Curry Peanut Soup

This soup took a little prep time, but was worth it!  It was my first time cooking with curry so I was a little nervous, but Dave and I both loved it.  I was very excited to eat leftovers all week and was so upset to find that I forgot to put it in the refrigerator overnight and had to throw the rest out.  :( 

This is yet another Oxygen magazine recipe.  This came from an article which showed the cost per serving.  They say this recipe cost $1.12 per serving!  It says it makes 12 servings.  As a main meal, I think it was going to end up being about 8 servings or so.  I used chicken instead of shrimp and next time I might skip the meat altogether.  It was very filling.

Ingredients

2 T low sodium soy sauce
1 onion, chopped
2 small sweet potatoes, diced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 lb small shrimp, cleaned and deveined (I used shredded chicken instead)
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
32 oz low sodium veg stock
1 15 oz can low sodium garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 T natural peanut butter
2 t curry powder

Preparation

1. Heat 1/2 c water, add soy sauce in large pot
2. Add onion and sweet potatoes. Cook for 5 min over high heat, stir occasionally
3. Add carrot, celery, pepper. Cover and cook 3 min
4. Add shrimp and cook until no longer white, about 5 min
5.Stir in tomatoes, stock, beans, and cilantro
6. Blend peanut butter with 1/3 cup water and curry powder. Add to soup
7. Stir to mix well. Cover and simmer ten minutes (I ended up simmering about 20 minutes to get the sweet potatoes to cook all the way)   

Nutrition –140 cal, 3g fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 trans fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar, 13 g protein, 2 mg iron (1 cup serving)

Steel Cut Oats

I finally made Melissa’s Steel Cut Oat breakfast recipe she posted in September.  It was delicious.  I followed her advice and made extra for breakfast tomorrow.  I added flaxseed, blueberries, shaved almonds, and honey to mine.  All the extras make it hard to really see the oats in the picture though.

Super Easy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Thanks to Dave’s cousin, I rediscovered cauliflower.  After trying her salad, I realized I like cauliflower and broccoli much better uncooked.  And an added bonus is you get more nutrients when eating the veggies raw!

Mix together – broccoli, cauliflower, cransins, cashews, and poppy seed dressing. 

Shredded Chicken

In an attempt to eat more greens and veggies, I have been trying to eat a spinach salad for lunch more often.  I was having trouble getting good protein for the salad...until now!  I buy a bunch of chicken breasts and cook them in the crock-pot with water.  Once the chicken is done, it shreds easily with a fork.  I divide it into bags to store in the freezer for soups and salads.  I just break off a small portion of chicken from the bag the night before to put on the salad.  The chicken is thawed by lunch the next day. 

This week I also added black beans to my salad.  I have been reading more about the many health benefits of beans and why it is important to incorporate them into your diet.  Check out this link for information on why beans are so good for you!  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/the-incredible-health-benefits-of-beans.html

Does anyone have any healthy time saving they tips use?  I would love to hear them!

In Defense of Artichokes

OK.  So I feel like I was a bit hard on artichokes in my last post.  Especially after Melita's comments in defense of them.  I can see how they'd be a fun food and I even thought that as I was eating it.  I just CANNOT do the mayo.  But if I could find another dip, I might be more likely to cook them.  I feel like I should offer some of the good things about artichokes that I left out last night in my haste to hit the hay:

Artichokes are very good for you and low in calories.  According to internet sources that 25 Calorie artichoke provides 6% of the Recommended Daily Value of phosphorus, 10% of magnesium, 8% of manganese, 10% of chromium, 5% of potassium, 4% of iron and 2% of calcium and iron. In addition to all these important minerals, artichokes are a good source of fiber (12% of the RDV), vitamin C (10% of the RDV), and folate (10% of the RDV). 


So, I hope my gross post didn't discourage you too much from eating these- they actually could be a very fun group appetizer. 

Have a great weekend!

NEW FOOD FRIDAY- Artichoke

Simply Recipes 

Hello Again!  How was your TG?  Mine was lovely, thanks.  So, I have to admit this weeks New Food was not actually eaten this week but a few weeks ago so I'm doing this from memory a little bit.  Second admission is that this technically isn't a new food for me- HOWEVER- I have never made it, nor have I ever hunkered down and properly tackled a real, whole artichoke.  Kind of a strange experience, I have to say.  I bought one whilst hopelessly perusing the veggie section, thinking of ways to shock and awe you with my food prowess- or lack thereof.  I was clueless how to prepare it, or even how to eat it since I've only had it in dip and on veggie pizza (hmmm- thinking of that is making me hungry).  So when I read on Simply Recipes that you actually eat the leaves, but only part of each leaf, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  So, you're telling me that I cook this ginormous thing but throw half of it out?  I said to myself. Wasteful. But, I went on with my research because I'm hopelessly and tirelessly dedicated to you. sigh... forehead swoon.

I followed these directions to a T (although, now that I think of it, I think I boiled it instead of steaming it).  I'd show you pics but its rather boring.  A pot of water.  No thanks.  Me standing there watching the pot until it FINALLY boils.  Double no thanks.  A splash of lemon some salt and garlic powder (which made a really gross film on my pot by the way)- eh, I'll pass.

But here it is all boiled and arranged.  See that stuff popping out of the top of the leaf like Guido's chest hair?  THAT's what you're supposed to eat.  

So, its weird.  Its kind of like something I can see cheesy people eating when they want to be romantic.  Eww.  That just makes me uncomfortable.  Its right up there with the word panties.  So, I had to get over that.  The dip too- I just felt wrong eating mayo with a little vinegar in it.  The thought of it now makes me wanna barf.  But anyway, I dipped the leaf into the mayo and pulled my teeth across the leaf as directed.  A little meat came out and I ate it, then discarded the remainder of the leaf on my designated trash plate.  Hmmm.  Appetizing. Repeat 1000 times.  So, here's the thing.  I thought it tasted o.k. while I ate it but it haunted me all day after I was done- not in a physical way but a mental one.  Every time I smelled evidence of it I cursed the day I let artichoke into my house.  I think it was the mayo mix that really put me over the edge.  Ug.  I think I'm gonna stick to canned artichoke hearts and I'll leave the real deal to the love birds.

over and out.  k.

My Favorite Fall Food...

is spaghetti squash!  I love the sweet taste of the squash instead of noodles and enjoy getting the extra veggies!  To prepare, cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place face down on a dish in the microwave for about 10-15 minutes.  I usually just keep checking until the outside of the squash feels like it gives a little when pressing on it.  The all you do is use a fork to pull the squash apart.  It comes out looking like spaghetti!  It is good with a meat sauce (as in the picture), with grilled chicken and tomato sauce for a healthier chicken parmesan, or as a side dish with a little butter, pepper, and parmesan cheese.