Sausage Kale Soup

I just got this recipe from my friend Amy. I don't know where she got it from, but I think it's at least a version of the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden. I've never had it there, but when Amy makes it, it's really yummy. Don't be afraid of the kale. It won't hurt you. I'll be making this soon so that I can eat some and freeze some. I'm taking some liberties with the directions to turn it into a one pot meal. The fewer dirty dishes around here, the better. Thanks, Amy!

Sausage Kale Soup

2 bunches of washed kale, stemmed and chopped

2 lbs italian sausage (casings removed if you buy it in the casings), as mild or spicey as you like

4 medium red potatoes, chopped

8 ounces chicken broth

1 quart half & half

1/2 chopped onion

3 crushed garlic cloves

In your soup pot, cook sausage, stirring to break it up, until browned. Drain and set aside. Don't wipe out the pot. Use the remaining oil from the sausage to saute the onions and garlic. When they are cooked, add the chicken broth, half and half, and potatoes. Cook til potatoes are fork tender. Add back in the drained sausage. Add the kale, and cook until it's done. (You could also add the kale to the sausage to get it wilted before adding to the soup.) Serve warm. If you want to freeze it, let it cool, double bag it in a freezer bag, and pop in the freezer.

Sad, Sad

It seems I abandonded the idea of a food blog here, but I really didn't. I've just been a slacker, so for all of you who have asked me about it, I'll update soon. I've had a few recipes sent to me that I need to post, so look often, and you may see something you like. Also, send me your recipes. That was the whole point here. Remember? My taking the credit for your yummy food. . . .

April's Salad

I forgot all about this salad until recently. One day I had it and remembered how much I liked it. My sister April makes it all the time, so I'm calling it hers, though I have no idea where it came from. Super easy and yummy. Everything is eyeballed, so I'm just giving you a list of ingredients and some general instrustions.

Bowtie Pasta, cooked
Romaine Lettuce (or a Caesar Salad kit if you want to cheat), washed and torn to bite size
Chicken, grilled or fried and cut into bite-sized pieces
Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing - I like Newman's Own
Grated Parmesan
Croutons - optional

Toss everything together and enjoy. This is best fresh as the lettuce will wilt under the dressing after a while, and the noodles and croutons will get kind of soggy as they soak it up. I like the salad cold and the chicken warm, but eat it however you want. I promise you'll like it.

I Wouldn't Have to Do This IF

I know you're reading this. You're telling me that you're reading it, but you're not sending me any recipes, so I have to find them for myself. I did this so that I could steal YOUR recipes, remember? So, since I've got nothing new to tell you about, I'm going to share a recipe you'd really like if you tried. I know some of you already know about these, but it's worth sharing anyway. There are some "official" recipes out there somewhere, but I'm just telling you how I do it. Play around with it to get it how you like it. If you tell me you tried it and it tasted like spinach I will eat my hat. And I don't even own a hat. That's how sure I am. Give it a go sometime soon. Your body will thank you.

Spinach Smoothies - No, this is serious. They are not gross.

1-2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1-2 bananas, fresh or frozen
Frozen Fruit, to taste. I use strawberries, peaches, mixed berries, melon, grapes, etc...You can buy a mixed bag and use whatever is in it or buy individual bags of whatever you like. Or freeze your own. Add as much as you like, and if you don't want your smoothie to be green (like if you were going to sneak the spinach in on your husband and kids, because they will not taste it if you don't tell them), definitely buy a bag of frozen mixed berries. They are so intensely colored that they turn the entire concoction purple. They'll never know! Also, use fresh fruit if you really want to, but I like to use at least one part frozen so that it's really cold. I guess you could always add ice, but I never do.
Optionally - Yogurt, Tofu, or Wheat Germ - I like to use silken tofu because it blends in easily without changing the taste, and we don't eat lots of protein here, so I like to sneak it in where I can. That said, I've recently stated to just sprinkle in some wheat germ because it's got the protein without the price tag of tofu. I'll use yogurt if I have some plain in the fridge, but it doesn't do much for me to be honest. And the flavored kind had too much sugar for my taste.
Optionally - a slice of fresh lemon or lime - this really perks up the flavors, but you may find some unblended chunks from time to time, so leave it out if that would bother you. My kids hate that!

Ok, so that's what you use. I always put the spinach on the bottom with enough water to get things going. You can use apple juice or whatever you have if you need a little sweetener. I sometimes squeeze an orange into the blender with the water. Like I said, just play around and do what sounds good to you. Pile the rest of the fruit on top and start blending. I was amazed how well the spinach blended right up. You are not going to feel it or have fibrous pieces in your mouth at all. You will see some green specks if you're looking for them, and the smoothie will be green if you use light-colored fruit. If you're having a hard time getting this all blended up, add more water/juice. You may have to stop the blender and give things a little stir also.

I promise this will be worth your while. My kids and husband even agree that these taste good, but I have to tell you the biggest cynic was me. When I first heard about these, I thought it was the grossest thing I could imagine. Then I just kept hearing about it, and I thought I'd try it just to see how bad they were. Now we have them at least once a week (I have them more often when I'm home alone since it's so easy). It's a good way to pack in several of those 5 servings a day.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
Oh, and send me some recipes already!

Only Slightly Deceptive This Time

I'm trying another Deceptively Delicious recipe tonight. This one is not so far out there, just adding carrot puree to turkey meatloaf. No biggie, but it has no egg, so I wonder how it'll turn out. I'll let you know. Here's the recipe:

Meatloaf - serves 8

1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (I don't keep these, so I just make toast, crumble it, and add some Italian seasoning)
1/2 skim milk
2 T olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 grated parmesan
1/2 cup carrot puree
1/4 ketchup
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 cup bottled tomato sauce
4 slices turkey bacon (I find turkey bacon to be an abomination, but we're giving it a shot here!)

Preheat oven to 350, and coat a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray (I also never keep this, so I just crisco the pan like I would if I were baking a cake.)

In a large bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk.

Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add onions, stirring occasionally for 7-10 minutes. Add celery and cook another 3-4 minutes. Add this mixture to the breadcrumb/milk bowl. Also add turkey, parmesan, carrot puree, ketchup, salt, and pepper. Mix and dump into pan. Spread tomato sauce over, and top with the fake bacon. Bake 45-50 minutes, til center is no longer pink and bacon begins to brown.

It's in the oven, and I'll let you know what I think in the comments. Let me know what you think if you also make it. Happy eating.

Sweet Deception

I'm trying this recipe from Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. It's for brownies, and it has a few unusual ingredients, as you know if you've ever heard of this book. I've been meaning to try out some of her recipes, but I kept forgetting until this week when my friend Amy had some brownies at her house she'd made from this recipe. Hers were pretty good, so I'm hopeful. That said, I pureed my veggies without steaming them first, and I had to make a couple other adjustments to the recipe because I was running low on some things. So, we'll see. I'm giving it to you as it's published. Let me know if you try these or have tried any of the other recipes from the book. I love the idea of sneaking healthy ingredients into food you'd have been making already.

Makes 12 Brownies - Make sure you don't serve these warm if you don't want to taste spinach.

Preheat oven to 350 and coat an 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray

3 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup carrot puree*
1/2 cup spinach puree*
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
2t pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup oat flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low flame.

Combine melted chocolate, veggie purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla; whisk until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35-45 minutes.
Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 brownies.

*To make the purees, steam your veggies, cool, and puree using your food processor or blender. Add water if you need to to get them nice and smooth. If you need more direction, google the cook book and author, and you'll find some more info.

More Brownies - You Be the Judge

Well, I haven't made the other brownies I posted yet, so I can't tell you what I think, but my sister swears by this brownie recipe. I've also not made or had these, so anyone let me know if you decide to give them a try.

1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sugar
2/3 c butter
4 Tbsp water
4 c. chocolate chip
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1c chopped nuts, optional

Grease pan. Mix flour, soda, salt and set aside. Melt butter, sugar and water in medium sauce pan. When sugar has melted, remove from heat immediately. Do not boil. Stir in 2 c chocolate chips. The chocolate chips should melt. Beat in eggs with a spoon one at a time. Add vanilla, dry ingredients, and rest of chips. Pour in pan, spread evenly, bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. No not overbake. Should be firm in the middle.