Media Crema, Broccoli Soup, and I Shoulda Blogged 'Em Rellenos

I didn't know anyone canned cream! I assume it's half and half based on the name. I asked Nestle if it was half and half and had a few other questions but their response was very cookie-cutter and didn't address my specific concerns. That's okay. My main question was whether or not I could cook with it. They didn't answer that directly but did include several recipes that included baking and simmering with Media Crema.

It's got less than one carb per tablespoon, not bad. I don't buy cream because it's too pricey here and if I buy it out of town where it's cheaper, it frequently goes bad before I can use it. I never know when I'm going to need it so having it canned in the pantry is great!

Shake can well before use! It doesn't say so on the can but I learned that it was necessary.


Eight Minute Broccoli Soup
If you read my blog, then you may be experiencing déjà vu. Yes, this is pretty much the same recipe as the formerly published Eight Minute Tomato Soup. I made this broccoli soup for my dinner tonight and it was easy enough to take a few pix as I went along.

I should add that this was going to be Eight Minute Cauliflower Soup until I realized I only had frozen broccoli in the freezer.

3 TBS butter
1/2 a medium to small onion, chopped
1/2 a small bell pepper, chopped
14 to 24 ounces fresh or frozen broccoli (the more broccoli the thicker the soup)
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 cups chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock
1/4 cup of white wine (optional)
1 cup whipping cream, or half & half, or 1 can of Media Crema
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream or a few teaspoons of heavy cream to garnish (optional)

Saute onions and bell pepper the butter until soft. Add chopped garlic and saute a minute or two more.

Add four cups of your Preferred Stock or use canned broth instead. If using white wine, add it now. Add your fresh or frozen broccoli and bring soup to a boil and then simmer for seven or eight minutes or until broccoli is soft.

This is one of the very rare times that I tolerate overcooked broccoli but, since you will be pureeing it, crisp broccoli is not ideal.

Using a kitchen wand, puree soup to your desired consistency. Some people like a few more chunks, others like it much smoother. If you don't have a kitchen wand just puree the soup in a blender in small batches and return to pot.

Add the cream, salt, and pepper, return it to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for eight minutes.

I know, crappy photos. The light in my kitchen is awful. And I was shooting after dark.

The broccoli soup was for me, but hubby thinks I'm punishing him if I try to give him something like this for dinner. For him, I had planned chiles rellenos. I've never made them before and didn't know how they were going to come out so I didn't plan on blogging the recipe and didn't take photos of the process.

I don't personally like chiles rellenos, but people around here get positively ecstatic at the very thought of them. I made these using Monterrey jack cheese and ground venison. I won't blog the recipe right now but if you really want to know, then buy a 27 ounce can of Ortega whole green chiles because I used them and the recipe on the back of the can to make these. Except for the addition of meat, I changed nothing. Wes loved them! He happily ate several with our homemade habanero salsa. Considering I've never made them before, I thought they came out really pretty. Okay, the photo is lousy but they really were pretty, I swear. The next batch should be much improved.