Broccoli and cheddar cheese soup/Side green salad

If you love broccoli and cheese on their own, why not eat them together in a light soup?!

2 T o.o.

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 medium russet potato, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 bunch of broccoli

1 cup lowfat milk

1/2 t freshly grated or ground nutmeg

6 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Heat the oil over medium heat, and add the celery, garlic, onion, potato, 1/2 broccoli, salt and pepper to taste, and cook covered, stir occasionally, until tender; 5-6 min.

Meanwhile, take the remaining broccoli florets and boil in 3 cups water adding the rest of the vegetables. Once the water is boiling, the broccoli should be tender, if not, boil for a couple more minutes.

Remove from heat, and use a handheld immersion blender, if you have one, to puree the vegetables, otherwise, blend in batches. Add the milk, and nutmeg, and simmer to heat through~ 2 min. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Done! It's very easy and very tasty. Your kids might like it, too! This recipe came w/ make-your-own croutons to top. To do that, you just take 2 slices of your favorite whole wheat bread, for ie., cut into crouton sizes, toss the bread w/ 1 T of olive oil, and bake in 400 til golden brown and crisp. As a tip, I tossed the croutons w/ my hands, then gave myself a nice hand massage w/ the leftover oil.

The above salad is just whatever ingredients I had in my fridge; tomatoes, oranges, freshly grated carrot, and extra croutons you just made. With Paul Newman's viniagrette dressing, it always tastes good! Add more grated cheddar cheese, a dolop of plain Greek yogurt, more pepper or whatever you like!