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!

Split Pea, Cabbage & Radish Soup

I freaking love split pea soup! There, now you know. I think it's delicious and kind of get a kick out of how it actually looks pretty gross, all green and clumpy. But a lot of dishes look or smell awful and end up being delightful (like Mom's Tuna Casserole!). Since it's nice and chilly now, I have been really really into soups and stews.  They are so warming, easy to make, cheap to make and nutritiously filling.

For this split pea soup, I wanted something more than just carrots and peas- I wanted a hardiness to it. I decided on using up 1/2 a head of cabbage I had and a beautiful (watermelon?) radish I got from the Farmer's Market. I was almost certain I had heard of split pea and cabbage soup before, but googled it just to be sure. Yep. Several (hundreds?) have done this before. But I didn't find any that suggested adding radish to it. I was hopeful this would work out and be tasty, because it was going to serve as my lunch for several days to come. Happily, it did.

Before I jump into the recipe, check out this beautiful radish I picked up from a farmer at the market. I am almost positive it's called Watermelon Radish. It's an heirloom variety and grows big like a turnip. Isn't it stunning? Oh and it's just absolutely scrumptious!

Ingredients:
4 C Tap Water
2 Stalks Celery chopped
3/4 - 1 Carrots chopped
1/2 Onion chopped
2 C Cabbage, chopped
1 C Radish chopped
1/2 C Dry Split Pea

Make It: 

Heat the water ready to a boil. Add the celery, onions and carrots to the water. Boil and continue to boil fror a few minutes. Add the Spit Peas and cover to reduce heat and continue cooking. When the peas have cooked all the way through, remove from heat and blend to make smooth. I used my food processor, however, an immersion blender would be perfect for something like this! 

Then return to heat and add the cabbage and radishes. Cook on med-low for 15 minutes or so until the radishes are soft to chew.

Serve hot or reserve in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Not sure how this happened, but I have no pictures of the final product. It was really yummy, but honestly as previously noted this was not that pretty (muddy green and what not). So use your taste-bud imagination, cook it up and enjoy!

Nutritional Info: 

Servings Per Recipe: 3

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 75.7

Total Fat: 0.4 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 55.6 mg

Total Carbs: 15.2 g

Dietary Fiber: 5.7 g

Protein: 4.3 g

Cabernet Mushrooms w/ Greens & Sweet Potatoes

Oh brother, here I go again with a tremendously long break in between postings. I was afraid of this. But I am going to keep trying. The more I do, the easier it will get- right? Right. Right. I have been cooking and eating, but a lot of that cooking and eating has been on the fly with no real thought. Or it has been for more than just me, in a hurry, and without writing it all down. Like for Thanksgiving. Which by the way, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday and are enjoying leftovers! Maybe you're not, though, and maybe you're looking for something filling but responsibly light (because of the guilty indulgences this weekend perhaps?) for dinner. Well, I think this may be an option for you then. Let me know if you like it.

The other night, I ran out of MRE's (meals-ready-to-eat, no not the Military issue but of my own making) and so it was time to cook it up. I also needed lunch for a few days. But I had a craving for mushrooms for dinner and thought soup for lunches would be nice. And, no I didn't want mushroom soup three times in a row. So I conceded to again make more than one meal at once and be prepared for the next few days.
Of course, I didn't get home until almost 8 o'clock since I went to the gym before leaving work, then stopped for dog treats. My dinner and lunch-soup had to be quick meals so I could get on with the other things needing my attention.
Quick was the intent anyway. And for some, this may be quick compared to past kitchen adventures. For me, it was too long given looming homework as one example of something needing my attention. Regardless, both were damn tasty so I am really not complaining.

Ok, I wanted mushrooms and I wanted a hearty dinner. What should it be then? Well, how about a substantially mushroom based meal accompanied by lush greens and braised sweet potatoes? Yup! That'll do. So yummy, so filling.

Ingredients:

7-8 medium mushrooms halved or quartered

1 C Collards, chopped

1 C Mustard Greens, chopped

1/2 C Onions, raw, sliced in half rings

~ 1/4 C Red (Cab Sauv) Wine 

1 C Sweet potato, cubed/diced large

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

All natural, real olive oil cooking spray (not Pam or some weird, can't pronounce it, ingredient list of a "food-like-product")

Make It:

1. Spray a small skillet or pan with the olive oil spray and heat to med-hi heat. Add the cubed sweet potato in one layer and "fry" to brown and soften the potatoes. This might take as long as 20 minutes, but should take less than that. Make sure to turn them over for even cooking. When finished keep on warm. 
2. Meanwhile, but pay attention to the sweet potatoes so they don't burn!, prepare the rest of the vegetables as described in the ingredient list and get the seasonings together as well. This will all come together pretty quickly. 
3. Heat a large skillet with olive oil spray. add onions to saute. Stir for a few minutes, then add spices and mushrooms, stir for 2-3 more minutes. Finally, add the greens and stir only 1 minute. Add the red wine (watch it, it will steam and pop!) and cover the pan while reducing the heat to simmer, very low. Steam for 3 minutes or so. Check greens for wilt but not mush. Remove the mix from the pan to a serving dish and cover to keep warm; reserve the liquid in the pan and reheat to medium. Quickly, add a few dashes of cornstarch to the liquid to thicken it like a gravy. 
4. Place sweet potatoes on the plate, uncover the mushroom mix and pour the gravy over the mix.
5. Enjoy!

This ridiculously filling meal is packed with nutrients, including a healthy portion of protein, and is very low in fat and calories. Hoorah!

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 265.6

Total Fat: 1.3 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 108.7 mg

Total Carbs: 55.6 g

Dietary Fiber: 13.2 g

Protein: 12.7 g

the little toaster oven that could (can)

The alternate title to this post is Oven Roasted Jalapenos. 

I think I've mentioned using my toaster oven before, but have I told you about it? Well, it's fabulous. Toaster ovens are a great alternative to the regular oven because they are small, consume way less energy and work pretty fast (because of their small size and less space to heat). So having one is really important to making my kitchen complete.
My last toaster oven caught on fire. That happens sometimes. So I was without one for a long while. Then, this summer I was at this house of a thrift store- seriously, it's a house with 4 stories of stuff in every room. Each room or level benefits a different charity. These charities decided it'd be a great opportunity to get this house and collectively share the cost of a thrift storefront. What a brilliant idea! And extra bonus for me. I left this house two times with bags full of things I needed. I mean really needed, not just wanted, and mostly bulky stuff (think kitchen and bedding). So cool.

Anyway, about the Toaster Oven. Everything was on sale- I love when thrift stores have sales. There were BOGs, percent-off offers, then there was a room with kitchen goods. And their sale was anything you can fit in a brown paper grocery sack for 1$. I had a paper bag filled with 3 pitchers, a bread knife and a mixing bowl. Then I had this toaster oven. The volunteer ringing me up told me that the toaster oven didn't really fit in the sack, so I'd have to buy it separately. Ok, how much? Umm, 1$. Sweet! I said, handing over 2 crisp 1$ bills, while I thought, I hope it doesn't catch on fire...

Well, it's Fall and that was Summer and I've used this bad-boy so much since then. And, knock on wood, it has yet to catch on fire. Hooray! A dollar well spent indeed. I know it's not the fanciest machine, it's not convection or multi-tiered. It's a simple Black & Decker model, probably at least 10 years old. It only has bake or toast as options and it's not the prettiest. It was obviously pre-loved( though I wonder if as much as it is now). But it's a great little oven and it makes me happy.

Here's an example, mind you only one example of many, many, things my oven is good for: Roasted Jalapenos!

I had a bunch of jalapenos that were starting to crinkle and turn. I didn't want to lose them, especially since I grew them, so I decided to roast them and stuff them in oil for later use. I might split them up and add them to canned goods for Christmas presents. We'll see.

This was very simple. cut and core the jalapenos and tossed them with a liberal amount of oil. Turned the oven up to about 400 and let them cook. 

I have no idea how long they were in there- I was making a bunch of other food- but it was probably at least 30 minutes. They were a little crispy and browned on edges. I think that's fine. 

Then I stuffed them in a small (empty) horseradish jar and filled it with more oil. These will stay in there for a long time and I can use the oil or the peppers or both whenever I want. 

I seriously *heart* my toaster oven. 

Garlic Sauce with Shiitakes

Eureka!
I swear, I am not trying to rub it in or brag or exaggerate, but I think I may have (mostly) nailed this one! On the commute home the other night, I realized I needed lunch for the rest of the week and decided I'd make soup. And I figured I'd also just eat that soup for dinner. But when I got home to check the fridge for soup ingredients I found shiitake mushrooms! They had been in there for a while, so it was really time to do something about them. But I didn't want them in soup. I remembered back to when I purchased them, I daydreamed of something more like Chinese/Asian or using them as you would clams in a garlic wine sauce... So, I committed to making the lunch soup (Split Pea Cabbage and Radish Soup- recipe later) and something Chinese/Asian with mushrooms for dinner.
I was performing some updates on the computer so I couldn't google recipes. I had to wing it. Seriously- this is hands down the best "wing it" recipe I've ever made, of course that's my opinion so you be the judge.
I wanted spicy, garlicky and interesting- I chose to try to make a Chinese-style Garlic Sauce. I have no idea what's in a traditional garlic sauce. But I was up for a challenge to see if I could replicate it based on taste-bud-memory alone. 
I had half of a spaghetti squash leftover from dinner a few nights ago. Instead of boiling lo mein or soba noodles, or cooking rice, I decided this saucy dish would smother the squash well, plus it's already cooked which was a bonus at that already late hour.
This recipe is really about the sauce- the vegetables or what you mix with it could be anything you have on hand. 

Ingredients
Sauce
1 1/2 T Soy Sauce

1 T Bragg's Liquid Aminos

1 T Rice Vinegar

1/2 tsp red chili sauce (shriracha chili paste)

1 tsp minced garlic

~1 T corn starch

Vegetables

3/4 C Shiitake mushrooms sliced into strips

3/4 C onions, sliced in half rings

1/4 C Collards, short but wide strips

1 tsp oil

Squash

2 C spaghetti squash

Make it:
Reheat and hold the spaghetti squash. (Or boil whatever noodle or rice you're going to use.)
Mix, except the corn starch, the sauce ingredients in a small dish. Heat the oil in a skillet or Wok. Add the onions and stir for 2-3 minutes, add the mushrooms and stir again for a 2 minutes. Add the garlic sauce mix and stir well. Add the greens, use caution to try not to mash all the greens together. Add the corn starch to thicken the sauce around the vegetables. Make it thick but not too thick. It should smother well, versus just plop out of the pan.

Smother the spaghetti squash and enjoy. So good!

A few thoughts...
If I had bok choy or something more "Chinese dish-like" I would have used that instead of Collards; however the greens were just delightful in the dish and didn't make me long for anything more authentic. And if I had more Bragg's, I would double the Bragg's and reduce the soy sauce to limit some sodium. There's not an unusually large amount of sodium, but it was a bit salty...

Here's some sodium information I found in an article by the Mayo Clinic--
Sodium: How to tame your salt habit now
            The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. The average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day — much more than recommended. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

Ok, so maybe it is a little heavy on the sodium... cut it with the Bragg's or even water (meaning use less soy sauce). Then, sit back and enjoy this huge plate of food, for only 200 calories!! There's certainly room for more with that level of calories, but seriously not much room in the belly after you gorge on this. Maybe a spring or egg roll? Maybe. 

Nutritional Info:

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 200.0

Total Fat: 1.3 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 1,989.2 mg

Total Carbs: 48.2 g

Dietary Fiber: 8.7 g

Protein: 8.0 g

Mustard Caraway Lentils & Stuffed Squash

I mentioned in my last post that I had a friend stay with the Critters this last week and that I cooked up a feast for his stay. I shared with you the Spicy & Sweet-Potato Soup recipe in that last post and I am happy to report- he loved it. But the thing he loved more and has repeatedly said so since his stay was the Stuffed Carnival Squash, which was stuffed with a fancy new twist on lentil stew that I am calling, Mustard Caraway Lentils. I made a large batch of lentils and had plenty to eat for dinner the night I was cooking all of this... I put my lentils over spaghetti squash (see pictures and nutritional info below). I also have enough lentils now for a few lunches the rest of this week. Perfect!

As I was thinking about the menu for my friends' stay, I thought about the blog and how I would share the menu with you. I also thought, man I make a lot of curry. I really wanted to make curry lentils for the squash, but decided to try something new. So I looked in the cupboard to see what flavors I had and happened upon this package of cracked mustard seed I picked up in Devon on my last visit there (I think I've mentioned Devon before- the neighborhood in Chicago that has all the fabulous Indian foods). Then I saw the jar of caraway seeds. I never use caraway seeds, but I love the flavor! So I decided I had to try to cook with them. I also had a ton of tomatoes from the garden which made a great base for the lentil stew. The result?  Really yummy lentils!

Do you know about the health benefits of the Caraway seed? I have recently read a bit about the seed and am intrigued! As a matter of fact, while I sit and type this post I am drinking a cup of caraway and ginger tea. Mmm. According to a few sites, Caraway seeds are a great digestive and even help babies with colic! I am constantly complaining of bloating and supposedly this tea will help that. We'll see...

Here's a blurb from one site: 

Caraway promotes gastric secretion and stimulates appetite. It breaks down spasms in the gastrointestinal tract to prevent flatulence, but it is also used to treat menstrual cramps and gallbladder spasms. The German E commission reports that caraway seeds are an antimicrobial, and can relieve the feeling of bloating or fullness associated with indigestion and stomach complaints. Caraway oil is strongly fungicidal, having a stronger anti-fungal and anti-yeast activity than the prescription medication Nystatin. Caraway seed oil is used as a flavoring agent in pharmaceuticals, a fragrance in cosmetics and body care products, and is used in all major categories of food, from meat to candy to condiments. 

I'll let you know if I feel any relief from the caraway tea. For now, the Mustard Caraway Lentil recipe...

Ingredients for Lentils:

2 C Tomatoes, chopped 

½ C Onions, chopped

3 cloves Garlic

½ C Celery

2 tsp Olive oil

1 ½ C Water 

½ T Cracked Mustard

1 tsp Caraway Seed

½ tsp salt

1 tsp coriander 

1 C lentils, dry

* Ingredients for the rest of the dish includes

Squash - 1 small carnival and 1 small spaghetti squash

Collards or some kind of greens, 1 cup chopped. 

Make It:

First prepare the squash. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the top off the carnival squash and scoop out the seeds. Place squashes flesh side down (shell up) in a shallow dish with about 1 inch of water. Bake at 375-400 until the flesh is soft.

While the squash is cooking prepare the lentils. Add the oil to a large pan that has a lid. Chop the tomatoes, onions and celery and mince the garlic and add it all to the pan. Cook on medium heat to mix the flavors and saute a little bit for 5-10 minutes. The tomatoes will start to stew which is what you want. Add the spices and water. Bring to a boil and add the lentils. Stir boiling for a few minutes, then reduce to simmer, cover and cook until lentils are soft. About 30 minutes or so. 

I wanted something green with this and had some collards and kale. For the friend, I made collards. For me, kale. I steamed them with garlic powder and pepper. 

Again, another awesome meal for less than 300 calories. So filling, so nutritious, so fabulous!

Nutritional Info (for lentils only)

Servings Per Recipe: 6

• Calories: 149.8
• Total Fat: 2.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 209.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 19.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
• Protein: 13.1 g

* One cup of spaghetti squash adds about 42 calories and the collards or kale add about 15 calories. 

Base Soup Meal 3 - Spicy Red Bean Chili

Good-bye Summer 2011, at times you were twisted and confounded, other times fun and exciting, but I loved you just the same. Now you're gone and I already can't wait to have you back again.

It's getting cooler. Today was the last day of Summer (9/22/2011- I know I am posting this after the fact, but it's what I can do to stay ahead). I am very, very sad about this. I really don't like Winter anymore and while Fall is beautiful, it still is colder than I like and undoubtedly means Winter is on the way. I do like Fall and Winter foods, though, so that's something to look forward to.
As the season changes it's time to make Chili-- so, I herald: Bring on the Fall and Winter Food! (Like I said, it's pretty much the best thing about the next several, long months.) Oh- back up a minute- as you might be aware, the Chili will be the result of the massive Garden Tomato Base Soup or Sauce I made several days ago now.
Ok, so I woke up this day and realized I hadn't soaked beans over night. Hence, I decided to use the crock-pot as it's meant to be used. Because I was using the crock-pot, I made way more beans than I used in this recipe, but that's okay. They will come in handy for the next meal I think. Plus, it's really silly to make 1 serving of beans from dry beans- especially in a crock-pot- given the effort involved.
Before this time, I had never left the crock-pot on all day while I was away at work. It just seemed scary to me. I know, I know, that's what they are for. But still! It's kind of weird, no?  I think I felt more comfortable this time, though, because I now have a dog walker*. He's awesome for so many reasons- for example in this instance, when he came to relieve the Girls mid-day, he could tell me if the place was burned down or burning down or if he believed it would burn down if he didn't unplug the scary-left-alone-crock-pot. Perfect.
And so with total (shaky) confidence at 630 AM, into the crock-pot went 1/2 cup of beans covered with more water than usual, maybe 2 cups (again so no burning happened), plus a bay leaf or 2 for good measure, set on low and I walked out the door, hoping for the best. This worked out pretty well. Except, I got distracted on my way home from work and totally forgot I had the beans on. So, they were a little softer than usual...but that actually surprised me.  I had them in the pot, on low for about 12 hours. I thought for sure without soaking them, the beans would still be pretty firm by the time I got to them. Maybe if I had made it home in 10 hours, like normal, they'd have been just perfectly cooked, still slightly firm and completely whole. As it was, they were on the more-mushy-but-still-looks-mostly-like-a-bean side. I am thrilled with my new knowledge of crock-pot bean cookin'! I'll definitely make more beany dishes in the crock this Winter.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C base tomato soup or sauce

1/2 C cooked Red Kidney beans

1/4 C chopped onions

2 T chili powder

1/2 T garlic powder

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

dash of salt to taste

Make It:

1. Cook those beans in the slow cooker (crock-pot)! You could cook them with the spices, but I wasn't sure what else I would use the beans for, so decided to cook them plain with just the bay leaves

2. Heat the base soup to a boil and stir in all the spices. Reduce to simmer, add chopped onions and cover. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. 

3. Scoop out 1/2 cup of beans, mostly beans and a little of the crock-pot cooking liquid, and add to the base mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat everything through. 

4. Toast your favorite chili bread (be it garlic bread, polenta, corn muffins, texas toast, etc.).

5. Pour Chili into a big bowl, serve with your toasted chili bread. 

Oh so easy and delicious! The chili really turned out pretty yummy. I wish I had not dilly-dallied after work or I would have made polenta or corn muffins to go with it. Instead I had some garlic toast. Still not bad, but not the perfect side for chili- in my opinion anyway.

This Chili is brought you by the number 288. As in, only 288 calories make this giant bowl of yumminess and is packed with more than 12 grams of protein. Enjoy!

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 288.2

Total Fat: 6.9 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 653.1 mg

Total Carbs: 52.5 g

Dietary Fiber: 19.1 g

Protein: 12.5 g

Base Soup Meal 2 - Creamy Curry Soup in a Snap!

My little sister Nikki called while I was making this, so I am not really sure how long it took to make. But if memory serves me right, it was pretty quick- or Snappy if you will. And, since she called I wasn't able to take as many photos as I usually like to share with my recipe posts, so you'll have to use your imagination.

This is the second dinner I made using the Garden Tomato Base Soup or Sauce. I am really getting into the idea of the "base soup" concept. I have some great ideas for the next few dinners, but will keep you waiting in expense to find out what I was able to do.

I found myself dreaming of curry the other day (I know-shocker since I <3 Curry SO much!). I think I was remembering a conversation I had with my Indian friend, Anette, and how she uses curry almost everyday. We discussed the Tomatillo as we worked in the college community garden together. Anette had never heard of a tomatillo, so I explained its unique tomato-like texture with hints of chili flavor. I ventured to guess that a tomatillo would make a delicious green curry... if my freaking tomatillos ever come in in my own garden, I'll venture to prove my guess correct. But don't hold your breath since they are still not in and it's nearly October!

I digress...this post is not about tomatillos or green curry. It's about a curry dish I made with my Garden Tomato Base Soup or Sauce. And it's about how damn tasty and super quick it was to make (since the base was already started).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C base tomato soup or sauce 

3/4 - 1 C water 

1 Jalapeno pepper

3 T dry red lentils

1/4 C Almond Milk, Unsweetened
1 T Curry powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp white pepper

1/2 loaf of Na'an

Make it: 

1. Heat the base tomato soup and the water to a boil, stir in red lentils and simmer covered. 
2. While that mixture is cooking, roast the pepper on the flame of the stove burner. 
3. Once the skin is scorched, toss it in a paper bag for 5 minutes to cool. 
4. Stir the tomato mixture. Peel the pepper, seed and dice it. Toss it in the tomato mix, recover and simmer. 
5. When the lentils have softened, the new soup mix should be relatively thick. 
6. Start toasting or heating the Na'an anyway you prefer- careful not to burn it. 
7. Stir or whip the soup using a handle held blender to make the mix smooth. Stir in the almond milk and remove from heat. 
8. Pour into a serving bowl and serve with Na'an. This got a little spicy, so it was nice to temper it with the Na'an. Though if calories and carbs of real concern, then you can skip the tasty bread and just fill up on this oh so satisfying soup. 

And there you have it...yet another yummy dinner for 1, with just the right amount of protein and calories and filling goodness to last the whole night. And all for under 400 calories (again, take out the Na'an and we're under 300) with 16 grams of protein and many other nutrients!

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 356.1

Total Fat: 7.8 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 428.2 mg

Total Carbs: 60.2 g

Dietary Fiber: 12.7 g

Protein: 16.0 g

Base Soup Meal 1 - Basil Soup & Grilled Chevre Sandwich

I received some sage advice on keeping up with this blog from some fabulous friends (thanks Ladies- Sarah, Lauren & Melissa- you are beautiful). One thing that I will certainly consider is that I don't have to post to you everyday, so long as I am consistent. Well, I am going to do my best then to be consistent and post on Sunday and Thursday of the week. That's my intent- we'll see how well I stick to it.


Given this intent the recipes and meals I made from the big batch of GardenTomato Base Soup or Sauce will be the topic of the next several posts and weeks. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do eating them. If I get more inspiration or, really, more time then I might post more frequently. At least for this series in case you, too, are sitting on a bunch of tomatoes you're not quite sure what to do with.

As you may recall, I posted last about a Garden Tomato Base Soup or Sauce. This was the result of having a TON of tomatoes and not knowing what 1 person could do with them all. I have since managed to make use of nearly all of them. I made this giant batch of soup or sauce and stuck in the fridge, each night (well almost each) making something new with it.
I mentioned in that first base post that I was so tired after cooking all the tomatoes, I opted for something extremely simple. So I made a tomato basil soup and grilled a sandwich with fresh basil and goat cheese. Nothing too fancy, but really, really satisfying!

This is not the most exciting post I'll share, however, it is the first of the dishes I've made with the Base Soup/Sauce and as promised I am telling you about it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C Base Soup or Sauce
1-2 T fresh chopped and torn basil
1/4 T garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup onion rings
2 slices of low-calorie, whole wheat, no crap added bread (45 calories a slice in this recipe and still NO crap added!)
1/2 oz soft goat cheese
Olive Oil Spray

Make It:

1. Bring the base tomato soup to a boil, add spices and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for several minutes while you slice the onions and prepare the bread.
2. Prepare the bread by smearing the goat cheese on both pieces, but only 1 side of each. Then place largely torn pieces of basil on the cheese. Set aside.
3. Heat a small frying pan with some olive oil or olive oil spray and stir-fry or 'grill' the onions until browned. Remove from pan.
4. Add the remaining basil to the soup and stir. Cover and keep on simmer.
5. Return frying pan to heat, coat with olive oil spray, place 1 piece of bread (cheese side up!) in the pan, add the onions to the cheese side and then place the other piece of bread (cheese side down!) on top of it. Cook on med-hi heat to brown and then flip to grill the other side. Slice in half.
6. Pour the hot soup into a soup bowl and serve with the grilled sandwich.

Again, not too involved but a really tasty meal! And it's really low in calories but high in nutrients! Under 300 calories and over 16 grams of protein- not to mention all that C and A from the tomatoes and everything else in there. You really can't go wrong with this simple little dish.

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 263.0

Total Fat: 7.9 g

Cholesterol: 6.5 mg

Sodium: 908.9 mg

Total Carbs: 37.0 g

Dietary Fiber: 13.7 g

Protein: 16.8 g

Garden Tomato Base Soup or Sauce

I am having a hard time keeping up with the garden this season. With work, school and all the other committees or groups I work with, it's just been a lot. I knew I had to get in there and do some watering, weeding and picking of fresh food. So, one night last week, I came home from work and took the Girls over thinking I'd work into the night, sweating, pulling weeds, trimming vines, and really get the garden back in shape. Well, I didn't get much maintenance completed because most of my time was spent harvesting a ton of tomatoes, and other vegetables and herbs!
What the heck was I going to do, for a party of 1, with all these tomatoes? I am not ready to bust out the canning gear. I already have some delicious sauce saved in the freezer. I don't have dinner or lunch really planned for this work week, so I should do something with it that will be eaten this week. But that's a lot of tomatoes! So I decided I would make a giant batch of "base soup or sauce" and use it to make 5 different meals this week. I thought it might be fun to see what different things I can create with the same base ingredients.
So far, so good. I'll post them as I get time. But one night was tomato basil soup with grilled chevre sandwich and the other night was creamy, spicy curry soup with grilled Na'an. Next, I think I'll make a sauce and smother grilled eggplant (see those lovely fairytale eggplants above? mmm...) and polenta or maybe make a minestrone...oh, there's a dish I remember making that involves doughy biscuits and tomato soup, that might be nice...
But for now, I am going to share the method and ingredients for the Base Soup or Sauce. I used what I had in the cupboard and fridge. If I were planning this ahead of time I probably would have used more carrots and less celery. As it was I had a little over 1 C of chopped onion, and a little less than 1 C of each celery and carrots. I also had about 40-45 romas and 3 medium sized beef-steaky types  (both are  called some other names as heirloom tomatoes, but I can't remember them).

Ingredients:
27, Italian (Roma) Tomatoes, blanched and peeled - I weighed them, but I don't know if my scale is that accurate and the calorie tool I use didn't want weight, it asked for #. The weight was 40oz.
3, medium tomatoes, peeled - again I weighed these and they were about 10 ounces
1+ C Onions, chopped
-1 C Carrots, chopped
-1 C Celery, diced
1 T Olive Oil
4 tsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp white pepper powder
1 C cup water





Make it

1. Wash, blanch in hot water then a cool water bath, and peel the tomatoes. I didn't bother seeding them, but you can if you want to work that much harder. 
2. Chop celery, carrots, onions and mince (or use jarred garlic) garlic.
3. Add everything to a giant stock pot.
4. Add white pepper and water. Boil on high for 15 minutes, reduce to simmer. Blend with hand held blender.
5. Cover and cook down for 45 minutes or longer if you have time. 

This makes a chuncky-ish type base. By the time this base was finished, I was really hungary. My first meal with it then is not my most creative work. I just made a really simple soup without blending or processing further and dressed it up with a grilled sandwich. It was really great. But I sat and thought of other, creamier ve chevre rsions. Stay tuned...

Serving Size: 5, 1.5 cup servings

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 5
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 140.5

• Total Fat: 4.2 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 73.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 26.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.2 g
• Protein: 4.4 g

Scarborough Fair Stuffed Zucchini

My urban garden is in full bloom...and I've been thinking a lot about barley lately. I am not sure why, but since it's been on my mind I decided to do something about it. I really like barley and have mostly enjoyed it in soups. Tonight, I decided to use it as a stuffing. I should back-up a bit...I have also been dreaming of stuffing this perfectly formed [screaming to be stuffed] eight-ball zucchini from the garden. Really, what  else is this thing asking for but to be topped, scooped and stuffed??

I should also note that tonight I have had my eyes dilated and hence was really challenged with vision while cooking. So give me some leeway if my photos or measurements are a little off... I had to take glasses on and off based on what task was to be completed. I now have a slight headache, but a glass of  Merlot (from a nice bottle my neighbor presented me as a 'thank you' for watching his kitties) is helping with that. On another side note, the result of dilated eyes was that I am doing fine- my eyes haven't changed much since my last appointment (over 7 years ago) and I was told by the doc- "Considering your eyes haven't changed much in the last 6-7 years, whatever you're doing, keep doing it!" To which I replied, "well, I do eat a lot of carrots" 'cause I do. I will be getting some new frames/lenses because my insurance will cover it and because of all the time I spend on the PC it's recommended I get the anti-glare lenses. I'll be sure to share whether I note a difference or not. 7-14 days from now, though, so don't hold your breath.

Ok, back to dinner- I am stuffed! As was my lil' zucchini. But it was tasty. Next time, my Scarborough mix will be stronger- I didn't pick nearly enough rosemary, thyme or parsley. I had plenty of sage. (sing along with me, Paaar-sley, Saaage, Rose-Maaary and Thyyyyme). I have amended the recipe to show what I think would be appropriate vs what I actually did. So play with it as you please. I also added a bit more pepper once the plate was served. I think overall, I could have used more salt and pepper while cooking. But to each their own with that. And I definitely had some of the barley mix left over- at least 1/3 of it ( which I plan to put on a salad to bring to work for lunch).

Ingredients

Zucchini

• 1 round, or oblong, zucchini originally weighing about (pre-seeded/scooped 300 grams 
• 1/4 C Barley, pearled, raw, 0.15 cup (remove)1/4 C Celery, chopped
• 1 C Water
• 1/4 C Carrots chopped
• 1/4 C Celery chopped
• 1/4 C + 3 T Onions, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Garlic minced
• 1 C Mushrooms chopped
• Sprigs of parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme divided in 2/3 to 1/3

Sauce

• 2-3 Italian Red Ripe Tomatoes 
• 2 T Tomato Paste
• 1/2 tsp Garlic minced
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 2 T Water
• Sprigs of parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme using what remains from barley mix

Make it
 1. Cut the top off the zucchini and scoop out the insides. If needed cut the bottom so it stands flat, but without putting a hole in the bottom. Dust with pepper and salt, add a little water to the inside of the zucchini and wrap in foil. Place it in the toaster oven (no need to warm the whole big oven!) at 400.

2. While the zucchini is baking (this is done to soften it up some before stuffing), start the barley. Rinse it well, then boil it in 3 parts water 1 part barley to cook.
3. As the barley and zucchini cook, chop the rest of the veggies for both the stuffing and sauce. Near the end of the barley cooking add the celery, carrots, garlic and onions plus the herbs. Continue to cook, add water if necessary, until the veggies are soft.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, add all the ingredients and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce and simmer.
5. At the very end of the barley cooking, add the shrooms. This keeps them firm but cooked.
6. Check the zucchini. Make sure it stays firm enough to stuff, but soft enough to poke with a fork.
7. Remove the zucchini from the oven, stuff it with the hot barley mix, and top it with the fresh sauce. Serve hot.


Again, another really satisfying meal for under 300 calories!

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 278.1

Total Fat: 2.1 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 420.1 mg

Total Carbs: 60.1 g

Dietary Fiber: 12.4 g

Protein: 11.7 g

I Love Curry!

Really, anything curried is fine by me. Well I mean given it's not animal. But give me any vegetable, bean, rice, bread, etc. with curry and I'm all over that! A few weeks ago, August 4th to be exact, I found myself wandering the streets of the Devon neighborhood on the far north side of Chicago. Devon is known for its diverse restaurants and shops.

"Here, one traveling eastward will encounter, in succession, an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, a Russian American neighborhood, an Indian American neighborhood, aPakistani American neighborhood, and a Bangladeshi American neighborhood." 

"Devon's Desi corridor is one of the best-known and largest communities of its kind in North America. It exists mainly on Devon between Ravenswood Ave. and California Ave. South Asian shops, restaurants and grocery stores abound along this strip, and it has become a popular tourist destination." 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devon_Avenue_(Chicago)  

When you're in that stretch of Desi, you can smell curry and cardamon for what seems like miles! It's a wonderfully delicious place to wander about. I had no particular place to be or go. I took a 1/2 sick day and was playing hooky (for a damn good reason, so don't judge me) from work. I aimlessly popped in and out of a few stores. I love little neighborhood shops where I know my hard earned dollars will go towards supporting the folks that are also working hard to earn their own dollars. (Stop me here- but I think it's possible that supporting local economy actually might help the larger economy grow *gasp*).
With each pop in and out, I ended up loading my backpack with tons of spices, including Hot Curry Powder, a bunch of lentils and- Bonus!- I found a birthday present for my little sister, Nikki. I can't tell you what it is, since her birthday isn't until October, but it will involve her making food. Should I ever get to sample said food or at least get a picture of it, I'll post it. Fingers crossed I get a sample, since now I know the suspense is painful!

Fast forward 3 weeks: I am searching my cabinets for inspiration and put my fingers on the giant bag of red lentils and the Hot Curry- immediately, I could taste that day I wandered Devon.
Self to Self: "Man, I haven't had lentils in a while... I think that'll do it! Ooo, do I still have Na'an? Freezer, freezer in my kitchen, please tell me I have Na'an...I do- bitchin! (I know, cheese-y, but if you know me then you know that's what I am.) That's it then, Hot Red Lentil Stew with Warm, buttery Na'an. Mmm..."

Hot Red Lentil Stew
(I call it 'stew' because of the tomatoes. I don't know if that's really correct, but it works for me.)

Ingredients

• 1/4 C Red lentils (dry) 
• 1 C Water 
• 1/4 C Onions, chopped
• 2 Italian Red Ripe Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger Root minced
• 2 tsp Garlic minced
• 3 tsp Hot Curry Powder  
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Grapeseed Oil 
• 1/2 C Swiss Chard chopped

Make It

Prepare the ingredients. Chop the onions, tomatoes and chard. Mince the garlic and ginger. Mix the dry spices in a separate dish and pour the water into a measuring cup. This will all come together very quickly.

Saute onions in oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic, stir 2 minutes (over med-hi heat) add spices, stir, add tomatoes + 1 T water, cover 3 minutes to cook down the tomatoes. 

Then add the rest of the water, bring to a boil, add the lentils. Return to a boil, reduce to rolling simmer and cook until lentils are soft. About 15-20 minutes. You may need to add water to get the lentils soft enough for you. When the lentils are soft to liking remove from the heat and stir in the chopped, fresh Swiss Chard. It will wilt in the stew but not cook down to mush. 

Serve with warm Na'an bread and a little butter. According to the package of Na'an I bought from Trader Joe's, 1 piece is 190 calories. It's really large, so I split it in half. The nutritional info below includes the Na'an. So the lentil stew itself is about 270-280 calories*.

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 365.4*

Total Fat: 7.1 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 446.0 mg

Total Carbs: 61.1 g

Dietary Fiber: 12.5 g

Protein: 19.9 g