Blue Oyster and Shiitake Mushrooms with Asparagus over Spinach Pasta.

Here’s a quick pasta dish that I put together with my finds from the farmers market this Saturday.

Makes 4 servings

1 lb Spinach fettuccini, or the pasta of your choice

2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves Garlic, minced

2 cups Mushrooms, about ½ lb (I used Blue oyster and Shiitake), sliced

1 lb Asparagus, chopped in 2” pieces

1 teaspoon Fresh thyme

1 tablespoon Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Salt and Ground pepper to taste

Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for garnish

Prepare pasta according to package directions, reserve ½ cup of cooking water

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

Add mushroom and asparagus and cook until asparagus is just tender and mushrooms are softened, about 4 minutes. 

Add thyme, parsley, pasta, and pasta water to the skillet.  Toss and simmer to incorporate, about 3 minutes.

Divide the pasta between serving bowls, garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve immediately.

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And Twitter@LaraMcNeil

Kale and white bean soup

Kale and white bean soup

Serves 8

The hearty and earthiness of kale makes this soup an easy choice for a lunch, starter, or even a main meal on a chilly weeknight. The beautiful head of kale used for this dish was a full 3-foot across and came straight from the field just cut by the farmer.

Some notes on preparation: the addition of rosemary and red pepper flakes into the olive oil in the first step enables these flavors to infuse throughout the dish and enhances the rich flavor. Mashing a portion of the cooked beans will act to thicken the broth.

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, diced

2 quarts low sodium stock, vegetable or chicken broth (see page xx)

10 cups kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped

2 cups diced tomatoes (see page xx)

4 cups white beans cooked or 2-15.5oz cans low sodium beans, drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

1 cup romano cheese, grated

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

In a large stockpot heat oil, rosemary, and pepper flakes over medium heat.

Add onions, garlic, and carrot. Saute until onions are just translucent - 3 or 4 minutes.

To the vegetables add stock, kale, tomatoes, and 3 cups of beans, reserving 1 cup of the beans.

Place the reserved beans in a bowl and mash with a fork, add to the soup.

Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaves, and incorporate grated cheese into the soup.

Serve hot with crusty bread.

Egg Flower Soup with Napa Cabbage and Mushrooms

Need a quick soup for a cold night? Try my version of Egg Drop Soup using local eggs and napa cabbage form my winter CSA share.  Mushrooms, ginger, and egg yolks are all great immunity foods, so this recipe is perfect for this time of year.

Makes 4 servings

 

2 large eggs

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

¼ teaspoon white pepper

2 cups napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about ½ small head)

½ cup cold water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

8 fresh mushrooms, sliced thinly

2 scallions, finely chopped

Scramble eggs in a small bowl, set aside.

Make slurry by combining cornstarch and water in another small bowl, also set aside.

Bring stock to a boil, and then simmer with soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, and pepper.  Add napa cabbage and cook 2-3 minutes until stock is lightly bubbling.

Add eggs to hot stock in a stream, creating ribbons by circling the pot with the egg stream without stirring the stock.   Once the eggs have set you can stir gently.

Add cornstarch water slurry to the soup and bring back to a simmer, heat until stock thickens.

Divide the sliced mushrooms and scallions between serving bowls, add hot soup to the bowls and serve immediately.

Find me on Facebook: Lara McNeil on Nutrition and Food

And Twitter@LaraMcNeil

TVP – textured vegetable protein

Several months ago we “detoxed” in my office.  For 1 week we drank fresh juices, avoided foods that are known to cause food sensitivities, and were generally vegan for the week.  This was a great weight loss kick-off plan for my Dad who has since lost 48 pounds!

During this diet I picked up a bag of Bob’s Red Mill TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) to use as a meat substitute once I reincorporated soy products.  I never touched it.  I guess it didn’t really look that appealing. 

I was wrong.

What a great product.  Even for those of us who eat meat, TVP is a good way to supplement protein without ANY fat.  I made the taco salad that is shown below with my first TVP experience, but I can easily see this product being incorporated with lean ground meat for Sloppy Joes, Chili, Meat sauce, Lettuce wraps, etc.  I think that your kids won’t even know it’s mixed in.  AND TVP is affordable.

Bob’s website sells a 10oz bag for $2.79.  TVP doubles in size when you rehydrate it, so I approximate that one bag is equivalent to almost 3 pounds of ground meat (that's less than $1 for a pound of meat equivalent).  Plus: each serving has 12g of protein and 4g of Dietary fiber….. and, again, NO fat.

Generally I would use 1 cup of TVP to equal 1 pound of ground beef, chicken, or turkey that is called for in a recipe.

Give it a try!  I’m glad I did.

TVP Taco Salad

TVP and Bean Taco Mix

Makes 4 servings

1 cup dry TVP

Spray olive oil

1 medium Yellow onion, chopped

1 Red bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon Smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Chili powder

1 teaspoon Cumin

½ teaspoon Oregano

¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 can (15.5 oz) Low sodium small white or black beans, drained

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon Tomato paste

2 tablespoons Fresh cilantro, chopped

4 scallions, green and white parts, chopped

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Lime wedges for garnish

Rehydrate TVP using 7/8 cup boiling water –OR- according to package directions and set aside.

Spray a large non-stick skillet with olive oil.  Over medium heat sauté onion, pepper, and garlic until transparent.

Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper.  Mix with the vegetables to toast the spices slightly.  Add the TVP, beans, water, and tomato paste.  Simmer 3-4 minutes, turn off heat and add cilantro, scallions, then add salt and pepper.

Serve over a salad or whole-wheat tortillas with reduced fat cheese with some avocado for healthy fat.

Nutritional value for TVP Taco Mix per serving (cheese, tortillas, etc. not included):

Calories: 190, Total Fat: 0.2 g, Sat. Fat: 0, Carbs: 31.8 g, Fiber: 10.5 g, Sugars: 6.2 g, Protein: 17 g, Sodium: 129 mg*, Cholesterol: 0 mg *sodium count is before adding table salt.

Note: smoked paprika is a great addition to your pantry if you are experimenting with meatless cooking, it adds a natural smoky meat-like flavor.

Find me on Facebook: Lara McNeil on Nutrition and Food

And Twitter@LaraMcNeil

Detox and Chew

I have made it through 3 days of Juice!  OK, confession, I have had a few celery and carrot sticks along the way.  Today I didn’t drink nearly as much juice as the 1^st and 2^nd days.  I really am not very hungry.  I have had lots of water and herbal tea.

I made this juice this morning:

Fruit Salad Juice

Fruit Salad Juice

¼ pineapple

1 orange, peeled

1 kiwi, peeled

1 apple

1 pear

10 mint leaves

1oz Aloe Vera juice

So what’s next?  I have to chew – and I am going to add some Carbs, Protein and Healthy Fat.  Tonight I am making a few salads to have for the week. I am basically going to eat veggie this week: veggies, salads, vegetable soups, whole grains, seeds, beans, eggs, and tofu with a smaller amount of fruit.  Maybe I will have some tuna?

I will have no refined flours, sugars, processed foods, red meat, or dairy.  I am also going to stay away from the caffeine and alcohol for a while: continuing to eat clean. 

These are the salads I am making tonight:

Kamut Salad

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Lemon-Dill White Bean Salad (I am using small red beans ~ cuz thats what I have).

It is my plan to top a large green salad with ½ cup of one of these grain-bean salads for lunch and dinner.

Breakfast will be a Fruit Juice and a Hard-boiled egg

I will also incorporate small quantities of nuts as snacks (10-15 nuts), along with more fresh vegetables and an afternoon Vegetable Juice. 

Stay tuned for menu plans and recipes. 

Find me on Facebook: Lara McNeil on Nutrition and Food

And Twitter@LaraMcNeil