6 May 2010

Lentil, Swiss Chard, and Chicken Soup

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Most people know that I love soup. It was probably in the 90s today and I made soup. I had my first bowl of this over a small organic sweet potato (Sarah Frankel bday girl style, just for you babe)! It was very yummy. Quality of pictures is poor because my batteries were going dear – and I think this directly effects the quality of zoom, lighting timing, and macro shooting.
Here you go: (and it is part of whole food month)
1 cup lentils, rinsed
4 cups water
4 cups homemade chicken broth (I cooked a whole chicken and used this)
pinch of sea salt
1 onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
evoo
1 bunch of swiss chard, stems removed, chopped
large pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 lemon (juice)
pepper
3 cups chopped chicken (from a whole raw chicken)

Cook lentils in broth, water, and salt until done but not mushy.
Saute onion in evoo for about 5 minutes, then add garlic and red pepper flakes. Add chard and cook for about 3 minutes. Add to lentils and cook for about 10 minutes. Add chicken, lemon, and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
11 Apr 2010

Two Bean Italian Soup (2010.14)

by | posted in: Vegetables | 0

Does a recipe ever surprise you? This was my question when I tasted this soup this afternoon – shortly after it perfumed my apartment with wonderful smelling-ness!

BHG’s February 2008 magazine gave me this Tuscan Bean Soup. I only made 2 alterations to it. And, it is very yummy. I could drink the broth by the gallon!

So easy too. Don’t be afraid of soups in the spring/summer…

1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped

1 smallish onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 T olive oil

2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth (or make your own)

1 can great northern beans

1 can garbanzo beans (both beans, drained and rinsed)

3 tsp italian seasoning

1 pkg spinach

black pepper

Saute first two in olive oil till softened, add garlic. Then add the broth and the beans. Let simmer. Add the spinach and cook for about 30 seconds – then it is done. How easy and surprisingly healthy and good.

25 Jan 2010

Red Wine Beef Stew

by | posted in: Vegetables | 0

I made some yummy and healthy beef stew this weekend. Its good when you are sick, having company over, need something to last you all week, and to use up some yummy Sweet Red wine that is in the fridge. I picked up some good stuff at Trader Joes last weekend and this was a good use for it.

1.5 lbs lean beef chopped for stew
evoo
8 cups broth and wine combined (I used 7 cups chicken stock and 1 cup red wine)
1 onion, chopped
3 lbs red potatoes, chopped left skin on
2 carrots, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped, plus leaves
2 T dried italian herbs
2 T worcestershire sauce
s/p to taste
Sear meat on both sides. Simmer in 4 cups of stock for 1 hour. Add all veggies, herbs, and rest of stock and wine. Let simmer for another 1 hr to 90 minutes. Eat with some bread.
We had 5 grain bread from Plehns (nearby bakery), a strawberry, walnut, feta, salad, and oreo cheesecake (bday celebration) for dessert. Then I went out and walked 2.5 miles!
20 Jan 2010

Taste of Chicago – Grand Lux Cafe

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We thought the bags looked pretty familiar when we walked in – we were right – this place is owned by the same folks who own Cheesecake Factory. You know its going to be good. And it was next door to Ann Taylor – so how bad could it bed? And it had a wait at 4pm? We only waited about 15 minutes and when we walked out – it was about an hour wait. Glad we got there early!
I was not anticipating a sit-down nice restaurant when I heard about this place from a friend just based on the name alone. I’m so glad we stopped there.
We had their bread – very good. I took lots of photos. I dropped my knife and fork – silly me. The tables were completely on top of each other, but people know how to dine. I couldn’t tell you what the other folks were talking about at their table. Most of the time people talk so loud at restaurants. Our first waiter wasn’t all that, but halfway through they changed shifts and our waitress was much better.
To start off with – the Edamame: stir fried with Spicy Szechwan Sauce. SO GOOD! Better than Chais in Durham (gasp!)
Then, Janel got the soup of the day – a chicken chowder with veggies. I took a bite – good and warm on a cold day.
I got the mini goat cheese and mushroom pizza. This was not mini (about 7 inches by 3 inches) and was only 4.95 and was AMAZING. I would go back there every time and order this.
For dessert (and take home): New Orleans Beignets Served Warm with Three Sauces (a creme anglaise (close your eyes and savor the warmth and richness good), chocolate, and raspberry. They were warm and yummy. Thanks Kathy for the suggestion.
This place was definitely the best place I ate all weekend and I would gladly go there again! 🙂
19 Jan 2010

Pinto Bean Soup

by | posted in: Vegetables | 0

I got inspired for more soup – and a cooked bag of pinto beans that I needed to use.
So, I threw this together last night when I got home from Chicago and look forward to eating it this week – and I froze a tub of it too.

5 cups cooked pinto beans (or however many you like)
2 cups chicken broth (a cool whip container of homemade broth)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can of stewed tomatoes
cumin
red pepper flakes
pepper
sea salt
1 cup medium picante sauce

Mix all and heat through till boiling. I took a potato masher to it to make it a little thicker. Pretty good. You can add some hot sauce or some sausage would be a good way to change this soup up. Cheap, healthy, good.

16 Jan 2010

Menu Week: January 18

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Since I am going to be out having fun this wknd in the Chicago area with my friend, I thought I would go ahead and post the menu for next week.
I am doing good so far. Spending less money on food. Cooking more legumes. This week I am doing well at the start of cleaning out the freezer work that I will need to do in the next 2 months.
So, here goes:
Leftovers: hummus pancakes (yum!)
Monday: brunch in Chicago with Janel and then probably a hummus pancake on an arthur’s thin when I get home.
I am housesitting all next week for some friends so I want something easy and portable that I can just grab or eat in bowls.
All breakfast: oats – saving money, healthy, and filling (and versatile) – T-Friday. Saturday will be tea and muffins I think with a friend over a book review
Lunch: curried vegetables from a recipe that I am adapting from Crostini and Chianti. Yummy and healthy – even without the couscous. Just give me a bowl
Wednesday I’m hitting the salad bar at Jason’s Deli with a friend of mine – taking a break from work and I haven’t been to the new one yet.
Saturday – beef stew from The Kitchn – using some steak and roast that I have in the freezer – full of veggies. And my friend is bringing a late bday offering – oreo cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. Yes, there will be some running after that meal. And I have some bread in the freezer we are going to use to sop up all the goodness in the beef stew.
Recipe of the week is from Bon Appetit – Dried Cherry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. I am halving the recipe – and it will still make a lot – plenty for a plate for the office.
I am looking forward to picking up a few good finds in Trader Joes on Sunday – and dreaming of the day when I live within easy shopping distance of a TJ again!

5 Jan 2010

Progresso Souper You Giveaway

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Welcome to the first giveaway of the New Year. And if you are like many of Americans that make “health” resolutions at the beginning of every new year, then this giveaway is for you!
Progresso is doing a contest and here is their description of it:
Celebrate the New Year and a new you with Progresso Light and 100 Calorie Soups because from January 4 through March 15th, you and your readers can visit www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to enter the Progresso “Souper You Debut” contest for the chance to win a full makeover in New York City.

My Blog Spark is hosting a giveaway for blog readers! Yesterday, when I got back in the office, I had a huge box waiting for me. It had 15 cans of wonderful, yummy, healthy (some vegetarian), Progresso Soups. I don’t have to buy lunches for a long time (which definitely helps out the checking account)! It also came with a beautiful blue Progresso Soup mug that had a nifty handle that fit one’s thumb perfectly (for quality gripping when you are serving up a hot bowl of soup). Also included, to help with those fitness goals, was an automatic jump rope (which counted the turns for you and other information).

So, if you would like to help out your menu planning, check book, activity calendar, anything, just leave me a message saying what your fave soup is (and if it homemade, please share a recipe, because I love soups). You could win all that was mentioned above. I’ll randomly pick a winner by Sunday night at 9pm. Thanks!
And, while you are on this blog, look over to the right and scroll down – I’ve got some yummy soups on there (I love soups year round!)

Thanks – and happy Soup-ing!

1 Jan 2010

Easy Ranch Can Chili

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This is a great recipe for a cold night, busy night, for those of you who like to cook, but don’t like to cook. I altered this recipe from the Butterfly Garden Cafe cookbook (a tea room/restaurant here in Louisville). You can easily make this vegetarian by just omitting the chicken.

Needed:
a knife
a cutting board
a big pot
a spoon
a can opener

Ingredients:
spray pam (or for more fat – evoo or butter)
1 onion, chopped
1 can each: pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans. All undrained
1 can each: diced tomatoes, rotel (if you want it hotter – get hot rotel)
1 can corn, drained
2 cups cooked diced chicken
2 cups water
1 pkg each: ranch salad dressing mix, 1 red-sodium taco seasoning mix

Saute onion for 3-4 minutes. Add rest. Let cook together for about 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite taco toppings: cheese, sour cream, corn chips, tortilla chips, salsa, avocado, etc.
Makes a ton – at least 12 1-cup servings, probably more. So easy, freezable, healthy.