Salsa and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

With the abundance of garden tomatoes this time of year, I thought it appropriate to share a couple of our favorite tomato based recipes: Aunt Abby's Salsa and Ina Garten's Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.

Aunt Abby's Salsa 
     (We like this salsa so much that it's just about the only salsa we eat.)

Total prep time: 10 min.

(We often half the recipe as the salsa will only keep for a couple of weeks). But for a party or if you are big salsa eaters, make the whole thing!)

2 14 oz can tomatoes, slightly drained, or 28 oz of fresh tomatoes
2 serrano chilies, diced (take out the seeds or some seeds if you prefer a more mild salsa)
1/4 bunch of cilantro
1/4 of a white or yellow onion, chopped
1/2 of a lemon, juiced (we also love lime juice - use a whole lime)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

Mix all ingredients in a blender (we found the food processor does a great job for a chunkier salsa). Pulse until well blended and cilantro is chopped. For the best flavor, refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.




Ina Garten's Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup.

John and I saw Ina Garten make this soup a couple of years ago and gave it a whirl. It nearly took us all afternoon the first time because we went shopping for a food mill, which didn't end up working anyway. We now just use a food processor and it seems to work well. We continue to make this soup every year as it is quite delicious!  If you discover any improvements though, we want to hear about them. 

Total Time:

1 hr 15 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

1 hr 0 min

Yield:

5 to 6 servings

• Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
• 2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
• 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Croutons, for garnish

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

©Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved.

Quick and Easy Salads

One of our quick go-to meals when in a time crunch is a main dish salad. In this particular picture we have lettuce (I believe both romaine and green leaf, but we use spinach all the time too), apples, grapes, craisins, feta cheese, walnuts, and chia seeds. We always do this and they are always different depending on what we have. But I ALWAYS put some sort of healthy nut (usually almonds or walnuts) and chia seeds (so so good for you and tasteless so you can add them to pretty much anything). Beans are good to get your protein so we add those frequently. We don't worry about getting enough protein because most americans get way too much anyway. There are plenty of other ways to get your protein throughout the day. Adding chicken, salmon, quinoa, and spinach are also good ways to add some protein. Pretty much the sky is the limit when it comes to what you add to it. We have been adding raw pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds lately that are also super good for you. You'd be surprised at the variety you can have, so be creative! I've discovered lately that cucumbers taste really good with fruits, and tomatoes, carrots, red onions, peppers, etc. can taste good in both a savory and a sweet salad. 

Now, the secret is really in the dressing. Nothing beats a delicious homemade dressing, but let's face it, who always has time for that. We have found heaven in a bottle AKA Sundrenchers. There are quite a few kinds which are all delicious but our favorite is by far the Honey Mustard. It doesn't have all the nasty, bad for you stuff in regular salad dressings and it tastes WAY better. I would be selfish to not share, so here you go. We get it at Good Earth, but I'm sure most any health foods store will have it (I have seen it at Real Foods too). 

This dressing is especially good for helping picky children and hubby's eat more greens. Don't be afraid to be unconventional. Any kind of salad tastes good with a delicious dressing.

Grilled Yummy Extra Delicious Sandwiches

So ladies, John's mom just made these for us on Saturday and they are super delicious! You can make them with chicken or, I believe the recipe is for a vegetarian sandwich. The onions and the white balsamic vinegar make these have a wonderful zing.

Southwest Quinoa

This is a delicious Green Smoothie Girl recipe that I have adapted slightly and we love it. You can basically make it your own and add whatever you would like to the quinoa that you have on hand. It is super fast to throw together as well. Plus we could eat mexican food every day all day over here so it's a good way to get a super healthy food like quinoa into our diet while still incorporating our love for mexican food! This makes a LOT so for the two of us we usually half the recipe. This is definitely my husband's favorite quinoa recipe that I make, so if you are trying to introduce your family to quinoa, start with this one!

This is the full recipe and makes a large bowl. Also, cherry tomatoes aren't amazing in it but it was all we had when I took this pic. I recommend Roma or vine ripened tomatoes for sure.

2 cups quinoa

4 cups water

2 cans black beans (or 3-4 cups cooked black beans)

4 medium tomatoes

8 green onions, chopped

1 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing:

1 heaping Tbsp. lime zest

¼ cup fresh lime juice

4-6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. pepper

Rinse quinoa thoroughly and strain water out through a fine strainer. Cook the quinoa in water (we just use our rice cooker, it's so easy!) and add everything else when finished. Pour dressing over top and gently mix. Top with fresh salsa and guacamole if desired (in my opinion the salsa and guac are a must:) You can serve this hot or cold but don't reheat once it is all mixed together. Buen provecho!

Chicken Chimichangas

I have a very trim, slim husband who can pack in the food and he was getting tired of sandwiches for lunch and I was getting tired of having left overs always ready, so voila! We discovered these scrumptious chicken chimichangas that can be frozen and then thawed for a quick lunch. They are much healthier and tastier than frozen food aisle burritos (though we are certainly guilty of buying those for a quick snack).

This recipe is adapted from one my mother makes.  I will show you the additions.

CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS
2 1/2 cups cooked, diced, chicken (To make it vegetarian, use pinto beans for added substance).
1 cup salsa (we prefer homemade. I will share the recipe later)
1/3 cup sliced green onion
1 can black beans, drained (I frequently add another can).
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
I add:
1/2 jar/ 8 oz. of Green Enchilada sauce
2 TBSP honey
2-3 cups cooked brown rice

whole wheat flour tortillas
grated cheese
melted butter

Mix chicken, salsa, onions, cumin, oregano, salt, honey, enchilada sauce and black beans in a large bowl. (I don't think these pictures will get any awards, but you get the idea. :))

 Take your flour tortillas and place a good dollop of chicken mixture, then add a good dollop of brown rice and sprinkle with cheese.  Fold the two bottoms and then the two sides, so the tortilla looks like a square pillow. Turn over so the folds are on the bottom. Brush with melted butter.

To freeze:
Wrap individually in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 30 days.

To Bake:
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Bake for 13 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and crispy. Serve with fresh tomatoes, salsa, avocado and lettuce.

I also convert them to enchiladas and simply top with the rest of the green enchilada sauce mixed with a bit of half and half.

P.S. HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK BEANS, courtesy of Whole Foods:

Black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other legumes. In addition to lowering cholesterol, black beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, black beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. You may already be familiar with beans' fiber and protein, but this is far from all black beans have to offer.

To read more, visit this article on black beans: whfoods.com.

Blueberry Oatmeal

My husband and I recently discovered the joys of flavored oatmeal--and I don't mean the pre-flavored packages you buy at the grocery store. This is the do-it-yourself version, which is MUCH better! Who knew there was so much more to oatmeal than simply adding milk and brown sugar? While we enjoyed apple-cinnamon and banana pecan, we discovered our absolute favorite this morning: blueberry! I found this delicious recipe in a New York Times article on healthy eating. Enjoy!

Blueberry Oatmeal

1 1/3 cups water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons honey

2/3 cup rolled oats or oatmeal

1/3 cup blueberries

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 cup milk (can substitute soy milk, almond beverage or rice beverage)

Bring water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add salt, cinnamon, honey and oatmeal. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for five minutes, or until most of the water has been absorbed. Add blueberries, orange zest and milk. Bring to a simmer and simmer for five more minutes or until oatmeal is thick and creamy and blueberries have begun to pop open. Cover and let stand for five minutes before serving.

Side note: We just used frozen blueberries, but fresh would probably be even better. We also added a little freshly squeezed orange juice for extra flavor.

Barley?

I have been wanting to incorporate barley into our diets and finally found some at the store. Now, I need to find a tasty recipe.

Any suggestions?!