The weather has yet to turn cold (in fact, we just had a week-long heatwave!) but I’m already thinking about colder weather foods. One of my favorite comfort foods is traditional Irish Vegetable Soup.
Unlike a chunky vegetable soup commonly found in the US, Irish Vegetable Soup is a blended soup made of potatoes, leeks, carrots, and onions that feels creamy and comforting without any cream!
The absolute best way to enjoy an Irish Vegetable Soup is with some Irish Brown Bread, but because that’s somewhat difficult to come across in the US, I substituted in a loaf of Italian bread to sop up all that vegetable goodness.
Note: I was sent a box of various Bob’s Red Mill products to make the below recipe. Opinions are mine alone.
This past weekend, a friend and I got together to stock our freezers. The fall is a super busy time of year for most, so we wanted to have a variety of meals ready to make some nights (and mornings) easier. We settled on eleven (11!) recipes, organized a shopping list split between the two of us, and set up prep work (chopping veggies for the most part) for the night before. The next morning, we met at my place and got to cooking!
Chili is a go-to freezer recipe. Not only does it freeze well, but it works great on its own, with cornbread, over polenta, as a “dip” with corn chips, with eggs for breakfast, etc. This recipe originally began as a vegetarian chili, but we had more ground beef leftover, so in it went!
I am a firm believer that dried beans make for a tastier dish than canned beans. There is some prep work needed, but it is very much worth it. I used Bob’s Red Mill Red Kidney Beans and Cannellini Beans for this recipe.
source: bobsredmill.com
We made a LOT of this chili, somewhere around 20 servings, so I’ve scaled it down for this post to make it more appropriate. Feel free to double if needed.
Note: I will share and link all of our recipes below. It was quite a successful cooking day!
Ingredients (makes 8-10 servings):
12 oz dried Bob’s Red Mill Red Kidney Beans (~1/2 bag)
12 oz dried Bob’s Red Mill Cannellini Beans (1/2 bag)
My mom makes a mean pasta salad. Her mayo-less version is a mostly traditional Italian pasta salad which marinates in an Italian salad dressing for a few hours before enjoying.
This Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad version is based on hers, but I decided to make it all the more summery but adding grill-friendly vegetables.
This is mostly a make ahead recipe. Right before serving (or while grilling up the main dish), you just add the veggies to the grill, then toss into the pasta.
This time of year delivers some pret-ty great produce. All of the green veggies are in season! This recipe from Cooking Light for Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce makes the most of some spring vegetables, asparagus and peas.
The pasta recipe is a “two pot meal” so it comes together pretty quickly without giving you too make dishes afterwards!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
1 (10-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese, divided
The weather in Philadelphia decided to take a break from the cold and give us two days of summer! We hit temperatures above 80 degrees so I wanted to prepare a light meal that didn’t involve much time over a stove. This Vegetable Couscous Salad from Cooking Light is perfect for summer dinners. It also travels well, so it would be a great addition to a barbecue, just make it ahead of time and bring it with you!
Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (.6 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix) or Italian spice blend
Salad:
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used two peppers)
2 cups chopped tomato (I used two beefsteak tomatoes)
As I hear rumblings of all things pumpkin just around the corner (yay!), I realized that my days of beautiful, fresh vegetables are numbered (boo). Which means I needed a recipe that used some of summer’s best. This risotto recipe from Cooking Light fit the bill: Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, Zucchini, Yellow Squash.. mmm.
Ingredients:
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half
5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 (8-ounce) zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (8-ounce) yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
I love chili, and with the warm winter we’ve been having, I didn’t have nearly enough of it. So before spring is truly here, I wanted to make another batch. This meatless chili has so many different beans and flavor, you won’t even miss the meat! I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, using more peppers, diced tomatoes instead of stewed, and a bit of vegetable broth to thin it out a little.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 chopped yellow bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped orange bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth
To make, heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium- high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onion, peppers and garlic.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth.
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
That’s it!
A delicious, hearty, meatless meal in 40 minutes.
Serve with corn bread if desired.
I love the colors in this! Look at all those different tones!
The chili looked a little too chunky without the vegetable broth, but if you like it that way, feel free to omit the broth.
Pasta is definitely one of my weaknesses. I would eat it every day if it was socially acceptable to do so. But alas, all those carbs probably wouldn’t be best. Adding vegetables to a pasta dish always makes me feel a little bit better about my choice though. MyRecipes.com had an awesome sounding recipe for Creamy Lemon Pasta with Vegetables.
1 cup whole cream
Zest and juice from 3 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
16 ounces spinach fusilli pasta
2 pounds trimmed asparagus
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces.
Add the asparagus to a steamer and add it to the pot. Cover and steam for 3 minutes. Set aside. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk, cream, zest, and juice from 3 lemons. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook the pasta according to package label directions while the cream mixture is simmering. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add the cream mixture to the pasta and stir to coat.
Add the Parmesan cheese, asparagus and tomatoes and mix to combine.
Serve with more cheese and lemon zest, if desired.
This dish includes some of my favorite flavors! You can use normal pasta but I thought that the spinach pasta would add nice flavor and color.
The asparagus stays crispy which is nice with the creamy pasta.
The tomatoes add a burst of bright flavor which makes it feel really fresh.
The lemon flavor is throughout the whole dish but isn’t overwhelming at all.
I apologize for the lack of posts! Like many, I’ve spent the past week doing a whole lot of eating, but not necessarily cooking. My parents gave me a nifty panini pan for the stove which also doubles as a grill pan. I wanted to test it out, so I decided to try Cooking Light’s Rosemary Swordfish on Vegetable Couscous.
Ingredients (this makes one serving so multiply as needed):
It’s no secret that I love hummus. I’ve made quite a few different versions on this blog. So I was really excited when I was given the chance to sample some hummus through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program. I was allowed to choose any hummus my little hummus-loving heart desired. But, I’ve actually tried them all before. And I’ve loved them all (some more than others, obviously). I decided instead to incorporate the classic hummus into a meal. A coworker gave me an awesome idea: hummus pizza. Brilliant!
Ingredients:
Pizza dough (I used Trader Joes)
Classic Hummus
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped (I used red because that’s what I had)
This weekend I was given quite the culinary challenge: make a meal for ten people without breaking the bank. I would be feeding everyone at the beach, so my mind immediately went to Shish Kabobs with Rice (I want summer and barbecues to be here so badly!). This is a great option for vegetarians as well, always a plus.
Living in the city does not mean you can’t enjoy this recipe. If you have a little indoor grill, that will work just fine. Due to the poor weather we had this weekend, we actually ended up broiling the shish kabobs in the oven, which worked just fine.
Ingredients (serves 10):
3 pints cherry tomatoes
1 bag of pearl onions, peeled (quick tip below)
2 green bell peppers
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
2 8 oz packages of whole mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 large zucchini
2 large summer squash
5 lbs top sirloin steak, cut into cubes
10 cups chicken stock (ideally, use vegetable stock to keep veggies truly vegetarian)
5 cups rice
Ingredients for marinade:
1 tablespoon salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 heaping tablespoon of the following dried spices: thyme, basil, oregano, marjoram
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 2/3 cup red wine (an inexpensive table wine is fine)
Korma is an Indian dish that is usually a creamy and somewhat spicy broth over rice with vegetables or meat, primarily chicken or lamb. It’s usually my go to dish in Indian restaurants. Cooking Light had a recipe for Vegetarian Korma in its March 2011 issue, which I used as a base and changed to fit my own taste. The result, Chicken and Vegetable Korma.
The spices in this dish are known to have great benefits. For those with type 2 diabetes, Cinnamon can help lower blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol. Cinnamon also has cancer fighting properties and can increase circulation. Tumeric may help impede the growth of cancer cells and can also help reduce swelling. Garlic is also known as a cancer fighter, can stop blood clots from forming, and also has anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiviral effects. Ginger not only helps with stomach ailments (nausea, motion sickness) but it also helps limit swelling due to arthritis and can help prevent blood clots. Cumin is a good source of iron and helps maintain a strong immune system; like ginger, it also helps with digestion and may also have anti-carcinogenic properties. Cayenne pepper has antioxidant properties and is also known to increase metabolism. Cayenne is also thought to help with high blood pressure and contains some cancer fighting properties. Whew!
Ingredients:
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground red pepper (canyenne pepper)
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 baking potato, peeled and diced (I couldn’t find my peeler, so the skin stayed on. Oh well, more nutrients!)
1 cup fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 can light coconut milk
4 pieces of chicken tender strips
3 cups broccoli (original recipe called for cauliflower) florets
2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
Cook rice according to directions. Remember that rice usually doubles in size from uncooked to cooked, so you’ll only need about 1 cup of uncooked rice. I used light coconut milk instead of water to really get the coconut milk flavor into this dish. While rice is cooking, prep your broccoli, ginger, garlic and onions. Also feel free to mix your dry spices together because they will be added to the dish at the same time. Set the rice and your prepped food to the side.
prep work
Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds stirring constantly. Stir in tomato paste and all the dry spices (cumin through cinnamon). Cook for 1 minute stirring.
This is what happens when you try to take a photo while stirring a steaming dish
Stir in edamame and potato. In a bowl, combine chicken broth, flour and milk stirring with a whisk until smooth (if the flour clumps a little, that’s fine). Add the broth mixture to the pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the broccoli and simmer for 9 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
While the broth is simmering, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to another sauté pan with 1 tablespoon heated olive oil. Cook for 3 minutes on each side until browned. Add to the large sauté pan to finish cooking within the broth. Serve over white rice.
finished dish
I left the combining of the spices to my boyfriend, which may have led to an over-pouring of the spices. This dish was much spicier than I was prepared for. Not wanting to assume he did add too much of the above spices, I’d cut all the spices maybe in half. It’s nice to have some heat in a dish, but the spiciness of this meal actually took away from the overall dish. Past that, this was really tasty and filling. As a plus, the spiciness probably kept me from overeating!
1 baking potato, peeled and diced (I couldn’t find my peeler, so the skin stayed on. Oh well, more nutrients!)
1 cup fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 can light coconut milk
4 pieces of chicken tender strips
3 cups broccoli (original recipe called for cauliflower) florets
2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
Instructions
Cook rice according to directions. Remember that rice usually doubles in size from uncooked to cooked, so you’ll only need about 1 cup of uncooked rice. I used light coconut milk instead of water to really get the coconut milk flavor into this dish. While rice is cooking, prep your broccoli, ginger, garlic and onions. Also feel free to mix your dry spices together because they will be added to the dish at the same time. Set the rice and your prepped food to the side.
Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds stirring constantly. Stir in tomato paste and all the dry spices (cumin through cinnamon). Cook for 1 minute stirring.
Stir in edamame and potato. In a bowl, combine chicken broth, flour and milk stirring with a whisk until smooth (if the flour clumps a little, that’s fine). Add the broth mixture to the pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the broccoli and simmer for 9 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
While the broth is simmering, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to another sauté pan with 1 tablespoon heated olive oil. Cook for 3 minutes on each side until browned. Add to the large sauté pan to finish cooking within the broth. Serve over white rice.
