Bok Choy and Udon Noodle Soup

2 quarts vegetable broth

4 ounces Thai flavored baked tofu, cut into 1/4 x 1/2 inch pieces

3 cups sliced baby bok choy (stalks and leaves)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

I tablespoon Sayler's Mushroom Sauce or soy sauce

4 ounces udon noodles

1/4 cup sliced green onions

Place everything into a 4-5 quart pot except the noodles and onions.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Continue cooking until the carrots are almost done.

Add the noodles and simmer another 6-7 minutes

Add the green onion and remove from the heat.

Makes 9 1/2 cups.

86 calories a cup

This goes together very quickly- about 30 minutes from start to finish

If you can't find the Thai flavored baked tofu, use plain and add a little fresh ginger.

Just Great Stuff

Powdered Peanut Butter

Betty Lou's, Inc powdered peanut butter is the best!  I had given up peanut butter entirely because of the high calorie count in regular peanut butter.  Just Great Stuff is a nice alternative with just 45 calories per serving,  When I first read the label, I thought that the serving size must be awfully small, but it is not.  It is enough for two Trader Joe's Whole Wheat crumpets or a peanut butter sandwich.

It is easy to mix up- just two tablespoons of the powder and one tablespoon of water.  Stir and it's ready to eat.

Just Great Stuff is 100% organic, low fat, no cholesterol, low sodium and 4 net carbohydrates.

There are just 3 ingredients- organic peanuts, organic coconut sugar and sea salt.  Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar.

The powder can be added to sauces, shakes, and other recipes where you would use peanut butter.

I like to make it a little thinner and pour it over the chocolate peanut butter ice 'cream' by SoDelicous.

Betty Lou's Inc is located in McMinnville, Oregon.  I am not paid to promote this product.  I just like it.

http://www.bettylousinc.com/products_category.php?id=7

Garbanzo beans are high in fiber, protein and minerals.  I like to eat garbanzo beans plain, tossed on a salad, add them to soup, but my favorite in made into hummus.  Hummus is a Middle Eastern food made from garbanzos, lemon, sesame tahini and usually some olive oil.  I have developed a hummus with no olive oil and just a little tahini.  Tahini is high in calories with (100 per tablespoon).  Even without the olive oil and just a little tahini, this is a nice smooth hummus.

Hummus

the juice of two lemons
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 15 ounce cans of low salt garbanzo beans (or subsitute dried garbanzos that have been cooked)

Drain the garbanzo beans and reserve the liquid.  You will need it later.
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times to chop the beans
Gradually add a little of the reserved bean liquid and run the food processor on a medium speed.
Keep adding the reserved lquid until you have the texture you desire.  We used about 3/4 cup of the reserved liquid.
Serve with pita bread, crackers, chips, fresh vegetables, use as a spread on a sandwich, etc

Makes 5 cups

Most hummus you buy in the store gives you the calorie count for 2 tablespoons.  I don't know anyone who can eat just 2 tablespoons, but here it is anyways:

2 tablespoons 37 calories
1/4 cup 74 calories
1/2 cup 148 calories
1 cup 296 calories

Product Review:  The pita bread shown in the photo is a small 3 inch pita.  Each pita has just 25 calories and no fat.  They are always quite fresh when we buy them at our local produce market.  They are produced by Aladdin Specialty Foods in Beaverton, Oregon

http://www.aladdinspecialtyfood.com/html/products.shtml

I am not paid to endorse any product.  I share the brands with you so can enjoy them as I do.

Summer Vegetable Soup

(Vegan, Non-fat, Low calorie)

You are probably wondering why I are making soup on July 1st.... well, I live in the cool, wet Pacific Northwest and soup sounded like a really good way to warm up today.

I love the fresh vegetables found in the summer.  All of the vegetables in the this soup are fresh, with the exception of the tomatoes.  We had a cold, wet spring and we have yet to see any really good tomatoes.

This looks like a lot of ingredients, but it goes together quickly.  Start to finish was one hour.

So here we go...



2 cups chopped onions

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups sliced carrots (we like to use several differnt colors of carrots)

2 cups sliced zucchini

2 cups chopped bok choy

2 cups chopped eggplant (we used Asian eggplant and left the skin on)

2 ears fresh corn, cut off of the cob

1 cup cooked black beans (we had these handy in the freezer, but you could use any bean)

1 28 ounce can unsalted plum tomatoes and 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cups water

Spray and 8 quart stock pot with spray olive oil.  Add the onions, mushrroms and celery.  Cook over medium high heat until translucent.

Add the remaining fresh vegetables, the beans, the 6 cups water the herbs, salt and pepper.

Place the tomatoes in a blender with 1/2 cup water.  Whirl for a few seconds to break up the tomatoes.  Pour inot the soup.

Cook over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes or until all of the vegetables are done.

Makes 14 cups.  Each cup has 63 calories.  Most soup bowls hold about 2 cups (126 calories)



Rhubarb and Strawberries

Rhubarb dates back to 2700 BC in China, where it was cultivated for medicinal purposes.  It was introduced to Europe by an Italian botanist in 1608.   Ben Franklin brought rhubarb seeds to North American  in 1772, yet it did not catch on until the early 1800s, as a popular ingredient for pie.

My grandparents grew rhubarb on their farm in Michigan.  It was always ready for picking around the same time as the strawberries.  Grandma often combined the two in heavenly deserts.  My favorite, though, was a simple strawberry rhubarb sauce.  It is good alone, over ice cream or cake or on your oats in the morning.  It is good warm or cold.

 

Rhubarb is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, manganese and magnesium.  The stalks are edible but the leafs are toxic. 

Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. 

Typically, strawberry rhubarb sauce has a couple cups of each fruit some water and a cup of sugar.  I found some really sweet (and very ripe) Tillamook strawberries at our farmer's market yesterday.  I needed to use these in a hurry.  So I made a double batch, but increased the strawberries (rather than equal amounts) and I cut the sugar down to just 1/2 cup.

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

4 cups rhubarb, washed, leaves removed and cut into 1/2" slices

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar (I used evaporated cane juice)

5 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

Add the rhubarb, water and sugar to a 5 quart pot.  Bring to a boil, cover, turn down to simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft.

Stir in the strawberries, bring back to a boil.  Stir and cook another 3-5 minutes (I like the strawberries a little uncooked so they maintain their color)

Makes 6 cups or 12 1/2 cup serving.  Each 1/2 cup has 62 calories.

Eggplant

Eggplant isn't especially high in any vitamin or mineral, but it is high in fiber and very low in calories.  One cup of eggplant has just 19.68 calories.  There are a number of varieties of eggplant.  I tend to prefer the smaller Asian varieties.  They are less bitter than the typical American eggplant.

Baba Ghanouj is a middle eastern dish of mashed roasted eggplant, garlic, lemon and spices.  It is usually served with pita bread.

While shopping for this dish I found some small sized (3 1/2inch) pitas at Trader Joe's that are just 25 calories each.

Baba Ghanouj

(Baba Ganoush)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a baking sheet with spray oil.

3 small Asian eggplants, cut in half, lengthwise and poked several times with a fork

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

a few sprigs fresh parsley

2 tablespoons sesame tahini

a dash of cumin

a dash of sea salt

Place the eggplants cut side down on the baking sheet.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until soft.  Remove from oven and cool 10-15 minutes.

With a spoon scoop out the eggplant to make 1 cup.  Discard the skin.  If there is a lot of liquid, drain your eggplant and then measure it.  The Asian eggplant don't produce as much liquid as American eggplant.

Place the eggplant and all of the other ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth.

Makes 5 servings, 1/4 cup each.  Each serving has 43 calories.

I served this with some raw veggies, two of small pitas, and 8 of our baked corn chips.  The total calorie count for the scrumptious snack was about 140 calories.  (The photo shows an 8 1/2 inch sandwich plate)

Baked corn chips: Cut a 6 inch corn tortilla into 8 pieces.  Coat a baking sheet with spray oil.  Place the tortilla pieces on the baking sheet and spray them with the oil.  Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.  For a taco salad we cut the tortilla into strips rather than wedges.

Pluot

A pluot is a hybrid fruit that is 70% plum and 30% apricot.  Pluots have been around since about 1989.  They are sometimes called ‘plumcots’.  They are not genetically engineered.  Pluots are very sweet and are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and fiber.  They are very juicy and sweet.  They can be eaten raw or cooked.  A 2 ½ inch pluot contains just 30 calories.  Choose plump, firm, red to pink fruit.  There are 25 different varieties of pluots available.  Store ripe pluots in the refrigerator.

Pluot Cake

This pretty cake is great for desert or breakfast.

Place a 9 inch, removable bottom tart pan on a baking sheet.  Coat with spray oil and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1 ½ cups flour (we used unbleached all-purpose)

¾ cup sugar (I used evaporated cane juice)

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon white vinegar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup non-dairy milk (We used So Delicious Coconut milk- the 50 calorie per cup variety)

2 fresh pluots cut into small wedges

2 teaspoons sugar (we used evaporated cane juice)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Add the wet ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Lay the pluots over top of the batter.

Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy warm or cold for breakfast or desert.

Serves 8.  Each serving has 218 calories.