Meal plan

This afternoon I spent a few hours making some lunch/dinner options for myself. The H has a short business trip this week, so I made this curried cauliflower soup (spicy!) and a double batch of my beloved kale-quinoa to get me through most of the week without having to think too much about food prep. We had "House Chipotle"** for dinner, one of the little guy's favorites, which means 2) HE ATE SOMETHING and 2) I now have four more 2-cup portions of black beans in my basement freezer.

The dinner parts of our week will look like this:

Sunday - House Chipotle (**seasoned black beans, cilantro-lime rice, and shredded cheese...with diced tomatoes, salsa verde, and soft corn shells for The H and me)

Monday - tortellini in red sauce for the little guy, one of my soup portions for me with a hunk of naan

Tuesday - eggs on toast, fresh fruit, decaf coffee (after running group)

Wednesday - split pea soup with diced lean ham in the slow cooker

Thursday - GF pancakes for my men, one of my kale-quinoa bowls and an ahi tuna steak for me after running and yoga

Friday - GF pizza (excellent pre-long-run fuel!)

I've been enjoying real oatmeal with nuts, a fruit, chia seeds, and pure maple syrup for breakfast, but also bought a bag of spinach and some bananas so I can make a green shake to mix things up once in awhile. Happy eating!

Lesson learned

In my quest to use our freezer stash of beef, tonight's dinner was lasagna. The grocery store didn't have the gluten free DeBoles noodles I've had great luck with before, so I took a chance on another brand--and won't do that again.

Tinkyada brown rice pasta lasagna noodles came out of the box semi-broken, were pain to cook (DeBoles are no-boil), and then proceeded to further fall apart afterward. And I even undercooked them a bit to account for oven time! I had to piece them together like a puzzle in the pan, and ended up short on the top layer because some stuck together. It was not a great end to my annoying stressful day.

However, the little guy *loved* it, which is so rare these days (yes, even if you start your kids eating healthfully, they CAN and likely WILL become picky eaters at some point!), and The H and I enjoyed it as well. We have half the 13x9 left for lunch on Sunday, so overall I suppose it turned out ok. We served this with roasted broccoli, which is always a win in my book.

Make-ahead quiche

Since I've made this recipe four times in the past few weeks, and countless times before that, I figured it was time to share the love. This quiche is quick, simple, and versatile. You can make it with a premade crust (not so clean) or without. It can even be made ahead of time and frozen** for later use. The cheeses and add-ins are completely up to you. Quiche is a great way to use up less-than-full-portions of meats and vegetables that might be getting lonesome in your fridge!

Today the ones I made were cheddar/broccoli/Canadian bacon, and cheddar/mozzarella/homegrown zucchini/Canadian bacon. It's great to have them ready for a fuss-free midweek dinner. We usually serve ours with fresh fruit and toast. In the fall I might swap the toast for some skillet potatoes and onion.

Quick Quiche -- inspired by an old recipe from allrecipes.com
serves 4

1 cup shredded cheese   (shred your own--better taste and texture)
3 teaspoons all-purpose flour   (King Arthur GF is great)
1/2 cup cooked meat, diced   (ham, bacon, chicken, sausage...)
1/2 cup chopped veggies   (broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, potato...)
3 whole eggs
1 cup lowfat milk
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1 Tbsp dried parsley (optional)
1 unbaked 9" pie crust (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F.

2. In a medium bowl, toss flour with grated cheese. Sprinkle into lightly greased 9" pie plate or premade crust.

3. Put diced meat and veggies on top of cheese.

4. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, mustard powder, and parsley. Whisk until smooth and pour over meat in pie plate.

5. Put dish on baking sheet in case of overflow. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until filling is set and top is golden brown. If using a pie crust, cover edges with aluminum foil halfway through cooking to prevent burning. 

**TO FREEZE: After all ingredients have been mixed and put into pie plate, cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap. Place a piece of foil over that and crimp edges tightly. Freeze FLAT! When ready to use, put pie plate onto a baking sheet and put into a cold oven. Allow oven and dish to pre/re-heat together. Cooking time will be closer to 60 minutes when using a frozen quiche.

Adzuki Beans and Rice

Seriously good (the little guy ate two helpings!). Seriously non-photogenic.

I'm not really sure what led me to purchase adzuki beans, other than perhaps flipping through a blog that used them in a recipe and realizing they don't need to be soaked before cooking. The next time I went to our local health food store, I was determined to find them. They look like this:

(source)
After much research regarding cooking times and suitable meals to make with these brick red beauties, I decided on this recipe, with a few very minor changes.

First, I halved it. I had no idea how my men would react to this dish and didn't want to have 4-6 portions leftover. Second, I used spicy Italian turkey sausage, which my store happened to have on sale. Finally, I subbed organic, no-MSG, gluten-free beef stock concentrate for the bouillon cube. Other than that, we made it as directed.

But really. There was no chance I'd post a picture of it, and you all know how low my photo-quality standards are. Just try it. Take a big forkful and fill your belly with the mildly spicy deliciousness. Maybe close your eyes first.

Serendipotatoes

ser·en·dip·i·ty/ˌserənˈdipitē/

Noun:

The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way: "a fortunate stroke of serendipity.

(source)

Today after church when the little guy asked what was for lunch, I found myself reluctantly saying, "How about pancakes?" You see, pancakes (+ eggs or chicken sausage) are one of my go-to, last-resort, cupboards-are-bare meals. I can mix them up on a moment's notice, probably even in my sleep. Goodness knows I stopped using a recipe for them ages ago. While I try to mix up the mix-ins and toppings so we never really eat the same 'cakes twice, today I was really, really not looking forward to another stack.

I started rummaging through the freezer to see if there was something, ANYthing, I could put into those pancakes that would make them remotely more interesting. That's when I unearthed a bag of frozen cubed potatoes. I had utterly forgotten about it! My wheels started turning... I had potatoes, onion, bell pepper... I hate the word, but could I come up with a decent hash?

Oh yeah, baby. I ran the potatoes under water for a few seconds to start thawing, then added them to a hot skillet with grapeseed oil and diced onion. A little of this (kosher salt, black pepper, dried dill) and a little of that (diced ham, red bell pepper, fresh tomatoes, salsa, garlic-and-chili-infused macadamia oil) made its way into the skillet. When I was happy with how that looked and tasted, I quickly cooked a few eggs in another non-stick skillet and slid them on top of each serving.

With a little dash of Frank's, my one true love, this meal was complete. And gooooood. So good, in fact, that I didn't even miss the white cheddar I had forgotten to grate on top. It didn't even cross my mind until I was cleaning up the kitchen and saw the cheese on the counter.

With a scrambled egg instead of a runny one, this would make a great breakfast burrito. This meal can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the ham, and could be vegan-ized by omitting the ham and topping with scrambled tofu instead of eggs.

Mildly Meaty Monday

Score another win for Branny Boils Over. As I was wracking my brain to come up with a meal plan for the week, I scooted over to my Google Reader for inspiration. And there I saw Beef and Bean Fajitas--the perfect way to get me out of the "chicken and blank" rut I found myself in.

Because I didn't have quite the amount of beef called for (I wanted to use up some leftover steak from Saturday rather than thawing a whole new hunk of cow), I added some baby portobello mushrooms and sliced bell pepper to make up the rest of the weight; thus, mildly meaty Monday. I'll let Branny's recipe and original source speak for themselves; other than these extra fillers I didn't change a thing about the meal.

I served mine on a whole grain tortilla (with some faux sour cream--organic yogurt, strained through cheesecloth for about half an hour) and The H's on the last few corn tortillas from this meal. The little guy is not a fan of steak, so I made him a cheese quesadilla on the same kind of wrap I used, and he ate his black beans on the side. We each also had an ear of corn on the cob--super sweet!

We finished the meal with some of the biggest strawberries I've ever seen. My son, a notorious berry-fiend, couldn't finish two!

One-stop meal, courtesy of Ken's

This dinner was made possible thanks to Ken's Fruit Market, that local gem that we've been thrilled to have in our neighborhood since last summer. I didn't realize it when I formed the meal in my head, but as I was assembling it, I had to laugh. Earlier this year I made a week-long challenge to myself to shop only at Ken's for our dinners, and here I accomplished the same thing by mere coincidence.

Grilled chicken breasts, marinated in Garlic Expressions dressing/marinade, topped with pico de gallo, and served with cilantro-lime brown rice (yep, even rice-cooker friendly brown rice can be found at Ken's!) and homemade baked corn tortilla chips made the perfect complement to the brilliantly sunny, breezy spring day we had here.

While The H grilled the chicken, I chopped all the goodies for the pico and cut/seasoned the corn tortillas. A few minutes of baking--just until browned on the edges--at 350* was all they needed.

Aside from the kosher salt, olive oil, and dried coriander I used in the rice and on the tortilla chips, everything I used in this meal can be found at Ken's.

While we may get a few "Oh hi, ma'am, you again?" looks behind the pleasant smiles that greet us at Ken's when we dash in for the third time in a week, we'll continue going back because it's perfectly located (can't beat less than a half-mile walk when gas is so expensive!) and they carry what we use at good prices. And no, this is not a paid advertisement. I just like the local guys!

I find myself very content when the little guy and I (and The H, when he's home) can spend a day grocery shopping, visiting the library, picking up a few things at the hardware store, mailing our bills, grabbing some cash from the ATM, and capping the day with treats from our favorite pizza joint and/or ice cream shop, without leaving our little neighborhood or hopping into the car. It makes me want to spend that much more time and money investing in our super-local community businesses, and happy that we have so many to choose from.

I made Hamburger Helper.

Not the kind in a box, relax. It was a homemade knockoff, using this recipe from Kitchen Stewardship. I wanted something quick and easy for after running group, but I didn't want to make chili in the CrockPot. (Turns out the night was chilly enough for chili, but I already had this halfway made before we left, so never mind about that.) None of the search results on allrecipes.com were thrilling me, so I went to trusty ol' Google and picked one that I had the ingredients for.

You'll realize there is no picture. Even I have my limits to what I will post. :D But the dish did turn out well, really. It just wasn't ready for a close-up.

I used Sam Mills gluten free corn pasta, lean, local ground beef (fat drained), Vidalia onion instead of onion powder, and HFCS-free ketchup in place of tomato sauce. That was our only grumble about this recipe. Between the ketchup and the sugar (turbinado--I didn't want to overpower the dish with sucanat, though I might try it next time), the sauce was quite a bit sweeter than either The H or I cared for. Reducing the sugar by half if using ketchup might be the way to go. I also omitted the salt and pepper, except for a sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on the meat while it browned--nowhere near the teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon she calls for.

As far as quick and easy, this fit the bill. I couldn't really detect the cheddar at the end, and it seemed quite creamy enough without it, so when I make this again, I will either use a sharper cheese or omit it altogether. Between that change, using real tomato sauce (or Pomi strained tomatoes), and sucanat in place of sugar, we could have a decent one-pot dish to add to our rotation.

Beef & Snow Pea Stir-Fry

Ever since we bought a half-of-a-half of beef this past winter, I've been thrilled to find new clean-eating ways to use it. This stir-fry from Clean Eating Magazine (March 2011) appeared in front of me at just the right time!

Beef, Snow Pea, and Shiitake Stir-Fry
from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 3
serves 4

1 cup brown rice
12 oz top sirloin beef, trimmed of fat and sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari sauce (if you are gluten-free, make sure your sauce is, too!)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp tapioca starch (I used arrowroot powder)
1 Tbsp raw honey, local if you can find it
1 Tbsp coconut oil, divided
2 cups sugar snap or snow peas
2 cups small fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed (I used baby portobellos)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
8 sprigs fresh cilantro (optional--for garnish, or chop and add to dish before serving)

1. Cook rice according to package directions; while it is cooking, prepare the rest of the meal.

2. In a medium bowl, combine beef, salt, and five-spice powder until evenly coated; set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk tamari, tapioca starch, honey, and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

4. Using a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat half of the coconut oil on medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Transfer beef to a clean large bowl. Add remaining half-tablespoon of oil to wok, followed by peas, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Saute 2-3 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Add veggies to beef bowl.

5. Heat tamari mixutre in the wok over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened--about 30 seconds. Return beef and veggies to wok and stir to coat.

6. Divide cooked rice between serving bowls and top each portion with beef-veggie mixture. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve hot.

I've mentioned before that soy sauce is not one of my favorite flavors, and it is fairly prominent in this dish, so next time I make it I will decrease that slightly; perhaps using some beef broth in its place would lend a rich, but not as salty, flavor.

Fajitas and freezer meals

Last month, I ordered a flank steak from our local co-op with the intent of making fajitas with it. I had seen a recipe in Clean Eating Magazine, and I was hoping to replicate it. Too bad once the meat was thawed, the recipe was nowhere to be found. So I made one up (why are you not surprised?) using this recipe from Chef Mommy and this one from allrecipes.com.

The cut of meat was so big that I had enough for two meals. And since I bought enough peppers and onions for at least that many, I decided to make a batch of fajitas to freeze. I always *mean* to cook one/freeze one, but it usually never happens. Today, I got to change that! The portobello caps I bought on Sunday also got sliced up, intending to supplement the meat, but once I discovered just how big it was (it was folded in half in the freezer pack) and saw I had enough for two full recipes, I quickly got out a third freezer bag and made a batch of vegetarian fajitas--portobellos, peppers, and onions. Perfect!

Once the marinade was mixed up (I had about 2 cups) I simply poured it into each bag, shook it all around, then laid the two extra on a plate to be placed in the freezer.

These were not as powerfully flavorful as I would have hoped, but still very good. Adding some Frank's RedHot to each serving gave them some extra oomph. Next time I'll add it to the marinade.

I'm so excited that I have two (nearly) ready-made meals stashed away!

Honey mustard turkey meatloaf... on the grill!

Since it's been 9839654 degrees here for the past two days, with no indication of a cold snap, I decided against heating up the house with a hot oven today. And since I already had ground turkey breast thawed and didn't want burgers, I improvised and made, for the first time in my life, grilled meatloaf. Even The H would've liked it, and that's saying something when it comes to meatloaf.

I wanted to make everything outside, so the little guy could play and I didn't have to run back and forth between yard and house. Our dinner picnic was made up of Greek yogurt (for him), grilled sweet corn, foil-packet sweet-n-hot potatoes, fresh fruit, and this delicious meatloaf.

The recipe comes from a former acquaintance via my sister... I do not know the original source. I modified it slightly, shown in italics.

Honey Mustard Turkey Meatloaf

serves 6

1 1/2 pounds ground fresh turkey (1lb ground turkey breast)

1 cup bread crumbs (used oats, and not a full cup)

1/2 cup milk (omitted altogether--mixture was wet)

1/4 cup chopped onion (two handfuls of frozen minced onion)

1 egg, beaten (didn't beat ahead of time)

2 1/2 tsp yellow mustard

1 tsp poultry seasoning (used 3/4 tsp)

2 Tbsp honey (eyeballed it)

1 Tbsp brown sugar (subbed Sucanat)

1. Preheat oven to 350 (I used the grill). Combine 1 1/2 tsp mustard, honey, and brown sugar. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix turkey, crumbs, milk, onion, egg, 1 tsp mustard (I misread the instructions and put about 2 tsp in, but still made the reserved sauce as written), and poultry seasoning. Pat mixture into loaf pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray (I divided it between three mini loaf pans that I had sprayed with grapeseed oil).

3. Bake 40 minutes, then spoon reserved mustard sauce over the top. Bake 10 minutes or until no longer pink (I cooked it over a low, indirect heat until it was browned at the edges and cooked through).

Altogether, these guys cooked about 40 minutes start to finish.

The potatoes got a little softer than I wanted, and pieces stuck to the foil, but they were still tasty--sweet with a touch of oomph from the cayenne I shook on them. The corn was simply divine. We cut it off the cobs to make it easier to eat.

This was... SO good. I've made the recipe before, as meatloaf muffins, but that doesn't count, because it wasn't nearly as good for whatever reason(s). I am glad I have two more in the freezer for another day!

Sam the ham was just happy to be in the yard with his family, soaking up the sun. :)

Happy grilling season!

Chicken with Olive-Tomato Relish

This recipe from the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine was a perfect choice for our after-church Sunday lunch. It came together incredibly quickly because I used two pre-cooked chicken breasts (from my massive food-prep day!) and pre-cooked quinoa from when I made tuna nicoise casserole last week. I served green beans--whole, frozen, thawed in microwave--with Earth Balance and fresh cantaloupe on the side. I halved the recipe for me and The H since I knew the little guy wouldn't care for it. He was happy with his picnic-esque plate of turkey, cheese, melon, and edamame.

Chicken with Olive Cherry-Tomato Relish

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided

4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, vinegar, oregano, oil, and 1/4 tsp peper. Set aside.

2. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve topped with tomato relish.

We subbed grape tomatoes for the cherry called for, because that is what was on sale this week. Because my chicken was already cooked, I simply heated it through in a hot skillet with olive oil to give it a touch of color, and added the salt and pepper directly to the tomato relish instead of the chicken. I also used just 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano in the relish and it was extremely flavorful.

Altogether, this made for a delicious and lightning-fast meal. It was very filling! I loved the flavors of the relish; for only marinating a few minutes while I threw everything else together, it was very well-rounded.

I would like to do as the magazine suggests, and use the topping on a fish fillet or roasted/grilled portobello sometime. This recipe is part of a mix-and-match feature of this issue, so it doesn't suggest a carb outright, but the quinoa was delicious mixed with the relish, so I'm glad I opted for that. Besides, using it up gives me back one of my leftover containers. Bonus!

This would even make a decent cold salad if you chopped the chicken and mixed it all up, so if you don't have access to a microwave at work (or time to reheat it at home--I know how life gets with a little one) don't be afraid to try it anyway.

Nutrition information for 1 chicken breast and 1/2 cup relish:

Calories - 250

Total fat - 5g

Saturated fat - 1.5g

Carbs - 7g

Fiber - 3g

Sugars - 3g

Protein - 36g

Sodium - 350mg

Cholesterol - 95mg

Tofu with Brussels Sprouts

Alternate titles:

"What to eat when The H isn't home"

"My family and friends' worst nightmare"

"How to make your friends and coworkers think you've truly gone 'round the twist"

Two of the most commonly-feared and misunderstood foods in the same dish? By choice? Awww, yeah. :) That's the kind of stuff this eating machine is made of!

I've been meaning to make this recipe from Katie at Health for the Whole Self for ages now (ok, more like the month-and-a-half since she blogged about it). Today I finally got my chance. Despite a few minor setbacks in the process, the end result was remarkable. I love having a meal that tastes like it cooked for a long time but that really was fast and easy to assemble.

Caramelized Tofu with Brussels Sprouts and Pecans

from Health for the Whole Self (via several other sources)

serves 2 generously

Ingredients:

8oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed to remove extra liquid, and cut into 1-inch strips

Sea salt

2 tsp olive or peanut oil, divided

2 tsp minced fresh garlic

1/3 cup chopped pecans

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, cut into ribbons

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add tofu and a pinch of salt and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown.

2. Add garlic and pecans; cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Stir in sugar and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, pour into a bowl and set aside to keep warm.

5. Add remaining oil to the skillet and saute the shredded sprouts 3-5 minutes or until just browning at the edges. Add a dash of salt to taste.

6. Divide browned sprouts between two plates; top with tofu-pecan mixture. Serve hot.

My quantities of tofu and sprouts were increased (12oz and 10oz respectively) because I needed to use them up. I substituted sucanat for the brown sugar (2 tablespoons instead of the 3 called for) and used the rest of my dried ground coriander instead of fresh cilantro.

The tofu I used was the kind in a Tetra-Pak box, and even though it said "extra firm" it was not. Even after pressing. It all but fell apart when I tried to brown the second side. I'll try the plastic-boxed refrigerated kind next time.

I was also trying to start dinner at the same time (slow-cooker beef curry over brown rice) and in the process of keeping track of both entrees, managed to cut my left index finger and burn my right hand with hot oil. If I hadn't had to take time out to cool the burn and stop the bleeding (at two separate times, mind you) this would have come together even more quickly than it did. Encouragingly, the tofu stayed hot and my sprouts didn't wilt too much despite being kept warm in the skillet while I first-aided myself. I wish you a safer venture if and when you choose to make this colorful, tasty vegetarian meal!

Chicken and rice... with mushrooms!

This super-fast recipe is from one of the tear-out cards in Clean Eating Magazine. Sorry, I don't remember which issue. It really came together quickly and was surprisingly delicious given the short cooking time. Usually when I make lemon-flavored chicken, it ends up dry and overly tart. Not this one! We'll be having it more often for sure. Another variation on The H's beloved chicken and rice!

Skillet Chicken Cutlets with Mushrooms

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 6

total time 21 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb chicken cutlets (I used two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I split in half)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used frozen sliced mushrooms, thawed lightly)

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

2 tsp whole capers

Lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 Tbsp lemon juice.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and mushrooms and cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and mushrooms are softened. Add remaining lemon juice, parsley, and capers and cook 2 more minutes. Garnish with lemon slices before serving, if desired.

When the chicken and mushrooms were done, I removed them from the skillet to keep warm, then boiled 1 cup chicken broth with some cornstarch to make more of a sauce--it took about 6 minutes to thicken up, after which I poured it over the plated chicken. We served this over brown rice (see first picture) with a side of steamed (frozen) broccoli topped with shredded cheddar. Hey, we do have a toddler to please. :)

Nutrition information per 4oz serving, not including rice, broccoli or cheese

Calories - 140

Total fat - 4g

Saturated fat - 1g

Carbs - 1g

Fiber - 0g

Sugars - 0g

Protein - 23g

Sodium - 170mg

Cholesterol - 65mg

Chicken tortilla soup - quick and easy

This soup is quick and easy to make, and provides a bunch of delicious veggies... which is great, because I feel like my diet has been kind of fruit-heavy lately. I also think it makes a nice "transitional" soup as we move towards warmer temperatures but still might crave a hearty veggie-laden soup that isn't has heavy as a wintery stew. You can increase the heat (which is basically nonexistent as written) by adding more cumin or some cayenne to suit your tastes.

When I make this (several times since April 2009) I never make the tortilla strips, so I start my recipe at step 2, or the "add broth" part. I also add onion--green, white, sweet; depends what I have available. This would be perfectly satisfying without the chicken, so feel free to vegetarianize it if you want. We served it with homemade salsa (not the TJ's peach shown below) and Trader Joe's spicy soy and flax tortilla chips. Normally I try to make a slow-cooker meal on Tuesdays, but since I did all the prep for this soup before we went running, all I had to do when we got home was throw it in the pot and let it simmer. Brilliant!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

from Woman's Day Magazine

serves 4

total time: 15 minutes

4 corn tortillas, halved, then cut into narrow strips (I omitted this part)

2 cans (14.5oz each) chicken broth

1 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4 - inch thick half-circles (I doubled this)

1/2 tsp each minced garlic and ground cumin (I used one large clove garlic and double the cumin)

1 cup corn (frozen is fine!)

1 can (16oz) red kidney beans, rinsed

1 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken (I pressure cooked mine this afternoon)

1 large ripe tomato, diced (I used about 15oz diced tomatoes in juice, leftover from this recipe)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Spray a large pot or Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add tortilla strips and cook 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly toasted. Remove to cool on a paper towel or plate.

2. Add broth, zucchini, garlic, and cumin to pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 3 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender and still bright green.

3. Stir in tortilla strips, corn and beans; continue to simmer 2 minutes until tortillas soften. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, and cilantro and heat through.

Here is my version (on the right) next to the recipe card from the magazine:

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories - 309

Protein - 26g

Carbs - 36g

Fiber - 8g

Fat - 6g (1g saturated fat)

Cholesterol - 47mg

Sodium - 730mg

Clean quinoa and cheesy quiche

Say that one three times fast! Both of these recipes are from Clean Eating Magazine, which I had perused just before making my meal plan and shopping list for the week. I chose them for several reasons:

1. They are both meatless, which I try to do on Mondays, yet contain satisfying amounts of protein

2. Both call for dried oregano, which I hoped meant they would complement each other

3. They are both based on things the little guy likes, so I was planning on him gobbling them up

They were enjoyable, and I can see myself making them again. I could eat the quiches at every meal and twice on Sundays, but The H liked the quinoa better. It would make an excellent side dish to balsamic-marinated, grilled chicken. I will add more peas next time. The little guy only wanted the cheese from the top of his quiche, and spit out any broccoli we tried to hide underneath. You can't win 'em all.

Quinoa Sopa Seca

from Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2009, Vol. 2 Issue 2

serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 green onions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup quinoa

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I used 1/2 cup salt-free diced tomatoes in juice)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan with a lid, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add oregano and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the quinoa (rinse it first if yours is not pre-rinsed, to remove the bitter saponin coating), then pour in 2 cups of water and the salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and the quinoa grains show opaque lines around their edges (this is the germ splitting apart), about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the thawed peas and tomatoes. Cover pan again and let stand until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Nutrition information per 1/2 cup serving:

Calories - 150

Fat - 4g

Carbs - 23g

Fiber - 4g

Sugars - 2g

Protein - 5g

Sodium - 55mg

Cholesterol - 0mg

Crustless Broccoli & Cheese Mini Quiches

from Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2009, Vol. 2 Issue 2

serves 5

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray

1 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped

2/3 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp low-fat milk

1 whole large egg

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350* and spray 10 cups of a muffin pan with cooking spray (don't try to stretch this recipe into 12 cups unless you increase the egg mixture by more than just one egg white).

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add broccoli and saute for 5 minutes (or use frozen broccoli, thawed in the microwave, and skip this part altogether, eliminating the oil as well). Distribute broccoli evenly among the prepared muffin cups, then distribute half of the cheese on top.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, milk, egg, and seasonings. Distribute evenly over broccoli and cheese. Top with remaining cheese and bake 20-25 minutes, until quiches are set and lightly browned around the edges. Let cool 5 minutes and serve, or cool and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Nutrition information for 2 quiches:

Calories - 100

Fat - 3.5g

Carbs - 6g

Fiber - 2g

Sugars - 1g

Protein - 11g

Sodium - 240mg

Cholesterol - 40mg

Chicken stock and humble chicken soup

Have you ever looked in your vegetable crisper and noticed some things that were bit past their fresh-eating prime? Perhaps few limp stalks of celery and some skinny parsnips from the time you bought 4 pounds, overestimating just how many things you'd make with them? One of the things I ordered during the last co-op shopping cycle was a package of chicken parts so I could make fresh chicken stock and use up my stash of sad veggies. I also ordered some sweet winter-dug carrots, which I was excited to use in this recipe. The colors in my 2 lbs ranged from white with green, to orangey-purple and pale peach to brilliant orange. So cool!

Even though the weather is warming up around here, comfort food like chicken noodle soup never goes out of style.

I made homemade stock one other time in my life, and it made enough of an impression for me to make a note in my cookbook (The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids) that it was worth the effort. So when I picked up my frozen chicken pieces mid-week, I put them right into the fridge to thaw so the stock could get made this weekend. If you decide to make this soup, allow yourself the weekend (or a similar stretch of time) because it is fairly labor-intensive, given the chopping, simmering, and cooling times involved.

Chicken Soup - Humble But Divine

from The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids by Tosca Reno

Yield: 10 cups

Ingredients for stock:

1 5lb chicken carcass

Water to cover the chicken, about 10-12 cups

2 onions, peeled and cut into chunks

4 ribs celery, chopped (include leaves if you have them)

2 thick sweet carrots, cut into large chunks

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks

5 cloves garlic, whole

5 bay leaves

1 Tbsp sea salt

Preparation for stock:

1. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat. Place lid on pot, allowing steam to escape, and simmer 2-3 hours over low heat. Let cool.

Place pot in the fridge for a few hours to allow the fat to congeal on top of the liquid.

2. Remove the congealed fat, return the stock to stove and bring to a boil. Once the gelatin has liquiefied, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and into another soup pot.

Discard cooked vegetables; remove meat from chicken bones to use in the soup.

Ingredients for soup:

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 ribs celery, cleaned and chopped

4 Brussels sprouts, chopped fine

1 cup orzo pasta

Handful fresh parsley, chopped fine

2 low-sodium chicken bouillon cubes

Preparation for soup:

1. Add chopped vegetables, orzo, and bouillon cubes to prepared stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables and pasta are tender.

2. Correct soup flavor with sea salt and black pepper. Serve hot.

I started the stock on Saturday afternoon, chilled it overnight, and made the soup for our dinner on Sunday evening. Like I said above--give yourself time to make this one!

Using rice noodles in place of orzo, egg noodles, or other pasta makes the soup safe for The H (and anyone else with a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance). Breaking them inside a zip-top bag keeps your kitchen free of sharp noodle shards, which your bare feet will appreciate... trust me. I cooked them separately and added to the soup about 2 minutes before it was done.

I do not know why the greens (shredded sprouts and parsley) float at first. Rest assured, it all comes together and looks like real soup eventually!

I added 1/4 teaspoon of poultry seasoning when I seasoned to-taste at the end. Even the little guy was into it. I added a scoop of precooked quinoa (from my lunch on Friday) to his bowl to help cool it down and give it a little protein boost. He loves quinoa!

He really did enjoy it--just preferred to eat it off his plate instead of from the bowl.

Nutritional information per 1 cup serving:

Calories - 119

Fat - 1g

Protein - 8.5g

Carbs - 20g

Fiber - 2g

Sodium - 500mg

Cholesterol - 10mg