Escarole and Bean Soup

I LOVE SOUP!!!!

It is 70 degrees and sunny in NJ right now and I am dreaming about soup. Such is my life. I am actually eating a bowl of this while typing this, which is kind of weird too. There is never a wrong time for soup. Period.

WHAT THE ESCAROLE?

Don't let the escarole scare you if you never tried it. I had never had it before this soup and some of the dark greens and I arent friends, but this is really yummy. Doesnt really have much flavor but adds nice texture and some chew. Kind of like a cross between spinach and romaine lettuce.

Escarole and Bean Soup

An Original Me Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons of EVOO

2-15 ozs. cans of Cannelli Beans, drained and rinsed

5 garlic cloves minced (mine were smallish in size)

pinch of red pepper flakes--or more depending on your heat enjoyment

3-14.5 ozs. cans of Low sodium Chicken Broth

1-15 ozs. can of Petite Diced Tomatoes, with juices

1 small head of Escarole, chopped (I used 1/2 of a huge one, maybe 4 cups chopped)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 tbsp. of Parmesan Cheese and more for serving

DIRECTIONS:

*Add 1 tbsp. of EVOO to a large soup pot heated to medium heat.

*Saute the garlic, red pepper flakes and beans until softened about 3-4 minutes.

*Add the tomatoes and cook those down for another 5 minutes.

*Remove 1 cup of the bean/tomato mixture, add 1 tbsp of EVOO and blend until smooth.

NOTE: I put this in a large cup I have and hit it with the hand blender for 15 seconds, it is the easiest and cleanest way to do this, but you could easily use a blender or food processor.

*Return smooth mixture to the pot and add the chicken broth , stirring until nicely blended.

*Bring to a boil, and then let simmer on Medium for 10 minutes.

*Add chopped escarole to wilt and simmer on low for an additional 8-10 minutes.

*Add salt, pepper & cheese, stir and ENJOY!!!!!!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

SOUP!!!!!!

I seriously am addicted to soup. It is my favorite food I think. I had another black bean soup recipe and I swore it was on here, but alas it wasnt, which was actually a blessing since it caused me to search for another and I found this gem. This SOUP IS RIDICULOUS! It is so delicious and so perfect with some chips and makes a filling lunch. This will be heavily featured in my lunchtime rotation from now on. AND HELLO, its Weight Watchers which makes me even happier.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

borrowed from Weight Watchers

***4 Weight Watchers Points Plus***

1 1/2 cup serving

INGREDIENTS

1 spray(s) cooking spray

1 medium onion(s), finely chopped

4 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced

45 oz canned black beans, undrained, divided (three 15 oz cans)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tsp ground cumin

14 1/2 oz fat-free chicken broth, or vegetable broth

10 oz canned tomatoes with green chilis, such as Rotel Tomatoes

11 oz canned yellow corn, drained

DIRECTIONS

Coat bottom of a large stockpot with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.

Add 2 cans of beans to the sautéed onion mixture, add broth, red pepper flakes and cumin. Use your immersion blender to blend together until mostly smooth.

**If you dont have an immersion blender, you can divide the mixture in 1/2 and use a regular blender to blend, but PLEASE get yourself an immersion blender, I have said it before and I will say it again, its one of my favorite tools in the kitchen

Stir third can of beans (do not puree first), tomatoes and green chilies, and corn into stockpot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Yields about 1 1/2 cups of soup per serving.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

I recently started to have Meatless Mondays in our house. I love meat, I dont think I could and would ever go Vegetarian, I tried it once and I lasted like 4 days. But it is a good way to save on grocery bills, find a new challenge in my kitchen, and experiment with some ingredients I otherwise wouldnt notice.

This was my 1st weeks attempt.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

borrowed and slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

***6 WW Points Plus***

4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)

1 Tbs salt

1/2 C white rice (or brown if you want to take the time to cook it), quinoa also works (I used leftovers from the night before and that made it much faster)

1 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)

1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 green onions, sliced

1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted

1 1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar or mexi blend cheese, divided

3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

6 tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro. Stir to combine well and give it a taste. Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

VERDICT: LOVED LOVED LOVED, this recipe. It was SO filling, easy to make and I didnt miss the meat at all. I couldnt believe how full I got from it. It was also really delicious as leftovers the next day. I cant wait to make this one again

Black Bean Veggie Burger

I am trying to introduce more non-meat meals into our diet and in my research I came across about a dozen black bean burger recipes. I was thinking that was a great place to start because we love black beans. I compared all the recipes I found and this one stood out because it seemed the easiest. I didnt have time for soaking, and lots of weird ingredients I would never use again. And almost everything I have made from this blog has been some of my favorite new dishes. So if you are looking for something different, or you just want to have a new non-meat meal in your arsenal......

Black Bean Veggie Burgers
borrowed from Dinners for a year and Beyond

makes 6 4-inch burgers or 18 sliders

****WW Points Plus 4 points each****

2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for cooking the burgers
1 cup corn----I used frozen and didnt defrost it
2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped---I omitted because I dont eat the fungus
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 potato, peeled and grated
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed - mash 3/4 of the can and leave the remaining beans whole
salt
pepper
1/2 cup panko

whole wheat buns
mini potato rolls
any burger toppings you like - these would be good with guacamole or chipotle mayo

Directions
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and add corn, mushrooms, and scallions.

Cook for about 5 - 7 minutes until softened.

Add garlic, cumin and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute.

Add the spinach, carrot, and potato and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove for the heat and add the mashed and whole beans and the panko.

Stir to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

Shape into burger or slider sized patties and place on a large platter.
Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a skillet and cook burgers until golden brown and crispy on each side.

Serve on a bun, eat it plain, they are great just about any way you would like them.

VERDICT

I fought for the one left over!!! I absolutely loved this burger. It isnt a beef burger but since we are all trying to be healthier this is an awesome way to go. I ate the leftover with diced fresh tomatoes and avocado wrapped inside a tortilla. Now I am curious to try one in a restaurant and see if they can do better, since I am not scared of them anymore. This is going into regular rotation in our house. Loved this meal!!!!

Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

I took the night off from cooking last night because it was my birthday. So I will make up for it with 2 for tonight. I am watching playoff football and since my team isnt in it, I am only mildly interested. Perfect time to catch up on my blogging. This is what I made us for dinner tonight

Italian Bean and Pasta Soup

adapted from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried cranberry, cannellini or other small
  white beans ***I used 2 large cans of Cannelini Beans***
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped pancetta
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups water or chicken stock, or as needed
• 1 1/2 cups diced canned plum tomatoes
• 2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lb. small dried pasta, such as shells or
  ditalini
• Extra-virgin olive oil for serving
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

Directions:

Pick over the beans and discard any misshapen beans and stones. Rinse the beans, drain and place in a saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain. ***I skipped and used canned Beans***

In a Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the pancetta and sauté, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the water, beans, tomatoes and 2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are very tender, about 1 hour. ***My beans were very soft after simmering for 20 minutes***

To give the soup more body, remove 2 large spoonfuls of beans and vegetables and puree in a blender or food processor, then return the puree to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and reheat gently. *** I pulsed my hand blender a few times***

When the soup is almost ready, bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until barely al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 8 minutes or according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add it to the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes more.

To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Top each serving with a swirl of extra-virgin olive oil, some grated cheese and a generous grinding of pepper.

Serves 6.

LOVED this soup. I had never cooked with Pancetta before which I find really crazy. I always saw the big hunks of it and never knew what to do with that much. But I saw my deli sells it in slices so I could finally try it. It added a whole other layer of flavor and I really liked it. I have made this soup a few times with different recipes but this by far is my absolute new favorite. I wish we didnt eat it for dinner so there would have been more leftovers. I dont know if using canned beans as opposed to dry beans makes a difference but it cut the time down a lot so for me that's just the way it is. If anyone does it the WS way let me know how it goes.

Lentil Soup

This is the last post I have to do today and I am caught up. I don't anticipate cooking tonight but I do have some tailgate food for Sunday--GO GIANTS!!!!
So here is

Lentil Soup
from Everyday Foods
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups water
1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed well
1 tablespoon wine vinegar

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.

Add carrots, celery, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook until vegetables begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking them up with a large spoon.

Add water and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in vinegar.

VERDICT

this soup was really good. I think I over cooked it and now that I see the link to the recipe they added this note

Note: Cooking times for lentils can vary from 20 to 40 minutes depending on how fresh they are. The older the lentils, the longer they take to soften.

Hmm, might have been good to know before. The lentils were kind of mushy so I should have seen this yesterday. But still very good and easy. I always thought Lentil Soup was much harder then it was. I do have the recipe for Carabba's Sauage and Spicy Lentil and I am going to try that one next, because it was one of my absolute favorites. There was also a mention in the online recipe to add some pasta and I might do that next time too. Just a cup of some ditalini would really be good too and make this recipe a dinner by itself. I made it with chicken parm, but with the pasta it would be very filling.

Tex-Mex Calzones

We saw the sun...if only for a little while

I love the meal I made tonight. It does take a little practice to get good at it. But I have made it about 3 times since finding the recipe and each time I like it more and more.

Tex-Mex Calzones

borrowed from Cooking Light Magazine

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free fire-roasted salsa verde
1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
3/4 cup (3 ounces) preshredded Mexican blend cheese
Cooking spray
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Remove turkey mixture from heat; stir in salsa.

3. Unroll dough; divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6 x 4–inch rectangle. Working with one rectangle at a time, spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture on one side of dough. Top with 3 tablespoons cheese; fold dough over turkey mixture, and press edges together with a fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until browned. Serve with sour cream.

Black bean salad: Combine 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed and drained black beans, 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl; toss well to coat. *** I also added some sprinkles of garlic powder and omitted the cilantro because I didnt have any

VERDICT

YUMMY! I have gotten better at working with the dough and getting them to all be about the same size. I also put foil on my baking sheet instead of spraying the PAM directly on the pan, because it ruins my pans. So I spray the foil and it worked great and made for easy clean up too. I think you could use regular salsa if you didnt have salsa verde but I think that gives it a bit of a unique flavor. I use a fire-roasted brand and it gives it just a hint of spice. I also reduced the amount of cumin used because it isnt my all time favorite spice and I dont like it to overpower my food. I used 1/2 tsp and that was plenty for my taste. My Chief Taste tester said it was very good, and Jackson has eaten in the past but tonight he had a chicken nugget and toast. Apparently his stomach has still not returned to normal.