quick & healthy spinach potato soup February 5, 2012

I was inspired by the baby spinach and crouton soup recipe in Gourmet Today – but this is the quick & cheap version:

3 russet potatoes, cubed

1 10oz pkg frozen spinach

1/2 onion, diced

1 tsp each butter and olive oil

1 cup milk

2 tbsps chicken base

Place potatoes in a couple cups of water and simmer.  Place spinach on top of potatoes and let it steam while potatoes are cooking.  Meanwhile, sautee onion in 1 tsp butter, 1 tsp olive oil until brown and translucent.

Blend onion, cooked potatoes, spinach, milk, and chicken base (or vegetable stock if you want to go vegetarian).  Add water until soup is desired thickness.    Serve with bacon bits, cheese, yogurt, or crackers.

Mediterranean Lentils and Rice June 7, 2010

I have a confession – I love lentils. They are so much quicker than beans, and better for your wallet, waist, and the environment than a meaty meal. Here is one of my favorites. It makes a lot – roughly 3 meals for 4 people, so freeze the leftovers and save yourself a night of cooking!

One 1lb bag lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 tbsp chicken base
1/2 red onion, sauteed
1 tsp garlic
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 tsp cumin
2 tsps coriander
1 lemon, sliced

Sautee onions in a dutch oven or pot until translucent and starting to brown. Add the rest of the ingredients except the lemon. Pour in 1 1/2 quarts water. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add lemon and simmer 15 more minutes. Serve on top of brown rice with a green side salad. Garnish with cilantro for a meal that looks as good as it tastes!

grilled portabella burger June 7, 2010

A few weeks ago I was at a wonderful restaurant called the Elbo Room in Saugatuck, MI. After a delightful conversation with the chef Lance, I enjoyed the most delish mushroom burger on naan there – if you are ever in the area I highly recommend it! If you aren’t making the trip to Saugatuck anytime soon, here is my rendition (minus the naan which I have not found a good, healthy recipe for yet.)

1 portabello mushroom cap, cleaned well and drizzled with olive oil
1 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp fire-roasted, diced tomatoes (I used a can)
mozzarella cheese to taste

Grill mushroom cap. sprinkle with mozzarella towards the end. Add tomatoes, pesto, and serve on your favorite naan, chapati, or hamburger bun. Make plenty and enjoy! At 5g saturated fat (depending on how much cheese), 24% of your daily calcium needs, and 9g protein this is a fun vegetarian option to the classic burger.

Hummus – many ways April 17, 2010

What is a great source of fiber and protein, healthy monounsaturated fat, and even folic acid?  Hummus!  It is also a decent source of iron and calcium, and is the perfect dipping “sauce” for toddlers who like to dunk  every bite.  Here are some of my favorite recipes and adaptations.  Most hummus recipes call for tahini, which I found to be rather pricey and I didn’t use it in very many recipes.  I substitute sesame oil, which adds wonderful flavor to stirfries and can also be used as a relieving massage oil on sore feet after a long day of chasing kids.

I buy the bagged garbanzo beans, or chickpeas (same thing), in order to save money.  I soak them overnight, simmer them for a couple hours after breakfast, and then we enjoy hummus by lunchtime. 

STANDARD HUMMUS

2 cups chickpeas

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 Tbsps water (more water adds a fluffy consistency, especially if you decrease olive oil)

1 tsp diced garlic

2 Tbsps lemon juice

1 tsp sesame oil

Blend well.  Salt to taste.  Add a couple kalamata olives and refrigerate for a couple hours for extra flavor.  Garnish with parsley and serve with pita as an appetizer.

JALEPENO HUMMUS

2 cups chickpeas

1/4 cup canola oil

1-2 pickled jalepenos (depending on how spicy you like it)

2 tbsps lime juice

water and salt to taste

TEX-MEX HUMMUS

2 cups chickpeas

1/4 cup canola oil

2 Tbsps lime juice

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup fresh spinach

(for some extra heat, add 1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder)

Salt to taste.  Serve Jalepeno and Tex-Mex hummus with tortilla chips – the green color looks great in a bowl next to a traditional salsa.

Lentils – quick, easy, and good for you January 27, 2010

I love beans.  they are cheap, a great source of fiber and protein, and taste great in millions of meals.  However, they do have a downside…it can take a while to prepare them (if you buy them dry in a bag like I do) and, well, there’s always that gas issue that people don’t like to talk about.  Enter lentils.  There is no soaking required, but 1 cup of cooked lentils provides almost a day’s worth of folic acid (great for pregnant moms), 18g of protein (that’s almost as much as many high-protein shakes), 16g of fiber, and over a third of the average person’s iron needs for the day.  Many toddlers are low on fiber and iron intake as well, so this can be a great food for the kiddos as well.  One other plus is that they are slightly more digestible than beans for many people. 

Last night I made this particular lentil stew and served it over brown rice.  My 2 year-old son asked for seconds and thirds, and it got the thumbs up from my husband as well!  Hope you enjoy this one-pot wonder as much as we did:

1/2 bag lentils

1 can tomato paste

2 tbsps chicken base

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tbsp coriander

1 tbsp fresh garlic

1/4 cup diced carrots

prepare half a bag (about 2.5 cups) of dry lentils according to the directions on the bag.  Add an extra 2 cups of water and chicken base, tomato paste, garlic, and spices.  Simmer for an extra 20 minutes until flavors blend.

Enjoy immediately, or freeze for another meal another day.

Note – we like our spices strong and food not quite as salty – if you want more salt, add more chicken base, and if you like a little less spice try cutting down on the cumin and coriander.