I go through these times where in my head I feel like this blog is just a silly hobby, and not something I should actually be spending my time on. Not when I'm a wife, mother and teacher and there's bums to wipe, and stories to read, and school plans to make, and dates to go on, and life to happen. So I neglect this blog and don't write for weeks or months telling myself this blog is too selfish for me to continue.
Then a dear friend comes along or a sweet reader emails me and tells me how much they love this little tiny spec of the interwebs that is mine, and they were somehow inspired to start cooking, or eating better, or making more interesting meals for their families, or meal planning to get their supper times in order. My heart melts and I am reminded why I started this blog in the first place: to help people to learn to meal plan. I do love this blog and sharing with you and that perhaps it isn't so selfish after all...that maybe it is even possibly a gift in helping others.
So thank you dear sweet friends and family and readers who stick by me and encourage me and come back and read here even when I leaving you hanging for weeks on end. Because without you I wouldn't be doing this.
And with that, I'll pick up where I left off with my Something from Nothing series. I'm always reminded how incredibly wasteful we can be with food when I prepare steamed broccoli as a side dish for supper. I lop off of the big long broccoli stalk and toss it aside and throw all my pretty little florets into a steamer. There the stalks sit until I eventually throw them in the garbage when I'm cleaning up after supper. It pangs me with guilt every time as I think "there must be something I can do with these things." Recently I was cooking a big meal for the boys for my husband's birthday. My husband requested I make Broccoli Salad (which is a recipe from my Dad made similar to this one). I had three big heads of broccoli chopped into florets for the salad and 6 stalks leftover that left me a bit more guilt ridden than usual because of the larger quantity.
I decided it was time to stop throwing those broccoli stalks away! Full of broccoli flavor, if you sweat them down in some chicken broth and puree them with cream they make a wonderful Cream of Broccoli Soup.
Recipe by Elizabeth Zyla via allrecipes.com
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Serves 2
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
1 small potato, diced
2 cups fresh chopped broccoli (can be made with all leftover stalks or stalks and florets)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup cream (whipping, half and half or even whole milk)
In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, potato and broccoli and toss to coat. Add a lid to the pan and let the vegetables sweat until they have softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and then turn down and let simmer until the veggies are fork tender.
Pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into your pot and add the cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and serve.
Click here for printable version of Cream of Broccoli Soup_____________________________________________________________________________________
THE RESULTS?
I love Cream of Broccoli and appreciate that something I normally would have thrown into the garbage is the basis for this soup. It's quick and could easily be worked into a meal plan when you have broccoli penciled in for earlier in the week.