Tomato Soup                                                            

6 Tbls.  Butter

6 Tbls.  Flour

3 C. Tomato Juice

3 C. Whole Milk

2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper to taste.  I like maybe 1/2 tsp.

Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan on medium heat.  Whisk in flour to make a roux .  Increase heat to med-high.  Whisk until roux transitions from foaming to just bubbly and turns a little tan in color and smells a bit nutty.  (This lowers to thickening power a tad, but improves smoothness and flavor.)  Drizzle in tomato juice with a steady pour while consistently whisking until smooth to keep ingredients at a boil (or close).  Drizzle in milk the same way (doesn’t need to make it to a rapid boil, just boiling.)  Take off heat and whisk in salt and pepper.

Serve with awesome grilled cheese to dip!

Brown Rice

I told Becca I would give this to her the other day, it is the best way that I have tried brown rice. But we do still eat white rice cause its real good :)
But if you are into that healthy awesome brown riceness.... you should try this.

Baked Brown Rice

Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice

Note: This recipe doubles beautifully for a 9X13-inch pan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water (if using water, add 1 teaspoon salt)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan. Place the rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid. Stir to equally distribute the rice. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork. If your rice still has a bit of liquid on the bottom or conversely, if it is dried out, adjust the baking time up or down to make changes.

Notes

Variations: Before baking, slice one small yellow onion into dices or half moons and caramelize and brown in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until golden and soft (about 10 minutes in a nonstick skillet). Stir onion into rice and broth mixture and bake according to recipe.

After removing rice from the oven and letting it sit for five minutes, remove aluminum foil and stir in the zest and juice from 1 lemon, 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 apple, finely diced.

San Fran Chops

I haven't ever really like Pork Chops but this one is amazing, we all really like it. Well I guess except for Cora who sometimes doesn't like rice but other than that its a hit :) And it is a slow cooker recipe so yahoo!

San Francisco Chops {Slow Cooker}

Yield: Serves 4-6

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• Hot Cooked Rice, for serving

Directions

1. In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.
2. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.
3. Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.