10 Minute Tomato and Kale Soup

If you're like me, you have those days where you are short on time, but don't want to sabotage your eating by going out. This recipe is perfect for those times. Not only is it quick and healthy, but it is light on calories while being extremely filling.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 2 cups kale
• 1 cup frozen or fresh okra
• 2/3 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn
• 1 cup all natural canned diced tomatoes
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• pepper to taste

Simply combine all the ingredients into a small non-stick saucepan and let simmer on low heat for 6-10 minutes until all ingredients are cooked.

BBQ Tempeh Salad

Made from soy, Tempeh with its nutty flavor is a great source of protein. You will typically find it in the cold produce section at your grocer. Here we pan fried three ounces in a tablespoon of olive oil, added some BBQ sauce and paired it with some veggies. With 16 grams of protein and 10 grams of carbs, it is perfect for a light lunch or dinner in under 15 minutes.

Stove Top Garden Frittata

Under the supervision of my trainer and nutritionist, I have decided to perform an experiment in carb restriction this week which means staying away from breads, most grains and one of my go to fruits (bananas). This means more dark leafy veggies like spinach and kale, along with other veggies like zucchini and spaghetti squash.

This stove top frittata is the first of my attempt to incorporate more of the above mentioned ingredients. It turned out to be just what I needed for a post workout because it is packed with protein, is low on carbs and is actually quite light and refreshing.

Ingredients (Serves 1-2)

• 1 whole egg
• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cup mozzarella or  cheddar
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1/3 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup diced zucchini
• 1/3 cup diced onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 oz low fat milk
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• garlic powder and black pepper to season

In a mixing bowl whisk whole egg and egg whites together. Next combine all other ingredients and pour into a non-stick pan (covered) on low heat for approximately 10 minutes or until eggs are cooked.

Chicken Pesto with Kale and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

It's been a couple of weeks since I've made chicken or meat of any kind. It wasn't a conscious decision, but mainly driven by all the awesome vegan recipes I've been trying lately. I have to say that I am intrigued by the number of substitutes that are available for my traditional protein choices. Especially since my failed attempt of going vegan as a teenager resulted in a protein deficiency. 

Anyway, I'm not vegan today, hence this awesome chicken dinner. I love it because it can all be accomplished in less than 30 minutes, making it ideal for those busy week nights.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 8 oz chicken strips/breast
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 8 cups fresh kale
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup traditional pesto (store bought or homemade)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic gloves
• 1 cup chicken/vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Peel and slice sweet potato into slices as pictured below. Place potato slices in a bowl with one tablespoon olive oil and shake lightly until olive oil has covered sweet potato pieces. Place on a pizza pan or other vented pan as pictured below and place in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes on each side. You will know the pieces are ready to be turned because the bottom will be crispy sort of like french fries.

Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. In a mixing bowl combine chicken with pesto. I like to do this a few hours before or even the night before to let the flavors from the pesto soak into the chicken. Next,  simply cook the chicken in a non-stick pan or grill (indoor or outdoor) at medium heat until cooked. 

Last but not least is our yummy kale. In a non-stick pan, sauté onions and garlic in one tablespoon olive oil until slightly cooked. Add kale and chicken or vegetable stock and let simmer until liquid is gone. Unlike spinach, the kale should still have a fresh un-withered appearance when done.

Carnival Salad with Tropical Skewers

It is freezing here in Texas, so getting me to eat a traditional salad is not a likely event. However, if you dress it up and make it reminiscent of drive around my native Eastern Caribbean, there is certainly room for negotiation. Hehe... While it does not include all these things, this salad reminds me of mangoes, bananas, pineapples and all the healthy yet yummy things that grew on my grandma's farm and in her garden. You probably realize that there is a reoccurring theme of me talking about my grandma, but it's because it was at her feet that I learned how cook. So, she is a huge part of the way I view food. Now let's talk about how I made this...

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

• 1 package tofu/tempeh or 1 large chicken breast(stripped)
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
• 1/2 yellow zucchini squash( about 200 grams)
• 1/2 pear (about 200 grams)
• 1 vine ripened tomato
• 3 mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced red and/or yellow peppers
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• a small bunch of ciliantro
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp. vinaigrette dressing
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 bamboo skewers

 Directions

Cut the zucchini and pear into spears as seen above. Slice tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers. Chop cilantro.

Combine all ingredients into a salad bowl with salad dressing and place in refrigerator to marinate while preparing skewers.

Skewer tofu, tempeh or chicken onto bamboo skewers with pineapple as seen below. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the skewers, add salt and pepper to taste and grill in a non-stick stove top pan until cooked.

Add skewers to salad and serve it up.

Blackbean and Quinoa Garden Burger

Yay! It's Friday which means I get to sleep in tomorrow. Being the former food junkie, Friday nights usually meant eating out or ordering take out. Tonight, I wanted to recreate the experience of eating out (in a healthier way) right here in my own kitchen. The result is this delicious veggie burger whose taste reminds me of being a little bookwork reading and walking thru my grandma's garden. The fresh smell of veggies took me back to that place of innocence and I got to create it in the place I love most… The kitchen.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked black beans, drained
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup mushrooms chopped
• 1/2 cup bell peppers
• 1/2 cup carrots finely chopped
• 1/3 cup onions chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups water

Spices

• 2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions

1. Wash quinoa by covering completely with water in a cup or bowl and drain in a strainer as seen above for 10-20 minutes. 

2. After the quinoa has drained, place in a pan at medium heat to remove any additional water. This step may seem unnecessary but will help to achieve that light and fluffy texture. Once the grains are toasted add water and cook until all dry. Let stand while working on next steps.

3. Combine onions, peppers and carrots in olive oil and sauté until cooked. Let stand for five minutes or until cool.

 4. Combine all ingredients into a food processor or mixing bowl as seen above. Mixture should have a firm consistency making eat easy to mold.

5. Shape into 3-4 patties and cook in non-stick pan on low heat for approximately 5 minutes on each side. This helps to remove any excess liquid and bind the patties.

Spicy Eggplant Bowl

Last week I bought an eggplant with the intent of making some veggie burgers. However, the unusually cold weather we have been suffering here in Texas had me craving something warm and spicy for dinner tonight. So, instead of veggie burgers I made some spicy eggplant. It is absolutely delicious and can be eaten hot or cold.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 vine ripened tomato
• 1 cup white onion
• 1/2 cup chives chopped
• 1/3 cup garlic chopped
• 1 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 tbsp dried red pepper
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 4 cups vegetable/chicken stock
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp hot sauce

Prep: Dice eggplant into small pieces and finely chop tomatoes; onions; garlic; chives and cilantro. I personally use my handy Black and Decker electric chopper pictured above to save on time.

Directions: In a medium saucepan saute eggplant, garlic, onions and chives for 3-4 minutes in olive oil. The eggplant should start looking brown and saturated. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar and stir until the sugar is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Direction cont'd below...

Next add vegetable or chicken stock to the mixture. Add cilantro, hot sauce, rice wine vinegar, and dried red peppers and let simmer as seen in the picture above. Let thicken on medium heat for 11-15 minutes. Serve hot with a handful of cilantro to offset some of the spiciness.