Cheese Shrimp Soup (My Healthy Version)

This soup is awesome! Someone from work gave me the recipe; I have modified the original recipe to be fat-free. It is a great prelude to Friday night fish during Lent, a great idea for a potluck, or serve it with a salad! I am a lover of soup, so I enjoy it as the main dish.

Category: Soup
Prep/Cook Time:
Approximately 2 Hours
Cooking Style: Simmer on the Stove Top
Complexity: Easy
Servings: 10 (Depends on the bowl size!)
Date: March 21, 2009

2	cup	Carrots	Chopped or Shredded
1	ea	Red Onion, Medium	Chopped
2	cup	Celery	Chopped
1/2	cup	Flour
1	cup	Salsa, Medium or Hot
4	cup	Chicken Broth
4	cup	Raw Shrimp (about 120 thumb sized shrimp)	Shelled/Cleaned and Deveined. Cut in half. Middle, not length wise.
4	cup	Half & Half, FAT FREE
4	cup	Vegetable Cheese Product	Cheddar Flavor
1/2	tsp	Sea Salt	Optional
1/2	tsp	Fresh Ground Pepper
1	ea	Bay Leaf

SMART POINTS

1. Do not cut your shrimp or vegetables too small. You do not want either to disintegrate during the cooking process.

2. You need to stir this recipe constantly. Also, never boil it! Just cook it to the point that it is on the verge of boiling. Very low simmer.

Cooking:

1. Heat 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to a simmer and then add carrots, onion, and celery. Sauté the vegetables in the broth until they just begin to soften and set aside.

2. In a separate pan heat the remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth while SLOWLY adding the flour and stirring vigorously. The mixture should turn to a paste at which time you should slowly add the half and half while stirring vigorously. Very low simmer.

3. Pour broth mixture into the pot with the vegetables, add the salsa and vegetable cheese, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring soup “almost” to a boil and stir constantly. Cook on the verge of boiling for 30 minutes.

4. Add the shrimp and bring the soup back to the point of being on the verge of boiling. Very low simmer. Once the soup reaches this temperature, cook for 30 minutes. Continue to stir constantly.

5. The vegetable cheese product should be fully dissolved in the soup after the 60 minutes of cooking. If not, continue the cooking until it is.

6. Remove soup from heat, discard bay leaf, and cover. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

My friend suggested a garnish of goldfish crackers and paprika when serving each bowl. YUM!

Enjoy!

Shef D

Enchilada Casserole

Now here’s a new favorite in the Poszywak household! Shef D likes it because it’s easy and delicious! Not to mention it’s flexible to be either a meat or vegetarian dish.

Category: Meat or Vegetarian
Prep Time: Approximately 1 1/4 Hours
Cooking Style: Conventional Oven
Difficulty: Easy
Born: January 13, 2009

20	oz	Turkey, Mostly Breast Meat	Shredded and cooked
6	ea	12 Grain Soft Tortillas	About 10” Diameter
1		Red Onion, Large	Chopped into small pieces
3	ea	Garlic, Fresh, Large Cloves	Chopped into small pieces
8	oz	Cheese, Vegetable Product, Cheddar or Colby-Monterey Jack	Shredded
2	cups	Corn, Sweet (Approx. 15 oz)
1	qrt	Tomatoes (Approx. 28 oz +)	Drained
1	ea	Chili Beans (15.5 oz), Can	Black Beans are an ok substitute. I used Meijer brand chili beans. Rinsed and drained.
1	cup	Taco Sauce
1 1/2	Tbs	Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Non-stick cooking spray may be substituted
1	tsp	Hot Pepper Flakes
2 1/2	tsp	Chili Powder
1 1/2	tsp	Oregano
1 1/2	tsp	Ground Cumin
2	Tbs	Ground Flax Seed
1	cup	Chicken Broth
		Fat Free Sour Cream
		Salsa	You pick the heat!

SMART POINTS

1. When making sauces, add ground flax seed to give your family a dose of omega 3.

2. I buy turkeys anytime of the year when I want to stretch the budget and bake and freeze the meat in dinner portions. I used turkey for this recipe that I purchased, baked, and vacuum packed on payday. You could also use purchased ground turkey or for a vegetarian dish, use ground textured vegetable protein (TVP) with 3 shredded carrots. Below, I tell you in Step 6 how and when to substitute the textured vegetable protein (TVP) or ground turkey if you don’t have turkey already prepared.

3. Chicken broth-I stock many beef, chicken and vegetable broth cubes. I rarely use oils to sauté meats and vegetables. Call me old fashioned, but I believe that oils turn nasty when exposed to high heats. I’ll add extra virgin olive oil to dishes right before serving to give a gourmet taste to food. Plus, extra virgin olive oil is simply a healthy addition to your diet.

4. I freeze my sweet corn within hours of picking it to ensure that the sugars don’t turn to starch, so my corn is very sweet in recipes such as this one. Taste your corn and if it’s bland or not sweet, add a packet or two of sugar substitute to the corn. A sweet corn really boosts the taste of this dish.

Cooking:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the stack of tortillas onto a cutting board and with a sharp knife, cut the stack in half so now you have 12 halves instead of 6 whole tortillas.
3. Prepare your chicken broth in a small sauce pan and keep warm.
4. Pour two or three tablespoons of broth into a skillet and heat until it starts to simmer. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft. Add the chili powder, cumin and oregano and stir fry for approximately 5 minutes. Add small amounts of broth to keep the sauté mix moist and from burning/sticking to the pan.
5. In a blender or food processor, add the tomatoes, taco sauce, hot pepper flakes, and ground flax seed and sautéed onion mixture. Puree until smooth.
6. Meat Substitute Preparation: Using the skillet that was used to sauté the onions and garlic (don’t rinse!), add 3-4 tablespoons of chicken broth and either the textured vegetable protein (TVP) and the shredded carrots or the ground turkey. If using the textured vegetable protein (TVP) and carrots, sauté until the carrots just start to soften. If using the ground turkey, brown the meat. Again, maintain moisture and avoid burning by adding small amounts of chicken broth.
7. In a bowl mix together the shredded turkey (or your choice of substitute), corn and chili beans.
8. If you have chicken broth remaining after done sautéing and/or browning the meat, mix it into the tomato mixture.
9. Spread the extra virgin olive oil on a 9”x13” glass baking dish (or spray it with non-stick cooking oil).
10. Spread a thin layer of the tomato mixture over the baking dish bottom.
11. Next place a single layer of tortillas onto the tomato sauce and overlapping to cover sauce.
12. Spoon in a layer of the meat, corn, and bean mix and pour the tomato mix over this layer. Don’t soak the meat, corn, and bean layer. Just pour enough for flavor and moisture.
13. Next place a single layer of tortillas onto the meat, corn, and bean mix and overlapping to cover sauce.
14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 until the meat, corn, and beans and tortillas are all used ending with a layer of tortillas. Pour the remaining tomato sauce onto the last layer of tortillas and spread with a spoon.
15. Place the dish in the oven and bake 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, sprinkle the vegetable product cheese onto the enchilada casserole, return it to the oven, and bake an additional 25 minutes (total baking time is 45 minutes).
16. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Top with fat free sour cream and/or salsa and serve with your favorite salad. If you have a drink for a healthy heart, now would be a perfect time for a Corunna beer with a lime! If you don’t drink, your favorite cola with a lime is a great tasting substitute!

Enjoy!

Shef D

Recipe: Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potatoes are not just for Thanksgiving anymore! I can’t take the credit for this recipe. I don’t know the source or where I got it, but I know it’s not mine. It’s great and packed with nutrition. Check out sweet potatoes at www.whfoods.com.

Category: Vegetable
Prep Time: Approximately 1 Hour
Cooking Style: Conventional Oven or Outdoor Grill
Complexity: Easy
Servings: 4+
Date: January 6, 2009

1-2	ea	Sweet Potato (Large)	Peeled and cut into “French fry” pieces. American fry cut is ok, too!
4	Tbs	Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2	Tbs	Mrs. Dash Grilling Blends, Chicken	Substitute other favorite flavors

SMART POINTS!

1. I put together a food plan each week. I designed it to substitute foods that are on the American Dietetic Association’s (www.eatright.org) pyramid based on what type of food I want to eat in a week and the amounts. The website www.webmd.com has a tool for setting up a healthy food plan based on the ADA’s pyramid. I follow the sales at my favorite supermarket and purchase foods on sale that fit my weekly plan. The key to eating right is to understanding your body’s needs to either get healthy and/or stay healthy!

2. Make sure that the sweet potatoes don’t start to smoke. You don’t want the extra virgin olive oil to start to burn. George Mateljan (www.whfoods.com) says the smoke from oil is toxic.

3. Prepare enough of this recipe so you have extra to take to work and heat the sweet potatoes in the microwave for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

Sweet Potato Preparation: Put the sweet potatoes in a bowl and mix in the extra virgin olive oil and Mrs. Dash seasoning. Set aside for 15-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Cooking:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes (until soft).

3. Let the sweet potatoes cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve as a healthy snack or with your favorite main dish. I served them with some homemade sauerkraut and lean ham tonight, and it was an awesome meal!

Enjoy!

Shef D

Recipe: Rutabaga

If you’re thinking about making mashed potatoes, consider making a rutabaga instead. Refer to the bottom of this blog for links to compare how a rutabaga is packed with nutritional benefits over a potato. Not a bad substitute, eh? I’ve added flax seed to boost the health benefits from this dish!

Category: Vegetable
Prep Time: Approximately 45 Minutes
Cooking Style: Stove Top
Complexity: Easy
Servings: 2
Date: January 4, 2009

1	ea	Rutabaga (Large)	Peeled and cut into 1” pieces
4	ea	Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1	Tbs	Flax Seed	Ground
3/4	cup	Vanilla Flavored Soy Milk
1/2	Pkt (1oz)	Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Season Mix	Found in the salad dressing section at Meijer.

Cooking:

1. Add chicken bouillon cubes and rutabaga to a pot with water. (Enough water so the rutabaga is floating about 2-3” from bottom of pot). Boil until pieces are soft. (Stir once boiling to disperse bouillon).

2. Drain water from rutabaga using a colander.

3. Add ranch seasoning mix, flax seed and soy milk and beat with a mixer until the texture is similar to mashed potatoes.

4. Add sea salt and fresh, ground pepper to taste.

Compare the Health Benefits of a Rutabaga versus a Potato:

Rutabaga: http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-rutabagas-i11436

Potato: http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-potatoes-boiled-i11367

Enjoy!

Shef D