I'm not sure at what age it becomes acceptable to adore soup... but I'm pretty sure this launches me into the middle-aged category somehow. But who cares, because I really do like soup. The nostalgia of hot soup on a cold day is enough to keep me coming back for seconds.
I mentioned in a FB post that I'm fairly certain GOD makes Creamy Green Chile Soup on cold days- that endorsement seemed enough for some of you to want the recipe. So here it is- it comes from my sister Anna's kitchen. Other soups that I mentioned are listed in the side bar of recipes- I think the Butternut Squash/Pear Bisque is outstanding, so definitely give that one a try this fall! Because of the calories, I usually reserve the GC one for special occasions- it has become our Christmas Eve tradition.
You'll need:
1 stick of butter (real butter is better than margarine, but you could use margarine if you want)
3/4 C. flour
2 C. (fat free) half & half: (fat free works perfectly and it saves a few calories)
or you can use 2C whole milk (skim milk will probably not work but 2% will likely be fine)
3 C. chicken broth
2 C. cooked, chopped chicken (rotisserie chicken works exceptionally well!!)
2 C. green chile
1 tsp. garlic powder (or to taste)
salt & pepper, to taste
Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and warm, buttered tortillas
In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk over medium heat for 5 minutes. The roux will get a nice golden brown. As you continue whisking, slowly add the chicken broth. Once this is fully incorporated, add the half & half (or milk) and continue stirring as you bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add in the green chile, chicken and seasoning. Once the chicken is heated through, the soup is done. The taste only develops as it sits, so be sure you make enough for leftovers!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Veggies, With A Side of Veggies Please
I think I am somehow going to have to figure out how to grow my own vegetables next summer. Let it be known now that my thumb is actually black. My dear friend Kristen planted lambs ear in my backyard garden and assured me it was impossible to kill. Well, it took 3 years, but I have managed to do the impossible. It is 100% dead- and that's with me watering the garden and attempting (however slightly) to maintain it. Sigh.
I have found that eating vegetarian dinners on a regular (4-5 times/week) basis has actually been much easier than I anticipated. It took a few weeks to get into the groove. But I will say that it hasn't improved my budget- I haven't actually done a cost comparison (because I'm too lazy) but the amount of vegetables it takes seems to cost about the same as the meat I'm replacing. Bell peppers are ridiculously expensive at at least $1.25/each (and that's extremely cheap compared to the regular grocery store)- portobello mushrooms are about the same. We easily go through 12 bell peppers and 8 onions a week. I roast 'em together with a bunch of carrots and toss it in to just about every recipe I can think of (and they are DIVINE).
But I'm cheap, dammit, and need to figure out ways to cut down the grocery bill. So I may have to figure out how to find the discipline to actually tend a garden next summer. Like, really, not just theoretically.
Here's a veggie recipe I'm trying this week:
Veggie Enchiladas (Green Chile)
3 bell peppers
3 onions
3 carrots
1-2 zucchini
2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach or 1/2 6oz pkg frozen
2-3 oz goat cheese
1/2 c. grated cheddar (reduced fat is better)
12-18 corn tortillas
1 can hatch green chile sauce + extra fresh green chile
OR 1-2 cans Hatch red chile sauce, if you prefer
Slice bell peppers, onions and carrots. Toss together on a cookie sheet with 2 TBS oil. Roast at 425* for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Cook until caramelized and gorgeous. Set aside. Dice zucchini into small bites. Brown in a skillet with 1TBS olive oil. Set aside.
In a 9X12 baking dish, spray with cooking spray, spread tiny amount of chile sauce and lay down first 4-6 corn tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 the goat cheese and all of the zucchini and spinach. Spread a bit more sauce and top with next layer of corn tortillas. Sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese, all of the bell peppers/onions/carrots. Top with almost all the sauce, reserving enough to cover the final layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining tortillas, then the remaining sauce, and top with the cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes. It should be hot throughout and the cheese should be brown and bubbly on top!
I have found that eating vegetarian dinners on a regular (4-5 times/week) basis has actually been much easier than I anticipated. It took a few weeks to get into the groove. But I will say that it hasn't improved my budget- I haven't actually done a cost comparison (because I'm too lazy) but the amount of vegetables it takes seems to cost about the same as the meat I'm replacing. Bell peppers are ridiculously expensive at at least $1.25/each (and that's extremely cheap compared to the regular grocery store)- portobello mushrooms are about the same. We easily go through 12 bell peppers and 8 onions a week. I roast 'em together with a bunch of carrots and toss it in to just about every recipe I can think of (and they are DIVINE).
But I'm cheap, dammit, and need to figure out ways to cut down the grocery bill. So I may have to figure out how to find the discipline to actually tend a garden next summer. Like, really, not just theoretically.
Here's a veggie recipe I'm trying this week:
Veggie Enchiladas (Green Chile)
3 bell peppers
3 onions
3 carrots
1-2 zucchini
2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach or 1/2 6oz pkg frozen
2-3 oz goat cheese
1/2 c. grated cheddar (reduced fat is better)
12-18 corn tortillas
1 can hatch green chile sauce + extra fresh green chile
OR 1-2 cans Hatch red chile sauce, if you prefer
Slice bell peppers, onions and carrots. Toss together on a cookie sheet with 2 TBS oil. Roast at 425* for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Cook until caramelized and gorgeous. Set aside. Dice zucchini into small bites. Brown in a skillet with 1TBS olive oil. Set aside.
In a 9X12 baking dish, spray with cooking spray, spread tiny amount of chile sauce and lay down first 4-6 corn tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 the goat cheese and all of the zucchini and spinach. Spread a bit more sauce and top with next layer of corn tortillas. Sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese, all of the bell peppers/onions/carrots. Top with almost all the sauce, reserving enough to cover the final layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining tortillas, then the remaining sauce, and top with the cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes. It should be hot throughout and the cheese should be brown and bubbly on top!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Journey To... Where, Exactly?
I nearly started this blog out with a sentence in reference to this journey of food discovery, when it occurred to me, I'm not actually GOING anywhere. And while I view spirituality as being a journey of discovery without really having much of a tangible destination, I at least had to stop and ask, is that what this is, too? I'm so goal-oriented in most things, it sure would be nice to think of changing my family's diet as something more of an adventure to be enjoyed, rather than a mark I'm not quite hitting...
I was feeling a little down the other day because our actual meals haven't exactly been what I had planned- particularly in the area of sugar-consumption. (I'm afraid homemade lattes are quickly replacing my mid-morning soda fix. And blessings on the Eat-Clean Diet Lady, but I'm just not to the no-sugar place yet, as is evidenced by my just-too-tight pants...) But then I started thinking back to what we had been eating lately- and I realized that nearly all of our dinners the last 3 weeks have been vegetarian. And hey, coming from a rather carnivorous, that's not something to sneeze at. (Wait, is that how that expression goes?)
So I've decided to let myself off the hook a bit and continue with our destination-less journey of discovering good, healthy food. With that in mind, I'm posting a recipe from a delightful dinner I made last weekend for my sister and my vegetarian/vegan friends. It was 100% vegan, and lacked absolutely nothing. Don't believe me? Try it!
Grilled Portobello Sandwiches and Green (Ridiculously Good) Salad
for 4 people
For the Sandwiches:
4 large portobello caps
2-3 bell peppers, roasted (jarred or roast ahead of time- any color)
2 yellow onions, caramelized (you can either roast these with the bell peppers, or if using jarred bells, cook these in a skilled with olive oil until brown and oozey.)
4 roma tomatoes (you can either roast them on a cookie sheet to make them sweet, serve them raw or use sundried tomatoes)
4 green chiles, diced or just sliced in half, and seeds removed
1 large foccacia bread (buy high quality bread, and skip the baked-in cheese- you won't miss it)
Preheat your grill. Brush both sides of the portobello mushrooms with olive oil, salt & pepper. Grill mushrooms for approx. 10-13 minutes, turning once. (Alternatively, if you prefer, you can slice the mushrooms into long slices and cook them in a skillet- the sandwich will look beautiful either way.) If your bell peppers and onions are not already hot, warm them in the microwave just before mushrooms are done. Slice the foccacia into four portions, and slice open. Layer each sandwich with one portobello, bell peppers, onions, 1 tomato and green chile. Serve with salad on the side.
For The Salad:
4 C. favorite lettuce (I prefer plain baby spinach)
2 granny smith apples, diced
1 C. walnuts (I cook about 2 c. walnuts in 1/3c. pure maple syrup in a skillet over med heat, stirring until the syrup has caramelized into utter deliciousness)
For the Dressing:
1 C. olive oil
1/2 C. apple cider vinegar
1/2 C. sugar
1 garlic clove
1 small package fresh basil (about 1/3c.)
In a small food processor, chop up the garlic and basil. Add the other ingredients and blend well. Store in a container that has a tight lid- as it sits in the fridge, it separates, so you'll need to shake well. Will last about a week.
I was feeling a little down the other day because our actual meals haven't exactly been what I had planned- particularly in the area of sugar-consumption. (I'm afraid homemade lattes are quickly replacing my mid-morning soda fix. And blessings on the Eat-Clean Diet Lady, but I'm just not to the no-sugar place yet, as is evidenced by my just-too-tight pants...) But then I started thinking back to what we had been eating lately- and I realized that nearly all of our dinners the last 3 weeks have been vegetarian. And hey, coming from a rather carnivorous, that's not something to sneeze at. (Wait, is that how that expression goes?)
So I've decided to let myself off the hook a bit and continue with our destination-less journey of discovering good, healthy food. With that in mind, I'm posting a recipe from a delightful dinner I made last weekend for my sister and my vegetarian/vegan friends. It was 100% vegan, and lacked absolutely nothing. Don't believe me? Try it!
Grilled Portobello Sandwiches and Green (Ridiculously Good) Salad
for 4 people
For the Sandwiches:
4 large portobello caps
2-3 bell peppers, roasted (jarred or roast ahead of time- any color)
2 yellow onions, caramelized (you can either roast these with the bell peppers, or if using jarred bells, cook these in a skilled with olive oil until brown and oozey.)
4 roma tomatoes (you can either roast them on a cookie sheet to make them sweet, serve them raw or use sundried tomatoes)
4 green chiles, diced or just sliced in half, and seeds removed
1 large foccacia bread (buy high quality bread, and skip the baked-in cheese- you won't miss it)
Preheat your grill. Brush both sides of the portobello mushrooms with olive oil, salt & pepper. Grill mushrooms for approx. 10-13 minutes, turning once. (Alternatively, if you prefer, you can slice the mushrooms into long slices and cook them in a skillet- the sandwich will look beautiful either way.) If your bell peppers and onions are not already hot, warm them in the microwave just before mushrooms are done. Slice the foccacia into four portions, and slice open. Layer each sandwich with one portobello, bell peppers, onions, 1 tomato and green chile. Serve with salad on the side.
For The Salad:
4 C. favorite lettuce (I prefer plain baby spinach)
2 granny smith apples, diced
1 C. walnuts (I cook about 2 c. walnuts in 1/3c. pure maple syrup in a skillet over med heat, stirring until the syrup has caramelized into utter deliciousness)
For the Dressing:
1 C. olive oil
1/2 C. apple cider vinegar
1/2 C. sugar
1 garlic clove
1 small package fresh basil (about 1/3c.)
In a small food processor, chop up the garlic and basil. Add the other ingredients and blend well. Store in a container that has a tight lid- as it sits in the fridge, it separates, so you'll need to shake well. Will last about a week.
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