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15
Aug
2012
 Light Tomato Basil Soup



Was inspired by this recipe (from More Fruit Please) I came across on Pinterest.

Loved the idea because basil is so fresh this time of year. I am trying to keep a little basil plant growing in my sun room (not that sunny though!).

Light Tomato Basil Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 medium size fresh tomatoes, or 5 small tomatoes, diced
  • 1, 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cups of vegetable or reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese (or similar), grated
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped, loosely packed
  • 1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning blend (sage, oregano, parsley)
  • 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan that can also act as a saute pan, add your olive oil, onions, and fresh tomato. Cook on medium for about 5 minutes until soften. Add your garlic and seasonings. Cook 2-3 more minutes.
  2. Add the can of diced tomatoes, and vegetable stock. Simmer on medium-low about 5 minutes.
  3. Measure out your Greek yogurt, and put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to bring closer to room temperature. This will help it blend in the soup a little better.
  4. Add the Greek yogurt. Stir well to combine. *It won’t completely blend in. Do not worry, it will still taste OK.
  5. With an immersion blender, blend the soup in the saucepan. Make sure to keep the blender below the surface of the liquid or you will have soup everywhere! If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can put in normal blender or food processor. But, be very careful with hot liquid as it can cause pressure in the blender, and again, you will have soup everywhere.
  6. One you have blended it well enough so that you don’t see yogurt bits anymore, stir in your cheese and fresh basil.
  7. Garnish with a little fresh basil and pinch of cheese.

You can see I didn’t blend mine thoroughly enough. Whoops! Oh well, I don’t always like a smooth texture.

Anyway, this soup was very light and refreshing tasting. The fresh basil gave it that clean taste.

23
Jul
2012
 Roasted Red Corn Salad



I spotted some red corn at Whole Paycheck yesterday, and figured it must be healthier than regular old corn. Look at all the pretty red/purple colors in the corn! Must be healthy.

In fact, it is a little healthier: 350% more antioxidants than yellow or white corn and contains more protein. It has excellent sweet flavor, but was a little more tough–not as juicy as white/yellow corn.

I decided to roast the corn and then cut off the cob and create a salad:

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4-5 ears of red corn roasted, then cut off the cob
  • 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning, or equivalent
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 1-2 jalapenos, minced
  • 3-4 gloves garlic, minced
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 of 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 1 large tomato, seeded, and diced
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Directions:

  1. Roast the corn with the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or on a grill for about 15 minutes, turn every 2 minutes. Add the Cajun seasoning during cooking.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients and add to a big mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  3. When the corn is done (it should have some dark brown almost black spots), allow to cool so that you can handle.
  4. Add the corn to the bean/tomato mixture and refrigerate. Serve slightly chilled.

I cooked a few shrimp to serve on top for a light refreshing summer dinner!

25
Jun
2012
 Michelob Ultra Light Cider



BlogHer and Michelob Ultra asked me to review the new Ultra Light Cider (they sponsored this post)–the first ever cider produced Anheuser-Busch. It is the first light cider I have ever heard of. I was interested to know what it would taste like, and how much healthier it could really be. The Positives: It is gluten free, and 120 calories per bottle. Not too bad on the sugar either. This would be good for those who do not tolerate gluten as there is gluten in some ciders and beers. Made from apple juice, sugar, stevia, and sulphites to preserve. I was surprised to find stevia as one of the ingredients! I am glad there are no nasty artificial sweeteners used like aspartame.

The Negatives: The taste is not that amazing. The cider has a nice fizzy mouth-feel, and  is pretty refreshing, but the actual flavor is somewhat lacking. It has an apple candy flavor without the sour flavor. Overall, a very mild taste. Almost too mild. Some people might like that kind of flavor. If you don’t like strong flavors, or strong beverages, this would be for you. When I think of a cider, I think of drinking it in the fall weather, but this particular cider I could drink in the summer by the pool. Mainly because it doesn’t taste like a cider. It tastes like a mild, slightly fruity, fizzy beverage.

This is not for people who like to drink ciders. Rather, it would be a good pool-side beverage for those wanting something more refreshing and mild.

Overall, Michelob light cider is a great way to save some calories the healthy way. And for those of you who need a new pool-side beverage this summer, you could try out the light cider. Don’t be fooled by the “cider” name. Think, light apple candy adult drink! Haha.

Which favorite summer meal or activity do you think would go best with Michelob ULTRA Light Cider?

28
May
2012
 Paella on the Grill



This Memorial Day weekend, we went over to my parent’s house to celebrate Psycho Holiday Baker’s birthday (my Mom). There was no baking going on with her this weekend… thank goodness since it is her birthday! But, my Dad was hard at work on the grill.
Such a colorful dish! I forget that you can pretty much grill everything if you have the right cooking technique.

Here is the recipe he made from Food Network Magazine:
He followed this recipe almost perfectly, except he used more liquid for the rice. It just depends on what kind of rice you use to make this. Follow the instructions on the rice that you purchase.

My healthier recommendations for the recipe:

  • Use quick cooking brown rice and add more smoked paprika to add flavor.
  • Use a reduced sodium vegetable broth instead of regular chicken broth. You could also use half water to reduce the sodium further.
  • Instead of chorizo, try a smoked and spicy chicken sausage.

After doing these modifications, I realize you will not have an authentic paella at all, but it is a way to have similar flavors and create a healthier dish. Just depends on what you are going for.

Try this side dish of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light basil dressing: I added some feta on top of mine. I loved this recipe (posted below, but cucumbers were added). It was so light a refreshing. The whole meal was a crowd pleaser :)
The key is that you must use fresh basil. It really adds flavor and fragrance to the dish.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend and day off!

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