The inspiration for this recipe came from Vegetarian Times magazine. Several years ago I came across the recipe but never made it. It’s one of those that I copied, put in my recipe binder and pretty much forgot about it. Recently, I was going through my recipes in an effort to mix things up and try something different.  This one jumped out at me and I was really appreciating how simple it was to make.

I love that it’s all natural, is focused on a variety of clean eating foods and can be made in minimal time — all criteria that make this recipe a keeper.  And it’s the perfect winter soup — seasonal, hearty and satisfying.

I gave it my own spin by switching up some of the ingredients — instead of a white potato, I used a sweet potato (seasonal root vegetable full of antioxidants and fiber), instead of parsley, I used my all-time favorite veggie, kale (rich in Vitamins A, C, E, K, iron, potassium and fiber, to name a few).  And I added in a dash of rosemary which gave it a fantastic flavor. 

I thought it was so cute when my husband Bruce emailed me from work to tell me how delicious it was. You have to love getting others on the clean eating bandwagon too, without a huge amount of effort.

Check out the recipe below and let me what you think if you whip some up.

White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet potato, diced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 bunch kale, chopped
2 tsp. dried rosemary
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. In food processor, mince garlic then add onion and chop; remove to plate.
2. Add carrots and chop until coarse.
3. In soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
4. Add sweet potato and 5 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for approximately 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
5. Puree half the beans in the food processor, adding some of the remaining broth to thin.
6. Add the pureed beans, whole beans, kale and remaining broth to the pot along with the rosemary, salt and pepper.
7. Simmer an additional 5-10 minutes until kale is tender.

One of my favorite things to make is turkey chili. I love it because it’s so easy yet flavorful. I’ve been making the recipe here for several years and I still love it.  I think the red wine gives it a fantastic flavor.  Since my husband Bruce isn’t big on spicy foods, I tend to use a less spice than I would if just making it for myself. Either way, it’s delicious and all about clean eating with fresh ingredients and no processed foods.  Think low fat, high fiber and flavorful!

Southwestern Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I loved Eden Organic brand, no-salt added variety)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes)
1 cup red wine
3 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute pepper, onion and garlic for about 5 minutes.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, wine, turkey, chili powder, cilantro, crushed red pepper and salt.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

This recipe is so quick and as you can see, you can whip it up in no time! A simple way to practice clean eating, use up some of your leftovers and create a new dish with interesting flavors that family and friends can enjoy over the weekend.

What’s your favorite way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers? What exciting dishes do you have up your sleeve that you’re just itching to make?

That’s what happened today and the recipe is so tasty that I’m excited to share it with you. Last week, I wrote about a new cookbook that I recently bought called Whole Grains for Busy People. Just flipping through briefly, I saw a host of recipes that I was eager to make and this week I planned our meals so I could build in the quinoa stew.

But since my husband Bruce doesn’t like spicy food, since I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand and since some of the ingredients are things I don’t readily buy, I whipped up my own version (and to rave reviews I might add).

This is the first time I’ve made a stew with quinoa and all I can say is yum yum.  Even though I use it all kinds of other ways, adding it in this way is simply delicious. I also love Trader Joe’s roasted corn and Muir Glen’s organic fire roasted tomatoes which both added to the rich flavor.

Best part? The recipe is quick, easy and super healthy. Know what else? You can get lots of meals from it. A little time in the kitchen yields great results.  Check it out and give it a try.  It’s adapted from Whole Grains for Busy People by Lorna Sass.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp cumin
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa
1 package frozen cooked winter squash
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup Trader Joe’s fire roasted corn
1 can Muir Glen organic, fire-roasted tomatoes
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and oregano and saute for 5-7 minutes until soft.

Add the broth and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and add the quinoa. Cook uncovered on medium high heat for 10 minutes.

Stir in the squash, cover and simmer until squash breaks up.

Add the beans, tomatoes, corn and cumin, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about another 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Give it a try and come on back and tell us what you think.

This is one of all time favorite recipes using butternut squash. I like it because the creamy, rich taste is just fantastic, and all without adding any dairy. I also like that you bake the squash first, so no need to peel the tough skin and chop as some recipes call for. Plus with only a handful of ingredients, it’s ultra simple.

This soup is so good that it often doubles for breakfast in our house. Soup for breakfast? You bet. It’s warm and soothing. Check out a post I wrote awhile back about the benefits of soup for breakfast.

Give the recipe a try and tell me what you think.

Butternut Squash Soup

4 pounds of butternut squash, preferably organic
4 leeks, white part only, chopped
3 teaspoons of minced ginger root (more if you like really gingery)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh thyme (optional)
1 ½ tsp. salt

Directions

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and place cut side down a foiled lined baking sheet.  Bake in a 400 oven for an hour or until tender.
2. Sauté the leeks and ginger about 5-7 minutes, until soft.
3. Sccop the cooked squash out of its skin and add  to soup pot along with 4 cups of broth and the thyme. Break up the squash and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Let soup cool slightly and using an immersion or hand blender, puree the soup until smooth, adding more broth.
5. Add salt and stir well.
6. Garnish with raw pumpkin seeds for added flavor.

Serve and enjoy!

What’s even better, to make maximize my meal planning efforts, I doubled the recipe and immediately froze half of it (one of my favorite meal planning tricks, takes minimal effort). That way, Bruce and I don’t get sick of eating it all week and it gives us some ready made soup that we can dig into in coming weeks.

Check out the recipe below. I found this last year in Vegetarian Times and have adapted it to my liking.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large clove garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups cooked kasha (aka buckwheat — find at your local health food store)
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes (I love Muir organic fire roasted tomatoes)
1 15-oz. can kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed and chopped
3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 to 3 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 3 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook 5 minutes more, or until onion is lightly browned.
2. Stir in broth, kasha, tomatoes, 1 cup beans, oregano and rosemary. Bring to a boil.
3. Press half of kale into liquid with wooden spoon until it wilts. Press remaining kale into liquid.
4. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until kale is tender.
5. Add parsley and stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

My friend Julianne sent it to me awhile ago, but I just started making it recently, and it’s simply divine.  And not only is it tasty, but it’s an economical way to create a healthy meal that you and your family can enjoy during the week.  Think about cooking once to eat at least twice, but hopefully multiple times.

I will tell you that it’s a little upfront work with the chopping, and it took a little longer than I expected, but it’s well worth the effort. I made up a batch on Sunday night and Bruce and I have been enjoying it ever since.  I love the mix of flavors with the root vegetables and the peanut butter. To keep it optimally healthy, I use an all-natural peanut butter that’s free of sugar and hydrogenated oils, so you can imagine that means no Skippy or Jif!

I love this recipe because you can get plenty of protein from the peanut butter but it’s a nice break from eating meat.  Give it a whirl and let me know what you think. 

African Peanut Stew

 2 Tbs. olive oil
 2 large onions coarsely chopped
 3 large cloves garlic, minced
 1 small head of green cabbage, coarsely chopped
 3 large Yams or 1 small butternut squash cut into 1 in cubes 
 3 cups of carrots, diced
 2 cups of parsnips, diced
 3 cups of canned diced tomatoes, chopped
 4 cups of apple cider
 1 cup of chunky style peanut butter
 1 tsp cayenne pepper
 2 tsp salt
    
Directions:

1. Heat oil in big heavy pot and saute onions until soft.
2. Add garlic, cabbage, squash, carrots parsnips, tomatoes and apple juice. Bring to boil. Simmer for ten
minutes.
3. Stir in peanut butter a bit at a time.
4. Add cayenne and salt, then simmer covered for 2 hours or until
      veggies are tender.

Have a favorite peanut butter recipe? Share it below!

Have you had a parsnip lately? Do you know about why they’re so good for us? When fall rolls around, it’s the perfect time to eat and enjoy fresh parsnips, and there’s really no end to what you can do with them. They’re sweet flavor is a great addition to numerous dishes.

Take a listen to this week’s audio tip and find out why I think they’re a winner.

And check out this recipe for roasted carrot and parsnip soup that I made over the weekend. It’s simply delicious and easy to make. If you like parsnips, you’ll love this.

Do you have a favorite parsnip recipe? Share it and help us all get inspired in the kitchen.

It usually involves a weekend away doing something fun and getting back late on Sunday to be faced with limited prospects for food. And there’s something about starting the week without a plan that always throws me off kilter.

Case in point: I was in Detroit last month for a Smart Women’s Coaching event, having a great time with my new found friends and colleagues Karen, Katana and Jill. I flew home on Sunday morning, arriving just in time to be whisked off by my husband Bruce to the Big E. For those of you who don’t live in Connecticut or another New England state, the Big E is our six-state fair that occurs the last two weeks in September. Just like most state fairs, it’s full of 4-H exhibitions, the Midway, and of course, a ridiculous amount of greasy, cholesterol-laden food (which, much to my chagrin, I did in fact, partake in — like the deep fried Oreos. Yes, you read that correctly – fortunately, it’s not that often!).  On this particular day, we met up with our friends Ken and Nicole, indulged and then some, and luckily did a whole lot of walking.

So imagine, I’m gone five days and come home to almost no food and no plan whatsoever. In the past, that would have thrown me so far afield that it would have taken me a week to get back on track. But here’s the thing: there’s a way to do your meal planning so that you can anticipate unplanned weeks and have healthy back ups that don’t require repeated trips to McDonald’s.

In fact, the key is in building a healthy food arsenal the weeks when I’m on top of my game, and when this time of the year rolls around it’s easy. I’m a huge fan of soups and stews and once the weather cools off, I’m happy to tinker in the kitchen whipping things up. So the key is not to make it and eat it all that week, but to consciously put some aside in the freezer for those weeks when I’m in a pinch and too busy to cook.  As the cool weather sets in, the more soups you’ll find stashed in my freezer.

Yesterday, I made a pot of sweet potato bisque soup (simply delicious with fresh chard and sweet potatoes from the farmers’ market) and a pot of roasted carrot and parsnip soup. But instead of digging right in, the first thing I did after letting it cool off was to put several portions of each into the freezer.  I did the same a few weeks ago when I made a pot of butternut squash soup (remember, the one I was eating for breakfast?).  The beauty is that when those super-hectic weeks roll around and I’m without a good plan, we have healthy and delicious food to fall back on.

What about you, what do you do ensure a supply of healthy meals when you don’t have time to prep and plan?

Like this idea? You can learn a lot more of my simple tips and strategies when we kick off the next run of Money Saving Meal Planning: Quick, Healthy and Delicious Meals on a Budget. Join us starting this Wednesday, October 22 - it’s going to be big fun.

4-5 cups spring water
1-2 inch strip of wakame (my favorite sea vegetable) rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water, until softened
1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice (see notes)
4-5 teaspoons barley miso
2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

1.  Chop soaked wakame.
2.  Discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals.
3.  Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
4.  Add root and ground vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
5.  Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6.  Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso into it. Return it to the pot.
7.  Reduce heat to very low-do not boil or simmer miso broth.
8.  Allow this to cook 2-3 minutes.
9.  Garnish with scallions and serve.

Notes:

Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup. Here are some classic combinations:

onion-daikon: very cleansing
onion-carrot-shiitake-mushroom-kale
leek-corn-broccoli: great in summertime
onion-winter squash-cabbage: great in wintertime

Variations:

Add cooked grains at the start of making the soup. They will become nice and soft.
Add a tablespoon of uncooked quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes.
Add cubed tofu toward the end.
Add bean sprouts toward the end.
Season with 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice for an interesting twist.

If using dry shiitake mushrooms, let them soak for 20 minutes, slice and add at the beginning.