cauliflower + kimchi 'fried rice'

Also from It's All Easy, this 'fried rice' is a creative way to have all the flavors of good fried rice, without all the carbs. By substituting cauliflower you get to add much more nutrition and fewer calories. To make this a meal, I added marinated, baked tofu from Thug Kitchen. This meal was pretty quick to make, with the tofu taking more time to prep (1 hour +) and bake (30 minutes) than the cauliflower. This dish served three as a main course, but would have served four as a side item.

adapted from It's All Easy's Recipe

serves 3 or 4

1 small head cauliflower
2 Tbsp safflower oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 small bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed sliced into ribbons
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped kimchi
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp tamari

to make your 'fried rice':

*cut the cauliflower into small florets and pulse in a food processor until the pieces are the size of couscous (about 2 cups)
*heat the safflower and sesame oil in large pan over high heat
*add cauliflower and kale and saute until the kale is wilted and cauliflower browned (about 5 minutes)
*mix in the remaining ingredients

serving suggestions:
*we had our 'fried rice' with a side of marinated, baked tofu.

carrot soup

This lovely, hearty soup is perfect for a winter’s day. The citrus and yogurt add a punch of freshness and provide a pleasant foil to the root vegetable’s earthiness. In my experience, the soup was quite flavorsome without adding salt or pepper. Also, up to a cup of water can be added after blending for desired thickness.

Based on a recipe I found in Glamour magazine, this soup boasts beta carotene, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Carrots are “the friendliest skin food around” according to the magazine’s editors. And who doesn’t want a delicious way to repair and defend skin cells?

serves 4

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tbsp. ground ginger

zest of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 ½ lbs carrots, peeled & chopped

2 cups water

4 cups low-sodium veggie stock

½ cup orange juice

½ cup plain light yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

to make your soup:

*heat the oil and butter over high heat

*lower heat to medium and add garlic, onion, ginger, lemon zest, coriander, cumin, & cinnamon, cooking for 5 minutes, stirring constantly

*increase heat to medium high, add carrots and water, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally

*add stock and simmer for 30 minutes

*using an immersion blender, completely blend the soup

(if using a blender, work in batches with cooled soup)

*add orange juice and yogurt, stir until well-blended

*add salt & pepper to taste

serving suggestion:

*soup can be served hot or cold

*garnish with 1 tsp. yogurt and/or a sprinkling of chives
*serve with a vinaigrette salad and garlic bread or croutons

minestrone

Diabetes runs in both sides of my family so I’m trying to learn more about prevention and treatment through diet for myself and loved ones. Lately I’ve tried several diabetic-friendly recipes, with mixed results. But this soup is mighty tasty, and it makes a ton!

Minestrone is a traditional Italian dish made up of a variety of ingredients. This dish is low-calorie, heart-healthy, and diabetic friendly. Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock to make this dish vegetarian. 

adapted from The Mediterranean Diabetic Cookbook by Amy Riolo

serves 10 (1-cup servings)

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups shredded green cabbage

1 Yukon gold potato, chopped into bite-size pieces

8 cups low-sodium organic chicken stock

2 zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 large tomatoes, chopped

½ lb. string beans, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 (15 oz.) can no-salt added cannellini beans

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

pepper to taste

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

to make your soup:

*heat olive oil over medium heat

*sauté onion, carrots, celery for 5 minutes

*add parsley and garlic, cook for another minute

*stir in cabbage, potatoes, and chicken stock, bring to boil

*stir in zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, cannellini beans, and vinegar

*cover and simmer for 40 minutes to one hour

*add salt and pepper to taste

*blend half of soup with an immersion blender

serving suggestions:

hot, topped with Parmesan cheese

nutrition per serving:

exchanges: ½ starch, 2 vegetable, ½ fat

calories: 130

fat calories: 30

total fat: 3.5g

sat. fat: 1.1g

cholesterol: 5mg

sodium: 475mg

total carbs: 19g

dietary fiber: 5g

sugars: 5g

protein: 8g

maple cranberry sauce

This recipe comes from the ‘big cookbook’ (it’s at least 3” thick) my mom gave me years ago which has become my bible of sorts for all things cooking and baking. There are a million ways to make a cranberry side dish for a Thanksgiving meal but this one is extremely simple and a good balance of sweet and tart flavors.

Walnut halves have been omitted from the original.

adapted from The New Basics Cookbook

serves 10-12

12 oz. fresh organic cranberries, well-rinsed

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup raspberry-cranberry juice (not from concentrate)

Grated zest of 1 orange

to make your sauce:

*combine all ingredients and bring to boil

*lower heat to medium and cook until cranberries pop, about 10 minutes

*skim off any foam, allow to cool, cover, and refrigerate

serving suggestions:

*with your Thanksgiving feast of course!

butternut squash soup

Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook and an immersion blender have been on my wish list for some time and when I received both as birthday presents, I couldn’t wait to use them. Searching her book for a soup recipe with blending in mind, this one seemed spot-on for a fall afternoon.

Garam masala provided depth of flavor to this thick, savory soup. Most likely owing to the dark vegetable stock, the russet tint was not entirely appealing. G.P. offers a vegetable stock recipe, but I opted for store-bought. Another grocery item to save time is the peeled and diced butternut squash available at Trader Joe’s.

Since everything will be blended, there's no need to toil over perfectly-sized chopped veggies. The immersion blender was quick easy to use. It has become my new favorite kitchen gadget and I’m looking forward to more applications. This recipe was sized just right for two people with leftovers for an entire other meal.

A native of Central America, Butternut Squash is easy to grow. Due to its nutty taste and orange flesh, this winter squash is considered a type of pumpkin and used as such in Australia. Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin E, as well as a good source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and potassium.

adapted from ‘Butternut Squash Soup’ from My Father's Daughter

serves 4

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 large yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

½ tsp sea salt

several turns of fresh ground pepper

½ tsp Garam masala

6 cups butternut squashed, peeled, seeded, cubed

32 oz. vegetable stock

to make your soup:

*melt butter in the olive oil over medium heat

*add onions and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

*stir in salt, pepper, Garam masala and heat for another 2 minutes

*add squash, stirring occasionally for another 10 minutes

*add vegetable stock and bring to a boil

*lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes

*remove from heat for 15 minutes

*blend soup with immersion blender

*heat for another few minutes, salt to taste, and serve

serving suggestions:

*a fried green tomato salad and sweet vinaigrette would nicely complement the savory nature of this soup. also, cheesy croutons would be a most welcome addition.

(twice) baked beans

We’ve had such mild weather lately that we’ve been able to grill out in the middle of February! I love baked beans, and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. We had these beans as a side to really delicious burgers on the grill. And while a dutch oven is not necessary, as with all things, it only makes it better!

My boyfriend thought it was comical that one of the ingredients in this recipe was in fact canned baked beans. Come to find out Whit himself passed off canned baked beans in a Crockpot as a homemade side dish for a holiday party years ago. If he had just had this easy recipe, he could have truthfully claimed this fabulous side dish as his own.

If chili sauce is unknown to you, you are in good company. I had no idea what it was before I made these beans. I found it between the cocktail sauce and ketchup in the condiment aisle at my Kroger. It's not hot (spicy), but more of a sweet ketchup. This sauce is tasty and will be a condiment staple in my fridge from now on.

This recipe is adapted from ‘Life After Ramen’ by Ann Thatcher and Randy MacDonald, who are Knoxville natives! I've truly enjoyed their cookbook in the years since I received it as a gift. The recipes have short ingredients lists and do not require a lot of skill or equipment to pull off.

In the future, I'll try to make baked beans from scratch. But in the meantime, I'm happy to have this time saving and absolutely delicious recipe for a summer favorite on hand.

serves 4-6
28 oz. canned original style baked beans
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced green pepper
6 oz. chili sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 strip bacon

to make your beans:
*preheat oven to 350
*mix all ingredients and add to the dutch oven
*top with bacon strip
*cover and cook for 15 minutes
*uncover and cook for another 15 minutes

serving suggestion:
this side dish is delish hot or cold!