Here are some useful and healthy recipes for your enjoyment.
SOUPS:
TURKISH LENTIL SOUP
(1 GALLON)
2 medium onions, peeled and diced medium diced
½ cup butter
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cups red lentils
1 gallon water
1 gallon beef broth
½ cup flour
2 egg yolks
1 ½ cups milk
S & P
Melt butter in pot; sweat onions until translucent. Stir flour into onion mixture
Add red lentil , water and beef broth. Stir until flour and butter are dissolved into broth. Simmer for 15 minutes or until lentils are cooked.
Puree all of this. Whisk milk into egg yolks, then whisk into pureed soup until proper consistency. Season with S & P .
OPTIONS: This soup can be made with vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
The flour can be left out and add 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced small. Then you can eliminate the egg yolk and milk as a thickening agent. Puree as above.
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WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH TOMATOES AND HERBS
Serves: 8 to 10
1 bunch fresh thyme or 1 Tablespoon dried
Large sprig fresh rosemary or 1 ½ teaspoons dried
2 bunches fresh oregano (or 1 Tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoon dried)
3 cups dried white beans, washed and picked over
12 cups water
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cups canned tomatoes, chopped with liquid
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts vegetable stock
2 to 2 ½ limes, quartered
If using fresh herbs, make an herb packet by placing a large square if cheesecloth on a counter. Place thyme, rosemary, and half the oregano in the center, gather the ends together and tie off. Remove the leaves from the remaining bunch of oregano, chop and reserve.
Combine beans, fresh herb packet or the dried herbs and water in a large saucepan or stockpot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until beans are cooked through but firm, 1 hour. Remove from heat. Lift out and discard herb bundle.
In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until golden, 15 to 20 minutes
Stir in the garlic and cook just until aroma is released, 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, salt and pepper and half the reserved chopped oregano ( if using fresh ). Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid ids evaporated. Stir in the beans and their cooking liquid and cook 5 minutes longer.
Pour in the vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 40 minutes, or until beans are very tender.
Serve hot, and garnish with the remaining chopped oregano and lime wedges, or squeeze lime juice right into the soup.
You can use canned beans to do this soup. Just rinse beans, add to a stockpot with the water and the herbs and simmer for 30 minutes. Then discard the herb packet.
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BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHOWDER WITH PEAS AND GINGER
6 Servings
2 Anjou or Bosc Pears
Juice of two lemons
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup peeled and diced Spanish onion
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon peeled minced fresh garlic
½ cup dry white wine
2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced ( about 3 cups )
1 potato ( about 12 ounces ), peeled and diced
5 cups veggie stock
¼ cup orange juice
½ cup heavy cram, optional
Salt to taste
Place pears in bowl with the lemon juice ( you can use orange juice or apple cider ), cover with water and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrot, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Add the white wine and reduce the liquid until the pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes.
Drain half of the pears, reserving other half in the lemon water. Add the drained pears to the pan with the squash, potato, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the orange juice, lemon juice, cream, salt and reserved pears. Gently warm the chowder thorough. The chowder can be made 1 day ahead
Snacks:
CINNAMON APPLE-PEAR KEBABS
2 large Bartlett pears, peeled and cut into chunks
2 large Golden Delicious Apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat broiler. Spray rack with non-stick canola spray.
Combine pears, apples, brown sugar, and oil in a large bowl. Add lemon juice and cinnamon; toss to coat. Alternately thread 3 pear chunks and 3 apple chunks on each of 8 (12-inch) metal or wooden skewers; place on the broiler rack. Broil 5 inches from the heat, turning every 2 minutes, until the fruit is crisp-tender and lightly browned, 7-8 minutes. Let the kebabs cool about 10 minutes; serve warm.
Serves:4
Per Serving: (2 kebabs) 88 Cal., 2 g. Fat,0 g. Sat. Fat, 0 g. Trans Fat, 0 mg. Chol., 4 mg. Sod., 20 g. Carb., 3 g. Fib.,1 g. Prot., 10 mg. Calc.
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CURRIED POPCORN
Serves: 8
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup unpopped popcorn
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn and cook, covered, shaking the pot occasionally until hot, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the salt, curry powder, cumin, coriander, and cayenne; cook, covered, shaking the pot constantly, until the popcorn pops, 3-4 minutes.
Per Servings:
(2 cups) 91 Cal. 3 g. fat, 0 g. Sat Fat, 0 g. Trans Fat,
0 mg. Chol., 437 mg. Sod., 14 g. Carb., 3 g. Fib., 2 g. Prot., 6 mg. Calc.
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MARINATED MUSHROOMS
Serves: 8- approximately 3 each
1 8-ounce package fresh mushrooms
1 medium glove of garlic
2 Tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoon seeded and minced fresh jalpeno peppers
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 small strips lemon rind, yellow portion only
2 Tablespoons dry white wine
¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt
Wipe mushrooms with clean, damp cloth; cut into quarters. Set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a medium, shallow bowl and stir to mix well. Toss mushrooms in mixture to coat evenly.
Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for several hours or overnight. Remove mushrooms from marinade, Discard marinade And serve mushrooms cold.
CALORIES: 98; PROTEIN: 1 g.; Carbo: 3g.. Total Fat: 9 g. Saturated Fat: 1 g. Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g. Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g. Cholesterol: 0 g. Sodium: 18 mg.
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Creamy Orange Shake
1 cup ice cubes
1cup Orange Sherbet
1 cup sugar-free vanilla fat-free frozen yogurt
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
Put ice cubes in a blender and pulse until crushed. Add sherbet, yogurt,
Milk, and juice concentrate; puree until smooth.
Per serving: (1cup) 135 Cal., 1 g. fat, 1 g. Sat Fat, 0 g. Trans Fat, 4 mg. Chol. 71 mg. Sod., 28 g. Carb., 0 g. Fiber, 4 g. Prot., 144 mg. Cal.
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LEMON PEPPER MUSHROOMS
Serves: 8 1 mushroom per serving
Vegetable oil spray
8 large fresh mushrooms 1 Tablespoon chopped chives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a shallow baking pan with the vegetable oil spray.
Wipe mushrooms with a clean damp cloth. Remove stems and set mushrooms caps aside. Discard lower half of stems and chop upper half of stems very finely.
In a small bowl, combine chopped stems with remaining ingredients. Stir to mix well.
Stuff mushroom caps with mixture. Place stuffed mushrooms in a prepared pan and bake 8 – 10 minutes.
Calories:23 Protein:0 g. Carbo:1 g. Total Fat:2 g. Saturated Fat: 0 g. Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g. Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g. Cholesterol: 1 mg Sodium: 12 mg.
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ZESTY POTATO SKINS
Serves: 8
6 MEDIUM RED POTATOES, BAKED
Vegetable oil spray
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese, undrained
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1` ½ Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chives
¼ teaspoon chili powder
24 slices black olives
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut each potato in half. Scoop out the center, leaving about ¼ inch of potato on the inside of each skin. Cut skins into quarters. Lightly spray insides of skins with vegetable oil spray.
In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, ½ teaspoon chili powder, cumin, and pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly on insides of potatoes.
Place skins, skin sides down on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients except olives in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cottage cheese mixture on top of each potato skin and top with a slice of olive.
Calories: 50 Protein: 4 g. Carbo: 8 g. Total Fat: 0 g. Saturated Fat: 0 g. Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g. Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g. Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 128 mg.