Sunshine Soup
I awoke this morning to a cold, wet and dreary day. Where was the sun? January needs more sunny days!
There’s nothing like a bowl of fresh veggie soup to brighten the day. The vegetable crunchiness makes my mouth want to sing; while the rich nutrient goodness makes my body want to dance.
Fresh veggie soup is good food! So, why don’t we eat it more often? The stuff in cans is lifeless mush. The frozen soup mix veggies are boring. Vegetable soup needs to be alive. It needs to be made from fresh veggies.
In January, fresh veggies are available in the produce section of my local grocery stores. The veggies aren’t local, so they are not as nutritious as they were when they were first picked. But, they will do until late spring and summer arrive with their fresh, local harvests.
I like to use whatever veggies are on hand when I make my soup. This means the soup is unique each time I prepare it. On busy days, I sometimes stop at my grocer’s salad bar and load up on pre-cut veggies just so that I can have dinner ready in the shortest time possible. I prefer to chop my own veggies when I need them. I find the process soothing as I feel the texture of the vegetables and contemplate them crunching in my mouth.
I keep a jar miso in my fridge to make the broth for all my veggie soups. Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soy beans or rice or barley. Miso is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. Miso tastes good and is good for our health. Miso comes in a variety of colors and intensities. Buy a brand that needs refrigeration — it will taste best.
The following recipe is based on the vegetables I had on hand today. Please use what’s in stock in your kitchen — yes, you may use frozen veggies, if that is what you have available. If you don’t have rice noodles, use whatever pasta is in your pantry. Try different shapes of pasta just to keep it interesting.
This soup is meant to be quick, easy, and healthful. So put some water on to boil and get chopping on those veggies. You’re hungry and ready to eat!
Sunshine Soup
(serves 2)
Ingredients
2 C chopped veggies (e.g., carrot, celery, bok choy, onion, garlic, mushroom, tomato, zucchini, snap peas)
1/2 lemon or lime
3 C boiling water
3 tsp Miso paste
4 oz rice noodles or other pasta
[Optional] Chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley or cilantro)
Directions
1. Prepare pasta according to directions on the package. Cook until al dente (tender with a wee bit of crunch remaining)
2. Boil 3 cups of water for the soup.
3. Chop veggies into bite-size pieces.
4. As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and add all the crunchy veggies to the water. Reserve any soft veggies, such as tomatoes and mushrooms, until just before serving.
5. Simmer the veggies for 4 minutes.
6. Stir in the miso paste and juice from lemon or lime; continue simmering for 2 minutes.
7. Stir the soft veggies into the soup.
8. Place half the noodles in each soup bowl. Top with the cooked veggies. Fill the bowl with broth. Sprinkle with chopped herbs, if you have them.
9. Continue adding veggies and broth as you eat, unless you start with large bowls.
Enjoy!
After Thoughts
Yes, this soup tastes like it needs salt. The miso adds only a touch of salt to the broth. If you want saltier soup, try adding a teaspoon of soy sauce to the soup in your bowl. Or don’t add salt and enjoy the natural flavor of the veggies. Choose wisely; live long and healthfully!
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Simple Salmon Supper
Here we are, two weeks into the new year. So, how are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions? Still working on them? Or have they already become yesterday’s news?
By this time, most years, I have given up on any resolutions I may have made as the old year ended. But not this year! I can proudly proclaim that I am sticking with this year’s resolutions. I have resolved to lose 40 pounds by the end of 2012. And I have resolved to make positive lifestyle changes to support that first resolution. The changes include actually exercising 3-4 times each week — not just saying, “I should exercise”; getting a good night sleep every night (that’s at least 7 hours, not the usual 4 or 5); and make better eating choices.
I’m already making some good eating choices. Last year, I started buying more organic produce than ever before. I also purchased as much local produce as I could use — I visited a farmers market nearly every week throughout the summer and fall. I have found several sources for free-range, hormone and anti-biotic free, non-GMO fed meat — mostly chicken. The other meats and fishes are becoming more available all the time.
The biggest challenge facing me, when it comes to making better choices, is portion control. I enjoy eating — it shows. I am currently involved in a fairly restrictive diet program. No one else in my household is following this diet. That means I need to prepare special meals just for one — me.
I’d like to share one of my simple dishes with you. It is nutritionally complete. At less than 500 calories, it fits within most diet’s calorie guidelines. Yes, it looks high in fat (19 g). Just remember salmon is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which our bodies need. The veggies are mostly raw (briefly blanched in hot water) and crunchy. The rice noodles are gluten free and help round out the meal.
You can easily multiply this recipe by the number of diners who will join you in this light and healthy meal.
I promise to share my new healthier recipes with you. But don’t be too surprised to occasionally find some special treats in the mix, too.
Here’s to a happy, healthy you in this new year! Enjoy!
Simple Salmon Supper
(serves 1)
Ingredients
6 oz. fillet of wild caught salmon
2 oz. rice noodles
2 oz. snap peas
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 lime
1 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. kelp granules
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to Broil.
2. Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package.
3. Brush both sides of fillet with a light coating of olive oil.
4. Lay fillet onto a broiling pan and place in oven as close to broiler element as possible. Broil the first side for 3 minutes. Flip fillet over and broil second side for 3 minutes. If you prefer less rare fish, add up to a minute to each side.
5. Just before the noodles are done cooking, drop the snap peas into the same pot to blanch for 1 minute. Remove peas and plate them. Repeat the blanching and plating with carrot pieces.
6. Drain the noodles and add them to the plate with the veggies.
7. As soon as the fillet is finished broiling, remove it from the oven and plate it.
8. Drizzle soy sauce and lime juice on fillet and noodles.
9. [Optional] Sprinkle fillet and noodles with kelp granules.
10. Enjoy with a glass of spring water with a twist of lime or with a glass of your favorite white wine!
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Sugar-Free Cranberry Relish
What do you think of when you hear the words “cranberry sauce”? Have you spent your life eating the red, gelatinous stuff from a can? I loved that stuff when I was a kid. I especially liked the way it looked like the can when it slid out of the can and onto its serving plate. And it jiggled like Jello®. This jiggly, gelatinous stuff was the only way I ever saw or tasted cranberry sauce, until I was an adult.
As an adult, I discovered that I could buy something called whole berry cranberry sauce, in a can. Suddenly, cranberry sauce became more interesting and tasty. And then I discovered that I could purchase the whole berries by themselves and make my own cranberry sauce. There even were recipes on the back of the cranberry bag!
Since making that first batch of cranberry sauce (actually relish), I have not opened nor eaten a can of cranberry stuff. Freshly made cranberry sauce or relish is fantastic! In case you are wondering — cranberry sauce is cooked until the cranberries soften and pop, while the cranberries are raw in relish.
The following recipe is very simple and is based on the first recipe I ever used for cranberry relish. The primary difference is the use of SweetLeaf®, a chemical-free, zero-calorie, zero-carb, zero-glycemic index, 100% natural sweetener. Of course you can use a different sugar substitute. I like the taste of SweetLeaf® and used it.
This recipe is great for diabetics as well as anyone looking for a way to cut back on the calories during their holiday feasting. Remember to save some for those leftover-turkey sandwiches. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 Navel orange, washed, sticker removed, quartered*
4 cups fresh cranberries, washed, bad ones removed
1.5-2 tablespoons Natural Stevia Sweetener**
Directions
Chop orange in a food processor (peel and all).
Add cranberries and process until coarsely chopped.
Transfer cranberry mixture to a large enough bowl.
Stir in sweetener.
Chill until serving.
After Thoughts
You can add additional sweetness to this recipe, without sugar or other sweeteners — add half of a peeled and de-seeded Honey Crisp apple (or other sweet apple) to the food processor before adding the cranberries.
* If you use a different kind of orange, remove the seeds.
** Or use other sugar substitute in an amount equivalent to 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar.
Like this:
Spirited Cranberry Sauce
I love the taste of cranberry with turkey. Usually, I make a raw, chunky cranberry relish to accompany Thanksgiving dinner and the leftovers beyond. This year, I decided to try something a bit different.
During my end of season visit to the local farmers market, I found fresh persimmons. I was not sure what I would do with them, but bought several anyway. I brought them home, peeled and sliced one and enjoyed a surprisingly yummy flavor.
After a bit a research, I decided to include the persimmons in this year’s Thanksgiving cranberry condiment. The following recipe was modified from the recipe presented by Deliciously Organic.
Ingredients
4 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup dry red wine
6 whole cloves
1/2 cup (local) honey
3 ripe fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut into small pieces
Directions
1. Sort through cranberries and reject any that are soft and squishy.
2. Bring wine, cloves, and honey to a simmer over medium-low heat in a large saucepan.
3. Add cranberries.
4. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until most of the cranberries “pop” (the skins break open).
5. Remove from heat.
6. Remove the cloves and stir in the persimmons.
7. Add more honey to taste, 2-3 tablespoons if needed.
8. Pour into a glass bowl and chill.
After Thoughts
In assembling your ingredients remember this wise axiom: “if you would not otherwise eat/drink it, don’t put it in your pot.” Since this recipe calls for wine, use only wine that you enjoy drinking. For me, that is Merlot. You may prefer a different dry red wine, such as Beaujolais or Cabernet Sauvignon. Or, you may prefer a sweet red wine, such as Port or one of the dessert wines. Use what tastes best to you. As for the honey…try to find local honey. It has so much character — it tastes like home. I like the tartness of cranberries, so I use only 1/2 cup of honey. If you like it sweeter, go ahead and add more — one tablespoon at a time. Taste after each addition. Enjoy!
Lamb Toast
It’s funny how the simple act of preparing dinner can lead to a posting in a food blog. Last night’s dinner is such a case. My teenage daughters saw dinner under preparation and encouraged me to write it up and post it, even though it’s not “fancy.” Yes, those were teenagers encouraging a parent! As soon as dinner was ready to serve, the girls had me plate it up and take it into our makeshift food photo studio. Click, click, click went the cameras, with each trying to capture the image(s) that would accompany this posting.
So, what was all this fuss about? Let me step back to last weekend. Kristy, my youngest daughter, and I were seated in the audience for Giada’s De Laurentiis’ presentation at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Washington, DC. We both are Giada fans and were quite pleased to be in the audience, even though we were seated near the back of the room. Giada called up several audience volunteers to act as her sous chefs – meaning they would prepare the dishes she described.
As should be expected from her TV show and her cookbooks, the dishes the volunteers prepared were both simple and elegant. The first dish, which became the inspiration for last night’s dinner, was Lamb Bruschetta. This is simply ground lamb sautéed with garlic and spinach served on a slice of toasted Italian bread and topped with fontina cheese. So easy and so yummy!
I headed out to my local grocer and found no ground lamb was available. So, I purchased a couple of lamb shoulder chops and took them home. I pulled out the grinder attachment to my KitchenAid mixer and turned the chops into ground lamb. This was a bit messy and more work than simply opening a package of ground lamb.
While at the grocer, I purchased a few additional ingredients: Arugala/Rocket, Spice Hunter© Greek Seasoning (salt free), Feta Cheese, Tzatziki, Tabouli Salad, a jar of Garlic Stuffed Olives, Yukon Gold Potatoes, and a loaf of Ciabatta Bread. Giada’s Lamb Bruschetta was about to be transformed into Lamb Toast, with Mediterranean side dishes.
Back at home, Kristy brushed me aside after I had ground the lamb. She told me, “I was there, too. So, I know how to do this part.” She sautéed the lamb in olive oil, with garlic and the Greek Seasonings. Once the pink was gone from the lamb, in went the Arugala, which adds spiciness to the dish without being overpowering.
Meanwhile, I scrubbed up a couple of Yukon Golds, then hand-cut them into french fries. These went into a large bowl along with olive oil and Greek Seasoning. Everything was tossed together until the potatoes were evenly coated. I placed them onto a baking sheet and slid them into the oven. When I pulled them out to turn over, I sprinkled the fries with Sea Salt.
While the fries baked, I sliced the Ciabatta Bread on the diagonal. Then I brushed both sides with melted butter. Just before popping the bread into the oven, I rubbed each slice with fresh garlic. Into the oven went the bread and out came toast. Kristy topped each slice of bread with the lamb mix and sprinkled with crumbled feta cheese. Then back into the oven to melt the cheese.
Dinner consisted of one Lamb Toast, a small salad of garden greens topped with Tabouli and feta, fries, olives, and a bit of Tzatziki (a Greek yogurt, cuccumber and dill sauce) for dipping fries and Lamb Toasts. The Lamb Toasts were crunchy and delicious. The fries were soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. The salad was light. The olives were salty with a bit of garlicky bite. The cool Tzaziki tied everything together.
And there you have it, a simple family meal with half of the family in the kitchen doing the cooking. Kelsey’s role was photographer. And Marty got to enjoy a delicious dinner without ever going near the stove (just like every night). So, surprise your family with a simple meal and let your kids help, too.
Enjoy!!
p.s. Yes, I could have made my own Tabouli and Tzatziki, but that would have been too much work for a simple dinner.
Lamb Toast
Ingredients
1 Loaf Ciabatta Bread
3 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic
1 lb ground Lamb
1 Tbs Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Spice Hunter© Greek Seasoning (salt free)
2 Cups Arugala/Rocket or Spinach, chopped
½ Cup crumbled Feta Cheese
Directions
1. Warm oven or toaster oven to 350° F
2. Slice Ciabatta on diagonal – ½ inch thick slices (about 6)
3. Coat both sides of each slice with Olive Oil
4. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown
5. Rub one side of each toasted slice with garlic
6. Sautée ground lamb in Olive Oil with garlic, salt, and Greek Seasonings
7. When browned stir in chopped greens
8. When greens are wilted spoon mixture onto Ciabatta slices
9. Top with crumbled Feta Cheese
10. Toast in oven until cheese begins to melt
Serve hot from the oven with Tzatziki for dipping. Mmmm! Enjoy!!
After Thoughts
Hand-cut french fries are quite tasty and easy to make. Best of all, you can control what goes onto them before serving. Prepare and bake the fries before beginning to toast the Ciabatta Bread for the Lamb Toasts. Scrub a couple of Yukon Gold or other favorite potatoes. Dry thoroughly. Cut each potato lengthwise into thirds. Roll the potato ¼ turn and slice into fourths. Place the potato slices into a large bowl and toss with 1 Tbs of olive oil. Sprinkle with Greek Seasoning or other spice mix. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake in 400° F oven for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and flip the fries. Sprinkle with a little Sea Salt. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. When the fries are golden brown, remove from the oven and place in a dish to keep warm until serving time. Yum!
Like this:
Pumpkin Beer Quick Bread
Have you ever stopped to ponder “which came first, beer or bread?” Think about it for a moment… there you are kicked back in your recliner, game on the tube, favorite beer and sandwich on the table beside you. Which do you reach for first? That’s really a tough one, isn’t it?
According to historians, the ancient Sumerians appear to have been the first to reach for a beer, about 6,000 years ago. That first beer may have been the result of an accident. A piece of bread or some grain may have have fallen into some liquid and begun fermenting. Boom! World’s first beer! It probably didn’t take too long for the Sumerians to realize that one good bread dunk could lead to a beer buzz.
Today, life is way more complicated. We have far too many choices to make when it comes to beer and bread. Do you drink a lager or a porter when your sandwich is served on pumperknickle bread? Choice is nice, but I prefer simple. That’s why I like making bread with beer – the best of both worlds. And in the fall, everything needs to have pumpkin in it. So, here is a tasty Pumpkin Quick Bread made with Pumpkin Ale. Bottoms up!
p.s. Beer as we know it today, all full of hoppy goodness, did not begin to be produced until the 16th century (500 years ago). Bread, on the other hand, has a history that spans tens of thousands of years – way before the first beer. Sandwiches, however, did not come into being until the mid-eighteenth century (200 years after the first hoppy beer). Class dismissed!
Pumpkin Ale Quick Bread
Ingredients
3 cups Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix or other gluten-free baking mix
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2-4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 T Honey (preferrably local honey)
1 cup Pumpkin Purée (fresh or canned)
12 oz Pumpkin Beer or Gluten-Free Beer
1 cup Raisins or Craisins or ½ cup Nut Pieces
½ cup Pumpkin Seeds
Cooking Spray
1 8×14 Loaf Pan
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together baking mix, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, mix pumpkin, honey, and spices until well blended. Slowly add beer to the pumpkin mixture. Stir mix until foaming stops and mixture is fully combined.
4. Pour pumpkin-beer mixture into dry ingredients. Stir until completely blended together.
5. Fold raisins/craisins/nuts into batter. Stir to mix.
6. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
7. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds all over top of bread.
8. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the center comes out clean when poked with a toothpick.
9. Permit to cool on rack at least 10 minutes.
10. Slice and enjoy while it is warm. A pat of butter would be nice, too.
Adapted from http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/gluten-free-pumpkin-beer-bread/.
After Thoughts
This bread is almost completely gluten-free. Replacing the pumpkin beer with gluten-free beer or gluten-free pumpkin beer would yield a totally gluten-free loaf.
Like this:
Pumpkin Alehouse Mac-n-Cheese
Feeling blue? You need comforting. You need comfort food! One of my all time favorite comfort foods is homemade macaroni and cheese – the real stuff, made from scratch with the best cheeses possible. My mom used to make it that way when I was a kid.
When I became a grown-up, I strayed into a life of quick and easy foods. Suddenly, I was eating overly boiled tubes of pasta, drenched in margarine and coated in orange powder. Where is the comfort in that?
I’m older and wiser now. My kids used to eat that orange stuff when they were younger. But, I have been baking the real stuff for most of their lives now. They do love real macaroni and cheese. And they are coming to appreciate my efforts at making a good thing even better.
The first time beer found its way into a pan of macaroni and cheese, my kids and my family all discovered a new taste dimension – extra yummy. So, it wasn’t much of a leap of faith to change the beer into pumpkin ale and add a bit of pumpkin and pie spices to the dish. And now we have super yummy!
Oh, by the way, pumpkin is a super food, which means its good for you to eat. And since pumpkin is good for you to eat, I guess pumpkin ale must be good for you to eat. To your good heath!
Pumpkin Alehouse Mac-n-Cheese
1 lb elbow noodles
2 12 oz bottles pumpkin ale/beer
1 lb sharpest, white cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz parmagianno regianno cheese, shredded
4 oz monchego cheese, shredded
4 T butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C pumpkin purée (fresh or canned)
3 T flour
Spice Blend
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 T pumpkin pie spice
Topping
- 1 cup crumbled sourdough hard pretzels
- 8 oz yellow, sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
9×13 baking pan*
Directions
1. Boil noodles as directed on package. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt 4 T of butter in a large sauce pan/skillet. Sauté the onions until golden.
3. Stir in minced garlic for a minute.
4. Stir in pumpkin purée to completely blend with the onions and garlic. Stir continuously to keep from burning.
5. Slowly stir in both bottles of beer. Mixture will foam.
6. Sprinkle mixture with 3 T flour plus the Spice Blend (adds a beautiful orange color).
7. Permit the mixture to come to a slow boil while stirring. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens enough to begin clinging to the spoon (about 10 minutes).
8. Stir in the parmesan and monchego cheeses. Sir in shredded white cheddar cheese. Stir until all cheese has melted and blended with the beer mixture.
9. Fold the noodles into the sauce.
10. Lightly coat baking pan with cooking spray. Pour noodles and sauce into baking pan.
10. Sprinkle shredded yellow cheese on top of noodles. Sprinkle pretzel crumbs on top of this.
12. Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes.
13. Remove from oven. Permit to cool a few minutes. Enjoy!
*After thoughts
Sometimes I use small loaf pans and give them as gifts to friends.
Another idea I recently saw online – bake the mac-n-cheese in a muffin pan. To make these: cover the bottom of each muffin cup with pretzel crumbs; loosely fill each with mac-n-cheese; top with shredded cheese, followed by more pretzel crumbs; tightly press everything down into each cup. Bake for 30 minutes. Permit to cool in the pan, then removed carefully. Each muffin cup yields a small, personal-size mac-n-cheese.
