The week before we left for our vacation, it was my goal to use up as much food as possible that was in the refrigerator. For one of the meals, Todd suggested a good ole comfort food, Broccoli Rice Casserole. I have made this casserole since the beginning of time and it really is an oldie but goodie.
The basic casserole ingredients are rice, cheese, broccoli, milk, and Cream of Mushroom Soup and I usually add more ingredients to make it a more rounded meal. This was a good way to empty the veggie bin of broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and onions, there was brown rice in the pantry, and three raw chicken thighs in the fridge that Todd could grill. But...no mushroom soup in the pantry. Ugh. Quick trip to Kroger to get a can of that gloppy goop.
I just wanted to run in, grab a can of soup, and bring it home. It used to be that Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup was right at eye level in the middle of the soup display. Not any more and there are so many variations on the soup: 98% Fat Free, Heart Healthy, 25% Less Sodium, and finally on the bottom shelf, the original stuff. I had to hunt for this. All the different mushroom soups weren't grouped together. Oy.
My quick trip wasn't as quick as I hoped but the casserole sure did help my goal of not wasting food.
Gray soup in the can,
A mushroom’s creamy spirit
Gives life to casserole.
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In Switzerland we ate a lot of traditional Swiss foods:
Rösti: a flat, hot cake made of grated, cooked jacket or raw potatoes and fried in hot butter or fat. I love potatoes and ordered rösti a couple times.
Zürcher Geschnetzelte: a veal dish, sometimes also containing veal liver and mushrooms, served with a cream sauce. Todd loves liver and onions and after our server explained this dish to him, it was a done deal. I took a bite and it was quite tasty.
Birchermüesli: a breakfast dish of rolled oats, fruit, nuts, and yogurt or milk. It reminds me of the refrigerator oats I make at home. I love the European breakfasts with their variety of meats and cheeses, vegetables, yogurt, fruit, and breads.
I drank some Swiss white wines and they remind me of German wines. The Swiss wines are high quality but are limited in their international availability. Darn. But when in Switzerland...
Can't forget the bratwursts, Swiss chocolates, and Emmental cheese. Yum, yum, and yum. One good thing about this vacation is that we are walking a lot!
Have you made cream of mushroom soup from scratch? It is not hard to do. Glad to hear you are enjoying the trip. Tell us more about the food.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to try those different foods. I'd love a good bratwurst sandwich.
ReplyDeleteMy mouth is watering. On our whirlwind tour of Europe back in the Dark Ages we loved the Indian food in London, great Belgian food including chocolates, the spectacular open-air market in Munich with huge grapes from South America(!), a wonderful meal with wine on a train between Insbruck and Italy, a great thin crust pizza in San Remo with minimal toppings, the escargot at a sidewalk cafe in Monaco, and a spectacular birthday dinner on a houseboat bistro in the Seine in Paris. I could go on and on but I have, haven't I?
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