Roasted Red Pepper Soup for Christmas

Merry Christmas dear friends and followers of my blog!   May you find moments of great peace, contentment, and joy during your celebrations and contemplative moments.   

I made this quick and easy soup today in preparation for my Christmas Dinner.  It is from the December 2007 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  The vibrant taste is wonderful.  

Ingredients:

Simmering soup

6 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons  finely shredded orange peel
2 cups orange juice
4 7-oz. jars roasted red sweet peppers, drained (3 cups)
2 large onions, chopped (2 cups)
2 teaspoons sugar


Preparation:
In a large pot, combine all ingredients plus a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (I didn't add this extra salt, because I know the broth is already high in salt.) Bring to boiling, then reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool slightly. Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. Or it can be pureed in a blender.  
  
Nutrition per serving: As listed in the recipe in the magazine
Servings per recipe: 12
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 50
Total Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 1 mg                                        
Sodium: 579 mg
(The sodium is less is you don't add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt)
Total Carbs: 11 g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 1 g

Sweet Potato Pancakes

This has been my morning treat in recent days.  It nourishes me with savory taste, vitamin-packed sweet potatoes and protein.  And it only takes ten minutes to make if you have roasted sweet potatoes waiting for you in the refrigerator.  I often make large quantities of roasted sweet potatoes and use them in a variety of ways.  This is one of my favorite uses for them.  Great way to start my day with Pzazz.  The fresh rosemary is the star ingredient.  I don't think the taste would be nearly so fine with dried rosemary.  

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed raw sweet potato (1/2 " cubes) to make 3/4 cup roasted sweet potatoes
1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or less if desired)
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil (or olive oil if you prefer)
Approximately 3/4 cup Egg Beaters or similar egg substitute

Optional toppings:
Ricotta cheese
Yogurt with maple syrup
Rosemary sprigs


Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the sweet potato cubes with the rosemary, oil and a dash of salt.  Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender.  The one cup of cubed raw sweet potato will yield about 3/4 cup after roasting. Roasting a large quantity of sweet potatoes to have available is a great time-saver.  Put 3/4 cup roasted sweet potatoes into a Magic Bullet pr similar appliance with the egg substitute, and puree until smooth.  I have also used a combination of egg whites and Egg Beaters, using about equal amounts of both.  Pour the batter into six pancakes on a griddle which has a small amount of coconut oil on it to fry the pancakes.   These pancakes take a bit longer to cook than typical pancakes to ensure the center is thoroughly cooked.  I made the mistake on my first trial of not having the batter thin enough so the inside was still a bit gooey.  After about three trials, I think I figured out the right proportion of sweet potato to egg mixture.  Feel free to adjust to fit your preference.  These store well in the refrigerator to reheat another morning or for a healthy side dish.

A mixture of 1/2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup and 2 -3 Tablespoons plain yogurt makes a delicious topping. One time I put a dollop of ricotta cheese on top.  Whatever Pzazz you want to add is up to you!

Nutrition: (does not include toppings) 
Servings per recipe: 2 servings of 3 pancakes each
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 180
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 2 mg
Sodium: 354 mg
Total Carbs: 18 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 18 g

Charred Zucchini Soup by Anna Thomas

Charred Zucchini Soup

I'm still not feeling well enough to do much cooking, so I smiled when I saw the label on the freezer container that said "Charred Zucchini Soup".  Ahhh, it was one of my favorites last summer, made from the abundance of zucchini in Tom's vegetable garden. I am so thankful that I froze enough for this winter.

This recipe is from Anna Thomas' cookbook, Love Soup, which I have raved about previously on this blog. (See my previous post for her Zucchini and Basil Soup and a description of her legendary culinary career.) Not only are her soups exquisite, she is a gracious, giving soul.  I contacted her about the possibility of posting her recipes on this blog.  She replied with warm, generous permission to share her recipes occasionally here, and was delighted that her pureed soup recipes could be helpful to those of us who need this type of diet.   When such an acclaimed chef responds with heart-felt authenticity and warmth, it makes me believe, at least for a bit, that all is right with the world.

With great thanks to Anna Thomas, I share her recipe with you. It is truly outstanding!  While she has several recipes for pureed soups, this recipe didn't include pureeing it, but I found it pureed with Pzazz!

Oh....the photos are from last summer when I made the soup. The picnic table where I ate it in August is now covered with 8" of snow.

Zucchini from Tom's vegetable garden

Ingredients:
3 lbs. slender green zucchini
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 medium red onions
7 cups vegetable broth   
(I used a low-sodium variety)                 
3 Tablespoons Arborio rice
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 - 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper


Optional garnishes: 
Drained Greek-style yogurt, preferably goat yogurt                                                   
Fruity olive oil
A few toasted pine nuts
Mint leaves 

Mint growing in greens mix on our deck

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
Wash and trim the zucchini and cut it into spears, then toss it with a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt. Spread the zucchini spears on a large baking sheet and roast them in the hot oven for 45 minutes to an hour, turning them once or twice during that time. You want the zucchini to be soft, shrunken and blackened in spots. The charred flavor of the zucchini makes the flavor of the soup, so don't hesitate to leave it a little longer; it should really look done. 

Zucchini roasting in the oven

When the zucchini is ready it will be reduced to 3 or 4 cups, and its flavor will be concentrated and infused with a smoky depth.

While the zucchini is in the oven, peel the onions, cut them in half crosswise, and then cut them into 1/2 in" wedges. Put the onions in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and cook slowly over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions are soft and dark brown in places, about half an hour. Anna Thomas' rule about caramelizing or browning onions is: when you think they're done, give them at least another 10 minutes, and maybe more than that. You'll see how the flavor deepens and improves.

In an ample soup pot, combine the vegetable broth and the rice and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Give the charred zucchini a few chops, just enough to have bite-sized pieces, and add it to the broth, along with the browned onion and the chopped mint. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes. Puree in small batches in a blender, or use a VitaMix which easily accommodated all of it.Return the soup to the stove top.

Add a tablespoon of lemon juice, taste, and add more, a teaspoon at a time, until the soup has a faintly tart edge. Grind in some black pepper, and correct the salt if needed. Over low heat, bring the soup back to a simmer. 

To serve, put a rounded tablespoon of drained yogurt in the center of each bowl and pour a big ladle of soup over it. Anna Thomas suggests pouring a drizzle of fruity olive oil over each serving and scatter toasted pine nuts on top. For my dietary needs, I omitted the drizzle of olive oil and pine nuts, though it sounds divine! Instead, I garnished my soup with mint sprigs.   

                                       

Nutrition per serving:                                                                                  
Servings per recipe: 7

Serving Size:  1 cup                                  
Calories: 110

Total Fat: 4 g                                                                          
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium:  603 mg
Total Carbs:  18 g
Dietary Fiber:  5 g                      
Protein:  9 g

Turkey Pzazz

Jan, 2012, Lake Superior 

My recovery from having a bile duct stent placed on Nov 16 has been remarkably slower than usual.  Not entirely convinced that all of my symptoms when I went to the ER were attributable to bile duct issues, my doctor advised me to be especially cautious with what I eat, strictly adhering to his guideline of "if the food can squeeze through a tube of toothpaste, it is safe for me to eat."  While I eat a lot of soft fish and tofu most days to fit that criteria, those are simply not acceptable for my Thanksgiving dinner.  Even though my appetite was minimal, I wanted at least a taste of turkey.  So I put some of the turkey that Tom made for Thanksgiving dinner into my Magic Bullet with a bit of chicken broth and pureed it.  Frankly, it was disgusting!  


So today, I tried a different approach.  I used the chopper attachment for my Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Hand Blender to chop the turkey into very, very,very tiny pieces.  Yep, they would squeeze through a tube of toothpaste.  Then I stirred it into some dressing I made in the microwave.  Yes, finally a true taste of Thanksgiving!   And I am wholeheartedly thankful for my variety of kitchen tools!

Sorry, but there is no photo of the turkey/dressing.  I just don't have the energy to do more than absolutely necessary right now.   Use your Pzazzed Imagination!  The photo above is one I took of the Lake Superior shoreline in January of this year.  Stunning beauty that calms my soul.  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills Savory Stuffing Mix        
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup diced cooked turkey breast (after it is minced in the chopper attachment, it will yield about 1/4 cup)

Preparation:
Mix the stuffing mix with the chicken broth and cook in the microwave until it is soft and moist.  I microwaved it on high power for about 30 seconds, then stirred it, then put it in again for another minute or so.
Finely mince the diced, cooked turkey breast in the chopper attachment for the Cuisinart SmartStick, or other similar appliance.  It will yield about 1/4 cup finely minced turkey)
Stir the turkey into the dressing and heat again for about 30 - 45 seconds.


Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: Approximately 3/4
Calories: 196
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 33 mg
Sodium: 586 mg
Total Carbs: 20 g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 17 g

Giving Thanks

“When it's over, I want to say: all my life

I was a bride married to amazement.

I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. 

When it is over, I don't want to wonder

if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,

or full of argument. 

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.” 

― Mary Oliver

Thanksgiving isn't really about food.  It's my favorite holiday, because it asks that each of us remind ourselves of the amazing goodness in our life.  When Tom drove me home from the hospital on Sunday after 4 days there, I was awed by the sunshine, the beauty of sumac on the hillside, the stark graceful branches on the bare trees, the towering pines whistling their calming invitation to embrace life. Mary Oliver's poem says it so eloquently. And as I spent 4 days in the hospital, once again, I did indeed, contemplate my time on this earth.

I'm glad Thanksgiving is more about gratefulness than it is about food, because food is still not appealing to me. But if that changes in the next day, my husband said he will gladly make these soups for me.  They are the ones I made last year for Thanksgiving. Below that are some other possible soup ideas for you.  More importantly, enjoying the presence of  Caleb and Kiara, and Dan, and Sam and my husband is all that really matters to me.

Sweet and Savory Vegetable Soup

Pumpkin-Sweet Potato Soup

Curried Pumpkin Ginger Soup

Here are some other pureed possibilities from this blog: 

Carrot Parsnip Puree

Squash Soup with Fennel

Squash Bisque

Spicy Parsnip Soup

NET Cancer Awareness Day- November 10

Worldwide NET Cancer Day is 

Saturday, November 10.

ZEBRAS Unite!

• NETS are the "zebras" of the cancer world.   When doctors are in medical school, they learn when diagnosing illnesses that they should be looking for horses, or common disease causes, rather than zebras, or rare causes. NETS are rare, occurring in approximately 35 in 100,000 cancer diagnosis annually. That is why NETS are zebras, their unique stripes being a symbol of the disease.

• Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arise in cells that can produce hormone-like substances, and arise primarily in the gastrointestinal tract, but can also be found in the pancreas, lungs, and other organs. 

• Neuroendocrine cancer, is listed with the National Organization of Rare Disorders. 

• Because NETs are rare, over 90% of all NETS are incorrectly diagnosed and treated for the wrong disease.  Many patients go untreated for years and have been told they have another disease. Patients with mid-gut NETs for example, have often been told they have Crohn's disease or IBS –irritable bowel syndrome.  From initial onset of symptoms the average time to proper diagnosis exceeds five years. 

• Because neuroendocrine cancer is rare, the public, and sometimes even the medical profession, lacks full awareness. 

• When the tumors are found early and treated, many NET patients can experience excellent longevity. On the other hand, failure to diagnose the disease, or a ‘wait and see,’ approach, has dire consequences, as in the case of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple,who had a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor similar to the one that I have. 

• Because of the disease’s rarity and complexity, it is important to obtain care at a center specializing in the care of neuroendocrine cancer. There are a handful of such centers throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Notable among these, is the NET clinic within the Ochsner Health Care System in Kenner, LA, just outside New Orleans (504-464-8500).  Having now treated in excess of several thousand NET patients over many years, the team of doctors and care providers in Kenner have a 80% 5 year survival for patients with metastasized small-bowel NETs. 

• Because of the rarity of NETS, it has had very low priority for funding in the medical research arena. With new diagnoses of neuroendocrine cancer increasing by more than 5% annually, the need for funding for medical research for these rare tumors is urgent. 

• Donations are invited to: 

• LSUHSC Foundation NET Research Fund; 200 West Esplanade Ave. Suite 200. Kenner, LA 70065 (504-464-8500)

• Carcinoid Cancer Foundation  

• Caring for Carcinoid Foundation 

The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation and the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation also provide incredibly useful information for people with NET cancer.  

• The MN Support group for NET/Carcinoid cancer is Northwoods Nets. 

Thanks to Jeff Drifmeyer, the NET Cancer Awareness Day website, and the Northwoods Nets group for ideas for writing this blog post.  

                               

Winter Squash and Cannellini Bean Soup

Winter Squash and Cannelini Bean Soup

Have you read Mark Bittman's recent book, Food Matters: A Guide to Conscience Eating?  I checked it out from the library last week and have been mesmerized by it.  Mark Bittman, who also wrote the bestselling How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and writes a culinary column in the New York Times, offers an easy-to-read rundown on how government policy, big business marketing, and global economics influence what we choose to eat.  In this book, he provides a compelling argument for increasing the amount of plant based foods and reducing the amount of processed foods and meat in your diet as a way to improve your health as well as reducing your carbon footprint. His flexible, simple and non-dictatorial style makes his advise "easy to swallow".   You can purchase his books at his site,  Mark Bittman or at most any local bookseller or on-line.

In his approach to reduce the amount of processed foods a person eats, he encourages people to increase their intake of whole grains such as quinoa, bulgar, and oats, as well as increasing intake of beans and legumes.  He provides great tips for how to cut down preparation time as well as costs. Most people think that eating healthful food is more expensive, but forget that processed foods are actually much more expensive. I tend to wax and wane in my efforts to cook large quantities of dried beans to have on hand in the refrigerator for a variety of uses. I know that it is much cheaper to cook my own beans and that buying canned beans also includes buying BPA (Bisphenol A), since that is what is used in most cans.  The taste of home cooked beans is also superior to the ones in cans, and the sodium content is much lower.  But sometimes I have not planned enough in advance to soak the beans adequately to make digesting them easier and reduce cooking time. 

Cooked cannellini beans and uncooked winter squash 

But reading his book revived my motivation. In response, on Saturday I cooked the dried cannellini beans I had in the cupboard. Cannellini beans are large white beans, about 1/2" long, with a firm texture and skin and a nut-like flavor.  Very popular in Italy, cannellini beans are mild in flavor and hold their shape well.  The many health benefits of beans are that they are low in fat, high in protein, high in fiber, minerals and B vitamins. One cup of dry beans makes about 3 cups of cooked beans.


Cannellini beans, like other kidney beans, require special preparation to make them more digestible. Soaking and boiling are the keys.  Put your cannellini beans in a bowl with enough tap water to cover, and set them aside for up to 12 hours.  Then drain the beans, and put them in a large pot with a tightly fitting lid and cover with cold water by a couple of inches.  Bring the pot to a boil and let it boil, uncovered for at least 10 minutes.  Then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the beans are nearly tender, which will take from 45 - 60 minutes. Adding salt to the cooking water can toughen some beans.  Mark Bittman's advise is to add the small amount of salt needed toward the end of the cooking process. I concur that this works well. 

Cooked Winter Squash

So as I looked at the cooked cannellini beans I decided to puree them with the cooked winter squash that was waiting to be finished in the refrigerator.  Surprise Pzazz!  I didn't realize how the white beans would add a thick creamy texture to pureed soup without adding a bit of fat!  I added garlic powder and ground sage to the puree and then put a sprinkle of cardamon on the soup when I put it in the bowl.  Of course, fresh sage and garlic would undoubtedly have enhanced it, but the route I used was conveniently easy.  Now that I know the wonderful combination of winter squash and white beans, I can think of many perfectly Pzazzed  seasonings to experiment with. Maybe I'll try cannellini beans with rosemary and winter squash, or cannellini beans with garlic and kale.  Or....create your own Pzazzed Possibilities! The chilly damp air today invites a warm, hearty soup.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked white beans (preferably cannellini beans)            
1/2 cup mashed cooked winter squash

3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground sage powder              
Dash of salt and pepper
Sprinkle of ground cardamom

Preparation:
Puree all ingredients to desired consistency in an appliance of your choice.   I put all ingredients into my 4-cup glass Pyrex container and then used my Cuisinart Smart Stick Immersion Blender to puree it and then warmed it in the microwave.

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 11/4 cup
Calories: 166
Total Fat: 0 g                                              
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 109 mg
Total Carbs: 34 g
Dietary Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 9 g