Soup, Enchiladas, and Brownies

Let me first tell you about the soup and enchiladas. I was at the co-op the other day and they had samples of a pumpkin curry soup that was amazing. You can use either fresh or canned pumpkin and either whole milk, half and half, or coconut milk. I used half whole milk and half coconut milk just for kicks. It is a delicious soup.

Pumpkin Curry Soup
serves 8
2 Tbs butter
2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, chopped (1 cup)
1 celery stalk, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (which I don't have so I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves and 1/4 tsp ginger)
2 15 oz cans pumpkin
28 oz chicken broth
2/3 c water
1 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute until tender. Add the curry and pumpkin pie spice and cook for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin, chicken broth and water and bring to a boil and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes. Puree the soup at this point in a blender (in three batches) and then return to pot. Add the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. This, like all soups, is even better the next day. And one serving is 158 calories (depending on the milk you use).

Then we have the enchiladas. Growing up I loved my mom's enchiladas which are made with flour tortillas, stuffed with chicken, cheese, and green chilies, and then topped with a cream of chicken/sour cream sauce. Then I had Chelsea's enchiladas which are made with corn tortillas and filled with beans, meat, and cheese and smothered in green enchilada sauce. My mom called me the other day with a recipe that combines the two and I tweaked it a bit and found enchilada heaven. The best part (other than the taste)? Only 107 calories per enchilada.

Best of Both Worlds Enchiladas
makes 24
2 small cans green enchilada sauce (the ones I found had 100 calories per can)
2 small cans fat free refried beans (I used the ones flavored with lime and green chilie and they had 350 calories per can)
2 chicken breasts, baked and shredded
2 oz cheddar cheese (organic valley, grated)
2 pkgs thin corn tortillas (I found one that had 4 tortillas for 140 calories)
1 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
2 c chicken broth
2 Tbs sour cream
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

I made 12 at a time. Pour the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (or larger). Put 12 tortillas on your counter and spread some beans, top with chicken a bit of cheese, roll up and squish in the pan with the enchilada sauce. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Make a white sauce by melting the butter and adding the flour until golden. SLOWLY add the chicken stock until you reach the desired consistency. Add the sour cream and season to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour over enchiladas. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Now the brownies. Have I ever mentioned that I am a complete binge eater when it comes to homemade desserts? My happy place is sitting alone in a corner, a brownie in each hand and one in my mouth. Counting calories is not exactly brownie friendly so I tried to make a healthy-ish recipe. It worked, but lacked intense flavor. The good part was a 9x13-inch pan made 12 157 calorie servings, which isn't bad for a brownie. The next day I made real brownies for book club and realized the error of my ways. Brownies aren't supposed to be healthy. They are supposed to be rich and decadent. I fell in love with the brownie at Devil's Food Bakery in Denver, CO and have mourned the fact that I am no longer a mere 4 hour drive from that heavenly establishment. Now I have no need to mourn, because I have found the best brownie recipe of all times. My parents bought the cookbook Baked for my birthday last year and this is the first recipe that I've tried. It is incredible. And, if you cut really tiny brownies, 40 from a 9x13-inch pan, they are only 147 calories a piece. And they leave you feeling satisfied. Make them soon.

The Baked Brownie
serves anywhere from 1 to 40
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao) coarsely chopped
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder (the original recipe calls for espresso powder, but I don't do the coffee thing so this is my substitution)
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 35p degrees and butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored metal pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and 2 Tbs cocoa powder.

Put the chocolate, butter, and 1 tsp cocoa powder in a large bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from pan. Let cool to room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the melted chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the melted chocolate mixture and using a spatula (not a whisk) fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. (Or hoard.)

In Praise of Calorie Counting and Hot Chocolate

My brother called to tell me about an online program he was using to track his daily calorie consumption. You input your height, weight and age and the amount of weight you want to lose per week and your activity level. Then it tells you how many calories you can consume each day in order to reach your weight loss goal. I have never been a calorie counter, but I signed up to give it a try. I now believe everyone should try this, at least for a week, because it makes you much more conscious of what you truly want to eat. My calorie limit if I do not exercise is 1161, which is rather depressing. This in and of itself motivates me to workout simply so I can eat more. What I am loving however is that rather than feeling deprived I feel fulfilled, because when I eat I very carefully choose what it is I really want. If I just need something snacky there is no way at 148 calories that I am going to chose a piece of bread, I will instead take the 35 calorie bowl of baby carrots. This morning I made myself the most delicious cup of hot cocoa, with whole milk, divine cocoa powder, and sugar. I added up the calories and decided it was completely worth the 278 calories, and I enjoyed every single drop. I suppose what I am really trying to explain is that it isn't about losing weight, it is about purposeful eating. I believe eating should be a joyful experience, and oddly enough watching my caloric intake like a hawk each day is increasing the amount of pleasure I get from food. Who would have thought?

Hot Cocoa - single serving
*You really want to use the best quality possible for your cocoa powder. If you live in UT march yourself down to Caputo's and ask for a tutorial in their bulk cocoa powder. My current favorite is the Pralus organic which if you buy 1/2 lb or more the price is $12.96/lb which is about half of what it costs if you purchase less than 1/2 lb. I bought 1/2 lb for about $6.35 and it is worth every penny and then some.
**The longer you let it simmer the thicker it gets. Use whole milk, it's worth it.

1 c whole milk
2 tbs cocoa powder
2 tbs sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine the cocoa powder and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-ish heat. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until you reach desired thickness. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Enjoy ever so slowly.

For Christmas I made Hot Chocolate which was rich and thick and divine. I topped it with whipped cream and used the same proportions as listed above with the addition of 1 oz of chocolate per person. I bought my chocolate bar at Caputo's as well and purchased the Francois Pralus Djakarta 75% bar. Again, it is pricey but worth it.

To serve 6
1 qt half and half
10 tbs pralus cocoa powder
12 tbs sugar (or to taste)
1 bar Djakarta chocolate, finely chopped
1 to 3 tsp vanilla (to taste)

Follow the directions above but when it starts to simmer stir in the chopped chocolate. Stir until melted and than simmer until thick (about 15 minutes) stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add vanilla.

Plop a dollop of sweetened vanilla whipped cream into each mug and then pour in hot chocolate. Prepare to be amazed.

Szechuan Sesame Noodles

Fanny gave me a bon appetit recipe-a-day calender and if this is the only recipe that I ever make it will be completely worth it. I changed it up a bit, decreased the amount of oil, increased the amount of veggies, and added a bit of chicken breast for additional protein for my carnivorous husband. I also made my own teriyaki sauce (soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic powder) to save money. It is amazingly good, a bit spicy, and even good cold the next day for lunch. This recipe serves 4, if you can keep yourself from eating it all in one sitting.

8 oz thin dried Asian noodles or linguine
1 1/2 tbs sesame oil, divided
3 tbs chopped peanuts
3 garlic cloves
6 tbs teriyaki sauce
2 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tsp chili-garlic sauce (found in the Asian aisle)
1 bunch of green onions thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 c snow peas, trimmed
1 chicken breast, thinly sliced

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and return noodles to pot and mix in 1/2 tbs sesame oil and peanuts.

Heat remaining 1 tbs oil in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir 10 seconds. Add the red bell pepper and chicken and saute for 1 minute or so. Add the teriyaki sauce, lime juice, and chili-garlic sauce and simmer until chicken is cooked through and pepper is tender. Mix into noodles and stir in green onion and snow peas.

This is so good you will never need to go out for Chinese take-out again.

3 lbs down, 7 more to go

After Connor was born I gained 5 lbs simply due to lack of exercise. It was really hard to go anywhere in January with a tiny new baby. And then we travelled a lot, and then we moved, and then the holidays came and not only did I not ever lose that initial 5 lbs but I gained an additional 5, seemingly overnight. Growing up weight gain was something I constantly worried about, but in a different way because I was always trying to weigh more. My heart problem made it very difficult for me to gain any weight. I can vividly remember the day I reached the 100 lbs mark which was a day of celebration. Hooray for hearts that work! It has been hard to change that 'must gain weight' mentality as I've been in my twentites and to realize that I need to exercise. So my goal is to lose the weight by Valentine's Day, which means I have to be a lot more conscious about what I eat. The funny thing is I don't eat a lot, but I haven't been moving a lot either, so what I do it sticks. My two biggest downfalls have been lack of exercise and lack of planning because when I don't plan I don't eat well. My exercise plan is off to a good start (down 3 lbs already) and I am getting back into the swing of things with meal planning. I have a major sweet tooth so yesterday I made almond biscotti, another fabulous recipe from the mayo clinic, with a few changes. I left out the dried apricot, used 1 tsp of vanilla instead of the almond extract, and added 1/2 a vanilla bean. They are delicious and mildly sweet and fulfill my craving for something sweet and crunchy. Last night was more fun with Martha and vegetables as I tried out this new quinoa recipe I cut out of the January issue. It is delicious and combines many of my food loves. I love quinoa because it is the only non-animal complete protein. I love swiss chard for its color and flavor and versatility, and I love mushrooms. This is quick to prepare (although I would recommend first cooking the chard stems until almost tender and then adding the leaves) and delicious.

I do not believe in dieting, just in healthy eating. I love butter and chocolate and sugar and fat and have no intention of cutting them out of my diet, but I also understand the effects of creeping obesity and don't want to gain 10 lbs a year for the next 5 years so I figure I had better get this under control now while my life is relatively simple and I only have one child.

New Year, New Vegetable

I suppose the title is a bit misleading, for cabbage is certainly not a new vegetable in my life, but it is the method of cooking the cabbage that is not only new to me, but unbelievably tasty. Up to this point I have believed that cabbage has two purposes - soup and coleslaw. My sweet Mom decided to get me a subscription to Martha Stewart Living and in the January issue there was this one page photo of roasted cabbage. I pulled it out and stuck it in my 'recipes to try' pile. I am thankful I did not wait long, because now that I have tasted roasted cabbage I have every intention of making it quite frequently. Dinner was ridiculously simple last night, and what made it even better was that it was also very healthy and amazingly delicious. I served the roasted cabbage with chicken breasts topped with sauteed mushrooms and toasted baguette rubbed with fresh garlic. Even if you think you don't like cabbage you must try this once, because it tastes so different from what you might expect.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut 1 green cabbage in quarters, leaving the core intact. Place on baking sheet and brush all sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chicken on other end of baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and season. Bake for 15 minutes, turn, and bake 10 minutes more.

While roasting, saute sliced mushrooms in 1/2 Tbs butter. Toast baguette slices and rub with 1 clove of crushed garlic. Plate with chicken and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the cabbage and then add to plate. Devour immediately, using the bread to wipe up the delicious juices that remain.