January Dinner Party

We decided to go with a healthy soup theme for January's dinner party. This time of year, it is so nice to have something warm, and filling, and healthy, to snack on during the cold days. I also don't hate smelling the soup simmering on the stove or in the crock pot all day long.

Abbie hosted this month and made a kale and white bean soup,  a couple of breads, and THE most delicious thing I have tasted in a long time. I made Tortilla Soup, Liena made WonTon Soup,  Michelle brought Italian Sausage Soup, and Alli rounded out the group with an awesome corn chowder.  We had an incredible evening of laughter and good, good food. Recipes are as follows.

Chicken Tortilla Soup


Ingredients
 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1-2 fresh jalapenos, diced (optional)

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green Chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can black beans

2 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro


*Here's the best thing about this soup, besides the taste, you dump it all in the crock pot and cook it on low 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.

*Here's the next best thing about this soup. You can adjust  it for whatever your likes and tastes are. I happened to have jalapenos, and pasilla peppers, and red bell peppers on hand, so I diced and added one of each. The next day, I had some left over roasted sweet potato, which I diced and tossed into the soup before I reheated it. It was delicious, and I will probably add it to my next batch.

*Because of the amount of canned goods involved, it is really important to rinse the items that you can, i,e beans, corn, and wash off all the extra sodium. For sure, do not add any extra salt.

*You can also place a couple of frozen chicken breasts into the soup, and shred them at the end of cooking. Also you can shred a rotisserie chicken and toss it in.

*Top the soup with whatever you like, reduced fat sour cream, plain yogurt, salsa, jalapenos, sharp cheddar cheese, cilantro, ect...

Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients

1 lb. turkey or chicken Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14oz.) cans beef broth
1 (14.5oz.) can Italian-Style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 oz.) can great northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini , cubed
2 cups fresh spinach, packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t salt
diced onion as desired
diced jalapeno as desired

* In stockpot brown sausage with garlic, jalapeno and onions. Stir in broth, tomatoes, carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.

*Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

*Remove from heat and add spinach. Replace lid, allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves for 5 minutes. Serve.


Abbie made a couple of these breads with one of our girlfriends, who is gluten intolerant, in mind. They were delicious, and kept well the next day
Make-at-Home Socca
Taken from the Nourish Network

1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to oil the pan
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt, for garnish

Whisk together flour, water, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours.
Position rack 8 inches from broiler in oven. Preheat broiler.
Pour a thin layer of oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, swirling pan to coat thoroughly. Heat pan over high heat. Pour half of batter (about 3/4 cup) into pan, swirling to distribute batter evenly. Cook 2 minutes.
Transfer pan to oven and broil 2 minutes, or until socca is golden.
Remove pan from oven and transfer socca to a clean work surface. Repeat procedure with additional oil and remaining batter.
To serve, garnish socca with fleur de sel and additional pepper. Cut it into wedges or serve it whole and let diners tear off pieces as they wish.
Yields 2 (10-inch) soccas

Green Socca
Taken from Pure2raw

Pure2raw recipe: Green Socca
Ingredients:

• 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1  large handful of fresh spinach
• 2 tbsp oil (we did coconut oil)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400. Heat oil in 10 in pizza pan till for about 2 minutes. Place remaining ingredients to your Vita-mix blender and blend together. Pour green socca batter into hot oil and bake for 30-40 minutes.

No-Knead Spelt Bread
Taken from Prairie Table. See additional info and pictures at their site.

No-Knead Spelt Bread adapted from The New York Times

3 cups white spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt - though next time I think I'll use 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 1/2 cups water

In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt and water and stir until combined. Dough will be shaggy and much stickier than most bread dough. Cover bowl with plastic and leave in a warm place for at least 12 hours. Flour your hands, turn dough out onto a liberally floured board, dust dough with flour and fold into thirds - like a business letter. Then fold into thirds again, and shape it into a ball. Place seam side down in a well-floured bowl, and sprinkle more flour on top of dough. Cover bowl with kitchen towel, and leave in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours, or until dough has doubled in size, and it retains the impression of your finger when poked. At least 30 minutes before the end of this rise, preheat oven to 500, place a baking stone on the center rack and another pan - not glass - on the bottom rack. When dough is finished rising, turn it out onto the hot baking stone, seam side up. Don't worry if it looks messy, that's part of its charm. Pour about a cup of water into the pan on the bottom rack and quickly close the oven door. Turn oven down to 450. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until crust is a deep golden brown.

Kale and White Bean Soup
(Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook)
2 tablespoons oil (olive, grapeseed, coconut, etc.)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup peeled and chopped carrots
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup peeled and cubed potatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups water (I used 4 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups water)
2 tablespoons white miso paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped kale, with hard spine removed (there are different kinds of kale. I
used the dinosaur or lactino kale and didn't have to take out the stem)
1 (14 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed (I used cannelini beans)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil (I omitted this b/c I didn't have it)
Pinch of pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until
golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, and tomato
paste, and saute until the ingredients are well combined. Add the water, miso,
cumin, coriander, and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 30
minutes. Add the kale, white beans, and thyme and simmer another half hour. (I added
the kale at the very, very end, right before serving to keep it crunchy and bright
green). Garnish with basil and pepper before serving.

Chicken and Shrimp Dumpling Soup

1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 pound shelled, deveined shrimp, chopped
1/2# ground chicken
2 green onions thinly sliced, tops & bottoms divided
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp sesame oil; divided
1 tsp fresh minced ginger, and Sriracha chilli sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tap pepper
4 square egg roll wrappers -6" wide/or the small ones
4 fresh Shiite mushrooms

Combine broth & soy sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to barely a simmer.

Mix shrimp, chicken, onion bottoms, garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil, ginger, sriracha, salt
& pepper in a bowl. Place a spoonful in the center of each wrapper. Moisten the
edges with wayer, pull up all 4 corners and meet in the center & seal.

Lower dumplings gently into broth, cover & simmer until cooked (8 min).

Last 2 min of cooking add shiitakes. Serve with broth. Sprinkle with onion tops and
remaining sesame oil. 


And lastly for the best dessert ever! Don't let the dates fool you. This is TAS-TEE!

Chocolate Covered Birthday Dates!
Taken from Making Love in the Kitchen

Chocolate Covered Birthday Dates
12 medjool dates, pitted (can do this by hand)
3/4 cup almond butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
1 dark chocolate bar or make your own raw chocolate sauce using this recipe
1-2 Tbs coconut oil (if using the chocolate bar method).
Sea salt to taste

• Remove pits from your dates.
• With the tenderest of loving touches, pry open the dates and put it approx 1 Tbs of almond butter for each date. Close’r on up as best you can.
• In a double boiler, melt your chocolate.
• Using kitchen tongs (or a fork if you don’t have tongs), dip your almond butter filled date into the chocolate.
• Place on parchment paper and continue with the rest.
• Sprinkle with a dash of sea salt (or use hemp seeds, ground gogi- whatever you like…) and put in the freezer for about 20 mins, or until serving.
• Serve straight out of the freezer.

I know… Amazing.


Still waiting on Allie's soup recipe, but I will post it soon!

Black Bean Brownies

For reals.

I was looking through my cooking mag the other night and there was a little box with a tip for substituting a 16 oz. can of pureed black beans for the oil AND eggs in a boxed brownie mix.

I didn't believe it, but happened to have both on hand to give it a try.

I used a Betty Crocker Chocolate Chunk Brownie mix, which, in the high altitude directions called for 1/3 cup of water, 1/3 cup oil, and 2-3 eggs.

I drained and rinsed my beans and threw them in the Ninja until mashed, then added the water and brownie mix, but omitted the oil and eggs. I baked it as directed, although I don't have a 9x9 pan so I used a 8x11.

They were freaking awesome.

November Girls Club Dinner

A few of the awesome nurses I work with, use our healthy recipes as an excuse to get together once a month for a dinner party. Sometimes there is a theme, sometimes not, but always for weeks leading up to the party, lots of chatter about what looks good, what we are excited to try, and what we are bringing.

Tonight we gathered at Liena's for a pre-holiday meal. I went the healthified appetizer route with Mini Corn Bread Crab Cakes with Lemon Caper Sauce, and stuffed mushrooms, both recipes taken from Cooking Light, which is one of my favorite recipe sites. The corn bread in the crab cakes was so delicious and moist and sweet. I just made the corn bread from a mix before hand. It was an extra step, but so worth it.

Abbie made some fantastic Dolmathes with Tzatziki Sauce, (grape leaves wrapped around a wild rice, veggie, and nut mixture), Michelle brought Butternut Soup, and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette, Liena made Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sarah brought Tomato and Red Pepper Bruschetta, Emily made a delicious turkey ham and Kelly supplied the Spice Bundt Cake for dessert. Along with dessert, Michelle gave us an in service on garter belts. It was a lovely evening.

Still retrieving recipes for turkey, bruschetta and Dolmathes, stay tuned.

 

Mini Corn Bread Crab Cakes with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1/3  cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives
• 1  tablespoon  capers, drained and chopped
• 1/4  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
• 2  teaspoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1/8  teaspoon  minced garlic
• Dash of freshly ground black pepper
• Crab cakes:
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1/2  cup  sliced green onions
• 1/3  cup  finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/3  cup  finely diced green bell pepper
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1/4  cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon  hot pepper sauce
• 1  teaspoon  (30%-less-sodium) Old Bay seasoning
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 2  cups  crumbled Buttermilk Corn Bread
• 1  pound  lump crab meat, shell pieces removed
• Cooking spray
• Fresh chives (optional)

Preparation

To prepare sauce, combine first 8 ingredients; chill.
Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare crab cakes, heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Combine bell pepper mixture, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and next 6 ingredients (through Old Bay); stir in egg. Fold in Buttermilk Corn Bread and crab meat. Scoop mixture into 16 portions (about 1/4 cup each) onto 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly cover, and refrigerate 1 hour. Uncover and bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet with a metal spatula. Serve with sauce. Garnish with chives, if desired.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped onion
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped green bell pepper
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3  cup  fat-free cottage cheese
• 2  teaspoons  Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3  cup  Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 24  button mushroom caps
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  teaspoon  paprika
• 3  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in cottage cheese and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat; stir in breadcrumbs. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon mixture evenly into mushroom caps.

Place the mushroom caps in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle mushrooms evenly with paprika. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Michelle never gave me her actual recipe, so I did some research and made up my own, mostly adding things from my Bountiful Basket. This has a little heat to it, no so much that my kids wouldn't eat it, but it might make some people uncomfortable. Obviously if this is you, omit the jalapeno or cayenne pepper, or if you are a super wuss, omit both.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 2  butternut squash
• 2  potatoes, I've used sweet and Yukon, peeled and diced
• 4  carrots, peeled and diced
• 1  red pepper, diced
• 1  jalapeno pepper, diced
• 5  cups  low-sodium chicken broth
• 1  white or yellow onion, sliced
• 1 head garlic
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 8oz. light cream cheese

Preparation

First things first. I like to roast the squash and garlic in the oven for 1 hour at 450 degrees. Poke a few holes in the squash and wrap the garlic in tin foil. While that cooks, peel and dice all the other veggies. Use gloves to handle the jalapeno. Seriously.

Saute the onion, pepper, and jalapeno in a little ghee or olive oil. Add potato, carrots broth and spices, and simmer. When the squash and garlic are done, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins, and scoop the squash out and add both to the soup. Simmer for 20 minutes. The final stage is somewhat of a touchy point. Dave thinks that the soup would be better left chunky. I disagree. Finally, you puree the soup with the cream cheese, until the whole thing is smooth like butta. Yum.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

• Bag o' spinach
• sliced mushrooms
• thinly sliced red onion
• feta cheese

• 1  Tbls. bacon fat or oil
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/3 c. cider vinegar
• 2/3 c. water
• Salt and Peppa

Heat vinaigrette on stove top to thicken a bit, then dump in salad and mix it up.

Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1/4 C pancetta
3 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 shallot, sliced
2 pounds Brussel sprouts, stem trimmed, halved lengthwise
1/2 C chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 C grated Parmesan

Pancetta in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat; 2 min.
Add garlic and shallot and saute for another minute.
Add brussels sprouts, chicken broth, salt and pepper; then stir.
Cover and cook for 4 minutes or until desired doneness.
Transfer to serving plate/bowl and garnish with Parmesan.

I couldn't find pancetta, so I used bacon. I first cooked the bacon then drained
the fat. The pan was coated enough so I didn't use the olive oil. I also used an
onion because I didn't have a shallot on hand.

Gingerbread Loaf

So Kelly made this in a bundt pan, and brought homemade whipped cream for the top. Delish.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4  cups  all-purpose flour (about 7 3/4 ounces)
• 3/4  cup  whole wheat flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
• 2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cardamom
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1  cup  warm 1% low-fat milk (100° to 110°)
• 1/2  cup  molasses
• 1/4  cup  canola oil
• 3  tablespoons  prune baby food
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4  cup  packed dark brown sugar
• Cooking spray
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add sugar, stirring until well blended. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Scrape batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray, using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle walnuts in a 2 1/2-inch-wide strip down center of loaf.
Bake the loaf at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan on a wire rack.