Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup

Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup


Dried shiitake mushrooms lend this appetizer soup rich intensity. It's delightful with a grilled cheese sandwich for a light supper.


1 (1-ounce) package dried shiitake mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
Fresh thyme (optional)
Crushed red pepper (optional)


Combine mushrooms and 2 cups boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid. Chop mushrooms; set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add the reserved mushroom liquid, spinach, and next 5 ingredients (through broth); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with thyme and red pepper, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 78 (22% from fat); FAT 1.9g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 2.8g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 42mg; SODIUM 261mg; FIBER 2.9g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.5g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

Rants continued......

Farfalle with Sausage, Cannellini Beans, and Kale

Farfalle with Sausage, Cannellini Beans, and Kale

Total time: 35 minutes.

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package fresh kale
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 ounce shaved fresh Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)



Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid; keep warm.
Drain tomatoes in a small sieve over a bowl, reserving 2 teaspoons oil; slice tomatoes. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced tomatoes, reserved 2 teaspoons tomato oil, onion, and sausage to pan; cook 10 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute. Add seasoning, pepper, and broth to pan. Stir in kale; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Stir in pasta, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, and beans.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups pasta mixture and 2 teaspoons cheese)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 329(25% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 2.2g,mono 3g,poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 18.7g; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 204mg; SODIUM 669mg; FIBER 5g; IRON 4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.7g



Jeanne Kelley , Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

Rants continued......

Spelt and Wild Mushroom Pilaf

Spelt and Wild Mushroom Pilaf
Spelt is a whole wheat grain from the Mediterranean that dates back to the Roman Empire. Its earthy-nutty flavor pairs well with wild mushrooms in this simple pilaf. We used a mixture of shiitake, oyster, button, and baby bella (cremini) mushrooms.

Ingredients
1 cup spelt
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter (sub olivio)
1 (8-ounce) package exotic mushroom blend (such as shiitake, cremini, and oyster), coarsely chopped



Preparation
Place spelt in a medium bowl. Cover with hot water to 1 inch above spelt. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in spelt, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 50 minutes or until spelt is tender. Uncover and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown. Stir mushroom mixture into spelt mixture.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 171(24% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 1.5g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 6.1g; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 21mg; SODIUM 312mg; FIBER 1g; IRON 2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.9g



Cynthia Nims , Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007

Rants continued......

Pumpkin Hummus

Pumpkin Hummus

This dish offers a holiday-style twist on the traditional Middle Eastern spread. You can find pumpkinseeds--also called pepitas--in groceries and Mexican markets. Prepare up to a day ahead, and refrigerate.


Ingredients
4 (6-inch) Whole Wheat pitas, each cut into 8 wedges
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon pumpkinseed kernels, toasted (optional)


Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°.
Place pita wedges on baking sheets; coat with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 6 minutes or until toasted.

Place tahini and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add parsley; pulse until blended. Spoon hummus into a serving bowl; sprinkle with pumpkinseed kernels, if desired. Serve with pita wedges.

Yield
10 servings (serving size: about 3 tablespoons hummus and about 3 pita wedges)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 117(20% from fat); FAT 2.6g (sat 0.4g,mono 1g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 3.7g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 43mg; SODIUM 330mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 1.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20.4g



Jackie Mills , Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Rants continued......

Weight Change-due to EVOO, could it be

203.4

Been doing a little experiment, Barb gave me the idea, I have a link to her journal in the side bar. The last two days I have been adding extra virgin olive oil to my psyllium drinks (8 oz. water , 1/8 tsp cinnamon, .5 T. oo, and 1 T psyllium) . Two days ago I had 2 of those as snacks and added 1 T oo to my pasta, yesterday I had 2 drinks for snacks....1 had .5 T oo in one and the other had 1 T. The last two days I have been down each day which never happens to me. Could just be a coincident..........the saga continues tomorrow.

Rants continued......