Tag Archives: food

Spinach and Lentil Soup with Cheese and Basil

I filled my refrigerator with fruits and vegetables yesterday and am trying, really trying, to eat better. After all, summer will be here before I know it and I’m nowhere near ready for shorts and tank tops, let alone a swim suit. Soups are such a great way to eat lots of vegetables, fill up without feeling deprived, and also easy to make so you can control the salt and calories. Soups are also great to make over the weekend and reheat later. Portion out servings ahead of time and you’ll have something quick to grab for lunch on your way to work.

This Spinach and Lentil Soup with Cheese and Basil is loaded with veggies like celery, carrot, onion, and spinach, layered with flavors such as thyme, bay, and basil, and satisfying due to the hearty lentils. I don’t particularly like canned lentil soup but everytime I make my own soup with lentils, I’m completely happy. The lentils here are earthy, rustic, warm and homey and they don’t leave me feeling unsatisfied. This soup can also easily be made vegetarian by leaving out the pancetta and using vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. I left out the pancetta but I’m sure leaving it in only adds another layer of flavor and depth to this soup so leave it in if you choose.

The ingredients:

Cook onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil with fresh thyme and a bay leaf for 8 minutes until tender.

Add in the lentils, broth, and water.

Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, simmering for 40 minutes.

Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Scoop two cups of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour pureed soup back into the pan and stir.

Add baby spinach, basil, cheese, and lemon juice.

Serve warm.

Additions: None

Omissions:

Pancetta

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Irish Cream Brownies

Every party, even if it’s for the big game, needs to have something sweet. Most everyone loves brownies and not only are they easy to make, they are easy to grab as you run back to the couch to catch the next play. And since we usually are slurping down a few cocktails, it seems appropriate the brownies are a little tipsy too. These Irish Cream Brownies have the slightest hint of Bailey’s Irish Cream and are slightly addictive. The top of these bad boys are light and crispy while the inside is cakey and gooey, just the way I want my brownies to be. And they have not one, but two different kinds of chocolate – cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate…yum! After hours of salty appetizers, spicy munchies, and whatever else you’ve injested while watching the big game (and those million-dollar commercials), a little something sweet might be just what you need.

The ingredients:

Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa in a bowl.

In another larger bowl, melt the chocolate chips and butter in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Allow to cool slightly.

Add sugar, egg substitute, vanilla, and Bailey’s Irish Cream to the chocolate mixture and mix well.

Add in flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into a square baking dish and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Chicken Pot Stickers

I don’t know about you but whenever I go to an event or a get-together and I see pot stickers, I lunge for them (if they are vegetarian or chicken, that is). When I think about the appetizers my friends most go for, pot stickers or any kind of Asian dumplings are usually the first to go. Making these Chicken Pot Stickers seem like a slam dunk to me.

A simple mixture of ground chicken, cooked cabbage, garlic, ginger, scallions, and sesame oil are wrapped up in wonton wrappers, browned slightly, and steamed until cooked to perfection. I don’t think I’ve ever bought a head of cabbage before and as I cooked this cabbage, I realized that the vegetables in the vegetables and rice I get from the food cart outside work is made with cabbage (I thought it was bok choy this whole time!). I now realize I’m a huge cabbage fan and will incorporate it into all of my stir-fry recipes from now on. But, I digress…these pot stickers are fragrant and gingery and I honestly can’t rave about these enough. They are the perfect little bite to dunk into salty soy sauce or any other of your favorite Asian dipping sauce. I dare you to stop at one. Or two. Or three. Seriously. They are that good.

The ingredients:

Shred or chop the cabbage and add it to a skillet with vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook the cabbage until slightly brown, adding the water a tablespoon at a time.

Move cabbage to a large bowl and allow to cool.

Add ground chicken, scallions, ginger, garlic, salt, sesame oil, and egg white to the cabbage and mix.

Spoon a tablespoon of the chicken mixture into the middle of a wonton. Using your fingers, moisten the edges of the wonton with water.

Bring 2 opposite corners of the wonton to the center and pinch to seal. Bring the other 2 corners to center and pinch all 4 edges together to seal. Place wontons on a baking sheet covered in cornstarch or parchment. Cover wontons with a wet papertowl to prevent them from drying out as you prepare the remaining pot stickers.