Veg up your Ramen

Hehe, instead of ‘Beef up,’ I said ‘Veg up’ … haha, get it? 

Yeah, I know, I’ll keep my day job. 

So, for Amy’s weekly challenge – making a dish healthier – I decided to turn to those handy little packets that everyone remembers fondly from their college days. Ramen. (You know you crave it every once in a while.)

The thing I love about this dish is that you can change it up however you want. I didn’t add any protein (I had a tuna/avocado sandwich on the side), but you can add chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu, temph, whatever you want. Plus, you can switch up the veggies too. Use what you have on hand or what’s freshest at the farmers market. 

I love that this dish has so many veggies in it. And, even with the noodles, I still think it’s a very healthy dish. Be sure to buy broth that has no added salt. Remember, you can always ADD salt! Scott and I compared the sodium contents on the broth at the store and found one that had only 150 mg per serving (by Kitchen Basics $2.99/32 oz carton) versus 450+mg  per serving! And if you use the seasoning packet, it’s 880 mg per serving, not to mention the MSG in it. And come on, how many of you actually only eat 1/2 the package??? Yeah, that’s what I thought!

BONUS: It only took about 15 minutes to make. And that’s including the time it took to chop veggies. 

 

healthier ramen noodles

Ingredients:

2 packages ramen noodles (discard the nasty, sodium-laden seasoning packet)
1 box no salt added chicken stock (or veggie, or beef, or seafood)
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup snow peas
6 button mushrooms, sliced
2 scallions (green onions), chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
2-3 small carrots, chopped (I used the last from our CSA box)

Cook noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain.

In another pot, heat chicken stock and add veggies. Cook to desired tenderness – I only cooked for about 10 minutes and the veggies were still nice and crunchy. Taste broth and add salt if needed (I added 2 pinches to mine.)

Put some noodles in a bowl and spoon over broth &  vegetables. Serve! (Makes 4-6 servings depending on how many vegetables you add.)

Strawberry sorbet

Yeah, I know this has a bunch of sugar in it, but oh lord is it good. 

We’ve all got to splurge once in a while right? This is the ultimate strawberry lover’s recipe. 

 

strawberry sorbet

Strawberry sorbet
From  The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz via Erin at Dinner & Dessert

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon kirch (optional) – I used a berry-flavored vodka

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Slice the strawberries and toss them in a medium bowl with the sugar and kirch, if using, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve.  Cover and let stand for 1 hour, stirring every so often.

Puree the strawberries and their liquid with the lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds if you wish.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Healthy strawberry banana muffins

Get ready for a onslaught of strawberry recipes … With our super bounty of berries, I was tasked with finding something to make with all of them. While I ended up freezing three gallon zip-lock bags of berries, I ended up whipping up a few items too. 

These muffins are really good. I mean really good. And they’re pretty healthy. They’re made with all whole-wheat flour and use bananas and applesauce to cut back on the oil. They still have quite a bit of sugar in them, but I’m willing to let that go. Plus, they are HUGE! I filled up my large muffins tins to the top and they puffed up nice and tall. They looked like something you’d buy in a bakery. Plus, they’re only 212 calories per muffin. Can’t beat that!

 

Strawberry banana muffins

Whole-wheat strawberry banana muffins
from Allrecipes.com 

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup frozen sliced strawberries (I used fresh) 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 large muffin cups or line with paper liners. 

In large bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and banana.s Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon and stir into banana mixture until moistened. Stir in the strawberries until evenly distributed. Spoon batter into muffin cups until completely filled. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when pressed lightly. Cool before removing from muffin tins. 

 

I love the chunks of strawberries and bananas in these

Breakfasts

I’m just gonna throw out some of my favorite weekday breakfasts …. These are easy to throw together when you have little time, and yummy to boot. I know some might seem a bit odd (even my hubby thinks my new obsession with smoothies is weird – but he has at least tasted all of them), but give it a try. You never know if you like something until you try it. 

Oatmeal: Yes, I eat this all year long.

oatmeal with banana (and a banana with almond butter on the side)

I fell in love with steel-cut oats in Ireland and have found the perfect way to make them so they’re quick in the morning. 

1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp butter
dash of cinnamon

Night before:

Melt butter in pan and add oats. Toast for a bit.
Add water and cinnamon and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Allow to cool in pan for about 5 or 10 minutes, then portion into two containers. Refrigerate.
In morning, add 1/4 cup milk (I like almond milk), mashing the oatmeal into the milk to make incorporate. Add sliced banana and mix. Microwave for 45 seconds. Sitr. Microwave for 45 seconds.

You can kind of mash the bananas into the oatmeal – it makes it nice and sweet! You could add a bit of raw sugar if it’s not sweet enough for you. Try adding other fruits too – sliced apples, strawberries, peaches, etc.  

For an added boost, I sometimes add up to a tbsp. of chia seeds – it thickens it up and also has a TON of good qualities. Read more about chia seeds in this post from Heather at Heather Eats Almond Butter.

 

Banana with almond butter:

banana with almond butter

Just call me Polly, or Jenna, or Kath, or Heather (though she just wants the almond butter!) I love this combo. It’s the perfect pre-workout snack for me. (or really, a perfect snack for anytime)

 

Green smoothie:

Green smoothie

green smoothie

This one includes the following: 

2 handfuls of baby spinach (organic girl brand)
2 stalks kale
~1 cup almond milk
1/2 apple
1/2 banana
a few handfuls of frozen strawberries
1 packet Amazing Grass

It made one HUGE glass and a half a glass for later If you’re worried about your smoothie tasting too much like greens, just add more fruit and then ease back over time.

Strawberry bounty

Scott and I picked 22 lbs of strawberries this morning. I took a few minutes when we got home to snap a few pictures … 

the lightbox really makes a difference

Now to find some recipes.

Garlic scape pesto

Our CSA experience has be fabulous so far. We just started the summer share (which they are now delivering to our home!) and I’ve never been more spoiled in my life with fresh veggies. 

This box included garlic scapes. A who what? Garlic scape – it’s the flowering stem that rises from the crown of the garlic bulb underground. They’re only available for a brief period of time and are supposed to have a milder taste than garlic. Read more about this interesting plant here.

 

garlic scape

Thankfully we were given a recipe for garlic scape pesto that is SO easy and SO good. It is garlicky, so make sure you’re eating it with someone you really love (and they’re eating it too!) 

Garlic Scape Pesto
From The Washington Post

1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9), top flowery part removed and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/3 cup walnuts
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup grated parmigiano
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place scapes and walnuts into bowl of food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth.

Slowly drizzle in olive oil and process until integrated. Scoop pesto out of processor and into mixing bowl. Add parmigiano to taste; add salt and pepper.

Makes about 6 oz. Keep for a week in air-tight container in refrigerator or freeze for a few months. For a 1/2 lb. of pasta, add 2 tbsp. of pesto to cooked, warm pasta. Or slather on bread – like we did. 

 

garlic scape pesto

Stuffed chard with marinara

Think cabbage rolls, but using swiss chard instead of cabbage.

After trying a few recipes with swiss chard, I decided to continue on trying new dishes. This one I found on Eatingwell.com – a great site full of healthy recipes. This one was super easy and really delicious.

The only thing I’d do different next time is use rice instead of breadcrumbs. My mom uses rice in her cabbage rolls, and I think it would turn out really well with these.

The marinara sauce was extremely easy to whip up and really tasty. I’d be great on pasta too! 

Another keeper ‘healthy’ recipe for the books.

 

swiss chard rolls

Stuffed swiss chard with marinara
from Eatingwell.com 

Ingredients:

1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 medium shallots, minced, divided (I used onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
8 large Swiss chard leaves, stems removed (see Tip)
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Gently mix beef, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon shallot, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until just combined. Divide the mixture into 8 oblong 3-inch portions. 
2. Overlap the two sides of a chard leaf where the stem was removed and place a portion of beef there. Tightly roll the chard around the beef. Place each roll, seam-side down, in a large nonstick skillet. Pour in broth, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll reads 165°F, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard any remaining broth.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining shallot, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot is soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Serve the chard rolls topped with sauce and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving (2 rolls): 388 calories; 16 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 43 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 32 g protein; 6 g fiber; 720 mg sodium; 1402 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (150% daily value), Vitamin C (80% dv), Iron (45% dv), Zinc (42% dv), Potassium (40% dv).

Tyler Florence’s Chicken enchiladas

This should really be called ‘Semi-homemade Tyler Florence Chicken Enchiladas’ … but, even with that little modification (using a jar of tomatillo salsa), this was a delicious dish. 

The best part was that it was SO easy to make. Since you buy a rotisserie chicken and use that, it takes only a few minutes to whip up the filling. Tyler’s original recipe made 10, but I only got 8 (I probably filled them a bit too much) and I have no idea how I”d have fit another two in a 9×13 pan.  

These definitely got two thumbs up in our house. 

 

ooey, gooey chicken enchiladas

Tyler Florence’s Chicken enchiladas

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock, storebought
Chopped cilantro leaves
1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10 large flour tortillas
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 jar tomatillo salsa
Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves and sour cream, for garnish

Directions:

Heat some olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized – this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add some of the salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

 Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the tomatillo salsa. Warm tortillas in microwave or under broiler to make pliable. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro and tomato.

 

Nutrition:
My calculations put each enchilada (using 8, not 10) at about 400 calories. Not too bad for dinner if you have some other low-cal options for sides.

Want to win a healthy cookbook?

Visit Healthy Green Lifestyle to enter to win this cookbook (full of desserts free of wheat, eggs, dairy and refined sugar)

I love these kind of giveaways … not only do you get a chance to get an awesome book, but I also found a new blog to add to my reader!

Birthday brownies

 

 

Happy Birthday to me!

For my birthday (the big 2-9, by the way), I made up a batch of Dorie Greenspan’s French chocolate brownies. I had seen pictures on blogs and they looked decadent and fudgy … they didn’t disappoint. They are delicious.

I was actually surprised at how light they were – they weren’t heavy like some boxed types of brownies. These would be awesome with some ice cream (mint chocolate chip is the best) or even with just a little bit of whipped cream (the good stuff, not from the can). 

French Chocolate brownies

Adapted from “Baking: From My Home to Yours,” by Dorie Greenspan

12 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, plus 1 teaspoon melted butter for brushing pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in pieces
3 eggs
1 cup sugar

1. Place a rack just below center of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square pan with foil and brush with melted butter.

2. In a bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon and and salt together. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt chocolate. Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat and add butter. Stir to melt together. It’s OK if a few pieces of butter don’t melt. 

3. In a mixer, beat eggs and sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix at low speed until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix 30 seconds, then finish mixing by hand. Pour into prepared pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, until top is dry. Let cool in pan, then lift out and cut into bars or wrap in foil.

Yield: 12 to 16 brownies.