Broccoli Cheddar Ale Sausage Soup

Sometimes life gets in the way of doing the things you love; case in point – this blog. It’s been a busy past few months and I have been kicking myself to update but time got the better of me. Since I last posted I celebrated the holidays at home with family, did a week of training in New Jersey and started my new job in Rhode Island. I’ve also taken trips to DC, Montreal and upstate NY in between! I am still living in Boston while working my second co-op for Johnson & Johnson. I love where I work and what I do, but long days and a two-hour daily commute kill my free time and my cooking has definitely taken a toll. Recently however, I have developed a habit of cooking all day Sunday to prepare food for the week. I’ve still done a lot of cooking in the past few months but haven’t taken the time to showcase them here, so today I am grabbing life by the whisk! I’m hoping this post will give me some motivation to keep up my creativity in the kitchen and continue doing what I love. :)

All right, so this soup has a funny name but I don’t know what else to call it. Sometimes I get these weird food ideas in my head that I have to see through. Almost every time the results are surprisingly good, but this one…. This one was fantastic! I had a craving for three different types of soup and decided to make a three-in-one, mouthwatering masterpiece. A hybrid of classic broccoli cheddar soup with cheddar ale, PLUS Italian sausage, is sure to cure all your comfort food cravings. Good for the soul, not so good for the body…

Broccoli Cheddar Ale Sausage Soup
Makes: 6-8 servings  Prep: 40 minutes  Total: 1 hour

Ingredients
1 lb sweet Italian sausage meat
6 cups broccoli, chopped
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup Parmesan
1 ½ cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 cup ale
1 onion, diced
2 cups baby carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 ½ tbs Worcestershire sauce
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Fry sausage meat in a large skillet for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up and stirring occasionally until the meat is completely cooked through. Drain grease and set aside. (I bought the meat uncased, but you can also buy the sausage links and remove meat from the casing by hand.)
Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pot on medium heat. Add flour and whisk, stirring constantly for several minutes until the mixture creates a thick roux. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add broth, milk and ale and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Next, add the broccoli and carrots and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat, let cool slightly and transfer the soup to a food processor. Blend for 3 seconds at a time two or three times, just enough to break up the vegetables but do not over-blend.
Place the soup back into the pot and add sausage and cheeses. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cheese is melted and completely incorporated. Cool and serve.

Homemade Take-out Sesame Chicken

Alright, let's be real. I'm a college student, thus I love any food that falls under the category of "take-out". However, I also love to cook and I'm really cheap so making my own Chinese takeout has been an aspiration of mine for some time. When I stumbled across this recipe it was like the stars had aligned. I found it under a list of Martha Stewart's lighter versions of comfort food, so it takes all the guilt out of take-out and doesn't burn a $10 hole in my pocket per serving.

I made a whole batch to eat all by myself and I'm not sick of it yet. This recipe would also be great for a crowd but... why share?

Homemade Take-out Sesame Chicken (from Martha Stewart)
Serves: 4  Prep: 40 minutes  Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients
3/4 cup brown rice
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken tenderloins
3 tbs honey
2 tbs sesame seeds
2 tbs soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs whites
1/4 cup corn starch
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup scallions, diced

Directions
Cook brown rice according to package instructions. In a separate pot, steam chopped broccoli over boiling water until cooked through, about five minutes.
To make the sauce, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce and minced garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk egg whites, corn starch, and salt and pepper. Chop chicken into two-inch chunks and toss in egg mixture. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat and fry chicken, flipping every 2-3 minutes until fully cooked. When done, add sauce, broccoli and diced scallions into the skillet and heat for another few minutes. Serve over brown rice.