The least pleasant task in preparing this soup is coring the parsnips. I find it’s not too bad if you slice them lengthwise in quarters and then slice out the triangular shaped piece…don’t worry about getting every single woody fiber. The balsamic syrup seems like a bother to make too, but the flavor it imparts is out of this world. The soup is great without the syrup, but with it, you’ve gained a taste of heaven!

This amazing recipe is courtesy of Eating Well magazine.

Stirring in the syrup

Roasted Parsnip Soup

Makes 6 servings, generous 1 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

2 pounds parsnips, peeled and woody core removed
2 pears, peeled and cut into eighths
1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 1/4 cups low-fat milk

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F.
2. Toss parsnips, pears, onion, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until very soft and starting to brown, about 40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, boil vinegar in a small saucepan until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 14 minutes. (Watch the syrup carefully during the last few minutes of reducing to prevent burning.) Remove from the heat.
4. Puree half of the parsnip mixture with broth in a blender until very smooth; transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the other half with milk until very smooth. Add to the saucepan and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reheat the soup over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Gently reheat the balsamic syrup if it has become thicker than syrup while standing. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the balsamic syrup.

Image: Eating Well and Cyndi Lavin

Post from: Blisstree

Roasted Parsnip Soup from Eating Well

This isn’t fast food. This is for when you want to impress! It is, however, easy food

For once, I followed the directions pretty much exactly: my only substitution was to use real cheese instead of low fat. I also mixed cheddar and parmesan. But besides that, I did follow the directions. Oh, and I used quite a bit more fresh tarragon than called for.

I really like tarragon!

Savory Carrot & Tarragon Tart
Courtesy of Eating Well magazine

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh tarragon leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive or canola oil
1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

Filling
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
2 tablespoons dry sherry or rice vinegar, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. To prepare crust: Coat a 9- to 10-inch tart pan with cooking spray. Place all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, tarragon and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Add 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup yogurt and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust.
3. Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
4. To prepare filling: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots and 1 tablespoon sherry (or rice vinegar) and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
5. Spread mustard over the crust. Sprinkle with Cheddar, then evenly spread the carrot mixture in the tart shell.
6. Whisk 1/2 cup yogurt, milk, eggs, tarragon, the remaining 1 tablespoon sherry (or rice vinegar), 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
7. Bake the tart until the filling is firm and the edges are golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or chilled.

Image: Cyndi Lavin

Post from: Blisstree

Savory Carrot & Tarragon Tart from Eating Well

Meatloaf takes an hour to cook, and no matter how you slice it, it leads to a pretty meat-intensive meal, so we don’t have it that often. But when we do, we like to really enjoy it! I discovered recently that adding chipotle sauce to the mix (and slopping some more on top) makes a mighty tasty meatloaf

Chipotle Meatloaf

3/4 c bread crumbs or stuffing mix
1/4 c water
1 lb ground beef
Egg
1/4 c chipotle sauce (more for topping)

Heat the water and soften the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients, mixing by hand. Shape into a loaf and place in bread loaf pan, covered with foil. Cook at 400 for about an hour.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Post from: Blisstree

Chipotle meatloaf

After putting the first few ingredients into a pan, you’ll just stick it in the oven and walk away for about 45 minutes. Time to read a chapter of your novel, do a load of laundry (yuck), talk with a friend on the phone, supervise homework…

When you return to your kitchen, you’ll just saute up the veggies quickly, smother the rice and chicken with them, and eat!  You can also substitute turkey if there are still leftovers hanging around 

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole with Artichokes

1 c uncooked wild rice
4-1/2 c stock
Skinned chicken breasts
Paprika

Olive oil
3 carrots, sliced
2 c mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c flour
1 t rosemary
1/2 c sherry (cooking sherry is fine)
2 cans artichoke hearts, quartered

Mix rice, 2-1/2 c stock, chicken pieces, in a large baking pan and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 450, covered in foil, for 45 minutes.

Saute the carrots and mushrooms in olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the flour and rosemary and mix them in well. Add the rest of the stock and the sherry and cook for a few minutes until thickened. Add the artichoke quarters and stir till slightly heated. Arrange the vegetable mixture over and around the chicken on rice.

Post from: Blisstree

Chicken and wild rice casserole with artichokes

Don’t forget the list of Leftover Turkey ideas that I posted right after Thanksgiving too

Almond Turkey Mole

1/2 c almonds (roasted)
1/2 t vegetable oil
2 dried Anaheim chiles, seeded, and chopped
1 c onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 very small (or half a large) chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
1-1/2 c crushed tomatoes
1 T sugar
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t salt
1/8 t ground cloves
2 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable broth
1 T white wine vinegar
3 cups chopped cooked turkey breast
Cilantro sprigs and chopped scallions for garnish, if desired
Process the almonds in a food processor until smooth.  Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and saute until just softened. Add onion and garlic, and saute until onion is lightly browned.

Add chipotle chile through the broth to onion mixture.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon mixture into food processor; process until smooth. Return mixture to pan; stir in processed almonds and vinegar; cook 1 minute. Stir in turkey.  Serve over rice with chopped scallions and cilantro, if desired.

Post from: Blisstree

Almond turkey mole (OAMC)

Thanksgiving is all about traditional comfort foods.  This year, put a healthy twist on tradition during the holiday season, by featuring traditional, New England recipes using locally made, low-fat al fresco All Natural Chicken Sausages.  Offered in a variety of tasty flavors, al fresco’s Susanna Tolini, Kayem Food’s executive chef, has created flavorful holiday recipes using al fresco products.

Spanakopita with al fresco Spinach & Feta Sausage
Prep Time: 60 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Temperature: 375 degrees
Pan Size: 12’’ Saute
Cook Method: Saute and Bake

Ingredients:

6 Oz. al fresco Spinach & Feta Sausage
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup White Onion, freshly chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, fresh, minced
1 Tbs Rosemary, fresh, finely chopped
3 Tbs Parsley, freshly chopped
1 lb Spinach, freshly chopped
¼ tsp Table Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper, ground
1 Large Egg, raw
1 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
21 pieces Phyllo Dough
1 Can Olive Oil cooking spray

Instructions:

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat, coat bottom with olive oil. Saute the onions for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, parsley, salt, pepper, and spinach & feta sausage, cook 2-5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the sausage pieces are lightly browned.

Add the chopped spinach, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook 2-3 minutes to remove the moisture from the spinach. Remove the lid and cook ad additional 1-2 minutes to evaporate any excess moisture. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, stir in the egg and feta cheese. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

On a clean work surface, spread one sheet of phyllo dough; spray with the olive oil spray; place another sheet on top of the first, spray with olive oil spray. Place a third sheet of phyllo on top of the second and spray with the olive oil spray as well.

Working on the width wide of phyllo, cut the dough into 6 strips (1 ½’’ – 2’’ wide).

Place 1 tablespoon of spinach mixture on the ned of the phyllo dough closest to you.
Fold into a triangle shape by starting with the end containing the spinach filling, fold one corner of the dough over the spinach mixture to the opposite side of the strip to form a triangle. Continue folding to opposite corners to create a triangle shape.

Prepare a baking sheet with the olive oil pan spray. Place the spinach triangles on the sheet pan and spray tops with the olive oil spray. Bake until dough is lightly browned and crispy, approximately 20 minutes.

Note: Phyllo Dough dries out very quickly, cover with a towel while working.

Serving: 2 hors d’oeuvres
Number of servings: 20 (75.75 g per serving)

Image: al fresco

Post from: Blisstree

Spanakopita with al fresco Spinach & Feta Sausage

Making risotto is not the basis of a thirty minute meal. Nonetheless, it is delicious and comforting in a way that just can’t be achieved by boiling up some instant rice. Yuck!  It is actually the perfect dish to introduce during, November, our month of Comfort Food 

Here are the basic directions for risotto, and I’d suggest just reading through them if this is your first time so that you understand how the process works. The directions below are a bit abbreviated, so check the link above if anything doesn’t make sense.

Red Pepper Risotto with Italian Sausage

5 c (40 oz) chicken broth
1/2 lb sausage
Olive oil
1/2 c onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1-1/2 c arborio rice
1/3 c white wine (non-alcoholic cooking wine is fine)
1/2 t salt
Parmesan cheese, fresh

Bring the broth to a simmer and keep it warm. Brown the sausage in a large skillet or stock pot. Remove sausage and brown the veggies. Remove veggies and drain fat. Set both the sauage and veggies aside. Add some olive oil and heat. Add the dry rice, stirring and heating for a minute or so. Add the wine and salt; cook one minute stirring constantly. Add the broth, 1/2 c at a time, stirring constantly until each portion is absorbed. This usually takes at least 20 minutes. Add sausage and veggies back in and heat through. Top with grated or thin sliced cheese to serve.

Image: Cyndi Lavin

Post from: Blisstree

Red pepper risotto with Italian sausage

Guest author: Patricia Lorenz

Website: Patricia Lorenz

My mother made this dish in the 50’s and 60’s when I was growing up and to this day whenever I make it I usually eat at least half of it myself, often in one day. It’s delicious, easy, packed with protein and even passes the “healthy foods” test of the 21st century.

Spinach Casserole

INGREDIENTS

* Two large cans of spinach, drained.
* 4 eggs
* 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
* one cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 pinch Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix ingredients.
3. Spray baking dish with cooking spray and pour in spinach mixture.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until browned and set. Let cool 15 minutes.

Image: Stock.xchng

Post from: Blisstree

Spinach Casserole

Rogan josh is an amazing taste sensation from beginning to end. Lamb cubes, browned and simmered in a heavenly mash-up of spices. Do not DARE to simply throw “curry powder” into the pot for this one! If you’ve done once a week food preparation, there’s an outside chance that you could make this dish into a thirty minute meal. But I have to be honest with you and say that it would be better to prepare this some night when you’re not in such a hurry: this is a dish that keeps getting better and better, the longer it simmers.

Rogan josh may not appeal to those in your family who don’t like spicy food. I’d have to say that if you make it according to the recipe below, it’s about the level of “medium” salsa. A bit of a bite, but not mouth-numbing. Feel free to adjust the spices to suit yourself. The first time I made it, I added the called for one teaspoon of each of the major spices. Since that time, I’ve ramped up a few of them, but haven’t eliminated any.

To serve the rogan josh, mix in some more yogurt or dollop it on top if you want to. It will moisten it up even more (there should be a good gravy left in the pan, but I didn’t scoop up too much for the picture because it just doesn’t photograph really well sometimes!), and the extra yogurt will also cool down the spiciness.
Rogan Josh

1-1/2 to 2 lbs lamb, cut into cubes
Vegetable oil

1 t cardamom
1 whole bay leaves
6 whole cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
1/2 stick cinnamon

1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 T fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 – 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 t coriander
1 t cumin seeds
1 t red paprika
1 t cayenne pepper, gound
1 teaspoon salt

3/4 c plain yogurt
1-1/4 c water

Garam masala (my favorite mix)
Pepper
Additional yogurt
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet or a wide bottomed pot. Brown the lamb cubes over medium heat and set them aside. You don’t have to cook them through. Put the cardamom through the cinnamon stick into the hot oil. Cook for about a minute, stirring the spices around. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir and saute for about five minutes. Add the coriander through salt and stir well into the mix.

Add the lamb cubes and stir to coat with all the spices. Mix in the yogurt, stirring well, a bit at a time. Let each portion heat thoroughly before adding more. Add the water and bring the pot to a boil, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot to mix in all the browned spices. Cover and turn heat to low; simmer until the meat is tender, at least 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and raise the heat to medium high, letting some of the liquid boil off, until the sauce is thickened.

Serve on top of basimati rice, along with garam masalah, pepper, and additional yogurt. Mint chutney with yogurt makes a nice accompaniment too.

Image: Cyndi Lavin

Post from: Blisstree

Rogan josh

As the weather gets cooler, my family’s tastes turn to warm comfort food like Chicken Dijon! Along with Chicken Cacciatore, this warm, tasty chicken dish both fills us up and satisfies our longing for something savory.

Although you could save some time and make this a thirty minute meal by starting with pre-cooked chicken, the longer cooking time makes a huge difference in taste, and the whole meal will still be under an hour to prepare.

Chicken Dijon

2 large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

1/3 c coarse Dijon mustard
2/3 c plain yogurt
2 cloves of garlic, mashed

1 c bread crumbs
2 t Herbes de Provence

To save some cooking time, you can butterfly the chicken if you like. I prefer to leave the breasts whole, and the cooking time below reflects that. Mix the mustard, yogurt, and garlic in a bowl; spread 1/3 of the mixture out in the baking dish you’re going to use for the chicken. Place the chicken breasts on top of the mixture, and cover them with the rest. Sprinkle the tops with bread crumbs and Herbes de Provence. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. Cooking time depends upon thickness of the chicken pieces.

Herbes de Provence
This is a mixture of thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay, lavender, and (sometimes) salt. I prefer to mix it up with salt

Image: Cyndi Lavin

Post from: Blisstree

Chicken Dijon