Creamy Tomato Bisque

I made this Creamy Tomato Bisque because after my honey and I returned home from our road trip to Chicago he had a bit of a sinus cold. Nasty really. Coughing, sneezing, stuffy nose, the whole bit.

I put him on a prescription of lots of orange juice, vitamin C tablets, and lots of rest. Then my honey started talking about this Tomato Bisque we had on the trip for dinner one night and how yummy that would be. He went on and on. 

So I did what I do best; I headed to the kitchen to recreate that bisque. At the restaurant I had done my usual smelling, tasting, and then smelling again and I was feeling pretty confident.

It turned out even better than the resturant style bisque, but that's my own opinion. So it's sort of slanted.

However, what happened the next day after we ate the Creamy Tomato Bisque is fact and it was nothing short of miraculous. 

My honey was cured. 

Literally. 

No longer stuffed up, no sinuus head ache, just a small lingering "Kermit the Frog" voice. 

And this soup isn't just 'sick people' food. It is light, creamy, and full of flavor. Not to mention easy to make. All you need is a food processor and a crock pot. If you don't have either you can also use a blender and a large soup pot.  

Hey, it's all good in love and cooking. And the tomato, herb, cream flavor is worth the few minutes it takes to put this together. You'll probably thank me. 

And if you don't that's okay, you'll be too busy slirping down every last bite! 

Now on with the recipe! 

Creamy Tomato Bisque

1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Medium White Onion
1 Cup Baby Carrots; Chopped
2 Celery Stalks; Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic  
28 oz Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
 32 oz Fat Free Chicken Broth, Canned or Homemade
1/4 Cup Prepared Garden Fresh Pesto (or your favorite)
6 Ounces Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Sour Cream

Shredded Parmesan Cheese and extra fresh basil for serving (optional)
1. Chop onions, carrots, celery and garlic into large pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the vegetables are smooth. I processed in batches because my food processor isn't huge. Add the canola oil to a large skillet (or your slow cooker if it has saute mode). Add the pureed onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook stirring often until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Then transfer the vegetables to a 7 quart slow cooker set to high heat. 
2. Pour the tomatoes into the food processor and process until they are smooth. Add them to the slow cooker and stir well to combine.

3. Then add the chicken broth, pesto, and tomato paste. Stir together using a wire whisk to ensure everything is incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Leave the crock pot on high for an hour to two hours and then switch it to low heat for 4-5 hours.  

4. In the last 30 minutes of cooking stir in the sour cream and cook until heated through, another 20-30 minutes.

5. Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese and fresh basil if desired.


Servings: 6


Nutritional Skinny:

207 calories / 5.4 g fat / 17 g carbohydrates / 3.6 g fiber / 9.6 g protein

 Mental Health Tid Bit: Tomatoes are loaded with vitamin C and A making this a great meal to combat those winter germs during these transitional months. Not to mention the colder weather seems to beacon us towards indoor activities and lots of warm soups that we can gently cup in our hands and slurp mercilessly in the comfort of our own living rooms. No one else is watching just the fly on the wall the the bottom of an empty soup bowl. 

Italian Summertime Tomato, Cucumber and Basil Salad

July is almost here! Can you believe it? Where does the time go? I have no idea. None whatsoever.

It feels like yesterday when I was 12-years old playing on the slip in slide, cursing my new curves that hurt every time I hurled myself on the slippery wet tarp.

Oh well, those were the days... 

But I do know that July 4th will be here in only a few days. With that in mind, I wanted to share some of my all time favorite recipes for summer barbeques and potlucks, which you all may be attending this weekend.

This Summertime Italian Tomato, Cucumber, and Basil Salad is one of my all time favorite recipes. I bring it on camping trips, to work potlucks, to family gatherings, and serve it alongside everything from brats to steaks. 

The two best things about this recipe is that:


1) It's easy to make, just chop and dress, and

2) It's super versatile. You can use any vegetables and cheese combination and never go wrong. If you have squash instead of cucumber.. use it! If you have feta cheese instead of mozzarella... Go ahead! It's almost fool proof.

The component that makes this salad are fresh tomatoes, the chick peas, basil, and cheese. As long as you have those four ingredients the rest is history and will be amazing! 
The refreshing mix of fresh vegetables and yummy salty cheese make this a winner and a great compliment to ANYTHING! And, I'll bet you have almost everything you need already in your fridge!


So lets get started!

Italian Summertime Tomato, Cucumber, and Basil Salad

3 Ripe Vine Ripened Medium sized Tomatoes
1 Large Asian Cucumber
4 Cloves Garlic; Minced
1/2 Medium-sized Red Onion; Diced Finely
1 Can (15.5 oz) Garbonzo Beans; Drained and Rinsed
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil; Minced (you can also use 2 tbsp. dried basil)
4 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese; Cubed (you can also use feta, jack, or Gorgonzola)
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Paul Newman's Light Balsamic Dressing
1 tsp. Lemon Juice 

1. Get all your vegetables together with a cutting board and your favorite knife. Slice the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. I like to slice the tomato along the round and then slice across both ways. Slice the cucumber into bite sized pieces as well as mincing the garlic and dicing the red onions.
2. Toss all of the vegetables into a large bowl. Drain and rinse the garbonzo beans and add those to the bowl. Then add the minced fresh basil and the cubed cheese. 

3. Add the salt, pepper, light balsamic dressing, and lemon juice. Toss together with a spoon to coat. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight. Overnight is best because it gives all the flavors a chance to really marinate and blend together.


Servings: 12 ( approximately 1/2 Cup)


Nutritional Skinny:

85.5 calories / 3.8 g fat / 9 g carbohydrates / 1.6 g fiber / 4.6 g protein

Mental Health Benefit: This recipe is not only a chop and drop style recipe making it super easy to make, but it is loaded with vegetables and beans! Do you know what that means? Tons of vitamins A, C, and B and fiber from the garbanzo beans with virtually no fat per serving! Most of the fat comes from the cheese and if you are using reduced fat cheese, then you also have the bonus of some calcium. Plus it's fresh and bright flavors are the perfect compliment to a hot summer day!

Spicy Tomato, Corn, and Edamane Wintertime Soup

Yesterday, I went to visit my favorite cooking client. Okay, she's really my only one right now, but I am convinced that she would be my favorite even if there were others. She makes the most beautiful quilts and they just simply make me happy.

Soup was her idea. She always has great ones and I bounce off of her inspiration and build new healthy recipes. This soup was part of that inspiration. I have to admit I was a little wary about how simple it was. I mean we made it in about 20 minutes and then moved on to making Baklava (check my baklava blog for the recipe). When the Baklava was in the oven and we had made some cookie dough, (you'll have to stay tuned to see how I switched up the Almond Flour Cranberry Cookiesand made them lusciously chocolatey!) we sat down to a bowl. 

My instinct was to add a little fat free sour cream or even a little fat free half and half to give it a little pizzaz... a little creaminess even. But nope, my favorite client so brilliantly said, "Why don't we try it as is before we do any changing?" Sounded fair enough so we did.

And let me tell you ladies and gentleman... It was perfect just the way it is. The slight crunch of the edamame and the spicy kick of the red pepper flakes and chilies, along with the sweet burst from the corn were perfect all together. And the warmth of the soup was the perfect meal for a cold winter day when the sun finally decided to make a cameo appearance. She was right and I'm glad we didn't ruin the soup by tampering with it.

Have you noticed a pattern? Yep, I pretty much like to tamper with and change every recipe before I even try it! That's the Hot Mess in me!

Not to mention, this soup is low in calories (only 140 per serving), however still packed with over 7 grams of protein due to the edamame (which is packed with soy protein, especially good for us women who might need a little more estrogen in our systems!)

Give yourself the gift of a super easy and delicious winter time soup. You deserve a little boost and something easy to prepare. I'm sure your family love the flavors as much as I do! 

Here's to your health, wealth, and abundance!

Spicy Tomato, Corn, and Edamame Wintertime Soup

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 white onion; diced

3 tablespoons garlic; minced

2 cups frozen whole corn kernels

2 cups frozen edemame peas; shelled

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (10 ounce) can southwestern style tomatoes with chilies

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine (we used pinot grigio)

1 tbsp. rosemary

1 tbsp. thyme

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for three minutes. Once the onions begin to blonde add the corn, edemame, and both cans of tomatoes (they really are the star of the show and I thought they deserved their own photo shoot). 

2. Stir to combine and add the broth, wine, rosemary, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Heat over medium until it bubbles.

3. Then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes. This soup is so light and delicious. We served with a little bit of Parmesan cheese (I love it on everything!) and it was delicious just as is.

Servings: 6 


Nutritional Skinny:

140 calories / 2.75 g fat / 22 g carbohydrates / 3.8 g fiber / 7.3 g protein

Mental Health Benefit: Edamame is one of the great wonder foods. I guess it's sort of like the wonder woman of the vegetable family. Isn't it lucky? It is a complete protein containing all of the amino acid building blocks... without all of the fat that comes with animal proteins!  This little wonder food also provides antioxidant boosts from plant chemicals called isoflavones which basically means it helps us reduce our risk of heart disease by attacking free radicals (no not those kid of radicals with picket signs on the corner). Plus it's packed with fiber and creates an estrogen like effect on the body helping us protect our bones and teeth. Sounds too good to be true right? Well, think again... and you can add edamame to almost anything; salads, soups, casseroles, and it adds a sweet buttery bite sort of like a small moist lima bean.

 

BLT and Simple Pleasures

Just a word on bacon. Should we use it in moderation? Yes. Is it delicious? Yes. And finally does a small amount go a long way? Absolutely.

With that out of the way, let's talk about one of the most delicious sandwiches known to human kind. The BLT. It's simple, tasty, and always satisfying. I realize that a recipe for a BLT seems rather silly, right? Well, I might agree with you, however I have been making these sandwiches for years and there are certain tricks to making them even tastier. 

A few of those tricks are: 1) Get the yummiest bread you can possibly imagine, 2) Cook the bacon until it is just slightly crisp, but still has a little softness, 3) Skip the mayo and go straight for ranch (I used the Kefir light Ranch with probiotics), and finally 4) add some fresh basil! Trust me on this last one!

Then after wards, go play outside. There are horses just below me and they love to play, but if you don't have horses to play with maybe you have kids, a dog, or a neighbor who would like to come out and join you. Either way getting out in the great outdoors makes this sandwich somehow taste even better. And play is exercise! Don't forget that! I went with my honey and we tromped through the woods in hot pursuit of some fire wood. As we were bumbling through I looked around and commented, "Somehow being out in the woods makes you realize that nothing really matters. You know?" To which he responded, "Yeah, it's important to remember how simple life can be."

Exactly, just like our lunch. Simple and delicious. For simple pleasures.. I am so grateful..

Now here is my secret recipe for a slammin' BLT! And check out the nutritional 'skinny' below!

Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich (the Famous BLT)

 yields 3-4 sandwiches

1 package smoked bacon

4 focaccia rolls

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 fresh ripe red tomato

1/4 cup Kefir Light Ranch dressing

1 bunch fresh basil leaves

1. Start with your favorite skillet and fry up the bacon low and slow. The key to delicious bacon cooked perfectly is cooking it over low heat slowly so it can crisp without becoming hard and brittle. Cook each slice over low heat for about 8-10 minutes on each side. Once each slice is cooked drain on a paper towel. 

 2. Slice the most delicious ripe tomato you can find (we found a perfect one at the Helena farmer's market). Clean and separate your romaine lettuce and slice each focaccia roll in half. I loved the whole grain focaccia we found at the bakery. It made the sandwich even tastier! 

 3. Now we build the sandwich.Spread a thin layer of the Kefir Ranch dressing on each half of the roll. Place a slice or two of tomato on the bottom of the roll and add salt and pepper to taste. Place two slices of bacon to the top and add 2 leaves of romaine lettuce and 4 leaves of fresh basil. Place the top of the roll on and eat!


4. This would be tasty with some fresh cantaloupe or a slice of pear. We ate them just as is and were beyond satisfied.

Nutritional Skinny:

280 calories / 14 g fat / 22 g carbohydrates / 13 g protein


Mental Health Tip: So the lesson today is if you want something delicious like bacon, go ahead and have it. We have to live thoroughly right? However, remember that a little goes a long way. Two slices is all you need to get that yummy buttery flavor and load up on tomatoes, lettuce, and basil. You will get the vitamins you want and the flavor that satisfies without sabotaging your girlish figure. Go outside and live thoroughly. There is nothing better than getting lost in the woods.

Zuchinni Parmesan with Spicy Tomato Sauce

If you are like us, you have an abundance of zucchinis. I mean they are coming out of the bathtub we have so many. Our friends are handing them to us at every chance encounter and take them all because, well, hell-- I love to cook and I might as accept something free to cook with and create new exciting recipes to share with all of you. What the hell, right? That's what we say!

In addition to having tons of zucchinis, we are also about to have another houseful. My sister, fiance, and future mother-in-law are all coming to spend the weekend. In preparation, we have been cleaning the house like mad-- you'd think the Queen of England is coming or something-- Hell maybe she will decide to. I told my dad yesterday that when my sister comes she won't even recognize the place. It is way to perfect. Just like anything perfect though, I know it will only be like this for about another few hours and then things will return to chaos.

I decided to take a break from cleaning and scrubbing and bake some delicious Zucchini Bread using these elephant zucchinis. A zucchini about this size saved a woman from a bear just yesterday, so I feel very safe and protected with all these zucchini around. I shred about 8 cups of zucchini and I kid you not-- I made 9 loaves of this bread and one of my tasters said this.. "Abby, I want to eat this bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday." No joke.

Oh and the Zucchini Parmesan is delicious and a great spin-off from the original eggplant variety. It's now one of my new favorite things! Try them out and let me know what you think. Baking the bread was soothing and helpful in this crazy country where we watched a man on a surf board paddle across the lake and then a huge barge went by carrying God-only-knows what. This is the kind of stuff we see living on the lake in Montana...

And my sister will be here in a few hours! I can't wait to see her. It has been way too long! And my future brother.. I always wanted one of those and I will finally get one! Wish us luck, we will try not to offend, be respectful, and most importantly have lots of fun!

Zucchini Parmesan

2 Large Zucchinis
1/4 Cup Light Mayonnaise

1/2 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs

1/4 tsp. Salt and Black Pepper

8 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese; Shredded

1 1/2 Cup Spicy Tomato Sauce (see recipe below)

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese; Shredded

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the zucchinis into quarter inch rounds. Then in a shallow bowl combine the bread crumbs and salt and pepper.

2. Using a butter knife, spread a light amount of light mayo on each side of the slices of zucchini. Dredge each side of the zucchini in the bread crumb mixture.

3.  Place each zucchini round on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the zucchini pricks softly with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Turn down the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

4. In a baking pan lay a single layer of zucchini on the bottom. Place a half cup of Spicy Tomato Sauce (recipe below) over the zucchini, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and repeat another layer. Repeat layering until all of the zucchini have been added to the casserole dish.

5. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. You want the edges to be bubbly and the cheese to be melted and slightly browned on top! Serve immediately!

Servings: 8

Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 Tbsp. Smart Balance Butter

1 1/2 Cup Onion; Finely Chopped

1 Roasted Red Pepper; Chopped

4 Garlic Cloves; Minced

1 Jar (26 Ounces) Spicy Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine

3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

2 Cups Water

1/4 Cup Fresh Oregano

1/2 Cup Fresh Basil

1. Heat a large sauce pan with the oil, then add the onion, red pepper, garlic and heat until onions are translucent.

2. Pour the jar of sauce into the sauce pan. Then in that same jar add the wine, tomato paste, and water and seal and shake the ingredients in the jar to combine. Add this mixture to the sauce pan as well. Add the herbs and  cook until bubbly.

Servings: 8 

Mental Health Tip: No matter who is coming to dinner, whether it's the Queen of England or just your sister, remember-- they came to see you-- not your house, not your lawn. Although it is nice to have things clean, never forget that the most important element is fun! Don't forget to relax and enjoy every moment with your guests! That is what I plan to do!



Wishing you abundance from our kitchen to yours!

~ "Little Hot Mess" in a clean kitchen

Packing the perfect picnic.. Spiders & all...

We have been enjoying the last few drops of summer weather here in Northwest Montana with a promise that winter is right around the corner. It feels like we have had about a week and a half of summer, but I'm not complaining.. Okay. I am, but seriously only a few nice hot days? Okay, I know. Get over it. 

In pursuit of getting over it I decide that a picnic is in order. I whipped up some delicious Smoked Salmon Dip, Caprese Sandwiches, Potato Salad, and Mediterranean Vegetable Salad. Time to be outside soaking up the last bits of sunshine and eating deliciously decadent foods. There are a few obstacles to picnics, one of which is ants, but out here the bigger problem is spiders. I used to be deathly afraid of spiders, but out here they are prolific. I mean everywhere. Just the other day one was hanging out in my bikini top... while I had it on! Talk about a jolt, you should have seen me jumping up and down screaming..

 Recently, however, a dear friend of mine shared helped me overcome the fear of spiders by sharing their totem with me. As she described it the spider totem represents creativity and balance, especially in the area of writing. This perked my interest and I started looking around for more information in our favorite Spirit Animals book.
 
 What I discovered is that some ideas are that generally accepted are that her "thread" connects the human world and the world of spirits or the "above world" and the "below world". Spider Woman also weaves the "relationship" of the Web of Life and all beings. 
 
Also, it is said that she weaves the web of fate and if we are not decisive enough about changing our lots in life, we may end up being consumed by our fears and limitations. Okay.. I get it... Stop being afraid of spiders.  Spiders should encourage us to create, create, create whatever we want! Whether we write, paint, draw, sing, dance, cook... whatever. If life feels boring (or gloomy) let spider help inspire you! Let's get creative when we feed our kids, families, loved ones, and souls!

I have provided lots of delicious recipes for picnics, school lunches, or whatever you want. I hope that along with spider, I inspire you to create, create, create!

Smoked Salmon Hummus

1 (15 Ounce) Can Garbanzo Beans; rinsed
1 Cup Fat Free Plain Yogurt
2 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp. Dried Cumin
1 tsp. Seasonal Salt
1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 tbsp. Dried Parsley
2 Cups Smoked Salmon; chunked 

1. In a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, yogurt, garlic, cumin, seasonal salt, lemon juice, and dried parsley. Process until smooth. 

2. Add 1 cup of the smoked salmon and continue processing for 30-60 seconds. Stir in the remaining cup of chunked smoked salmon. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and fresh parsley. Serve with your favorite crackers, pita slices, and fresh vegetables!

 Caprese Sandwich

 1 large tomato; sliced diagonally
1 clove garlic; minced
6-10 leaves fresh basil
4 one ounce slices of mozzarella cheese
4 slices of whole wheat bread
Olive oil


1. In a hot skillet heat a little dab of olive oil. Spread the garlic lightly over the inside of each slice of bread and place on slice of bread into the hot oil. Add the mozzarella, basil leaves, and tomatoes on the bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then place the other slice of bread on top with the garlic on the inside of the sandwich. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes a side. The cheese will be melted and the bread crispy. 

2. Slice in half and serve immediately while the cheese is oooey-goooey! You can also save on calories by making this open faced and skipping the top slice of bread! Either way it is delicious!

 Herbed Potato Salad

3 large potatoes
2 tbsp. fresh dill; minced
2 tbsp. green olives; minced
2 tbsp. fresh chives; minced

1/2 tbsp. lemon grass

1 tbsp. stone ground mustard

1 tbsp. light balsamic dressing

1 tbsp. low fat sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes or until you can easily squeeze the skins. You can also take a short cut and microwave the potatoes for 20-25 minutes depending on how big they are. Once cooked, allow the potatoes to cool for 15 minutes.

2. Slice the potatoes into cubes and place in a large bowl. Add the dill, olives, chives, lemon grass, ground mustard, balsamic dressing, and sour cream to the potatoes and stir to combine. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat!

Garden Veggie Mediterranean Salad

3 large garden ripe tomatoes

1 large zucchini
1/2 green onion
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup fresh chives
1/2 cup fresh basil
16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans
1/2 cup low fat balsamic dressing (Paul Newman's is the best!)

1. Slice the tomatoes, zucchini, green onion, garlic, chives, and basil into bite sized pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl. Cube the mozzarella cheese and add to the bowl along with the garbanzo beans rinsed. Stir to combine.

2. Add the balsamic dressing to the mixture and stir coating all of the veggies and cheese. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and brighten. Serve cold right out of the fridge!

Mental Health Benefit: Being outside amongst the fresh air, wild flowers, and spiders also promotes a healthy appetite. I know I am hungrier when I'm camping or playing outside! Join me in enjoying these last few minutes of summer time together! As the weather turns we too are reminded of the changes with in all of us within each moment. Let's share in the creativity of mother nature and ourselves as we prepare healthy meals filled with love!

Wishing you more sunshine from my creative kitchen to yours!

~ "Too Lovely" Hot messes in the kitchen!