Hearty Green Soup

HEARTY GREENS SOUP WITH BOWTIE PASTA AND TOMATOES

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2494

Serves 6 to 8

Use all manner of kale, chard or other hearty greens in this filling cold weather soup. Look for Parmigiano Reggiano rinds, ideal for flavoring soups and stews, in the specialty cheese department.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
4 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
8 cups water
1 bunch Swiss chard (about 3/4 pound), roughly chopped
1/2 bunch escarole (about 1/2 pound), stemmed and roughly chopped
1/2 pound dried bowtie (farfalle) pasta
1 (3-inch) Parmigiano Reggiano rind, plus grated Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish --skippeds
1/4 pound baby spinach

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid is released and absorbed, about 5 minutes more. Add carrots and water and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Stir in Swiss chard, escarole, pasta and Parmigiano Reggiano rind, reduce heat, cover and simmer until broth is flavorful and greens and pasta are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper.

Remove and discard bay leaf and rind from soup then ladle into bowls, garnish with grated cheese and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 17oz/476g-wt.): 200 calories (45 from fat), 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 350mg sodium, 34g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 7g protein

Brussels Sprouts with Apples

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH APPLES AND SHALLOTS

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2813

Serves 4 to 6

The Brussels sprouts' natural nuttiness and mild cabbage flavor balances with tart, softened apples and shallots in this stovetop preparation. Choose firm, crisp apples that will maintain their shape and a bit of crunch when cooked.

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 large shallots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
2 medium crisp, firm apples (such as Gala, Honeycrisp or Braeburn), cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup water, divided
1/4 cup cider vinegar, divided
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme

Method

Rinse Brussels sprouts well and pull off any loose or yellowing leaves. Trim the stem ends and then quarter each sprout. Set aside.

Heat a large high-sided sauté pan over high heat. Add shallots to the very hot pan and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add apples and 1/4 cup water, scraping any brown bits from the bottom as the water sizzles. Cook until the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, remaining 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the sprouts and apples are tender enough to be pierced all the way through with a fork, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Uncover, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and the leaves pulled from sprigs of thyme. Scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan as liquid sizzles and reduces until nearly gone. Transfer to a serving bowl with any of the remaining liquid and serve immediately.

Britney seemed to like it and I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the flavorful dish. I am a huge fan of brussels sprouts but after reading the mixed reviews on the recipes' website I was hesitant about its success. No worries, it was great!

Brown Rice:

Here are the instructions:

1. Put brown rice and water together in a pot with a lid.  Use the ratio of 1.5 cups water to 1 cup rice.  I normally make 3c rice with 4.5c water for a single batch.
2. Set the heat to maximum, and bring the rice/water to a boil uncovered.  Then put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer.  If your lid has a steam valve, keep it closed.  Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes.  It’s OK if you let the rice sit longer than 10 minutes (20 or 30 minutes is fine too), but don’t let it go any less.  I prefer my rice to be slightly chewy, not mushy, so I usually remove the lid after 10 minutes.
4. Eat and enjoy.  Be careful when you remove the lid, since a lot of steam may escape when you do.

Note: need to cook the rice longer with possibly a little bit more water!

And then I threw this in on the side because I wasn't sure how tasty/enjoyable the brussels sprouts would be for Britney. This little spinach dal was a going-away present from mom that I'm just using now. (THANKS MOM!) We both decided it was super tasty so maybe I'll try making it from scratch sometime!! 

No Recipe Meal

Britney is learning how to cook! Last time she made some scrambled eggs and this time she learned how to slice mushrooms! What a good helper/co-chef she is!!

And look how many mushrooms she ended up cutting! WOW!!

Buen trabajo Britney!

And some more mushrooms that I cut.

A little bit of arugula. I say a little bit because a lot of it got kinda moldy in the fridge, but luckily I was able to save some of it for our food!

With a side of barley!

Sauteeing the mushrooms, arugula, onions and garlic=YUM!!

I was going to make a wheat pasta dish I'd found online but our internet wasn't working this weekend...again! So I decided to use the ingredients and make something up. I ended up making this huge pot of sauteed mushrooms with onions. Then I made a pot of barley and put them together. It was yummy!!

The finished, delicious yet blurry meal!

Pumpkin Soup for Dinner!

The hearty pumpkin soup I made last week, Britney and I ate for dinner on Monday night. I used the last two wedges of pumpkin for the base, spooned some bulgur wheat into the roasted pumpkin slices and then spread the wonderful pumpkin soup on top. Of course, topped the bowls off with a few roasted pumpkin seeds!!

Tempeh Curry with Sweet Potatoes

TEMPEH CURRY WITH SWEET POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2851

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups water
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon ground curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Bring rice and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer until liquid is completely absorbed and rice is just tender, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange steamer basket in a pot. Add enough water just to reach bottom of basket. Bring to a boil. Cut tempeh in half and place in the steamer basket. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and steam about 15 minutes or until tender. Remove tempeh and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut tempeh into 1/2-inch cubes.

Bring 1/2 cup broth to a simmer in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook 5 minutes or until onion is translucent and tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in curry and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, potatoes, tempeh and remaining 1 cup broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir in green beans and return to a simmer, uncovered. Cook about 5 minutes longer or until potatoes and green beans are tender. Stir in 3 tablespoons cilantro and salt. To serve, spoon curry over rice and garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro.

Rice

plus Curry

equals Yummy!!

Tomato Bulgur Soup with Warm Spices

TOMATO BULGUR SOUP WITH WARM SPICES

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2860

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
1 (14-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon feta cheese crumbles (optional)

Method

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring 1/2 cup broth to a simmer. Add onion and garlic and cook about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent and tender. Stir in coriander and cinnamon and cook 1 minute. Add bulgur and toast for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add remaining 3 1/2 cups broth and tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until bulgur is tender. Stir in lemon juice. Garnish with parsley and feta.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 14oz/401g-wt.): 180 calories (10 from fat), 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 37g total carbohydrate (9g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 6g protein

Quinoa with Balsamic Mushrooms

QUINOA WITH BALSAMIC ROASTED MUSHROOMS

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2854

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small pear, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, halved
2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed and gills scraped out
1 cup red or white quinoa
3 cups tightly packed spinach, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 475°F. 

Put vinegar, mustard, pear and garlic in a blender with 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Cut mushrooms into chunks and combine in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup of the pear balsamic dressing. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast mushrooms until tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. 

While mushrooms roast, prepare quinoa. In a medium pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes more. Uncover and fluff quinoa with a fork. 

Combine mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup more pear balsamic dressing in a large, wide serving bowl. Stir to mix well. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.