Author / Maggie

Posts by Maggie

Co-Founder, Piece of Mind Tutors; Member, IndieEd
by Maggie

Easy Winter Vegetable Soup

image image image Hot, tasty vegetable soup When the weather’s cold or rainy, (I live in California so our cold isn’t as extreme as much of the US, but we do get our chilly, rainy days), nothing satisfies like a hot, steaming bowl of soup, especially one that is full of seasonal vegetables like kohlrabi, parsnips, cabbage and onions.

This soup is delicious, natch; plus very easy to make and chock full of ingredients that are very good for you. It can also be made ahead of serving. As you know, soup is always better the next day!

INGREDIENTS 

  • 2-3 carrots cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1 kohlrabi, chopped into 1/2 ” pieces
  • 2-3 parsnips chopped into (yes- you guessed it) 1/2″ pieces- a chef told me that it really doesn’t matter if you have elegant chopping technique but that the point is to chop similar density food so that it is similar in size so it cooks approximately at the same time.
  • 1 small regular cabbage or savoy-type cabbage chopped; (savoy is a  cabbage with more curly leaves and a rectangular shape- I use this when I can get it for this soup)
  • 1-2 zucchini or winter yellow squash, chopped into 1/2″ rounds.
  • 1 med. onion chopped (can be finer chopped)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 1-2 scallions, chopped fine
  • 1/2-3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, including juice
  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • Herbs; your choice
  • No-salt seasoning (Trader Joe’s has a good one; 21 Seasoning Salute)

TO DO

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add the kohlrabi, carrots, parsnips and saute for 6-7 min., stirring occasionally.

2. Add the chopped cabbage and saute 4-5 min. more. It will seem like a lot of cabbage but it cooks down.

3. Add the onions, garlic and shallots and saute a few minutes until they start to become translucent. Then add the zucchini and/or squash.

4. Add the tomatoes with juice, wine, stock, bay leaf and spices to taste.

5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for approximately 40-45 min. until the vegetables are tender but not mushy.

6. Optional: add chopped cooked sausage.

Serve with crusty whole grain toast, if allowed on your diet, and a tangy vinaigrette-dressed green salad. ( I also like a dollop of plain yogurt on top.)

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com

Advertisement
by Maggie

Steamed Veggies / Casserole (Double Duty)

image

A delicious dish Rick introduced me too is a compilation of vegetables, brown rice and cheese, which we first serve as fresh steamed veggies and rice and then bake leftovers into a casserole. As usual, amounts and choices are arbitrary – these are what we like. For the casserole we actually kind of throw in whatever we have left over; including once a few sweet potato fries.
Dish 1:
STEAMED VEGGIES, BROWN RICE and CHEESE
INGREDIENTS:
  • Cauliflower 1 whole, broken into flowerets
  • Broccoli (1-2 bunches), peeled stalk and broken into flowerets and 1/2 ” stalk pieces
  • Red or yellow pepper (1-2); I confess that I’m not a green pepper fan, but go ahead and add if you are.
  • Zucchini and yellow squash, (4-5) chopped into 1/2 ” pieces
  • Carrots (3-4) chopped 1/2″ pieces
  • Mushrooms (1/2 lb.) Cremini are our go-to for this. Sliced.
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • Brown rice (I like Lundberg wild and brown rice mix)
  • Soy Jack cheese and goat cheese for grating (would be good with other cheese such as cow’s milk cheddar or Gouda, but Rick doesn’t eat dairy). We like Dayna, a brand of soy cheese and the Midnight Moon, our favorite goat grating cheese from Cypress Grove Creamery.*

TO DO:

  1. Cook the rice according to package directions, approx. 45-50 minutes
  2. In a large pot first steam the peppers, carrots and broccoli for approx. 10 -12 minutes, til they are tender but still firm
  3. Remove the first batch of vegetables into a large bowl
  4. Add the cauliflower, mushrooms and onions to the steamer. Steam for 10 minutes
  5. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and steam an additional 10 minutes
  6. Add the first group of steamed veggies back to the mix
  7. Serve veggies over rice in large bowls
  8. Grate the cheeses on each serving
  9. Optional; serve with your favorite Thai peanut sauce, Siracha, soy or Tamari sauce

* www.cypressgrovechevre.com

Dish 2:
VEGGIE CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS:
    • You guessed it- leftover veggies (plan to have them)
    • Leftover rice–(plan again)
    • 2 large eggs, beaten
    • Optional; add chopped chicken apple sausages
    • Herbs such as Herbs de Provence, Thyme or Marjoram; (I don’t recommend Rosemary or Basil, as their strong flavor will overwhelm this subtle tasting dish)
    • 1/2 lb soy Jack cheese, regular cheddar, Gouda, Swiss, etc.; (use your favorite or a mix for flavor variation) shredded
    • Cheese for grating

TO DO:

  1. Spray olive oil on a 9×13 casserole dish (I use Pyrex or Corning Ware)
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  3. Mix veggies and rice, in a large bowl
  4. Mix in the eggs
  5. Mix in the cheese
  6. Mix in optional sausages
  7. Spread evenly onto the casserole dish
  8. Grate cheese on top ( Parmesan, Midnight Moon, your choice)
  9. Bake for 40-45 minutes until hot and bubbly and brown on top

I serve both dishes with a green salad, usually with an olive oil/lemon vinaigrette; often including a small head of crushed garlic in the dressing; still subtle but tangy.

by Maggie

Baked Halibut

diabetes-friendly-baked-halibut

Baked Halibut

 

This recipe goes great with our sauteed spicy pumpkin and kale with bacon.

After our holidays with a surfeit of rich, heavy food; (ok–delicious, and still basically low carb), including a traditional roast turkey, leg of lamb, and of course lots of vegetable sides, plus oysters Rockefeller, as well as raw, we’re ready for some lighter fare, especially fish.

Fish is great for lots of reasons and halibut is one of my favorites; though not the fattiest of fish it’s still highly recommended for Omega-3 advantages, low calories/low cholesterol and overall deliciousness. (Wild, line caught halibut is recommended due to lower Mercury content.*)

Baked Halibut in a lemon/mustard/caper sauce combined with kale sautéed with bacon and onion and sautéed pre-baked sugar pie pumpkin makes a scrumptious low carb meal.

In this post I’ll give you the halibut recipe.

In subsequent posts I’ll share the other recipes we enjoyed for this dinner.

Please follow my blog to make sure you get them too!

Baked Halibut

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 lb. halibut, preferably wild, line caught *http://seafood.edf.org/halibut#bmb=1
  • 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 cup white wine (something dry like Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Dijon-type mustard
  • Capers to taste (I love them so I use about 1/3-1/2 C)
  • Salt-free seasoning, pepper; or use salt if you can
  • 1-2 tsp. lemon juice plus grated rind (yellow only as the white is bitter)
  • Paprika to dust on top before serving

TO DO:

1. preheat oven to 400.

2. In a Pyrex glass or Corningware pan (I used Pyrex 9×13 size) lay halibut fillets or steaks on a single layer on a thin layer of olive oil ( approx. 1Tbsp.).

3. Mix/wisk together remaining olive oil, mustard, white wine, lemon/rind and seasonings.

4. Spread sauce over fish.

5. Sprinkle 1/2 of the capers on top.

6. Bake 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of fish;(we like our fish moist and just a tad underdone- cook yours how you like it).

7. Sprinkle remaing capers and dust with paprika.

Serve with sautéed kale, pumpkin, and, as we usually have, a crisp green salad with a tart, lemony vinaigrette.

 

baked-halibut-kale-pumpkin-low-carb

All together great meal!

Enjoy!

www.type2delicious.com