Easy and Delicious Zucchini and Potato Soup

I know it's been awhile, and I do apologize for the long absence. My job has been eating all my time and energy, but I have some time today, so I wanted to share a recipe. I originally found this recipe in the July/August 2012 issue of Health magazine, but I have changed it a little since then. 

Since it is now officially fall and there is a chill in the air, it is the perfect time of year to make delicious homemade soups. I love this recipe because it is not only easy and tasty, but also incredibly healthy and only 152 calories per 1 1/2 cup serving. This recipe makes 4 servings. 

Zucchini and Potato Soup

The steam made it hard to take a picture!

Ingredients: 

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (more if you like it spicy)
3 average-sized golden potatoes, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
4 cups (32 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Parmesan or cheddar cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large saucepan or soup pot.
2. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 7-8 minutes.
3. Add garlic and curry; cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add remaining ingredients, and heat to boiling, stir.
5. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes. 

So much steam! :)

6. Serve into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese or sharp cheddar cheese slices! The cheese makes it even more delicious but it does add extra calories! :)


Enjoy! 


What is your favorite soup for the cold-weather months? I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts and comments!

Until next time,
J

Other posts you might enjoy:

Pizza Dough from Scratch
Homemade Tortillas and Chicken Fajitas
Simple Pasta Salad

Five Awesome Fruits and Vegetables and How to Use Them in Your Meals

I've always been interested in eating healthier and including more fruits and vegetables in my diet. One wall I have run into in the past is that many articles and magazines talk about foods that I don't like or don't know what to do with. I decided to make a list of my top five fruits and vegetables including their health benefits and easy ways to use them in meals or desserts. 

1. Cucumber

Health Benefits:  

• 96% water, helps to hydrate you, helps to flush out toxins
• vitamins A, B, C, and potassium
• can reduce cancer risk
• good source of fiber which aids digestion
• silica aids in joint health and strong nails

Uses:

• sliced in a sandwich instead of lettuce
• chunks or slices in a pasta salad
• sliced with salt and pepper, or balsalmic vinegar as a snack
• if you slice them up ahead of time and keep them in a container in your fridge, you will be surprised how often you reach for this healthy and almost zero-calorie snack!

Pizza Pizza!: Pizza Dough From Scratch

Pizza has to be the number one favorite food in America, and there is a never-ending list of places to buy it and ways to fix it. However, no matter whether it's Domino's or DiGiorno, there's a plethora of yucky preservatives and food additives in the ingredients, so when the opportunity came to make my own, I gave it a try!

Lucky for me, my husband came home a couple weeks ago with almost two whole blocks of smoked mozzarella cheese that he got for free from his work. What are we going to do with that? I thought, as I pondered the sheer amount of cheese. The answer turned out to be make my own dough and have some pizza!

I found that pizza dough is extremely easy to make, and you can add whichever herbs and spices you want. I actually tried two different recipes in the last couple weeks, and while one turned out good, the other was a disaster. I found that you absolutely must have a recipe with yeast --- non-yeast recipes just do not work well at all.

A "Healthier" Pie: Fruit with an Oil Crust!

Since I have had a little more free time this summer, I have been experimenting in cooking all kinds of things from scratch that I've always wanted to try. One item I've been playing around with is fruit pies, which are the ultimate summer dessert in my opinion! 

I first thought of making a pie when I found myself with a bunch of cherries in my fridge that I didn't know what to do with. I bought them on sale and I thought I would enjoy snacking on them, but I didn't. They stained my fingers and I just didn't like them on their own. So I thought..."Hey, I've got these cherries, and a couple apples... why not a pie or a tart?" 

Homemade Tortillas and Chicken Fajitas

Tonight I decided to tackle homemade tortillas since they seemed easy enough, and make chicken fajitas to go in them. Wow, was I surprised! The tortillas made a huge difference to the meal, and it made me feel better to eat something that had no chemicals or preservatives. They were definitely labor-intensive, but well worth it. I don't think I'll ever buy store tortillas again. This dinner was so delicious, and so filling! Here's a picture of the final product, and then I'll go step-by-step how I made it: 

Yum Yum! :)

Easy Simple Pasta Salad

In an effort to be more healthy these days, I've been making a lot at home from scratch. It's also kind of fun to experiment. Now, if I was an experienced blogger, I would have taken pictures of this salad as I made it last night, but alas, I'm sorry, I have no pictures. I promise next time I post a recipe you will have something to look at. 


This is my own recipe-ish, but it was partially inspired by my friend Debbie who always brings the most awesome food items to work for us to consume. (I blame her for about 75% of the weight I've gained in the past 5 years lol.) 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of pasta (I use the twisty spiral noodles and regular pasta, but you can use whatever. Whole wheat or carb free would probably still taste as good if you want to be healthier.)
• 1-2 Cucumbers
• 1-3 Roma tomatoes (depends on how big they are... You could also use grape or cherry tomatoes if you want to be all fancy.)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsalmic vinegar
• Parmesan cheese (the grated or the powdered kind; it doesn't matter)
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder (optional)

What I do:

1. Cook pasta. It's better if it's a little al dente.
2. While pasta is cooking, chop up the cucumbers and tomatoes.
3. When pasta is done, strain and run cold water over the noodles to cool them off (about 1-2 minutes).
4. Shake off the excess water, and pour pasta into large serving/mixing bowl.
5. Add veggies on top.
6. Add olive oil to taste (I start with about 2 tablespoons and add more if needed).
7. Add balsamic vinegar to taste.
8. Add Parmesan cheese and salt/pepper to taste, then a pinch or two of garlic powder if desired.
9. Mix thoroughly and let chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
10. Eat it! :)

You'll probably notice that I'm not too exact with my measurements. That's because I inherited my dad's way with cooking where it's kind of just like toss in whatever until it tastes good. This is a very simple recipe that you could doctor up anyway you'd like too. Experiment with different veggies, dressings, etc. Hope you enjoy! 

Until next time,

J