Tag Archives: dinner

Gingered Carrot Soup

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IMG_0348

Inspired by my zucchini soup experiments a few weeks ago, I decided to try something a little different.  As I walked through the produce isle at the grocery store, I picked up a bag of peeled baby carrots which I like to snack on during the week.  I looked down and saw a 2 lb bag of large carrots and it hit me… Carrot Soup!!  Not only was it insanely easy to make, its very good and, of course, nutritious.
Ingredients: 
  • 2 lb bag of carrots peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
  • vegetable or chicken broth
  • water
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 oz softened cheese.
Directions:
  1. Place diced carrots in soup pot along with garlic cloves just cover tops of carrots with broth.
  2. Bring to low simmer and cook covered until carrots are soft.
  3. As broth evaporates during the cooking process, continue to replace evaporated broth only to cover carrots.
  4. Once cooked, take immersion blender and blend carrots in the pot.
  5. Add water to create desired thickness.  I added approximately 1 cup to mine.
  6. Add cheese and spices and blend again.
Voila!  Delish!
I was so proud of the way it turned out that I called my mother and asked her to come over for a taste.  The following is the dialogue from that lovely conversation:
Mom: Ooh, spicy. Very good, but don’t eat too much of this. (as she puts another spoonful in her mouth)

Me: Why? It’s healthy. 

Mom: (pointing to my face) It’s going to make you turn orange!
Me: (shaking my head and smirking)
Mom: (smiling now but trying to be serious) Fine! Don’t listen to your mother.

May 6th: Green Machine Soup

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green machine soup

 

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to make myself a yummy dinner and relax.  This recipe was inspired by my Spanish co-worker’s quick fix dinner recipe for zucchini soup.  She calls it “Crema de Calabazin” or “Cream of Zucchini.”  I attempted to make it the night she told me about it but made the mistake of making it too thin and watery.  I reattempted it today and added my own touches to make it more nutritious AND amazingly delicious.

Ingredients:

green 8

  • 4 large zucchini
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • water and vegetable bouillon
  • cube or prepared broth (either chicken or vegetable)
  • 2 oz of soft cheese
  • 1 cup of copped kale
  • ripe avocado for serving

 

 

May 2nd: Beach time!

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me at beach

I needed to spend my Friday decompressing from the crazy work week I had…  What better way to relax than a trip to the beach for a swim, some beer and sandwiches for dinner.  Simple, sweet and relaxing.  No complaints here!

April 29th: Tortilla Espanola!

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tortilla

Today I’m grateful for the opportunity to cook for someone and enjoy a lovely meal…In Spain a “tortilla” is an omelette, not a flat bread you stuff with beans and rice.  😉 A tortilla espanola is the most traditional and basic of these omelettes which are traditionally served as “tapas” or appetizers.  I make tortillas as my main dish on days that I don’t feel like making meat but want a non-soy source of protein.  Its delicious, easy, quick and impressive looking.

Here’s how I made mine!

Ingredients:

 

 

tortilla 3

  • olive oil
  • 8 eggs beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 large red potato or 1 average sized Idaho potato
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion sliced

Directions:

  1. Slice potato into small pieces and boil in water until tender
  2. in a deep frying pan, sautee sliced onions until translucent
  3. toss in cooked potatoes and lower heat to simmer
  4. pour in eggs and cover.
  5. Cook over low heat covered until bottom of omelette is golden.
  6. Flip and cook on other side until just done.
  7. Enjoy!!

I served mine with simple roasted asparagus and whole wheat baguette… and red wine of course!!

 

Kinda-Cuban Chicken Soup

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DSCN5262

I’ve been craving some chicken soup for a little while and today I jumped at the chance to make myself a big ol’ pot of it!  I love all types of chicken soups.  I adore chicken matzo ball soup, traditional american chicken soup with noodles, chicken tortilla soup… but my favorite of all-time has GOT to be my momma’s recipe for Cuban chicken soup.

The reason I have called it “kinda-Cuban” chicken soup in this article is because I omitted the noodles (broken up spaghetti noodles) that are traditionally included in the soup but I can’t stand.  Secondly, I forgot to buy corn which is actually one of my favorite parts of the soup. It was a real bummer to realize this when I got back from the grocery store but the soup turned out pretty good regardless.  I’ll include them in the recipe but I’ll admit to having had a brain fart when I made it for myself this evening.

DSCN5242

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 stalks of celery
  • 3-4 carrots or 1 small bag of baby carrots
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 medium calabaza pumpkin  (if you can’t find this at your grocery store, use butternut squash like I did today because its not in season)
  • 2 medium pieces of Malanga (this is a traditional Caribbean root vegetable similar to a potato but A LOT more dense.  It can be found in most grocery stores but, if you ABSOLUTELY MUST substitute it, use potatoes.  I’m warning you though…. it just won’t be the same)
  • 2 cobs of corn quartered
  • 2 pounds of skinless dark meat chicken.  (trim off the extra fat)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 envelope of Sazon Goya complete seasoning mix with saffron
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes

Cuban chicken soup is traditionally enjoyed with a squeeze of lime juice and a side of greasy white rice…. (Cubans are not known to be healthy eaters.)

Or, you can enjoy it my way and enjoy it with a healthy squeeze of lime juice and a few dashes of tabasco sauce! 🙂  Either way, it MUST have a squeeze of lime juice.  It brings out all the flavors and takes the soup to a whole new level of yumminess.

Enjoy!!  What are YOUR favorite types of chicken soup recipes?!  I’d love for you to share!

March 18th: My Childhood Friend <3

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friendship quote

 

Today I spent time with one of my oldest friends… What can I say about my friend Caitlin other than I love her?  She has been in my life since I was 8 and she was 3.  We’ve had years of little to no contact and we can go days and even weeks without seeing each other but… when we do, its like nothing has changed.

There is a trust, understanding and love that you share with a childhood friend that just can’t be replaced.  I can share my depths without fear of judgement and can walk around with my hair all crazy and my frumpiest of pjs on and it doesn’t matter… and the same goes for her.  There’s just something about childhood friends that you can’t replace.

Ginger Butternut Squash

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pumpkin soup 1

On my way to the grocery store this afternoon, I called my friend Magaly to see how she was doing.  True to her energetic and endearingly quirky way of being, she went into some random tangent about a topic that was completely unrelated but interesting none the less… “How do you make squash soup?  I tried to make it the other day and it was grainy and awful!”

I gave her a quick recap on how I usually make the soup then felt instantly inspired to make and eat some myself tonight!  There are very few ingredients, it contains barely any fat and it is completely vegetarian.  Although I finished making the soup way after I had eaten my steelhead trout dinner, I filled a mug and had treated myself to some on the couch while watching tv.  I also packed myself some for lunch tomorrow.  Yum!!

Ingredients:

  • 2, 12 oz packages of frozen cooked squash
  • 3-4 carrots
  • 3-4 stalks of celery
  • 1/2 large onion or 1 small
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, ginger and cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp (or more if you like spice) red cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • (1 tbsp sugar is optional)

Directions:

The ginger and cayenne give this one a real kick.  Enjoy!

February 4th: Dinner and a Movie

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salmon dinner

Today I am grateful for someone to cook dinner for.  I’m pretty good about preparing myself a big pot of something over the weekend and eating it several nights in a row or fixing myself something quick and healthy on the fly after work.  What I DON’T do, however, is make myself any animal proteins when I eat alone.  (unless it comes out of a can, lol)

I acknowledge that this is silly and stupid.  Buying myself a small steak or my own fillet of fish at the grocery store is completely normal and would be a very beneficial to me but… I just don’t do it.  There is something ceremonial about making and eating a more formal meal like that.  I usually reserve that for times when I cook for someone which I LOVE to do.

In my house growing up, dinner was sacred.  No answering phones, no watching TV and no reading at the table.   We took some time to enjoy the meal my mother had lovingly prepared and talk about our day, laugh and enjoy each other’s company.  Thats what dinner is all about… eating something special and enjoying someone’s company while eating it.  On the menu tonight was salmon, broiled broccoli and white rice.  Here’s how I did it…

Salmon:

Ingredients: 

  • Salmon fillet (not steaks)  I find that salmon steaks are more bone and skin than you bargained for.  Figure 6-10 oz of salmon filet per person you are serving.  Trust me, you’ll eat it.
  • Lime or lemon juice (use fresh!! don’t destroy the awesomeness of the fish by dousing it with that GARBAGE they sell in the little lemon-shaped plastic containers)
  • sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • cayenne
  • Optional additions: Onion powder and garlic powder

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
  2. line sheet tray with foil
  3. rinse your filet of fish and pat the skin dry as much as possible and lay it skin side down directly on the foil.  This will assure that the skin will stick to the foil and easily slide off the fish.  (don’t have your fish monger take the skin off before hand.  It makes it juicy while cooking.  You just don’t want to eat it because its extra fishy tasting.)
  4. squeeze lime or lemon juice on flesh of fish
  5. season to taste
  6. Place fish in center rack of oven and check after 10 minutes.  Cook to desired temperature.  I like mine cooked through but some enjoy it a little rare in the center.

Broccoli:

Ingredients:

  • broccoli florets
  • olive oil
  • sea salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • cayenne (do you see a pattern here?)

Instructions:

  1. Line sheet tray with foil
  2. wash and trim florets to desired size
  3. drizzle with oil
  4. season
  5. roast at 400 degrees (below the fish i the same oven) and shake the tray frequently to make sure that all sides get crunchy.

Enjoy!!!…  Follow it up with a nice bottle of wine and a movie and you’ve got yourself a nice little evening if you ask me 🙂

Lentil Soup with (or without) Ham

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lentil soup

I love making a big pot of soup at the beginning of the week and having it for dinner a few nights in a row.  This saves me the hassle of having to prepare myself dinner mid-week and deters me from eating pre-packaged or processed foods if I’m too tired to cook something from scratch when I get home from a long day.  Lentil soup is very nutritious and low in fat so it makes a great choice for weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

lentil soup ingredients

  • 16 oz package of lentils (your color of choice)
  • 8 oz package of cubed ham (optional)
  • 1 vegetable or chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 envelop of Sazon Goya seasoning (found in the ethnic aisle of the grocery store.  I use the version that has saffron for both coloring and flavor.)
  • 6-7 cloves of garlic (trust me, once it boils for a while, it mellows out and is not strong at all)
  • 1 small onion or 1/2 a large onion
  • 1 package of baby carrots diced or 2 large carrots
  • 2-3 stalks of celery
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 5 small sweet peppers or 1 regular sized sweet pepper (yellow, orange or red)

Directions:

  1. Rinse lentils and pick out any pebbles, etc.  Fill pot with water about 2 inches above lentils.
  2. add bouillon cube, seasoning packet, bay leaves and all diced vegetables
  3. Let come to rolling boil
  4. Add ham cubes if desired.
  5. lower to simmer and cover.  Boil for 40 minutes stirring frequently and adding water if it thickens more than you would like.
  6. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

For more info on the health benefits of lentils, check out these links!

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-eating-lentils-4547.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52

http://www.oprah.com/health/Dr-Oz-The-Best-Anti-Aging-Superfoods-Red-Lentils-Amaranth

Farro Kale Broccoli Bowls

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farro salad

While at the grocery store the other day, I went through the grain aisle and was going to pick up some more quinoa when I saw a bag of farro.  Its actually extremely healthy and packs tons of fiber and protein! I’d never tried it so I thought it might be fun to try to incorporate into dinner some how. Here’s what I came up with:

Ingredients:

  • farro: cook using package directions
  • raw kale (serious super food packed with tons of vitamins and minerals, delicious raw or cooked.)
  • broccoli and cauliflower florets (“steam in a bag” is ideal for this)
  • balsamic vinaigrette (see Nicoise Salad article for instructions on how to make this)

Directions:

  1. cook farro using package directions
  2. steam broccoli and cauliflower florets
  3. in a bowl layer farro, raw kale, florets and drizzle with vinaigrette

Delicious and insanely healthy.  So many vitamins, so much fiber and protein.  Couldn’t get simpler or more delicious 🙂