butternut squash and sage soup

It’s tradition in our house to have breakfast in bed and the dinner of your choice on your birthday.  My daughter turned 17 on Tuesday and requested butternut squash soup and biscuits.  I’ve never been happy with the recipe I’ve used in the past.  It just lacked flavor.

I found this recipe on Realsimple.com and after making it, realized that the simple act of roasting the squash before putting it into the broth made all the difference.  It was delicious, super low in Points, and made the birthday girl very happy!

Butternut Squash and Sage Soup

• 6 cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 teaspoons salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 6 cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, toss the squash with 1 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and the pepper. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for 15 minutes. Turn the cubes over and continue roasting for 15 minutes or until they are caramelized; set aside.

In a Dutch oven or a large stockpot, heat the butter and the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and sage and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the squash, broth, and the remaining salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid is flavorful. Remove from heat.  Using an immersion blender, process until smooth.

Makes 10 cups.

Recipe adapted from Realsimple.com.

Using the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder, each 1 2/3 cup serving has 3 PointsPlus.

 

cauliflower and cheese soup

Yesterday my 5th grader’s teacher sent home a sample of our son’s writing for us to read. As Alex read it aloud my jaw hit the floor.  I’ve always dreamed of becoming an author, but I think someone else in the family has more of a gift than I do:

(He was given a picture of a shipwreck and 10 minutes to write an expository paragraph);

As I walk barefoot on the beach, I discover the rusty bow of a modern ship.  When I go closer for further          inspection, I find it corroded by the pounding of the tides, with a few shattered remains of the stern, splayed across the beach from when the water receded.  I decide to go get some swimwear on so I can go inside the ship.  Fishing nets are strewn across the ground, with rusty crab traps littering the bow.  The pungent smell of dead sea animals floods my nose, and I decide to head into the Captain’s room.  There I find the name of the ship, The S.S. Skipper, along with some personal belongings.  There was something strange about this ship, and with that feeling still haunting me, I left it without seeing the blood splattered in the captain’s room.

I still can’t believe a 10-year-old wrote this.  I loved “swimwear” and the use of “pungent”.  Are there writing summer camps?  We must harness this power for good, not evil!

p.s. After he read it out loud, he looked at me and asked “Mom, is this blog-worthy?”.  Yes, indeed Sweetie, it is.

And so is this cauliflower and cheese soup!

Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 5 1/2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• salt and pepper
• cayenne pepper for garnish

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.  Add cauliflower and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 more minutes.  Add broth and water, bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, process until smooth (or use blender, making sure to vent steam to prevent splashes and burns).

Add cheese to soup and stir until melted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne.  Makes 10 cups (6 servings of 1 1/3 cups each).

Recipe from Everyday Foods.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each serving has 6 PointsPlus.

 

mushroom barley soup

What a weekend!  We celebrated my sister’s 40th birthday party on Saturday night.  Her husband planned a surprise party, complete with a “roast” by a actor/performer.  I think she downed 2 martini’s during the performance, but who’s counting!  We had some great laughs (sorry Lou!) at her expense.  But I felt great since I had 3 people, but who’s counting, ask me who was older, me or her. 

For the record, I am.

And now I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite soup!  I still can’t believe how easy it was to put together and how low the Weight Watcher’s Points are.  Very hearty and satisfying, full of whole grain and vegetables.

Next time I will probably add another package (8oz) of sliced mushrooms, which would add another PointsPlus per serving.

Mushroom Barley Soup

• 1 cup barley
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2  carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 package of white button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cans low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
•  2 bay leaves
• 2 T. fresh thyme, minced or 1/2 tsp. dried
•  Salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium pan, bring 4 cups of water and the 1 cup of barley to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the barley is soft. (You can make this the night before).

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add the carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they are soft.  Add the vegetable broth, water, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, this entire recipe has 27 PointsPlus.  If you divided the pot into 8 servings, each serving would have 3 PointsPlus.  Divided into 6, each serving would have 4 PointsPlus.

 

sweet potato soup with quinoa and coconut milk

Why did I pick this week to decrease my caffeine intake?  I have been enjoying 5 (don’t tell Marc) cups of coffee and a diet soda every day for as long as I can remember.  Which actually isn’t saying much, since my memory seems to be on a decline.  I have repeatedly asked my physician husband if I/we should be concerned.  He replies “no, but the next time I tell you that you already told me something, believe me!”

Anyway, I decreased to two cups and no soda two days ago and my headache today was asking me “why?!?  My tailbone was also asking my why I forgot to take naproxen, but that’s another story

As I was lamenting to my cousin about the withdrawals, he suggested that I could always switch to chocolate.  Evil, evil cousin.

This soup seems like a great antidote to my chemical dependency on caffeine.  Packed with vitamins from the sweet potato, creamy from the coconut milk and protein-rich from the quinoa.  I feel healthier already!

Sweet Potato Soup with Quinoa and Coconut Milk

• 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced small
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup lite coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are fully cooked but don’t break apart.

In a large part, saute the onion in the water until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the quinoa and broth, cover and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer sweet potatoes to pot with quinoa.  With an immersion blender, partially blend to thicken soup.  Leave some sweet potato pieces whole.  Stir in the coconut milk and spices.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Makes 7 cups (5 servings).

Recipe from A Veggie Venture.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder, each 11 oz. serving has 5 PointsPlus.

Using the Simply Filling Technique, each serving has 1 PointsPlus.

 

avgolemono

Good news on the dog fostering front.  Anna took Pablo to an adoption fair over the weekend and it looks like he has found himself a permanent home!  We have enjoyed him for 2 weeks and he will make a great addition to a lucky family.  If all goes well, he will go his new home on Tuesday.

I have seen this soup on most Greek restaurant menus and have always wanted to try it.   But then the dolmas and spanikopitas speak louder to me (yes, my food talks to me) and I never order it.  Probably a good thing, because I usually make things better at home anyways (yes, I am tooting my own horn).  Oh, it’s so, so good.  A lemony, chicken with rice soup, made creamy with the addition of a whisked-in egg and brightened with a sprinkling of basil and parsley. Yummy!

Avgolemono

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 1/2 cups fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (8 oz)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp. torn fresh basil

 Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes.  Add chicken broth, bring to boil.  Stir in rice; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.  Combine juice, cornstarch, salt, pepper and egg in a small bowl.  Slowly pour egg into broth, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Add chicken to broth mixture; cook until soup thickens and rice is done (about 5 minutes).  Top with parsley and basil.  Makes 4 servings (1 1/2 cups each).

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, Jan/Feb 2012.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder and the recipes stats, each 1 1/2 cup serving has 5 PointsPlus.

 

irish oatmeal leek soup

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, which means a girl named Kelly Jean is pretty much required to cook something Irish!  I’ve been looking for something other than the standard corned beef and cabbage dinner and came across a soup called Brotchán Roy.  Made from leeks and steel-cut oatmeal, it is thought to have been a stable for the ancient Irish culture. 

Well, I feel like I found a four-leaf clover with this recipe!  Everyone cleaned their bowls and my husband scraped the last bits out of the pot on the stove.  This truly tasted like comfort food.  And a bowl of comfort for only 4 PointsPlus to boot.  The texture of the steel-cut oats had just enough “tooth” to give it a good mouth feel.  And I just love the fact that my kids can now say they have had oatmeal soup (check that off the culinary bucket list )

I think my soup turned out more yellow than others I have seen because of the brand of vegetable broth I used (the broth was very yellow coming out of the box.  I know, I usually make my own broth, but I didn’t have any in the refrigerator).  Most other oatmeal leek soups looked much more pale and cream-colored.

Irish Oatmeal Leek Soup

• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved and sliced thinly
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken)
• 1/2 cups steel-cut oatmeal
• fresh ground pepper

In a soup pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add sliced leeks, turn heat to low, and saute for 10-15 minutes or until soft.  Add broth and milk.  Turn heat to high and bring to boil.  Add oatmeal and a few grindings of pepper and return to boil.  Cover, turn heat down to low and cook until oats are tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.  Serves 4.

Recipe from skinnytaste.com.  Based on her calculations, each 1 1/4 cup serving has 4 PointsPlus.

 

vegetarian black-bean chili

I can’t believe it’s already Lent!  Wasn’t it just Christmas???

I can’t believe my daughter is registering for her Junior year of high school!  Didn’t she just graduate from eighth grade???

I can’t believe my 13-year-old just finished the new box of cereal!  Didn’t I just buy it this morning???

Soup continues to be my go-to meal around here.  This one came together in less than 30 minutes, which is great when life is speeding by.  The kids ate it with shredded cheese and tortilla chips on the side.  I just added a dollop of 0% Fage greek yogurt.  Vegetarian black-bean chili would be a great addition to your meatless Fridays in Lent.

Vegetarian Black-Bean Chili

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper
• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add zucchini, carrots, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add beans, tomatoes, corn and 1 cup water.  Simmer until slightly thickened and carrots are soft, 8 to 10 minutes more.  Serves 6.

Recipe from marthastewart.com.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder:

6 servings= 6 PointsPlus

Using the Simply Filling Technique, each serving has 1 PointsPlus.

 

indian chickpea stew

I found this recipe on Marthastewart.com under “Meatless Recipes”.  Having two children eating vegetarian, in addition to the beginning of Lent, has refocused my quest for new meatless recipes.  This one is super easy and I was amazed at how delicious it was.  I ate it with the rice for dinner, then had left-overs without the rice for lunch.  The dollop of 0% Fage and squeeze of lime put it over the top for me.

Indian Chickpea Stew

• 1 cup long-grain rice (I used brown Basmati)
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish
• 1/2 cup 0% Fage greek yogurt

Cook rice according to package directions.  Keep warm.

While rice is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender.  Add curry powder and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add tomato sauce, chickpeas, 1 1/2 cups water, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in lime juice.  Serve over rice and top with yogurt.  Serves 6.

Recipe from Martha Stewart.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder,  each serving has 9 PointsPlus.

Using the Simply Filling Technique, each serving has 1 PointsPlus.

 

broccoli cheese and potato soup

I’ve been taking a break from blogging and have been cooking up recipes that I have already posted.  There are so many good ones!  If you haven’t tried them yet, check out vegetable enchiladas,  brown rice, chicken and bok choy salad and baked ziti with spinach.

I was so excited to share this great soup this week.  Warm, comforting and a little bit cheesy.  Yum!  So I wrote up the recipe, my daughter took a great picture, and I sat down to finish the post.  And then I realized…

I had already posted it last summer!  (It doesn’t seem like a summer soup to me, but when I remember how cold our summer was, it all made sense.)

Rats.  But then I remembered it’s my blog, so I can do what I want.  And I want to feel productive this week so I’m posting it anyways.  It’s a better picture anyways (thanks Anna!).

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup fat-free evaporated skim milk
• 3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
• 1 1/2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (I used Coastal Cheddar)
• 1 Tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese

Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, but not mushy.

In a large soup pot, melt butter.  Add chopped vegetables and saute on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add flour, salt and pepper and stir until smooth.

Add broth, evaporated milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil.  cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Add broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, and stir well.  Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes.  Add cheddar cheese, stir well and remove from heat.

If you desire a thicker soup, blend part with an immersion blender.

Recipe from Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes.

Using the Weight Watcher’s Recipe Builder:

4 servings= 7 PointsPlus

5 servings= 6 PointsPlus

4 servings= 5 PointsPlus

 

chicken soup with dumplings

Here’s the next chapter in “Chicken Soup 5 Ways” by Everyday Food Magazine.  Since the dumplings are “hearty”, I didn’t mind that there wasn’t much to the rest of the soup.  The lemon was very good addition.

Only 2 more versions to go!

Chicken Soup with Dumplings

• 10 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups shredded chicken 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach
• salt and pepper
• lemon wedges, for serving

In a large pot, bring broth to a simmer over medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt,  With a fork, stir in buttermilk and spinach to form a dough.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on top of simmering broth.  cover and cook until dumplings are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.  Gently stir in chicken, season with salt and pepper.  Cook until chicken is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.  Serve with lemon wedges.  Serves 6.

Recipe from Everyday Foods.

Using the Weight Watcher Calculator, each serving has 9 PointsPlus.