Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Recipe Redux has been around for 42 months! We've been grateful to be a part of it, even if we haven't been with them 42 months. This group is a great collection of bloggers that all are trying to make healthy eating a consistent part of their diets. In honor of 42 months, we were challenged to look in our cook books and find a recipe on page 42 or 142 and adapt it to be healthier. 

I ended up with a cookbook that I haven't used for a long time. I really like the recipes and pictures in it. So I was glad I had this challenge. It made me realize I needed to use it more. It is called the Ultimate Low Fat. I changed the "Red Bell Pepper Soup" recipe around a little bit. One of the things I did was roast the red peppers to add more flavor and browned the vegetables. I also made some other changes, such as loading it with vegetables. The end result was a satisfying, healthy bowl of soup. I liked the different dimensions of flavor.  My family enjoyed it too. Great for this time of year. Happy holidays!

Ingredients

12 oz of fresh red pepper, seeds removed

3 T olive oil

1 1/2  whole onions, sliced

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies

2 1/4 C tomatoes, pureed

3 3/4 water

2 tsp salt * (more if desired)

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp basil

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

basil leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Place red pepper on a cookie sheet face down. Put in oven heated to broil. Let broil until the outside gets charred. Watch closely so it doesn't cook too long. Take out of the oven, place it in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then peel off charred skin and chop up. 

2. Heat up oil in large pot. Place onions and garlic in pan and stir around and let cook for a few minutes. 

3. Stir in the red pepper and green chilies and continue to cook and let  the vegetables start to turn a light golden color. 

4. Stir in the tomatoes (I did whole tomatoes and blended in the blender a couple times until smooth) and water. Then add, salt, thyme, basil and crushed pepper. Let the mixture come to a low boil. 

5. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

6. Pour into blender and pulse a couple times. Serve warm. Garnish with basil leaves

An InLinkz Link-up

Frittata with vegetables and quinoa

This made a nice colorful dinner. The four of us ate the whole thing. You could have more sides if you wanted to make it go farther. It was a nice way to get a variety of vegetables into the meal. I have being reading lately all the nutritional benefits in vegetables and it gets me excited to incorporate more into my family's meals. This could be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.      

Ingredients:
12 egg whites
6 eggs yolk (or use 6 whole eggs and 1/4 C of egg whites from the carton)
1/4 to 1/3 C Parmesan cheese
3 T milk
3 T basil fresh or 1 1/2 T dried
1 tsp sea salt with iodine
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T grape seed oil or olive oil
1/2 C cooked quinoa
1 onion minced
1 red pepper chopped in small strips
2  garlic cloves minced
3 C fresh baby spinach
3 T water
*jalapenos, green chili's and 1/4 tsp chili powder would be good in it too. 

Directions:

1. In a bowl beat or whisk the eggs together then add cheese, milk, basil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat skillet on medium heat and pour oil in onions and garlic and let cook till the onions are soft about 3 to5 min.Then pour in the spinach and cook till it starts to wilt about 2 min. Stir in the quinoa let cook about 2 more min.

3. Then stir in the egg mixture and tilt the pan around to get it spread out evenly. Cook lifting up the sides to let uncooked egg seep underneath the cooked egg.  

4. Pour in 3 T water and put on the lid. Turn down to med.- low heat. Cook until the top cooks all the way. Watch closely so the bottom doesn't get overcooked. Serve from the pan.  

Eggs Rancheros with Brown Rice

This is a fun recipe you could make for a Valentines breakfast or dinner. We had it last night for dinner and ate it in one sitting. :) It was really good. I liked having all the vegetables in it. I wonderful complete meal.

Ingredients:
2 T coconut oil or oil of your choice
1/2 of green jalapeno chili chopped fine.
3 garlic cloves minced
1 onion chopped fine
1 red pepper chopped and seeds taken out
4-5 mini peppers * optional
1 C cooked sweet brown rice *optional
3 tomatoes (peel and take the seeds out of 2 tomatoes)
2/3 C Kefir or cream or milk
8 eggs beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1 handful of chopped up cilantro
1 avocado peeled and chopped into pieces
salsa or taco sauce

Directions: Serve 4-6

1. Heat oil in frying pan, on med. heat. Pour in the garlic, onions, peppers, chili, and cook until soft. Then add 2 of the chopped and peeled tomatoes, and cook another 3-4 min.

2. While cooking the vegetables, pour the eggs, and kefir* blend in the blender, or by hand beat. (I put some of the peppers in the blender too. If you have people who you are cooking for, who don't like chunks of vegetables. It is another way to make them not as noticeable.)

3. Then pour egg mixture into the pan with the vegetables. Mix until combined. Stir in the rice too. I put the lid on and stirred it occasionally. You can stir it less if you want it to be more of an omelet.

4. Once the eggs are all cooked. stir in the cilantro, or throw it on top. Garnish with cut up tomato and avocado. It tastes good with salsa or taco sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.

* The kefir or cream add a creamy texture to the eggs that we liked.

Thai Fried Sweet Brown Rice

This could be a fun dinner for Valentines! I have been reading the benefits of Curry and Turmeric. I have not cooked with them a whole lot. It was fun to try it something new. You should give it a try. We enjoyed it. I hope you do as well.

Ingredients:

4 C sweet brown rice
2 C canned coconut milk
1 1/2 C water
4 T coconut oil
3 garlic cloves minced
1 whole onion chopped fine
3 T grated ginger root
1 lb of chicken tenders (cut in small pieces)
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric *optional
2 eggs beaten
1 leek chopped fine

Directions: Serves about 4

1. Cook brown rice with the water and coconut milk. You may have to adjust your liquid according to how you cook it. I cooked mine in the pressure cooker. Allow enough time for the rice to cool, before it is added to the mixture. Otherwise the rice will absorb to much oil. I spread the rice on a cookie sheet to cool it faster.

2. Heat a wok or frying pan add 2 T of the oil. Then add ginger, garlic, and onion. Cook for about 3 minutes while stirring.

3. Then add the chicken and 2 T oil to the pan. Cook until it is all cooked. Then add the rice with
cook on high heat for 3 min.

4. Stir in the peppers, curry, *turmeric with salt to taste. Cook tossing it for 1 min. Stir in the eggs. and cook until the eggs are completely cooked. Garnish chopped leek. Enjoy!