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Recipe: Cream of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup

27 Nov

Cream of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup

Time: About 15 minutes to prep; 10-13 minutes to cook

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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups reduced-fat milk
  • 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • 1 package (9 ounces)  frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and finely chopped
  • Salt and white pepper, to taste
  • Paprika, as garnish

Procedure

  1. Saute mushrooms and onion in lightly greased medium saucepan until tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
  3. Stir  in milk, dry milk and bouillon cube; heat to boiling, stirring.
  4. Add artichoke hearts; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
  5. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
  6. Sprinkle with paprika.

Courtesy: 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes

Verdict

I thought I’d try something different. Cream of mushroom soup isn’t the most ideal entree, but the artichoke seemed to be a nice twist. This came out very tasty. The actual recipe called for Parmesan toast, which I didn’t feel like making. But I suggest either croutons or rice if you’d like something a little more hearty for your dish. Plus, it was quick to make, which is always a bonus.

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Recipe: Macaroni & Cheese

20 Nov

Macaroni & Cheese

Time: About 20 minutes prep; 55 minutes to cook

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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
  • 2 ounces light pasteurized processed cheese, cubed
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned dry bread crumbs
  • Paprika, as garnish

Procedure

  1. Saute onion in margarine in medium saucepan until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Stir in flour; cook  over medium-low heat 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  3. Stir in milk and heat to boiling. Stir until thickened, about 1 minute.
  4. Add cheeses and mustard, stirring over low heat until melted.
  5. Combine sauce and macaroni in 2-quart casserole
  6. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper; sprinkle with bread crumbs and paprika.
  7. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until bubbly, 30-40 minutes.

Courtesy: 1,0001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes

Verdict

I love macaroni and cheese. I’ve been on a mac & cheese kick lately, so color me ecstatic when I found this recipe in my cookbook. I added a little more cayenne because I prefer spicy food. It came out really well. It needed a little salt and pepper on reheating, but I really liked this one.

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Recipe: Curried Sweet Potato Couscous

13 Nov

Curried Sweet Potato Couscous

Time: Preparation and cook is about 50 minutes

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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sliced onion
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and diced
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/4 cup each of raisins and walnuts
  • 1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2/3 cup couscous
  • 1 cup thinly sliced kale
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in large saucepan until tender, two to three minutes.
  2. Add sweet potatoes and cook until lightly browned, about five minutes.
  3. Stir in curry powder, raisins, walnuts and broth; heat to boiling.
  4. Add couscous and kale, stirring with a fork; remove from heat and let stand, covered, until couscous is tender and broth is hbsorbed, about five minutes.
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Courtesy of 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes (fourth edition)

Verdict

I’ve been trying to make more vegetarian dishes lately. I still eat meat, but I’m always looking for other options for dinner. I actually called my grandmother about this one because I rarely cook with kale and Gram is my go-to guide for all things culinary. It wasn’t a recipe she’d heard of before, but she did offer tips on how to cook the sweet potatoes (just a few minutes in the microwave so as not to overcook) and how to rinse and slice the kale (look, I’m not a chef!). This dish was surprisingly sweet and savory. The flavors melded together very well. Plus, you can never go wrong with sweet potatoes. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

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Recipe: Chilled Cucumber Mint Soup

6 Nov

Chilled Cucumber Mint Soup

Total prep time: 20 minutes (plus chilling)

Ingredients

  • image3 cucumbers (3 pounds total), peeled, seeded and coarsely sliced
  • 1 cup (loose) mint leaves
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 cups yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 12 drops Tabasco sauce

Preparation

  1. imagePlace the sliced cucumbers in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the mint, garlic and 1/2 cup cold water. Process until pureed (the mixture will be granular).
  2. Transfer the puree to a bowl and mix in the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, salt and Tabasco, with 1 1/2 cups cold water. Chill.
  3. Stir before serving.

Courtesy of  Jacques Pepin

Verdict

A co-worker who’s always trying new recipes sent this around this summer. I was surprised at how tasty this was. I used Frank’s RedHot Hot Sauce instead of Tobasco, for my own preferences. The hot sauce is the perfect kick this soup needs. And it also works as a light salad dressing.

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Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

30 Oct

Green Bean Casserole

Cook time: 30 minutes to prep (including snapping the green beans); 50 minutes to cook

green_bean_casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 1/4 cup fat-free milk
  • 1 1/4 pounds green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, cooked crisp-tender
  • 1/2 cup canned French-fried onions

Preparation

  1. Mix soup, sour cream and milk in 2-quart casserole; stir in beans.
  2. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees until mixture is bubbly, about 45 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle with onions during last five minutes of baking.

Courtesy of 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes, fourth edition

Verdict

I love comfort food and one of my favorite things growing up was green bean casserole. Casseroles are perfect for single meals. There’s not a lot of prep work, they reheat perfectly and you can freeze them for later. This turned out very, very good…after I added a little salt and pepper to the cream mixture. You don’t need too much because there is some salt in the soup and you’ll also have your fried onions. Also, there’s no need to actually cut the green beans into perfect  1 1/2-inch pieces; the snapping of the green beans is actually very relaxing

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