Baked Brie with a Warm Apple Compote

This is my fancy recipe...I made this as a part of our Christmas dinner of appetizers and dessert. And Jamie thought it couldn't be done...

Brie:
1 (8 ounce) wheel Brie cheese
1 can of crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan. Create a casing for the brie from the uncooked crescent rolls, making sure that the cheese is entirely coated in the dough. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted through to the center.

Apple Compote:
3 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 cup apple juice
2 Tbs maple syrup or sucanat
1 tsp minced orange zest
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt

In a large non reactive saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to a light syrup, about 15 min.
Set Brie out on a decorative plate and spoon the apples and sauce onto the Brie. Garnish the plate with grapes and/or roasted garlic cloves.
Enjoy!

Zesty Broccoli Cheese Soup

For the past couple of days, it has been around 55 degrees up here in Columbus, Ohio. Roy and I have been walking around all bundled up while everyone else is in t-shirts and jeans. If I were back home, this would be an excellent excuse to pull out all the cute scarves, hats, boots, and gloves. Unfortunately, I have to utilize some self control because if I did that, I would look just plain silly. However, just the other day I made my broccoli cheese soup and it was a perfect dish for the cool weather. If it gets below 72 degrees back home, I suggest you guys give this a try because it tastes so good in cool weather. I made mine in a crock pot so I could leave it all day while the veggies got nice and tender, but you can also make it in a pot. However, and Laura can witness to this statement....make sure you watch it carefully if you make it in a pot and use low heat, because you might burn the bottom of the batch and any amount of burn will ruin the entire pot. Laura and I once had to dump about 12 servings of broccoli cheese soup into the ditch outside our apartment. It definitely looked like vomit. And on that note...here is my recipe! Give it a try and let me know how it went. I usually double this recipe so we can have a lot of left overs. I love you guys.


2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (10 oz) package frozen broccoli
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz velveeta cheese, cubed
dash of tabasco sauce
dash of worchestershire sauce


If you are using a crock pot, just throw everything in except the flour. That will be used last to thicken up the soup.
If you are using a pot...
Bring the water and bouillon cubes to a boil in a saucepan. Add the broccoli, celery and onion. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Mix the flour with 1/2 cup of teh milk in a bowl. Add the remaining milk to the broccoli mixture. Bring to a b oil. Add the flour mixture. Cpook until slightly thickened, stirring constantl. Add the cheese. Cook until the cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in the Tabasaco sauce and Worchestershire sauce. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with chives.
Serves 6.