I didn't have many cravings during my pregnancy, but post-pregnancy I can't seem to get enough of smoothies! I am truly enjoying the fancy blender I got for my wedding last year.
Smoothies are great because they are quick to put together, are filling and only require one hand to eat (so the other hand can hold Baby Simon).
Here are two smoothie recipes that I've been enjoying the last few weeks.
Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
1/2 banana
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter (sugar free)
3/4 cup skim milk
Throw all these ingredients in blender and blend!
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
4 strawberries
1/2 banana
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup orange juice
As stated above, throw all these ingredients in blender and blend!
And, if you want to add a bit more volume and a chill to either one of these smoothies, add a few handfuls of ice.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Thai Chicken Soup
Ben (my husband) made this soup the other night. He's cooking a lot now that we have baby Simon. I've been a little busy nursing our new son. He'll be two weeks old tomorrow. Happy Birthday SIMON!
This soup takes 30 minutes to put together. The mushrooms are the only thing that requires cooking in this recipe.
6 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but canned is also very good). Before I had Simon I froze about 4 quarts of homemade stock.
1 16 oz can coconut milk
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (buy a roast chicken at the grocery store)
2 (8 oz) containers cleaned, sliced, white button mushrooms
2 TB ginger, grated
1 small onion, chopped
3 TB fish sauce
3 scallions thinly sliced
1 TB red chili paste
Juice of 2 limes
Start off cooking small onion in soup pot with a little vegetable oil. Then add ginger, 1 TB fish sauce. Cook for a few minutes.
Then add chicken stock, coconut milk and mushrooms. Let cook for about 10 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through. Add shredded chicken.
In separate bowl, combine 2 TB fish sauce, 1 TB red chili paste, and juice of two limes. Stir in soup. Then stir in scallions.
Feel free to add more chili paste if you want the soup spicier, and use any mushrooms that you like.
This soup takes 30 minutes to put together. The mushrooms are the only thing that requires cooking in this recipe.
6 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but canned is also very good). Before I had Simon I froze about 4 quarts of homemade stock.
1 16 oz can coconut milk
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (buy a roast chicken at the grocery store)
2 (8 oz) containers cleaned, sliced, white button mushrooms
2 TB ginger, grated
1 small onion, chopped
3 TB fish sauce
3 scallions thinly sliced
1 TB red chili paste
Juice of 2 limes
Start off cooking small onion in soup pot with a little vegetable oil. Then add ginger, 1 TB fish sauce. Cook for a few minutes.
Then add chicken stock, coconut milk and mushrooms. Let cook for about 10 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through. Add shredded chicken.
In separate bowl, combine 2 TB fish sauce, 1 TB red chili paste, and juice of two limes. Stir in soup. Then stir in scallions.
Feel free to add more chili paste if you want the soup spicier, and use any mushrooms that you like.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Pasta With Peas, Asparagus and Sage
I found this gem of a recipe in Food and Wine. I made a few changes, but this is the basic recipe.
1 lb Penne pasta
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
1 cup heavy cream
2 TB butter
2 TB fresh sage, chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Bring large pot of water to a boil. As water heats, heat up large skillet with some olive oil. Then saute asparagus and garlic for a minute or two. Add chicken stock, and let cook and reduce for 15 minutes.
Water should be boiling at this point, so salt (be generous) and add pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente.
Back to large skillet . . . add peas, and cream and bring to boil. Cook at high heat for a minute or two until sauce thickens.
Once pasta is cooked, add to skillet. Once fully combined, stir in fresh sage, 2 TB butter and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
I served this with grilled lemon chicken.
I marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts with the juice of two lemons, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried sage, and 1/2 tsp ground pepper, then grilled them. Simple.
It almost felt healthy.
1 lb Penne pasta
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
1 cup heavy cream
2 TB butter
2 TB fresh sage, chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Bring large pot of water to a boil. As water heats, heat up large skillet with some olive oil. Then saute asparagus and garlic for a minute or two. Add chicken stock, and let cook and reduce for 15 minutes.
Water should be boiling at this point, so salt (be generous) and add pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente.
Back to large skillet . . . add peas, and cream and bring to boil. Cook at high heat for a minute or two until sauce thickens.
Once pasta is cooked, add to skillet. Once fully combined, stir in fresh sage, 2 TB butter and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
I served this with grilled lemon chicken.
I marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts with the juice of two lemons, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried sage, and 1/2 tsp ground pepper, then grilled them. Simple.
It almost felt healthy.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Mmmmmm...soup.
Before I begin rambling about soup, let me first congratulate my co-blogger and dear friend Beth and her wonderful husband Ben on the arrival of their beautiful new baby boy, Simon Henry, who arrived last Monday afternoon. Not only is he handsome, sweet and perfect; as is to be expected, he's apparently a very good eater! Mazel Tov!
Now then, soup. I was recently reading a diet book (what? My husband reads books about WWII submarine attacks and he's never actually done that either.) and the author, a natural foods chef, was singing the praises of pureed vegetable soups and their ability to fill you up with good, delicious, fiber-rich vegetables while leaving you satisfied and generally happy. Good point, I thought. I like everything about that idea. I've always been especially fond of potato-leek soup. Now, before you have an Atkins seizure, even the author of the diet book defended the potato in moderation, so long as it isn't saturated with fatty toppings. You may recall from previous posts my affection for potatoes, but this seemed like a safe and rational way to enjoy them, so I hit the web in search of recipe ideas.
Since, to the best of my knowledge, the ingredients for potato-leek soup should be something like: potatoes, leeks, chicken stock, salt, pepper, I was sort of surprised to see that a lot of the recipes I saw called for a lot of fat, a lot of dairy and a lot of crazy steps like roasting all of the vegetables in advance. Suddenly, potato-leek soup was seeming a little more complex than necessary and therefore, a lot less delicious and comfy. In the interest of full disclosure, I am expecting my 2nd baby in October and am only interested in things that are easy and comforting.
So, I made up my own recipe and am pleased to report that it came out beautifully. The soup was delicious, filling and practically creamy, but is also nutritious and really simple. You'll notice I used an immersion blender which made it especially easy, but you could definitely use a food processor or good blender to puree the soup and still get the same result. Also, unlike, 99.9% of my recipes, it can easily be made vegetarian by simply substituting the pancetta for plain old butter or olive oil and the chicken & beef stocks for vegetable stock. Try it!
Potato & Leek Soup
Ingredients:
1 T. Olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta, diced (ask the guy at the deli for 2-1/2" slices and dice them yourself at home, or, look for it prepackaged and diced near other deli meats. To dice it easily at home, place the slices in the freezer for 15 minutes before chopping.)
4 Leeks
4 - 5 cups peeled, cubed potatoes (I used plain old Russets)
2 Quarts (64 ounces) chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or any combination thereof (I used 1Q chicken and 1Q beef stock)
2 tsp Kosher salt (or more to taste)
2 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
Optional ingredient: 3 T. Half and Half
Possible garnish: fresh chives, shredded parmesean cheese, creme fraiche, fresh croutons or crispy crumbled bacon.
Instructions: To clean leeks, make a long horizontal slice from 1" above the root end of each leek through the green end. Turn leek one quarter turn and repeat the cut, effectively slicing the leek into horizontal quarters, still attached at the white end. Shake leeks gently to separate leaves and soak in a bowl of clean cool water to remove sand and dirt between layers. Remove leeks from water and shake gently to dry a little. Then, discarding the root end and the dark green ends, slice the white and light green sections into 1/2" slices.
Heat olive oil in a large pot and add pancetta. Saute, stirring frequently to render fat and allow pancetta to brown evenly, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the leeks and saute until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, then cover with stock, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper...you can add more later.
Cover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes until potatoes are extremely tender. Remove soup from heat and, using an immersion blender, puree soup until a thick but smooth consistency is achieved. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer soup to a food processor or good blender in several batches and puree to desired consistency. Season again with additional salt and pepper to suit. For a richer flavor, add half and half and stir to combine while soup is still hot. I found the starch in the potatoes created a creamy texture all on its own, so I didn't use the half and half I had bought for this purpose, but if you're feeling decadent, go for it. Just don't get carried away!
Serve soup immediately with your choice of garnish and enjoy! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about 5 days for easy reheating, but this soup freezes very well also!
Now then, soup. I was recently reading a diet book (what? My husband reads books about WWII submarine attacks and he's never actually done that either.) and the author, a natural foods chef, was singing the praises of pureed vegetable soups and their ability to fill you up with good, delicious, fiber-rich vegetables while leaving you satisfied and generally happy. Good point, I thought. I like everything about that idea. I've always been especially fond of potato-leek soup. Now, before you have an Atkins seizure, even the author of the diet book defended the potato in moderation, so long as it isn't saturated with fatty toppings. You may recall from previous posts my affection for potatoes, but this seemed like a safe and rational way to enjoy them, so I hit the web in search of recipe ideas.
Since, to the best of my knowledge, the ingredients for potato-leek soup should be something like: potatoes, leeks, chicken stock, salt, pepper, I was sort of surprised to see that a lot of the recipes I saw called for a lot of fat, a lot of dairy and a lot of crazy steps like roasting all of the vegetables in advance. Suddenly, potato-leek soup was seeming a little more complex than necessary and therefore, a lot less delicious and comfy. In the interest of full disclosure, I am expecting my 2nd baby in October and am only interested in things that are easy and comforting.
So, I made up my own recipe and am pleased to report that it came out beautifully. The soup was delicious, filling and practically creamy, but is also nutritious and really simple. You'll notice I used an immersion blender which made it especially easy, but you could definitely use a food processor or good blender to puree the soup and still get the same result. Also, unlike, 99.9% of my recipes, it can easily be made vegetarian by simply substituting the pancetta for plain old butter or olive oil and the chicken & beef stocks for vegetable stock. Try it!
Potato & Leek Soup
Ingredients:
1 T. Olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta, diced (ask the guy at the deli for 2-1/2" slices and dice them yourself at home, or, look for it prepackaged and diced near other deli meats. To dice it easily at home, place the slices in the freezer for 15 minutes before chopping.)
4 Leeks
4 - 5 cups peeled, cubed potatoes (I used plain old Russets)
2 Quarts (64 ounces) chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or any combination thereof (I used 1Q chicken and 1Q beef stock)
2 tsp Kosher salt (or more to taste)
2 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
Optional ingredient: 3 T. Half and Half
Possible garnish: fresh chives, shredded parmesean cheese, creme fraiche, fresh croutons or crispy crumbled bacon.
Instructions: To clean leeks, make a long horizontal slice from 1" above the root end of each leek through the green end. Turn leek one quarter turn and repeat the cut, effectively slicing the leek into horizontal quarters, still attached at the white end. Shake leeks gently to separate leaves and soak in a bowl of clean cool water to remove sand and dirt between layers. Remove leeks from water and shake gently to dry a little. Then, discarding the root end and the dark green ends, slice the white and light green sections into 1/2" slices.
Heat olive oil in a large pot and add pancetta. Saute, stirring frequently to render fat and allow pancetta to brown evenly, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the leeks and saute until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, then cover with stock, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper...you can add more later.
Cover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes until potatoes are extremely tender. Remove soup from heat and, using an immersion blender, puree soup until a thick but smooth consistency is achieved. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer soup to a food processor or good blender in several batches and puree to desired consistency. Season again with additional salt and pepper to suit. For a richer flavor, add half and half and stir to combine while soup is still hot. I found the starch in the potatoes created a creamy texture all on its own, so I didn't use the half and half I had bought for this purpose, but if you're feeling decadent, go for it. Just don't get carried away!
Serve soup immediately with your choice of garnish and enjoy! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for about 5 days for easy reheating, but this soup freezes very well also!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Herbed Potato Salad
4 - 5 lbs of baby Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/4 wedges
Cook sliced potatoes in large pasta pot. Start with cold water, and set heat on high. Salt water liberally. Cook until you can pierce potatoes easily with fork. Total time should be about 30 - 40 minutes.
While potatoes are cooking you'll need to put together the herb mixture and vinaigrette.
Herb Mixture
Combine the follow ingredients in a bowl and set aside
3 TB parsley, chopped
3 TB chives, chopped
3 TB chervil, chopped
3 TB shallots, chopped
Vinaigrette
Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and set aside
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cooking liquid from potatoes
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves finely chopped are pressed through garlic press
When potatoes are done, remove from heat and drain. Be sure to get rid of all excess water. In large bowl, add about half of the potatoes and half of the vinaigrette. Mix and let the potatoes absorb some of the liquid. Then add the rest of the potatoes and the rest of the vinaigrette. Mix again.
I make this recipe in two steps. Once I've added the vinaigrette, I place bowl in refrigerator. About an hour before serving, I add the herb mixture and leave on counter. This potato salad can be served hot, room temperature or cold. Whatever is easiest for you, but I like it best served at room temperature.
Cook sliced potatoes in large pasta pot. Start with cold water, and set heat on high. Salt water liberally. Cook until you can pierce potatoes easily with fork. Total time should be about 30 - 40 minutes.
While potatoes are cooking you'll need to put together the herb mixture and vinaigrette.
Herb Mixture
Combine the follow ingredients in a bowl and set aside
3 TB parsley, chopped
3 TB chives, chopped
3 TB chervil, chopped
3 TB shallots, chopped
Vinaigrette
Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and set aside
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cooking liquid from potatoes
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves finely chopped are pressed through garlic press
When potatoes are done, remove from heat and drain. Be sure to get rid of all excess water. In large bowl, add about half of the potatoes and half of the vinaigrette. Mix and let the potatoes absorb some of the liquid. Then add the rest of the potatoes and the rest of the vinaigrette. Mix again.
I make this recipe in two steps. Once I've added the vinaigrette, I place bowl in refrigerator. About an hour before serving, I add the herb mixture and leave on counter. This potato salad can be served hot, room temperature or cold. Whatever is easiest for you, but I like it best served at room temperature.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Dear Readers (that means the two of you),Please go out and get an ice cream machine as soon as you can so you can make this recipe.
2 cups mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped
In a saucepan, bring milk, cream and mint leaves to near boil. In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla.
Add a a few tablespoons of warmed milk mixture to eggs/sugar. Careful not to cook your eggs. Whisk in warm liquid quickly.
Then start adding eggs/sugar to milk/cream/mint, stirring constantly.
Let cook at medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. The mixture will thicken.
Once thickened, pour into bowl and cool overnight in refrigerator.
Pour into ice cream machine the following day. Allow ice cream machine to do its work for 20 minutes, then add chocolate.
Then freeze for another few hours, and it's ready to serve.
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