Hello Dear Friends,
I hope that you had a lovely weekend!
It has finally rained here,
which has made everyone
very happy, especially
the parched and thirsty trees.
You can practically hear
them sighing with relief!
With the rain, came cooler temperatures,
which put me in the mood for
a bowl of Broccoli Cheese Soup
and Whole Wheat Scones.
The soup is a slimmed down version
with only 140 calories per serving,
but with all the flavor and satisfaction!
I have been trying to incorporate
more whole grains into my baking
and these scones are flaky and delicious.
So take a seat and I will cook for you!
(I'll post the recipes at the end)
Simple ingredients for a flavorful soup!
There is something very satisfying
in preparing soup home-made.
You know everything that goes into it!
To begin, chop the broccoli
into small, bite sized pieces.
You will also need chopped onion.
I like sweet onion:)
Washington State grows its own
delicious sweet onion called
There are even festivals honoring this onion!
Chopped celery
makes up the rest of the veggies.
Add these to the chicken broth
and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until
veggies are tender.
Soup simmering on the stove.....
Wonderful on a rainy day!
Grated cheese, milk, thyme and cornstarch
to thicken.
I used Swiss cheese, but you could
use any cheese you like!
I also add a little fat-free half and half for flavor.
Here's the recipe:
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Serves 6-8
2 lg heads chopped broccoli
2 lg stalks chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
32 oz chicken broth
8 oz grated Swiss cheese
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cups low fat milk
1/2 cup fat-free half and half (if desired)
salt and pepper to taste
Place vegetables and broth in soup pot,
bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until
vegetables are tender.
In a medium bowl combine milk, half and half,
cornstarch, thyme, and salt and pepper.
Whisk thoroughly and add to soup pot.
Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly.
(you might need to increase heat)
Cook 1 minute more.
Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring
until melted.
Keep warm on low heat while preparing scones.
Whole Wheat Scones:
Bake at 350 degrees - 35 min.
1 cup whole wheat flour
2+1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2+1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1+1/2 cups chopped dried fruit such as
apricots, currents, or cherries
(I used whole golden raisins)
2/3 cup buttermilk
cream or milk for brushing on scones
sugar for sprinkling on top
Combine flours, salt and baking powder in large
mixing bowl. Add butter and cut in
until crumbly and lumpy.
Add dried fruit and buttermilk.
Mix just until combined.
On floured surface, pat dough into 8 inch round.
Cut into 8 triangles. Place 1/2 inch apart
on lightly buttered baking sheet.
At this point you can cover and place in
refrigerator for later, or overnight, if you like.
I used a buttered cast-iron fry pan.
Brush with milk or cream
and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes
until golden and cooked through.
Oh my! So good!
Flaky and delicious!
Enjoy!
