CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP

The very first thing that comes to my head when I hear SOUP is warmth and comfort... :) . After a long hectic day I always have a huge craving for some warm soup and I do end up with a large bowl of the warm wonderful, however they are just perfect for any time and any day. Soups are considered to be healthy food but I am not a healthy eater, I just love to try various types of food. My liking for soups started during the last year of my School Days.....I would be busy running from one tuition to another. My mom would never allow me to leave the house without eating anything and I had no time to sit and eat so Mom created a vegetable soup so that I am set for the whole day....,till date that vegetable soup is my favourite --- super yummy and so healthy ... :) . Having said all that, the story behind this soup is totally different. Last week I learnt that Nupur is hosting an event called Soup it Up !! and as the name suggested we are suppose to create or recreate any soup dish of our choice....I decided to join the gang so as to say :) . Now the next big question.....what kind of soup should I make. I spent the next 3 days pondering about what type of soup I would like. I do cook for my blog but end of the day I have to eat it all by myself so it had to be something to my liking... :) . Unable to decided on anything, Saturday I went for ingredient hunt and hoped that on seeing the ingredients I could decided on the type of soup, surprisingly my plan worked.... I saw broccoli siting on the counter shelf and WALA !!! . My liking for broccoli is very recent, in most of the movies they show that no one likes them ; this had an affect on me, I never bought them fearing that I wont like it and it would be a waste. Around 4-5 months back I just happened to try broccoli(unknowingly of course)in a restaurant and I just loved it. Since then I always make it a point to have broccoli in my freeze and they are perfect for any simple vegetarian dish, however this time I wanted to make it into a soup. I opted for a creamy soup without the cream element :) , so the Creamy Broccoli Soup was created. Sharing the recipe in Soup it Up !! :: Kitchen Chronicles and Kitchen Chronicles - Host Lineup

FOR SOUP
Potato, big	1 number
Broccoli	250 gms
Onion, big	1 number
Garlic	2 cloves
Green Chilly	1 number
Milk	2 cups
Dried Thyme	2 teaspoons
Cheddar cheese	1 cup
Butter	2 tablespoons
Salt	As per taste
Black Pepper	1 teaspoon

    Creamy Broccoli Soup:-

1. Cut the Potatoes and Broccoli into large chunks and parboil them. 
2. Chop the onion is large chunks , slit the green chilly in half (remove the seeds if you don't like heat) and grate the garlic separately
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat so that the butter doesn't burn.
4. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the saucepan and cook till the onion soften.
5. Then add the green chilly and dried thyme and cook for 2-3 min more.
6. Finally add the vegetables and milk. Also add about 2 cups of warm water.
7. Add in the seasoning - salt and pepper to the saucepan.
8. Cover the pot  and let it cook for 30 - 35 min over medium heat or till the vegetables are soften and can be pureed, see that all the liquid is not evaporated.
9. Using a hand held blender or a mixer , puree the mixture into a creamy soup.
10. Garnish the soup with parboiled , grated carrots or cheese -- choice is yours.

This creamy & warm soup was perfect for my Sunday dinner. I could relax the night while getting ready for the week ahead-- this week :) .

FLORENTINE MAC & CHEESE

Finally the weekend is here...yahoo!!! , I have been waiting for it so eagerly. Last 2 weeks were super hectic , double shifts in office are a serious NO NO but at times we are so helpless. I missed out a lot of things due to this -- cooking , post on my blog , checking out my favorite blogs , watching TV even missed out on Supernaturals and above all SLEEP :) . I have a huge list of tasks to be done in the weekend -- get all the electrical fixings done , shopping , cooking , blogging and catching up with all of my fav. TV shows. Lets see how many can be checked off by Sunday night :) . All I wanted today was relaxation , and I wanted some type of "comfort food" -- heard a lot about comfort food not sure what it means as I find every food to be very comforting. So I did a bit of research and found of long list of food in that category or as explained by Wikipedia - easy-to-eat, easy-to-digest meal rich in calories, nutrients or both. However my eyes twinkled when I saw Mac & Cheese....who needs an excuse for that :) . My love for pasta is no secret but off late I have been trying out the lighter versions without cheese so today I was up for some indulgence. I baked the dish as I love those crunchy bites of cheese, then it looked very pale and I wanted some color in my plate thats when Cherry Tomatoes and Spinach came into picture. So I call my variation -- Florentine Mac & Cheese.

FOR MAC & CHEESE
Conchiglie pasta	2 cups
Milk	1 cup
Fresh Cream	1 cup
Flour	2 tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce	3-4 drops
Nutmeg (grated)	1 teaspoons
Mozzarella Cheese	1 cup
Cheddar cheese	1 cup
Butter	1 tablespoon
Salt	As per taste
Black Pepper	1/4 teaspoon

FOR GARLIC SPINACH
Garlic cloves(grated)	2 numbers
Spinach	2 bunches
Butter	1 teaspoon
Salt	As per taste

FOR TOMATO
Cherry Tomatoes	12 numbers
Butter	2 teaspoons
Salt	As per taste

    Mac & Cheese:-

1. Preheat oven to 180° for 10 min.
2. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add flour to the melted butter ; cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
3. Add milk to the pan and whisk so that no lumps are formed.
4. Add cream & worcestershire to the milk mixture and keep whisking till the sauce slightly thickens.
5. To the cooking sauce , add 1/2 cup of cheddar and mozzarella cheese each. Whisk till the cheeses melt.
6. Add grated nutmeg , salt and black pepper to the sauce. Remove from flame and set aside.
7. Boil water in a large pan and add the pasta with salt and a bit of oil. And let it cook till the pasta soften. 
8. Drain out the pasta and let it run under cold water for a min. 
9. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. Pour the prepared pasta on a baking dish.
10. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the pasta dish and bake for 30-35 min or till the top is browned and cheese is bubbling.

    GARLIC SPINACH & CHERRY TOMATOES:-

1. Heat butter in a pan , add grated garlic and fry.
2. Add the spinach to the pan , sprinkle salt and let it cook in low flame.
3. Fry till the water is evaporated and the spinach is done. Remove and set aside.
4. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
5. Melt butter in a pan , add the tomatoes to the pan skin side down.
6. Sprinkle the salt on the top side. Cook for 5-6 min only and done.

A comfortable meal after all the hectic work was totally refreshing :) .