Love for Food

I'm a bit melancholy today as my wonderful ten day vacation comes to an end. Back to work today :( My parents came up from Florida for the week. My mom wished for a white Christmas. You have to be careful for what you wish for, you just might get it. Those of you in New York know how crazy the blizzard was last week! We had tickets to the Nutcracker so we trekked out in the eye of the storm. A far cry from the Florida sunshine. The next day we were snowed in. What to eat? Luckily, my dad was there. He can always find a few items in the fridge and create a five course meal. Kinda like a MacGyver of the kitchen. We checked what we had in the fridge and decided a soup would be best. I had gotten some broccoli on sale at Pathmark and some good quality cheese at the Gourmet Garage so Broccoli Cheddar soup it was. This soup was perfect to eat on a snow day. It was thick and "sticks to your bones". I used low fat cheese and milk to help cut down on the high fat content of the cheese. This soup makes a lot of servings. We ate three servings and I froze the rest for the next snow day :) There is nothing like a warm bowl of soup when you come in from the cold. This is one of my favorites. Nothing beats cheese! Ingredients: Serves 12
2 bunches fresh broccoli 2 cups water 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 2/3 cup butter 4 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules 2 cups hot water 4 cups milk 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg -- ground*Add cornstarch if you want a thicker soup.
Method:

• If using fresh broccoli, cut into chunks including stalk. Cook broccoli in water until tender. Don't drain. Puree broccoli and water in food processor; set aside.
• Saute onion in margarine until tender. Dissolve bouillon in hot water; set side. Stir flour into margarine/onion mixture. Gradually add the milk and water/bouillon mixture, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until well blended and thick. Add the cheese, nutmeg and pureed broccoli.
• Cook until cheese melts and soup is hot. Don't boil the soup.