Chargers and Soup. Two Gouda Things.

This looks like ordinary broccoli cheese soup until you taste it. The secret ingredient is the gooey, smokey goodness of smoked Gouda Cheese. Most Broccoli Cheese soup recipes use sharp cheddar or that processed cheese Velveeta stuff but this cheese makes it special and different.

I made a pot of this for dinner tonight and served it with a wedge of a yummy quesadilla (I'll that post recipe this week sometime) and we ate while we watched the San Diego Chargers game. I'm not a big football fan. Bull riding and Ice Hockey are my sports. I've always loved tailgating at football games and then that darn game got in the way of a good party. I barely understand the rules but I'm trying and the home team is in the playoffs so I had to show the love. It really was a great game.

LOL OK I hate coming up with blog titles. You know at 500+ Eggface blog entries you start running out of catchy titles. Sometimes I just give up and call the blog entry whatever the name of the recipe I made that day is.

Today in honor of the Chargers win the blog title is: "Chargers and Soup. Two Gouda Things." If we had lost the game the blog title would have been... "Losing Never Tasted So Gouda."

I know. I'm a complete goober.

Shelly's Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix (I use this)
1 cup Milk
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 cups Cooked Broccoli
1 cup Raw Carrot, shredded
1 cup Smoked Gouda Cheese, shredded
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
optional: a pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

Steam broccoli and set aside. Shred carrot. I use this to shred the carrot or you can buy pre shredded. Set aside. Saute onion till golden in olive oil. Add garlic, butter and pancake mix and cook one minute more. Add milk slowly stirring as you add. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add broccoli and carrots and simmer covered on low heat for 15 minutes. If you have this handy dandy gadget use it to whiz the soup smooth or whiz in a blender in batches and return to the pan. Cook 10 minutes more covered on low. Add cheese and seasonings and cook on low till cheese is melted.

January is National Soup Month. Here's some more Eggface favorite soups.

Highlights of the Day:

* The Chargers won. It was hilarious. My Mum who said she wouldn't get into the game ended up being the one screaming at the TV and at one point called a guy on the other team a "son of a bitch" (for grabbing our guys face mask) which really sounds funny with a British accent. I think we have a new fan.

* I was able to get to the Farmer's Market this morning and quickly hit my favorite sellers before the downpour of rain. Got some great fruit and veggies (baby eggplants, yellow squash, orange bell peppers, red, yellow & green onions, garlic, parsley, basil (the frost got the last of my basil plants the other night), the sweetest strawberries I have ever tasted, a variety of apples, blood oranges and tangerines) I have a couple of neat things planned for the week. Should be some good food porn days ahead.

* Right now. Warm, fuzzy blanket. Music. Sipping on tea. I think I successfully beat back a migraine. Taking it slow. So far so good. Fingers crossed.

Listening to: "Sunshine" All-American Rejects, again.