Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

I am LOVING this cooler weather and trying some new soup recipes for the winter.  I had the best Broccoli Cheese Soup at Pita Jungle awhile back and I have been on a mission to find a recipe that could compare.  I whipped this up for dinner a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised how yummy it turned out!
Nutrition tips:  My quest for nutritional enlightenment is never ending and I am constantly reading books, magazines, news articles, and websites to further my knowledge.  Since this is also a spiritual journey for me, it is fitting that probably my favorite source of inspiration is the Word of Wisdom Living blog.  My friends over at Please Hold the Onions posted about it awhile back, but it wasn't until recently that I really began to read it.  I would recommend it to everyone interested in health.  He is one smart man who has read countless nutrition books, and he goes really deep sometimes but try to stay with him.  He takes his knowledge and then applies scripture to write his posts.  I love how he breaks everything down into making one healthy change a week and then adding another one when you are ready.
Anyways, a growing amount of recent research shows the importance of eating your cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) because they are thought to be very protective of cancer.  Therefore, I have been making sure they are on our menu multiple times a week!  Luckily, this little one cannot get enough and tries to steal the broccoli from me before I can get it cooked.  That's okay though, raw food can be even better!

Broccoli Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
adapted from Panera Bread
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/8 cup melted butter + 1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups fresh broccoli
2 cups cauliflower
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
PREPARATION:
Saute onion in olive oil. Set aside. Cook melted butter/oil and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the milk (this is called making a roux). Add the broth whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the broccoli and cauliflower. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. (This gives it that smooth consistency.)  Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended.
Someday I will get better at taking my own pictures, but for now this one looks yummy.  (As does this newly discovered website… foodformyfamily.com.)

Enjoy!!

Madras Lentils - EASY, CLEAN, QUICK!

I think we can all agree that the PERFECT recipe is something EASY to make, contains CLEAN HEALTHY ingredients, and is QUICK to whip up and clean up. Well, here is EASY, CLEAN, & QUICK in a nutshell...

or in a yellow baggie :)

 MADRAS LENTILS!

Ingredients: Water, Tomatoes, Lentils, Red beans, onions, cream, butter, salt, sunflower oil, chilies, cumin.

I CAN PRONOUNCE ALL THE INGREDIENTS! And I know what they all are! That's a serious indication of a "good for you" quick meal. 

Other great things about this meal:

*Good amount of protein, high in fiber

*All natural

*Vegetarian

*Gluten Free

*No MSG

*No Preservatives

Jess and I just split the MADRAS LENTILS for lunch and put it on top of some leftover SPANISH RICE I had made earlier this week. (New recipe from Simplyrecipes.com)  So yummy with some Reduced Guilt Tortilla Chips from Trader Joes. With the rice already prepared this meal took 2 1/2 minutes to prepare.

*AWESOME*

I believe Sprouts carries this TASTY BITE brand in their store but I am not sure if they sell this specific meal. We get ours from COSTCO. They come 4 in a box and are somewhere between $8-$10 for the box. 

Roasted Red Potatoes and Carrots

This recipe is amazing for so many reasons. Use it as a side dish to grilled meat and salad or be extra clean and make it your main entree! I love this recipe because it requires NO butter, milk, or cheese to make the potatoes delicious. Have not found another potato recipe that does that yet! MAKE THIS tonight and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Also experiment with other vegetables you enjoy.

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

* 2 c. baby carrots

* 2-3 T. Olive Oil

* 1 clove garlic (minced)

* Salt & Pepper, to taste

* 1 T. dried parsley flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large ziploc bag, combine cubed potatoes, baby carrots, olive oil, and minced garlic. Shake bag to coat the vegetables thoroughly.

3. Spray a large baking sheet with a small amount of non-stick spray, and remove the vegetables from the bag. Spread out onto the sheet in a single layer.

4. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley and stir the vegetables to evenly coat. 

5. Cook for 30 minutes, then turn the oven to 400 degrees and finish cooking for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are crisp on the edges.

**Tips**

1. before turning to 400 degrees, stir the vegetables to prevent sticking and to get an even crisp on both sides.

2. turning to 400 degrees for the last 20 minutes brings out the sweetness in the carrots and creates an amazing flavor!!!

 

Spanish Rice

 

When Jess and I went vegan for 2 weeks, this recipe saved my life! Even if you aren't a vegan, having one vegan meal a week is a great change that always leaves me feeling healthier. When you take out meat and dairy... it's almost impossible to eat unhealthy! Rice doesn't always have to be a side dish, make this your main meal with some Clean Eating Guacamole  and Reduced Guilt tortilla Chips from Trader Joes on the side!

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:

* 1 T. Olive Oil

* 1 c. uncooked white rice

* 1 onion, chopped

* 1 clove garlic (minced)

* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

* 2 c. chicken broth

* 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

* 2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste

* 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper until onions are tender.

2. Add the uncooked rice and let it brown for a few minutes.

3. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes. Season with chili powder and salt. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. 

4. After 30 minutes, remove skillet from burner and let sit for 5 minutes BEFORE taking off the lid. 

5. Remove lid, fluff rice, ENJOY! 

5 Layer Mexican Dip

This recipe comes from Ellie Krieger who has a cooking show on Food Network called "Healthy Appetite"

She is a registered dietitian and she tells you all the health benefits of the ingredients she cooks with!

This recipe is so delicious and tastes so fresh

Don't be put off by the long ingredient list, 5 layers of goodness requires lots of yummy ingredients!

Total Time: 23 min     Prep: 15 min       Cook: 8 min

Yield: 12 servings, serving size 1/2 cup

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo (I never use this)
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.
In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese. Serve with baked chips.
Per Serving:
Calories 140; Total Fat 8 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 0.7 g) ; Protein 5g; Carb 16 g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 245 mg

Simple, CLEAN Italian Dinner

Whole Wheat Spaghetti & Romaine Salad

This clean meal contains no meat, cheese, garlic bread or butter.

Don't need 'em cuz it's so simple, fresh, and delicious!

 SPAGHETTI

- 1 package Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti Noodles

- 1 can Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

 SALAD

- Romaine Lettuce

- Green onions

- Trader Joe's Shredded Carrots

- Tomatoes

- Boiled eggs

- Organic Fat Free Croutons (Sprouts)

- CleanER Ranch Dressing or buy OLIVE GARDEN DRESSING!

RANCH DRESSING

- 1 c. lowfat buttermilk

- 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt

- 1/2 c. mayo

- 1 packet hidden valley buttermilk ranch mix

*Cook Spaghetti noodles according to package instructions, drain noodles and add enough marinara sauce to lightly coat the noodles. 

*Chop lettuce and top with veggies, croutons, and dressing!

*Enjoy an EASY Clean Meal!