Root Vegetable Bisque (vegetarian)

Root Vegetable Bisque

I am trying to expand my vegetarian recipe repertoire.  My ultimate goal is to find things my husband, teenage stepsons, and frequent dinner guests will eat, love, and not complain about lack of flavor or meat. In an attempt to clean out the produce section of my refrigerator, I stumbled upon a total winner. It also happens to be vegetarian, amusingly simple, and very nutritious.  Oh--and finished in 30 minutes (bonus).

INGREDIENTS:

• Potatoes, raw, 2 medium or large (3" to 4" dia.)
• Turnip, 1 large 
• Onions, raw, 1 small 
• Carrots, raw, 1 large (7-1/4" to 8-1/2" long) 
• Garlic, 3 cloves 
• Vegetable Stock, 4 cups (I like Trader Joe's)
• Half and Half Cream, .5 cup 
• Salt, to taste
• Rosemary, dried, .5 tsp 
• Thyme, dried .5 tsp 
• Sage, ground, 1 tsp
• Cheddar Cheese, 1 cup, shredded 

Peel vegetables and roughly chop (1 inch pieces are fine).  Add vegetables to a large soup pot. Add vegetable broth (you can use chicken stock, just be wary of the added salt) and bring to a boil.  Add dried herbs and simmer until all vegetables are fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Add half and half. Puree with a wand blender until smooth.  Add more vegetable broth if bisque is too thick. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese. I also like to garnish with crumbled crackers. Serves 6 as a side dish or 4 for entree.

I also found an easy recipe calculator (free too) http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp.  This is what it came up with. I'm pretty sure the sodium content is way too high, because the vegetable stock I used had very little sodium, and the website made me choose "vegetable broth" instead, which would have a lot of added salt.  All in all, I think this bisque packs a satisfying and nutritious punch. All of my boys raved about it. It is also fantastic the next day, so it would be a great make-ahead for a dinner party or a work-week lunch. Cheers!

Nutrition Facts Root Vegetable Bisque
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		227.7
Total Fat		8.8 g
	Saturated Fat	5.5 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.4 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	2.5 g
Cholesterol		27.2 mg
Sodium		1,563.8 mg
Potassium		686.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate		29.4 g
	Dietary Fiber	3.9 g
	Sugars	4.0 g
Protein		8.4 g

Vitamin A	41.3 %
Vitamin B-12	3.7 %
Vitamin B-6	23.3 %
Vitamin C	54.9 %
Vitamin D	0.6 %
Vitamin E	1.0 %
Calcium	19.4 %
Copper	9.3 %
Folate	8.4 %
Iron	8.9 %
Magnesium	10.7 %
Manganese	14.9 %
Niacin	8.0 %
Pantothenic Acid	6.2 %
Phosphorus	20.5 %
Riboflavin	9.5 %
Selenium	5.5 %
Thiamin	9.3 %
Zinc	8.1 %

Quinoa Times Ten

I just came across this article citing 10 new ways to incorporate quinoa into a healthy diet. These all sounds great, but I know I will try #1, #8 and #10 very soon.

1. Cooked with brown rice in the rice cooker. Then topped steamed broccoli and sauteed veggies in sesame teriyaki sauce.

2. Wrapped in a burrito with corn and beans.

3. Steamed with fresh veggies and covered in a vinaigrette.

4. Mixed with black beans, scrambled egg, diced avocado and lots o’ hot sauce w/ a squeeze of lime.

5. In tabouli replacing the wheat.

6. Browned with a little butter first then cooked with with mushrooms, slivered almonds, and nettles.

7. Mixed half and half with homemade salsa.

8. After it is cooked… add black beans, diced tomatoes, minced garlic, sea salt, avocado, cilantro and squeeze some lime juice.

9. Fruity quinoa salad with yogurt, fruit, nuts, and dried raisins or cranberries. The quinoa is cooked w/water, apple juice, and cinnamon. YUM!

10. Cooked in chicken or veggie stock instead of water with several cloves of garlic and a bunch of my favorite herbs.

Thanks, Nature Moms blog. Here's the link to their post:

http://naturemoms.com/blog/2011/07/12/10-new-ways-to-cook-quinoa/

10-minute HEALTHY dinner!

You know the type of night--a harried, whirlwind of a weeknight where take-out seems inevitable.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against take-out.  The fact that it is typically more costly and less healthy than cooking at home is still often outweighed (in our household) by its convenience and deliciousness.  Chinese? Yum! Pizza? Delish! Wings? Instant party! Burgers? Everybody's happy. Thai? Can't get enough.  That said, there are times when you just need a home-cooked meal.  Besides, for better or worse, it is almost always cheaper and more healthy.  A 10-minute make-at-home meal that is both delicious and healthy? Rachael Ray can't even touch that one.

So here is (to date) my best attempt.  I call it Halibut Fresco, and it has several varieties, including other meaty, white fish options.  The following schema is for two people (an aside: as a conceptual cook, I find schemata much easier to deal with than recipes, if you ever need an exact recipe, just leave a comment and I'll do my best).

Heat up your grill to medium (somewhere around 400F works pretty well).  Rub your 10-14oz piece of Halibut with some canola oil, and liberally salt and pepper both sides.  Leaving the skin on one side is absolutely fine.  Place the fish in aluminum foil, and wrap the entire piece (not too tight), folding over the ends to seal.  Throw it on the pre-heated grill.

While the fish is cooking, chop one medium plum tomato and one small avocado and place them in a bowl.  Squeeze the juice of half a lime onto this mixture immediately.  Then mince up part of a small onion (any kind is fine, you only need about 1/4 cup), once clove of garlic, and a small jalapeno (discard seeds for a milder heat, omit all together if you want no heat).  Add chopped cilantro and chives, if available. Mix all ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.

By the time you finish this, it should be time to flip the fish.  For a thick filet about 4-5 minutes is enough, and then another 3-4 after flipping.  When the fish comes off the grill, unwrap it, cut it into two pieces (this is a great trick to check for doneness of the fish, as people has distinct preferences for how they like it prepared).  If it's not cooked, throw it back on.  If it's the way you like it, place the pieces back together on a serving dish, squeeze the other half of the lime juice directly on fish.  Top the fish with the salsa.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips (there are very healthy multi-grain and flax options if that's your style).

I know this doesn't sounds amazing, but my husband RAVED about this for days.  Here are some other varieties to try:

Halibut Mediterranean: roasted red peppers, calamata olives, oregano, garlic, and lemon

Grouper Caprese: tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, garlic

Woodside Salmon: grilled mushrooms and onions (slice thin and throw them on with salmon in a separate foil pack), goat cheese, balsamic

(All of the above are great on a bed of fresh spinach, just let the heat of the fish wilt it and you are good to go!)

Seasons 52

Seasons 52, part of the Darden group of restaurants (of Capitol Grille and Outback Steakhouse fame) is new to our city.  Located at Keystone at the Crossing, it is a tempting lunch choice.  The concept is revolutionary in the restuarant world:  every menu item (including desserts) is 475 calories or less.  They don't even have mayonnaise in the kitchen (those of you who know me know that scores major points for me).  Surely this is too good to be true.

Today I am meeting a friend of mine who has recently ended a long hotel career to embark on an exciting new position in the restaurant arena.  We sit at the bar, which they call "the piano area" for its live piano music every night.  The decor is warm and welcoming, masculine with a touch of modern.  I dislike the loud fabric on the banquets, but I am a tough critic and everything else looks and feels great.  Our server, Mel, is fabulous!  She knows the wine list in and out.  I inquire about the Verdejo, and she tells me all about it.  It is delightfully crisp and refreshing.

The menu is fraught with seasonal offerings from a variety of different backgrounds and influences.  I opt for the Lemongrass Salmon Salad and my friend orders the Chipotle Shrimp Flatbread.  My salad is a thing of beauty.  The salmon comes on a spear of lemongrass, the salad comes in a glass hurricane that they lift upon service to release the greens to the plate.  The flavor is well-balanced, with slivered almonds, edamame, small bits of sauteed pineapple, a white balsamic vinaigrette and perfectly grilled salmon.  The flatbread is a little of everything:  sweet, smokey, and salty with a slight kick of heat.

Mel also promises us a taste of their new white feature on the wine list, a Veridicchio from Marchetti, and Italian white in the Pinot Grigio style but with more body and notes of peach.  The wine does not disappoint.  She informs us that the point of a wine bar in Indy is to help people try new wines.  Mel, we couldn't agree more!  

Overall, this lunch experience was stellar!  It was a little pricey ($52 for two with 2 glasses of wine, tax and tip), but it was worth every penny.  I give them 4/5 for excellent service, delicious food (the waist-trimming component is a bonus), and a wonderful ambiance.  I will be back many times.  My wallet may not thank me but my waist just might.