Archive for Soups

White Bean Chili…SLOWLY

March 8, 2010 · Filed under Chicken, Healthy done in the Slow Cooker, Recipes, Soups · Tagged

One of the things I love about this blog is chatting with my friends about food!  In thinking about eating healthy people remember of all the yummy recipes they have in their vaults that are actually pretty darn HEALTHY!  If you have a yummy recipe email it to me, we are all in this together! 

This recipe comes from my gal pal Stephanie in Boise and the family INHALED it! (This included a 2-year-old who is visiting)  I must say I usually strike out with crock pot recipes (bland, boring, tasteless) but this one is the real deal!  Easy and full of flavor!

Thanks Steph!

White Bean Chili in the Crock Pot


Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Three (3) 15-oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained – (AKA cannellini beans)
8 oz. cooked and shredded chicken breasts
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell peppers
2 jalapeno chili peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (optional/ and I used one small can)
2 garlic cloves, minced (or two Trader Joe’s frozen garlic cubes)
2 tsp. group cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients except sour cream, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips in slow cooker.
(If you are going to be around you can add the onions and peppers about 1 hour before completion for a bit more crunch)
2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours, or High 4-5 hours.
3. Ladle into bowls and top individual servings as desired: sour cream, greek yogurt, cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, guacamole and chips.

Enjoy!

The 411 on the White Bean Chili: Calories 193/ Fat 3g/cholesterol 34 mg/Fiber 6g/Protein 21g

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Because “The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.”

December 24, 2009 · Filed under Recipes, Soups

Traditions tie us to memories of good times, good things, good experiences.  They also bind us to the generations that came before, and allow us to pass down those things we cherish to our children.  Traditions can be good.  This year I have come to conclude traditions can also be bad.  For me it has become a mission to REINVENT our Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve dinner, and Christmas Day (we eat all day long therefore no specific meal is being singled out).  For me special occasions have always been tied to delicious, but extremely fattening food.  Holidays, Birthdays, gatherings with good friends.  All excuses to eat food I would otherwise not eat, and lots of it. 

I am sure there are many who probably are thinking “She’s taking all the fun out of the Holidays (my Mom may be in this boat with you)”!  But actually I am not trying to remove the fun, I am trying to remove some of the fuel that can feed the fire so many of our bodies fight year-round now.  It struck me when I saw Dr. Oz talking about how the three days with the highest rate of heart attacks are Christmas Day, December 26th, and New Year’s Day, that my rethinking our meals during this time was perhaps not such a bad thing.  According to his discussion with fellow cardiologists and heart surgeons it only takes on fat-laden, artery clogging meal to trigger a heart-attack in someone with risk factors (which can simply be a “family history”).  The days mentioned are rarely one poor meal, but usually one followed by another, for two or three days in a row.

My goal for our family, and extended family, is NOT to remove all the casseroles, cheese dips, pies, cookies and cakes of the past…but to also provide some healthy options that people can opt for, if they wish too.  So far this has been pretty successful and most of the group has been open to changes like red-wine vinegar instead of the regular full-fat salad dressing, or roasted green beans with olive oil and sea-salt instead of a green bean casserole.  The egg casserole we have eaten for three generations has been revised to be enjoyed with less cheese, no bread, and low-fat sausage.  Hot buttered rum will now be mimosas…you catch my drift…not healthy, but BETTER.

The road-block I hit, and simply found myself unable to work with was the Christmas Day lunch of Generation’s Past!  Cube-Steak Sandwiches.  Yep, I think that my kids actually made this sandwich a 5th (or even 6th) generation tradition when they had a few bites last Christmas.  Steak.  Pan-fried.  Sourdough bread.  Mayo.  Fat, more fat, wrapped in a simple carbohydrate and lubricated with some more trans-fats.

So this year we will be enjoying a new Christmas Day Tradition.  I haven’t decided which one I will make yet, but we love both, and though neither are the optimal healthy meal, they are comprised of mostly healthy ingredients, and still speak to the comfort and warmth we all seek in a Holiday meal when we gather with family and friends.

Both of these recipes require ONE pot, not a lot of time, and will make your home smell fabulous, adding to the memory-building formula we all seek!

Tortilla Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil (could omit completely)
3 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp dried onion
1- 4 oz. can of chopped green chilis
1- 15 0z. can of beef broth
2- 15 oz. cans of chicken broth
2- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 tsp each of ground cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper
1 Tbsp steak sauce
1 cup water
1 1/2-2 cups of shredded chicken

Toppings:
grated cheddar cheese
baked tortilla chips
fat free sour cream

In a large dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in oil. Add rest of the ingredients (except for toppings) and let simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. To serve, top with chips, grated cheese and sour cream.

One-Pan Cajun Jambalaya

2 tbsp butter (olive oil will work)
1 yellow onion, chopped (or red)
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped (I have used all colors)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
16    Ounces spicy smoked sausage, preferably Andouille, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp tabasco sauce
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tbsp cajun seasoning

Directions

  1. Melt butter over medium high heat
  2. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and sausage and saute, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender (about 7 mins)
  3. Add the rice, broth, Tabasco sauce, tomatoes and cajun seasoning
  4. Stir until well mixed and bring to a boil
  5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, 20 – 25 minutes

 

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

Most of the fat in this will be from the sausage, so you can opt to not eat it, or cook with low-fat or turkey sausage. 

I like to add shrimp (already cooked and defrosted) and just toss them in right at the end, already warmed up.  Leftover chicken can also be added.

Also if serving children you may want to leave the Tabasco for ppl to add on their own, it is spicy!

 

And I want my family to be getting together for years to come!  Healthy and Happy!

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Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples, by Tal Ronnen

November 2, 2009 · Filed under Recipes, Soups · Tagged

Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples

celerysoup
Ingredients:
  • Sea salt
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium celery roots , peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 stalks celery , chopped
  • 1 large onion , chopped
  • 2 quarts faux chicken or vegetable broth (try Better than Bouillon brand)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup thick Cashew Cream (if you are not avoiding dairy my guess would be you could just use whole milk, or heavy cream here)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple , very finely diced
  • Chive oil   
  1. Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.
  2. Add the celery root, celery, and onion and sauté for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft but not brown. Add the stock and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the Cashew Cream and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
  3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls. Place a spoonful of the diced apple in the center of each serving, drizzle the Chive Oil around the apple, and serve.

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Fall is in the air… Can’t go wrong with a Warm HEARTY Soup! YUMMY!

November 1, 2009 · Filed under Recipes, Soups · Tagged

As I type this the wind is blowing the Autumn leaves off their limbs and the daylight has hardly appeared through the sky.  Fall in the North West!  On these chilly mornings thinking of  what to make for dinner takes on a whole new look and feel as the days of tossing a light refreshing salad together, or throwing some veggies on the BBQ have passed.  Winter meal-planning can feel more laborious and I think tends to more dinning out for many people. 

The reality is a lot of warm, nourishing meals can be made with not much leg-work and the really cool thing is unlike Summer dining, hearty soups, stews and casseroles can be easily doubled or tripled and frozen for later enjoyment!

This soup is about as yummy and filling as soups come and can be altered to be lower-fat with the exchange of ground turkey meat, or vegetarian as I prefer with the addition of lentils, or a few varieties of beans.  But the original recipe ROCKS and freezes up perfectly!

(BTW the best way to freeze soups is to put the soup in zip-locks in whatever quantities you desire (I often do 2 servings to defrost for the kids if we are heading out or to feed Michael if he is on his own for an evening; or enough for 4 to feed us all and this allows me to easily invite others over as I can just grab two bags)…take the bag and  set in the drawer of your freezer upright, or in a bowl if you do not have a freezer drawer.  Once frozen you can fold over the extra portion of the bag and slide them in wherever they fit!

 

beef-barley-soup-recipe

 

Beef & Barley Soup 

  • 2 pounds extra lean ground beef  (be certain to thoroughly drain the fat off of the meat once it is cooked)

            (feel free to substitute with bison meat, lean turkey, or omit meat and use extra veggies/beans/lentils)

  • 2 cups celery, cut into ½ inch dice
  • 2 cups carrots, cut into ½ inch dice
  • 2 cups cabbage, cut into ½ inch dice
  • ½ cup onion, cut into ½ inch dice   (I use a whole onion and I use red b/c it is my fav)

              NOTE:  This is the perfect example of why we all need Nicer Dicer’s!  Need I say more? Unless you are like my friend Honey Curvy who will triple this recipe and make it just so she can chop and chop and chop, ARRRGGGHH!!!!

  • 2 (50 ounce) cans beef broth or Consomme` (I like Sexton brand)
  • 1 (28ounce) can Paradiso brand whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped, including all juices
  • 2/3 cup uncooked barley
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar , or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
  1. In a large kettle, brown ground beef just until it is no longer pink, crumbling the meat into small pieces.  Thoroughly drain off fat. (Most reliable method-especially when doing larger batches- is to pour meat and fat through a strainer set over a large mixing bowl and allow meat to drain for 5-10 minutes.)  Note:  I NEVER do this:)
  2. Return drained meat to pan and add celery, carrots, cabbage, onion, consommé, tomatoes and juices , barley, thyme, basil and garlic.  Cover pan and bring mixture to a boil. 
  3. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.  
  4. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. 
  5. Check seasoning and serve

Great with a crusty bread, cold beer or nice glass of red wine

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Lentil Soup/Stew/Sauce…whatever, it IS YUMMY!

February 24, 2009 · Filed under Recipes, Soups, Veggies · Tagged ,

For Thadd and Lisa who requested a write-up!

  • 1 Jar of Organic Pasta Sauce (keep the sugar and added ingredients down)
  • 1 Can stewed tomatoes poor in the whole can
  • I add about 1/2 Cup of red wine to every cup, cup and 1/2 of sauce
  • Then add about two cups of cooked lentils (can buy already cookedby the lettuce at Trader Joes)
  • I sauté some mushrooms and add those
  • Then I just start adding veggies, I like it thick and loaded. I also use a Nicer Dicer (yes as seen on tv) because all the veggies are then in small bits and uniform in size (I have a bit of a type A thing going, I just hide it well)
  • I will usually add 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1/2 red onion and sometimes zucchini
  • Let simmer for 2 – 3 hours

(When using meat, or if making for people who eat meat) Italian seasoning in your meat, brown/cook meat……and then add to sauce Also this is a super easy thing to do if you have vegetarians and meat eaters because you can do one batch with lentils and one batch with meat and then dump over pasta, serve with salad and bread!!!

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