Ja cię kocham…

Soooo…. my camera doesn’t work!!  I turn it on, and the stinkin’ lens won’t open.  I guess it’s a sign that we need to get a new camera.  Perhaps a REALLY good camera.  But for now, my iPhone will have to do…

ANYWAY… In the NE portion of the United States, we have been battling the ups and downs of indecisive weather.  One moment it’s 50 degrees, the next minute we have 2 feet of snow on the ground and then it’s rainy and 35 degrees… all within a week or so!  Insane.  Needless to say all of this yo-yo-ing of the temperature has caused some coughing and sneezing making it absolutely essential to have some warm soup on the stove.

I randomly came across wonton wrappers at the grocery store that were on sale so I picked them up and decided to give them a go.  I have never made anything with wontons before but I felt as if all the stars were aligning just as they should in order for me to make this incredibly flavorful and comforting soup: The wontons were on sale, the meat was buy one, get one free, and I got a newsletter from Hungry-Girl including a wonton soup recipe… all in the same day.   It’s as if this was meant to be.  And it was.

I was surprised how easy it was to make it!  Typically you will find recipes that highly suggest filling and wrapping one wonton at a time because the pasta will dry out otherwise, but I honestly didn’t have that problem.  I had a system and it worked for me.  Maybe I’m too fast for the pasta, like a ninja or something…

Wonton Soup

Slightly Adapted from Hungry-Girl

Serves 8

Ingredients:
For Wontons:
9 oz. raw lean ground beef
2 tsp. reduced-sodium/lite soy sauce
2 tsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
16 small square wonton wrappers (often stocked near the tofu in the fridge section of the market)

For Soup:
1 Tbs. canola or grapeseed oil
1-2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 cup mushrooms, stems removed, cleaned and sliced
6 cups fat-free beef broth
1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. hot sauce (or if you are like my husband and I make it 1 Tbs or more!)
1/2 cup chopped scallions

Directions:

To make the wonton filling, combine all wonton ingredients except the wrappers in a medium bowl. Mix by hand until evenly combined. Set aside.

In a large pot on medium high heat, add canola/grapeseed oil.  Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until tender.  Add garlic.  Let cook for another minute.  Then combine the remainder of the soup ingredients except scallions into large pot. Bring to a boil on the stove. Reduce heat to low and allow soup to simmer for 10 minutes.

Lay wonton wrappers flat on a clean, dry surface. Scoop a spoonful (about 2 tsp.) of filling into the center of each wrapper. Moisten all wrapper edges by dabbing with water.

You have two options here:

1 – Fold the bottom left corner of each wrapper to meet the top right corner, forming a triangle and enclosing the filling. Press firmly on the edges to seal. Set aside, and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

OR

2 – Fold All wontons into triangles, then fold all edges.  See pictures above for this.

Stir scallions into the simmering soup. One at a time, carefully add wontons. Make sure they’re submerged, but don’t stir. Simmer for 5 minutes, adjusting temperature if soup begins to boil, until wonton centers are firm.

YUM.

On a related side note, I went to Chinatown with a friend and ate at a Noodlehouse.  For $4 I got an ENORMOUS bowl of egg and vegetable soup.  Had to take a picture of the impressive meal… maybe I’ll make this one next!

I wish I could relive this moment over and over….

Despite the fact that our wedding day has passed, Jason and I continue to create and enjoy memories that are tender, loving, and sweet.

 

One fond memory is this weekend’s feast in celebration of our upcoming anniversary – made from scratch and made from love.

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, we wanted a fun and exciting meal, but we didn’t want to gorge ourselves into utter guilt and discomfort.  Our meal was made from just about all clean ingredients (we did have some wine spritzers!).  Eating clean simply means that you are staying away from processed foods.   Slightly processed items such as spices and extra virgin olive oil are perfectly fine, but the key is staying away from packaged goods with chemicals and scary toxins.

I will be the first to admit that I am not always good at eating clean.  Cake and ice cream just tempt me beyond belief (you know, the kind with all that high fructose corn syrup and “natural flavors”, which are nothing more than chemicals), but just know that it is okay to eat that kind of stuff as a treat every once in a while.  Just don’t make it a daily ritual.

I am reminded of an episode of Oprah I watched last year; a girl in her twenties was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and was basically handed a death sentence.  She decided that it was not her time, bought a juicer and began consuming loads of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Her clean diet saved her life.  She is now in remission.  REMISSION!!!  Healthy food has power, people!  It saves lives!

Now that I have said my piece, I will step off of my soap box and focus on our anniversary meal ;o) …

Jason and I thoroughly enjoyed our clean meal.  We ate until we were full and an hour later, we felt great!  (Even ready to eat a little more!)   The next day, my little pudgy belly was flatter, and I felt incredible!   Need I say more?!

 

Here is our wonderful pre-anniversary dinner menu with recipes:

Roasted Eggplant Dip with Herb Rubbed Pita

Adapted from: Martha Stewart Living, July 2009

Serves: a hungry crowd

 

Ingredients for Dip:

3 medium eggplants
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (the recipe calls for full-fat, but I used non-fat and it turned out well)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from two lemons)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop up eggplant into small chunks.  Place on baking sheet, toss in 2 Tbs. olive oil, and bake for 20 minutes or until browned and tender.

Using a knife, press the flat side of the blade back and forth across the garlic with 1.5 tsp. salt to create a garlic paste.

Add eggplant and garlic into food processor.  Gradually add the remaining olive oil while processing.   Once done with processing, place mixture into a bowl.  Gently stir in yogurt and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

Ingredients for pitas:

1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Coarse salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4-6 pitas, sliced horizontally if thick

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.  Stir herbs together in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

Rub over pitas, and slice into triangles.

Place on baking sheets and bake for 10-14 minutes until golden brown.

 

 

Pumpkin & Pear Soup

Source: Oxygen Magazine, June 2009

Serves: 4-6

 

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup fresh ginger, minced
3 pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 small cans pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups chicken broth

 

Directions:

Put first four ingredients in a large soup pot and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Puree in batches in a blender or use a stick blender to blend until soup is smooth.

 

 

Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

Source: The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, p. 150

Serves: 12 (we made 4 servings for our meal)

 

Ingredients:

8 cups water
3 tsp. sea salt, divided
1 lb dried lentils, rinsed drained and picked over

1 cup plus 2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. ground cumin, divided
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. chili powder
2 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh parsley or cilantro

 

Directions:

Combine water and 1 tbs. salt in stock pot over high heat.  Add lentils.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to medium heat.  Simmer until lentils are soft, about 20-25 minutes.  Drain well.  Rinse under cold water and drain well.  Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix 1 cup oil, vinegar, 2 Tbs. cumin, 2 Tbs. chili powder, garlic and 1 tsp. salt.  Pour all but 2 Tbs. of this dressing over lentils.  Toss gently and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbs. oil.  Add onion and saute until well cooked, about 5 minutes.  Onion should appear dark brown and soft.  Add chicken or turkey and saute 2 minutes more.  Add 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbs. cumin, 2 tsp. chili powder and cinnamon.  Saute until chicken/turkey is cooked through.

Arrange lentils on a large serving platter.  Place sliced chicken on top of lentils.  Use any remaining dressing to pour on top.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Serve at room temperature.

 

 

Marinated Zucchini with Mint

Source: Everyday Food, July/August 2009

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients:

3 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 Tbs. olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh mint

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  On two large rimmed baking sheets toss zucchini with 2 Tbs. oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast until tender and brown underneath, about 10-15 minutes.

On a serving platter, sprinkle zucchini with garlic and 2 Tbs. oil and vinegar.  Let stand for an hour.  (If you don’t have time to let it stand, don’t worry about it.  It tastes great served immediately!)

Sprinkle with fresh mint.

There are days when I want a light meal, but I want something that can hold me over.  Normally when I eat a salad, I am hungry an hour later.  It’s frustrating.  I want to eat healthy, but I want to be satisfied.   This soup really did the trick.  It’s made from fresh vegetables and it’s incredibly hearty.  After having it for lunch, I was full for the rest of the night.  There isn’t much that can keep me from eating dinner, but I was so full I just couldn’t do it.

So if you’re looking for something light, healthy, and filling, you’ve met your match.

Fresh and Hearty Carrot Soup

Source: 101 Cookbooks

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds carrots
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cups+ vegetable stock or water
juice of 1/2 a lemon
fine grain sea salt (as much as you need)

olive oil, toasted sesame oil, or red chile oil for a finishing drizzle
cayenne pepper to garnish

Directions:

Take the tops off the carrots and give them a good scrub.

Cut them into 1-inch segments and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes or until the onions start to get translucent.

Add the stock and carrots and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender – longer if your carrot pieces ended up larger. But try not to overcook. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.

Puree with a hand blender or regular blender to the consistency that you are looking for then stir in the lemon juice.

Now salt to taste. If you used a salty veggie stock, you might just need a little salt. If you used water, you’ll need quite a bit more.

Finish with a drizzle of great extra-virgin olive oil and cayenne pepper.