Kale and White Bean Soup

This is a very comforting winter soup that can be cooked ahead and kept in individual portions for later use.

1 1/2 cups navy beans, cleaned and sorted and soaked overnight
3 quarts of water
1 bay leaf
3-4 sage leaves fresh or dried
2 large cloves garlic peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
6-8 cups kale, stemmed and chopped to spoon size

Simmer the beans in 3 quarts of water with the bay leaf, sage and garlic cloves until the beans are completely soft, about 2 -2 1/2 hours.

Remove one quarter of the cooked beans, puree them in a food mill blender or food processor and then return them to the pot. The puree will give the soup a creamy background texture.

Heat a  the oil in a skillet and add the onions cooking medium heat,  til transparant. If it seems there is not enough oil you may drizzle a bit of water in now and again until it is done. When soft add the nutritional yeast, a teaspoon of salt, and several grindings of pepper. Stir frequently to prevent the yeast from sticking to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes then add the mixture to the cooked beans.

Cook the kale by sweating in a bit of water..not much..just to keep from sticking..combine it with the beans and add enough water to bring the volume to about 3 quarts. Bring to a boil and simmer for around an hour. Check seasonings and serve

This soup recipe is by Edward Espe Brown from his book The Tassajara Recipe Book. I have left out cream which he adds at the end. I have also lowered the amount of fat by substituting 1 tablespoon of oil for 2 tablespoons of butter.  

Carrots Parsnips and Cipollini Onions

24 cipollini onions
6 medium/large carrots peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
6 medium/large parsnips peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
crystalized ginger cut into tiny bits amount to taste
water

Put cipollini into boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and stop the cooking with a shower of cold water. Peel the outer white paper skin from the onions and pat dry. Pour oil into a large cast iron pan over medium high heat. Lightly brown the onions.




Next add parsnips and carrots and saute for a few minutes. The parsnips will turn from white to yellowish.

Then add water just to cover along with maple syrup and crystalized ginger. I used 2 small pieces minced.
Boil all over medium high heat until the liquid reduces to almost none and the vegetables are cooked through. If your veggies are getting fully cooked and there is still a lot of liquid, remove the vegetables from the liquid and then reduce the liquid to an amount just enough to moisten the vegetables and pour over the reserved vegetables and serve.

Note: fresh ginger can be used instead of preserved, or you can skip the ginger and add any number of other flavorings. Good accompaniments for carrots and parsnips are: apples,chives, curry, mustard, tarragon, thyme, parsley, dark sesame oil, cheril, cumin, mint or chile.

Marinated Tofu Open-Faced Sandwich

Many of us think tofu isn't very appetizing. This recipe by Deborah Madison from her book The Green's Cookbook, has changed my mind. It's wonderfully tasty with a bit of a crust and easy to make. Best of all, the marinade can be boiled, strained and reused. Once you have the marinated tofu you can use it for a quick meal and it seems to last quite a while without spoiling.







 I have adjusted the recipe to be consistent with my low fat diet. Ms. Madison also offers that this recipe can be used in her recipe for vegetable brochettes also found in the Greens Cookbook. I have yet to try that recipe.

1 or two packages firm tofu, 14 to 18 ounces each
1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms, porcini or shitake
1 cup water
2 teaspoons dried oregano or marjoram
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil or I use 1/4 cup
1/2 cup of sherry or wine vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce...I use the low sodium to keep salt content down
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt..could omit if you are watching salt intake
several twists black pepper

cut the tofu into slabs 1 inch thick. and set to drain..this is done by setting them on a bread board or back of a baking sheet and raising one end; point the lower end toward the sink to let the water drain off. Cover the tofu with another tray and weight it down with something heavy like a few cans of tomatoes. Let the tofu drain for about a half hour. This will remove the excess water and allow the marinade to penetrate without being diluted.

While the tofu is draining, prepare the marinade. Simmer the mushrooms in the water for 15 minutes. Heat a small heavy skillet and toast the oregano or marjoram slowly til it is fragrant. Add the oregano and remaining ingredients to the pot with the mushrooms, bring to a boil and simmer slowly a few minutes more.
Remove the tofu from the draining board and arrange it in a single layer in a square  or rectangular non-corrosive pan. strain the marinade through a coffee filter, paper towel or fine cheesecloth and then pour over the toful. Cover with plastic or a lid and refrigerate at least a day but preferably longer. The tofu can marinate 4 or 5 days. Then it can be seperated from the marinade and stored for use later. The marinade can be boiled, strained and reused, if the tofu was well drained. I freeze the marinade for the next time.

When you are ready to make the sandwich you can grill the tofu in a cast iron skillet that has been wiped with olive oil with a paper towel. Brown on all sides. Then slice the thickness in two and place on a very good slice of toasted whole wheat bread..I love the organic stone ground whole wheat bread from le pain  quotidian..a bakery with many outlets in New York and other locations. Ms. Madison suggests you put mayonaise and horseradish on the bread..then the tofu, followed with a slice of fresh tomato. I substitute Smart Beat Nonfat mayonnaise dressing..which is a very good mayo substitute that tastes just like mayo and I add to it. For horse radish I use Gold's Prepared Grated Horseradish, which is available in the refrigerator case of many supermarkets. Then I top with a slice of tomato or canned tomato in winter.
I served it with a frisee and fennel and apple salad with fat free apple cider dressing.
Its a delicious meal!
Note:
Here is the nutritional content in tofu so that you can determine the amount you wish to serve as a portion

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4467/2

Soups using Whole Grains

Martha Rose Shulman is a cookbook author who has been writing about lighter cuisine since the late 1970's. Her first book called the Vegetarian Feast is a wonderful compendium of vegetarian fare. Mediterranean Light is another. At the end of each recipe she  includes the nutritional content of the food allowing you to judge whether this is a recipe that fits with your nutritional goals. Articles by her are often found  in the New York Times. I found this article, on using whole grains in soup recipes, in the Times blog.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/soups-with-heft/

Yogurt Cake

In 1994 I bought a book by Jacques Pepin titled Simple and Healthy Cooking. In its introduction Pepin speaks of reducing the proportions of fats and sugars while always maintaining his focus on taste. This is a book to which I return over and over for its high quality healthy renditions of favorite foods. I strongly recommend you buy this book and try your hand at his wonderful easy recipes. All of his recipes in this and other books have the nutritional content which allows you to keep track of what you are eating. Pepin continued to produce books with the same themes and they are well worth reading.

I have been yearning for cake and so today made his yogurt cake.

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Corn or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup fat free yogurt
1 cup sifted cake flour ( I used whole wheat pastry flour instead)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg whites
5 cups fresh blueberries, washed drained and patted dry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Lightly coat an 8" round cake pan with vegetable cooking pray and set the pan aside. ( I used a bit of oil on a paper towel instead)Place the sugar, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Combine with a wisk until well blended. Add the milk and yogurt, mix well. Then add the flour and baking soda and mix gently until they are incorporated. Place the eggwhites in a copper or stainless steel mixing bowl. Beat by hand with a large balloon whisk or with an electric mixer (fitted with a whisk attachment) at medium to high speed until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Fold them into the batter. ( don't be too perfect with the folding..the idea is to not completely deflate the whites which will lift your cake..some streaks of white will be ok) pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan on a cake rack until it is lukewarm, then inbert it onto the rack and cool it completely.
To serve, cut the cake into 10 pieces. Tope each piece with 1/2 cup berries. I used frozen berries from Maine and sprinkled a bit of confectioners sugar through a sieve over the top of the cake.

This cake freezes well so I cut it in half and wrapped it first carefully in waxed paper then tucked it into a ziplock bag. To defrost place in the refrigerator

Here is a slightly different version..Lemon flavored

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/138450/Lemon-Yogurt-Cake-with-Fresh-Berries

each piece is 162 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0.6 grams saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 64 mg sodium

Apple Walnut Jumble

Here is a fast and tasty snack/dessert.

Core a good organic apple..apples should be crisp and have a bright taste. Slice and cut up into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon break into it 3 walnut halves..that is 6 grams of fat!! good fat though loaded with Omega 3's
finally add 3 tablespoons of multigrain cheerios. Sometimes I mix in a teaspoon of ground flax seed to add more omega's and make it even better for lowering cholesterol.

Mix all together and enjoy!

Pan Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

This a quick and delicious idea. With a damp mushroom brush, a soft bristle brush somewhat like a complexion brush, brush off the surfaces of the mushrooms..Don't soak in water..just wipe ..you can use a dampened kitchen towel too. Then put a little olive oil on your hands and rub over the surfaces top and bottom. Next, find a cast iron pan with a cover and  that will hold the portobellos in one layer. Wipe the pan with a little oil..a paper towel will do the trick to wipe oil on the surface yet sop up excess so it is not in the food. Chop a large clove of garlic and sprinkle on the surface of the pan and over the tops of the mushrooms which should be placed in the pan, add a pinch of salt. Cover and cook low heat, turning every now and again. The mushrooms are done when there is mushroom juice in the pan and it looks cooked thru..you can cut one if you are uncertain. One Mushroom Cap will be a good starter or alternatively can be put into other dishes as a side or an ingredient. The cooking time is about 15 minutes or a bit more.