Brown Rice and Lentil Soup

Today I got my second weekly box from Farm Fresh To You.  (Got my first last Thursday and everything's gone.  ;-))  So far I'm loving my organic CSA deliveries (right to my door!).  The produce is so incredibly fresh and yummy-tasting. 

I consider myself pretty versed in produce, but there was something in the box today that I'd never seen before.  It's a substitution (I was supposed to get collards but I specified I don't want collards), and there was no label or indication of what it is.



So I consulted Google and found out it's a type of kale called Dinosaur (or Tuscan, Lacinato, Black, Cavolo Nero) Kale.  It's dark green like the regular kale I use to make kale chips with, but the leaves are narrower and much thicker, almost rubbery-like.  Very interesting, I think I'll use it to make soup.

Brown Rice and Lentil Soup
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 box (4 cups) chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
• 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
• Vietnamese fish sauce (or salt & pepper)
• a big bunch (approx 3 cups) kale, rinsed and chopped (or spinach, or chard)

Directions:

• In a large pot, brown the turkey with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Add carrots, celery, onion, cumin and thyme.  Sautee about 5 minutes until fragrant.
• Add chicken broth, water, rice and lentils.  Season to taste.
• Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and lentils are soft, 45 minutes - 1 hour.
• Stir in kale and cook a few minutes until wilted.

Banana Baked Oatmeal

This recipe is adapted from the Baked Oatmeal one on the official South Beach Diet website and cookbook. It is not fluffy like a muffin, but rather dense and chewy like a bar, which is what the original recipe instructs you to make.  You can prepare it in a 9"x9" pan and then cut into bars per the original recipe, or you can use a muffin tin and make individual muffins from it, which is my favorite way to do it because it makes things much more convenient in the long run. The chocolate chips are totally optional. ;-)

I don't have a link to the original recipe because I don't subscribe to the SBD website, but if you do, or if you check out the cookbook, you can easily find it.

Banana Baked Oatmeal
Adapted from the official South Beach Diet Baked Oatmeal recipe.
Yields 12 bars/muffins.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 cups ground flaxseed
• 2/3 cups brown sugar (or Splenda if you're strictly SBD-ing)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 medium (or 2 large) mashed over-ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 12-count muffin tin with non-stick spray.
• In a bowl, combine rolled oats and milk.  Toss it to evenly coat the oats with milk.  Set aside.
• In another mixing bowl, beat eggs with a hand mixer.  Beat in the flaxseed, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder and salt, until well combined.  Add in the mashed bananas and chocolate chips and combine.
• Add the oatmeal mixture to the egg mixture and combine with a wooden spoon.
• Divide into the prepared muffin tin.  These hardly rise at all, so don't be afraid to fill 'er up to the top.
• Bake for 25 minutes.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

When I was pregnant with the now-toddler, I developed quite a sweet tooth.  I was eating ice cream to the point where the Baskin Robbins lady knew what my "usual" was and had it ready for me between the time she saw me pull up in the parking lot and when I entered the store.  I was also eating my weight in Cinnabons and cupcakes.  I'm amazed I'd only put on 18 lbs. that entire pregnancy, it could easily have been 58 lbs.

An online friend of mine (hi Mindy!) posted a link to her favorite Blueberry Cream Muffins recipe, and after reading it I was drooling.  BUT!  I had to make it a little more healthful in quality to compensate for the sheer quantity I would be consuming.  :-D  So I replaced the AP flour with a combination of whole wheat flour and rolled oats, the oil with ground flaxseed, and the sour cream with fat-free plain yogurt.  If you are strictly following the SBD way of eating, use Splenda in place of the brown sugar.

These are dense muffins, but they are delicious!

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
Adapted from this recipe.
Yields 24 muffins.

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cups fat-free plain yogurt
• 2 cups blueberries

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray two 12-count muffin pans with cooking spray.
• In a bowl, stir together flour, oats, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, ground flaxseed, vanilla and water.
• Gradually combine the dry ingredients with the egg mixture, alternating with the yogurt, just until everything is moistened.  Do not over-stir.  Mixture will be quite thick.
• Gently fold in the blueberries.  Again, do not over-stir.
• Divide batter into the prepared muffin pans.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

ETA on 2/14/11:  I had a bag of frozen pineapple, so I decided to try pineapple cranberry muffins.  Instead of the 2 cups of blueberries, I used 1 bag of frozen pineapple (approx. 1.5 cups) and 1/2 cup dried cranberries.  YUM!

ETA on 2/19/11:  Instead of the 2 cups of blueberries, I added 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.  YUM!

ETA on 10/1/11:  Instead of the 2 cups of blueberries, I added 2 large ripe mashed bananas and 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.  I also omitted the 3/4 cup of water since the bananas added enough moisture.  YUM!

ETA on 11/29/11:  Instead of the 2 cups of blueberries, I added 2 cups of chunky home-made applesauce and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.  I also omitted the 3/4 cup of water since the applesauce added enough moisture.  YUM!

Chicken with Peanut Sauce

This post is dedicated to the toddler, who LOVES anything peanut.

Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients for chicken skewers:

• 1 pound chicken tenders or breasts, cubed, all visible fat removed
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• olive oil
• 1 large mango, peeled, pitted and sliced

Ingredients for peanut sauce:

• 2 parts natural peanut butter
• 1 part rice wine vinegar
• 1 part soy sauce
• sugar to taste (or Splenda if you're SBDing)
• water

Directions:

• Toss chicken with TSSS and a tablespoon of olive oil.  Thread onto skewers, alternating with mango slices, and grill until chicken is fully cooked.
• For the sauce, whisk peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce and a teaspoon or two of sugar until smooth.  Add water, a little at a time, to thin it out to desired consistency.
• Drizzle sauce over cooked chicken and serve immediately.
• The sauce is good over any accompanying veggies (steamed broccoli, cabbage, carrots, etc.) as well, and great over brown rice or soba noodles.

If you're using "mainstream" peanut butter (like Jif or Peter Pan) instead of natural peanut butter, you can omit the added sugar since it already has sugar in it.  Natural peanut butter only has peanuts, and maybe salt, in the ingredients.

If you like your sauce a little spicy, you can add red pepper flakes to it.

2/14/2011:

Baked Pasta

This is just a springboard idea.  There are so many different ways to make this, and so many different ingredients that can go into it.  It freezes well, too, and is great for leftovers for lunch the next day.

Baked Pasta


Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey, or sirloin)
• olive oil
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 jar no-sugar-added pasta sauce (I like Trader Joe's organic marinara)
• 1 pound whole wheat pasta, cooked to al dente per package directions
• 1 small tub (8 oz.) fat free cottage cheese
• 8 oz. part skim mozzarella, shredded

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large skillet, brown ground chicken in a tablespoon of olive oil and season to taste with TSSS.  Drain.
• Add spinach and pasta sauce.  Bring to a boil.
• Stir in the cooked pasta and remove from heat.
• Spoon half of the mixture into a large baking dish.
• Layer on the cottage cheese, then top with the rest of the pasta mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling.  Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top and return to oven for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Serve hot.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

I've had a beautiful butternut squash on my counter for a couple of months now.  I keep meaning to use it, but what with the recent holiday season and hubby being off for two weeks, we mostly ate out (unfortunately for our waistlines as well as our pocketbooks).  The good thing about winter squashes (like butternut and acorn) is that they can keep for quite a while in the pantry if you buy them when they're really fresh.

Normally I just make a straight-forward butternut squash soup, but today I happen to have two beautiful firm Anjou pears in my fruit bowl, and I thought they'd give the soup a delicious sweet twist.  I've also been known to add carrots, sweet potatoes, and whole peas to this recipe (not all at once, though).  If you decide to try other combos, please let me know how they turn out.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large-ish butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• PAM cooking spray
• ground cinnamon
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 firm Anjou pear, seeded and cubed (I left the skin on)
• 2-3 cups chicken broth
• plain lowfat Greek yogurt
• a few tablespoons roasted sunflower (or pumpkin) seeds

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spray a baking sheet with PAM and place the cubed squash in a single layer on the pan.  Sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon and TSSS.  Roast for 30-40 minutes until tender.
• In a heated sauté pan, drizzle olive oil and sweat the diced onion.  Add the pear and toss for a few minutes.  
• Add the roasted squash and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the pear is tender.
• Using a stick blender, puree the mixture until smooth (or chunky if you prefer).
• Ladle into bowls and serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.

Gingerbread Cookies

When I was growing up, it was tradition to bake gingerbread cookies every year around the holidays.  The first recipe I used was from my mom's big Joy of Cooking cookbook, back in the late '70s.  I used that recipe for a long time, until I moved out on my own and started trying other recipes and tinkering with the ingredients.

This is my current recipe, one that I've been using for several years now.  It has more spice and a little less sugar than most recipes, because I like the spices and I don't like things too sweet.  And of course it uses whole wheat flour instead of white.  Bake on the 9-10 minute end for soft, chewy cookies, and a minute or so longer for building structures such as gingerbread trains or houses.

Last year I baked a huge batch of gingerbread men and women.  This year, with Munchkin being 2.5 years old and wanting to be more involved in the kitchen, I decided to build a train with her.  I've never done a train before (only houses) and don't have a pattern, so I winged it free-hand.  Not too shabby, if I say so myself.  Munchkin had a blast and was tickled to see a train materialize in front of her, made of gingerbread and candy at that.  (She's currently obsessed with Thomas the Train.)  I think this will have to be an annual tradition now.  :-)

Gingerbread Cookies
makes 3 dozen men (or 1 train plus leftovers)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1.5 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons orange zest
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• confectioner's sugar (for icing)
• milk (for icing)

Directions:

• Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and blend well.  Add the orange zest and molasses and keep blending until fully incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing in one cup at a time.
• Divide dough into two or three equal balls/logs and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, work dough until pliable (it will still be a little crumbly) and roll out to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.  Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
• Let cool completely on a cookie rack before icing.

 Icing:

• For gingerbread men:  Place a couple cups of confectioner's sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach piping consistency (like honey).  Fill a piping bag and pipe details using a #3 tip.
• For building structures:  Place 2 pounds of confectioner's sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 cup milk and beat on medium-high with a hand blender.  Add additional milk as necessary to create a thick paste, kind of like a thick toothpaste.  Fill a piping bag and use a #7 or larger tip.
• Cover bowl with any unused icing with a damp cloth or paper towel.

Here's last year's batch:

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is also not SBD-approved due to the copious amounts of butter and sugar.  But again, I used whole-wheat flour to try to make it a little more healthful.  You can tell it's made with whole-wheat flour, so if you don't like that type of texture, you can make it with regular all-purpose flour as per the original recipe.

I also used mini choco chips tonight instead of the regular ones just because that's what I had in the pantry.  This cookie would probably be delicious with white choco chips too.  Or peppermint chips.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from this recipe.
makes 4 dozen large or 5 dozen medium cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
• 3 cups whole-wheat all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream together the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs.  Then beat in the vanilla extract and dissolved espresso.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.
• Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, 1 cup at a time, until fully blended.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 9-10 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Mac and Cheese

Basic mac & cheese modified to be SBD-friendly. I just used reduced-fat cheddar today, but you can mix in any other type of cheese to your liking.  It's delicious with gruyere, but I've yet to find a reduced-fat gruyere that would keep this on the SBD straight and narrow.

Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons Smart Balance
• 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt to taste
• 2 cups reduced-fat cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup cubed ham (tonight I used leftover Honeybaked from Thanksgiving)
• 1 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente per box instructions
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat panko bread crumbs

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large skillet, melt Smart Balance over medium-high heat.  Add the flour and whisk into a paste.  Continue whisking for a couple of minutes so the flour cooks and loses its raw taste
• Add milk and seasoned salt and continue whisking until smooth.  Bring to a boil to thicken.
• Remove from heat.  Add cheese and continue whisking until the cheese is completely melted.
• Stir in ham and macaroni.  Pour into a baking dish.
• In a small bowl, mix the parmesan and bread crumbs.  Sprinkle on top of mac and cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

Oatmeal Rum Raisin Cookies

Ok, let me start off by stating the obvious: these cookies are not SBD-friendly.  I suppose you could make them so with a few substitutions (Splenda in place of sugar, Smart Balance in place of butter, etc.), but I personally don't use artificial sweeteners, and I love my butter in baked goods.  But they do have oats and whole wheat flour, that counts for something, right?  :-D

I've been making these for as long as I can remember baking cookies.  I recently added the rum twist a few years ago.

Oatmeal Rum Raisin Cookies
makes 2 dozen large or 3 dozen medium cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1.5 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups whole wheat all-purpose flour
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Combine rum, vanilla extract and raisins in a small bowl.  Cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, olive oil, sugar and honey until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and blend until fully incorporated. Stir in the rum raisin mixture. 
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, 1 cup at a time, and mix until well-blended.
• Drop by (heaping) teaspoonfuls onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on size of cookies, or until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cookie rack.

Variations:

• Add 3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips.
• Add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.