Creamy Zucchini Soup with Spinach and Corn

I made this outstanding soup the other day and raved about it on Facebook.  But then the great blogger and photographer Wendy at Healthy Girl's Kitchen did a post about it today.  Here's hers.

I would note that I substituted soaked almonds for the cashews and was thrilled to have fresh from our garden (and the farmer neighbor's corn patch) all the corn, zucchini, basil, thyme, and oregano.  What a treat!

Clean-out-the-Fridge Wrap

The day before a week-long trip, I'm trying to use up leftovers and produce the people left behind will not appreciate, so I've tucked an unopened bag of Glory collards and one of kale into the freezer for future use and tossed out some things that are questionable. We've been out of lettuce for nearly a week, so I've been working with the other greens (including exotic lettuces from the garden).

For lunch today I'm finishing up some Chinese red bean soup. I didn't do anything particularly special with the beans, certainly nothing Asian, but they're those beautiful little round red beans from an Asian grocery in Pittsburgh. I'm also having a wrap sandwich I made up and approve of. See if it inspires you.



Smoky Kale Wrap

1/2 small onion, sliced
2 cups packed chopped kale
clove of garlic, sliced
1/2 tomato, chopped
3 large olives, chopped (I used the wrinkly black kind in non-oil brine)
1-2 teaspoons olive brine or water (balsamic vinegar might be very nice)
1-2 tablespoons plain yogurt (soy is fine)
1 whole-grain tortilla or wrap

Dry-saute the onion for a minute or so, then add the kale, and when almost done (the kale wilted) the garlic as well. Allow it to brown a little on the edges to get that smoky flavor, then add in the olive brine or water and stir to loosen the sticking bits. Spread the wrap with yogurt, then the kale mixture, then tomato and olives, roll up, and enjoy.

Verdict: Very Good. It's a bit unusual but pleasant, with deep, savory flavors. The raw tomato adds sweetness and more of a sandwich ethos.

We're off to San Diego for a scientific conference and a couple of days of R&R in the city. I'm looking forward to more healthy dining options than are commonly found in rural Western Pennsylvania. :-)

Moroccan Eggplant-Chickpea Stew and The Latest Green Smoothie

Subscribers to drfuhrman.com received this week a recipe for "Moroccan Spiced Eggplant and Chickpea Stew," and I made the most of our garden bounty today with that for supper, with alterations, of course.  The original recipe is fairly bland and needs a little more sweetness (raisins) AND hotness (fresh hot pepper), as well as the bite of vinegar in the hot sauce I added. You can see the original at the website in the recipes section if you're a paying member, or you can see a similar recipe here.  Here's my version:

MOROCCAN EGGPLANT-CHICKPEA STEW

1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 green pepper, chopped (The original called for red, which would be pretty, as would yellow)
6 small Japanese eggplants (1 large one is fine, but I liked the coin-like slices of mine)
2 large tomatoes, diced (You may want to save one of them to add late in the cooking to retain discernible pieces)
water to give the right consistency (I added probably about three cups)
1 teaspoon each cinnamon and cumin
1/2 teaspoon each coriander (fresh-mortared is great!) and paprika (I think you could leave this out--it didn't add much to mine)
1 minced hot pepper, 1/4 tsp dry cayenne pepper, and/or a dash or two of hot sauce to taste (I used all three, but not a lot)
1/4 - 1/3 cup raisins
1/2 tsp salt if you need it as much as I (and my family) did :-)

Water-saute the onion and carrot and garlic until softened, then add the other ingredients in turn, waiting for the spices until the pepper is softened, and simmer for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour, perhaps reserving the raisins and part of the tomato and the salt (taste it all first!) until the last 15 minutes of cooking. I suspect this will be better the next day or two or three.

Verdict: Very Good. My husband thought it was Excellent!  We ate this in small bowls at supper, with other things on the side, but it would be very nice over rice or couscous or with a flatbread on the side.

Green smoothies can actually come in all kinds of colors, including a deep, dense purple brown from lots of dark berries. Those are pretty ugly, however delicious. But I really like it when a green smoothie is just pretty.  Today's was bright, vibrant green from the addition of golden fruits:

GOLDEN-GREEN SMOOTHIE

1 frozen pear (I put the whole fruit in the freezer and then microwave briefly to make it possible to slice down against the core on three or four sides to separate the fruit from the stem and seeds)
several chunks of fresh pineapple
several chunks of frozen mango
2 large kale leaves
about two cups water

Combine all ingredients in the Vita-Mix or other blender and blend until the kale is smoothly incorporated with only tiny discernible flecks. Add a tablespoon of flax seed meal to the first of two tall glasses of this concoction and enjoy!

Verdict: Excellent, as green smoothies usually are.  The nice thing is that I can taste at the end and add a little of this or that to correct the flavor. Usually I find a new smoothie experiment needs a bit of citrus to brighten it up.

Swamp Salad

It doesn't sound too good, does it, "Swamp Salad?"  But that's really what it's like.  And like many nutritarian foods--think green smoothies and pureed bean dips--it can quickly become a favorite, a craving, even!  I was really hungry at lunch today, so I had more of this than I  usually would have--see the notes.

It started with a hankering for some Tasty Bite Madras Lentils I have had my eye on in the cabinet lately. (I used them in a previous post, too, as I have several Tasty Bite products.) I knew they'd be spicy and comfort-food-y with a lot of sauce for the amount of lentils. They do have a bit of oil and cream, but it's only 50 calories of fat per 150 calories (with 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber) of the product. My idea grew from there to the kind of salad I read of many nutritarians making--with soup on top instead of dressing. That's what makes it a swamp. :-)

SWAMP SALAD

About 4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 small bell pepper, minced
1 diced tomato
1/3 cup fresh corn kernels (optional)*
1 package (or 1/2 package if you're not as hungry as I was today) Tasty Bite Madras Lentils

*But then this salad is really a method suggestion, so everything is optional, interchangeable, inspirational

Toss together all the veggies, and pour the warmed pouch of lentils over the top. Stir, savor, and be satisfied!

Verdict:  Excellent!  Of course this salad has endless variations, limited only by what sort of soupy stuff you're willing to put over  your salad.  Or, think of it this way:  instead of topping pasta or rice or couscous or a tortilla with a savory (or any!) sauce, put that stuff over a salad and make it really nutritious.

Cabbage Part 2

After the cabbage rolls (see last post), today I had the partly-cooked inner portion of my gorgeous giant green cabbage to work with, plus the fresh small red potatoes from the produce place. Vegans will have to think "veggie stock" when reading this recipe.  We loved it!

SHADES-OF-GREEN CABBAGE SOUP

1 chopped onion
2 chopped stalks celery
1 large clove garlic, minced or mashed
1 small cabbage (or the inside of a giant one left over after making cabbage rolls), raw or blanched, roughly chopped
4 oz chopped mushrooms (optional)
4-8 plum-sized new potatoes, chopped bite-size
2 turnips, chopped (optional)
2 quarts quality stock (I used defatted chicken and turkey, but veggie stock is fine!)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
garlic powder and dehydrated onion flakes, if desired, and to taste
black pepper to taste
1-3 cups packed chopped or torn kale leaves
salt if you must

Dry- or water- or stock-saute the onion and celery until softened a bit, then add the garlic and cook a bit more, then dump in the cabbage, optional mushrooms, potatoes, and optional turnips as you get them chopped, topping off with the stock and enough water to cover all the veggies in the pot.  (Mine was up to the tippy-top of a 6.5-quart pot.) Add the fennel and some pepper and garlic powder and dried onion if desired, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 20 - 50 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, adding the kale near the end of cooking time, depending on how wilted or fully-cooked you like it, and correct seasoning.

Verdict: Excellent. It helps that I started with an excellent stock, and I confess that it had some salt in it, but I usually cook with no additional salt, and my tastes have acclimated to it--it happens!  The family loved this, too, and the cold leftovers smell great this morning.

I added turnips only because I had two completely dried-out ones in my onion bowl and wondered if I could rehydrate them -- worked great!  I fished them out of the pot near the end of cooking and snipped them up (still a bit tough) and added them back into the pot. Turnip greens could easily be substituted for the kale, and carrots would be another nice addition, but I wanted to have the green color more prominent.

I served this with a gorgeous fruit salad of watermelon chunks, black raspberries, blueberries, and chopped mango with a little squeeze of lime. Lovely.

Personal Pumpkin Tart

Oh boy, was I happy with this experiment I tried yesterday!  It all started here, with Lilibeth. She linked to a recipe for a crust made with just almonds and oats. I noted the proportions and then lit out on my own, and with a filling of my own, too.

Part of what makes a traditional pumpkin pie so creamy and nice is the evaporated milk in most recipes. I learned years ago that if I simmered my own fresh milk, even letting it scald a bit, reducing it by half or more, I had a better product. So that explains the bit of milk in this recipe.

PERSONAL PUMPKIN TART

Crust

1/4 cup oats chopped very fine with 2 T. raw almonds
1/2 t. tahini (can’t find my almond butter or I’d have used that)
1/8 t. each nutmeg and powdered ginger

Combine these ingredients with just enough water to make the mixture stick together to press into a large custard dish, then bake at 425 until toasty brown. Meanwhile, prepare filling:

Filling

1/4 c. low-fat milk (soy might work)
1/2 cup fresh baked pumpkin, mashed or pureed (canned would be okay)
2 dates, snipped very fine
1/4 t. cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves

In a small saucepan simmer milk until reduced by half--scalding it is fine. Stir in pumpkin, dates, and spices and cook gently, stirring as needed, until thickened. Spoon into crust and bake at 350 until further firmed up and slightly browned on top.

Verdict: Excellent and Amazing, and it uses only half a day’s nuts and grain (ala drfuhrman), then the additional calories of the milk (25) and the two dates.

For Thanksgiving at my sister's tomorrow (about a dozen people) I'm taking the following:

Baba Ganouj (or Dr. Fuhrman's Eggplant Hummus--same thing) with carrot and cucumber and blanched fine green beans and peppers as dippers

Ambrosia--just Valencia and Cara-Cara oranges with coconut, though I'm going to throw in some pomegranate arils I splurged on at Costco the other day

Winter Squash Soup I made the other day (see previous post)

Lower-Fat Yogurt Pound Cake (Joy of Cooking) with a tipsy elderberry sauce I made up.  No, this is not really healthy, but I was assigned a dessert. :-)

Warm and Creamy Winter Squash Soup and a Method for Broth

Another two down of our butternut squash inventory, but I'm adjusting the recipe to one squash, for normal people. :-)  The warmth in this comes from the fresh ginger and a little chile.


WARM AND CREAMY WINTER SQUASH SOUP

1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small chile pepper, minced
1 pint high-quality broth (see below)
1 sprig rosemary (optional--I just floated a stem sprig in the pot at the last minute)

Heat oil in a large saucepan and add onion, stirring occasionally to brown evenly while you're preparing the squash.   Use a potato peeler to take off the outer skin, then cube the squash with a heavy knife, removing seeds. Add squash cubes to onions and continue browning with occasional stirring while you prep and add the other ingredients.  Add water as needed to cover squash cubes. Simmer all for about thirty minutes, until squash is soft, then puree in batches and serve.

Verdict: Excellent.  Smooth and satisfying, with sweet body and a kick from the pepper. I didn't even notice the lack of salt (though my broth may have had some) I had two small bowls of this to start off my lunch, being willing to use up a significant portion of my starch allowance on it today.  The only disappointment about this squash is that it doesn't have any fiber!  But I get plenty of fiber elsewhere. :-)

I think I'm taking this to my sister's for Thanksgiving, with some fresh rosemary to decorate the top of custard-size bowls of soup.  

Inspiration for this recipe comes from my friend Renee and from The Joy of Cooking.

VEGETABLE BROTH

This is a method I am initiating this week, and I thought I'd record what I'm doing.  Beginning several days ago I started freezing a gallon zip-loc bag with vegetable trimmings (onion skins with some adhering onion, garlic peel, the rind of a lemon, several brussels sprouts bottoms, some bell and pimiento pepper stems, butternut squash peel and fiber and a few seeds, the butt of a bunch of celery, etc.), and today with a full bag I dumped the contents into a pot with some water and boiled it for about an hour, then drained it and had a beautiful brown broth which tastes a bit weak only because it doesn't have any salt.  I am freezing it in ice cube trays to then keep in a bag so I can pop a few cubes into a dish as I'm cooking later.

Two Wobblies and a Winner

The other day I tried a couple of recipes from my new Moosewood Lowfat Favorites book, and I'm sorry to say they're not that great, though I will make use of the leftovers of one when I'm hungry and need to fill up with "beans and greens," and the other was definitely better the next day.  I tend to find that with some of these nutritarian recipes--I don't enjoy them a lot the first day, but the leftovers are fine.  Maybe it's overexposure to all the ingredients while preparing the food, maybe it's a need for the flavors to meld . . .

Black-Eyed Peas 'N' Greens <--The discussion on the page where this recipe is linked pretty much explain the problem--dry and kind of bland.  Scallions on top and the malt vinegar I tried help somewhat.  But I think the real thing to do with the leftovers is to make this:  Black-Eyed Peas and Greens Soup.  In a nutshell, add water, tomatoes, and oregano and see where to go from there.

Baked Sweet Potato Salad  except that I used butternut squash, which has half the calories and none of the fiber of sweet potatoes--so pick your poison/magic. :-)  This is a beautiful salad and definitely better the next day, and the book suggests either the dressing on this link or a curried mango yogurt dressing, which would be sweeter but I'm not sure better.  It was just not too inspiring. The Cilantro Lime Yogurt Dressing is very promising for other purposes, too--I look forward to using it later.

But here's a real winner, thanks to my friend Marci:

McDougall's Curried Swiss Chard Soup
This quick soup of leek (or onion), broth, tomatoes, white beans, fresh ginger and curry powder (I used McCormick's red), and fresh Swiss chard (I used red) is really wonderful. Half the recipe is a BIG bowlful for a nutritarian lunch, including two cups of chard and 3/4 cup beans. EXCELLENT.

Dr. McDougall has a lot of the same approach as Dr. Fuhrman, except McDougall emphasizes using grains central to the diet and eliminating nuts and not allowing any animal products, if I've got that straight (and am not mixed up with Esselstyn) . So stricter in some ways, easier in some ways, but with a lot of overlap, so the recipes work well both ways.

My New Cookbook

Yesterday I had a lovely outing in a community about 25 miles away for supper and book-browsing with a group of lady friends. You see, we live in and on the outskirts of small towns and have to do without Target, Starbucks, interesting and healthy restaurants, and even Super WalMart!  So a trip to the exurb of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania is quite a tame little adventure for us. And of course the company makes the outing--seven in an assortment of married, single, and widowed, with children ranging from toddlers to one about forty. Thanks, ladies!

We gathered at Aladdin's Eatery and had a wide range of things from hummus and falafel through soup and salads and lamb entrees to some take-home desserts (for those who were too stuffed to eat cake there).  I had V-9 soup, a clear-broth veggie soup in which we identified peas, celery, onion, pepper, yellow squash, tomato, parsley, and I've forgotten what else. I also got the almond salad--a bed of romaine, mostly, with mushrooms and cucumbers and some slivered toasted almonds, with a dressing of buttermilk, sour cream, almond paste, and sauteed almonds I just had to try. I had about half my dressing and brought the rest home to enjoy on something another day. It was very interesting, and creamy was good, but only in small doses for a nutritarian, don't you know!  I had a pita, two, which I wrapped up and brought home for a family member (whoever gets to it first). And since hubby was home alone for the evening, I brought him a little pastry I thought they called a baba, which is a sticky-sweet hard shell of phyllo-like dough around a filling of Turkish pistachios. I had a tiny fragment of this to taste, and it was very nice.

Anyway, when we got to Barnes and Noble, supposedly for coffee, though I skipped it after three mugs of herbal mint tea at Aladdin's, I headed back to the healthy/vegetarian cookbooks section and browsed through a few. I'm not into fake meat things like seitan and too much tofu, so some things didn't appeal at all because of heavy use of these ingredients. Others use a lot of syrups and other sweet things--nope, didn't want that, either. Nor too much of grains. I was not really wowed by the famous Veganomicon, but then I spied a winner: Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.

I have loved the original Moosewood Cookbook since I think my sister gave it to me a decade or two ago, and, as a friend says, there's nothing bad in it--everything is delicious.

So I browsed through the Low-Fat Favorites book and saw some potential winners, though I was surprised at a fish section.  For Sunday dinner I'm going to make Fish Tagine with Chermoulla (this link is exactly the same recipe except  for the swordfish or halibut in the Internet recipe), white fish baked on top of a bed of carrots and onions, with a sauce of blended cilantro, garlic, ginger, cumin, lemon juice, chile, and tomato, then served on couscous, which I just happened to buy the other day.

Since we have a lot of peppers around, still, I think I'm going to try soon Middle Eastern Tofu-Stuffed Peppers, which include carrot, tomato, tofu, soy sauce, dill, lemon, couscous, and currants. Maybe I'll even skip the tofu. A Mexican stuffed pepper recipe uses corn and black beans. How about Garlicky Black-Eyed Peas 'N' Greens? To use some nice cauliflower in the fridge I might try Lentil Sambar, which includes some exotic spices like coriander (just harvested from our garden) and fenugreek (never used it--might look for a substitute).

I'm looking forward to this!

Ongoing Review: "Aggressive Weight Loss (non-vegetarian)"

In an effort to jump back into nutritarian eating more fully, with some quick jump-start results, I decided to try the "Aggressive Weight Loss (non-vegetarian)" plan available within the members' area at drfuhrman.com . This plan offers a week's menus with recipes, and I thought I'd review a few of the recipes, because they're definitely a mixed bag!  Where possible, I'm providing links to the recipes available outside the members' center.

The plan follows the six-week entry into nutritarian eating outlined in the Eat to Live books, here:

Some of the recipes are repeated for later meals, and I've mostly been following the recipes pretty closely (especially for me!). I haven't finished up my week yet, so perhaps I'll post a follow-up later.  But here's the deal so far . . .

Excellent

• Broccoli Oriental (sauce of a touch of sesame oil, garlic, soy  sauce [or liquid aminos], tiny amount of sugar and cornstarch)
• Walnut-Pear Green Salad
• Banana-Walnut "Ice Cream" (simple smoothie of frozen banana, a few walnuts [I confess I toasted mine], and a bit of milk to combine--I added nutmeg)

Pretty Good

• Black Bean Mango Salad (blogging friend Ali has a a fancy twist on this recipe, but the original is a nice combo of the named ingredients with red bell pepper, lime, cilantro, garlic, corn, green onions, cumin, and chili powder marinated together and then served over romaine)
• Black Bean Lettuce Bundles (I just used the ingredients to top a salad, subbing the orange-avocado dressing below for the avocado in the original recipe. A similar recipe is here, but leave out the oil.)
• Blueberry Orange Smoothie  (no need for the dates--plenty sweet)  
  
  

Not Bad

• Quick and Creamy Vegetable-Bean Soup (includes canned tomato soup, broccoli, spinach, carrot juice, white beans, onions, tomatoes, basil, garlic powder, and then blended cashews and pine nuts for creaminess)
• Special Oatmeal (too much fruit!  But I liked the coriander. This link also has a reference to and photo of the anti-cancer soup below.)
• Spaghetti Squash Primavera (squash served separately from the rest, and I tossed mine with some pesto instead of the pasta sauce)

So-So

• Dr. Fuhrman's Famous Anti-Cancer Soup  (not very inspiring, but the mushroom addition at the end is nice, and I'm glad to have plenty frozen for quick meals later)
• Eat Your Greens Fruit Smoothie  (boy is this green, and muddy green, too -- I'm better at making these myself, and I'd rather have the extra greens content in my salad, so it doesn't overwhelm the drink)
• Avocado Orange Dressing (maybe it's better with the papaya, but I used some canned apricots as a sub--just a blend of avocado, orange, papaya, and a sweet vinegar)
• Scrambled Veggies and Eggs (again, I'd rather have some of the veggies on the side and taste the egg more, especially since it's a rare inclusion on this menu--only two animal product meals this week)

Emily Boller mentions a number of these items in her review of Dr. Fuhrman's Health Getaway. I look forward to trying some of her favorites in that listing, as they're in the Eat for Health book, I believe.

Footnote on Surviving This Menu Out in the World

At a ladies' retreat at church today I took a peek at the offered lunch and had to duck out and walk six blocks to a convenience store / gas station and scan the shelves--I'd been hoping for a lentil soup or something.  The closest working thing there was pork and beans (not bad--140 calories a serving, 15 from fat). But then I noticed they had a sub station with wraps, and I saw I could get a veggie wrap (whole wheat) with some good ingredients in it. But I stood in line for about ten minutes behind a single person ordering a LOT of deli meat (odd store) from a slow clerk. I finally gave up and grabbed the beans, took them back to church and heated half the can in the microwave and grabbed some banana chunks from the continental breakfast spread (which also had o.j. and donuts I left alone). It was enough--and the whole focus of the retreat was on contentment, so that works, doesn't it?!

Vroom Vroom Vitamix!

I guess I've entered the ranks of the crazy folks -- I bought a Vitamix! I didn't get exactly the one in this ad, but similar, and I paid less (remanufactured) at the Vitamix site.  For $400 I was expecting a lot, so I couldn't help but be a bit concerned at the plastic container, after the nice glass one on my Oster Fusion (RIP). But I've decided to give it a chance and so far I'm getting more optimistic.

SALSA MEXICANO

In the instruction booklet they advise that you start with their recipes and branch out after that.  So I made their version of salsa, which consists of only tomatoes, a bit of tomato paste I omitted, cilantro, jalapenos, and some salt.  It was okay for what it was, but the machine didn't process the slightly leathery peppers I dropped in without getting to the point of liquefying the tomatoes, so I just picked out the big hunks of pepper afterwards.  I then used the chopping feature to do some onion and garlic since we like that in our salsa, then I did another batch (2 cups) of their recipe. Mixed all together, it's very nice.


SMOOTHIE

This morning I tried my first smoothie, with a frozen banana, about 1/3 cup frozen peaches from a local farm (our trees didn't bear this year), an orange, and about one medium windfall apple (Gala type) from down the road. I added a bit of water to get the right consistency, and then I added flax seed meal to my glass afteward. That was nice, too, and I saved about a third of it as a smoothie starter for another time. This was not their recipe, but quantities as in the Vitamix booklet recommendation.

After following the instructions for cleaning the container with warm water and a couple of drops of dish liquid, then running it on high for 30 seconds, I could still detect some apple residue (I'm guessing) on the sides of the container, so I'm a little concerned about getting it really clean between uses.

PESTO SAUCE
(My reduced-fat variation)

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
3 cloves garlic
2-3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons toasted walnuts

We have a big crop of basil and I was looking forward to making some pesto once I had some kind of workable machine in the house. (My wedding-gift Sunbeam food processor has only the shredding/slicing attachments functional now, so it's limited, and the Oster Fusion blender died, so I was READY for a Vitamix!)  Of course I discovered that I didn't have any pine nuts left, but I did have walnuts, and they work just fine.  I reduced the oil and parmesan in the Vitamix booklet recipe by 30% or so and increased the basil, and the result was EXCELLENT, with no need for the salt and pepper in the recipe.  The texture is very smooth, which is fine with me, and the flavor is nicely balanced.  Now, to increase the nutritional value, I want to cut back even more severely on the oil and cheese and see how little I can get away with.  I have in the past frozen a basil puree that I use as I would pesto in some applications. 

I saved about a quart (four batches) of the Vitamix (but reduced-fat) pesto in four snack-size Ziploc bags in a quart-size Ziploc bag in the freezer. I hope to use it in those quantities or even clip the corner of the bag and squeeze out what I need--I expect that's going to be messy.  I even saved a little in the fridge so we can use it in the next few days.

I was concerned that I couldn't get all the pesto out of the container beneath the blades, and the Vitamix people want me to remove the blade assembly only if absolutely necessary (and they'll then sell me a tool to do it with). To be fair, since I used less oil I created a bit more of a problem for myself. But I solved it in part by adding water to the container at the end and swishing it around by hand, then dumping it into a bean/pasta soup I was making for my lunch. It was perfect!  After the soapy cleaning routine I thought I could feel a bit of oil residue, so I'm not crazy about that.

This afternoon I need to start processing some other produce--mostly tomatoes and green beans. I'll report back if I decide to use my Vitamix for any of it. :-)  I also had fun browsing through the 3-ring recipe book they included--some good things in there!

Lentils and Leftovers Lunch

I visited a cultured grocery store, McGinnis Sisters, with friends on Saturday, and I got some treats, including red lentils. Today for lunch I wanted to start with those and add things as the inspiration (and inspection of the fridge and pantry) came to me. I post the ingredients first, but I really only added things as I went along.

RED LENTIL LUNCH

1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes and their juice
1/3 cup dry red lentils
About 2/3 cup water
Tablespoon of dehydrated minced onion
Salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of Garam Masala
Tablespoon or two of raisins
2-3 big leaves of kale, snipped into ribbons with scissors

Put tomatoes, lentils, water, and onion into a small pot and bring to a boil, then a quiet simmer. Add seasonings and stir in raisins to soften. Top the simmering mixture with kale and cover to steam the kale on top. When the kale is done, stir all together and serve with a topping of your choice.

TOPPINGS

I think diced cucumber and mint or a full-fledged raita would be good on this.
Or sauteed zucchini and onion
Or chopped cooked green beans (cold) and walnuts with raspberry vinaigrette
Or any of a number of things
But I cubed up cold leftover potato and baby carrots from a pot roast last week

VERDICT? Very Good. I wanted something healthy and flavorful and filling, and this fit the bill all around. I have enough left that I can have a smaller serving tomorrow, maybe with the raita, or I can treat hubby with it when he comes home for lunch.

Speaking of hubby, he bravely and happily ate my leftover Emerald Tofu from Thai Place Restaurant. I had the vegetarian Tom Yum, Emerald Tofu, and brown rice. Delicious and very healthy!

Vegan Epicurean: Our Favorite Foods

Vegan Epicurean: Our Favorite Foods

View the amazing inspirations of my blog-friend Alicia. Her creations take a special genius and the time and diligence my own life and inclination do not allow. :-)

It's Good To Be Back

I've really enjoyed my healthy eating today, and I'm experimenting with supper a bit. I went to the Mom&Pop grocery in Grove City (Bi-Lo) and got the best produce they had (which isn't saying a whole lot)--navel oranges, kiwis, the two best green peppers, the half of the zucchini and of the yellow squash that weren't limp, some broccoli crowns, red onions, and three little turnips. The latter were what got supper going for me . . .

CREAMY POTATO-TURNIP SOUP
Inspiration here

One onion, diced
Four potatoes, cubed
Three small turnips, cubed
8 oz. (about 2/3 of a bag, or 2-3 cups) broccoli slaw
2-3 cups stock (I used chicken)
Teaspoon nutmeg
Salt to taste
Water for desired texture

Combine vegetables and stock in a pot and simmer about an hour, until the vegetables are soft. Cool a bit and then puree the soup in a blender and return to the pot to reheat. Season and add water to taste.

Verdict: Before the puree, not so good. I am not looking forward to this for supper. After the puree, Very Good! :-) The soup is creamy with a fatty feel, but there isn't more than a teaspoon or two of fat (from the chicken stock) in the whole pot.

ROASTED ZUCCHINI AND ONIONS

3 or 4 zucchini, cut into finger-sized slices
2 small onions, quartered
drizzle of olive oil (I had about a tablespoon at most)
Italian seasoning blend (basil, oregano, etc.)
Montreal steak seasoning
Parmesan cheese to dust

Put the cut vegetables on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with the seasonings and toss all around. Roast in 375-400-degree oven for fifteen minutes or so, turning with a spatula partway through. The idea is to get some of the edges browned and a little crispy, if possible, with the rest at least cooked through, but not mushy. To serve, put some on a plate and dust with parmesan.

Verdict: Excellent (and I'm just smelling it!). Still Excellent after eating it. I'd prefer a crisper kind of thing, but wilty is good, too.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Oatmeal with apples, raisins, cinnamon, and pecans

Lunch--Lentils, brown rice, and quinoa (leftover frozen KUSHERIE from last month) topped with pasta sauce (I even picked out the meatballs I'd originally heated into the sauce and fed them to the dog. :-) ) ; salad of spring greens, celery, slivers of bell pepper (all colors), and radish slices, with a dressing of watered-down FUSION HUMMUS--ITALIAN. (Today this hummus as a salad dressing was reminiscent of egg salad.)

Snack--Large pink and gold apple

Supper--CREAMY TURNIP-POTATO SOUP, ROASTED ZUCCHINI AND ONIONS, navel orange

Party--Yes, another party. :-) I had the smallest slice of chocolate cake available (I cut it myself) and a small serving of ice cream.

Cooking Saturday

We have a dinner at church tomorrow, and I was asked to bring a crock pot of chili, so I asked if I could do a vegetarian version. To save time and effort, I also made a vegetable-beef soup at the same time, so all my vegetable chopping and seasoning could go both ways. The soup is seasoned with garlic, onion, worcestershire, bay leaf, and chili powder, with stew beef and tomato juice for the base--I will add frozen mixed vegetables and additional water the day we eat it, but the "guts" are ready to freeze. The chili is below.

VEGETARIAN CHILI
(All measurements are approximate--I can't be absolutely sure of the number of cans of tomatoes, for example.)

Tablespoon of oil
2 green peppers, chopped
1 very large onion, chopped
Three cloves of garlic, sliced
Two to three ribs of celery, chopped
Two large cans chopped tomatoes (might be three)
2-3 tablespoons McCormick chili seasoning
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Additional garlic powder and dehydrated onion to taste
Chopped hot peppers to taste--my homegrown "Anaheims" are too hot for the name, so I put in a handful and then tasted the chili and quickly removed most of the pieces of those peppers!
Spoonful of sugar and dash of salt if needed to correct seasoning
Two large cans kidney beans, drained (I used one dark and one light)

Saute the onion, peppers, celery, and garlic until soft, then add tomatoes and seasonings and cook down for an hour or so. Check seasoning, add beans, reheat, and taste again. Refrigerate overnight and reheat for best flavor.

Verdict--Excellent. I had a cup soon after it was all put together, and it's got a nice hotter-than-medium kick to it. It's a little on the "tomato-ey" side, but I'll taste it again tomorrow before serving to be sure that's still the case.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Leftover apple/raisin oatmeal with toasted almond slices (burned two batches and barely salvaged the third--shame on me!)

Lunch--Amy's Black Bean Enchiladas (yes, I ate both of the ones in the package, for a total of 6g fiber and 100 calories of fat out of 360 calories total) over a salad of spring mix and romaine; larger half of a giant Harry and David pear; sliver of ciabatta sub and of banana coffee cake, about three potato chips, and three chocolate-covered cashews

Snack--Cup of VEGETARIAN CHILI

Supper--Chicken drumstick (baked in the oven with a soy/ginger/honey marinade); 2/3 cup of Lundberg Jubilee Gourmet Blend of Whole Grain Brown Rice cooked in my rice cooker with chicken broth (canned), adding near the end canned sliced mushrooms and a dash of sherry--this was EXCELLENT!; green beans steamed over the rice near the end of cooking time

Snack/Dessert--Will probably have something because we had supper early, but we'll see.

Another Tuesday, Another Restaurant

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Oatmeal with peaches frozen from our garden, cinnamon, nutmeg, and toasted pecans

Lunch--At the Iron Bridge Inn, one of a very few good restaurants in our area, I had a lunch menu item of Asian Stir-Fry vegetables with an orange sauce, minus the rice. I could tell there was oil on it, but the veggies were nice--a mix of green and red peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and I cannot recall what else--maybe carrots, celery . . . ? I had hoped they'd give me extra vegetables in lieu of the rice but they didn't, so the veggies looked kind of lonesome in that giant platter. Our waitress agreed and brought me the side of the day, brussels sprouts. Not my favorite, but healthy and decently done. I had about four of hubby's amazing fries and a couple of bites of his prime rib panini and a few sips of his Lobster Ale. I love the atmosphere in that place, especially with all the Christmas decorations! Good memories of good times there, too.

Snack--Ounce of roasted peanuts, most of a Harry and David pear, two-plus squares cherry-chili chocolate

Supper--Giant salad of mixed leaf lettuce and dark romaine, tomatoes, red onion, tablespoon ranch with tablespoon or two of lowfat plain yogurt for dressing; bowl of MOTLEY CHILI SOUP

The Never-Ending Smoothie

This morning I used the last third of the GRAPEFRUIT-BERRY SMOOTHIE I made the other day, but it wasn't going to be enough for my breakfast, so I added a navel orange and more flax seed meal. Too tart and "weak" (navel orange wasn't the best quality). So I thought to add a few frozen blueberries and accidentally tipped too many into the blender. But I blended away and wound up with too much for today's breakfast. So I wonder how many incarnations this smoothie will have before I'm done with it! What should today's be called? Maybe 2X2 SMOOTHIE, having two citruses and two kinds of berries. But that doesn't account for the flax, spinach, and banana in there, too. Whatever.

MOTLEY CHILI SOUP

I started with a desire to make white bean chili, but I didn't have enough flavorful ingredients to make it work, and then it ended up thinner than I intended and we didn't have time to let it cook down sufficiently. So here's what I did, one step at a time.

tablespoon canola oil
small onion, chopped
half a green pepper, chopped
three cloves garlic, sliced
about three or four cups cooked navy beans with a bit of liquid
half a large can diced tomatoes
two teaspoons cumin
quarter cup sliced home-canned jalapenos (briny, not too vinegary)
two tablespoons chicken soup base
two tablespoons chili seasoning
water as needed (probably a pint to a quart)
small bag frozen corn
can chili beans with their liquid

Sautee the chopped veggies in the oil and then add the other ingredients, letting water come to a boil before adding the corn, then the chili beans. Adjust seasoning.

Verdict--Very Good for just thrown together at 9pm. I put a pinch of shredded cheese on top of mine and had a toasted corn taco shell (45 calories?) with it.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Smoothie described above, handful of nuts and raisins

Sunday Dinner--Pink lady apple, 2 oz. lean pork chop with cranberry sauce, leftover Indian rice and lentils from last night, cup of cauliflower (seared, steamed, and dressed with a bit of tomato relish), huge salad of dark greens and other veggies with low-cal balsamic dressing and a touch of ranch, square of chili-cherry dark chocolate. :-)

Snack--I succumbed to a number of emotional pressures this afternoon and had probably a third cup of chocolate chips and pecans, then about four bites of a chocolate chip cake my daughter made. Sigh.

Supper--Navel orange, MOTLEY CHILI SOUP, pinch of shredded cheddar, toasted corn taco shell (45 calories?)

Ambrosia for Breakfast, Minestrone Soup

It makes me happy to have for breakfast a cup of AMBROSIA made about sixty hours ago, so that the flavors have mingled and chilled together so nicely, in a chunky cup decorated with a gold and red checkerboard border and little green Christmas trees and gold stars around its circumference.

MINESTRONE SOUP
Inspiration here and here.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
large onion, chopped
three cloves garlic, sliced
three ribs celery, chopped
5-7 stems from the chard I had earlier in the week, chopped
two large zucchini, chopped into chunks
large can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato puree (I just had some left over)
tablespoon Italian herbs
teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon powdered thyme
teaspoon paprika (in one of those recipes)
cup chicken stock
sprig fresh rosemary
three bouillon cubes
two teaspoons garlic powder
tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
cup dry ditalini or other small pasta (you could use more but I'm minimizing)
4 cups cooked navy beans
half a bag of fresh spinach inadvertently frozen in the mud room fridge (drat!)
teaspoon pepper, salt to taste

Saute onion, garlic, celery, chard stems, and zucchini in olive oil, then add other ingredients through the chicken stock, bring to a boil, check flavor, then add the other things through the pasta. Simmer until pasta and zucchini are tender, then add beans and spinach. Don't overcook to the point of mushy beans and veggies, but let sit on the stove an hour or so before eating, then heat gently again. I expect the leftovers will be even better next week.

I know that's a lot of ingredients, but it just follows how I operate in the kitchen. Consider the two recipes linked above that I used for inspiration.

Verdict: Excellent. I didn't have much appetite, though. :-(


TODAY'S MENU

Early Breakfast (I got up at 5:15!)--AMBROSIA with flax seed meal

Later Breakfast (about 10 a.m.)--Half a whole-wheat bagel with one egg (half the yolk) and a teaspoon of homemade, homegrown elderberry jam

Lunch (I see the problem with publishing everything I eat--some of it is just weird)--2 cups of steamed broccoli with about 1/3 cup homemade mac & cheese and 2-3 oz. baked pollock

Snack--pecan triangle (Ours are actually squares, and I didn't have any yesterday!). I can tell I do better without the treats--having this has made me feel "munchy" for the late afternoon, but then again, since I got up almost twelve hours ago, maybe I'm just ready for supper!

Supper--MINESTRONE SOUP; one bite of hubby's pumpkin pie; maybe a piece of fruit I'll choose after I post this.

Easy Lentil Soup

Our cooktop shorted out and the parts are on order, so in the meantime I have to cook with an oven, a microwave, and a rice cooker. Could be interesting. :-/ Made the lentil soup in the crock pot.

CROCK POT LENTIL SOUP

Small bag dry lentils, or half a large one
Two cups warmed broth (I had some skimmed from cooking country pork ribs for the family last night)
Quart or so of boiling water
One large onion, chopped
Large can diced tomatoes and juice
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and hot sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for about two hours. Done.

Verdict--Excellent. I think the pork broth adds quite a bit to it, but it would be okay with just water, and of course a veggie stock would be nice, too. :-)

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Oatmeal cooked with an apple and toasted pecans

Lunch--Lentil soup, smoothie of frozen strawberries, kale, banana, and flax seed meal

Snack--Half ounce of mixed nuts in my purse, pear

Supper--Cup of canned beets; cup of fresh steamed broccoli with half a baked potato cubed into it and a tablespoon of creamy cucumber dressing (30 calories, 25 from fat, I think); red leaf lettuce salad with green onion and three sliced olive bar olives and a teaspoon or so of Asian ginger dressing, plus two ounces of rotisserie chicken breast on top

Chili for Company

Today we have guests for supper, so I made two pots of chili, beginning with dry beans. One is a white chili, below, and the other is a traditional beef and red bean chili with lots of tomato and celery and peppers and chili seasoning.

WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

2 quarts chicken broth/stock
3 chicken thighs, skin removed
1 small bag dry navy beans
2 anaheim chili peppers, sliced into rounds, seeds removed
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 large cloves garlic, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander (mine is home-grown and home-ground)
2 teaspoons cumin
bouillon or salt to taste

Cook beans as directed on package, drain from soaking liquid but keep cooking liquid. Prepare chicken broth/stock ahead and cook chicken thighs in it. Combine beans and their liquid with stock and chicken, and then add chopped vegetables and seasonings and simmer until nicely done. Better the next day. This was a little runnier than I would like.

Verdict--Excellent. This seems like more a white bean and chicken soup than a "chili," but I enjoyed it. There is more chicken in it than I would normally make for myself, but we had company. Probably won't have any animal products tomorrow to be sure the three ounces or so here doesn't become a habit.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast--Smoothie of frozen honeydew and blackberries, fresh pineapple and a bit of its juice, two handsful of fresh spinach, flax seed meal, and water to blend.

Lunch--Tasty Bite Multigrain Pilaf (see yesterday's post--same amount today) with shredded carrot, chopped red and green bell pepper, green onion, and lite raspberry vinaigrette dressing; later a pear and a small cup of raisins, cashews, and dried apricots

Snack--Apple

Supper--WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI with tomatoes, onions, and salsa for toppings; orange, carrots; very small slice chocolate chip pound cake with decaf coffee