Week 10 Recipes

Broccoli Cheese Soup
from Panera Bread restaurant
(makes approx 4 servings)

1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bullion
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes (to cook the raw flour taste out). Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half. Add the chicken stock, continuing to whisk all the time. Simmer for 10 minutes (it will thicken).

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree (if desired). Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

**tip: Next time I'll omit the nutmeg, and only blend/puree half of the soup. We thought it would be better with a few broccoli chunks. Also, I didn't end up using all of the cheese. I added half and then tasted it and it was cheesy enough. I was using VERY sharp cheddar though.

Link to Panera Bread Sourdough recipe (to use as bread bowls, like in the restaurant)




Easy Breadsticks
(from Robyn Campbell)

1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, cut in half

Mix together yeast, sugar and water. When yeast dissolves, add flour and salt and mix well. Knead for about 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Melt 1/2 stick of butter onto a cookie sheet in oven. While butter is melting, roll out dough into a rectangle and cut it into 1-inch-wide strips. Roll bread sticks in butter and place on cookie sheet (I usually get 24 breadsticks out of this.) Sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese, or sugar and cinnamon. Let rest for about 10 minutes then bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.


Unbelievable Chicken
(from allrecipes.com)

1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbsp prepared coarse-ground mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
6 Tbsp olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a large glass bowl, mix all ingredients except olive oil and chicken. Whisk in olive oil. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover and marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the prepared grill, and cook 6-8 minutes per side until juices run clear. Discard marinade.

**note: This chicken marinade is very tasty, and I will definitely be making it again. I made the marinade in the morning, so the chicken had about 7 or 8 hours to absorb the yummy flavors.





Pasta Milano
(Romano's Macaroni Grill - my cloned recipe)

1 large head of garlic (or 2 small)
2 Tbsp butter/margarine
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 - 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced or diced (your preference)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, julienne cut (packed in oil)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 package bow tie pasta (or one 8-oz package)

Wrap garlic in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or until soft. Let garlic cool slightly, then squeeze out garlic into a small dish. In a blender, blend 3/4 cups chicken broth with the roasted garlic until smooth (a few chunks are okay.) Set aside.

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Cook the chicken breast in a bit of olive oil just until done, when juices run clear. Remove chicken from pan and slice. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to same skillet. Saute mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes for about 2-3 minutes, then add the sliced chicken back in. Leave everything in this pan, and set aside.

Tip: The next two steps (cooking pasta & making cream sauce) should be done at the same time.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Whisk in 2 Tbsp flour and cook for 2- 3 minutes. Continue to whisk, and add the chicken broth & garlic mixture. When that is combined, add the 1 cup of heavy cream. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes to let it thicken a bit. If your pasta is not quite done, turn the cream sauce to low heat and stir occasionally so it doesn't stick.

Add 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese to cream sauce. Return large skillet (chicken/mushrooms/tomatoes) to medium heat. Add in garlic cream sauce and stir to incorporate all of the chunky bits. Drain pasta, and add it to the skillet. Stir to coat pasta. Taste to see if it needs salt or pepper. When serving, sprinkle with more parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!