Winter Time Salad
When I was a kid and fresh produce at the market was much less plentiful in winter than today, one of my mom's "go to" salads would be Waldorf Salad. The ingredients were usually on hand and it doesn't take long to prepare. And my whole family loved it. What's not to love--walnuts, fruit and mayonnaise dressing? Yum!
To cut down on the calories and increase the vegetable quotient, I'm made a few changes to up date this favorite winter time salad.
Waldorf Salad
Serves 2
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
1 medium apple or pear, unpeeled and chopped
1/4 c. raisins
2 T. toasted walnuts, chopped
4 c. romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, chopped into 1" pieces
1 T. olive oil
1 T. seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine celery, apple, raisins, walnuts and lettuce in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, cinnamon, salt and pepper. When well blended, add to the fruit and lettuce mixture and toss.
Toasting the walnuts really brings out their flavor. If you have raw walnuts, you can toast them in a microwave. I chop them first and place on a plate. Microwave the walnuts for one to two minutes on high. When you can smell that delicious toasted nutty smell, they are ready. Be careful to creep up on the cooking time. Nuts are easy to overcook and burn. Let them cool before adding them to the salad.
Nutritional Information:
Calories 205, carbohydrate 30 grams, protein 2 grams, fat 12 grams, sodium 25 mgs, potassium 291 mgs.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
I'm back--again!
My on again, mostly off again food blog. I have all kinds of great topics to write about, but I don't seem to get to it. My interest in all things food remains a primary interest of mine, so here is another shot at it!
This is soup weather! Here in Puget Sound Country, it has been cold and foggy. Daytime temps in the 40's and nighttime in the 30's. No rain and a little sun, but mostly foggy. Bone chilling cold. So healthy, hot soup sounds very good.
I've been on a Minestrone kick. There is no "right" recipe for Minestrone. It can be made to your liking and/or from leftovers. According to Wikipedia, minestrone was originally made from leftovers added to a few standard ingredients. Minestrone means "thick vegetable soup" and that is the way I like it--thick with vegetables. Below is a recipe that I've been using. One of my objectives was to try and keep the quantity at the serves four amount. I serve it the first time as dinner with bread and cheese. Then I look forward to lunches for the next couple of days. Yum!
Minestrone
Serves 4
3 slices high quality bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2" pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 c carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 quart/liter beef broth
2 to 3 c coarsely chopped vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, chard, kale, bell peppers, cabbage, etc.
1/4 c green peas
1/4 c corn
1 c cooked kidney or cannellini beans
2 T orzo pasta
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
Salt to taste
In a medium to large soup pot over medium heat, add bacon pieces and cook until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 1 T of fat. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, oregano and pepper adding olive oil if the mixture appears dry. Saute' until the onion is soft, about five minutes. Add tomatoes with the liquid and beef broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, beans and pasta. Simmer until the vegetables are soft--between 15 to 30 minutes. Add basil and salt to taste. Serve. Serve shredded parmesan cheese at the table to sprinkle on top.
If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, omit the bacon. Use vegetable broth and increase seasonings for more flavor. If you want the soup to be more hearty, double the quantity of beans.
Minestrone recipes, like many soups, do not require exact measurements. If two carrots are a little more than 1/2 c, add them all. If the soup is too think, add more broth.
A word about beans. I like to cook my own beans from dried beans. That way I can control what goes in. Most canned cooked beans have sugar and salt added. Cooking from dry is easy. It just takes a little planning ahead. Dried beans expand by about three. To get a cup of cooked beans, start with 1/3 c dry beans. Soak overnight in water to cover plus two inches. Drain and rinse. In a sauce pan, combine the beans with fresh water to cover plus another 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until soft, about 20 to 40 minutes, depending upon the bean. If overcooked, they will begin to fall apart. Drain and add to the soup, or add beans and cooking water if the soup needs more liquid. There is a quick method--cover the beans plus the two inches with boiling water. Let sit an hour, then drain, rinse and cook per above directions.
Nutritional content:
(coming soon!)
My on again, mostly off again food blog. I have all kinds of great topics to write about, but I don't seem to get to it. My interest in all things food remains a primary interest of mine, so here is another shot at it!
This is soup weather! Here in Puget Sound Country, it has been cold and foggy. Daytime temps in the 40's and nighttime in the 30's. No rain and a little sun, but mostly foggy. Bone chilling cold. So healthy, hot soup sounds very good.
I've been on a Minestrone kick. There is no "right" recipe for Minestrone. It can be made to your liking and/or from leftovers. According to Wikipedia, minestrone was originally made from leftovers added to a few standard ingredients. Minestrone means "thick vegetable soup" and that is the way I like it--thick with vegetables. Below is a recipe that I've been using. One of my objectives was to try and keep the quantity at the serves four amount. I serve it the first time as dinner with bread and cheese. Then I look forward to lunches for the next couple of days. Yum!
Minestrone
Serves 4
3 slices high quality bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2" pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 c carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 quart/liter beef broth
2 to 3 c coarsely chopped vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, chard, kale, bell peppers, cabbage, etc.
1/4 c green peas
1/4 c corn
1 c cooked kidney or cannellini beans
2 T orzo pasta
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
Salt to taste
In a medium to large soup pot over medium heat, add bacon pieces and cook until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 1 T of fat. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, oregano and pepper adding olive oil if the mixture appears dry. Saute' until the onion is soft, about five minutes. Add tomatoes with the liquid and beef broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, beans and pasta. Simmer until the vegetables are soft--between 15 to 30 minutes. Add basil and salt to taste. Serve. Serve shredded parmesan cheese at the table to sprinkle on top.
If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, omit the bacon. Use vegetable broth and increase seasonings for more flavor. If you want the soup to be more hearty, double the quantity of beans.
Minestrone recipes, like many soups, do not require exact measurements. If two carrots are a little more than 1/2 c, add them all. If the soup is too think, add more broth.
A word about beans. I like to cook my own beans from dried beans. That way I can control what goes in. Most canned cooked beans have sugar and salt added. Cooking from dry is easy. It just takes a little planning ahead. Dried beans expand by about three. To get a cup of cooked beans, start with 1/3 c dry beans. Soak overnight in water to cover plus two inches. Drain and rinse. In a sauce pan, combine the beans with fresh water to cover plus another 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until soft, about 20 to 40 minutes, depending upon the bean. If overcooked, they will begin to fall apart. Drain and add to the soup, or add beans and cooking water if the soup needs more liquid. There is a quick method--cover the beans plus the two inches with boiling water. Let sit an hour, then drain, rinse and cook per above directions.
Nutritional content:
(coming soon!)
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