Slow Cooker Mexican-Style Minestrone

My slow cooker is my "desert island" kitchen appliance - I could not live without it! It makes EVERYTHING taste better and I just love coming home from work to a comforting Crock Pot meal that I threw together in the morning. Here is a yummy yet simple recipe for Mexican-Style minestrone soup that is full of veggies and fiber from the beans.

Slow Cooker Mexican-Style Minestrone

1 onion, chopped
2 poblano peppers, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 16 ounce jar mild salsa
8 ounces frozen chopped spinach
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
sour cream for garnish

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for about 8 hours. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

Note: if you are as rushed in the mornings as I am, chop the veggies the night before and keep them in the refrigerator.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I will take a sweet potato over a regular potato any day. I love the sweet, rich flavor and it has about 400% of your daily vitamin A! Not to mention less carbs and calories than a white potato. Here is my recipe for baked sweet potato fries. They are a great side dish for a chicken breast or a turkey burger. The seasoning is spicy, salty, and sweet, and you should have most of the ingredients already in your pantry. If you don't have smoked paprika, try a couple of stores (I found it at Safeway) - it is so worth it and you can use it many other recipes.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

sweet potatoes (1 large potato should feed 2 people for a side dish)
olive oil - about a tablespoon per large potato
seasoning, see below

Cut off the stringy ends of the potatoes and peel them, if desired. Cut into wedges. Try to get the wedge sizes as uniform as possible so they cook evenly. Toss in a bowl with the olive oil. Add some seasoning, toss with your fingers to coat the wedges, then add more if desired and toss again. Place on baking sheet coated with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes, or until they are slightly brown on the outside and soft on the inside. I like to flip them with a spatula halfway through the baking time.

Seasoning
This is enough seasoning for at least 2 large potatoes. If you have extra, save it in a plastic baggie. You don't have to measure the ingredients exactly, I usually just eyeball it.

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper, or more if you like them spicier

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Lentil Salad

Lentils are one of my favorite super foods. They are absolutely packed with nutrition - fiber, iron, protein, B vitamins, folate, and more. They are cheap, especially dried in the bulk section of your super market, so easy to make, and so comforting. I love them in a classic, hearty lentil soup. I'm going to link to my co-worker and friend Joelle's recipe for lentil soup because she was nice enough to share it with me in her blog: http://brokenjelly.blogspot.com/2010/01/lentils-monastery-style.html.

I also love to use lentils in salad. They absorb the flavors of the dressing very well, and the fiber & protein combination keep me full for hours. I made this lentil salad for my lunches this week and it is fantastic! This recipe is just a guide - use whatever veggies you have on hand.

Lentil Salad

cooked lentils, see recipe below
1 seedless cucumber, diced
1 red, orange, or yellow pepper, diced
1/4 of a red onion, finely diced
1 carrot, diced or shredded
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
baby greens and cheese for serving, optional

In a small bowl, wisk the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard. Toss the diced cucumber, pepper, red onion, and tomato in a large bowl with the cooked and cooled lentils. Add the dressing and salt and pepper to taste and mix until well-incorporated. Serve on a bed of baby greens with your favorite cheese for a delicious and nutricious lunch.


Cooked lentils:
I've found that cooking lentils in broth with veggies and a garlic clove packs the in the most flavor, although you can cook them in water and the veggies are not required. Don't add salt until they are done cooking, or they can get tough.

1 cup dried lentils (I like green or brown lentils)
1.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water
1 whole garlic clove
1/2 onion, cut in large pieces
2 celery stalks, cut in large pieces
1 carrot, cut in large pieces

Bring the broth to a boil in a pot. Add the lentils, veggies, and garlic clove. Boil for 3 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until lentils are tender (don't overcook or they will get mushy in the salad). Remove the garlic clove and veggies before adding them to the salad.

Breakfast Smoothie

Weekday breakfasts have always been difficult for me. I'm usually rushing out the door trying to get to work on time so I need something fast and easy, but most fast and easy breakfasts (i.e. cereal and granola bars) are highly processed and loaded with sugar, corn syrup, and other nasties. I started experimenting with breakfast smoothies and I want to share my favorite smoothie recipe with you. It takes less than 2 minutes to make, keeps me full until my mid-morning snack, it's made from real fruit, and it tastes amazing! I drink it while I'm putting on my make-up - it wouldn't be morning without multi-tasking!

Breakfast Smoothie

1 banana
handful frozen raspberries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
water (the amount depends on how big the banana is and how thick you like your smoothies - I usually start with 1/4 cup and add more if needed)

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Modifications:

• Use chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla for a chocolate raspberry smoothie
• Replace the frozen raspberries with frozen pineapple, add a tablespoon of unsweetened dried coconut and you have a pina colada smoothie (save the rum for the weekend :))
• Replace the frozen raspberries with any other frozen fruit or fresh you like. My old school blender doesn't take too well to larger frozen fruits like strawberries, as you can probably tell from the picture - maybe it's time to get a new one.
• Add a tablespoon of flax seeds for extra fiber and omega 3
• Add yogurt instead of water for extra calcium and a thicker smoothie

Notes:

• Your smoothie is only as good as your protein powder. If it is full of sugar and unpronounceable ingredients, then it's not much better than sugary processed cereals. Be sure to pick a quality powder and read the ingredients. They can be expensive - I recently paid about $10 for a can of organic whey protein that has 17 servings at 2 scoops per serving. I use one scoop, which is still 7 good grams of protein, to make it last longer.
• This is also a great drink after a hard workout. I used to drink them after my long distance runs when I was training for a marathon.
  

Baked Asian Salmon

Salmon is pretty much the perfect seafood. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, it is packed with heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids and protein, and it is low in mercury. Many grocery stores have wild Atlantic salmon, which I prefer over farm-raised. Salmon can stand up to some strong flavors and I absolutely adore it with an Asian marinade. I like to bake or grill it, rather than pan-fry, in order to keep the amount of oil used to a minimum. Since it is about zero degrees outside, I will be using my oven instead of the grill today!

Here is my recipe for Baked Asian Salmon with Sauteed Snow Peas. The marinade has a tart flavor from the rice wine vinegar and the dijon mustard (I know, not a traditional Asian ingredient, but it adds a good flavor) and a slightly sweet flavor from the honey. The peas use some of the same ingredients, so they are an easy side dish. Serve with brown rice and break out the chopsticks!

Baked Asian Salmon
(serves 2 large portions or 4 small)

2 6-0unce salmon filets, skin removed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven at 350. Wisk the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and garlic in a bowl (you can set aside a tiny bit of the marinade to pour over the salmon when finished, as long as it hasn't touched the raw fish). Pour over the salmon filets in a bowl or large plastic bad and marinate for 20 minutes. Place filets in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until salmon is cooked to your preference.

Sauteed Snow Peas
Serves 2-4

1 pound snow peas
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 clover garlic, minced

Heat the toasted sesame oil in a wok on medium heat until fragrant. Add the minced ginger and garlic and sautee until fragrant. Add the snow peas, soy sauce, and vinegar and sautee until snow peas are heated through and done to desired texture. I like them with a bit of a crunch.

Soup Flavor Boosting Tips

Greetings! I will start off my blog with the topic of soup, my absolute favorite meal to make. It's filling, comforting, easy to make, versatile, and there are hundreds of fantastic healthy recipes for it. However, the healthier soup recipes can be somewhat bland. Here are some tips for boosting flavor in soups without tons of salt or fat, which are added to many canned varieties:

* Add vinegar. I know, it sounds strange. But a tablespoon of vinegar adds a slight tang and complexity to an otherwise bland broth. Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to chicken soup for a slightly sweet tang, or a tablespoon of red wine vinegar to vegetable soup to enhance the flavor of the veggies.

* Season the mirepoix. The mirepoix is the combination of veggies you sautee in the pot before adding the other ingredients. Add the seasonings and spices (i.e. salt, pepper, bay leaf) the recipe calls for to the mirepoix instead of the broth. The flavors will permeate better through all layers of the soup.

* Add a parmesan cheese rind. Don't throw away that parmesan cheese rind! Drop in a small piece of the rind to add a wonderful nutty/cheesy note to the broth of a vegetable or minestrone soup. I cut up the rind into 1 inch pieces, freeze them, and pull them out as needed. A pecorino romano rind is also delicious.

* Sautee mirepoix with bacon (or bacon substitute). Yes, bacon is high in fat, but you only need one piece to sautee with the mirepoix to add a smoky flavor to a bean soup. Pancetta, turkey bacon, and smoked ham also work. Pull it out before adding the broth.

* Add tomato paste. Pretty much any soup that has tomatoes in it will benefit from the sweet, intense tomato flavor of tomato paste. It also has tons of lycopene, which is super healthy for you. Add a few tablespoons to the mirepoix and stir until well-incorporated.

* Finish with fresh herbs. Fresh herbs dropped into the bowl before serving add a fresh flavor and color. Add basil to vegetable or minestrone soup, flat leaf parsley to chicken soup, cilantro to black bean, tortilla, or Thai soup, and chives to potato soup.

* Enjoy next day. This is probably obvious to anyone who has eaten leftover soup. It's definitely better the next day after the flavors have had time to marry in the refrigerator. If you are having guests over, make the soup the day before and reheat on the stove for low-stress entertaining and more flavorful soup!


Here is my recipe for simple vegetable soup. You can add any veggies you want to it. Sometimes I add zucchini, potatoes, beans, or broccoli, depending on what I have in my fridge and pantry.

Simple Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
8 ounces frozen chopped spinach
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
vegetable, chicken, or beef broth - the amount depends on how big your pile of veggies is and how brothy you like your soup. I usually add about 5-6 cups.
1 garlic clove, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
pinch dried rosemary (optional)
1 inch piece parmesan cheese rind (optional)
fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Sautee the onion, celery, carrot, and pepper in the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot until softened. Add garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and bay leaves to the veggies and stir until well-incorporated. Add the broth, spinach, tomatoes, parmesan cheese rind, and tbsp balsamic vinegar. Simmer on low until all veggies are softened and broth is heated through. I usually simmer for 1 hour. Before serving, remove bay leaves and cheese rind, and add fresh basil.