Risotto - Squash, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Mushrooms

3/7/2012

0 Comments

 
Risotto is a hearty winter dish that I love to make for a crowd. It's a great way to mix in whatever meats, veggies, cheese, and spices you may have around the house. It takes an hour from chop to serve, but it does require constant stirring at the end. So make sure you have a friend nearby to chat while you're stirring.

This risotto recipe uses squash, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and nuts. However, there are SO many ways to make risotto that it's a good dish for experimentation (or whatever you have around the house).
0 Comments

White Bean And Kale Soup

2/25/2012

0 Comments

 
This is one of my favorite soups. It's easy, very healthy, and has a lot of flavor. I first thought about some sort of kale soup when I read about the health benefits of kale. Kale is high in antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K. It helps lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. 

The problem is that kale's a bit tough and it doesn't seem to be a common ingredient in many recipes. Cooking your kale in the crock-pot for several hours gives it a chance to soften up. Plus kale is one of the vegetables in season during the winter months, making it perfect for a warm winter soup!

In addition to the kale there are carrots, beans, onions, garlic, and tomatoes in this soup -  all of which are also great for you!

Hope you enjoy this White Bean & Kale Soup!
0 Comments

Thai Sauce Stir-Fry

2/20/2012

0 Comments

 
This is a great recipe for when you have a bunch of vegetables that you need to use up before they go bad. It's also one you can always have the ingredients on hand and make it when you realize it's dinner time and there's no plan. Fresh vegetables are great, or I also like to keep a frozen bag of mixed vegetables in the fridge just in case.

In this Thai Sauce Stir-Fry recipe I have listed the ingredients I used this time, but each time is a little different depending on what's in the kitchen. So feel free to experiment!

I like the really fun color of this sauce. It has a nice kick to it without being overwhelmingly spicy. Enjoy!
0 Comments

Sweet Potato Ravioli

2/16/2012

0 Comments

 
Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!

This year for V-Day my special someone and I decided to experiment with a healthy sweet potato ravioli recipe. (We even broke out the nice dishes and candles for the occasion!) The idea came from a delicious ravioli dish we had on one of our first dates. However, that particular dish was so buttery and heavy I came away with a bit of a stomach ache - new recipe challenge accepted!

This recipe uses a minimal amount of butter, no sugar but instead a little honey, a little cheese for the sauce, and store-bought wonton wrappers. All the other ingredients are good for you! You can make your own ravioli pasta if you want, I chose the pre-made wonton wrappers because it was like pushing my own easy button.

The ravioli is very filling so we chose a side of okra to balance it out. Enjoy!
0 Comments

Pizza

2/11/2012

0 Comments

 
Pizza is easy, tasty and has a little something for everyone. I prefer personal size pizzas so everyone can add whatever toppings make them happy. For example, I love mushrooms but someone *cough* does not, so this is a great way to make us both happy. Or have children? Load yours up with veggies and let them make a cheese pizza if they're still anti anything good for you.

A homemade pizza crust is easy and can be pre-made. But if you're not feeling it or running out of time, pre-made pizza crusts at your local grocery store work just as well.

Toppings... there are so many ways to go here. I have listed several ideas in the recipe. This particular recipe is based on what I "usually" make. Although typing up the list of possibilities has me wanting to try out some other options. Don't be surprised to see them in a future post.

Caution about toppings: I love them all and have to fight my inner urge to add a lot of everything. Too many toppings keeps the center from heating through and also makes the pizza more difficult to eat.
0 Comments

Lima Bean Delight

2/7/2012

0 Comments

 
I love lima beans and I'm always looking for new ways to eat beans. The Lima Bean Delight is a favorite I've been making for a while now. It's pretty straight forward. A bunch of lima beans, ingredients for a cheese sauce, and Ritz for a nice crunch on top.

I usually get frozen limas because they're easy to find and most are low sodium or sodium free (as opposed to canned limas which can be high in sodium and preservatives). 

Also, for those who can't eat dairy, I've found cheese substitutes to work well and lactose-free milk or milk alternatives will work great in this recipe as well.

Try it now - Enjoy! 
0 Comments

Squash Soup

1/20/2012

1 Comment

 
My first recipe is online!

Visit the soup section of the website to try out a delicous squash soup recipe. This receipe uses no butter (say what?!?) and is mainly just the squash itself (so this soup will be most flavorful when squash is in season). The ingredients consist of squash (hopefully this is in a squash soup), spices (feel free to experiment with these to suit your tastes), then chicken broth and low-fat evaporated milk for consistency.

Side note on chicken broth. Any type of broth can be very high sodium. You can either make it yourself, or if you don't feel like putting in the time/effort (I usually don't) then I recommend Pacific Brand Low-Sodium Chicken Broth. It has 3% sodium compared to 30%, 40% or 50% sodium.

This recipe is perfect for the fall/winter and will make your house smell awesome.
1 Comment
Forward>>