Yummy Black Bean Soup

Image via Google

I love a good black bean soup.  Warm, hearty, tasty and I don't feel guilty if I go back for a second bowl (and then another one in the evening). 

Abe's been watching his waistline again, so after indulging in some less-than-healthy food the day before, he requested a healthy dinner the next morning.  And I happily agreed.  Until it was about 30 minutes before he was to come home and I had forgotten about dinner.  Oops.

A bit panicked, I remembered I had a bunch of black beans in the freezer.  So, black bean soup it was.  I looked around for a recipe that would be a bit different than the sometimes bland ones I've made in the past.  I hit the jackpot with this one! I think it's the best black bean soup I've made in a while.

So easy and so yummy.  The celery seed and cumin add a bit of a twist and you can spice it up or keep is on the mild side for the kids by reducing the pepper flakes, like I did.  A bottle of hot sauce at the table will let the braver ones add more heat.

Full of fiber and protein, this will stick to your ribs during a cold night.  It freezes well, too, so double up and you'll have dinner waiting for you the next time you're like me and forget to cook. 

I served with a leafy green salad.

Recipe from Melissa D'Arabian.

Yummy Black Bean Soup 
Serves 4-6

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked black beans
1 tablespoon vegetarian (or chicken bouillon base)
1 bay leaf
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Cook the celery, carrots and onions in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, celery seeds and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the black beans, bouillon, bay leaf and tomatoes, and enough water to cover by an inch or two (about 3 cups). Simmer for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours, adding water if needed. Season and serve.

Asian Grilled Salmon

No witty story behind this one.  I had salmon and needed to use it up before it followed in the footsteps of a few of my in-the-freezer-so-long-you-can't-pass-it-off-as-good proteins lately.  Once I first got a deep freeze, I sort of lost track of expiration dates and had a few "Um, what's with the chicken?" meals.  So, I wanted to make sure that didn't happen again. 
 

The recipe is super simple and delicious.  I used a grill pan instead of grilling it outdoors, but I'm sure it would be just as good in a skillet, too.

My salmon didn't have a skin, which didn't present with a problem on the grill pan.  I also didn't let it rest, like the recipe suggests (I didn't even see that part until writing this blog entry), so if you want it hot, go right ahead and serve that sucker up.

Asian Grilled Salmon
Serves 6

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

 Oil the grill or spray the grill pan with cooking spray and then heat the grill/grill pan (or skillet) on medium-high.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Quinoa Pilaf in Lettuce Cups

Photo courtesy of Food Network

This week starts the Lenten season.  While my family never celebrated it, Abe's family is Byzantine Catholic, so Lent is near and dear to his heart.  In addition to giving something up for 40 days, you also go meatless (and some days vegan) on certain days.  Meatless Monday, in the Byzantine tradition, is 2 days before many others start Lent and involve giving up all meat, dairy and eggs.  Ash Wednesday is another vegan day.  The rest of the season, we will be meatless on every Wednesday and Friday.  You know this vegetarian is thrilled!

Yesterday I decided to make something a little different for us.  Well, for Abe, that is.  I love quinoa and make it for myself and the kids for a quick and healthy lunch.  A good friend is hosting a ladies brunch (sounds so grown up, doesn't it?) this weekend and requested a quinoa dish.  So, I thought I'd test drive this one.

I loved it.  Abe enjoyed it, but he keeps insisting he's not the biggest fan of quinoa.  He added a bit more hot sauce to his and did finish it.  But I noticed he didn't take the leftovers for his lunch.  His loss is my tummy's gain.

This recipe is perfect for a high-protein, low-carb lunch or dinner.  The base recipe is one I got from Aarti Sequira from Food Network.  I doctored it up to make it to my taste.

Quinoa Pilaf in Lettuce Cups
Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 cups stock (veggie or chicken or even plain water)
1 cup quinoa, picked and rinsed well (make sure to rinse or it will be bitter)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 tablespoons chopped dried cherries  (or any dried fruit you like)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon or orange, zested, plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated

Bring the stock and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until quinoa is cooked and curly white germ shows, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and spices, and saute until the onion has softened and the spices are very fragrant.


Stir in the celery and fruit and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.


Add the cooked quinoa (all the stock should have been absorbed) to the skillet. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste, and season with salt, pepper, to taste. Allow to sit off the heat for 10 minutes so the flavors seep into the quinoa.


Serve in lettuce cups with radish slices, soy sauce and Asian chili sauce on the side.

Broiled Salmon with Citrus Glaze

Sometimes with cooking, as with life, less is more.  This recipe is so basic, yet so flavorful you could serve it up to company.  Just make sure you have extra since it will go fast.  Abe loved every single bite and kept saying "Mmmmm.... this is good!" the whole time.

I served it with mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus.

I got the recipe from Foodnetwork.com.

Broiled Salmon with Citrus Glaze
Serves 4

1 side, skin-on salmon, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, pin bones removed
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Position a rack in the oven 3 inches from the broiler. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the salmon on the pan.

Place the sugar, zest, salt, and pepper into a food processor and process for 1 minute or until well combined. Evenly spread the mixture onto the salmon and allow to sit for 45 minutes, at room temperature.


Turn the oven on to the high broiler setting for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, place the salmon into the oven and broil for 6 to 8 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish reaches an internal temperature of 131 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the salmon from the oven and allow to rest, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

White Bean, Artichoke and Chard Ragout with Fennel Relish

I know this dish might sound complicated, but when you realize that the crock pot does most of the cooking for you, it suddenly doesn't seem daunting at all.

I was a little worried that Abe wouldn't like this at all.  I mean, it's got fennel in it.  Not the go-to veggie for a lot of people.  But I had ordered a box of organic fruits and vegetables delivered to my house from Groupon.com and needed to use the fennel I found inside.  I pretty much hate anything licorice tasting, but for some reason, like it when it's in a savory dish.  So, off I went to find a suitable recipe. 

And surprise!  Abe really enjoyed it.  I think he actually enjoyed it a bit more than I did!   See, things can still surprise you in a marriage even after several years.  Abe did comment that he did like it with a lot more lemon juice than the recipe called for, so I added that, and a few other modifications, to the recipe.  I'm going to write it where you add additional lemon juice to the final product, to taste.  Some of you might not be as big of sour pusses like we are!

Just in case you are wondering what the heck a ragout is (and I did too, so don't worry), it's a French term for main course stew.  There you go, just a fancy term for stew.  Impress your friends next time at dinner when you tell them you're making them a ragout (pronounced ragu).

Don't be tempted to skip the fennel relish.  It makes the dish.  Even Abe, who I suspect doesn't like fennel, said so.  He told me to make double the amount next time.  Look who likes fennel after all!

Oh, and I took the picture before I remembered to add the chard.  Oops!  So, yours will look a little bit different.

Base recipe was found at CookingLight.com.

White Bean, Artichoke and Chard Ragout with Fennel Relish
Serves 6

Ragout:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked cannellini or Great Northern beans
2 1/2 cups chopped fennel bulb (about 1 large)
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed red potatoes
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 cups chopped Swiss chard

Relish:

1 cup boiling water
6 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (or homemade, recipe below)
3 cups shredded fennel bulb (about 1 large)
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Lemon wedges for serving 

To prepare ragout, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek, carrot, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.

Place leek mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Add beans and next 13 ingredients (through artichokes). Cover and cook on high 8 low (or 4 hours high) or until vegetables are tender. Add chard; stir until chard wilts.

To prepare relish, combine boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes; let stand 15 minutes or until soft. Drain; chop. Combine sun-dried tomatoes and remaining ingredients; let stand 30 minutes.


Ladle ragout into a shallow bowl, add relish on top and squeeze lemon wedge to taste.

Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Chickpeas and Onion-Pinenut Topping (Al Cuscus bil Khodar al-mausim)

Picture courtesy of Cooking Light

Trying to cut down on the amount of meat I had to buy this week, I decided we were going to have 2, count them, 2 meatless nights.  Good news for me since I will actually get to eat dinner.  Thankfully, my darling husband never complains about eating veggie.  This one is so hardy that I don't think he will be sneaking off for a bowl of cereal an hour after dinner like he does on most vegetarian nights.

 I know it seems like a lot of steps and ingredients, but it comes together quickly.  While the veggies are roasting, you can get the couscous and topping ready, so once the timer goes off, bam! There's dinner.  It's nice enough for serving to company, but easy enough to make for a casual night at home.

The original recipe called for sweet potatoes, but we aren't a sweet potato kind of family, so I replaced it with butternut squash.  Feel free to do one or the other (or both!).


The spice mix adds a wonderful ethnic flavor and warmth.  It is a great one to have on hand for those times you want a little spice for veggies or rice.  It will keep for 1 month in an airtight container.  I double the spice in the couscous recipe, so if you're one to worry about spice, add 1/2 of it and sprinkle some on the dish later if you feel it needs it.  I think most will enjoy the amount I used.


I got this recipe from CookingLight.com.


Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Chickpeas and Onion-Pinenut Topping


5 cups diced peeled butternut squash or sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds) 
2 cups (1/2-inch) diced peeled parsnips (about 10 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon Ras el Hanout (recipe to follow)
3 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

Topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, separated into rings
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. To prepare couscous, combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place potato mixture on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork; gently stir in chickpeas. Keep warm.

4. To prepare topping, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 12 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add pine nuts and raisins; cook 2 minutes. Stir in cinnamon; cook 30 seconds. Stir in honey, and remove from heat.

5. Mound couscous in the middle of a serving platter. Place the roasted vegetables around base of couscous. Arrange 5 carrots vertically around couscous; spoon topping over top of couscous.

Ras el Hanout

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed (if you cannot find saffron or don't want to buy, omit)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Slow-Roasted Tomato Soup

Photo courtesy of Google Images

I was with the kids at the library and asked Adam if he'd indulge me in coming out of the children's section while I got myself a "Mommy book".  Now, back in the day (aka before kids), a "me book" would've been anything from a cheesy pink book (a book for younger ladies) to a documentary on the fall of societies.  Lately, though, my time and brain power for reading has faltered, so the closest I find myself to reading lately is either snippets on the internet or cookbooks.  So, my eyes lit up a little bit when I saw a copy of Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook, My Father's Daughter, on the shelf.   There;'s something about Gwyneth that says "pretty girl who you could be friends with" to me.  Of course, I've never met her and she could be a flaming banshee who shrieks for her butler to fetch her some distilled French water for all I know.  But I still like my fantasy.

I decided to try her tomato soup, mainly because her white bean soup recipe didn't appeal to Abe and he casually mentioned that the tomato one looked good.  This is how dinner is decided a lot in my house.  The soup is delicious and very easy to make.  It's perfect for summer with all of the ripe tomatoes at the farmers' market.  It can also see dining on this in the dead of winter.

The roasted tomatoes part added a lot of nice flavor and texture to the soup, so don't skip it.   They can be made ahead and stored in a Tupperware container with a bit of olive oil to keep from drying out.  They were so yummy and can be added to things like salad and sandwiches too.  They keep in the fridge for about a week, but I doubt they'll last that long.

I served it with green salad and a crusty baguette that I sliced, topped with a bit of olive oil and shredded cheddar cheese and popped into the oven until the cheese was melted.  It was quite the delightful meal.

Slow-Roasted Tomato Soup
Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 fresh large basil leaves
2 14-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
16 pieces (8 whole) slow-roasted tomatoes (recipe below), roughly chopped
1 large pinch of sugar
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add the basil leaves, tomatoes and their juice, and 1 can's worth of water (making sure to swish to get the rest of the tomato juices).  Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.  Stir in the slow-roasted tomatoes and season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).  Tear 1/4 cup basil leaves and stir in.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil over top of each portion.


Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Vine-ripened tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, rub with a tiny bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt and bake seed side up in a 275 degree oven for 3-5 hours, or until they look nearly sun-dried (the edges will be caramelized and the moisture will be almost entirely evaporated).

Hearty Bean and Barley Soup

Abe's trying to go more vegetarian for Lent.  I originally thought he had wanted to go ALL veggie for Lent and was so excited to finally have main dishes that I could eat on a regular basis.  But, alas, he decided that he wouldn't be able to do it full-time and would only do it "as best he could".  Meh.  Well, I'm still doing my veggie recipes.  So there.

Today was one of those unplanned-oh-no-what's-for-dinner? kind of days.  I had plenty of stuff in the fridge, but no idea what to make.  So I threw a few ingredients into the search engine of Cookinglight.com and voila!  I came up with yet another soup recipe.  

It is delicious!  And very filling.  Not to mention healthy.  So, pretty much a trifecta of win for soups.

I made the mistake of not having the quick-cook barely, so I had to cook mine for a lot longer.  If you have it and like a softer barely, soak the barely in a bowl of water overnight.

I got the recipe from Cookinglight.com.

Hearty Bean and Barley Soup
Serves 8 (serving size: 1 cup with 1 tablespoon cheese)

7  cups  fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
6  garlic cloves, crushed
2  (4-inch) rosemary sprigs
1  (19-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2  teaspoons  olive oil
1  cup  chopped onion
1  cup  finely chopped carrot
1/4  cup  chopped celery
1  (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1  cup  uncooked quick-cooking barley
10  cup  torn spinach leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.

Measure 1 cup beans, and mash with a fork in a small bowl. Reserve the remaining whole beans.

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery; cook 4 minutes. Add broth mixture, mashed beans, whole beans, tomatoes, and barley; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in spinach and black pepper; cook 5 minutes or until barley is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Carrot, Broccoli and Cheese Orzo

Adam is usually my big eater.  He will eat anything.  I would brag to family how he'd eat things like brussel sprouts and spinach.  He's a terrible sleeper, so I figured he made up for it in eating.

But when he's sick, he suddenly becomes a fussy eater and will pick at his meals, hardly eating a bite.  And it tends to linger, so weeks will go by with him living off of yogurt, suddenly acting like a college girl trying to fit into a dress.   And, to get him to eat, I find myself offering things like cheddar bunnies and olives, things I know he will eat, just to get something in his belly.  But that's not healthy for every dinner and I don't want him to get too used to that kind of eating habits.

So, I decided to check out my favorite kid-friendly food blog and see what she had for healthy suggestions.  And the latest one looked like a hit.  Healthy and yet something I can see Adam digging into.  And when I tasted it.... SURPRISE! It tasted pretty good.  So, it's going to be my dinner tonight too!  I wouldn't suggest it as a main course, but give it a taste when you cook it up for your little one and see if maybe it wouldn't make a quick and healthy lunch for you.

I love how easy it is.  I literally whipped it up in 15 minutes.

This recipe is from weelicious.com.

Carrot, Broccoli & Cheese Orzo 
Serves 4

1 Small Garlic Clove
1 Small Shallot
1 Cup Baby Carrots
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or Olive Oil
1 Cup White or Whole Wheat Orzo
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1. Place shallot and garlic in food processor and pulse to chop.

2. Add baby carrots and broccoli florets to the food processor and pulse, scraping down the sides half way until finely chopped.

3. In a large stock pot, heat 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil and sauté the chopped vegetables, raw orzo and salt for 4 minutes stirring continuously.

4. Add the water and broth to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10
minutes uncovered, or until the liquid starts to evaporate and the mixture thickens.

5. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

6. Serve.

The Tale of Two Quinoas (Quinoa Pilaf and Breakfast Quinoa)

A friend of mine asked me about quinoa when she saw that make it for Adam.  I had been thinking of posting about this mystery grain, so the timing was perfect.

Quinoa has been slowly gaining some exposure lately, even though it's actually been used for about 4,000 years.  It's a "super grain" (well, it's actually a seed) that is so full of nutrients that the Incas considered it a food from the gods.  It's one of the few plant products that is a complete protein, so it's incredibly healthy.  As a vegetarian that is very important.

I was introduced to it through a coworker who liked to bring in healthy foods for us to try.  I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant.  What was it?  It looked weird and I wondered how "nuts and granola" it would taste.  I'm all for healthy eating, but I'm not about to eat bird seeds.

It was delicious.  It wasn't like anything I had before, yet it was very homey.  The texture was similar to firm-ish orzo or larger couscous. It wasn't mushy, like rice can be, but it wasn't hard.  It almost had a bit of a "pop" when I bit into it.  It was love at first bite and I ran out to buy a bag.

But I was still hesitant to make it.  I'm not the best with sides.  Rice or potatoes is the best starch you'll get from me.  I'm always saying how I need to find new dishes to make.  So, after a few weeks on my shelf, I took it down to figure out how to make the dang thing.

I first followed the recipe on the side of the bag.  I'm actually going to list the recipe here as a good "base" recipe to start with.  It's my go-to recipe when I'm making it for lunch and then will switch out some of the ingredients.  That's the beauty of quinoa; you can make it sweet, savory or a combo of both.  It takes on whatever flavors you're in the mood for that day.  Want it Italian?  Add chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, garlic and some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  Want it Mexican?  Add onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro.  I love adding chickpeas one day, zucchini another day.  I just had it for lunch with mushrooms, carrots and onions.  I've made a sweet morning breakfast deliciousness that my friend Heather sent me once and it was awesome.  Look for later in this post for that recipe, too.

One of the things to know about quinoa is that nature provides a bitter protective coating on it to keep the insects away.  Great for the survival of the plant, not so good for our taste buds.  So you must rinse the quinoa in cool water until the soapy coating comes off.  It takes only a minute.  You can also find some brands that already rinse their quinoa, which is a great step-saver.  I buy Earthly Delights from Costco , which rinses theirs.

To cook quinoa, it's very similar to cooking rice.  It's a 2 to 1 ratio, meaning 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup quinoa.  Bring the quinoa to a boil and then reduce and cover for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and enjoy the deliciousness!

One trick to knowing if your quinoa is done is this nifty little "tail" will uncurl from the grain.  Not sure why it's there, but if you don't see it, it's not done.

So, give quinoa a try and find a new healthy way to have a protein packed meal!

Quinoa Pilaf

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Rinse quinoa, if not pre-rinsed.  Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook onion for 5 minutes or until translucent.  Add carrot and cook 3 minutes more.  Stir in quinoa and broth, bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes to 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and fluffy.  In a bowl, toss quinoa with walnuts and parsley.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Heather's Breakfast Quinoa

2 cup almond milk
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
zest of med orange
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Fresh berries, such as blueberries and raspberries
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped almonds (optional)

Combine everything, but the fruit and honey in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Let stand a few minutes...then add your fruit and drizzle with honey.  Top with almonds, if desired.

Tuscan Bean Soup

I'm a sucker for a good soup.  I love finding everything I need in the pantry and even if not, I love how you can swap one ingredient out for what you do have.  They are warm, delicious and often time, low-cal enough to let you gorge on one extra bowl.

Abe's been feeling sick, along with much of the household, so homemade soup was in order.  I didn't have time to defrost some chicken to make him his favorite Greek lemon rice soup, so vegetarian it was.  That way I could have a bowl too!

I found this recipe on Cookinglight.com and adjusted it because I did not have 3 cans of chick peas.  I ended up liking the creaminess that the great northern beans added, so I am sticking with that.  You can swap them for any white bean that you have in your pantry.  The vinegar adds a lot of depth and I used the full 2 tablespoons.

It was delicious and Adam gobbled his up.  I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today!

Enjoy!

Tuscan Bean Soup
Serves 6

2  tablespoons  olive oil
2  cups  finely chopped onion
8  garlic cloves, minced
4  cups  water or broth
1  teaspoon  minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
1  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1  (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1  to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6  tablespoons  (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Handful of fresh spinach leaves (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water/broth through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place 4 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth, making sure to open top vent and covering with a clean dish towel.  Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, add spinach, if using, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Calories: 373 (22% from fat)

Fat: 9.1g (sat 2.1g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.6g)

Protein: 15g

Lentil and Macaroni Soup

I know what you might be thinking.  Lentils and macaroni?? What the heck kind of combo is that? It sounds like something that a college student throws together when they don't know how to cook.  Believe me, I did too.  But something about it made me want to try it and I'm glad I did.

This soup is a great healthy comfort food that is filling, but not full of calories and fat.  It's perfect when you're watching both your waistline and your wallet as the ingredients are cheap and stuff we usually have on hand.  Each serving, which is a hearty 2 cups (an entire soup bowl!) is only 200 calories and 3 grams of fat!

I got the recipe from newest recipe book that my mom got me, Good Housekeeping's Soups and Stews.  Yes, she has gotten me another one (2 actually) since the last blog entry. That woman knows my weakness and keeps me supplied.  I made a few adjustments to make it suit my taste.  I added a bit of lemon to brighten up the flavors and put in some bullion to add some depth.  The original recipe called for Swiss chard, but I only had spinach on hand, and I think it worked very nicely.

Serve with some crusty bread for a healthy and hardy meal!

Enjoy!

Lentil and Macaroni Soup
Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed with garlic press
1 can (14 ounces) whole tomatoes in puree (or crushed tomatoes in juice, if unavailable)
1 can (14 ounces) vegetable broth
3/4 cup lentils
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon vegetable bullion (if you don't have, add a bit more salt to the soup)
6 cups water
1 pound fresh spinach
3/4 cup elbow macaroni
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Lemon juice
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a nonstick 5-to-6-quart Dutch oven (or large soup pot), heat oil over medium heat until hot.  Add carrots, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and golden, about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their puree, broth, lentils, salt, pepper, thyme, bullion and water; heat to boiling, stirring to break up tomatoes with side of spoon.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until lentils are almost tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in spinach and macaroni; heat to boiling over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, until macaroni is tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in basil.  Serve with Parmesan cheese, if you like, and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.

Tabbouleh Salad

My husband is Middle Eastern and both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law cook wonderful Arabic dishes.  I don't even attempt to duplicate their dishes for family dishes and stick to what I know.  But over the years, Abe has encouraged me to make some of his favorites.

Tabbouleh, for those who haven't had it, is simply parsley salad.  It might seem like a strange thing to make salad from, but believe me, it's refreshing and delicious.  Not to mention healthy.  We will make a huge batch and munch on it whenever we get the urge for a snack.  Talk about guilt-free snacking! 

Bulgar is cracked wheat and can be found in the Middle Eastern section of your grocery store or in the bulk food section.  Make sure you get the fine or medium kind.

Use fresh lemons (as you really should for everything you make) or the taste will be off.

Eat with a fork or serve over lettuce leafs.  You can also use it on sandwiches.  

This recipe is from an old Arabic cookbook that came with the marriage. 

Enjoy!

Tabbouleh
Serves 4

1/2 cup fine or medium bulgar (cracked wheat)
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 bunches parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh mint or 2 tablespoon dried mint
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 3 lemons
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Rinse bulgar.  Drain and place in a large bowl.  Add all chopped vegetables and mix well.  Add oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. 

Allow bulgar to soak and absorb the juice- about 1 hour. 

Serve.

Baked Tilapia with Tomato and Basil

So, along with about a couple of million other Americans, we're trying to start this year off in a healthier way.  Shoot, after all of the desserts and huge meals we crammed into just a 2 week period, we'd better slow it the heck down.

Here's a healthy and tasty way to cook up that frozen tilapia that you got on sale the last time you promised you'd eat more fish.  You know you did that, just admit it. 

I got this recipe from foodnetwork.com, and surprisingly, it's probably one of the few butter-free Paula Dean recipes.  For those who don't know PD, she's well-known for her large amounts of butter used in almost everything.  The recipe does call for olive oil, but olive oil is more heart-healthy.  If you feel it's too much oil, just cut the amount. 

If you don't have fresh herbs, you can sub dried.  I did and it came out great.  

Enjoy!

Baked Tilapia with Tomato and Basil
Serves 4

Nonstick cooking spray
2 (8-ounce) tilapia fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Spray a shallow 1-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.Sprinkle the fish evenly with salt and pepper.

Arrange the tilapia in a baking dish and sprinkle evenly with basil, oregano, onion powder and garlic. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices evenly over the fish, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Bake until fish flakes easily with fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over fish and serve immediately.

Strawberry-Banana Muffins

When you're a stay at home mom of a toddler, you end up baking a lot of muffins.  Well, at least I do.  It's a way to break up the day and give the little guy something fun to do with Mama.  He loves to push his chair up and help me stir the ingredients.  Here's a picture of him in action....

Usually I'm trying to use up old bananas, but today I realized our uber-large carton of Costco strawberries were going bad already.  There's something about being at Costco for too long that makes their ginormous container suddenly seem average size.  Until you get it home and you realize it's the size of your first apartment's bathroom.  Anyway, I digress.

So, off I went to search for a new muffin recipe for the two of us and came across a basic and healthy one.  We both loved it.  I'm thinking this would be a good candidate for a little sweet streusel topping next time.  Mmmmm.

It calls for whole wheat flour, which I know not everyone likes for their baked goods.  I use it because Adam is none the wiser right now.  I use a white whole wheat flour that uses a lighter whole wheat that has a more delicate flavor.  Don't get me wrong, it ain't no white flour.  But it's a big improvement on the standard whole wheat.  If you're not keen on the whole wheat, you can always use 1/2 whole wheat/white flour.  Or just use all white flour.  I won't judge.
 
I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Muffins
Makes 12

2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen unsweetened

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 large muffin cups, or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and bananas. Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; Stir into the banana mixture until moistened. Stir in the strawberries until evenly distributed. Spoon batter into muffin cups until completely filled.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed lightly. Cool before removing from the muffin tins.

Indian Spiced Vegetable

Abe requested that I cook vegetarian a few times this week because he's trying to get healthy.  I had just gotten a new Rachael Ray cooking book (yes, to add to my 50 million other cookbooks...) and thought this would be a good try.  Abe isn't always the hugest fan of Indian food, but he really did like this one.

Don't let the interesting combination of hot vegetables on top of cold salad turn you off to the dish; the combo actually is really good.. now I know what they mean on cooking shows about contrasts in food and this one has hot/cold and tender/crunchy. And since there is no rice or starch, the recipe is super healthy.

And yes, the picture is mine.  Finally.

Enjoy!

Indian Spiced Vegetables
Serves 4

Spice Blend

1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (not ground cumin)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pinches cinnamon

3 large waxy white potatoes, peeled and diced
Coarse salt
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15- ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup frozen green peas
1 small head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
4 radishes, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the ingredients for the spice blend and set aside.

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water.  Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil.  Take off the lid and add salt.  Boil the potatoes for 6-7 minutes, then add the cauliflower to the same pot.  Cook for 2-3 minutes longer, then drain.  The potatoes and cauliflower should still be a little undercooked.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil, then the butter.  When the butter melts into the oil, add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the drained potatoes and cauliflower and the chickpeas and combine.  Stir the spice blend into the vegetables and cook for a minutes or two to develop flavors.  Stir in the stock and turn the vegetables to evenly distribute.  The dish will turn a bright yellow.  Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes longer.  Add the peas and turn off the heat.  The carry-over heat will warm them through.  Taste to adjust the salt of the dish.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded lettuce with the almonds, radishes, mint and parsley or cilantro.  Dress the salad with the lemon juice, a drizzle of vegetable oil and some salt.  Pile the salad on plates, top with the hot vegetables and serve.

Spiced-Rubbed Roasted Salmon with Lemon Garlic Spinach

I had about 10 minutes to find a way to make one piece of salmon for Abe's dinner and use up a bag of spinach that was going bad.  Voila!  Healthy, easy and very tasty.  I looked like a rock star to the husband and little does he know it was a last minute scramble!


I know the recipe calls for one big piece of salmon, but it could easily be used with fillets.  

I paired it with asparagus risotto from Trader Joe's. 

I got the recipe from Cookinglight.com (along with photo).

Enjoy!

Spice-Rubbed Roasted Salmon with Lemon Garlic Spinach
Serves 4

1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
1/2  teaspoon  ground coriander
1/4  teaspoon  paprika
1/8  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1  (2 1/4-pound) skinless salmon fillet
2  cups  thinly sliced onion
Cooking spray

Spinach:
1  teaspoon  olive oil
2  garlic cloves, minced
2  (6-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach
1  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare salmon, combine first 6 ingredients; rub spice mixture evenly over fish. Place onion in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Place fish on top of onion; bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

To prepare spinach, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute. Add half of spinach; cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add remaining spinach; cook 4 minutes or until wilted, stirring frequently. Sprinkle spinach mixture with rind and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in juice; remove from heat.

Place salmon on a plate. Arrange onions and spinach evenly around salmon

Chicken in Wine Cream Sauce

I'm back! 

You missed me, right?  6 weeks ago, I gave birth to our little girl, Ava.  She has brought a lot of joy to our house... and also, a lot of work!  Having 2 children under 2 years of age (my husband seems proud of the fact and tells people we're in the 2 under 2 club) makes time management a tricky thing, to say the least. So I haven't been food blogging or trying many new recipes. I actually didn't have to do a lot of cooking right after she was born either. I am lucky to belong to a playgroup that will bring meals to a member right after they have a baby.  So, I didn't have to cook for 3 entire weeks!  As much as I love to cook, it was soooo nice to have someone bring me a complete meal so I could just enjoy my family. 

But, now I'm back in the saddle and I found a great new recipe.  And it's healthy, so you can enjoy its creamy goodness and not feel an ounce of guilt.

I got the recipe from Cookinglight.com, including photo.   I served it over brown rice.

Man, it's good to be back!

Enjoy!

Chicken in Wine Cream Sauce
Serves 4


2  teaspoons  dried oregano
2  teaspoons  dried basil
1 1/2  teaspoons  dried rosemary
1  teaspoon  garlic powder
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  pepper
1/4  teaspoon  paprika
4  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
8  chicken thighs, skinned (about 2 1/4 pounds)  

Sauce 
1/3  cup  all-purpose flour
2 1/4  cups  1% low-fat milk
1  cup  dry white wine
2  cups  sliced mushrooms
1/4  cup  tub-style light cream cheese

Combine first 7 ingredients and 2 teaspoons oil in a small bowl; rub over chicken. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan; set aside.

Place flour in a bowl; gradually add milk and wine, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add to skillet, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a simmer. Return chicken to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Add mushrooms; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; cover and set aside. Add cheese to skillet; cook 5 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a whisk. Place 1/2 cup rice on each of 4 plates.

Calories: 444
Fat: 14.5 grams

Zucchini Muffins

Now that I have a bigger kid (11) and a littler kid (20 months), I realize that some recipes that little Adam loves might work great for him, but not for older kids or us adults.  Adam is such a good eater that he will eat most anything I serve him (how many toddlers do you know who eat radish salad and Brussel sprouts?)  But I know that the older kids have more complex taste buds, so to label something as "kid friendly" might be a bit misleading if Adam's the taster.

So, I came up with a new category: Toddler-Approved.  These recipes will be something that you can serve to older kids and even adults, but will be more geared toward our littlest ones.  Don't hesitate giving it a taste yourself to see if maybe you found a new favorite!

I wanted to find something to quickly serve Adam in the morning and had a zucchini to use up.  So, of course, zucchini muffins came to mind.  But the real recipe is usually filled with sugar and not that healthy.  So I went on a new favorite food blog, Weelicious.com, and found a healthy version.  Adam loves them so much, he ate 2 full sized ones this morning alone (as I type this, he came running over for another bite!).

The recipe calls for agave nectar, but can also use honey or maple syrup.  I'm assuming you can also use sugar, but regular sugar might not be sweet enough for the limited amount used.   I used maple syrup.

I was out of eggs when I made it, so I used flax seed and water as a substitute.  They came out nicely, but I'll be using eggs or bananas next time.

Hope you and your little ones enjoy!

Zucchini Muffins
Makes 12 muffins (or 24 mini muffins)

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs, whisked
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/3 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
2/3 Cup Agave Nectar (or honey or maple syrup)
1 1/2 Cups Zucchini, shredded (about 2 small zucchini)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined.
5. Pour the zucchini mixture into large or small muffins cups.
6. Bake 15 minutes for small muffins and 20 minutes for large ones.
7. Cool and serve.

Roast Pork Loin with Apples

Pork loin was on sale for $1.97 a pound, so I had to snatch one up.  I figured apples and pork paired well together, so this healthy recipe would be a winner.  It's low in fat and calories, so you can have an extra slice.

I don't have an oven-safe skillet (mine have silicon handles), so I used my Dutch oven instead.  If you don't have either of these, you can cover your handles with aluminum foil to keep them safe.

I got this recipe from FoodNetwork.com.

I served it with rice and a green salad (first lettuce of the summer from our garden!)

Enjoy!

Roast Pork Loin with Apples
Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (2-pound) boneless center cut pork loin, trimmed and tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 stalks celery, thickly, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 apples, such as Cortland or Rome peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large ovenproof skillet heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Season the pork loin all over generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat until golden brown on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate and set it aside.

3. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, herb sprigs, and 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet. Stir until the vegetables are browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced apples, then push the mixture to the sides and set the pork loin in the middle of the skillet along with any collected juices on the plate. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the loin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 140 to 150 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes. (See Cook's Note.)

4. Transfer the pork a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil while you make the sauce. Arrange the apples and vegetables on a serving platter and set aside. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Return the skillet to a high heat and add the vinegar scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen up any browned bits. Reduce by half then add the cider and reduce by about half again. Pull the skillet from the heat and whisk in the mustard, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Remove the strings from the roast and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces and arrange over the apple mixture. Drizzle some sauce over meat and serve the rest on the side.

 Cook's Note: Pork cooked this way will be slightly pink. If desired, cook the pork to 160 degrees F, but be aware that this lean cut will not be as moist at the higher temperature.