Posts Tagged ‘garlic’
Recipe: Just Soup-er
With summer in our rearview mirror, autumn becomes a great time of year to indulge in delicious and healthy soups. But don’t rely on store-bought soups to fulfill your cooler weather cravings (too much sodium, etc.). Instead, make your own. This easy-to-make recipe combines nutrient-rich vegetables with other flavors of the season for a hearty and satisfying taste of fall. Plus, you can make lots of it, separate it and store it (even in the freezer) for future use. Convenience, ease and tasty, too? You bet! Here’s how it’s done:
Ingredients
5 medium carrots, chopped
3 medium celery stalks, chopped
3 large white onions, chopped
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 lg. can of Low-Sodium Tomatoes (in its own juice)
12 oz. green beans, chopped
3 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 medium broccoli, chopped
1 lg. package of baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 fresh lime wedge (as garnish, optional)
Parsley (as garnish, optional)
Directions
In a large nonstick pot, combine 3 tbsp. water, onions and garlic and allow heating for 5 minutes on low heat. Next, add carrots and celery. Cook while stirring for an additional 10 minutes on low heat. Next, stir in tomatoes (with liquid), then add green beans, zucchini, broccoli, spinach leaves, basil and spices. Add 1 cup of filtered water, then heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 15-20 minutes – or until vegetables become tender.
Serving Size Information
Serve 1 cup as a snack
Serve 2 cups as part of meal (add a small green salad with Balsamic Vinegar and 1/2 cup cottage cheese to create a complete meal).
Bonus Tip
Soup can be separated into portions and easily frozen.
Recipe: Guilt-free summer swordfish
Summer’s perfect flavors – as fresh, healthy and simple as can be!
Ingredients:
Swordfish Steak
Granulated Garlic (not garlic salt!)
Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh Black Pepper
Directions:
Preheat broiler. Place Swordfish on non-stick surface, sprinkle lightly with garlic powder and black pepper, add several drops of Balsamic Vinegar. Broil on High for 6-7 minutes, then turn over fish, sprinkle on a few more droplets of Balsamic Vinegar and broil for approximately 5-6 more minutes (depending on the thickness of the cut). Use a spatula to move fish to plate. It will be moist and delicious – without any need for added oil, butter or salt. Try serving it with fresh grape tomatoes (sliced into halves, sprinkled with fresh black pepper). Add a slice or two of lemon as a garnish.
Recipe: Gregg’s Chunky Turkey Chili
Who the heck are you calling chunky? (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
Okay, so this is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It was one of my go-to meals while I was taking off over 250 pounds of excess weight. Besides being delicious, it’s super healthy and makes for great leftovers. It freezes, thaws and reheats (microwaves!) beautifully. So I always make a huge batch (and that’s the recipe I’m sharing with you here).
You’ll find the full ingredient list and instructions below. But before I share those, let’s take the Gregg Chunky Turkey Chili journey for some added tips, shall we?
Chopping onions can be a chore – but it’s worth it for this recipe. The finer, the better.
Don’t be afraid to use a few “canned” ingredients to make preparation a breeze.
Cooking the onions through (before adding any other ingredient except olive oil) is key.
Once the onions are tender, it’s time to add the garlic and spices. (Snap!)
I like to do all the chopping by hand to keep the ingredients as fresh and crisp as possible.
The fresher the ground turkey, the better.
Be sure to constantly stir and ‘crumble’ the turkey, so it separates into small chunks.
Once the turkey is cooked through, it’s time to add the rest of the ingredients.
Time for your mouth to start watering! (Yum!)
Okay. Enough journey. Time for the full (and super easy) recipe:
Ingredients (in order of appearance)
5 tbsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 White Onions, peeled & diced
2 (two) 7 oz. cans of Diced Green Chilies (Mild or Hot – your choice)
3 tbsp. Fresh Garlic, chopped (can also used jarred, but without added oil)
4 tbsp. Chili Powder (more if you dare)
1 tbsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Ground Cayenne Pepper (more if you dare)
2+ lbs. Lowfat Ground Turkey
1 (one) 6 lb., 6 oz. can (or several cans that equal the same) of Ready Cut Diced Tomatoes (in their own juice, no added sodium if available)
4 large Bell Peppers, chopped
Directions
In a large pot (the bigger the better – something you don’t often read on my blog), add the olive oil and chopped onions. Cover and cook over medium heat for several minutes (until the onions begin to soften).
Next, add the Garlic, Chili Powder and Cumin. Mix it up and then add both cans (liquid and all) of the diced green chilies to the diced onion. Cook covered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Next, add the ground turkey – making sure to mix all of the meat into the mixture while keeping the turkey from “clumping” together (work to keep it in loose pieces/bits).
Continue to cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (and de-clumping the turkey).
Once the turkey is cooked through, add the canned tomatoes and chopped bell peppers, mix thoroughly, then cover and cook on high heat until the contents reach a boil. As soon as you see that your mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to LOW and cook for about 20 minutes more so all the flavors mix together and get well acquainted (or “Get married” as my dear friend and inspiration ‘Aunt Ro’ says).
Makes approximately 18 Servings
Add a small green salad with carrot shavings and Balsamic Vinegar along with 2-3 multigrain crackers to create a complete meal.
After preparing this big batch of chili, I divide it into portion sizes (usually 2 per storage container) and then, after the containers cool off, stick them in the freezer. After a day or so of thawing (in the fridge) you can zap it in the microwave for a quick, delicious dinner anytime during the week. (You can even store single size portions and take it to work for an easy and delicious lunch!)
It should be noted that this stuff is so good that you can feed it to you “Not on a diet” friends and they’ll never know they’re eating something super healthy. I’ve even made a big batch of this for a parties and served it with multigrain chips along with light sour cream and cheese on the side. Perfect for winter – or anytime of year. I hope you enjoy it.
(And please – no more calling me chunky! Sorry, couldn’t resist one more of those! LOL!)
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