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Friday, October 26, 2012

Roasted Tomato Soup




This recipe is from Steamy Kitchen's blog (one of my favorites to follow!). I was looking for nutritious soup recipes for my poor hubby who recently had gum surgery. He loves salads and hasn't been able to eat anything crunchy! Since I recently picked up a quart of large, juicy homegrown tomatos from the local farmers' market, this was a good way to use them up. Often in tomato soups, it is turned into a "bisque" by adding cream, and I liked that this one had awesome flavor without all that extra fat. My immersion blender made quick work of the big chunks of veggies without having to transfer the boiling mixture into another appliance for blending.

RECIPE:
5 large tomatoes, cut into thick slices
1 onion, cut into 1/2" slices
1 jalapeno, cut in half lengthwise, seeded
2 bell peppers, cut into big chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400F. Spread tomatos, onion, jalapeno, bell peppers and garlic onto large baking sheets. Drizzle or spritz with olive oil until everything is thinly coated. Roast vegetables for 20-30 minutes, until everything is a bit browned and blistered. Take sheets out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Scrape all items into a large soup pot then add vegetable broth, paprika, salt and pepper. Use immersion blender to blend all ingredients to a smooth puree. Otherwise, transfer contents of soup pot to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Once soup is blended and back in the soup pot, bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld, and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with grated parmesan cheese if you like, and a thick slice of fresh bread. Makes 4 servings(per serving: 130cals, 7g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein)

Saturday, October 13, 2012

French Onion Soup


This picture was taken right after I pulled two bowls of bubbling soup out from under the oven's broiler and the overpowering scent of onions, toasted homemade bread, and Gruyere was hitting me in the face! It isn't the prettiest soup I've ever made, but it tasted phenomenal. The ingredients are few and simple, with the most expensive ingredient being the Gruyere cheese which must be a splurge because there is no substitute for its flavor!

The recipe is from epicurious.com, labeled a "blue ribbon" recipe which means lots of good ratings! Definitely more comfort food than healthy given the ample cheese and butter, but its flavor is so rich that one bowl will satisfy. The recipe stated that it made 2 servings, but I had at least one full bowl leftover. I used 1/2" slices of homemade wheat bread; too much bread takes away from the soup's silky texture. I didn't know how large a "sprig" of thyme is, so I pulled 2 3" stems from my herb garden, which gave just a hint of thyme flavor.

RECIPE:
1 lb yellow onions (about 4 medium), sliced thin
3-5 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups Swiss Gruyere cheese, grated
crusty bread, sliced 1/2" thick, heavily toasted

Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium. Melt the butter, then add the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and some salt & pepper. Saute for a few minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook onions for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a caramel color and very soft. Add flour and mix in, then increase heat to medium, add white wine and let bubble for a few minutes. Pour in broth and water, bring to a simmer and cook with the pot covered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle in more salt and pepper to taste. Once the flavor of the soup is to your liking, turn off heat and ladle soup into two oven-proof bowls. Float slices of bread on top and sprinkle on a thick layer of Gruyere on the bread. Place bowls onto a baking dish for stability and broil on the middle rack for 5 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Let cool before serving, and don't forget the bowls are very hot!


Monday, October 8, 2012

Lentil Squash Soup (Vegan)


I had about 2 cups of leftover trombocino squash (similar to butternut) after making chili over the weekend, and since it is cold outside tonight this soup fit the bill of simple, comforting, hearty, and healthy.

Check out this freaky looking squash from the CSA! The one on the left is the trombocino, and on the right is a type of pumpkin. I succeeded in using both of these monsters up with various recipes - go me!
 
I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and adapted it a little based on the ingredients I had on hand. I didn't have fresh ginger or fenugreek seeds (who has those lying around?), substituted green Goya lentils for red, and added sliced baby bella mushrooms. I also used the whole can of coconut milk, because I was too lazy to figure out what to do with the other half can!  Including cooking time, it took about an hour to make.

RECIPE:
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup dry lentils (don't forget to rinse and sort thru these like I did! oops)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can light coconut milk
2 cups water
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
canola oil
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Add a bit of oil to the bottom of a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute garlic, onion, and ginger for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add squash, mushrooms lentils, cilantro and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste, coconut milk, water, curry, nutmeg, salt, and cayenne. Mix together, crank the heat up to high and bring to a boil briefly. Simmer on low for 30 minutes with the pot uncovered. After 30 minutes, check the lentils to see if they are soft. There should not be much liquid left at this point. If lentils are still crunchy, cover pot and continue simmering until they are done. Taste test and add more seasoning if needed. Serve hot in a bowl sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Guacamole


This guac recipe is out of Steven Raichlen's Healthy Latin Cooking cookbook, the same book from which the Roasted Tomato Salsa came. I have made several recipes from this book, and I would highly recommend it.

A food processor makes short work of creating the perfect texture for this guac. The recipe says to puree it, but I prefer my guac (and salsa, for that matter) extra chunky, so I just pulsed it to my desired chunkiness. Tomatillos aren't something regularly available in grocery stores near me, but I lucked out in that the CSA included a bunch in the latest box. I was able to get the avocados for $1 each at Sam's Club, and despite my low expectations for their quality, I was pleasantly surprised to cut them open and find perfectly ripe, un-mottled green flesh inside.

RECIPE:
2 large avocados, pits removed and flesh scooped out
4 tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
1/2 medium white onion, quartered
1-2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and quartered
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
1 small tomato, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Add tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro to a food process and pulse until well blended. Add avocado and pulse to desired texture. Scrape out mixture into medium bowl. Add tomato, lime juice, then season with salt & pepper to taste. Pair with thick tortilla chips (I am addicted to Target's organic blue corn chips!) Eat within a few hours of making.



Scallops with Spinach and Lemony Risotto


Huge, "jumbo" scallops were on sale at the grocery store, and since I was craving seared scallops over risotto anyway, I decided to buy a pound and try cooking them myself. Doing a quick online search, there were several recipes out there that sounded delicious, but I decided on this one because of it's simplicity and step-by-step directions. Here is the link to the blog I found and used. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, so I won't replicate all the steps here since the blog author did such a great job of writing it!  I did add a couple additional splashes of white wine to the scallops and risotto broth because I like the tart flavor of a dry white to balance out the buttery flavors. I hope you have as much success making this as I did! Enjoy!

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe is out of Cooking Light's June 2012 "Super Fast" section, and it really is quick and easy to make. At first it seemed like it would be a basic stir-fry but  I've made it twice now and it was so good each time that I figured it was blog-worthy.

REVIEW: I changed out the veggies depending on what looked fresh at the grocery. Asparagus subbed for broccoli is delicious if you love asparagus like I do. The sauce is the best part because it is very flavorful, especially after adding a generous amount of Sriracha! I did add a splash of fish sauce to the sauce to add depth. This will definitely be on my regular weeknight dinner rotation.

RECIPE:
1 lb chicken breasts, cubed into bite-size pieces
1 cup rice cooked per its directions (I prefer jasmine)
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups broccoli or asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup frozen edamame (soybeans), shelled
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry-roasted unsalted cashews
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp Sriracha
salt
pepper

Combine chicken, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss until the chicken pieces are well-coated. To make the sauce, combine rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and  sriracha in a bowl and set aside. Heat a large skillet or wok to medium-high heat. Add canola and sesame oil to the wok. Add chicken pieces and saute until chicken is lightly browned and is almost cooked through. Increase heat to high and add broccoli, edamame, garlic, bell peper, and onion. Stir fry for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender but not too soft.Check that chicken is cooked through.  Add sauce and cashews and stir until heated through.

Bonus Tip: One of the trickiest parts of stir-frying is getting the timing just right - the chicken is cooked through but the veggies are not mushy or too crunchy. A really good method that I often use for ensuring the veggies are crisp-tender is to cook the hard vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, carrots, etc) beforehand. To do this, crank the wok up to high and add about 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the wok. Add vegetables to the water and cover. The veggies will steam in about 5 minutes, then remove them from the wok and set aside while cooking the rest of the stir fry. Add 'em back in at the end with the sauce. Works great!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Crispy Fresh Rockfish

One great thing about living here is the fresh seafood readily available. Rockfish is another name for striped bass, and (bit of trivia) is Maryland's state fish. Rockfish season recently opened, and my very generous neighbor showed up at my doorstep with a couple pounds of rockfish filet that he had caught that morning. Lucky me! It just so happened that the current issue of Cooking Light had a recipe on making crispy flounder which I adapted a bit for this beautiful piece of rockfish. Panko made an extra crispy crust, and just a slick of oil in the skillet was all it took to pan fry it, so it had a fried texture without the extra fat. I served it with steamed broccoli & cauliflower and quinoa cooked in vegetable broth.

RECIPE:
1-2 lbs whitefish, cut into 4oz fillets
1 cup Japanese panko
1 tbsp dried italian seasoning
1 pint cherry tomatos
2 tbsp capers
1 shallot
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
cooking spray

Heat a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a small skillet on medium heat. Saute shallot, tomatoes, and capers for 5 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup water to the skillet, cover, and let steam until the tomatoes are wilted, which took about 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat, then add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom of the skillet. Combine panko and italian seasoning on a shallow dish or plate. Spray fish fillets with cooking spray then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge fillets in panko, then place on the hot skillet. Cook fish fillets about 3 minutes on each side until it easily flakes with a fork. Serve the fish warm with a topping of tomato-caper mixture and a sprinkling of fresh basil.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Coconut Curry Mussels with Tofu

I can now say that I've cooked mussels! They are always so delicious when I've gotten them at restaurants, served in a flavorful broth that complements their meatiness. I can't help but to soak up the last drops with thick bread. Once I saw this recipe for mussels cooked in a thai-flavored sauce, I simply had to try it regardless of my intimidation. I had two recipes to cook from, one was Cooking Light and one was Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. I ended up with my own concoction that was absolutely delicious. I have to warn that the measurements for some of the broth ingredients are not exact since they were added by taste. I added in sauteed tofu as an extra serving of lean protein and to add texture. Tofu is great in soupy dishes because it soaks up the flavor of whatever liquid it is simmered in. The mussels were served hot over sweet jasmine rice and with crusty homemade bread and a side salad.

REVIEW: Time to complete this dish was about 45 minutes. Cutting out the tofu step would probably shorten it by 15 minutes. Cooking time was very fast! It is definitely a weeknight meal possibility. For the broth, I started with the base of shallot, garlic, ginger, green curry paste and coconut milk, but then added the following to taste: fish sauce (I like the salty flavor), chicken stock (thinned out the coconut milk a bit), and white wine (why not?). A tip about mussels: My chef friend, Erica, warned me not to eat the mussels that do not open all the way. I tried a couple to see what would happen (I know, terrible experiment) and I didn't get sick but the ones that were just cracked open did not have the right flavor. So it's probably a good rule to follow! I purchased a 2lb bag and that was plenty for two even subtracting the ones we had to discard.

RECIPE:
1 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, sliced into rings
1.5inch piece of ginger, minced
1 can light coconut milk
1 pkg extra firm tofu, cubed
2-3 tbsp curry paste (can be green or red)
3 lbs mussels, rinsed & scrubbed
1/2 lime, juiced (about 2 tbsp)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
extra-virgin olive oil
Added to taste:
fish sauce
chicken stock
dry white wine

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add tofu cubes and cook until tofu is browned on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large dutch oven or pot, melt butter over medium-high. Add shallot, garlic, and ginger and cook 3 minutes. Whisk in coconut milk and curry paste, then add fish sauce, chicken stock, and white wine to taste. Once the desired flavor is achieved, turn up heat to high and bring sauce to a simmer.
Add mussels and stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring once. Discard unopened mussels. Remove pot from heat and stir in lime juice and sprinkle cilantro on top. Serve over jasmine rice with a side of crusty bread. Makes 4 servings.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Butternut Squash & Kale Lasagna



This is probably the fourth different vegetarian lasagna recipe I have tried, and I cannot get enough of them! I really don't miss the meat, and it is a great way to stuff lots of vegetables into one dish. The recipe is from Cooking Light's November 2011 issue. In the past year Cooking Light has added an "everyday vegetarian" section to each magazine and it usually contains interesting meatless recipes.
REVIEW: The lasagna was very hearty and bursting with flavor. Roasted squash and caramelized onions really brought out the sweetness of the vegetables. I made a few changes, but for the most part stuck to the recipe. I didn't buy a large enough butternut squash, so I supplemented with some yellow summer squash to get 6 cups. I also used whole-wheat lasagna noodles. I had a huge bunch of fresh kale from the farmer's market, so I used that instead of spinach, which contributed to the heartiness I'm sure! There were several steps and the prep took me a good hour and a half before I even put the lasagna in the oven, so I wouldn't say this recipe is easy, but it was worth the effort!

RECIPE:
6 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2" cubes
12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 large onion, vertically sliced thin
2 9oz packages of fresh spinach or kale (if using kale, remove ribs)
5 cups 1% low-fat milk
9 whole-wheat lasagna noodles, cooked almost to al dente (don't overcook!)
1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (I used ground sage)
5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded
3/8 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt
pepper
extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine squash, 1 tbsp EVOO, sage, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spray cooking spray on a large baking sheet and spread squash mixture on it. Bake for 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Cool and peel garlic. Mash garlic and squash in a bowl with a fork.

While squash is baking, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Place onion in a bowl.

Add 2 tbsp water to the Dutch oven, add kale, cover and increase heat to high. Cook until kale is soft and wilty. Drain in a colander and squeeze out excess liquid. Add kale to onion bowl.

Heat 4.5 cups milk, bay leaf, and thyme in a medium saucepan over medium- high heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Return pan to medium heat. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl. Add to pan, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in dash salt, 1 1/4 cups cheese, red pepper, and nutmeg

Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer 3 noodles over milk; top with half of squash mixture, half of kale & onion mixture, and 3/4 cup milk mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining milk mixture over noodles. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the last of the fontina cheese, and put back into oven until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings. (per serving: 360 cals, 12g fat, 50g carb, 17g protein)

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Veggies-to-the-Max Tart

I'm back! Santa brought me a new camera so now my food photos should look even more irresistible! After the holiday season of eating and drinking to my stomach's content, I like to get back on track with a extremely healthy menu. On this week's menu was this veggie tart, couscous-stuffed chicken breast, and vegetable lasagna.

A very generous friend (and perhaps a fan of my cooking) bought me a book called Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi which contains nothing but vegetable recipes. Many of them are very creative and caught me off guard, such as roasted eggplant topped with buttermilk sauce and pomegranate seeds, or pumpkin souffle. This book will definitely come in handy when our CSA delivery provides more eggplant than I know what to do with!

The first recipe I chose from this book is called "Very Full Tart" which is not an understatement because the veggies were overflowing so much that I barely had room in which to stuff the cream sauce and cheeses. The recipe called for a 9 inch loose-bottomed tart pan which I do not have, so I purchased a pre-made frozen crust and used that. I'm sure it tasted the same but my version took much longer to cook probably due to being thicker than a tart. It took about double the time! However, my oven always seems to take much longer for these types of dishes. I would say start with 45 minutes as the recipe states, then check it every 10 minutes until the sauce in the middle is set. To make the recipe even healthier, I substituted 2% milk for heavy cream and light instead of full-fat ricotta.

REVIEW: This tart was delicious and hearty enough for a main dish. I think roasted vegetables have the best flavor. The feta added saltiness and interest to what might otherwise have been a bland sauce.

RECIPE:
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 medium eggplant, diced 1" pieces
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced 1" pieces
1 small zucchini, diced 1" pieces
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
pie crust dough or pre-made crust
8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1/3 cup light ricotta
4 1/4 oz feta
7 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 eggs
1 cup 2% milk
olive oil
salt & pepper

Thaw pie crust and pre-bake according to the package directions. Don't overcook or it will be crumbly! If you choose to use pie dough, for this part you're on your own. I assume it would need to be pre-baked as well but I know nothing about that process!

Preheat oven to 450F. Remove stem and seeds from bell peppers, place into glass dish, and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Put peppers on the top shelf of the oven to roast for 12 minutes. Mix eggplant pieces in a bowl with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread eggplant plus diced sweet potato onto a large baking pan and put into oven below the peppers to roast for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, spread the zucchini onto another baking sheet and put on a third shelf in the oven. This all sounds complicated, but basically the bell peppers roast the longest - those should be browned and crackly on the skin when done, then the eggplant and sweet potato the second-longest, then finally the zucchini needs the shortest roasting time. Keep an eye on all the veggies while cooking to make sure they can be easily pierced with a fork without being blackened.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Saute onions with bay leaves and a dash of salt for 25 minutes until they are brown and caramelized. Remove from heat.

When all vegetables are roasted, reduce oven temp to 325F. Cover the bell peppers and allow them to steam and cool, then peel them. I prefer the Bobby Flay method of flattening out the pepper and using a small knife to scrape off the crispy skin leaving the soft flesh. Slice peppers into thin strips.

Spread caramelized onion on the bottom of the pre-baked crust. Spread all other vegetables over onion until the crust is full. Sprinkle half of the thyme leaves over the vegetables. Place chunks of feta and ricotta anywhere that can be filled in between the veggies. Scatter the tomato halves cut side up.

Whisk eggs and milk in a small bowl with a bit of salt and pepper. Pour mixture into the crust without overflowing or covering the top layer of vegetables. Sprinkle the rest of the thyme leaves on top.

Place pan in the oven (recommend to put it on a baking sheet to prevent spills) and bake for a minimum of 45 minutes. The filling needs to set and should be a golden brown when done. Allow tart to cool at least 10 minutes prior to cutting. Enjoy!