Joni's Reuben Soup!

This warm, comforting soup could be served with traditional corned beef, but I like the convenience of the turkey kielbasa.

2 tbsp canola oil
1 small onion chopped fine
1/4 tsp thyme
1tbsp caraway seeds
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
7 oz chopped turkey kielbasa
1 peeled, grated carrot
1 cup sauerkraut, slightly drained (not rinsed)
1 tbsp corn starch
2tbsp water
4 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese
1/2 cup fat free evaporated milk

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot. Add onions, thyme and caraway seeds. Heat and stir for 2 minutes until onion soft and spices fragrant. Add the broth, kielbasa, carrot and sauerkraut and simmer for 30 minutes. Mix the corn starch and water and add to simmering soup. Stir for a minute to thicken. Break up the cheese and stir in until melted. Add the evaporated milk and heat through, but don't boil.

A New Toy and It's Not Even Christmas Yet!

I don't think I'm the only person with a pressure cooker in the basement, too afraid of the explosion that's sure to happen if I place it on my stove. Well, a friend of mine told me about and then demonstrated her brand new electric pressure cooker. "A new kitchen appliance I do not own?" my brain pondered. Well the next day I got a refurbished Wolfgang Puck 7 cup electric pressure cooker. It arrived yesterday, but I worked late so didn't get a chance to use it. Unable to sleep knowing this little baby was in the kitchen, by 4 AM I was awake and reading the instruction manual. By 5AM I had this luscious soup ready to go. It is amazing and I do love my soup! Here's the ingredients - Enjoy!

Joni's Insomniac Lentil Curry Soup

1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 container sliced/cleaned fresh mushrooms
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp curry powder (adjust to taste)
1 cup lentils
4 cups chicken broth
(Six ingredients- Gotta love that!)

Turn the pressure cooker on and spray some olive oil on the bottom. Once it heats up, saute the carrots and mushrooms until soft. Add the garlic and saute another few minutes. Add the curry powder and stir until fragrant. Then add the lentils and broth. Shut and secure the lid and put on "Soup" setting for 20 minutes.  Carefully release the steam before taking off the lid.
(If you are doing in a soup pot, just simmer about 40 minutes until the lentils are soft.)

A Super Delicious Picnic Treat!

Well, if it EVER quits raining I think summer will be here! Along with summer comes picnics and backyard get-togethers. Here is a wonderful picnic salad that could be easily compared to a potato salad. I like that it has the best of potato AND egg salad in it!

Joni’s Creamy Deviled Egg Salad
Ingredients

·         1 head of cauliflower

·         Salt

·         Pepper

·         ¼ tsp onion powder

·         3 hard boiled eggs – peeled and yolks/whites separated

·         2 heaping tbsp chopped dill pickle (about one large spear)

·         ½ cup light mayonnaise

·         ½ cup plain yogurt (Greek if you have it)

·         1 tablespoon prepared mustard

·         1 heaping tablespoon real bacon bits

Clean and cut up the cauliflower and steam the florets (or microwave) until fork tender.  Add salt, pepper and onion powder and toss. Set aside.

In another bowl mix the pickle, mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and egg yolks until creamy. Chop the egg whites and add those with the cauliflower. Toss to coat and finally stir in the bacon bits. Refrigerate 2-3 hours before serving.

Copyright New Weigh 2011

Chocolate Crepes!

This is a wonderful dish for a spring brunch. You could even offer a variety of fillings and have a "crepe bar".

Joni's Chocolate Crepes

1/4 cup TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) rehydrated with 1/4 cup water - final product will be 1/2 cup
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp flour (white, wheat, spelt - any are OK)
2 tbsp Splenda (or your non-calorie sweetener of choice)
4 eggs (or egg substitute)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (or orange or almond extract)

Mix all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Heat a small skillet (about 8 inch round) over LOW heat and spray with non-stick spray. Pour 3 tbsp batter into skillet and swirl to cover the bottom. Cook until the edges are dry and the top is set. Carefully use a spatula to lift one side and flip the crepe. (I usually bring the edge up with teh spatula an dthen just grab it with my fingers and flip it). Cook for another 10-15 seconds.

Some crepe tips - If they are bubbling up when they hit the pan, your heat is too high.
You are better to start with too low heat than a hot pan.
Make sure to reapply the cooking spray between EVERY crepe so they don't stick.

Filling suggestions:
-Fresh fruit with sugar free whipped cream
-Sugar free pudding with fruit
-Sweetened ricotta cream w/ orange extract and orange zest
Sweetened low fat cream with with sugar free jam

Have fun!

St. Paddy's Day Protein!

Lucky Protein Shake

Wow – this is a super meal replacement! At under 200 calories and packed with protein, add a piece of fruit and you are ready to go! You could use almond milk to lower the calories even further.

1/2 cup skim milk

1/8 tsp peppermint extract (or more to taste – start out with a small amount first)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I like the Max Protein or Nectar Sweets Vanilla)

1 tbsp sugar free pistachio pudding mix

1 packet Splenda

5 ice cubes

Process in a blender until smooth! Top with a squirt of fat free whipped cream and you will be in heaven!

Tomato Soup That's REALLY MMM MMM GOOD!

I was so surprised last night at the New Weigh meeting how many people have NEVER tried to make their own tomato soup. It's so easy and versatile. You can used canned tomatoes, garden tomatoes, roasted tomatoes... and don't get me started on the variety of vegetables and herbs you can throw in there! Here is the very basic recipe I use. Feel free to do whatever you want to this - herbs, garlic, salsa, hot sauce, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, cheeses - you name it.

First off - this is a list of the ingredients in a bowl of Campbell's Tomato Soup (c)

Ingredients

Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup,Wheat Flour, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Cottonseed, Canola and/or Soybean)Flavoring, Ascorbic Acid, and Citric Acid.

Seriously???? You want to feed this to your family?

Let's try this easy peasy recipe.

Joni's Basic Tomato Soup

1 small onion diced

1 tbsp canola or olive oil

2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes (or about 2 pounds fresh)

2 chopped carrots

2 c chicken broth

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup fat free half and half (fat free evaporated milk would work too)

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese for topping (optional) 

Heat oil in a stockpot and add the onion, cooking until soft. Add the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, carrots and broth. Bring to a boil and then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a blender to process in small batches. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the FF half and half to make as creamy as you desire. Top with cheese.

Snow!

Kids are off today and really wanted to make snow ice cream with them. Well, being the low carbers that we are - no sugar or sweetened condensed milk in the house! So, I'm like a dog with a bone - we WERE going to have some snow ice cream.

I found a recipe for homemade sweetened condensed milk that called for brown sugar. Lo and behold I had some xylitol brown sugar in the cupboard I hadn't tried yet. (Ideal brand).

So this is what I did for the sweetened condensed milk -
2 large eggs (they are from our hens so I don't worry about nasty diseases :) - but use pasteurized egg substitute if you do)
1 cup Ideal (xylitol) brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Mix all that well - but don't beat with your mixer or it will foam up too much.

Then send the kids out to play in the snow and have them bring back about 8 cups of the fluffy stuff.
Mix the snow with the "sweetened condensed milk" and there ya go! It takes awhile to mix it up well. You just have to use the back of your spoon and kind of crush it together. YUM!

FYI- I WILL be using this sweetened condensed milk sub in something else - it is excellent :)

Super Appetizer!

So easy and tasty (and did I mention ADDICTIVE?) - two ingredients and a microwave! If you are afraid of being surrounded by all those high fat/high carb appetizers at your Super Bowl party, try these crispy little bites of heaven. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping. Oh, and at 5 calories a piece, you can rest easy and enjoy the game.

Crispy Pepperoni Rounds

1 bag of turkey pepperoni
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Place the pepperoni on a paper towel on a microwave safe plate. Top with a sprinkle of the cheese. Microwave 2 minutes (or until browned and crispy). Let cool and enjoy!  (Yes, that's it - seriously!)