I pack my lunch 4: Roasted Shallot Tomato Bisque

The weather is still all wonky and today it's chilly again. Yesterday we had a high of 81 and today 60 if we're lucky, plus blustery 50 mph gusts of stinging wind.  Warm soup is where it's at on days like this. Well, actually, on most any days a good tasty bowl of soup seems good for the soul. I need some of that too; some of that soul healing stuff. The past few days have been rough- feeling awfully blue and neglecting to do anything productive about it. I was alone all week and then weekend, too, so that didn't help. I should have forced myself to go see someone (aside from the friendly staff at Swim Cafe). Thankfully, one of my forever-friends Amy just so happened to stop in Swim Cafe while I was "doing homework" and we chatted a bit. Otherwise, I don't think I would have had a meaningful conversation with 1 person (do the dogs count?) this whole weekeend. It was good to see her and we agreed, as we normally do, that too much time had passed and we should get together soon... sigh. And- ARGH.
So all in all, I had a fairly unproductive weekend of minimal homework, tons of PBS movie watching, half-assed house cleaning, only one (lazy) bike ride and more PBS movie watching. At least there were awesome thunderstorms and a soup to be made. And this soup- well, damn. It's tasty! And to continue climbing out of the blueness I am doing something else I enjoy- sharing my tasty food with anyone that wants to share!
I love garlic. I think I've mentioned this before. And I like spicy. Again, pretty sure I have expressed this already. So you can imagine that this soup is going to have both of these exciting elements to its base. The following herb and spice ingredients were not necessarily measured as carefully as they may seem. I think when it comes to spices, it's really up to the Chef at the time and their individual preference for flavor. So, please keep that in mind moving forward with this recipe.

Ingredients

½ C Celery leaves & small stalks chopped 

4 Shallots, about 3 cups separated

4 Garlic cloves 

2 ½ C strained tomatoes (I buy them jarred to avoid the BPA lining in the can)

2 ½ C Almond, Soy, Coconut (not the Thai kind), or other milk alternative

1 T Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Olive oil

¼ tsp Salt

½ tsp Black pepper

½ tsp Cracked red pepper

1 T Corn Starch

Make It

Spray a large piece of foil with oil cooking spray. Separate and peel shallots and garlic, leaving them mostly whole. Wrap in the foil and roast in the toaster oven at 400-425 for 30 minutes covered, then uncovered for another 20 minutes to brown. 

Meanwhile, start the soup base. Add the oil, spices, and celery to a soup pot or large sauce pan. Heat over medium heat and cook, stirring well. When celery is softened add the tomatoes and milk*. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cover. 

When the shallots and garlic are finished cooking, slice shallots into large strips and chop the garlic. Add these to the soup. Bring to a rolling boil and add 1 T diluted corn starch to thicken and make a bisque. 

What? WHAT? WHAT? 

Yes, I know. It really IS that simple! And so yummy! This would go well with a tasty grilled cheese or some other toasted sandwich, maybe just a hearty roll or something to add a little protein. Otherwise, it's pretty nutritiously sound and definitely easy on the calories.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Serving size = 1.5 C Bowls

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 173.7

Total Fat: 3.2 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 304.4 mg

Total Carbs: 32.4 g

Dietary Fiber: 3.5 g

Protein: 5.2 g

Vitamin A 47.7 %
Vitamin B-10.0 %
Vitamin B-6 23.2 %
Vitamin C 63.1 %
Vitamin D 15.6 %
Vitamin E 32.2 %
Calcium 20.7 %
Folate 11.3 %
Iron 12.8 %
Zinc 3.6 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs and as calculated by the www.sparkpeople.com recipe calculator 

Easter Sunday: Mushroom Lasagna Per Uno

It's Easter Sunday (evening) and I had a good day all to myself. Yesterday was tons of fun, too, with the BFF's and the kiddos Easter Egg Hunting Party!!! Plus a great night with another set of friends playing Trivial Pursuit and Taboo. But today was just me and I took full advantage:

I slept in, then went for a short ride to the sunny coffee shop where I sipped a latte in the sun, caught up on homework and researched bicycles (looking for a new ride) and then went for a nice long ride along the Lake, stopping at the "beach" to pretend like I was with my family at the real beach in FLA. That would have made the day perfect- to have been with the Family (I miss them tons!!). Upon returning home, I took The Girls for a super long walk, which they loved, and then back to clean this place I call home. To relax, I made myself a really fabulous dinner, something I have not taken time to do in a while. Yeah, I am still cooking but nothing really that fancy or well thought out. I've had no time (excuses!!--- really I just haven't been inspired. But then...).

A few weeks ago a friend came to visit. I was supposed to do some serious cooking for this friend, but alas we were distracted by the City and all it has to offer via exploring and on-demand-food and, er, beverage... still, I wish I had made at least one tasty dinner for us. Humph. So I guess I made this tonight thinking that it would have been nice to share with this friend of mine...instead I'll hope that (you) read this and make it for (yourself) some time-- It's so tasty!

I'm calling this dish Mushroom Lasagna Per Uno, but I actually made 2 servings- one for now and one for later this week. I had a feeling I'd really like this and want to eat it again this week. Turns out, I was right. 

Ingredients

4 oz lasagna pasta (approx. 4 noodles) 

1.5 C chopped onion 

3.5 oz (1.5 cups or so) Mushrooms sliced 

1 tsp crushed garlic 

2 tsp Italian seasoning 

½ tsp black pepper 

¼ tsp salt 

1 tsp olive oil  

2 T red wine

½ C Fat Free Ricotta  

2 oz reduced fat mozzarella

Make It
In a sauce pan, using 1 tsp olive oil, saute onion and garlic with spices for several minutes until soft. Add the sliced mushrooms and wine. Stir frequently until all are soft and cooked through. Remove from heat and reserve. Don't scrape the sauce pan so that some of the spices stay in the pan. Then add the strained tomatoes to the pan, bring to a simmer and cover. 
Spray 2 individual casserole/souffle/mini-pie (whatever you have that's small enough to make personal lasagnes) dishes with oil-spray. Layer 1 noodle in the bottoms of the dishes. Divide mushroom and ricotta between the two dishes. Layer the remaining noodles. Divide the tomato sauce between the dishes to smother the noodles.

 

Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until noodles are soft to liking. 
Uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella and return to the oven to melt the cheese. 
Serve with a salad or something light and green*.

One thing, during the visit and discussions about food (less talk, more action, I know I know!) I told my friend was "I try to follow a rule and have something green* with each meal." Yikes! I almost forgot my own rule tonight. Happily, I remembered that I had an artichoke in the fridge and, well, artichokes are certainly green! I boiled this beauty just in time to serve with my tasty lasagna, using the sauciness of the lasagna as a dip, and sipping my newest bottle of Malbec. 

Mushroom Lasagna with Artichoke: 

A delicious and perfect end to a peaceful, solitary Easter Sunday!

Nutritional Info (not including the artichoke*)

Servings Per Recipe: 2

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 397.7

Total Fat: 6.7 g

Cholesterol: 25.0 mg

Sodium: 578.8 mg

Total Carbs: 62.4 g

Dietary Fiber: 7.5 g

Protein: 21.9 g

This dish is higher in calories than I typically like to aim for a single meal. Still, under 500 calories with over 20 grams protein, and less than 7 grams of fat isn't bad at all. If you break it down further, you get over 18% of A, more than 45% calcium and tons of other great nutrients. I think that helps balance the increase in calories. Plus the fact that I went on that long-ass bike ride! Tangent coming soon...time to digress-- let's leave the discussion/post here and say- bon appetite!

Help me name this!

I was at the Whole Foods on Kingsbury, yeah the crazy mega-mall of Whole Foods, and checking out the bulk section when I saw "kamut". I had seen it before, but never really gave it much thought. But I wanted a new grain, something other than barley or rice or quinoa or millet- though I love those things dearly, I was looking for a change. Seems to be a mantra in my life lately- change....So why the hell not change it up with some Kamut? Yeah, I can dig it.

"Whole kamut (pronounced ka-moo) is a non-hybridized hard spring wheat. It is an ancient relative of modern durum (semolina) wheat that develops a very large kernel. Kamut has a rich, buttery flavor and chewy texture. Kamut has 30% higher protein than wheat, is richer in magnesium, zinc, and vitamin E. Contains gluten, but many wheat sensitive people eat it without reaction"(http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com/Organic%20Kamut%20Grain.htm)

Per 1/4 C dry serving, Kamut packs 5 g protein, 33% of daily fiber, 8% iron, only 1 gram fat and 140-160 calories (depending on which source you find). That's not bad. 

And, the other day, I found some lovely portobello caps at my favorite little grocery store, the Chicago Green Grocer. I know, I know, I should just go here for whatever I need or want all the time- instead of mega-mall-whole-foods, but sometimes I want to (shamelessly) walk around the massive space with eyes wide for new and exciting things- like Kamut (forgive me Casey, I'll try to do a better job of resisting temptations). Anyway, point is, I love the mushrooms that Casey sells. They come from River Valley Ranch and are downright amazingly tasty! Really, I think they have a richer flavor than what you find elsewhere. Maybe it's because they are so fresh, not trucked around the states to get to the store and sit on a shelf in plastic and foam- or maybe it's what they use as a growing medium and what they feed them- or a combination of both? Whatever it is, they are delectable. 

Now on to thinking about what to do: right, I have this kamut and these portobellos. I could make a stir-fry and try the kamut as I would rice. I could make a pilaf. Or maybe portobello tacos with Mexican-fried kamut? No. I have not taken advantage of my nifty single-serve casserole dishes nearly enough. This conversation with myself ended up with a dish that kind of reminds me of a potpie or a shepherd's pie, based on the breakdown of it all: stewy mixture covered with something. In this case, it's a stewy cabernet kamut and veggie mix topped with a gorgeous and perfectly sized portobello cap. Not sure what to call it, but I am sure you can dig it.  I definitely did.

Can you help me name it?

Ingredients: 

1 Portobello mushroom cap

1/4 C Kamut, dry

1 C Swiss Chard, (or any green) chopped

1/4 C of each- Celery, Carrots, Onion, chopped

1 shot (2 oz) Cabernet Sauvignon (or other red) Wine

1 C water

1/2 T Italian Seasoning

3-4 dashes ground black pepper

3-4 dashes garlic powder

Make it:

The few reviews I read about kamut recommended soaking it overnight. I did that.

Prepare your veggies, chop celery, onion and carrot and chard, but keep chard to the side. Bring 1 C of water to a boil with the veggies (the mirepoix), kamut and spices. Then reduce and cover for 15 minutes. While that is boiling, preheat the toaster oven to 400 (toaster oven temp- maybe 375 in regular oven?). Add chopped chard and wine to kamut mix. Stir the mix until chard is wilted. Now, transfer to your perfectly sized individual round casserole/baking dish. Cut 4 slits in the top of the mushroom cap. And place that tasty cap over the kamut mixture. Cover the entire dish, loosely so the cap is not confined too much, with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

This really was scrumptious. I think next time I'll try to figure out how to thicken the stewy mix a bit more. I could have used corn starch, I know, but the kamut was not finished cooking in the pot and finished during the baking process. Maybe I'll cook it all the way in the pot and thicken it up before transferring to the casserole. I was afraid of the kamut becoming mushy. But after trying this, I don't think that's possible. It's really a hardy grain.

Weighing in under 300 calories, with almost 15 g of protein, this dish is a winner! Totally satisfied after eating it all. For hungrier folks, a bit of rustic bread and butter would go well with this.

Nutritional Info:
(as per the spark!)

Calories: 287.4
Total Fat: 1.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 376.4 mg
Total Carbs: 54.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 13.1 g
Protein: 14.9 g

I pack my own lunch 3: Mexican-y Squash Soup

I had several small winter squashes in my hanging basket and have been meaning to cook them. I thought about stuffing them mostly. One of them, the pumpkin, bit the dust today. Unfortunately, I just waited too long to do anything with it. So I decided that the others should be cooked post haste or risk loosing them, too. 

Since I was not at all hungry (just came home from a huge brunch with friends) I was having trouble thinking about what to do with them. I thought about it and the fact that I hadn't planned anything yet for lunch this week, well nothing except I assumed I would make a soup since that's what I've been eating lately given it's winter and all... so, these pretty little squashes were cut, cored and popped in the oven to prep for what has turned out to be a damn good soup. And a really simple, limited ingredient dish at that. Oh, and let's not forget I had another awesome excuse to use my immersion blender! Love it!

I didn't want to make something I've had before. The standard curry or apple-carrot or basic squash soup was not appealing to my forecast appetite (again, because this would be for lunch during the work-week). What I thought I'd be craving by Monday was something with cilantro, which if fresh is one of my most favorite herbs! What could I do with cilantro and squash? ...Mexican-y Squash Soup!

When the squash were in the oven, I started a stock. I don't buy bouillon since it's a lot of processed stuff and has tons of sodium. So, using a great long ago suggestion from a friend, when I am prepping dinners I keep the ends of onions, celery, carrots, cabbage and sometimes 'shrooms in a bag in the freezer. When I want to make stock, I pull from that bag of frozen ends and toss them in the pot of water. Cover and cook on medium for at least 30 minutes and you have a tasty, tasty stock. Neat trick, eh? And now you know what's in your stock instead of guessing what someone else did to make it, which is kinda gross if you ask me. 

Ingredients

4 C Water*

3 1/2 C smashed Winter Squash (I used 1 butternut and 1 acorn)

1 jalapeno, chopped

3 T cilantro, roughly chopped

2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garlic powder

salt to taste

*I started with 2 cups of water to the stock, but in the end used a total of 4 cups of water.

Make it

First start the squash. Cut and core them. Put the flesh side facing down in a casserole dish. Add an inch of water and cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until soft. Then start the stock. When it's finished, strain the vegetables and discard (compost). Return the stock to the pan and add the scooped cooked squash. Add the remaining water if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add the jalapeno and cook covered for several minutes. Then add the cilantro. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add salt to taste. Viola! It's complete and it's delicious!

I'll be very happy to be eating this for lunch this week. It's got just the right spice and warmth for cold, winter days in the office. And it's super good for me, too! 

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 5

Calories: 161.6

Total Fat: 0.4 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 690.7 mg

Total Carbs: 42.0 g

Dietary Fiber: 12.7 g

Protein: 3.3 g