Random Quote of the Day

"Never mistake motion for action."

Ernest Hemingway

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Fresh Roasted Tomato Soup

Adapted from for the Love of Cooking

Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

1-28 ounce whole tomatoes with basil, no salt added

2 tablespoons E.V.O.O. (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced into thin slivers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Strain tomatoes from juice, reserving juice for later.  Spray cooking spray over a tinfoil lined baking sheet.  Add tomatoes, drizzle E.V.O.O. over the top along with the Italian seasoning and the salt and pepper to taste.  Slide the garlic slivers into the tomatoes, they will roast and soften inside as well as infuse the tomatoes with their flavor.  Place in oven and roast for approximately 30 minutes.  Don't over-roast or they will dry.

Soup

1 TBS E.V.O.O. (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced

1 1/2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of chicken broth

1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoons sugar

1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup of fat free milk or 2% milk

Directions: 
Heat 1 TBS of E.V.O.O. in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot and celery and cook until tender.  Add garlic and stir for 30-45 seconds before adding chicken broth, reserved tomato juice from canned tomatoes, bay leaf, sugar, balsamic vinegar and roasted tomatoes.  Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 hours.

In a separate bowl, add milk.  Slowly spoon a little bit of soup mixture into milk to warm(don't pour cold milk into the soup, because it will curdle).  Once the bowl of milk is warm, add it to the soup.  Remove the bay leaf and use a food processor to puree until the soup is the desired consistency. Add salt or black pepper, if needed–adjusting to your taste.  Serve hot with a salad, crackers, rustic bread of your choice, or grilled cheese(your preference type).  Enjoy!

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Super Bowl Guilt-Free Crunchy Roasted Chick Peas

Recipe by Food Connection

Make sure to pat dry the chick peas after draining and rinsing them in order to get a good crunch to the chickpeas or they will not achieve it if they are damp.

2 cans of chickpeas

1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon spice of your choice or to taste (salt, pepper, garam masala, cumin, paprika, allspice, cayenne pepper, cinnamon sugar, garlic, etc.) 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375F.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Transfer them to a large dry dish towel and pat dry with a paper towel.  Put the chick peas in a bowl, add olive oil, sea salt and spices of your choice. Toss them to coat, then spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for 30-35 minutes or until crunchy, stirring them every 10 minutes to prevent burning.  Take out and serve warm or cool.  Enjoy!

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mmm....Healthy Banana-Chocolate Drops

 Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

3 large, ripe bananas, well-mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

2 cups old fashioned roll oats

2/3 cups almond meal (See note)

1/3 cups shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 ounces of chocolate bar, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.  In a large bowl, combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and EVOO.  Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, sea salt, and baking powder.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.  Fold in the chocolate chunks.  The dough is a bit loose than a standard cookie dough.  Drop dollops of the dough, an inch apart, onto a parchment baking sheet.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.  Allow the cookies to cool before serving.  Enjoy! 

NOTE:  How to make almond meal:  Your can make your own almond meal by pulsating almonds in a food processor until it is the texture of sand.  Almond meal can be purchased at natural stores, i.e. Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's.

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Quick Asian-Style Kung Pao Chicken

Adapted from For the Love of Cooking

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite sized cubes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons sesame oil

4 green onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your taste)

4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
1-2 teaspoons organic sugar

3/4 cup roasted peanuts

Directions:

Combine chicken and cornstarch in a bowl and toss until coated. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar in another bowl and stir to dissolve sugar. Set aside. Heat a wok with sesame oil over medium heat. Once the wok is heated to the point of smoking, add the chicken and stir fry until no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.

Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper and green onions to the wok and stir fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar mixture to the wok along with the cooked chicken and peanuts. Coat the chicken and peanuts with sauce and heat on low thoroughly. Serve over white rice or fried rice.  Enjoy!

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Random Quote of the Day

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony"

Mahatma Gandhi

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Random Quote of the Day

"Man is a complex being; he makes the deserts bloom and lakes die."

Gil Stern 

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