It Inspired Me

Yiepld: Serves 4 ¼ cup unsalted butter ½ cup diced onions (yellow or white) 1 cup shredded carrots (I used matchsticks that I cut into half inch pieces) 2 ½-3 cups broccoli florets, chopped small 1 ½ cups chicken broth 1 cup milk (I use skim/fat free) 1 cup heavy whipping cream ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (or more as desired) 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese In a large pot over medium high heat, melt butter. Add in onions, carrots and broccoli. Cook to soften about 5 minutes (may be more or less depending on the size vegetables you cut). Slowly add in bro th, milk, and cream. Sprinkle with flour and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue stirring and heating over medium heat until thickened. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Once thick, add cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Serve soup and enjoy

This is one of Nadia’s all time favorite recipes. I always make a lot then freeE for future dinners.  1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound 90% lean ground beef 1 cup diced sweet yellow onion 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup diced red bell pepper ½ cup diced green bell pepper 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes 1 cup long grain white rice like Jasmine 2½ cups low sodium beef broth 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley divided 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese Heat the oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add the ground beef, onion and garlic and cook, breaking up the beef with a spoon, until cooked through and crumbled. Drain the excess grease from the skillet and return it to the heat. Stir the tomato paste into the beef until well combined. Add the bell peppers, diced tomat

3 cups jasmine rice cooked 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1/4 large Vidalia onion chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 1 cup peas and carrots frozen 2 large eggs 1/2 tsp sesame oil (I omitted because I didn’t have any) 3 tbsp soy sauce green onions cilantro optional In a large skillet or wok, preheat vegetable oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Cook until onions are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from burning. Add peas and carrots and cook until partially thawed, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add cooked rice. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until rice is nice and hot and starts to brown. Reduce heat and push rice to the sides of the pan, making a hole for the eggs. Crack the eggs into the middle of the pan and scramble. Once eggs are cooked, stir them into the rice. Mix soy sauce and sesame oil together and pour over rice. Stir until rice is evenly coated with sauce. Top with chopped green onions and/or cilantro, optional. NUTRITION

½ a loaf of French bread (about 8 oz) cut into cubes ½ cup butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 6 eggs 2 cups milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons cinnamon divided 1 Tablespoon brown sugar for topping powdered sugar for topping optional Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 13x9 inch baking pan and set aside. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir in brown sugar until dissolved and mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread evenly. Add bread cubes to the pan, spreading over the top of the brown sugar/butter mixture. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over the top of bread cubes, insuring that all pieces of bread are saturated. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 red bell pepper sliced 1 yellow bell pepper sliced 1 cup sugar snap peas 1 cup carrots sliced 1 cup mushrooms sliced 2 cups broccoli 1 cup baby corn 1/2 cup water chestnuts ¼ cup soy sauce 3 garlic cloves minced 3 Tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon cornstarch chopped green onions and sesame seeds for garnish optional In a wok or large skillet add 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add bell pepper, peas, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, baby corn, and water chestnuts. Sauté 2-3 minutes until veggies are almost tender. In a small whisk together soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, sesame oil, chicken broth, and cornstarch. Pour over veggies and cook until the sauce has thickened. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds if desired