Broccoli & Goat Cheese Souffle ♥ A good nuclear disaster

The other day I was in Google looking for a recipe that I already forgot about, but I do remember finding a blog post where the writer not only showcased a total recipe bomb but the pictures that went with it. Yay for her.

Got me thinking. It was refreshing to see when a recipe really flops. I know a few bloggers that will talk about their travel from inception to conception of various recipes (and the redo overs) but you never see those pictures. I recently downloaded Instagram on my iPad (little late I know) but realized that Instagram is what blogs used to be. You know, those personal logs that allowed you to meet the person behind them. Now it's big business to run a professional site and I do not consider them a blog anymore. They are now business websites and have lost that personal touch. Sometimes it's reassuring to know we are not the only ones that make boo-boos.

Unless you are a professional trained schooled chef, and I am not, my dinners just don't look like that. Best I can do is to take a serving from dinner and the next day, make it look as pretty as I can for it's picture (and my photography is terrible) so if dinner is good and there is no leftover, I have nothing to post.

I baked a souffle in the wrong dish and.....well..... see what happened?

KABOOM!!!

I almost did not post this because it was not something that looked all that great. Let me tell you, we almost ate the whole thing and the main event it was not. Want a way for your family to embrace vegetables?

It was light, moist and the absolute perfect mouthful. The Nudge went back 3x!!! for more. This morning I filled an omelet with it (yes, a Better than Eggs omelet).
I also put a 2 quart souffle dish on my shopping list.....lol

Now, would you make this recipe, even though it was the dish that was the problem? You could bake this in a large lasagna pan (Jacques does it) and it would still puff up.

I forgot how easy and good souffles can be and I will bake another one again (hopefully in a bigger pan), maybe with carrots or maybe with kale. It's the perfect dish for using up all those bags of frozen vegetables that are almost petrified in the back of your freezer. Yes, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Souffles I can do, sweet and savory. I love them all. I like that I can make some of them using egg whites only so they are healthier and totally low carb for Diabetics.

I am going to post, for those who want a fail-safe souffle recipe, the base that you can add any vegetable or fruit to and make the perfect souffle.

The secret is to use the right ratio of whole eggs & whites to # of servings. A souffle for two would require 2 whole eggs + 1 extra egg white, a souffle for four, 4 whole eggs + 2 extra egg whites and 6 people and up, 6 whole eggs + 3 extra egg whites.
I have made dessert souffles using only egg whites but fruit purees are lighter in general and the texture is total air so that's a good thing for fruits. A heavy vegetable puree might require a few yolks to get the lift needed but I will be testing savory souffles that use a chia pudding base. If that works well, we will have the ability to make a perfect food.

I say "YUM" to that!!

Broccoli Souffle
makes 4-6 substantial servings

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon flour
* 1 can fat-free evaporated milk
* 2 ounces reduced fat goat cheese
* 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 3 whole eggs, separated + 2 whites (5 whites total)
* 20oz frozen broccoli florets, steamed, your choice
* 1 small shallot
* 1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning
* freshly grated pepper
* pinch nutmeg
* pinch of cream of tartar

1. Puree the steamed broccoli, yolks, shallot and seasonings.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking continuously. Slowly pour the milk into the roux, whisking until the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and the honey.
3. Replace pan on a low heat and stir until the mixture thickens. Remove off the heat and bring to room temperature.
4. Butter a 2 quart souffle dish and coat the insides with grated cheese, adding what doesn't stick back into the broccoli mixture.
5. Heat your oven to 375°. Using a stand or hand mixer, pour egg whites with tartar into a bowl and whisk on high until you see the whites start to glisten and shine. You want a firm peak.
6. Add a third of the whites into the broccoli base and gently whisk to lighten the base.
7. Add another third of the whites to the base, this time gently folding them in. Add the remaining whites to the base and fold until there are no streaks of white. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and run a knife or spatula across the top. Run your thumb around the inside edge to create a crevice, which will help the souffle rise evenly, giving it the traditional "top hat" look.
Although not necessary, it does make for a prettier souffle.
8. Bake for 45 minutes, and serve immediately before it deflates. The broccoli will give the souffle more structure and it will stay puffed long enough for the oooh's and aaah's, but do not wait too long.

I found that the next morning the souffle was still light but not quite as airy which was perfect as a filling for my omelet or for a stuffing into baked mushrooms. You will appreciate the fact that the flavor does not diminish with time and will hold, in a container, for a few days.
When i ran the stats through my analyzer I was quite happy with the outcome. Enjoy your leftovers.
Yay for me!!