Winter Recipe Survival Guide

It looks like we are not done with the winter blues just yet! As I sit here looking out the window at the snow covered streets I think, what better way to warm up than with a Nutritiously Gourmet bowl of soup?!?

When I speak with friends or family members about what they order at restaurants to keep up their healthy lifestyle, they almost always answer with soup or salad, to which I answer; “I could see how you would think that”. The truth is, most restaurant soups and salads create an illusion of healthiness but sometimes these dishes can have over a day’s worth of calories in one serving. This week I am going to show you how to cut the calories by creating these healthy, delicious and Nutritiously Gourmet soups.

The first recipe featured is the Red Curry Sweet Potato & Kale Chowder. Typically chowders are made from a heavy cream base but my healthy twist uses unsweetened almond milk to replace the cream. It is important to choose an unsweetened or unflavored brand because using sweetened almond milk will change the flavor of this soup, I prefer Unsweetened Almond Breeze.  Using almond milk in place of cream removes 345 calories and 35g of fat per serving without affecting the flavor. This recipe is also packed with a ton of healthy vegetables. Both of these recipes feature a very healthy and delicious vegetable, the sweet potato! These bright orange vegetables contain Vitamin A and beta-carotene. Both are essential to cancer prevention as well as enhancing your overall immune system.   The best part about this vegetable is it needs fat in order for you to get its full benefit; about 1 tablespoon of olive oil will give you the extra boost to your sweet potatoes. Finally a healthy excuse to eat fat!  

The Four Bean Vegetable Soup not only has sweet potato but is filled with a ton of other vegetables and three different types of heart healthy legumes.   These beans are not only good for you heart, they are also a great source of protein, about 9 grams per ½ cup serving. Legumes are considered a complete protein and have about 20 grams of fiber per serving.  Swapping out meat for legumes or any other plant base protein can help promote a healthy cholesterol level. Enough about the healthy! Let’s Eat!! 

 Red Curry Sweet Potato& Kale Chowder

 Yields 4-6 Servings

 2 Tbs. olive oil  

1 onion, chopped

1 large leek, chopped

½ rutabaga, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ tsp ground ginger  

1 Tbs. Red Curry seasoning

3 large sweet potatoes, chopped

2 cups vegetable stock

4 cups kale, chopped

½ cup almond milk (I used unsweetened Almond Breeze)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish with a toasted slice of Multi-Grain or Gluten-Free bread

Instructions

1.        In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, leeks and rutabaga. Cook until vegetables are soft and caramelized. Add garlic and spices; continue to cook for about 2 minutes.

Culinary Note:  To CARAMELIZE means to cook something (in this case vegetable) on a low heat until naturally becoming brown and sweet.

2.        Add sweet potatoes and stock, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let cook until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

3.        In a blender, puree 4 cups of the soup mixture then return to the rest of the soup.

4.       Add kale and almond milk. Cook uncovered until, over low heat until kale is tender yet still bright. About 10 minutes.

5.        Serve with toasted multi-grain bread or gluten bread

Four Bean Vegetable Soup

      Yields 6 Servings

  

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp. fennel seed

1 cup of sweet corn, canned or frozen

1 cup of green beans, sliced lengthwise

1 can kidney beans, rinsed

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed

4 cups vegetable stock

1 small bunch thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1.       In a large soup pot heat oil on a medium high heat. Add onions and garlic. Let cook until golden brown. Add fennel seeds. Let cook for 2 minutes.  

2.       Add corn, green beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, and garbanzo beans, vegetable stock, and thyme. Let cook for 20 minutes on medium- low heat.

3.       Remove thyme bunch and serve! Healthy Eating!  

WHAT’S NEXT?!?

What's in your lunchbox? My next post will take a look at some of the common unhealthy lunch options and how to replace them with my Nutritiously Gourmet recommendations!  

Fitness Recipes Reviewed Nutritiously Gourmet Style

This week I am taking a look into a few recipes from one of my favorite health and fitness magazines. Being a part of the Health and Wellness Industry, I am constantly reading up on new trends and new meal ideas that will keep us healthy and happy.  I love flipping through the different recipes these magazines provide, but I never actually try them. I thought, why not try a few of them and share them with my followers!

When I create a successful recipe or plan a successful menu I take the following four important points into consideration, health, flavor, time and the price. I think many people agree that when they cook for their families, significant other, kids, etc. these considerations are also in the forefront of their thoughts. Unfortunately, most of the time one trumps the other and you end up compromising your meal. That being said, whenever I recreate or review a recipe that isn’t my own I use my four points to help me decide if it is a recipe worth keeping. With the following recipes I’ve done all the work for you!  I have recreated, reviewed and of course, tasted them to give you my honest opinion on what worked and what didn't. Let’s get started!   

Mushroom & Kale with Poached Eggs
Yields: 4 servings 

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 lbs. of mixed mushrooms, chopped (I used baby bella and shiitake)

1 med. onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. chopped thyme

 ¾ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. pepper

1/3 cup Marsala wine

4 kale leaves, ribs removed, chopped 

4 eggs

4 slices of Multi-grain bread

1 garlic clove

Instructions

1.       In 12 inch skillet heat oil over medium- high heat, add mushrooms and onions. Cook until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic cook until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste, thyme, salt, pepper and wine. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add kale and continue to cook until leave are wilted.

2.       Create four large indentations in the mushroom and kale mixture (still in the skillet). Drop a egg in each individual indentation. Cover skillet with aluminum foil and cook eggs until they have set, about 2 minutes.

3.       Meanwhile, place bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle ¼ teaspoon of oil on bread. Toast until golden brown and then rub with ½ garlic clove. Server with ragout.  

   My Review: 

 Health: This recipe is packed with two of my favorite vegetables, mushrooms and kale. Mushrooms are a great source of B vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. All of these vitamins help to provide energy to your body by breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates.  As you already know, I have a very healthy obsession with kale. Kale is packed with a ton of cancer fighting vitamins and anti- inflammatory antioxidants.  When I recreated this recipes I actual doubled the amount of kale because, WHY NOT!?!  I chose to use red kale (which is actually a deep purple color) instead of regular kale. Red kale has all the great benefits as regular kale and added a nice color contrast to the mushrooms.  

 Flavor:  This recipe is really delicious. The mushrooms and kale have a very earthy flavor which balances well with the creaminess from the yolk in the eggs and the sweetness/acid from the Marsala wine. 

Time:  When considering prep time and cooking time, this dish took me about a total of 15-20 minutes. Healthy, delicious and easy to make!

Price: The cost of this recipe, broken down by serving was about $8.00 per person. This is a very reasonable price, especially if your alternative is going out to eat where you are guaranteed to spend 5 times this amount per person. In terms of cost, the only thing I didn’t like about this recipe was the Marsala wine, because it was the priciest thing on the shopping list. Unfortunately this product has a very unique flavor and taste, making it difficult to replace with just any wine. That being said, you can try using a sweet red wine.It will provide a slightly different flavor profile but will be equally delicious!     

Shrimp and Orzo Paella  
Yields: 4 servings

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Tbs. smoked paprika

½ medium onion, chopped

2 Tbs. pimentos, chopped

1 cup of whole wheat orzo

1 ½ cup chicken broth

1 pinch saffron threads

1tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 Tbs. Sherry

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Instructions

1.       In a large cast-iron skillet heat 1 Tbs. of oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shrimp and paprika. Cook until shrimp turn pink (I used frozen shrimp, if you choose to as well, cook shrimp until warmed). Once cooked, transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside.

2.       Heat remaining oil in cast-iron. Add onion, pimentos, and cook until onions are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add orzo, stirring once. Add chicken broth (I used vegetable broth-less sodium, more delicate flavor), saffron, salt and pepper. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. 

3.         Add sherry, removing the fond from the bottom of the pan. Remove skillet from heat. Add peas and shrimp and toss to combine until warm.

Culinary Note: Fond is from a French term, meaning bottom. In the culinary world, FOND is the “roasted bits“ found on the bottom of a pan.

My Review: 

Health:  I love this recipe in terms of its health benefits because it uses one of my favorite healthy cooking tools and incorporates a lean protein with frozen vegetables.  When you cook in a cast iron skillet, it can actually BOOST your iron intake by about 10%. Your iron levels have a major role in your energy level and brain function so any chance you get to boost your iron intake, I say GO FOR IT! Like most fish, shrimp are high in protein, low in fat and low in calories, making shrimp a great option for any Nutritiously Gourmet meal! I also loved the use of frozen peas. Using frozen vegetables is a quick and inexpensive way to add nutrition to each dish.  When vegetables or fruits are frozen they are picked at their peak of ripeness. This means you are sure to get optimal nutrition and flavor from your frozen product.   

Flavor:  Paella is traditionally made with three different types of shellfish, chicken, chorizo (a pork sausage), peas and Spanish rice. It can a heavy and calorie packed dish. This twist on paella removes more than half the fat without losing all the flavor. You will not be disappointed with this smokey, sweet meal.           

Time:  Another quick dish! With prep time and cook time this dish took me about 25 minutes. If you want to cut the time by 5 minutes, buy frozen fully cooked shrimp, thaw them and throw them in at the last 3 minutes.

Price:  In terms of price this recipe was similar to the Mushroom Ragout, costing about $7.00 per serving. One thing I did not buy for this recipe was the saffron. This ingredient can be difficult to find and costly. I really don’t like to spend a lot of money on one single ingredient that I feel does not make or break a dish. I think you can cut this item, save some money and still have a delicious meal!  

Bottom Line, these recipes are healthy, delicious and under $10 per serving so EAT UP!

WHAT'S NEXT:

I hope you all enjoyed the warm weather this past weekend but it looks like we are headed back into a Polar Vortex! Keep warm with  my hearty, healthy, Nutritiously Gourmet soup recipes.

Romance Nutritiously Gourmet Style

Valentine's Day is a great holiday to show the one you love just how much you appreciate them. It can also be a day filled with a lot of extra calories that ironically, can leave you feeling not so sexy. These recipes are healthy, fun and satisfying. Spend this Valentine’s Day in the kitchen with your significant other creating a Nutritiously Gourmet meal.

The two recipes featured in this post will take you more time than a normal weekday meal, however, I promise they are worth it!  A lot of people associate cooking healthy with boring food and boring technique.  These recipes are anything but boring and the technique is probably new for many of you but with my instructions and pictures I think I can make it interesting.   

Cooking in a Tagine is a technique that originated in Northern Africa. This conical shaped cooking vessel creates a uniquely hot environment for the dish being prepared. The base is wide and shallow, and the tall lid is designed to fit tightly inside. As the food cooks the steam rises into the cone and creates a moist environment for the protein or anything else being cooked. This creates a more flavorful dish, trapping all the aromatics inside the cooking vessel as opposed to steaming, where the vapor is released into open air. This technique is very similar to cooking in a dutch-oven or slow-cooker. That being said, if you do not own a Tagine a dutch oven or slow-cooker is a perfect replacement for any similar recipe. 

Entrée

Smoked Moroccan Chicken with Quinoa in a Tagine

Yields: 6-8 servings

Spice Blend:

1 Tbs. ground ginger

1 Tbs. smoked paprika

1 Tbs. cumin

1 Tbs. cinnamon

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. turmeric

1 tsp. salt

Combine all spices in a bowl. Set aside.

Chicken:

1 quartered chicken, skin on

3 Tbs. Olive oil

Spice blend

3 cups kale, ribs removed and chopped  

1 onion, chopped

½ rutabaga, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 red pepper, chopped

8 apricots, halved

6 dates, halved

2 Tbs. of Almonds

½ cup Quinoa, uncooked 

Instructions:

1.       Preheat oven to 300°F

2.       In a large bowl combine olive oil, spice blend, and chicken.  Toss well, and marinate for 1 hour.

3.       In a large sauté pan over medium high heat sear the chicken until skin is golden brown. Set aside.

4.       In Tagine add all the vegetables, fruits, almonds and uncooked quinoa. Creating a bed for the chicken to lie on top of. Layer chicken on top of the mixture.  

5.      Cook in the oven for about 1 and 45 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temp. of 165°F. Serve right from the Tagine. Healthy Eating!

**If you do not own a Tagine, you can do steps 3-5 all in a large dutch-oven**

Dessert 

For dessert we are making a Rosemary, Ginger, Coconut and Almond Milk Granita served with Blood Orange Supremes. Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from a mixture of sugar, liquid (traditionally water), and flavorings originating from Sicily. Traditionally, this dish is served any time of day, even breakfast! Finally a healthy Nutritiously Gourmet treat you can eat whenever you want!

Supreme is a fancy way of describing the technique of segmenting citrus fruits.  This is a great way to remove the bitter pith and be left with just the segment.  Below are a few pictures that should help you through the process.

Rosemary, Ginger, Coconut  and Almond Milk Granita with Blood Orange Supremes                    

Yields: About 4 servings

2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk (I love Almond Breeze)

1- 13oz can of Light Coconut Milk

2 springs of rosemary

1 knob of ginger, thinly sliced

3 Tbs. of honey

1 large blood orange, segmented

Garnish with a small spring of Rosemary (optional)

Instructions:

1.       In a medium sauce pot heat almond milk, coconut milk , rosemary, ginger and honey to a simmer.  Turn down to a medium low heat. Continue to cook the mixture for 20 minutes. 

2.       Strain mixture through sieve into a large bowl.   Allow to cool, about 1 hour.

3.       Meanwhile, segment orange.  Set aside.

4.        Pour almond mixture into a freezer safe container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze approximately 45 minutes or until icy at edge of the container.

5.        After 45 minutes, whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Be sure to scrape the ice crystals off the sides and into the middle of the container.

6.       Cover and freeze again until icy at edge of pan and overall texture is slushy, about another 45 minutes.

7.       Continue to repeat steps 5 and 6 until your desired texture is achieved (You want a shaved ice texture as your final result).

8.       For a sexy look serve in a cold martini glass with blood oranges. 

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and Nutritiously Gourmet Valentine’s Day!