Recipe for Quick and Tasty Broccoli Soup-Meatless Monday

What do you do when you have some sad looking veggies in the fridge?  Make soup of course!  I based this soup on the success I had with asparagus soup made from the discarded stems.  Super quick and easy, and with a chunk of crusty homemade bread, a perfect meatless Monday light supper.

That is one tired broccoli!

I wanted a little bit of a chunky soup but if you want a velvety smooth soup, cook the broccoli in the broth a lot longer and process it until it is smooth.  The chunky soup separates slightly when cooled but when reheated it comes back together nicely.

Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

·         1 medium head of broccoli, stems and florets chopped

·         3 cups vegetable broth

·         2 TBSP fresh thyme, chopped

·         1 TBSP olive oil

·         ½ cup chopped onion

·         1 ½ TBSP fat free half and half

·         1 tsp salt, plus more if needed

·         ½ tsp pepper, plus more if needed

·         Grated aged Parmesan cheese for serving

·         Optional: chunk of crusty bread for serving

Method:

·         Saute onion, broccoli stems, salt, pepper, and thyme in olive oil over medium heat for 7 minutes.

·         Add in broth and broccoli florets and simmer for 15 minutes (longer if you want a smooth puree).

·         Remove from heat and cool briefly then pour into food processor or blender.

·         Puree until well blended, about 30 seconds (longer for smoothest puree).

·         Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

·         Stir in half and half and serve with a sprinkle of cheese and a chunk of crusty bread.

This was really good with some homemade brown soda bread.  I'm perfecting the recipe to share with you, not there yet, although Mr. ELEB thinks it is great.  

What do you do with your tired veggies?  Oh, and Happy Halloween, hope you didn't eat too much candy!

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Recipe for Light Version of King Ranch Casserole

Maybe this should be called "Princess Ranch Casserole" because it is probably less than half the fat and calories of the classic recipe.  No canned soups, full fat milk, or sour cream, and a modest amount of low fat cheese.  Still delicious though!

If you like Mexican Lasagna I think you'll like this recipe.  It is full of smoky cumin/chipotle heat (on the top edge of my weenie tolerance level so adjust the seasonings accordingly) with a creamy, rich sauce-all for just under 300 calories per serving.  The crunchy bell pepper is a nice complement to the mouth-feel of the sauce.


I adjusted the already lightened up inspiration recipe by using white whole wheat flour, added lime juice, switched in chipotle powder for chili powder, used whole grain wraps instead of corn tortillas, and cooked the chicken and veggies together rather than using pre-cooked chicken.   If you are short on time, using pre-cooked chicken would help, but don't let the long list of ingredients put you off, it really comes together pretty quickly.  Just have all your ingredients ready before you start the roux.

Completed roux

Out of the oven

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground smoked cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 TBSP canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups diced skinless chicken breast
• 2 large whole- or multi-grain wraps, cut into wedges
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• While broth comes to a simmer in a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth. 
• Add the flour mixture to the broth and cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, for about 2-3 minutes (until thickened and smooth).
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in yogurt, tomatoes, chiles, lime, chipotle powder, oregano and cumin. 
• Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked, about 4-5 minutes.
• Line the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish with half the wrap wedges. Layer with half the chicken mixture, then half of the sauce. Repeat with remaining wrap wedges, chicken mixture and sauce. 
• Sprinkle with Cheddar. 
• Bake until bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

For the wraps, I used La Tortilla Factory Whole Grain Smart and Delicious Soft Wraps-I love them for their flavor, texture and 12 grams of fiber (unsponsored endorsement!).  Serve this with a side salad for a filling and satisfying meal.

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Black and White Wednesday: An Apple a Day

Apples growing in Scotland, September 2011

Submitted to Black and White Wednesdays

Recipe for Portobello and Spinach Frittata

Here is another easy meatless Monday recipe for you!  This recipe is easily adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand.  I used fresh thyme for the seasoning but basil or even rosemary would also work.  The secret to the frittata not sticking in the pan is to use a good pan (one that is oven proof since this is going under the broiler) and let it cooked undisturbed...I know you want to go in there and loosen the edges or stir it around while it is cooking...don't!
BTW, check out the new tab at the top of the page: "Photography".

After the balsamic has cooked down

Wilted spinach

Cooking...don't disturb.

Ready for the broiler

Out of the oven

Yield: 3 servings

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 TBSP olive oil

·         1 TBSP butter

·         2 medium Portobello mushrooms, stem and gills removed, chopped in large chunks

·         2 cloves garlic, smashed

·         ½ cup finely diced red onion

·         1 TBSP fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving

·         1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

·         6 Eggs

·         3 cups fresh Spinach

·         ¾ cup Marinara sauce

·         ¼ cup finely grated fresh Parmesan, plus more for serving

·         Salt and pepper

               

Method:

·         Preheat broiler.

·         In large oven proof skillet (or medium if you want a thicker frittata) heat oil and butter over medium heat. 

·         Cook onion, mushrooms, garlic and ½ tsp salt for 5 minutes.

·         Add vinegar and cook 3 minutes more.

·         Add spinach and cook until wilted. 

·         Beat eggs and pour over veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium for 5 minutes.  

·         Sprinkle with parmesan.

·         Place under broiler for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning. While frittata cooks, warm marinara sauce. 

·         Cut into thirds and serve each with ¼ cup of marinara and sprinkles of fresh thyme and cheese. REMEMBER-the pan is hot!

Cut into thirds this is just over 300 calories per serving including the marinara sauce. You could eat half of it for a larger meal.

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Recipe for Butternut Squash "Fries"

I put fries in quotation marks for this recipe because these are not crispy like potato fries.  They are even less crispy than sweet potato fries.  However, they are good and easy to make; another way to get some good veggies on the plate.   We ate them with buffalo burgers-yummy!

I had half a butternut squash left over from making pan-cooked veggies and was standing with the refrigerator door open, noodling over what to have with the burgers I had on the menu plan for the night.  I had a packet of sweet potato fries in the freezer but had recently seen a couple of blogs featuring butternut squash fries (sorry, I can't remember which blogs).  So...I thought I'd give it a try.  I simply rubbed the squash slices with olive oil, baked on 400 for 20 minutes and sprinkled with salt.  Nice.

I figured the squash would be like sweet potatoes-difficult to crisp up in the oven due to the moisture content. I used the technique I use with sweet potato fries (a cooling rack over a baking sheet).  They browned nicely but as expected, didn't crisp.  Don't let that deter you though.  These are tasty!

Yield: 2 servings
Time: 25 minutes


Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium butternut squash
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• salt

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Peel squash and cut into fries.
• Rub olive oil over fries and place fries on cooling rack set over baking pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Do you have a method for veggie fries that works to crisp them up?  

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Black and White Wednesday: Single Malt Anyone?

Whiskey Shop Edinburgh September 2011

Submitted to Black and White Wednesdays

Recipe for Fettuccine with Swiss Chard and Mushrooms

I'm late joining the "Meatless Monday" party.  We eat non-meat meals but not as often as I'd like, so I decided to make Mondays the day to spur me on to find and cook some good recipes on a regular basis.


This is a recipe I adapted from the Mayo Clinic website.  We really enjoyed the heartiness of the chard and portabellos which complements the whole grain pasta. The garlic, shallot, and vinegar provide layers of flavor and the liberal sprinkling of aged Parmesan finishes the dish off perfectly.

Yield: 2 servings
Time: 15 minutes


Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large Portobello mushroom, stem and gills removed, sliced
• 2 cups (packed) chopped Swiss chard, stems removed
• 4 ounces whole grain fettuccine
• 1/4 cup freshly grated aged Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Cook fettuccine per package directions for al dente.
• While fettuccine cooks, heat 2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat.
• Add shallot, garlic, and mushrooms to oil and cook until tender and slightly browning, about 5 minutes.
• Add Swiss chard to pan and continue cooking for 5 additional minutes, stirring occasionally, until chard is wilted.
• Stir in 2 TBSP of pasta water, 1/2 of cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and balsamic vinegar.  
• Stir in drained cooked fettuccine.
• Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and topped with remainder of cheese.

Are you doing meatless meals?  What are your favorites?

Printable Recipe
Adapted from Mayo Clinic recipe

Recipe for Pan-Cooked Vegetables with Crunchy Fish

Once you get the veggies grated for this dish, it is a snap to pull together.  Super flavorful and very satisfying!  This recipe is based on Mark Bittman's recipe by the same name-I love his recipes and enjoy The Food Matters Cookbook immensely.  If you are fortunate enough to have the cookbook, the recipe is on page 440, but if not I also found it on line and the link is below. 

Yield: 2 servings (plus some left over veggies that were great made into a veggie patty and reheated the following day)

Time: 40 minutes (quicker if you don't grate by hand; I used the large holed side of a box grater)



Ingredients:

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and grated
• 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and grated
• 1 small red onion, small dice
• 3 TBSP olive oil, divided
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 TBSP minced ginger
• 2 TBSP garam masala
• Salt and pepper
• 10 ounces firm white fish (I used halibut)
• 2 TBSP black sesame seeds
• 2 TBSP white sesame seeds
• Lime wedges

Method:

• Heat 2 TBSP olive oil over med-high heat.
• Add onions, veggies, garlic, ginger, and garam masala and cook stirring only occasionally for 10 minutes.
• Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed.
• Remove from pan.
• While veggies are cooking, mix the sesame seeds together on a plate and coat fish on both sides.
• Add remaining TBSP olive oil to pan.
• Add fish and cook until flaking, about 3-5 minutes per side depending on thickness.
• Remove fish, sprinkle with pinch of salt. 
• Divide veggies between 2 plates and add fish.
• Serve with a wedge of lime.

Adapted slightly from Mark Bittman's recipe

Black and White Wednesdays

Greenwich Village Cheese Shop

Submitted to Black and White Wednesdays

Kapalua Wine and Food Festival

For thirty years, Master Sommeliers have descended on Maui and in conjunction with local chefs, beverage distributors, and the Kapalu Resort have hosted a four day weekend wine and food extravaganza.  If you are contemplating a visit to Maui during the early summer and would like to enjoy a fun weekend of tasting amazing wines and good food, plan your trip to include the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival.

This year was the Thirty Year Celebration of the festival!  We've been talking to our friends about the festival for several years-I think we've been four times to some or all of it-and finally convinced four of them from SF to come over.    They are already asking when we can register for 2012!

We rented a house up in Kapalua.  It was perfect.  We're all good friends and the house was certainly big enough for all of us, plus it had a pool, and gourmet kitchen (not that we did any "real" cooking).  The resort shuttle picked us up and brought us back so no one had to worry about spitting out rather than swallowing the wine during the tastings (who really does that?) and there was no need for a designated driver for the evening events.

View from the pool over golf course to ocean.

The format is fairly straightforward, you can buy a ticket for the whole weekend (which is what we did) or you can pick specific events/tastings you want to try and pay for individually.  Each day has several organized tastings hosted throughout the day.  There is a welcome reception with heavy pupu (appetizers) and wine the first night, a Grand Tasting where they pull out all the stops-hundreds of top rated wines to try with good nibbles to go along-this year focused on Farm to Table and paired a local farmer and chef to create wonderful small plates for us to enjoy.  One evening is open which is a great night to enjoy one of the local restaurants (we dined at Lahaina Grill-fabulous). The final night is the Seafood Festival featuring, you guessed it, local seafood treats along with hundreds more wines.  The Grand Tasting and the Seafood Festival are held outside on the Ritz Carlton property so the scenery is amazing!

I hope you enjoy this photo tour through this year's festival.  And, come over for 2012!
(All photos taken with my camera phone so, you know, it is what it is).

One of many tables of wines at the opening reception.

My favorite tasting each year is the one featuring cheeses from
The Cheese Shop in Carmel

Another tasting featured wines from along Hwy 101 in California.

For the thirty year celebration we were treated to three decades
of reserve Cabs from four premium producers-oh my!

A little bubbly to start off the Grand Tasting.

The Grand Tasting

Desserts at the Grand Tasting.

More dessert!

Another favorite: Chef Peter Merriman cooking demo and wine tasting.
Ceviche of local fish.

Local greens, Surfing Goat Dairy goat's cheese,
local strawberry vinaigrette.

Maui Cattle Company Beef Filet

Merrriman's Chocolate Creme Pie

Just another beautiful Maui sunset in Lahaina

Walking down the Ritz Carlton lawn to the Seafood Festival.

Bubbly to start the evening?  Why, yes, I believe I will.

Wine in every direction.

Local fish tempura.

Perfect bites and cup of soup.  Love the presentation.

Sushi lollipops.

Fancy freeze dried presentations-I think this was the
Maui Culinary Academy station.

Wonderful sushi rolls featuring fresh island fish.

Ahi tuna tacos.

Well I've really just scratched the surface.  Not that you ever need a reason to come to Maui, but add this to your list.  Aloha!