New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is tomorrow and we plan on staying in, lighting the fireplace & having some delicious but healthy appetizers. I will make "fake" meatballs (using chickpeas, instead of meat); sweet potato oven "fries" sprinkled with some fabulous spices and baked to perfection; black olive and avocado guacamole with carrot and sweet pepper sticks to dip (or crackers or nacho chips). The three recipes follow. Happy New Year and all the best in 2010!

Hot and Sour Viet-Thai Chicken Soup

This soup is a meal in itself & very spicy! Great to boost the immune system on a cold winter day. You can make it vegan by omitting the chicken and using a can of chickpeas in its' place. You can also add rice noodles during the last few minutes of cooking. This recipe makes about 4 large--meal size--servings.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced (or the can of chickpeas). Whichever you choose, marinate them in a large bowl with a couple of tbsps olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsps thai green curry paste, 1/2 tsp dried crushed hot chili peppers, 1 tsp of lime juice, 1 tsp garlic powder. Cover & put in refrigerator until ready to use.
450 ml low sodium, low fat chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups of water
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsps garlic powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
4 small organic carrots, peeled and chopped
3 tbsps apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp dried crushed hot chili peppers
2 cups mixed greens or baby spinach, chopped
3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large, lightly oiled skillet, over medium high heat, add sliced, marinated chicken and sear over medium high heat (if using chickpeas, just add directly to soup mixture in last 15 minutes of cooking time). Remove chicken to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
2. In a medium sized sauce pan, stir together all remaining ingredients except chicken, spinach and green onions. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
3. Stir the marinated chicken into the hot soup. Cook for about 20 minutes longer over low heat.
4. Stir the chopped greens or spinach into the soup (add the chickpeas at this point if using). Cook for about fifteen minutes over low heat.
5. Stir in the chopped green onions and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Crusted Salmon

I was out at a fabulous restaurant for Christmas lunch the other day & I had a salmon fillet crusted with sweet potato--very delicious! I decided to make my own version. Serve with a side of mixed greens, avocado and tomatoes for a very healthy meal. Just toss the side salad with some salt, pepper, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. This recipe is for 2 people but can easily be doubled or tripled.


Ingredients:

2 6oz salmon fillets, marinated in a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp or less of salt
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (or 1/4 tsp of ground ginger)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sweet potatoes and cook, covered, until soft, about 8 minutes or so.
2. Drain sweet potatoes, reserving 2 tbsps of cooking liquid. Place all ingredients, except salmon and 1 tsp of olive oil, in a medium bowl and mash with a hand masher or electric mixer.
3. Preheat oven to 450F. Place the salmon in hot oil in a skillet & quickly sear on both sides. Transfer to a baking dish and spread the mashed sweet potatoes thickly over top of the salmon. Cook, uncovered in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

Quinoa Shepherd's Pie

This vegan version of Shepherd's Pie is a variation of a recipe found in Tosca Reno's great cookbook, "The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook". It is a complete meal; full of vitamins & protein and great for a winter dinner. This recipe makes about six servings.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried red chili pepper flakes
1 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup stewed tomatoes, from a jar
2 sweet potatoes
1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups lettuce greens, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, quinoa, greens, oregano, basil & chili peppers. Cook until onion is soft---about five minutes. Add vegetable stock and tomatoes and stir. Allow mixture to come to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, about 20 minutes.

2. Scrub sweet potatoes and slice across into four large pieces each. Wrap in tin foil and bake in 400F oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from foil and let cool.

3. Add chickpeas, peas, salt, pepper and cumin to the tomato and grain mixture. Stir well. Place all of these ingredients in a lightly oiled 13" x 9" baking dish. Slice the cooked potato in rounds on top. Season with salt & pepper. Bake in oven, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.

Baked Penne with Sauteed Vegetables

This is an easy lasagna-like dish. You can use a sauce that is meatless (as in this recipe) or brown some ground beef, turkey or chicken to add to the sauce. Use wholewheat penne (or rotini or fusilli) for fuller flavour and nutritional value. This recipe makes about 4 servings, but can be easily doubled (just use a 13" x 9" baking dish instead of the smaller one used in this recipe).

Ingredients:

2 cups (uncooked) whole wheat penne, rotini, or fusilli pasta
1 cup medium salsa
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce (use good quality sauce in from a jar)
1 each red & yellow pepper, cleaned and diced
1 small onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried hot chili peppers (or more if you like things hot!)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese

Directions:
1. In a medium sized pot of boiling water, add pasta and cook over high heat until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain well.
2. Toss peppers, onions and garlic with oil. Sautee in a skillet over medium high heat until soft.
3. Preheat oven to 375F. Combine all ingredients, except 1/4 cup of the parmesan, in a large bowl. Transfer to a greased 8" x 6" glass baking dish. Sprinkle remaining parmesaan on top. (If making ahead, you can cover and refrigerate for one day at this point. Bring to room temperature before cooking). Cover & bake in oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly throughout. Serve with a green side salad for a complete meal.

Chocolate Almond Coconut Macaroons

These cookies are easy to make, don't contain any flour & are simply delicious! You can make a vegan version of them by omitting the egg whites and substituting 2 tbsps of ground flax seeds, mixed with 6 tbsps of hot water. Stir the mixture and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before adding it where you would otherwise use the egg whites. Each cookie contains about 60 calories.

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 square (one ounce) unsweetened chocolate, chopped OR 3 squares 85% cocoa Lindt chocolate, chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
2 large egg whites (or 2 tbsps ground flax seeds mixed with 6 tbsps hot water)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with foil or parchment paper.
2. In food processor, with knife blade attached, process almonds, sugar, coconut, cocoa, chocolate and salt, until chocolate and nuts are finely ground. Add egg whites (or flax seed mixture) & process until blended.
3. Drop dough by generously rounded teaspoons, using a second spoon to release batter, 2 inches apart, on prepared cookie sheets. Bake until tops feel firm when pressed lightly, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through baking. Cool on cookie sheets on wire racks.

Spicy Chickpea Chicken Soup

You can make this into a vegan recipe by using veggie broth and leaving out the chicken.

Ingredients:

4 cups Basic Soup Broth
1 large chicken breast, sliced thinly & marinated for one hour in olive oil, lemon juice, salt/pepper/garlic/ chili peppers and cumin (to taste with all spices)
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 large cubed potato
1 cup baby spinach, small stalks removed
1 inch cube fresh ginger, grated

Directions:

1. Saute chicken until browned
2. Add to heated Basic Soup Broth, stir and heat to medium high. Reduce heat to low and cook for one hour. Add ginger and potatoes and cook another 30 minutes.
3. Add chickpeas, stir and cook 20 minutes
4. Add peas and spinach. Cook ten minutes.
Serve immediately, along with a multi-grain bread for dipping

Basic soup recipe

This is a great recipe for a hearty, healthy soup stock that you can keep in the freezer until ready to use. The recipe makes enough for 3 separate batches of soup. I have followed with a recipe that starts with the basic stock and builds on it---very wholesome, healthy soup for a cold winter's day, yummy! You can make this a vegan recipe by omitting the chicken and using veggie broth.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound organic carrots, chopped
1 medium organic onion, chopped
2 stocks organic celery, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large jar stewed tomatoes
2 cups chicken or veggie broth, low sodium, low fat version
8 cups water
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup baby spinach, small stems removed

Directions:

1. In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add carrots, onion, celery and garlic, stir and cook for about 8 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, broth,water, salt & pepper. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally.
3, Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach, salt and pepper. Cook, covered for 10 minutes.
4. Divide into 3 separate batches. Freeze two batches in well sealed containers. Use the third batch to make the Spicy Chickpea Chicken Soup.

Stuffed & Roasted Calamari with Arugula Spinach Salad

This is a recipe of my husband's that was inspired by our favourite local Greek restaurant. The Greek name for it is Kalamaria Gemista. He paired it with a delicious salad of arugula, spinach, tomatoes and avocado. Calamari (squid) has a wonderful flavour when it is roasted. This recipe makes enough for 2 people but can easily be doubled or tripled.

Ingredients for stuffed calamari:

4 fresh calamari, cleaned and trimmed (we bought our calamari already trimmed, so one end is open for easy stuffing---it looks a bit like a blimp)
1 small onion, peeled and diced
4 small red, orange or yellow tomatoes, diced
4 heaping tbsps feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasted
1/2 a lemon, cut into wedges

Ingredients for salad:

4 cups baby spinach and arugula mix (washed and rinsed)
1 tomato, sliced into eighths
1 avocado, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions for calamari:

1. Toss onions, tomatoes, garlic, 1 tbsp oil, lemon juice, oregano, basil, salt & pepper in a bowl. Cover and marinade, in refrigerator, for 30 to 6o minutes. Remove from fridge and lightly toss in crumbled feta cheese
2. Rinse calamari inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry. Using a spoon, stuff the calamari with tomato/cheese mixture. Use a tooth pick to close the open end. You want them pretty full, but not full enough that anything is coming out the ends. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
3. Heat remaining tbsp full of olive oil in a large ridged skillet over high to medium high heat. Preheat oven to 400F. Brown the stuffed calamari in the hot oil for about 3-4 minutes, turning regularly.
4. Place the calamari in a very lightly oiled roasting pan with low sides. Place in oven, uncovered, and roast for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.


Directions for salad:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss lightly. Spoon onto plate with stuffed calamari. Enjoy!

Spicy Teryaki Chicken with Peas & Mushrooms

This recipe is made with soy sauce, which is high in sodium. Even the reduced sodium soy sauce tends to have a lot of sodium, so please avoid this if you are on a sodium-reduced diet. When making this, do not add any salt. I served it with side salad of spinach and arugula with some cranberries and walnuts tossed in for good measure! It serves about four.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, chopped into cubes and marinated for a couple of hours in two tbsps olive oil & two tbsps lime juice.
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsps olive oil
3 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 tbsps reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsps maple syrup
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking brown rice
1 cup water
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried hot chili peppers
1 tsp chipotle hot sauce


Directions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Saute onion and garlice for about 3 minutes. Add chicken & discard marinade. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until chicken is browned.
2. Add mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, maple syrup and water. Stir to remove brown bits from bottom of pan and incorporate.
3. Add rice and stir, bringing liquid to a boil.
4. Add black pepper, chili pepper & hot sauce. Stir and cover, cooking on low for about 20 minutes.
5. Return heat to medium high and add peas. Stir and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.