'Cause Baby its Cold Outside

If you live in the northeast, then you definitely felt the temperature drop if you were outside today.  We finally put the heat on in the house tonight.  There's something about fall that makes me want to eat soup all the time.  I'm not talking about the canned soup loaded with preservatives, but real homemade soup.  Soups are so easy to make, are really inexpensive, and a big pot will last all week.  Tonight, I made Leek and Potato Soup.  The recipe comes from, Vegetarian: Tasty Recipes for Every Day edited by Helen Aitken.  For toppings, I made some spelt, multigrain croutons (so easy!), and Brad made some whole wheat spaghetti with extra virgin olive oil, thyme, sauteed onions and garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and broccoli.  We are full and happy. :)  Happy Halloween!

Leek and Potato Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

4 leeks, white part only
2 tablespoons butter
3 white potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dollop of sour cream for garnish

1. Wash the leeks thoroughly before use - slice them down their length but without cutting off the root, so they still hold together.  Then rinse under running water to get rid of any grit hidden in the layers.  Now chop well.  Heat the butter in a large heavy-based pan.  Add the leeks and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.  Add the potato and stock.  Bring slowly to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

2. Cool the mixture slightly then use an immersion blender and puree.  If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer to a blender or food processor and puree in batches.  Return to the pan, stir in the milk and nutmeg, and season well with salt and cracked black pepper.  Reheat gently and serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream and homemade croutons for extra deliciousness!

Homemade Croutons
I like using quality bread with wholesome ingredients without added sugar, honey, or high fructose corn syrup.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice bread into crouton sized pieces.  Place in a bowl.  Coat with extra virgin olive oil.  Add salt, pepper, and red hot pepper flakes (sparingly on the flakes!), and toss with your hands.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Comes out perfect every time!

Sundays: Prepping Meals for the Week Ahead

Sunday is my meal prep day for the week.  It saves time, money, and anxiety during the busy work week.  I started doing this two years ago and haven't missed a week yet.  I'm not the type of person that needs creativity with breakfast, lunch, and snacks during the week.  Routine is fine with me.  Dinner and weekends are where I like to be creative in the kitchen.  I just need foods that are simple, clean, portable, and nutritious.


The plan is this: since I work Monday through Friday, I create a shopping list of what I need to get me through the week for breakfast, lunch, and two snacks (one snack with lunch and one right before I leave work so I have enough fuel to get me through my workout and so I'm not starving when I walk through my front door).  I try to incorporate as many fruits and veggies when possible and pair proteins and carbs together. 


After a trip to the grocery store, I take over the kitchen and spread out with my props (cutting board, sharp knife, strainer, ziplocs, and small plastic containers), put on some happy reggae music and start prepping away. 


This weeks menu:
Breakfast - Wasa crackers with peanut butter, banana, portable OJ
Lunch - Spinach salad with strawberries, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, and dried cranberries
Snack - Hard boiled egg and cherry tomatoes
Snack - Handful of almonds and a cut up orange


If you don't already do meal prep, and want some suggestions as to how to start or even want some different meal and snack options, shoot me an email or leave a post.  Alright, time to meet a friend at Sunday morning spin class, and then off to the market. :)

Comfort on a Plate

This week called for a little bit of comfort on our plates, and a recipe from Martha Stewart's magazine, Home Living, had these gorgeous pictures of stuffed shells which I couldn't wait to try.  I also found a balsamic dressing recipe in Cooking Light magazine.  All I did was take the meat out (and pop some lactaid pills!).  Stuffed shells, romaine with balsamic, and homemade garlic bread (made by Brad) and the meal was a hit.  Eating it was like being wrapped in a warm hug and the smell was so good that it lingered into the hallway outside our door!  We wound up having enough for leftovers and as the flavors settled in, the meal got even better.  We'll definitely be using these recipes again for a dinner party! Enjoy!! :)

Stuffed Shells
1 box (12 ounces) jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, chopped
1 head radicchio, cored and shredded
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
12 ounces fresh ricotta cheese
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, chilled and cut into small cubes
Course salt and freshly ground pepper
5 cups favorite tomato sauce
Unsalted butter, for dotting
Garnish: finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta shells for 10 minutes.  Drain, and rinse.  Transfer to a bowl.  Drizzle with oil.  Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat.  Cook garlic, and onion, stirring, about 6-8 minutes.  Add radicchio; cook until tender but not mushy, about 4 minutes.  Stir in vinegar; cook until evaporated.  Let cool slightly.  Stir in ricotta and mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour 2 cups tomato sauce into the bottom of each of two 8 by 12 inch baking dishes.  Stuff shells with 1 heaping tablespoon filling each.  Cover with foil. Freeze if desired.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Dot shells with butter.  Bake, covered, for 40 minutes.  Uncover, and raise oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.  Heat remaining cup tomato sauce; serve with shells.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Romaine Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 cups romaine lettuce
Parmesan cheese to garnish

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.  Add lettuce and toss to coat.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Brad's Garlic Bread Recipe
French bread
3/4 stick salted butter
4 pinches of thyme
4 cloves of garlic

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt all of the butter.  Mince garlic fine and add to the melted butter.  Add the thyme to the butter and garlic.  Brush about 3/4 of the mix onto the bread. Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from the oven for 2 minutes and turn on the broiler.  Brush the rest of the butter mix on the bread.  Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the bread is nice and golden brown in color. 

"Did you drink your lemon water this morning?"

My father and I get on a lemon water kick.  It's our 'thing'.  Before we leave for work in the morning and before we put any food in our bodies, we drink 6 ounces of warm water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.  When we do our daily check in on the phone, the first thing we say to each other before even saying hello is, "Did you drink your lemon water this morning?"  My husband refers to it as my 'dirty water' because little pieces of lemon and seeds make this cloudy looking drink; however, dirty is the opposite of what this little concoction is.  Simple really...lemon water is one of the best natural detoxes.  It was first recommended to me by an ayurvedic doctor.  Then when my parents' holistic nutritionist recommended it to help my mother to lubricate her joints, we knew this drink was something special.  I find it helps keep my skin clearer and calms my stomach.  Here is an article on the top 10 benefits of drinking lemon water.  If you aren't already drinking it, start today!

http://www.lifemojo.com/lifestyle/top-10-health-benefits-of-lemon-water-1422542

Hello World!

If there's one fact that my friends and family know about me, it's that I LOVE to cook.  Even more so, I love to cook healthy, wholesome meals.  I love baking too.  I'm also highly lactose intolerant, fructose intolerant, and a pescatarian which forces me to get creative in the kitchen.  Everyday I leave work, and the first thing I do is stop off at the market.  It's to the point where the man behind the fish counter at Whole Foods knows me.  During the day, I think of what I want to create for dinner and how to get the most nutrition out of my meals.  I exercise on average 5 to 6 days per week and enjoy living a healthy lifestyle.  Yes, it's true, if I could plan my perfect day, it would definitely include waking up before the sunrise feeling refreshed and getting in a great workout followed by a short trip to the steam room, shower, and nutritious breakfast. 

My other passion is growing my own herbs, fruits, and veggies in the summer.  There's nothing better than making a meal consisting of the food that I grew on my own....well, except for sharing a meal consisting of the food that I grew on my own. :)  Cooking for others makes me really happy.  It's one of the most loving, caring, nurturing things that I feel I can do for someone else.  How great is it to sit down to a meal made with so much thought and love from someone else?!?

So this blog...My idea is to have one place where I can keep track of my recipes so I can refer back to them and also share them with my friends and family.  I like hearing what others are cooking too, so this can be a place where friends and family can post recipes as well.  It'll also be a place for me to keep recipes or food ideas that I would like to try making in the future.  I'll probably throw in health and nutrition tips that I learn about too.  Feel free to join me on this fun adventure!

-Little Earth Mama (Shannah) :)