Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup

I've been wanting to try Kale in a soup for awhile, so I scoured for a recipe to take hints from and then, made up my own (as usual).

POTATO, KALE & SAUSAGE SOUP

1/2 lb. chopped & cleaned kale

10 oz. uncooked hot Italian sausage

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 medium red potatoes, diced, skins on

6 oz. plain Greek yogurt

3 beef bouillon cubes

1 tbsp. Seitenbacher vegetable seasoning

10 c. water

sea salt to taste

Spray Dutch oven or soup pot with olive oil cooking spray. Over medium heat add onion and garlic, cook for several minutes. Next add crumbled sausage, cook all the way through. Then add in potatoes, kale, water and seasonings. Simmer covered for 40 minutes. Remove from heat, wait 5 minutes and stir in yogurt.

Makes 11 -  1 cup servings - 100 calories each

Pinterest Finds... Kale Chips & Roasted Chickpeas

I have officially joined and am obsessed with Pinterest. Of the tons of recipes I keep coming across that look super tasty I tried two of them last night.

Kale Chips and Roasted Chickpeas - such yummy snack food.

ROASTED CHICKPEAS

The original recipe can be found over at  theKitchn.

I didn't stray too far from the original recipe except I used half the olive oil and added garlic powder as well as sea salt and garam masala. 

1 can rinsed, drained and dried chick peas

1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tbsp. garam masala

1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

1-2 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

Roast at 400 degrees onto sprayed baking sheet, making sure to shake them around a bit every 10 minutes or so, for 25-35 minutes or until desired crispiness. 

Yields about 3 - 1/2 cup servings - 130 calories each.

crunchy,  fiber & protein packed snacks. delish!

I also came close to sticking with the recipe for the Kale Chips but again used less oil. It's amazing how little oil you actually need versus how much oil most recipes will call for... pure silliness.

KALE CHIPS

1 bunch Kale, washed well and dried, chopped into  1 1/2" or so strips (about 4 cups)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

sea salt to taste

Toss Kale with olive oil and vinegar mixture. Sprinkle on sea salt and spread out onto sprayed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Keep an eye on them, should take about 10-15 minutes.

One batch - about 260 calories

You can eat either (or both!) of these tasty, crunchy snacks instead of chips or popcorn and get the added bonus of vitamins, fiber AND protein!

So go ahead, give them a try! Let me know what you think!

Double Re-Do - Aztec Blend with Squash

So the first time I made this dish it was tasty, but a little too sweet for me and I felt like I could make it better. Therefore, I tried it again.

Here's what I did:

(and it's much prettier!)

DOUBLE RE-DO - AZTEC BLEND WITH SQUASH

1 package of cleaned and cut butternut squash (or about 1 lb. cut into 1 inch cubes)

3/4 c. dry of Indian Harvest (or Wegman's) Aztec blend rice

2 tsp. Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth and seasoning

1/2 oz. of toasted blanched almonds, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

5 baby bella mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, roasted and minced

1/2 bag baby spinach

salt to taste

Roast salted squash at 450 degrees on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through. While squash is roasting cook Aztec blend as package directs, adding vegetable seasoning to boiling water. Your squash and Aztec blend will take about the same amount of time to cook. About 25 minutes in, place two cloves of garlic (in their skins) on baking sheet as well and roast with squash.  Saute in a small pan with olive oil cooking spray onion and mushrooms until done. Remove from heat and set aside. Once squash and garlic is roasted, remove from oven. Mince roasted garlic and add to butternut squash on baking sheet. Also at this time add Aztec blend, mushrooms and onions to baking sheet as well. Mix thoroughly. Place back into the 450 degree oven for another 5 minutes. Remove and add fresh baby spinach, mix again and place back into oven for about ten minutes or until spinach is wilted. 

This entire recipe is 940 calories. You can either divide into thirds making it 313 calories each. Or halves (good sized!) for 470 calories each. 

Adding in the spinach not only adds color but also a good source of vitamins. If you liked the sweetness from the first recipe add in dried cranberries or raisins. It will raise the calories some but not too much. 

Perfect for a hearty meal packed with veggies!

Meaty (or Veggie) Spaghetti Sauce!

I can't say we have had the same meal around our house in quite some time. I try my best to come up with something new (even if it's just a few little tweaks) every day. I try new ingredients, new recipes and new techniques as much as possible. Sure, I've made spaghetti sauce before. But this is a little different for me. I simmered the sauce for about 35 minutes and added thyme and a bay leaf.

MMMM. SAUCE

(yeah, maybe it doesn't look so pretty, but it's pretty damn tasty - and so much better than a jar!)

12 oz. uncooked lean ground beef, 96% lean - 4% fat (or Morningstar meat substitute crumbles)

1 cup chopped Pero red, yellow and orange mini peppers (about 8 mini peppers- LOVE these)

8 medium sized baby bella mushrooms, chopped (yield about 2 cups)

1/2 diced red onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 c. crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

1 tbsp. (or to taste) of baking Splenda

1/2 c. water

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. each dried basil, garlic powder, parsley

1/2 tbsp. each dried thyme, black pepper, sea salt

In a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat add oil and onion to pan. Cook about 2 minutes. Next add in minced garlic, cook another minute. Add in peppers and cook another 2 minutes. Then add in ground beef (or Morningstar meat substitute), brown for several minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, add in tomato sauce, water, mushrooms, Splenda and spices. Simmer covered on low for about 20 minutes. Stir mixture and simmer another 15 to 20 minutes. 

Makes 10 - 1/2 cup servings - 86 calories each.

Perfect to serve over cooked pasta!

Current Food Obsessions!

I have posted before photos of my fridge and items I typically eat, but with each food discovery that list varies some. Here are my current loves and all time best staples.

New Obsessions:

Blue Bunny 24 Karat Carrot Cake Ice Cream... that's right. It couldn't get any better than this. I mean seriously? Blue Bunny also has a Red Velvet and Wedding Cake flavor. Did I mention a 1/2 cup scoop of this is only 130 calories and 5g of fat? Say it ain't so!

It's also no coincidence that I love Chef Duff!

Quaker Soft Baked Bars Banana Nut Bread ... this is the perfect alternative to ordering a slice along with your morning java at your favorite Corporate Coffee chain... or (hopefully) local coffeehouse. It's only 140 calories, packs a hellacious fiber punch of 5g and 6g of protein (as much as one egg!).

Sunset Produce - Zima Grape Tomato... this little golden tomato is fantastic. It's sweet and tastes like summer. Perfect for halving on salads or popping in your mouth whole. So fresh!

Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese - I bought the EdenVale brand (which is only available at Aldi - for $2.99 - yes! $2.99!) If you have an Aldi near you I seriously suggest taking a quarter (to rent a cart) and your reusable grocery bags (otherwise you will have to purchase them or use their empty boxes) and giving them a shot. They have really reasonable prices on most items and have a Fit and Active line for those of us who are watching our caloric intake. But enough about Aldi... this goat cheese is perfect for my favorite salad. 

Cinnamon Teddy Grahams - okay, so this isn't a new obsession. But a revisited one. You can bite the heads off 24 of these little bears for only 130 calories. It's a nice little slightly sweet, snacky, fun treat. Plus, it reminds you of being a kid - and if you have kids, you may already buy these for them, make them share!

Always in my Cupboards: 

Kashi Go Lean... This cereal is the bee's knees. Seriously, 1 cup equals 140 calories, 10g of fiber and 13g of protein. Ahh-maayy-ziinng. And it's pretty tasty! Kashi has a way of making good foods packed with fiber still taste great. Plus, they make them chewy, giving your jaws a good workout.

Stauffer's Animal Crackers - I've searched through many grocery aisles for a better animal cracker and this one beats them all, every time. You can eat 13 crackers for only 100 calories. The original kind taste like the cookies McDonald's used to give for free back in the 80's in your Happy Meal (before they gave a bunch of dumb toys based on gender). The chocolate kind are just as good with a little cocoa flavor. Plus, you can almost always find them in the dollar section at Target! What a bargain!

D'Anjou Pears in Red and Green - I prefer the texture of D'Anjou to Bartlett, plus they tend to be a little smaller. I don't think I even started really eating pears until this last year. Apples (Gala!) have always been my go to fruit, but one of the perks of working at a grocery is getting to try things you never have!

Low fat Cottage Cheese - a new-ish food for me. I have discovered the simplicity of cottage cheese. Which actually pairs (pears) very well with the D'Anjou, Gala apple or fresh pineapple chunks. 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese and a medium sized pear make a great snack - only 190 calories and 14 grams of protein (all from the cottage cheese!). You can also buy the fat free and save yourself about 10 calories but it generally has a little more sugar and sodium - gotta mask that fat free flavor somehow!

And last, but certainly not least. Almond Milk. I've tried both Almond Breeze and Silk Pure Almond and they are equally good. However, Silk Pure Almond tends to be a little cheaper and you can find coupons online. The Unsweetened Vanilla flavor is perfect for cereal, coffee creamer, smoothies or in recipes. Plus, you can have a whole cup for only 35 calories! Oh and if you have a chocolate craving, add some sugar free chocolate syrup!

Pumpkin Apple Date Bread - Vegan

I had some dates. Some canned pure pumpkin. And some apples less than appealing for regular eating with bangs and bruises. So I decided to make bread. Now, it's been a long while since I've attempted to make any sort of bread and I was curious about alternative flours.

I bought tapioca flour. Learned it has to be combined with another flour and then said ah well, I'll get some wheat flour. What I found on sale was Organic White Whole Wheat Flour so there you have it.

I found some basic pumpkin date bread recipes and then proceeded to Fit Foodie it up. And here you have it.

VEGAN PUMPKIN APPLE DATE BREAD

Bowl 1:

3 medium apples – gala – peeled and diced into 1/2” cubes (or about 7oz)

6 medium dates – or ¼ cup – chopped and pitted

½ c. unsweetened applesauce

½ c. pure pumpkin canned

¼ c. almond milk –unsweetened vanilla

2 tbsp. sugar free maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Bowl 2:

1 c. unbleached white whole wheat flour

¾ c. tapioca flour

1 c. baking Splenda

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Topping:

½ oz. sliced almonds

3 tsp. granulated brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with baking spray. Peel 3 medium apples – I used Gala – and dice into about half inch cubes. You just want them to be bite sized, but not small enough to disintegrate. Take 6 dates, pit them and chop them – equals about ¼ cup. In a small bowl add apples, dates, unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin, almond milk, syrup and vanilla – mix well.

In a second larger bowl add flours, Splenda, baking soda, baking powder and spices – mix well. Combine slowly the wet mixture into the dry. This will create a very thick and dense batter. Mix well.

Pour batter into loaf pan, spread out evenly with spatula. Sprinkle top with sliced almonds and brown sugar.

Bake about an hour or until toothpick or butter knife comes out clean. The dough around the apple pieces won’t be as done due to their moisture, but I like it that way. Bake for longer if you desire.

Super dense. Super tasty. Super awesome.

total bread: 1200 calories. – 11 servings – 100 calories each

Mayo & Sour Cream Substitute - Go Greek!

Everyone loves a good tuna or chicken salad. Especially in the warmer months and since spring has sprung I wanted to share with you a semi-recent discovery.

Greek yogurt. Now, I don't like yogurt by itself. You won't find me sitting down and eating strawberry yogurt topped with delicious fruits and crunchy granola. The texture freaks me out a bit. I've tried it all, regular, light, Greek - none of it I can really handle - unless it's mixed in something else.

So next time you make tuna, chicken or egg salad - or any other mayonnaise based salad - substitute plain Greek yogurt instead.

TUNA SALAD

2 regular sized cans of white chunk Tuna in water (50 calories per 1/4c. serving)

1/2 6oz. container of plain Greek yogurt (100 calories or less)

1-2 tbsp. Dijon or spicy mustard

1/4 c. dill relish

1/8 c. diced onion

1/8 c. diced celery

1 hard-boiled egg, diced (optional -add 70 calories to total)

Total calories - 260

Makes 4 generous servings - 65 each!

Plus! You get the added benefit of more protein with the yogurt. If you are trying to build muscle you need protein before and especially after your workout. Give this a try on a bed of baby spinach and top with Zima grape tomatoes.  They are sweet, ripe and bursting with flavor. 

You can also use Greek yogurt to thicken sauces and make soups more creamy. Or make your own dips more protein packed by substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream.