Simple Celery Soup

This soup is a dieter’s dream- super low in calories, helps to fill you up and celery is a natural diuretic so it may help a bit with belly bloat as well! Oh- and not to mention, it tastes good too ☺

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 finely chopped fresh garlic clove (1 teaspoon)
½ cup chopped white or yellow onion
4 cups chopped celery
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (*use a gluten-free brand such as Progresso Natural if you are on a gluten-free diet)

Directions:

Add ½ teaspoon of olive oil to a large pot, along with the onions and garlic and sauté them on medium-high heat until lightly browned/tender, about 3-4 minutes. Put in the other ½ teaspoon of olive oil plus the chopped celery and saute some more, stirring frequently for another 3-5 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 7-10 minute, until the celery is tender. Turn off the heat and cool for 5-10 minutes, then carefully transfer the soup into a blender. If you have a smaller blender do this in batches, instead of blending the entire amount at one time. Add only one fourth to one half of the mixture at a time (you can put the other half in a large bowl.)
**A note about blending hot liquids: in order to be safe, it is recommended when you blend hot liquids that you never fill the jar more than half full, that you put the lid on and then cover it with a dry towel and hold it down by hand. Or instead, cover with the top, but leave out the center plastic covering, place a kitchen towel on top, which will allow air to escape more gently. Also, use as slow a speed as possible. NEVER blend hot liquids fully covered and at high-initial speed...you're just inviting burns as the hot liquid quickly blends, heats up the air above it, and causes an explosion through the blender top.

Blend in batches on low speed for about a minute, until a smooth consistency is reached. Put all of the finished blended mixture back in the saucepan and warm on low heat for 5 -10 minutes, stirring frequently (to prevent the thick soup from spattering.)

Variation: to reduce sodium content you can use low sodium broth

Makes 4 cups, four servings

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 45 Protein 2 g Carb 5 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 3 g Fat 1.5 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 780 mg

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Curry Orzo Salad

This spiced up whole grain salad can be served hot or cold.

Ingredients:

1 cup dry whole wheat orzo (2.5 cups cooked)
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ to ¾ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons golden raisins
chopped cashews (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

Cook orzo according to package directions (basically just boil one quart of water, add the orzo and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until tender), drain when done, Meanwhile add the broth, carrots and cauliflower to a large sauce pan, cover and simmer on medium heat until the veggies are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked orzo to the pan with the veggies, stir in the olive oil, garlic powder, curry powder and raisins and heat for another 3-5 minutes. Serve warm or chilled topped with crushed cashews as a garnish.

Makes 5 cups, 10 servings

Serving Size: ½ cup Calories 80 Protein 3 g Carb 16 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 3 g Fat 1 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 108 mg

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eNourishment turns two!

It’s hard to believe that as of this week I have been blogging for two years- this is post number 185! I launched eNourishment right before ringing in 2009, thinking what better time to unleash a blog about healthy food and nutrition… after the holidays! So it’s pretty cool that each blog anniversary coincides with New Years, a key time when I reflect, regroup and set new goals. Reflection-wise, I have to say A LOT has happened in the past 2 years- all good stuff too :) I started this blog (an impetus for creating a collection of original and healthy recipes), became a first time mom to my wonderful baby girl and then moved into an awesome new home (luckily fully equipped with quite the kitchen for cooking!) All of these life developments plus my busy career can make it a challenge sometimes to keep blogging but I AM very committed and am always glad that I continue to create, cook and write. So when it comes to goals for this coming year blog-wise, not only will I keep making up yummy recipes and posting on interesting nutrition topics, but I hope to also improve my food photography, network more and learn from other bloggers, increase my blog's readership/visibility and maybe even give the overall looks of enourishment a bit of a facelift. So there are the goals, now back to reflections- I want to say thank you to all my readers and let’s take a look back some of my favorite recipes I’ve posted since eNourishment started. Happy New Year, Happy cooking!

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas with Lime Cilantro Rice



Ken’s Vegetarian Chili for Champions



Guest Recipe: Turkey Burgers by Sonny Amou



Creative Crepes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, entertaining…you name it!




Apple Cinnamon Fruit Dip



Banana Nut Cookies



Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette



Black Eyed Pea and Zucchini Jambalaya



Asian Slaw



Parmesan Crusted Chicken



Coconut Cashew Rice



Portobello Pizzas



Spinach Artichoke Dip



Mini Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Ginger Pear Cake

A festive cake- great for the holidays, but doesn’t pack on the pounds!

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 egg or ¼ cup egg substitute
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup margarine, melted
¼ cup light maple syrup
½ cup 0% Greek yogurt
3 cups chopped pears

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, cinnamon, ginger and baking soda in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, margarine, and Greek yogurt. Slowly start adding the flour mixture to the larger bowl with the egg/sugar mixture until a soft thick dough is formed. Stir in the chopped pears and add batter to a 9 X 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 35 minutes or a toothpick comes out clean after inserted in the center.

Makes 12 servings:
Serving size: 1/12th of recipe Calories 138 Protein 3 g Carb 23 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 15 g Fat 4 g Saturated fat <1 g Sodium 233 mg

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Interview: Stay Healthy During the Holiday Season

I was recently interviewed for a post on a community news website called EncinoPatch. Check out the article on how to avoid holiday weight gain and stay fit during the holidays with good hygiene, exercise and tips on avoiding overeating. Click HERE. Happy Healthy Holidays!

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Lemony Cream Cheese Spread

I literally whipped this up right before a get-together I hosted a little while back. I was making Cucumber Water so I had plenty of lemons on hand, plus quite a bit of leftover cream cheese after making my Spinach Artichoke Dip. So I added fresh lemon juice to cream cheese, added a little powdered sugar and viola! This recipe is like a cross between a frosting and a spread. Great for serving with muffins or quick breads, like my Banana Blueberry Oat Loaf.

Ingredients:

One eight ounce tub light cream cheese
4 teaspoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Put both ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well by hand or with an electric mixer. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Makes 12 servings

Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe, little over 1 tablespoon Calories 42 Protein 1 g Carb 2 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 2 g Fat 3.5 g saturated fat 2 g Sodium 82 mg




Lemony Cream Spread

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Spinach and Walnut Gnocchi

This pasta dish is a nice departure from the traditional kind smothered with red sauce. A few simple and healthy ingredients combine to create a nice and subtle blend of earthy, fresh flavor. I found a whole wheat variety of gnocchi at Trader Joes that I was excited to try in this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked gnocchi, preferably whole wheat (I used Trader Joes whole wheat brand)
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup finely chopped shallots
2 -3 cloves garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 cups of fresh spinach
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup white wine
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
chopped fresh basil (optional for garnish)

Directions:

Cook gnocchi according to package directions, drain and set aside. Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan, throw in the shallots and garlic and brown on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the spinach, broth and wine and heat until spinach is slightly wilted, Stir in the cooked gnocchi and heat for another few minutes until warmed though. Top with nuts and cheese (1/2 tablespoon of each) and serve. Fresh chopped basil makes a nice garnish.

Makes 3 cups, 6 servings:

Serving size: ½ cup Calories 160 Protein 3 g Carb 21g Fiber 3 g Sugars 0 g Fat <1 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 300 mg

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