Vitamix

Please join me in welcoming the newest addition to my kitchen.... the Vitamix 5300!!!!  I'm currently contemplating what to name her/him.  I think it should start with a V, just so I can remember it better.  Vasco?  Vladamir?  Victor?  Vera?  I'll work on it.

Here is the beauty making me a berry smoothie for breakfast this morning.
(The Husband who leaves earlier than me for work was quite jealous when I sent him a picture.)

I am lucky beyond belief that the Parents thought an appropriate exchange of goods and services was to give me a Vitamix for watching their pup for the last month or so.  (I think I got the better end of that deal, but don't tell them!)

Now, since we were first married four years ago, I have had a very good KitchenAid blender.  It got the job done (with time and often lots of spatula scraping) enough so that I could never think of a good enough excuse to abandon it and spend a small fortune on a Vitamix.  I just kept hoping that a time would come that it would "vroom" its last and we would simultaneously win the lottery.... or at least a really good scratch ticket.

Alas, this wildly impossible situation did not need to come.  When the Parents arrived Saturday morning, Dad brought in a sizable box and pronounced it as their "thank you" for watching Tilly (now and at least one more time).  I ripped open the brown paper wrapped package to see just a part of one side.  It had a fondue bowl on it.  I have been lactose intolerant for over a decade and mostly avoid (especially liquid) cheese at all cost.  The Parents know this, so I had a momentary mind panic of what I would say.

Here is it on its virgin run in making Hummus (recipe on my food blog here).

More of the brown paper came off to reveal a brightly colored smoothie.  I knew what this was!  Jumping up and down squealing in my robe and slippers followed.  The Husband looked on with only a portion of the enthusiasm I was experiencing (he will understand my joy when I get to using it more and more this week... and forever!).

Our conversation later on Sunday after the Parents headed home went something like this:

The Husband: So you are covered for life when it comes to kitchen stuff right?
Me:  Yes.
The Husband: Ok, good, because next time you--
Me: Well, at least for now.  Let me clarify, I am covered on major appliances for a long long time.  Having this now means that I can give away my old blender, my old food processor, and my old mini food processor.
The Husband:  Sigh.

Loaded Black Bean Soup

Do you ever have those days where you know you ate too much earlier in the day and you know darn well you shouldn't have much for dinner?  Lunch almost always ends up being the largest meal of the day for me.  This is usually because I pack a ton of veggies or fruit to eat along with my proper lunch of a soup, rice dish, or salad.

This lovely soup came about around New Years when the Husband was determined as all-get-out to meet one of his goals for 2015: to get under 184 pounds.  This was a goal he had reached earlier this summer, from starting at just over 200 lbs last January.  Since summer, however, he had become more lax, and of course Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas came to pass with endless goodies around.  For him, he considered this goal a failure if he didn't achieve this goal just before midnight of the new year.

(Now, for the record, I asked about the logic of achieving your goal only on New Years, rather than making healthy habit for a lifetime... in the Husband's mind, a goal is a goal, so I went along and try to steer him as healthy as I could.)

So, for the last week or so before New Years, he dropped all beer from his diet (leaving me to have my occasional evening wine glass to myself).  Three days before New Years he was at the gym daily sweating it out.  Two days before New Years he severely limited his food and drank green tea almost constantly.

Now, fundamentally, I don't have an issue with dropping beer (other than we just bought a keg for our kegerator and now it is sitting idly in the garage), and I don't have an issue with him going to the gym religiously as long as he's not hurting himself.  I DO have an issue with not eating.

So, in an effort to help him to achieve his goal while coaxing him to eat some decent food and not go hungry, I made this Black Bean Soup from Jill Nussinow's pressure cooking cookbook, The New Fast Food, and altered it a bit to include more veggies, more spices, more beans, and some corn.  When calculated out, this large 8+ cup recipe serves 6 and is under 200 calories per serving.

This recipe can EASILY be adapted for the stovetop with a bit more cooking time and using only canned beans.  Please see my notes below.

Loaded Black Bean Soup
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(adapted from Jill Nossinow's original recipe, which you can find here)
Serves: 6
Time: 10 minute prep, 5 minute saute, 7 minute high pressure, natural pressure release, 1 minute high pressure, quick release

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 large celery ribs, diced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried oregano (or 2 Tbsp fresh)
1 1/2 cups dried black beans, soaked for 8 hours
6 cups vegetable broth (homemade or low sodium preferred)
........................................................
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, not thawed
........................................................
salt to taste
cilantro to garnish
soy yogurt or sour cream to top (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare all ingredients before beginning.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes in a heated pressure cooker, adding water as needed to prevent burning.  Add in the carrot, celery, and spices.  Stir well to mix and sauté for 2 more minutes.
3. Add in the soaked dried beans and vegetable broth.  Lock the lid and set to cook at high pressure for 7 minutes (those with an InstantPot can alternatively use the soup function for 7 minutes).  When the timer is done, allow the pressure to come down naturally.
4. After the pressure has been released, carefully remove the lid.  Use an immersion blender, or scoop several cups of the soup into a blender.  Blend until about half of the soup is creamy, leaving quite a few small chunks behind.
5. Add in the canned black beans and frozen corn.  Lock the lid and set to cook at high pressure for 1 minute.  Once the minute is up, carefully quick release the pressure.
6. Serve hot with cilantro to garnish and soy yogurt/sour cream to top.  Leftovers will thicken up in the fridge and the flavors will marinade to make the soup even better the next day!

Notes for adapting for the stovetop:

1. Prepare all ingredients before beginning.
2. In a large soup pot, water sauté the onion and garlic.  Add in the carrot, celery, and spices.  Stir well to mix and sauté for 2 more minutes.
3. Add in 2 cans of washed and drained black beans along with the vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.
4. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup.
5. Add in the 3rd can of rinsed and drained black beans as well as the frozen corn and cook for an additional 10 minutes without the lid.
6. Serve hot with cilantro garnish and soy yogurt/sour cream to top.  Leftovers will thicken up in the fridge and the flavors will marinade to make the soup even better the next day!

Nutritional Info (as calculated on MyFitnessPal.com)
Serving size: 1.5-2 cups soup
Servings per recipe: 6
Calories: 174; Total Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Sodium (varies with broth and added salt) mg; Potassium 314 mg; Total Carbohydrate 45 g; Dietary Fiber 21 g; Sugars 5 g; Protein 14 g

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Aaaannnnddd now we are into December.  Where the heck did the time go?  Thankfully, I have finished up most of my Christmas knits, and I was able to get all of my shopping done for the Husband online.  All that needs to be done is wrapping as everything as it comes.

This will be our first Christmas in our first house, and I am so excited to make it feel like home.  We have decorated our front living room with a tree (real grand fir baby!), along with some garland, candles, and holiday nic-nacs.  We'll be hosting the Husband's small work holiday party at our house this Saturday, so I will be doing some crafting and decorating up until then.  We don't have lights on the outside yet, but hopefully we can get around to that this week if it ever stops raining.  (The forecast says "no".)

We had a pretty relaxing day on Sunday watching football and doing laundry.  Sundays are usually my day to prep some meals for myself for the week.  My main meal I prepped for the week is Curried Kidney Bean Stew from Helyn's Plant-Based Kitchen.  The stew is fantastic.  If you've never checked out Helyn's site, seriously do.  Her recipes are gorgeous, creative, and super nutritious!

This Sunday, I was in the mood for some oatmeal cookies, and I had a bit of canned pumpkin to use up, so were born these lovely little balls of goodness!  This recipe is vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, processed sugar-free, gluten-free (Use gluten-free rolled oats if you're baking for someone with a serious sensitivity to gluten.  Rolled oats themselves are gluten free, but they can be sometimes processed with the same equipment as grains that do have gluten.), oil-free, AND acceptable to eat for breakfast. ;)

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

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Makes: 24 cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes per dozen

Ingredients:

Dry:
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, processed into a flour in the blender
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

Wet:
2/3 cup canned pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup plant-based milk
4 pitted medjool dates
1 small banana, peeled
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp vanilla extract

Other:
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

1.)  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.)  In a high powered blender, blend 1 cup of the rolled oats into a flour.  Combine the flour with the rest of the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Set aside.

3.)  In a high powered blender, blend all of the wet ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well incorporated.

4.)  Use a cookie scoop to spoon out a dozen golf ball-sized cookies onto a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use your fingers to press each ball down until it is flat and "cookie-shaped".  Because these cookies do not have saturated or trans fats (yay), they will not do the usual melt-down SAD cookies normally do in the oven.  So, press those suckers down and know that your heart is thanking you!

5.)  Top each cookie with a small amount of chopped nuts.  For an even prettier look, top each with one full pecan.  I had only chopped pecans, so that is what you get today.

6.)  Bake in the preheated oven for 13-17 minutes until lightly browned and the tops aren't gooey when you poke them.  I know, "super specific", but just bake them as much as you like.  You can eat the dough raw if you so feel like, so it doesn't really matter.  (Repeat for the second dozen)

7.)  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for a while.

Nutrition Info (as calculated on My Fitness Pal):

Serving size: 1 cookie (recipe makes 24)
Calories: 67; Total Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Sodium 85 mg; Potassium 57 mg; Total Carbohydrate 11 g; Dietary Fiber 2 g; Sugars 4 g; Protein 2 g;

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Roasted Pine Nut Hummus

Are you guys a fan of hummus?  What am I saying?  Of course you are!  Unless you are my husband, and in that case, Husband: quit reading my blog, make me some tea, and give me a foot rub!

For those of you who are not my husband and DO love hummus, you are in for a treat today.

This is how I feel about hummus... I luff it!

Like-father, like-daughter, my dad is even more of a "hummus-holic" than I am.  My mom, who would buy a tub of hummus from the store only to find it gone a few days later, would gab to me on the phone about how he was "practically eating it by the spoonful".  We're taking the big tubs.  Not the little 1 inch tall containers.  I mean the TUBS they sell at Costco.

My dad's favorite brand was the Roasted Pine Nut Hummus from Sabra.  And, nothing against Sabra, but this stuff is not necessarily low in fat, especially when my dad likes eating it in the quantities he does. (This particular type of hummus gets 62.5% of its calories from fat.  No me gusta!)  For the sake of my mom's sanity and my dad's health, I decided I could make a better, healthier, and cheaper version at home.

This recipe was actually a Father's Day present for my dad a few years back (when the Husband and I were about to get married and were saving every penny we could).  Unfortunately, since then my dad has acquired a bit of an allergy to pine nuts (probably from overdoing it with all this hummus!), so when I make it now-a-days, I use raw sunflower seeds for him instead.

I have brought this hummus to countless parties since I first made the recipe, and the bowl is almost always scraped clean by the end of the event.  It is great served with dipping veggies, crackers, and chips.  I like using it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps.  In a pinch, I even use it as a salad dressing by taking a few tablespoons and adding water or balsamic vinegar to get a thinner consistency.  Yummers!

I also love this recipe because it can be so versatile.  Change up the type of beans, type of nut/seed butter, type of juice or acid, add different spices, or add different toppings.  Endless I tell you!

Roasted Pine Nut Hummus

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Servings: 8-10
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Hummus
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
• 2 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp reserved bean liquid
• 1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2+ Tbsp water
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Pine Nut Topping
• 1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted lightly in a pan on the stovetop
• 2 tsp reserved bean liquid
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika

Instructions:

1.) Drain the canned garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid.
2.) In a food processor, combine the drained beans, tahini, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp of the reserved bean juice, low sodium soy sauce, and minced garlic.  Process until smooth and creamy, adding water a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

3.) In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the pine nut topping.

4.) Scoop the hummus into your desired serving or storage dish, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Pool the pine nut topping in the center.  Sprinkle a little extra cayenne/paprika and dried herbs around the far edges.

5.) Serve chilled and store extras in the fridge for up to a week... if it lasts that long!

Tips and Tricks:

• This hummus goes quickly, so generally I make a double batch for parties and holidays.
• I have made it before without the tahini and it still tastes great.  If you are limiting your fats or nut/seed butters, don't be afraid to leave this out.  I would also suggest doubling the ground cumin to give it a bit more flavor if you do.
• As mentioned above before the recipe, the pine nuts can easily be switched out for sunflower seeds if someone has an allergy.  Or left out altogether.  Do what you please!

Nutrition Info:

As calculated on MyFitnessPal.com for 10 servings per recipe:  Calories: 69; Total Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Sodium 195 mg; Potassium 169 mg; Total Carbohydrate 10 g; Dietary Fiber 3 g; Sugars 2 g; Protein 4 g;

Health and Happiness,

Amy

Autumn Squash Soup

Fall is well under way here and it seems like everywhere I turn it is all about pumpkins.  (I saw a pumpkin flavored crusted salmon at the grocery the other day.  No.)  Don't get me wrong, I love pumpkins, especially for decorating, but all of the hype surrounding one type of fall produce gets a bit repetitive when it comes to food.

During this time of year when everything is pumpkin "flavored", I crave a bit of variety and eating-outside-the-box.  When I saw this sweet little cream colored squash at my favorite produce stand, I knew it had to come home with me.  What appealed to me beside the color was the description:

"Swan White Acorn: Pale yellow, flesh is very smooth with a delicate sweet flavor.  Free of pumpkin taste.  Good microwaved or baked."

No "pumpkin taste"?  Just what I had been looking for in this pumpkin-dominated season!  So, this weekend I pulled out my trusty pressure cooker and got to work making a simple, but delicious fall meal that didn't revolve around the pumpkin.

Autumn Squash Soup

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Servings: 8-10
Time: 15 minutes prep, 6 initial pressure cook with a quick release, 5 minute saute, 3 minute final pressure cook with a quick release

Ingredients:

• 1 medium winter squash
• 6 cups filtered water
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 orange, red, or yellow bell pepper
• 3 large carrots
• 2 small yellow summer squashes
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Add two cups of water to your pressure cooker and begin heating with a steamer rack set inside.  Wash the whole winter squash, poke a few holes in it with a small knife, and place it on the steamer rack.  Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 6-8 minutes depending on the size of your squash.
2. While the squash is cooking, prep the reminder of your ingredients.  Wash all produce.  Peel the sweet potatoes, onion, and carrots, and roughly chop.  Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper and give it a rough chop.  Trim the ends of the yellow summer squash and roughly chop.
3. Once the 6-8 minutes cooking the squash are up, quick release the remaining pressure, remove the squash and steamer rack carefully, and discard the excess water.
4. Return the pot to the pressure cooker and begin to saute the onion, bell pepper, and carrots for 5 minutes.  Use small amounts of water to prevent the veggies from sticking.  Trim the edges of the cooked winter squash, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and chop into large chunks.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients including the winter squash, filtered water, sweet potatoes, summer squash, and spices.  Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
6. When the time is up, quick release the remaining pressure.  With an immersion blender blend the soup until smooth and creamy, adding salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve hot by itself, with a dash of cinnamon, or with a drizzle of coconut milk for a pretty presentation.
8. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week, or in freezer bags for several months.

Tips and Tricks:

• This method of pre-cooking a squash can be done with virtually any squash and any recipe.  For me, 6 minutes with a two pound squash cooked it about 60% of the way, and then the second pressure cook in the main soup finished cooking it.  If you want to fully cook the squash, adjust your times from 12-20 minutes depending on the squash type and size.
• I did not peel my squash prior to cooking or adding it to the soup since it was a lighter color and not too thick.  If you have a traditional acorn squash or other darker skinned squash, you may want to peel it.
• If you do not have an immersion blender, I would suggest allowing the soup to cool and then blending in a high power blender in batches, making sure to mix all of the blended batches together before serving.
• This would be a great side soup for a larger meal.  It feels creamy and delicious, but doesn't contain too many calories per serving.  Personally, I had a double serving of this soup for lunch along with some crackers and cucumber slices and felt perfectly full through the afternoon without overdoing my caloric intake.  Low caloric density for the win!

Nutrition Info:

As calculated on MyFitnessPal.com for 8 servings per recipe:  Calories: 109; Total Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Sodium 75 mg; Potassium 676 mg; Total Carbohydrate 26 g; Dietary Fiber 5 g; Sugars 6 g; Protein 3 g; Vitamin A 220%; Vitamin C 92%; Calcium 7%; Iron 9%

Health and Happiness,

Amy