Ham and Lentil Soup with White Beans

This is a recipe for a healthier ham and bean soup, which is absolutely delicious!  To be completely honest, I could not get enough of this soup. The lentils and white beans add richness, fiber, healthy carbs, additional essential nutrients, and added protein to this soup. 

Over the past holiday season, I gave in and bought a bone-in, lower sodium, spiral sliced ham.  I know, I know…I hosted a brunch at our house and thought it would make a great addition to the other dishes.  To my surprise, I was able to find a ham that was low in sodium.  When the brunch was over, I gave most of the leftover ham to my guests to take home.  I was left with a little ham and the bone.  Spiral hams can be quite costly, especially when you consider that the bone is factored into the price – so I decided to make ham soup.

The soup is prepared with vegetable stock that is labeled unsalted.  You can use unsalted chicken stock if that is all you can find.  Just be sure to use only unsalted stock (not reduced or less sodium varieties) as there is enough sodium in the ham bone.  I must admit, when I made my grocery list for this soup, I was intent on buying unsalted chicken stock.  The problem happened when I got to the grocery store and found that they were completely out of unsalted chicken stock.  I stood there scanning the shelves unsure of what to do.  I noticed that they had unsalted vegetable stock, so I bought it.  What a great decision, the vegetable stock gave this soup such flavor – thank you grocery store for this one!

Enjoy!

Special note:

The first thing you need to do is trim all visible fat from the bone and from any of the ham that is on the bone.  Some fat will be left behind, but can be easily removed if you refrigerate the soup overnight after it is cooked.  The next day, the fat will congeal on the surface of the soup and you can simply take a spoon and lift it off.  This will leave you with virtually a fat-free soup.

Ham and Lentil Soup with White Beans

1  Ham bone – from a lower sodium bone-in spiral sliced ham

2  Tbls. Canola oil
2  Cups Diced sweet onion, ½ inch dice
2  Cups Diced celery and its leaves, ½ inch dice
1½ Cups Diced carrots, ½ inch dice
2  Dried bay leaves
1¼  Tsps. Dried thyme
½  Tsp. Dried oregano
¼  Tsp. Ground allspice
¼  Tsp. Ground black pepper
2  Cups Warm water
2  1-quart Containers Vegetable stock-unsalted variety (I use the brand, Kitchen Basics unsalted stock)
3  Packets Herb Ox Sodium Free Instant Broth & Seasoning – Chicken Bouillon
1  Cup Dried lentils, rinsed and drained
2  15-ounce Cans Great northern beans, drained and rinsed

Remove all visible fat from the ham bone and meat.  Cut most of the lean, tender pieces of ham off the bone and chop them into bite size pieces, about 1 ½ to 2 cups total.  Set the bone and ham pieces aside.

Over medium heat, add the oil in the bottom of a 6 – 8 quart stock pot (depending on size of ham bone).

Add the next eight ingredients and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 – 12 minutes.  Add the ham bone; do not add the diced ham, reserve it for use later in the recipe. 

Add the water, vegetable stock and chicken bouillon.  Bring the liquid up to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer.  Partially cover the pot with a lid.  Simmer on low for 40 minutes.

 

After 40 minutes, remove the ham bone and discard.  Add the lentils and beans to the soup.  Simmer another 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.  Once tender, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and add the diced ham.  Serve this soup hot (or see special note above).

You can serve this soup with a slice of crusty bread, and/or a side salad.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Salsa Verde

It is grilling time!  I just love the grilling season.  There are endless possibilities for the grill, from an appetizer, to a main course, and even a dessert. 

Whether you plan to make this for your family, or for an outdoor gathering at your home, this recipe is sure to please.  I must say, it will be hard to convince your family and guests the entire dish is homemade, and needless to say, very healthy.  For my Grilled Chicken Fajitas, I first marinate the chicken in a spiced yogurt and cilantro marinade.  The chicken will need to marinade for a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight.   And for the Salsa Verde…I grill all the fresh vegetables and then combine them in the food processor with cilantro, lime juice, and spices to make the most incredible salsa.  The salsa can be made a day ahead and simply heated in a small saucepan just before you serve it.  You might ask, why make my own Salsa Verde when this can be purchased in a jar at the grocery store?  To start with I am using the freshest ingredients I can purchase, and I am controlling the amount of sodium, and I can’t say enough about the flavor.  Finally, as an added touch, I made a simple guacamole to serve alongside the fajitas.

You will need to allow for prep-time when preparing this recipe, so please read the recipe and allow for the extra time.  Each person works differently in the kitchen, my prep-time may not be the same as yours, so I do not list the time.  But, there is no need for worry; almost everything can be made ahead of the time.

The flavor of cilantro is very prominent in this recipe.  Seeing that cilantro is in the parsley family, I would usually suggest flat leaf parsley as a substitute, but it just will not do here…it has to be cilantro.  The cilantro flavor is a necessary component in this dish.

 To convince those of you that are non-cilantro fans, I came across some interesting information about cilantro that just might cause you to try it.  You can use all parts of the plant, the leaves, roots, seeds and stems.  The cilantro leaves are rich in polyphenolic flavonoids.  It is known that flavonoids protect against allergens, and serve as an anti-inflammatory agent.  Flavonoids may reduce your chances of developing cancer.  In addition, cilantro can play an important role in removing heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body.  Cilantro helps insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar.  Another benefit of cilantro is that it can help to lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol.  Vitamins found in cilantro are, Vitamin C, folic acid, Vitamin K, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin A and beta-carotene.  Are these enough health reasons to convince you?

I never was one for writing recipes down, so this is new to me.  Let me help guide you through the steps in creating this amazing grilled dish.

1.      Prep the chicken for the marinade

2.      Make the chicken marinade

3.      Coat the chicken in the marinade and marinate in the refrigerator

4.      Make the Salsa Verde (can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve)

5.      Make the Guacamole (optional), and refrigerate until ready to serve

6.      Grill the chicken

7.      Meanwhile, sauté the bell peppers and onions 

8.      Assemble the fajitas and EAT

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Salsa Verde

This will make 10 medium sized fajitas

2 Lbs. Chicken breast cutlets (they should be about one quarter inch thick)

1 ½ Large red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed; sliced lengthwise into ½ inch strips

1 Large yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed; sliced lengthwise into ½ inch strips

1 Large red onion, cut in half and sliced into ½ inch wide strips

2 Tbls. Canola oil

10 medium size flour tortillas, or whole wheat tortillas (or your favorite style)

Chicken Marinade Ingredients:

½ Cup Cilantro – stems included, roughly chopped

½ of a medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 Tsp. Lime zest

1 Tsp. Lime juice

4 Garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1/8 Tsp. Sea salt, fine grind

¼ Tsp. Ground black pepper

4 ½ Tsps. Ground cumin seed

4 Tbls. Plain Yogurt, Fat-free, Greek style (I suggest Fage Total 0%)

1 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil

Rinse and dry the chicken with paper towels; place in a large zip top bag. 

To prepare the marinade, place all the marinade ingredients into a food processor.  Pulse until a smooth texture is achieved.  Pour over the chicken.  Squeeze the marinade onto each piece of chicken, thoroughly coating each piece.  Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but no more than 6 hours. 

Meanwhile, prepare the Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde Ingredients:

½ to ¾ Lb. (about 6 or 7) Tomatillos, husks removed, washed and cut in half

2 Poblano peppers

1 Large Yellow onion, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds (do not separate the individual rounds)

4 Large Garlic cloves, leave them in their skins – do not peel them

2 Tbls. Canola oil

½ cup Cilantro – stems included, roughly chopped

1 Tbls. Fresh lime juice

1/8 Tsp. Sea salt, fine grind

¼ Tsp. Ground black pepper

2 Tsp. Ground Cumin seed

1 Tsp. Hot sauce (or to taste)

¼ Cup Cold water, or more depending on your desired thickness

Coat with the oil, the tomatillos, Poblano peppers, onion slices and garlic cloves.  Place the coated  garlic cloves in the center of a piece of aluminum foil, fold the ends of the foil over and seal all open ends to create a small rectangular shaped packet.

Heat an outdoor grill on high to about 400 degrees.  Place the garlic packet, and all the vegetables on the grill.

The tomatillos should be placed on the grill cut side down until they begin to char, then turn them over to the skin side.  Remove the tomatillos when they are soft and the cut side (which should be up now) is bubbling. 

Carefully turn the onions once so as to grill the other side; remove when tender and nicely grilled. 

The peppers will take a bit more time; they need to char on all sides (turn to cook on all sides).  Do not worry as they begin to blacken, this adds to the flavor. 

Keep the garlic packet on the grill until the peppers have charred on all sides, then remove.  

Place all grilled vegetables, including the garlic packet, in a bowl and cover the bowl tightly with aluminum foil.  This will allow the vegetables to steam and cause the skin of the peppers to shrink away. 

Remove the foil cover from the bowl after about 15 – 20 minutes, taking care so that the peppers are cool enough to handle, gently peel the skin off with your fingers, then remove the stem end, and slice each peeled pepper lengthwise down the middle and remove the seeds. Place the peppers in the food processor.  Take the garlic out of the packet and slide each garlic clove out of its skin (discard the garlic skin) and into the food processor.  Add the onions and tomatillos, and any juice that may have accumulated in the bowl.

Add the cilantro, lime juice, salt, ground pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and the quarter-cup of water to the food processor.  Pulse until all is chopped finely; keeping it still a bit chunky.  At this point if you are making this ahead of time, you can transfer the Salsa Verde to a covered container and store it in the refrigerator.  Otherwise, pour it into a bowl, and set it aside until you are ready to serve the chicken fajitas.

Prepare the Chicken Fajitas:

Remove the chicken cutlets from the marinade (keep the marinade on the chicken when grilling) and place on a hot, 400 degree grill. Turn the chicken after about 10 minutes.  Continue to grill on the second side until the chicken is completely cooked, about another 8 – 10 minutes.  Remove to a plate until ready to serve.  Just before serving, slice the chicken cutlets lengthwise into ½ inch wide slices.

Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a large 12-inch non-stick skillet.  Add the red onion to the skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Add the peppers and sauté for an additional 15 minutes.

Warm your tortillas in the microwave by stacking them on a plate and cover with a dampened microwave-safe paper towel.  Place in the microwave and heat for about 1 minute or so.

To assemble, spread some Salsa Verde on a tortilla, add the sliced chicken and then top with the sautéed peppers and onions.  Either fold prepared tortilla in half or roll them. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, or let each person create their own. 

I served this with brown rice tossed with a little lime juice, and a simple guacamole (see recipe below) on the side.

Simple Guacamole

1 Large ripe avocado, diced

3 Tsp. Fresh lime juice

2 Tbls. Plain Yogurt, Fat-free, Greek style (I suggest Fage Total 0%)

1 Tsp. Hot sauce

1 Roma tomato, seeds removed and diced into ¼ - ½ inch pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small mixing bowl, combine the avocado and lime juice. Use a fork to mash the avocado, add the yogurt and hot sauce; mix to combine.  Lastly add the diced tomatoes, salt and pepper and mix gently to combine.

Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Spaghetti Egg Scramble For One - A Leftover Makeover

Tonight was dinner for one – me.  My choices were to either stop and buy something for myself, or make my own meal at home.  There are those days when the thought of buying a meal just does not appeal to me, so I opted for making my own. 

So, on my drive home I began to think of the leftovers I had at home.  Immediately I thought of the leftover spaghetti noodles I had from the meal the other night.  So spaghetti and eggs it is! There was a time when I used to make a dish with wide egg noodles and scrambled eggs.  It was one of those go-to meals when I needed something quick and simple.  Tonight I made it just a bit healthier.

For this dish I used leftover ingredients from the refrigerator.  The dish contains multi-grain thin spaghetti, onions, green bell pepper, eggs, non-fat plain yogurt, some low-fat Mexican blend shredded cheese and fresh basil leaves. 

The picture here does not do this dish justice.  I have gotten into the habit of taking a quick picture of the food I post in my blog, that I felt compelled to post it. 

 Spaghetti for one – Enjoy!

Spaghetti Egg Scramble

Serves 1

2 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil (add more if you feel the spaghetti needs it)
2 Tbls. Sweet onion, diced
½ Green bell pepper, diced
Couple shakes of sea salt (fine grind)
Couple shakes of ground black pepper
1 Cup Cooked Multi-grain thin spaghetti noodles
2 Eggs (or egg substitute equivalent)
2 Tsp. Plain Yogurt, non-fat variety
2 Tbls. Mexican blend shredded cheese, low-fat variety
2 – 3 Small fresh basil leaves

Heat olive oil in an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté until translucent.  Add the green peppers, salt and sauté for about 3 more minutes, or until the peppers are tender.  Turn the heat down to medium-low; add the spaghetti noodles, and continue to sauté until the noodles are heated through and begin to turn a light golden brown color. 

Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a small bowl, add the yogurt, salt and ground pepper.  Wisk until all is completely blended.

Pour the egg mixture over the noodles, stir to cook the eggs.  At the very end, turn the heat off and add the cheese; stir to incorporate.

Immediately plate the spaghetti scramble.  With kitchen shears, snip the basil leaves (or with your fingers, tear the leaves into small strips) over the top of the spaghetti.