10 No Fuss Healthy Soups

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Cold Outside? Warm Up Your Insides!

I’ll be honest, cold is relative to where you are in the world. Today I’m thankful to not be in Central or Eastern Europe, which is seeing temperatures as low as -30°C (-22°F). Brrr

Here, in Irvine, CA today it is 62°F and raining which means I am under a warm blanket with my two Labrador Retrievers snuggled up beside me and the fireplace on as I sip on some coffee laced liberally with some Bailey’s Irish Cream. I use the words, “I’m freezing” in nearly every conversation I have today, but I am loving this weather. At this time last year, we were heading into what was billed as the hottest February on record with day after day of temperatures in the upper 90’s that led to 2016 being called one of the hottest, if not THE hottest year on record, so excuse my exaggeration with the term “freezing” as, in order to be cold last year, I had to have my air conditioner running.

Today I saw a picture at one of my favorite websites, www.bonappetit.com, for Chili Colorado, that made my mouth water.

I hadn’t yet decided what to make for dinner, but, after seeing this picture, no further searching was needed. This will definitely be dinner, and a couple of workday lunches as well! I am not a big pork fan, so I’ll be making the beef option.

***Note I always trim all of the visible fat away so that the meat is as lean as possible.

Rick Martinez’s Mom’s Chili Colorado

5 Dried Ancho Chilis
2 Dried Pasilla Chilis
2 Dried Guajillo Chilis
8 Cups Chicken Stock (3 Cups + 5 Cups Separated)
2-3 Pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder (or 2-3 Pounds Boneless Beef Shoulder)
Salt and Pepper
Oilve Oil (My substitution for Vegetable Oil)
6 Cloves Garlic Chopped
2 Bay Leaves
1 TBLS Ground Cumin
2 tsp Chopped Fresh Sage
2 tsp Chopped Fresh Oregano

Now Let’s Cook!

Remove the stems and seeds from all of your chilis. Make sure you have chosen soft and pliable chilis. If they are dry and brittle they are too old. They will be tasteless and ruin your dish.
Cover chiles with 3 cups of your chicken stock (it should already be boiling) and let them steam, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes until they are plump and tender. Put the chilis and all of the soaking liquid into a blender and purée until very smooth.
Cut 2 to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (or boneless beef shoulder) into ½” pieces and season with salt and pepper.
Brown the meat in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat with a couple of TBLS of olive oil so meat doesn’t stick.
Chop your 6 cloves of garlic and throw it in the pot along with 2 bay leaves, 1 TBLS ground cumin, 2 tsp each of chopped fresh sage and chopped fresh oregano. Stir that around for about a minute, or until very fragrant.
Add in your remaining 5 cups of chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about an hour.
Stir in the chile purée and simmer for another 45 minutes until the meat is very tender and the sauce is a thick, mahogany-red color.
Season with additional salt and pepper.
Serve with flour tortillas – you can serve rice and beans for a full, authentic Mexican meal, if you desire, as well.

Just imagine the love and attention you’ll get from your family when they come into the house and are surrounded by the smell of chili Colorado simmering on the stove 😉 !

Weeknight Steak Chili

The wind is cold and it’s finally time to pull the jeans and sweaters out of the back of the closet. It’s also time to let a pot of chili welcome the boys home after a long day. This time it won’t have to cook all day, I have my handy dandy pressure cooker, which doubles as a enhanced slow cooker, to cut the usual cooking time in half! If you don’t have a pressure cooker I’ve put the alternate instructions in red where they differ.

Pressure Cooker Steak Chili

1 pound trimmed Chuck roast ( I buy mine Organic from Sprouts) chopped into 1/4″ chunks – it’s easiest to chop raw meat if you freeze it for 30 minutes or so
1/2 of a medium onion chopped
1 block XLNT chili con carne
1 small can S&W low-sodium red beans drained of most of the liquid
1 small can Hunt’s petite diced tomatoes
1 large can store brand dark red kidney beans drained of most of the liquid (my store didn’t carry a large can of S&W)

Turn your pressure cooker on to the brown setting and toss in the onions.
For non-pressure cookers: heat a Stock Pot to medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil and add the onions, then follow the instructions below through #8.
Allow to cook for about 2 minutes then give them a quick stir.
Add chopped meat to the pressure cooker.
Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes.
Add the block of chili. If thawed, stir into the meat and onion. If frozen, skip this step.
Add both cans of beans and the can of tomatoes.
Stir the mixture, getting chili block to the bottom if it’s frozen.
Close the pressure cooker.
Set to slow cooker setting (mine has one) – mine defaults to 2 hours of cooking time. At the end of 2 hours my kidney beans needed a little bit more time, so I added an additional 30 minutes and they were perfect.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker you can finish cooking 1 of 2 ways: Put everything into the crock pot and cook on low for about 4 hours (or 1 hour on high and 2 on low); or you can finish this chili on the stove top in your stock pot. You will need to add some more liquid, in which case I would go with a beer and make sure that you are cooking it low and slow – you’ll need to simmer and stir occasionally for about 4 hours.

I grated some white cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top and grabbed a package of Trader Joe’s Cheesy Bread Sticks that toasted up perfectly in the oven in 6 minutes. No one was in the mood for a salad, but if you wanted a perfectly rounded meal a salad would do the trick!

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Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

I had nothing planned for Sunday family dinner after spending the afternoon enjoying the unexpected 88° day outside. I swore not to order pizza 2 Sundays in a row, so I quick thawed a few individually wrapped chicken breasts that I bought at Costco and checked the cupboards for what I could do with them.

My first thought was that I had snipped some fresh basil from the garden and knew that I had some pine nuts and olive oil, I could do a quick pesto and throw the chicken over some pappardelle pasta. That got vetoed because we had enjoyed a block of cream cheese covered with some jarred Trader Joe’s pesto Saturday afternoon with some pita crackers. Damn!

I opened the refrigerator and saw the fresh pineapple that I had ripening to slice and soak in Malibu Rum and inspiration hit. I’d make some homemade teriyaki and we’d have chicken bowls for dinner. Whew! Crisis averted.

Quick Teriyaki Sauce

4 TBLS Honey
1/2 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 + 1/2 Cups Water
8 TBLS Brown Sugar
1 tsp minced ginger
1+1/2 tsp minced garlic (preferably roasted)
4 TBLS Corn Starch dissolved in 1/2 Cup Cold Water
3 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3 tsp Sesame Seeds

In 1 +1/2 Quart Saucepan whisk together honey, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and crushed red peppers over medium heat. Dissolve cornstarch in water and whisk into sauce cooking about 2 more minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame seeds. Makes about 4 cups. Store any unused sauce in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Bowl Prep:

Prepare 6-8 Servings of White or Brown Rice
Thinly slice a green bell pepper, 2 ribs of celery, 2 carrots (julienne or matchstick sized), and 1/4 of a medium onion (if desired)
Quickly stir-fry the vegetables in a splash of olive oil until onion is translucent and other vegetables have softened
Cut 3-4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1 x 1 inch strips (give or take), salt and pepper, and stir fry in a well oiled pan over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through.
Thinly slice the green portions only of a green onion

Assemble Bowls:

Scoop some rice into the bottom of the bowl
Add a layer of the vegetable mixture
Top with a generous portion of the chicken
Generously spoon teriyaki sauce over the top of the chicken until well coated
Sprinkle with sliced green onion

This is a really easy make ahead meal. Prepare everything and store separately in covered containers in the refrigerator. It is easily and quickly reheated for a weeknight meal!

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

All-American Meal

During the entire Election 2016, this admitted Political Junkie made every night of both conventions and each of the 3 debates, plus a few other random “big political news” nights, events for a special meal to eat in front of the television.

So, when my husband asked me what gourmet meal I’d be preparing I was surprised to find myself unprepared with a ready-to-answer menu. Uh Oh! He suggested meatloaf which I immediately shook off as not fancy enough for a night I anticipated would involve a lot of anticipatory butterflies for the historic, ultimate glass ceiling shattering moment in history I hoped would be happening for women while we’d be eating our dinner on the west coast.

As the day wore on I started to change my mind about the simple, unassuming meatloaf.

What screams Americana more than the steady weeknight fare of everyone’s youth more than meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas? Nothing I could come up with. Throw in an apple pie and the perfect Tuesday Election Night 2016 meal vote was cast! 😉

Simple Weeknight Meatloaf

2 1/2 – 3 Pounds 85% Lean Ground Beef
1 Sleeve Saltine Crackers Crushed
1 Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
2 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Ketchup or Jarred Spaghetti/Marinara Sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In bowl of stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if combining ingredients by hand) put (in this order) crackers, eggs, can of tomatoes (undrained), meat, and ketchup.
Using bread hook attachment, turn stand mixer to lowest setting and mix until ingredients start to combine and form a loaf shape.
Remove hook and using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula, finish combining until no dry crackers show through the meat.
Mound into a loaf pan but don’t pack too firmly.
Put loaf pan into preheated oven and set timer for 1 hour and 20 minutes. At about 30 minutes use a turkey baster and suction off any fat that has begun to accumulate along the edges of the loaf pan. Also, use your ketchup or spaghetti/marinara sauce to top the meatloaf.
At 60 minutes again suction the fat from the edges of the pan with a turkey baster. I do this to avoid spillage into my oven and also to avoid having my meatloaf sit in fat during the entire baking time.
At an hour and a twenty minutes, slide your meatloaf out of the oven and insert a meat thermometer into the middle, making sure not to let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan. Your meatloaf should read 160°F for medium in the center.
If you want your center to be more medium well, put your meatloaf back into the oven for another 5 minutes or so and check the temperature again. For medium-well it should read 165°F and the rest of your meatloaf will be more well done at or above 170°F.

If you want mashed potatoes to be ready when your meatloaf comes out you can throw some small red potatoes (skin on or off) into a pot of boiling water and cook them for 15 minutes. Turn them off, drain the water and throw them into the bowl of your stand mixer with some milk, salt & pepper and butter. Using the paddle attachment mix until well combined but don’t over mix. Throw some foil over the top of the bowl and they’ll stay hot until you’re ready to eat.

Mushroom-Spinach Spaghetti

Knowing that tonight will be a long one while we stay up late to watch the results of Election Night 2016, I am prepping dinner for tomorrow night ahead of time. A recipe I love, that has no sauce, is easy to assemble, throw in the refrigerator a day ahead, and, as a bonus, is one that my husband will take to work for lunch afterward without complaint!

Mushroom-Spinach Spaghetti

1 Pound Spaghetti, Spaghettini, or Angel Hair Pasta
24 oz Sliced White and/or Baby Portobello Mushrooms (I used a combination of both)
4 oz Fresh Spinach
1 Stick Butter (8 TBLS)
2 TBLS + 2 TBLS + 2 TBLS (all separate measures) Olive Oil
4 oz Shredded Parmesan Cheese
3 TBLS Garlic and Onion Spice Blend (You can combine equal amounts of onion powder and garlic powder if you don’t have a prepared blend on hand)
Fresh Ground Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Put your stick of butter (8 TBLS) into a large skillet, I prefer a well seasoned cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat.

When your butter has melted, add your mushrooms and 2 TBLS olive oil poured over the top. Cook, stirring occasionally so that mushrooms don’t stick to pan, for about 2 minutes, then add your garlic and onion spice blend, salt and pepper. Continue cooking and stirring the mushrooms for about another 3 to 4 minutes until most of the moisture has been absorbed by the mushrooms. Remove the mushrooms to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

spin1 Add 2 TBLS olive oil to the skillet and add your spinach to the pan. Using tongs to toss the spinach with the oil, cook tossing constantly until all of the spinach is wilted but not cooked all the way. Immediately remove from the pan to the same spin2 bowl as the mushrooms and stir the mushrooms and spinach together. Set bowl aside and allow to cool while you prepare the pasta. When your mushroom-spinach mixture has cooled, sprinkle your 4 ounces of shredded parmesan cheese over and stir it in completely.

Prepare your pasta according to package directions with one important change: Make sure that you break the noodles in half lengthwise before you put them in the water. When your pasta has finished cooking drain it and toss it with your remaining 2 TBLS olive oil then add it to your mushroom-spinach mixture. Use your tongs to make sure your mushroom-spinach mixture is well combined and coating your pasta completely then either serve immediately or pour it into a 9 X 13 Pyrex baking pan and cover to keep warm.

mushspinspag

If you plan to make this a day ahead like I am, place covered baking pan in the refrigerator. To prepare for serving the next day, top cold pasta with a couple of TBLS butter (divided into small pats) and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes. You can also just toss individual servings into the microwave. 😉

With this easy (and inexpensive) make ahead dinner, the only decision you’ll need to worry about making tomorrow night is which wine to drink!

Get Rid Of Garlic Breath!

I LOVE garlic!

If a recipe calls for 1 clove you can guarantee that I’ll be adding at least two, but more than likely three. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who doesn’t just get garlic breath, I sweat garlic for at least a day after I’ve eaten it in any form.

One of my favorite aggressively garlic forward meals is Shrimp Scampi.

Extra Tasty Shrimp Scampi

1 + 1/2 Pounds Large Fresh (or Frozen) Shelled & Deveined Shrimp
1/2 Pound Asparagus Chopped into 1″ Chunks
4 TBLS Olive Oil
6 TBLS Butter
1 Cup Dry White Wine (like a Sauvignon Blanc)
4 TBLS Chopped Fresh Parsley
4 to 6 Cloves Fresh Garlic, Minced
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (or more to taste)
2 TBLS Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Freshly Ground Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Steamed Jasmine Rice
A Freshly Baked French Baguette (for sopping up the extra sauce)

Leaving the tail on or removing it from the shrimp is an individual choice. I prefer to leave it on so the maximum shrimp taste is passed into the sauce, but my husband complains about having to remove them, so I usually do just to avoid listening to him bitch…

Prepare the jasmine rice and set aside (keep warm)
Heat a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat
Add olive oil, butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes
Sauté about 30 seconds then add chopped asparagus
Sauté about 90 seconds then add shrimp
Add the wine and make sure that the shrimp is covered completely with the sauce
Spread the shrimp so they are in a single layer in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes
Turn the shrimp over and cook for another minute
Remove the pan from the heat
Squeeze the lemon over the shrimp, lightly salt & pepper and toss shrimp & asparagus with the chopped parsley

Serve the shrimp & asparagus over a bed of the steamed jasmine rice along side a hunk of the baguette, making sure to pour a generous amount of sauce over it all. Enjoy!

Once dinner is over and you’re ready to start getting kisses from your grateful family, you might want to start thinking about the garlic breath you’ve unleashed on an unsuspecting audience…

Apparently the Italians, who serve a salad and/or a fruit course after a pasta course, have known what they were doing all along. The September 2016 issue of the Journal of Food Science reported the findings of a study that concluded that chewing on lettuce, raw apples, or fresh mint after consuming a meal high in garlic reduced the concentration of the garlic smell on the subjects’ breath by 50%.

Spicy Cognac-Mushroom Rice

mushrice

I’m throwing caution to the wind this holiday season and tossing my tried and true recipes out the window. Well, at least a few of them. So, out goes the usual wild rice side dish and in it’s place I’m going to add a whole lot more flavor:

Spicy Cognac-Mushroom Rice

4 Cups Cooked Brown Rice
4 Cups Cooked White Rice
1 – 26.5 oz Can Black Beans (drained)
12 oz Sliced White Mushrooms
12 oz Sliced Portobello Mushrooms
8 TBLS (1 Stick) Butter
1/2 Yellow Onion Chopped
1 – 4oz Can Diced Jalapeno Peppers (drained)
1/2 Cup Cognac
3 TBLS Honey
2 TBLS Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Freshly Ground Sea Salt (to taste)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

Prepare your rice using whatever method you prefer. I prefer my pressure cooker so I can combine the white and brown rice and do it all at once, but you can do it on the stovetop, use your rice cooker or even do it in your microwave if you prefer.

Using a large skillet, I use my cast iron skillet, melt your butter.
Add in the sliced mushrooms and let brown, stirring, for 10 minutes.
Next add the onion, jalapeño, salt and pepper and let cook for another two minutes.
Add the honey and stir until it’s well incorporated.
Add the cognac and let reduce for 2 minutes.
Add the soy sauce and stir, then add the drained black beans.
Cook for another 5 minutes over low heat until the liquid thickens a bit.
Pour over the rice in the large bowl.
Stir together and then season with more salt and pepper to taste if needed
Pour rice into a serving dish – I am using a disposable 9 x 13 covered cake pan with a lid for mess free transport.

I am using my unsuspecting friends at tomorrow’s USC homecoming tailgate as guinea pigs. We are deep frying Duck and this seemed like a good way to do a test run.

Sunday Family Dinner

When I was a kid, we saw my mom’s parents all the time. They lived just a few miles away so we often saw them during the week when they came to our various games. On those nights, because Grandma always seemed to be on some new diet, Grandpa was excited to eat whatever junk food was being served at the snack bar, but at least twice a month, my grandparents would come to our house for a proper Sunday dinner.

My Mom didn’t have a big cooking repertoire, so dinner would be one of a four things:

Roast on her counter top Farberware rotisserie;
Flank or Top Sirloin Steak marinated with an envelope of Lawry’s tenderizing marinade for beef then grilled on the BBQ;
Spaghetti. Her Bolognese was one of the few things she made from scratch and my Grandpa Bob loved it; or
Meatloaf. Another basic meal that, inexplicably, my grandparents loved coming over for.

Unless we were having spaghetti, we always had some version of the same side dishes:

Green salad tossed in Bob’s Bleu Cheese or Thousand Island Dressing
Some type of boxed potato she could throw in the oven
Rice-A-Roni
Peas, Broccoli with cheese sauce, or corn

I wasn’t kidding, cooking was not her thing.

If she was making dessert it was one of a very few things:

Basking Robbins Ice Cream
Frosted Cake
Cookies
Cherry Surprise

You may be asking yourself, what in the world is Cherry Surprise? It was Mom’s go-to, minimal effort, no-bake, bring to any occasion dessert:

2 Angel Food Loaf Cakes or 1 Angel Food Round Cake
1 Large Box Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 Cup of Milk
16 oz Sour Cream
2 Cans Comstock Cherry Pie Filling
Reddy-Whip Canned Whipped Cream or a Tub of Cool Whip Thawed

Assembly Directions

Tear the angel food cake into small chunks and put the pieces into a 9″ x 12″ Pyrex baking dish
In a medium bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) combine the milk, sour cream, and pudding. Mix on low until combined then switch to high and mix another 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until pudding is thick and fluffy.
Using a rubber spatula, spread all of the pudding mixture over the cake layer. Tap the baking dish against the counter to help the pudding settle into pockets between the pieces of cake.
Pour the contents of both cans of cherry pie filling over the top of the pudding layer, spreading to evenly distribute the cherries
Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
Scoop portions onto plate and top with whipped cream

Simple, but always a crowd pleaser.

I try and do Sunday dinner but tonight didn’t even live up to Mom’s limited menus, I ordered pizza. To be fair, we did eat it together as a family while watching Sunday night football. 😉

I’ll do better tomorrow.

Ceviche Style Shrimp Cocktail

It may be starting to look like fall in the East, but here in Southern California, we’re getting ready for another 80°+ weekend. It’s late September, and I’m not complaining.

With any luck, I’ll be out of my cast (fingers crossed), my stitches will come out of the four incisions on my foot, and I’ll be able to spend all day Sunday floating in my pool, catching some rays and we’ll BBQ a steak, some fresh asparagus, and some sweet potatoes for dinner.

Well before dinner though, I’m absolutely going to have a couple of these shrimp cocktails (thanks for the recipe Pampered Chef) prepared and ready to have for lunch while I’m lounging!

Ceviche Style Shrimp Cocktail

Ingredients

1 pound shelled, deveined, large cooked shrimp, diced (21-25 per pound)
1/2 medium seedless cucumber, diced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced and quartered red onion
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium avocado
Coarse salt, lime slices and whole shrimp (optional)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Directions

Combine shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño pepper and salt in mixing bowl; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving.
Immediately before serving, dice avocado and fold gently into shrimp mixture. If desired, rub the rims of four margarita glasses with one lime slice, then dip into shallow dish of coarse salt; spoon salad into glasses. Garnish with lime slices and whole shrimp.

Tip:

For the best texture, do not prepare this recipe more than 1 hour in advance. Once combined with the acidic lime juice, the shrimp will begin to firm up and eventually become tough and rubbery.

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 200, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 220 mg, Carbohydrate 8 g, Protein 26 g, Sodium 550 mg, Fiber 5 g

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Rick Martinez’s Mom’s Chili Colorado

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Pressure Cooker Steak Chili

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Quick Teriyaki Sauce

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Simple Weeknight Meatloaf

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Mushroom-Spinach Spaghetti

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Extra Tasty Shrimp Scampi

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Spicy Cognac-Mushroom Rice

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Tip:

Nutrients per serving:

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