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Easy Soup Recipes for Cluttered Kitchens

Catherine — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:15:38 +0000

I adore soup. There is something so comforting about a big pot of hot soup on the stove, and my family always feels like they have had a “real” homecooked meal when it’s a soup night.

We make soup at least once or twice a week, especially in the winter. I make split pea soup, leek and potato soup, turkey vegetable soup, spicy tomato vegetable soup — the list goes on and on. A good soup has so much going for it:

It’s hot, homemade and delicious.
Packed with nutritious veggies, beans and/or grains.
Only uses one pot and the stove top — easy to prepare and easy cleanup.
Soup is peasant food, so the ingredients are typically economical and easy to find.
Hearty enough to be the centerpiece of the meal, with or without a crusty loaf of bread.
Yummy leftovers. (This is only a plus if you love leftovers, like our family does!)

Looking to start easy? Here is a list of yummy soup recipes that have no more than five ingredients:

If you’re an experienced cook or want to get a little more complex, try these delicious soups:

Soup night is my favorite way to get a healthy, economical meal on the table with almost no effort Enjoy!

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Tunisian Food — A Great Example of the Healthy Mediterranean Diet

Catherine — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:12:49 +0000

Ever since we moved to the small North African country of Tunisia last summer, I have been thoroughly enjoying eating Tunisian food, both at restaurants and at home. I’ve also lost about 20 more pounds and I’m smaller than I have ever been since I was 21 years old! I don’t think this is a coincidence. Here’s why.

Tunisia has a long Mediterranean coastline and its cuisine is a fine example of the Mediterranean diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, fish and poultry, nuts and good oils. These foods are high in antioxidants and fiber and nutrient-rich so they are naturally satisfying and healthy.

Tunisians love spicy food, and the national condiment and an ingredient in many dishes is a paste called harissa, made from garlic and smoked hot red peppers.

Some of the highlights of Tunisian food culture help illustrate why the traditional Mediterranean diet is so healthful:

Couscous is one of the most popular meals in North Africa. Couscous appears to be a finely-textured grain but the individual grains are actually made from semolina dough like pasta. I buy wholewheat couscous to increase the fiber and nutrient content. Couscous is frequently served with a stew of vegetables, sometimes with meat, chicken or poultry. Couscous can also be served as a desert steamed with dried fruits, nuts, spices and drizzled with honey.
An abundance of fruits and vegetables are grown in the northern coastal regions of Tunisia, where we live, and they are sold in the vast outdoor and indoor market nearby. Depending on the season, we can buy fresh dates, citrus fruit, apples, pomegranates, nectarines, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, melons, tomatoes, eggplant, artichokes, green onions, leeks, cabbage (red and green), peppers, fennel, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, fresh and cured olives and so much more.
Dried beans, chickpeas, and lentils are sold in bulk. Where we live, the most popular street food is a baguette filled with hot chickpeas, drizzled with olive oil and garnished with olives and tuna, egg or sardines. I had this for breakfast the other day before the gym — my husband and I split one sandwich and I was full for hours.
With such a long Mediterranean coastline, fish is a popular dish. Fresh grilled fish, fresh and canned tuna, octopus and squid all figure prominently.
Delicious Tunisian mint tea is made from green tea, black tea and mint. Full of antioxidants and, when purchased at a cafe, unfortunately sugar. I want to try substituting stevia for sugar.
What do Tunisians eat when they want a snack? Well, along with the deep fried sweets that are popular (we have these for a very occasional treat), a favorite snack option are the freshly roasted nuts and seeds that can be bought in little bags at ubiquitous little Fruits Secs stands.

Want to experiment with cooking Tunisian food? You can check out some yummy Tunisian recipes here.

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16 Nutritious, Easy Crockpot Recipes for Cluttered Kitchens

Catherine — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:04:31 +0000

I was reminiscing lately about the old days when my kitchen was a mess, and the lack of homecooked meals as a result. I hardly ever cooked because the counters, table and sink were so cluttered all the time that I couldn’t really begin to think about putting together a meal. So we ate a lot of junky takeout food. Today I was thinking that it would not have been that hard to combine a few ingredients in the crockpot for a hot meal later in the day.

The Tweaks System is all about one little step at a time. You don’t have to start cooking three-course meals at home. Here are some simple, good-for-you homecooked meals that you can just throw together in a crockpot — so much cheaper and healthier than pizza or fast food. The majority of these recipes use no more than five ingredients:

Pot Roast This is a flexible recipe; it uses potatoes and carrots, but you can add chunks of any root veggies you have in the fridge — turnip, rutabaga, parsnips, celeriac.
Italian Pot Roast This is great with Italian bread and a green salad.
Chicken Taco Meat Super easy way to prepare taco meat for now or for the freezer.
Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Garlic There’s no reason why you couldn’t substitute dried rosemary for the fresh rosemary in this recipe.
Turkey Breast Get turkey breast on sale and use this easy method to cook it for sandwiches and salads.
Green Chili Beef Great on burritos with a little cheese and some quacamole or sour cream. This makes lots of leftovers that you can freeze or use for lunches.
Refried Beans Simple, healthy and very economical.
Mexican Pork Gives pork and beans a whole new spin — spicy black beans with lean pork loin cubes.
Italian Sausage Try this with whole wheat spaghetti or multigrain rolls. It’s safe to skip the boil-in-a-pot step at the beginning of the recipe.
Swiss Steak A nice small recipe for two servings.
Tomato Chicken A whole chicken and a jar of spaghetti sauce. What could be easier? Try throwing in some halved potatoes halfway through and some cubed zucchini in the final hour for a full meal.
Chicken Fajitas So much cheaper than restaurant fajitas, and healthier than Taco Bell!
Oatmeal Porridge Have kids? This is a great way to wake them up with a hot breakfast on hectic mornings. Just put oatmeal, water and a pinch of salt in the crockpot right before bed.
Aztec Black Beans Vegetarian, cheap, healthy and delicious. A real winner.
Curried Chicken Legs I’d throw in some baby carrots or cubed carrots for the final couple of hours and then serve this over rice.
Sloppy Joe Lentils Another non-meat recipe. This makes a big batch so you can freeze half for microwaving later.

This is a Friday Fun post.

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