minutes before serving, uncover the slow cooker. In a small bowl whisk corn starch and water until dissolved. Add to slow cooker and stir. Cover and allow to cook another 20-25 minutes.
Just before serving, place broccoli in a large tupperware, fill with ½ inch of water, and place the lid on in an off-set manner so that the container can vent. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain, stir broccoli into slow cooker, and serve.

 

Enjoy it!

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Broccoli Soup with Cheese

Serves: 2 big bowls

INGREDIENTS

·         one bunch of fresh broccoli [enough for a few cups of chopped tops]

·         2 cups vegetable [or chicken!] broth

·         ½ cup of sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping [freshly grated]

·         1 heaping cup of regular gouda cheese [freshly grated]

·         1 cup of shredded carrots [or a little extra!]

·         1 small white onion [about ⅔ cup or 1 cup, chopped]

·         2 large cloves of garlic, minced

·         1 cup half and half [or heavy cream], room temperature

·         3 TBSP all purpose flour

·         3 TBSP butter

·         1 bay leaf

·         ¼ tsp garlic powder

·         ⅛ tsp allspice

·         ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

·         ⅛ tsp dried basil

·         ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

·         ⅛ tsp salt [will vary based on salt content of your stock/broth]

·         a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    First the veggies: Chop them! Dice the onions super small, mince the garlic, an shred the carrots if you didn't buy pre-shredded. This can all be done ahead of time and stored in the fridge for later. For the broccoli, chop ⅔ of it into tiny florets [just cut off as much stem as you can and it'll fall apart in the pot] and then take the remaining ⅓ and give it a rough chop so you have a few large pieces to add to the soup. Totally optional!

2.    Add your veggie broth to a pot on medium-high heat, add your ⅔ of your broccoli [about 2 cups of florets] as well as your onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaf. Simmer on medium, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

3.    Once the broth is done, start your roux: In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat, whisking constantly. Once melted, slowly add 3 tablespoons of flour as you continue to whisk.

4.    For a thicker soup, use an extra tablespoon of each. I skipped it. Remove from heat and slowly pour in the broth from your veggie mixture [its okay if some of the veggies jump in along side it!] and stir to incorporate.

5.    Next pour in the veggies and slowly stir in 1 cup of room temperature half and half.

6.    Return to the burner on very low heat, uncovered.

7.    Spoon out the bay leaf and season with the above herbs and spices, adding a little extra of whichever you like to taste. I personally adore the pinch of nutmeg in this soup but feel free to leave it out if it's just not your cup of tea! The soup is great both ways! Depending on the saltiness of your broth, you might skip the salt entirely or prefer to add a bit more. Taste and tweak as needed after adding your cheese.

8.    Once the soup has warmed back up, stir in the grated cheeses [slowly and in small batches] and remove from heat immediately.

9.    That extra broccoli you left on the side? Blanch in boiling water, steam in your microwave, or basically cook it however you'd like, then stir that green goodness into your completed soup for great texture and an extra burst of broccoli.

10.  Garnish with a little extra grated cheddar and a sprinkle of parsley and even a pinch of spicy red pepper flakes if you'd like! Anything goes!

Enjoy it!

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