Spinach Soup

Spinach soup..winter comfort soup minus Fat..

This is so easy more like 15 minutes comfort winter soup.  Try it today:

Boil 1 cup of chicken stock or vegetable stock with 2 cups of water.  Add crushed garlic clove,  3 cups of spinach, remove some stalk..

Add cubed firm tofu if you like.  Boil for 10 minutes.  Add 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce and salt to taste. You are done, serve hot.

Other Options : I stir fried some mushrooms and ¼ cup of green onions and added to the soup.

You can also add shrimps.

You can stir fry tofu before you add to the soup.

Add cayenne pepper.

Miso soup with Udon Noddles.

In Okemos, around this time of the year, by night, you begin to feel the nippy cool breeze, declaring the onset of fall. It’s one of the most pleasant time of the year where the blazing sun is calmer and nite is cool and not stinging. And around this time of the year I start to crave for something warm and a bowl of soup completes it. So Here is tried and test default  Miso soup with Udon noodles.

For this, You need to pay a visit to your local Oriental store in your neighborhood.  
 Ask and don’t look for  Shiro Miso if you have no clue what it is..(psst .. soybean paste)  …or you might choose to be my disciple  and do exactly what I did which is , look for it in every aisle approx 12 min and then ask owner, who then takes you straight to freezer section.  Ask for white shiro miso with Dashi added. I bought mine from Lotte market. Vegan avoid dashi and ask for without .. Dashi is Japanese chicken bouillon.

I basically added vegetables I love in soups..so I finely chopped carrots, mushrooms,  scallions, baby bok Choy, bean sprouts and snow peas.Cut them real fine so they cook faster.
  Recipe, requires seaweed but oh!  well ,I forgot to buy them!

Other Ingredients are:

• 5 cups Vegetable or chicken  broth.( low sodium).
  1 cup water.
  1 1/2 teaspoons instant dashi granules( optional).
  2 heaps tbsp of miso paste( mix in water to remove lumps).
  1 tablespoon dried seaweed, soaked in water.
  1  cup cubed tofu( semi firm).
  ½  tsp cayenne pepper ( optional).
  Udon noodles from frozen section (  Udon is made from wheat).
  and vegetables given above  or add your favorite vegetables.

Boil water for Udon .Cook Udon based on how much you want.

In boiling broth, add thinly sliced vegetables and tofu, and seaweeds, simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes.  Once tender add diluted Miso paste, stir and switch off your stove.You are done. Do not boil once you add Miso paste. Serve Steamy hot  and enjoy!

No oil, no butter, no sugar Banana Bread

I must share this new amazing recipe with you all.. have you heard of banana bread with no oil, butter, sugar and eggs?..well I read and tried for the first time, improvised and it has been  a Huge success. Here is the recipe :

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups mashed banana (preferably overripe)
• 1 overripe pear
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt (or regular should do)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• ginger powder 
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecan, walnuts, cranberries or mix your own favorites.
• 2 tsp Stevia ( sugar substitute)

 

Pre-heat the oven at 350 degree F. Mash  banana and pear. I pureed them in mixture before adding to the dough. In a big bowl add the flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger,  Stevia and mix well. Now add the chopped dry fruits and stir together. Add the pureed banana and pear . Mix yogurt. do not over mix. You can add more yogurt to soften dough. I like to see it as semi hard, I should be able to stir batter smoothly with out applying much pressure to mix dough. Fold this into a greased loaf pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 mins till it’s well risen, crusty and golden on the outside. A toothpick inserted right in the center has to come out clean and that’s when the loaf is cooked.

Let the bread cool down completely. It’ll be sticky and hard to cut into when it’s still hot.

Home made pasta Sauce

So I am finally back and in the mood to write...yes I have been cooking.. that did not stop, but posting, well, that's another story. I apologize for this long of a break.

Here is my creation of simple pasta/spaghetti sauce. Do you some times wonder ( or I am the only odd one around ) on negative effects of BPA( is used to line food cans, and in the case of tomatoes, which are extremely acidic, this BPA can break down and leak into the food.)  on the reproductive system, the immune system, and the nervous system. It’s been linked to metabolic disorder, heart disease, miscarriages, diabetes, and neurological brain cancer and many others. 

At times during bout of fear, streaming through brain cells, I decide to prepare my own spaghetti sauce with tint of difference.
 Here is the basic sauce...

Ingredients :

• 1 large onion, 
• 4 to 5 cloves or garlic chopped
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• I cup salsa
• 4 medium fresh tomato ( grind them to liquid)
• Fresh basil ( grind them along with tomato)
• Italian spices or Fresh parsley 1/4 tsp oregano, black  pepper
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds ..yes its used a lot in Italian cooking
• Salt to taste 
• psst my Indian touch ...1/4 tsp of degi Mirch ( red pepper flakes optional)...1/4 tsp clove powder 
• 1/4 of a cup bread crumbs.
• ground chicken ( Optional)
• Add vegetables of your choice..my favorites are mushrooms, zucchini and spinach.
• (Optional) : I also love to Puree One Frozen and thawed packet of Spinach and add to the above mixture and call it a Green sauce. ;-)

 In a large skillet over medium heat; Add  olive oil, garlic,  salt, and pepper. Add chopped onions and fry until translucent. Add chicken and the rest of the spices. Fry until chicken is brown and crumbled. Slowly stir bread crumbs in the chicken and cook until it begins to thicken, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in salsa and pureed tomato sauce. Simmer for another 25 minutes. Serve hot...Enjoy!

Vegans: Avoid chicken and replace with vegetables. My favorite is Boca burgers chopped and add to the translucent Onions. Brown them well and follow the procedure above. Also, can you keep Boca burgers as a secret :-)