Easy Healthy Diet Recipe: Southern Cabbage Soup

This creamy and subtly spicy cabbage soup is perfect for cold weekdays or chilly weekends. Adapted from Down Home Wholesome by Danella Carter, Southern cabbage soup easy healthy recipes are filling enough to be light healthy meals on its own served with some crusty bread, beans or rice. The chopped cabbage is sauteed in butter and onions and flavored with fennel seed and bay leaf then simmered in a stock of either chicken or vegetable. Carrots and apple are added to the soup to give sweetness, color and flavor. Dry white wine gives the soup a wonderful aroma and a depth of flavor while nutmeg and cayenne give it an invigorating fragrance and spice. Evaporated milk is also added to the cabbage soup for a creamy finish, and finally, ground pepper rounds off the flavor.

This is an ideal dish for making if cabbage is in season. Choose firm cabbage with a compact head and bright green leaves with no damage or wilting. The leaves should have a crisp texture and look fresh. Avoid cabbage with markings or are browning. It should fee heavy for its size and contain only a few loose outer leaves. The darker green the leaves of the cabbage, the more nutrition and flavor the cabbage has. Once cut the cabbage begins to lose nutrients, especially vitamin C, so only but cabbage that is a full head and is carefully packed and tightly sealed. Only chop the cabbage when you are ready to cook it for use in this recipe.

Ingredients: 1 large onion, diced, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 head of cabbage, chopped, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1 bay leaf, 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 1 large carrot, shredded or minced, 1 large apple, cored, peeled, and shredded or minced, 1 cup dry white wine, � teaspoon nutmeg, Pinch of cayenne, 2 cups evaporated milk, heated, Freshly ground pepper

Preparation Instructions: 

Place the butter in a 5 quart Dutch oven placed over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and sauté until golden. Add the cabbage, salt, fennel, and bay leaf. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and add the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the carrot, apple, and wine. Cook for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove the Dutch oven from the stove and stir in the nutmeg, cayenne, and milk. Season with pepper.

Before cooking the cabbage, wash the head well and pat them dry. Remove the outer leaves that are loose or have wilted. Slice it into two and remove the inner core and hard parts of the cabbage. Use a sharp knife for cutting the cabbage into large cubes or quarters for making soup.

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Vegetarian Recipe: French Onion Soup with a Twist

Healthy recipes for onion soup uses vegetable stock instead of beef stock and is seasoned with teriyaki sauce for a different twist. The sweet teriyaki sauce pairs well with the caramelized onions and create quite a tasty dish. Also called soupe à l’oignon in French, onion vegetable soup recipe is traditionally made with beef stock or beef broth. The soup is garnished with croutons and cheese and served as easy appetizers in French meals.

Originally a soup associated with poor peasants, onion soup is now a popular soup enjoyed around the world and has been around since the Roman times. During those times, onions were abundant and easy to grow and to this day remain inexpensive and easy to make. This is perfect for busy weekdays and can be whipped up any time of the week.

In this recipe, cheddar cheese is used to garnish the dish together with the croutons. The garnished soup is placed in the oven and broiled for a few minutes until the cheese melts and the croutons brown a bit on top. Use a ramekin or tureen for placing the soup in before placing them in the broiler or oven. Regular soup bowls are not appropriate if they are not made for heating in the oven. Commonly, gruyere cheese is used to garnish the onion soup, although it is more expensive than cheddar. Some like to enhance the soup with cognac or sherry.

Ingredients: 6 yellow onions, sliced or diced, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1/4 C prepared teriyaki sauce (your choice), 2 tbsp sesame oil, 8 C vegetable stock, crutons, 3 C old cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation Instructions: 

In a large soup pot, briefly sauté the onions and garlic in the sesame oil and teriyaki sauce. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cook for 12 minutes on high heat, stirring slowly. Pour soup into oven-safe bowls or designated onion soup tureens. Top with croutons and grated cheese. Broil in the oven for five minutes, or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Serve hot and enjoy.

Most of the flavor of the soup should come from the caramelized onions, which should be thoroughly sweated and nicely browned to bring out their sweetness and concentrate their flavors. The onions should be cooked slowly on low heat to prevent them from burning and becoming bitter. When caramelized, the onions will shrink in size to about half its original volume. This process also draws out the liquid from the onions and creates a rich and flavorful soup.

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Vegetable Recipe: Crock Pot Oatmeal

Oatmeal healthy recipes, adapted from “Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook” by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good, uses quick oats combined with egg, milk, baking powder, sugar, and salt cooked in a crock pot on low temperature for two hours to create a fluffy oatmeal porridge. High in fiber and nutritious, this oatmeal recipe makes a heartwarming breakfast or comfort food. You can also serve this with some vegetable soup recipe and salad for a healthy and complete healthy meals. Top with some fruits like apples, apricots, banana, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, cranberries, or raisins. You can also top it with some sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans for a flavorful and filling snack. You can also top the oatmeal with honey if you want it to be sweeter. Sprinkle some cinnamon or vanilla powder for a bit of spice.

Some kids don’t like to eat oatmeal even if it is good for them, because they find it tasteless and bland. This recipe makes oatmeal taste more scrumptious with the addition of egg, milk, and sugar. It makes the oatmeal taste and feel like a comforting pastry or biscuit that kids will love. Topping the oatmeal with some fruits, seeds, or nuts also make it more appealing and attractive. What’s more the nutrients from the nuts, seeds, and fruits will pack the oatmeal with energy and you have yourself a power breakfast that will start your day right.

Ingredients: 1/3 cup oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg (well beaten), 2 cups quick oats, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup milk

Preparation Instructions: 

Pour the oil into the crock pot, being sure to coat the sides of the pot with oil. If the sides of the pot aren’t fully coated, use a paper towel to spread the oil around. Add the sugar, egg, oats, baking powder, salt, and milk to the crock pot. Mix with a spoon. Bake on low for 2 ½ to 3 hours.

You can make this oatmeal recipe the night before, put it in the fridge, and then simply reheat it the next morning. Or place it in the crock pot on Keep Warm. You can also make double serving for the day so that you can enjoy the rest tomorrow, which is perfect if you expect to be really busy the day after.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Vegetable Soup Recipe: Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup

Sweet, aromatic, creamy and rich in flavor, this vegetable soup recipe for vegan carrot soup does not contain any cream or milk. It is made with onion, red lentils, garlic, thyme, tamari, tarragon, vegetable broth, carrots, and celeriac. The soup is pureed in a blender until smooth and garnished with freshly chopped parsley. Refreshing and invigorating, creamy vegan carrot soups are healthy easy appetizers and can also be enjoyed as a light meal with crusty bread or rice. The lentils thicken the mixture and provide protein and nutrients for a satisfying and rich dish.

This vegan carrot soup can be served hot or cold and can be seasoned and garnished with fresh herbs and spices to give it a kick. It is simple and so easy to make at home. This is a great recipe for using up surplus carrots. It keeps well in the freezer as long as it is kept in an airtight container so that you can have delicious carrot soup anytime of the week. For a caramelized and naturally sweet tasting carrot soup, you can roast the carrots in a 375 degrees F oven for about an hour to yield soft carrots with an intensely concentrated flavor, and then add this to the soup.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp cooking oil, ½ C onion, chopped, 1 C red lentils, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp tamari, 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried tarragon, 6 C water OR veggie broth (Option: Sub out some of the water/broth for dry white wine, if you like), 2 C carrots, chopped, 2 C celeriac, chopped, ½ C curly parsley leaves, washed and well-chopped

Preparation Instructions: 

Wash and chop all the vegetables. In the large pot, combine oil, onions, garlic, red lentils, tarragon and thyme, and sauté until onions are translucent. Add water/broth, carrots and celeriac, and bring to a boil, then allow cooking for 30 minutes, or until the carrots fall apart when you poke them with a fork. Ladle the soup into the blender in batches and blend until very smooth (put the blended soup in the large mixing bowl if you can’t blend all of it at once). Return soup to large pot and heat through, adding the chopped parsley leaves at the end. Serve and enjoy.

You can tweak the recipe and make your own additions and variations. You can add root vegetables like parsnips, yams, or sweet potato, which will also add a thick texture and color to the soup. Squash or pumpkin also makes a great combination with carrots. You can make the carrot soup even creamier with the addition of coconut milk or yogurt, which you can add at the last minute. For a spicy soup, add curry powder or cumin, chili pepper, ginger, or turmeric. You can garnish the carrot soup with roasted pumpkin seeds or toasted coconut shreds.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Vegetable Soup Recipe: Creamy Vegan Broccoli-Cauliflower Soup

This vegetable soup recipe best for autumn and the early winter can’t get any simpler. All the ingredients are practically thrown in the pot and simmered then pureed and it is ready to serve. The delicious and nutritious combination of broccoli and cauliflower come together in one delicious healthy dinner dish. To make this simple vegan recipe, you need broccoli, cauliflower, yellow onions, garlic, turnip, potato, celeriac, dry green lentils, vegetable stock or water, tamari, virgin olive oil, and dried thyme.

For a more efficient process, prepare all vegetables first before cooking. To make the lentils easier to cook, soak them overnight. Wash the vegetables with cold water and drain in a colander. Remove the leaves of the broccoli and cauliflower and discard. With a sharp knife, slice the broccoli florets and stems into large cubes. Do the same with the cauliflower. Dicing the broccoli and the cauliflower will make them easier and faster to cook and puree. The turnip, celeriac and the potato should also be diced in roughly the same size as the broccoli and cauliflower so that they all cook at the same time.

Ingredients: 3 C broccoli florets and stems, diced, 2 C cauliflower florets and stems, diced, 1 yellow onion, diced, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 white turnip peeled and diced, 1 large potato, peeled and diced, 1 C celeriac, peeled and diced, ½ C dry green lentils, 8 C water OR vegetable stock, 1 tbsp. tamari (optional – omit if using vegetable stock), 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp. dried thyme

Preparation Instructions: 

Combine all ingredients in a very large soup pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down and allow to simmer for 30 minutes (until everything is falling apart in the pot). In a blender, puree the soup in batches, transferring each pureed batch into a large mixing bowl as you go. When everything is pureed to a thick, creamy smoothness, return soup to original pot, heat through, serve, and enjoy.

The onion, garlic, tamari and dried thyme will give flavor to the vegetables and make the soup taste even more savory. Tamari is a kind of soy sauce that is thicker and milder in flavor. You can also use fresh thyme instead of dried thyme for a more refreshing flavor. If you don’t have vegetable stock, you can still use water for making the soup. The medley of vegetables and the tamari will have enough flavors to complete the dish. If you are using vegetable stock, you can omit the tamari to lessen the salt. Alternatively, you can also use mushroom stock instead of vegetable stock for an earthier flavor and exquisite aroma. Use an immersion blender or hand blender instead of a regular blender if you have this at home.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Vegetable Soup Recipe: Cream of Asparagus Soup

A healthy and refreshing vegetable soup recipe, this cream of asparagus uses yogurt instead of cream for a lower-calorie dish. Asparagus is sautéed in wild leeks and garlic and combined with white turnip, vegetable stock, and white wine to make a simple yet invigorating and elegant soup. The soup is pureed in the blender to get a smooth and creamy consistency and garnished with yogurt and cilantro. You can serve as easy appetizers or as a main healthy dinner dish with some crusty bread. You can also enjoy this delicious cream of asparagus soup either hot or chilled.

Spring is the best season for preparing and cooking asparagus, although it is generally available the whole year. Select young asparagus with firm and bright green spears. The tips should be tight and perky and appear healthy not mushy or limp. Asparagus spears can be as thin as a pencil; the fatter ones are the more mature vegetables. The thinner asparagus are more tender and crisp while the thicker ones have a meatier and crunchier texture. If you are using thick asparagus for making soup, peel off the woody and tough exterior with a vegetable peeler.

Ingredients: 4 wild leeks OR 1 yellow onion, diced, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 tbsp cooking oil, 4C asparagus, chopped (1 bunch), 1 small, white turnip, peeled and diced, 5 C vegetable stock, 1 C white wine, ¼ C fresh cilantro, chopped OR 1 tbsp dried cilantro, 1 C plain yogurt, Extra cilantro for garnish

Preparation Instructions: 

Wash and chop asparagus, discarding any woody stems. Wash and prepare the rest of the vegetables according to the ingredients list. In the soup pot, combine oil, garlic, and leeks and sauté until softened. Add the asparagus, turnip, vegetable stock, wine, and cilantro. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the asparagus and turnips are very tender. Using the blender, blend the soup in batches until smooth (put the pureed soup into the large mixing bowl if you can’t blend it all in one batch). Return pureed soup in soup pot, add yoghurt and heat through without boiling. Garnish with extra cilantro, serve and enjoy.

Choose asparagus that are uniform in size and as much as possible, cook it on the same day that you buy it. But you can wrap the bases of the asparagus with a damp paper towel and keep it in a plastic bag inside the refrigerator for up to four days. Alternatively, you can place the asparagus upright in a jar or container filled with an inch of water. Cove the asparagus tips and the container with a plastic bag. Asparagus is grown in sandy soils so rinse them very well with cold water before cooking. For larger asparagus spears, bend it until it snaps and throw away the woody end.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Vegetable Recipe: Corn and Eggplant Recipe

Fried eggplant and boiled corn make a delicious side dish to meats and fish and can be a colorful and vibrant addition to any lunch or healthy dinner recipe. The delicate flavor of eggplant and the scrumptious taste and texture of corn complement each other really well. This corn and eggplant dish can be served to accompany barbecue, roasted and grilled meats. This simple dish only consists of a few simple ingredients namely corn, eggplant, butter, flour, and salt and pepper to taste. The fresh corn is cooked and scraped off the cob and combined with the diced eggplant that has been dredged in flour and fried until golden.

Since the easy appetizers recipe use only a few ingredients and basic seasoning, most of the flavor will come from the vegetables themselves so you want to use only the freshest and high quality ingredients as much as possible. When buying fresh corn, choose those that are full and feel plumb in the hand. Inspect the golden silks coming out of the corn. The more silks there are the more kernels there are in the cob. Silky strands pollinate the corn and not enough silks can result in gaps in the kernels on the cob. The husk should be green not brown or yellow-green. Cook the corn the same day it is picked and bought as it starts losing its flavor after a few days.

Ingredients: 4 ears corn, cleaned, 1 small eggplant, peeled and diced, ½ cup butter, 3 tablespoon flour, seasonings to taste

Preparation Instructions: 

In a pan, boil the corn in water until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Drain. Scrape the kernels from the cobs. Peel and dice the eggplant. Season to taste and roll the slices in flour. In a frying pan, melt the butter and fry these rolled slices for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Drain the excess oil, add the corn, mix well, and serve.

To cook fresh sweet corn, start off with a pot of cold water. Add the corn and bring the water to a boil. Boil the corn for no longer then 8 minutes but if you want it softer, you can boil it up to 10 minutes. Don’t overcook the corn or the kernels will turn hard and the corn will lose some of its sweet flavor. Allow the corn to cool for a bit before scraping the cob so you don’t burn your flesh.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Vegetarian Recipe: Grilled Romaine Hearts

Romaine lettuce is often eaten raw but they can also be enjoyed grilled and make a delicious salad or easy appetizers for weekend barbecues. In this recipe adapted from USA Weekend, romaine lettuce hearts healthy recipes are cut into half lengthwise and sprayed with olive oil and grilled until subtly caramelized and wilted. The natural sugars found in the romaine lettuce are intensified as it browns in the grills. The grilled romaine are seasoned with a tangy salad dressing or lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Compared with other types of lettuce, romaine is relatively firm and crunchier so they can take more heat than other kinds of lettuce. Like most leafy green vegetables, they wilt quickly so you should heat them on the grill only briefly just enough to give them charred edges and wilt them only lightly for a pleasant texture.

Before grilling, wash the romaine head and pull off any old or wilted leaves. Leave the root end intact to hold the lettuce head together. If the romaine lettuce hearts are relatively small in size, you can grill the lettuce whole. If you are cooking larger heads, split the lettuce lengthwise to make them easier to cook and for a nice presentation. Use tongs to flip turn the lettuce once and two at most.

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, preferably fresh, 1 small clove garlic, minced, 3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, 2 hearts Romaine lettuce

Preparation Instructions: 

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except the cheese and lettuce, whisking to blend. Stir in cheese. Cut lettuce hearts length-wise into halves. Spray them with cooking spray. Place on heated grill and cook until the lettuce wilts slightly, and grill marks form, about 6 minutes. Turn once or twice during cooking. Remove from heat. Serve drizzled with vinaigrette dressing and a sprinkling of cheese, if desired.

Half a heart of lettuce makes a beautiful presentation, and you can serve it on a plate, one half per person. You can also chop the grilled lettuce into bite-sized pieces and toss them in the salad dressing. Add other kinds of vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and carrots just as you would when making raw salad. Alternatively, you can serve grilled lettuce with other grilled vegetables like grilled tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled eggplant, grilled bell peppers, and even grilled mushrooms. Grilled potatoes also go well with grilled lettuce for a different take on regular potato salad.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Baked Recipe: Apple Gratin With Pine Nuts

Warm apples baked and browned with butter spiced with cinnamon and ginger and sprinkled with pine nuts, served in a cup with whipped cream speckled with cinnamon is a simple and elegant easy desserts that smells and tastes of all special occasions. In healthy recipes, the apples are baked in the oven until it turns a nice golden color.

Apple gratin also makes an excellent side dish to pot roasts and turkey. The pine nuts give it crunch and flavor and the cream makes it sweet and luscious. Lemon juice is poured over the apple slices before they are baked to give them an extra zest and tang for a truly superb dish that is an excellent finish to a great meal. Pair this dish with Calvados for a spectacular time while watching fireworks display or a romantic night in front of the fireplace or under the full moon.

Gratin is a French culinary technique where the top of dish is browned to form a crispy crust. Typically, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs and/or butter are used to obtain a golden crust. In this recipe, butter is used to brown the apples and give them a subtle crisp. The apples are baked until tender and soft, which goes spectacularly well with the whipped cream. Hot chocolate also pairs well with this heart-warming dessert.

 

Ingredients: 2 lbs. apples, 5 ½ tablespoons butter, 2 lemons, 1.76 oz. (about 3 ½ tablespoons) pine nuts, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, 5 ½ tablespoons sugar, 3/4 cup creme fraiche (heavy cream)

Preparation Instructions: 

Peel and core the apples, then cut into quarters. Place the apple quarters in a concave, ovenproof plate. Squeeze the lemons and pour the juice over the apples. Preheat the oven. Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon and ginger powder. Add the pine nuts. Cut the butter in small pieces and layer them on the apples. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow cool until the plate is lukewarm. Place the cold cream in an iced bowl. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder. Beat the cream until fluffy.  Serve the lukewarm apples with the cinnamon and cream in a cup.

The best apples for caking are Granny Smith, Rome, and McIntosh apples. Other scrumptious apples popularly used in cooking or baking are Gala, Golden Delicious, and Jonathan apples. This recipe is also a great way to preserve apples if you have a lot of them and they are about to become overripe. You can also use different kinds of apples to make this recipe for a more complex tasting dish. The different textures are quite interesting in the palate.

Source: www.gourmandia.com

Baked Recipe: Baked Fish with Port Wine Sauce

White fish fillets healthy recipes are seasoned with paprika and salt and baked in the oven, flavored with a delectable port wine sauce thickened with cream and egg yolks in this easy healthy dinner recipe for Baked Fish with Port Wine Sauce. You can use any type of white fish to make this recipe including cod, haddock, whiting, pollock and others. Unlike oily fish, white fish thrive near or on the seafloor, contains oil only in the liver and has dry and white flesh. In fish recipes, fish fillets are used to make a flavorful dish. You can ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish for you or you can fillet them yourself if you are experienced in doing so.

Port wine, which is used to flavor the fish and is also used to make the sauce that accompanies the dish, is a fortified wine from Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine often served as a dessert wine and can come in dry or semi-dry varieties. There are also fortified wines produced outside Portugal but in the same style as Port. The port wine adds sweetness and a tangy flavor to the fish fillets, and at the same time gives it moisture to keep it from drying. Since white fish tends to dry out, the creamy sauce complements it very well.

Ingredients: 250gms white fish fillets, 2 tablespoon butter, 2/3 cup port wine, 2 each egg yolks, beaten, 1 tablespoon fresh whipped cream, Dash of paprika, Salt to taste

Preparation Instructions: 

In a pan add butter and season the fish fillets with salt and paprika. Cover and bake it in a preheated oven at 350 degree F for about 4-5 minutes. Add the port wine and continue cooking until the fish is tender for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once cooked drain the excess liquor and cook in a saucepan to reduce it a little. Allow it to cool, and mix the egg yolks, add cream and reheat very gently but do not boil. Pour the sauce over the fish.

If you are cooking with frozen fish fillets, thaw them first in the refrigerator before baking. Rinse the fish thoroughly with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure all the excess moisture is absorbed before cooking. Use a baking dish or pie plate to cook the fish. You can also use an over-proof pan. Spray the pan with a non-stick cooking spray to keep the fish from sticking in the pan while it is cooking.

Source: www.gourmandia.com