Tuscan Bean Stew

 

 

Lima beans are high in protein.  One cup has 14.7 grams of protein.  They are also a great source of fiber, molybdenum, trytophan, manganese, folate, potassium, iron and B vitamins.

To cook dried lima beans:  wash well and discard any debris.  Cover with cold water and soak overnight.  Drain off the water and cover with fresh water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 30-45 minutes.  Watch carefully as they go from done to mush very quickly.

One cup of dried beans make 2 cups of cooked beans.  One cup contains 216 calories.  

 

 

 

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups sliced carrots

4 cups diced eggplant (skin on, no need to discard that good fiber)

1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini

4 packed cups chopped kale

8 cups vegetable stock

1 25 ounce jar marinara sauce  (I used Trader Joe's Organic Spaghetti Sauce)

4 cups cooked dried lima beans (or gigante beans if you can find them)

1dried bay leaf

1 sprig fresh rosemary

 

Coat an 8 quart stock pot with spray oil.   Add the onion and celery and saute over medium high heat.

Add each vegetable to the pot as you prepare it and stir.

When all the vegetables are in the pot, add the stock, marinara sauce, beans, bay leaf and rosemary.

Simmer for about 1/2 hour or until the vegetables are done.

Remove from heat and enjoy!

 

Makes 16 cups at 103 calories per cup.

 

 

 

 

Moroccan Vegetable Bean Stew

 

 

The original recipe used 1/3 cup of oil to saute the vegetables.  The sauce was hot olive oil with some red pepper and cumin.  I have lightened up this recipe by leaving out all of the oil.  For the sauce I have substituted a sweet chili sauce.  If you prefer a milder flavor, skip the sauce.

2 1/2 cups chopped onion (one large onion)
2 cups chopped red and green bell peppers
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounces)
1 can garbanzo beans, undrained (15 ounces)
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads  (optional)
3 cups chopped zucchini

Coat a 5 quart pot with spray oil.  Add the onions, peppers, coriander and cinnamon.  Saute for about 5 minutes. 
Add the sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans with the liquid, lemon juice and saffron.  Bring to a boil.  Cover ans simmer about 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are almost done.  Add the zucchini and cook another 5 minutes.

Serve with couscous if desired.  I like mine with just 2 tablespoons of the sweet chili sauce for a little kick.

Makes about 12 cups or 6 two cup servings.  Each serving has 243 calories (without the sauce or couscous.)

 

Sweet Chili Sauce

 

1 cup water

1 cup rice vinegar

1 cup evaporated cane juice

1 teaspoons fresh ginger root, minced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1-2 teaspoons dried red chili pepper

2 teaspoon ketchup

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

 

Place everything except the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch and two tablespoons water.  Quickly stir into the hot sauce.  Bring back to a boil and cook one more minute.  Remove from heat and cool.

This keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks.

 

Makes 2 cups.  Each 1 tablespoon serving has 27 calories.

Note: I will try for a better photo the next time I make this.  My house was cold and the food hot, so you see a bit of steam in the photo.

 

Cabbage and Edamame Soup

 

I think of this soup as the antidote to holiday eating.  Most of us tend to overindulge during the holidays and this soup helps to balance that.  It is chock full of great vegetables and edamame for a protein boost.  It is non-fat, low calorie, high fiber and just tastes really good.  Try a big bowl of this before your next holiday party and you will find you feel full and consume less unhealthy foods.

Edamame are edible, green, immature soybeans.

This makes a huge pot of soup to keep in the fridge or freezer.  If you prefer you can make a half recipe.  Play with the seasonings, but keep the salt to a minimum.

 

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped celery

4 cups sliced carrots

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cups sliced zucchini

1 1/2 cups diced green pepper

2 cups fresh or frozen shelled edamame

8 cups shredded green cabbage

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley)

1/4 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable soup base (I used Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes

8 cups water

 

Coat an 8 quart or larger stock pot with spray oil.

Saute the onions and celery over high heat.  add the remaining fresh vegetables as you prepare them, stirring with each addition.

Add the water, tomatoes, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until vegetables are done (20-30 minutes)

 

Makes 22 cups.  Each cup has just 66 calories.

 

 



 

Vegan Chicken-less Noodle Soup

 

 

This is a really hearty 'chicken' noodle soup that is ready in about 35 minutes.  Meat alternative products generally contain 'vital wheat'.  This is the product that gives it the meat-like texture.

2 cups diced onions
2 cups diced celery
2 cups sliced carrots
2 1/2 cups chopped baby bok choy (about 3 small heads)
1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
8 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/3 cups cubed vegan chicken alternative (I used one package of Gardein Chick'n Filets)
4 ounces egg-less pasta (shape of your choice)

Coat a large stock pot with spray olive oil.  Saute the vegetables over medium high heat until onions begin to  brown.
Add the vegetable broth, parsley, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the 'chicken' and noodles and cook another 15 minutes.

Makes 10 cups at 112 calories per cup.

 

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

 

 

 

I like to take advantage of in season vegetables.  Right now there are many great root vegetables at my local produce market.  I usually roast root vegetables and have the leftovers cold the next day for lunch.  I typically include red peppers fro color and mushrooms for low calorie volume.  Today I roasted only root vegetables and made them into a yummy salad.

The key to roasting vegetables is to cut them all about the same size, roast them in a hot oven and set the timer.

 

 

2 cups unpeeled, sliced carrots

1 cup peeled and sliced parsnips

2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato

1 cup unpeeled sliced potatoes (I used yellow, red and purple baby potatoes)

2 cups peeled and sliced beets (I used chioggia)

Olive oil spray (I use Trader Joe's)

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Coat a large roasting pan with spray olive oil.

Add the vegetables to the prepared pan.  Spray the vegetable with spray olive oil.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.  Stir and roast another 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Or if you want plain roasted vegetables, they are ready to eat at this point.

 

1/4 cup vegan sour cream

1/4 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 teaspoon dry dill

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup  sliced green onion

 

With a whisk, mix the sour cream, milk, dill, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Add the green onion and cooled roasted vegetables.  Toss gently and refrigerated 1-2 hours before serving.

Makes four 1 cup servings at 190 calories per serving.

 

 

 

 

Vegan Butternut Squash Ravioli

1 recipe fresh pasta (below)

3 1/2 cups cubed (1 inch chunks) butternut squash

1 cup SoySation Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Black pepper to taste

 

Place the squash in a microwave safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Cook on high in the microwave oven for 10-15 minutes or until the squash is soft.  Cool and drain off any accumulated liquid.

Place the cooled squash and remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Using a floured hand crank pasta roller, roll 1/4 of the dough first on #7, then on #5 and finally on #3.

Form with a ravioli maker, using one teaspoon of the filling for each 2 inch ravioli.  Alternatively, the pasta may be cut into 2 inch squares.  Place a teaspoon of the filling on the center of the square, fold over the filling and press the edges together.

Bring a large 6-8 quart pot of water to boil.  Add a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the ravioli and stir gently to prevent them from sticking together.

Continue to boil for about 5 minutes, or until the pasta is a la dente.

Remove with a slotted spoon and add olive oil or your favorite sauce.

My 'sauce' was olive oil, toasted walnuts and fresh sage.

Makes 48 ravioli at 37 calories per ravioli.  A serving size is about six 2 inch ravioli (222 calories)

 

Filled ravioli can be placed in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and frozen.  Once frozen, place in a plastic container or plastic bag.

Frozen ravioli don't need to be thawed prior to cooking.  They will require a few extra minutes of cooking time.

Fresh Pasta

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup semolina flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill)

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup of water

Mix the flours and salt together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and with your hands mix in the water. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture comes together into a stiff dough.

Move the dough to a lightly floured board or counter. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until elastic and slightly sticky.

Place a kitchen towel over the dough and let rest for 20 minutes. Or wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest up to two hours.

Roll the dough out (I use a hand crank pasta roller.) Cut into the desired shape. Place in a large pot of gently boiling water to cook. Thin pasta will take 1-3 minutes. Thicker or filled pasta can take 5-15 minutes.

This makes one pound of pasta. The total calorie count is 1282. If you make spaghetti or fettuccine with all of it, it should serve 6 at 213 calories per serving.

Any unrolled dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 3 days. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before you want to roll it. The shaped pasta can be frozen for later use.

Asparagus- The Dettwiler Method

 

 

Asparagus contains a unique variety of nutrients.  It is an important source of the digestive support nutrient, inulin. It contains anti-inflammatory saponins include asparanin A, sarsasapogenin, protodioscin, and diosgenin.  Asparagus has flavanoids such as quercetin, rutin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin.  Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate, vitamins B1, C, and A and copper. Asparagus is a very good source of vitamin B2, and B3 as well as phosphorus; potassium, vitamin B6 and dietary fiber; vitamin E and manganese; and protein.

My friend, Chef Glenn, taught how to cook perfect asparagus every time.  It is easy, quick and foolproof.

Wash the asparagus and break off the cut ends.  To remove the ends, it is better to break than cut.  When you cut, you are likely to leave some fibrous material that is difficult to chew.  To break the ends of the asparagus, hold the cut end in one hand, grasp the middle of the stalk and bend until it breaks.  Toss the cut end (or use in a vegetable stock)

• Fill a 5-6 quart pot with water and about a teaspoon of salt
• Bring to a boil
• Place about one pound of cleaned asparagus into the boiling water
• Place a tight fitting lid on the pot
• Turn off the heat
• Set a timer for 5 minutes (6 if you have a more than a pound)
• Pour off the the water
• Fill the pot with cold water to stop the cooking
• Remove immediately from the cold water and serve (it will still be warm but the cooking will have stopped.)

Perfect every time!  Asparagus has just 40 calories per cup.
Leftover asparagus is great on a salad.