Saturday, January 21, 2012

Hearty Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Image from the kitchn


If you haven't checked Big Lots, Odd lots for food items you are missing out! Some stores don't have a Grocery section, but the ones that I've visited I've found International Orange Fanta, biscoff cookies, a HUGE jar of Garam Masala spice mix for $2!! Yes $2!

There are also tons of no salt added, gluten free, organic and vegan packaged foods. Kashi is a brand I buy frequently but beware Kashi products tend to taste stale about a month before the expiration date.
Grab spices for $1 a pop for ~5oz of black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, no salt seasoning...  I don't remember all of them all but I'm sure there are at least 20 spices and mixes to choose from.

Cold weather always gives me a hankering to make some soup. Today, I was lazy and only made a PB&J sandwich. This post is about the last batch of soup I made because I got a steal on a bag of Bob's Red Mill Wild Rice mix for $3 at Big Lots. (It was the last one!) I was in the process of making my standard soup and I was just going to add the rice mix instead of pasta or potatoes. I spotted the wild rice and mushroom soup recipe on the back of the package and I decided to follow it.  I'm glad I did cause this soup tasted great! I make my soups a little spicy and it is the perfect warm winter lunch or dinner. This soup was gone in 3 days..Normally my soups last me over a week!

Many were very surprised that this soup is meatless. Its so hearty you really don't miss it. I only had two mushrooms that went into the large soup pot, so it really wasn't a mushroom soup until the second and third batches.  I added 2 bags of frozen veggies toward the end of the cooking because I don't like my veggies too soft but you can add them at whatever stage you want.

Modified Wild Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
Here is my reduced calorie, increased veggie modified version

Ingredients:
3T  Butter 
2 large Garlic Cloves, chopped 
1 medium Onion, chopped 
1/2 tsp. Thyme or Rosemary
1 cup Wild Rice and Brown Rice Mix 
10 cups Chicken Stock (Or 10 water I normally add 2 chicken,beef or veggie bouillon cubes to taste)
1/2 pound Mushrooms, stems discarded, coarsely chopped 
1 tsp. Sea Salt 
1/2 tsp. freshly ground Black Pepper 
2 packages of frozen vegetable soup mix from Kroger* (Mix of carrots, corn, green beans, lima beans, okra, green peas, celery, onions)
1 cup skim or 2% milk

Directions:
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add garlic, onion, and thyme and cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Add rice and stir to combine. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is tender but not over cooked. Add the vegetables with the rice or 20 minutes after the rice has been cooking. Add salt, pepper, and milk into soup and cook until heated through. After the milk is added be sure not to let the soup boil! Serve at once.

*for me its the okra, green beans and lima beans that really add to the soup.


Here is the original recipe:

Wild & Brown Rice Mushroom Soup 
contributed by Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods
Ingredients:
    • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter 
    • 2 large Garlic Cloves, chopped 
    • 1 medium Onion, chopped 
    • 1/2 tsp. Thyme 
    • 1 cup Wild Rice and Brown Rice Mix 
    • 6 cups Chicken Stock 
    • 1/2 pound combination of fresh Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms, stems discarded, coarsely chopped 
    • 1 tsp. Sea Salt 
    • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground Black Pepper 
    • 1/4 cup Half-and-Half 
Directions:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and thyme and cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Add rice and stir to combine. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is tender but not over cooked. Melt remaining butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 1 minute or until tender. Stir mushrooms, salt, pepper, and half-and-half into soup and cook until heated through. Serve at once.

Serves 6 to 8.


NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories 240, Calories from Fat 90, Total Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 6g, Cholesterol 25g, Sodium 160mg, Total Carbohydrates 28g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 3g, Protein 11g.

Source: Found here!


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Kale Juice.

In the interest of trying to save on money and calories. I've been trying to save making the green smoothie for days that I do strength training. But I still want to get the nutrients from the veggies, so I've been making kale juice instead. It has an orange juice base, lime juice, 4-5 chunks of frozen fruit and Kale. Its pretty tasty and I estimate its no more then 200 calories. I can have a slice of toast and get some more fiber in.

Ingredients:

1 cup Orange Juice
4-5 chunks frozen vegetables
1/2 T Lime Juice or juice of 1/2 of a lime.
2.5-3 cups Kale

Directions:

First blend the Kale and Orange Juice. Then add the frozen vegetables and lime and blend until combined.
Enjoy.

Pita Pizza!


I've been making this pita pizza for a few years now. I love it for lunch and I've been making it about every day that I've been on break. Now, school is back in session and I'm not able to have it at lunchtime. Its great of you have access to a oven/ toaster oven.

 Its very simple all you need is (authentic middle eastern) pita bread (or a flour tortilla), a whole tomato, shredded cheese, toppings (I use onion and chicken leftovers) and seasonings (italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. 

Ingredients:
1 Pita (white or wheat) (non-puffy, authentic middle eastern pita) can be subbed with flour tortilla.
Vegetable Oil or Spray Oil (Like Pam)
one whole tomato (thinly sliced)
Italian seasoning
Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Red pepper flakes
Shredded cheese
Toppings:
Onion
Chicken


Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Rub or spray thin coat of oil on both sides of pita bread. Place pita in skillet on medium-high heat until slightly browned (about 1 minute). Place pita on cookie sheet (or pizza pan) browned side up.* Sprinkle salt, garlic powder, black pepper and italian seasoning on pita. Then,  place one layer of thinly sliced tomatos on pita, then put pita in oven for 5-8 minutes. 

*Notice that we are only browning one side of the pita. I'm leaving the bottom oiled but not browned. I've noticed that when I brown both sides the edges burn more often. 

While the "sauce" is cooking, warm your toppings. I always pull the leftover chicken out slice it up and use the same skillet to rewarm and also to grill the onions I want to put on the pizza. Be careful not to overload the pizza its meant to be crisp and kind of light, too many toppings will weigh it down. I know from personal experience, LOL. All your toppings should be ready to eat when you place them on the pita, you just want to put the pita back into the oven to firm up the bottom crust and melt the cheese.

This is how my pita looks after I take it out of the oven with cheese before the toppings.



Take the pita out and place your toppings and cheese (I normally add the onions, light cheese, chicken then final light cheese) and put the pita back into the oven for no more then 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and enjoy!!

Here is my pizza from today's lunch. I forgot to take a pic before I dug in. 


If you don't like raw tomatoes,  despite the short cooking time of the tomatoes the seasonings develop into a great flavor.