Souper Suppers!

As much as I love cooking sometimes I'm just too exhausted to prepare a meal. Soup is my solution to a healthy meal when I'd rather be sitting on the couch instead of washing dishes in the kitchen. I usually make a large pot of homemade soup and than freeze it in individual containers for the perfect portion to use when I'm in a mealtime crunch. I just warm up my soup on the stove and add a small salad and slice of whole grain bread and my meal is ready in under 20 minutes.

Although my freezer soups are usually for just my own enjoyment I love Souperstars idea of making soup night an easy entertaining night with friends. An economical and easy way to entertain, not to mention the fact that even your friend with no culinary prowness will probably be able to whip up a decent soup. I'm contemplating starting my own soup night. What are your favorite homemade soup recipes?

Cooking A Dish I Used to Hate: Eggplant Parmesan

I hated the taste of eggplant when I was a child, and dreaded when my mom said we were having eggplant parmesan for dinner. But I didn’t mind helping her make it. Dipping the eggplant circles she had cut into the egg and the bread crumbs was fun. When it came to eating it, I took a few bites and slugged down a lot of Fruit Punch to obliterate the taste of the stuff. Then, I cut up the rest, pretending to eat it before hiding it under my potato or spreading it around my plate.

My brother felt the same way.  No. Scratch that. He was worse, refusing the eggplant altogether. In fact, my mom once wrote a check for $5,000 just so he would eat it. I’m very serious. And it seriously worked. My brother wolfed down the eggplant, and excitedly grabbed the check from my mom. He was reveling in his new riches, when my mom pointed out that the check was paid to the order of “Mickey Mouse.”  Then, he got mad. Seeing the effect the food had on her otherwise well-behaved children, my mom decided to stop making eggplant. 

Fast forward about 18 years to when I was living in Boston, and roomed with a woman who co-owns an Italian restaurant in the North End, otherwise known as the city’s Italian section.  She was always urging me to try new things on the menu and was always asking for honest feedback. One night she wanted me to try the eggplant parmesan and tell her how it was. I practically shuttered as I explained my distaste for eggplant and emphasized to my friend that it was nothing personal.  She was insistent and comped my meal.  And much to my surprise, it was delicious. Yes, I know that tastes change, but I was truly stunned that my taste buds had changed that much.

After enjoying prepared eggplant parmesan from the grocery store a few times, I decided to make it myself. I experimented a little, but copied some steps from when I was young.  It came out so well that I wanted to post the recipe here.

What you’ll need:

1 eggplant

2 eggs

Italian bread crumbs

1 jar tomato sauce

Sliced mozzarella cheese

Canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Pour bread crumbs in a plate.

Crack two eggs in another plate and whip the mixture with a fork.

Cut up the eggplant julienne style.

Dip a piece of eggplant in egg, then cover on both sides with bread crumbs.

Repeat this two-step process until all slices of eggplant are covered with egg and bread crumbs.

Pour a little bit of oil into a frying pan.

Once pan is hot, put two slices of eggplant in at a time.

When the bottoms are crusted, turn over and do the same with the other side.

Put finished slices on paper towels.

Continue this process until all slices are crusted over.

Place a slice of eggplant in baking pan and cover the top of it with a layer of tomato sauce. Then, cover tomato sauce with another slice. Pour another layer of tomato sauce on top, spreading the sauce over the surface with a spoon if needed. Cover with about one-and-a-half slices of mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the process above for all eggplant slices. (Tip: Match up slices according to their lengths.)

It looks like this because I used a roll of mozzarella cheese (instead of mozzarella slices) and broke the roll up into smaller pieces. I tried it again with slices, which taste great and are easier to work with.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Take out and serve.

For big parties or plenty of leftovers, use two eggplants. 

A New Year and New Adventures in Cooking.....

In 2011 I decided to try something new and go outside of my usual cooking comfort zone, I absolutely love Indian cuisine but have never really attempted any Indian inspired dishes in my own kitchen. I armed myself with curry and cumin and purused my cookbooks for recipes that tempted my palate.

On my menu....

Simple Salad with Naan and Hummus

Ok, I admit the hummus and Naan were both from Trader Joe's but I needed something that was edible in case the rest of the meal turned out to be a flop.

Carrot Soup with Raita

I was dying to find a recipe where I could try out the new immersion blender I got for Christmas. The results were smooth and delicious!


Quick Curry Chicken with Basmati Rice

The quick curry chicken recipe I tried was voted fair by the taste testers at my apartment. It looks like I still need more practice when it comes to making curry chicken, but for a first attempt I think I did a decent job.

Flavor It Up Without Fattening It Up...

Ahh... Fall my favorite time of year, the changing leaves, crisp fall air and seasonal favorites at the local coffee shops. What could be a better motivator to “get up and at ‘em” than a piping hot caffeinated beverage?

When I worked in Washington D.C., it was difficult to walk from the metro to the office without passing several coffee shops. The sounds and smell of the grinding coffee beans lured me like the sirens song. In the bitter winter it was even more difficult to pass the temptation of having something warm to hold onto as I trudged through the snow covered streets.

When I moved from Washington, D.C., to the Baltimore area, I went from a walking to driving commute, but I still pass at least four coffee shops and one convenient drive-thru on my way to work. While like Ari I have a difficult time drinking black coffee, I love the specialty coffee drinks, especially the lattes and frappucinos. As a registered dietitian and savvy consumer, I recognized that both my wallet and waistline wouldn’t benefit from stopping for $4.00 coffee drinks that add as many as 400 extra calories to my daily caloric intake. I was shocked to learn that my favorite 12oz Nonfat Pumpkin Spice Latte with no whipped cream had 200 calories and 37grams of sugar!

While I didn’t want the extra liquid calories or the drain on my wallet, I did want to devise ways to give my homebrewed coffee a little extra boost, so I could still enjoy some of my seasonal favorites without the added guilt.

To add a special touch to my black coffee, I purchased the Bonjour Cafe Milk Frother that whips my milk into thick foam in minutes. I tried to recreate a lower calorie version of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (one of my favorite’s, see my recipe below). 

Alison’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte

In my version I use French roast coffee instead of espresso. You can substitute this with your own favorite coffee.

Ingredients:

• 8-12oz hot freshly brewed coffee or espresso
• 1 cup hot milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 packet splenda
• Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat milk in the microwave or on the stove until hot (but not boiling). Remove milk from heat and add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Whisk with milk frother until frothy.
3. Add freshly brewed coffee to mug and stir in one packet of splenda.
4. Pour the pumpkin spice milk into the coffee.
5. Spoon foam on top and add a pinch of cinnamon.

Creating my own speciality coffee drink allowed me to save calories and dollars. Have you revamped or recreated your favorite speciality coffee drink? We'd love to hear from you.

How to Stir Fry a Medley of Veggies

What to do when you’re stuck inside during the snownato of 2010? Why, cook of course.  Before I tell you about my latest creation in the kitchen, I must confess something. I used to quiver a little before I sliced an onion. With the surefire waterworks, I couldn’t be sure I always knew where the knife was when I was chopping, and worried that I might slice my finger.

At one time, it was the dreaded onion. But now that I've been cooking for a while, I've realized the onion keeps meals tasting great for several days.

With lots of practice and a few nicks, I learned how to keep my hand steady. One key thing I learned: It’s actually easier to chop with a sharper knife.  Though they are on the expensive side, Cutco knives are a great investment when you like to cook.

So last night, I used the ingredients below to put together an elaborate stir fry (always great for a dinner party or a week’s worth of food for one):   

1 package Shadybrook ground turkey (about 1.3 pounds), 85 percent lean/15 percent fat (That ratio allows enough juice to permeate the pan and make the meat really tasty, though you could choose a little healthier ratio of 93/7 if you prefer.)

1 Bell red pepper, cut in large chunks

1 Bell green pepper, cut in large chunks

1 green squash, cut julienne and then sliced down

2 medium sweet onions, cut one in quarters and then quarters again, which will go in with all other vegetables. Cut the other onion in smaller pieces and leave it to the side. This one will go in the frying pan with the meat.

1 broccoli crown, cut in bite-size chunks

3 celery stalks, cut julienne and then sliced down

¼ crown of cauliflower, cut in bite-size chunks

6 mushrooms, cut up

½  box of angel hair pasta

Stir fry Sesame sauce

Canola oil

Olive oil

Use two frying pans and a medium-size pot: one frying pan for the vegetables; the other frying pan for the meat and one cut-up onion; the pot is for the pasta, of course.

After all vegetables are cut up, spread canola oil over the bottom of one pan. Turn the heat up high, and drop one vegetable in. When it begins to bubble, carefully put the vegetables into the pan. When they’ve been cooking for 5 minutes, turn the heat down to medium and continue to turn them over frequently with a spatula.  Cook for about 20 minutes.

At this point, put the meat into the other pan and begin to break it apart. There’s no need to put oil in the pan as the fat from the meat will be sufficient. Turn the heat up. Frequently turn the meat over so it doesn’t stick to the pan and burn.  When the pink disappears, put in the cut-up onion.  In the meantime, periodically check if the vegetables have softened, and pay particular attention to the celery.  Taste it to see determine its hardness.  

After about 15 minutes put about 3 tablespoons of sesame stir-fry sauce in the vegetable pan and stir around.

Pour water and a drop of olive oil into a medium pot. When water reaches a boil, add pasta. Cook for six minutes.

Turn off burners when the vegetables are moist and the onion begins to look translucent.

Microwave a couple of teaspoons of sesame sauce for 45 seconds.

Serve pasta on bed of vegetables and top off with meat. Add heated sesame sauce on top.

Bon appetit!

If not making for a party, put uneaten pasta, vegetables, and meat (with onions) in separate bowls and cover with plastic wrap.

Onions will keep the meat moist for leftovers!

Living the Talk....

My job every day is to inspire and empower others to make positive diet and lifestyle changes, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that once in a while I open my own fridge after a long day at work, scratch my head and then grab a bowl of cereal. I'd also be lying if I didn't admit that when I do put on those kitchen mitts to make a more well-balanced meal that I don't have my own share of culinary disasters (i.e. exploding squash and watery penne vodka sauce) along with my culinary successes.

This is my venue to attempt to satisfy my appetite for all things food by sharing ideas, recipes, and a few culinary confessions from my own kitchen.

How a Political Journalist Learned to Cook

A 20-something single woman, I'm a writer/editor by day. By night and on weekends, I like to cook for myself, family and friends. But it wasn't always a favorite hobby. I used to be all thumbs in the kitchen.

Learning to cook became a necessity after college when I couldn't afford to eat out all the time in the big cities where I lived. Plus I wanted to eat without feeling guilty. My friends and colleagues in the political journalism world looked at me askance, until they savored the food I cooked for potlucks or at my place.

I've picked up a lot of tricks-of-the-cooking trade from my mom, magazines, and cookbooks since my days in the dorm at Penn State. I even landed an internship with "Good Morning America" on ABC News, where I managed the recipes webpage and sent out weekly recipe e-newsletters.
My last roommate once half-jokingly nicknamed me "food expert" because I seemed to authoritatively answer her questions. Now, I'm no expert, but in this space with my friend Alison (who is a bona fide dietitian), I am looking forward to sharing my good and not-so-good experiences in the kitchen.