Crock Pot Minestrone

After eating meat-containing (but very good) dinners all weekend, a healthy vegetarian meal was in order last night for a Meatless Monday. This soup was easy, since the crock pot did all the work for me, and tasted great. I loved the flavors of the swiss chard and yellow squash in it. I also made a big mixed green salad with lots of fresh vegetables to go along with it. There were lots of leftovers, so there was plenty for a healthy lunch today. This made quite a bit of soup, so I will be freezing some for an easy dinner in the future!

Crock Pot Minestrone

Ingredients

4 large stalks organic swiss chard
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cups organic vegetable broth
29 ounces canned organic diced tomatoes, undrained
16oz can organic kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15oz can organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 organic yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 organic yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 organic carrot, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups whole wheat rotini pasta, uncooked

Directions

1. Remove stems from swiss chard and chop separately from leaves. In medium sized pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and swiss chard stalks and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Add remaining ingredients, except for swiss chard leaves and pasta, to slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Add pasta and chopped swiss chard leaves and cook for another 20-25 minutes on low, or until pasta is tender.

(Recipe adapted from April/May 2014 issues of Taste of Home Magazine)

What are the nutritional benefits of this soup? Kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K. It is also a good source of minerals calcium, copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorous. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control.  Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C.Kidney beans provide lots of protein, folate, fiber, and iron. Garbanzo beans are packed with fiber as well as lots of great nutrients, including protein, molybdenum, manganese, folate, tryptophan, copper, phosphorous, and iron. Yellow squash is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, iron, folate, beta-carotene, and lutein. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Compared to white pasta, whole wheat pasta provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron. 

Chicken Yakitori

We used our grill for the first time this season over to weekend to grill this chicken, and it was awesome! The yakitori sauce is similar to a teriyaki sauce, but is less sweet.  The great thing about this chicken recipe is that it is really quick, so would be great for a busy week night. We had a bunch of vegetables in the refrigerator that we needed to use, so we made some baked tomatoes, roasted asparagus and a salad to go with our dinner. Some brown rice and broccoli would be great with it too!

Chicken Yakitori

Ingredients

1 pound organic chicken thighs

1/4 cup sake

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin

1 Tbsp sugar

2-3 wooden skewers

Directions

1. Preheat grill and soak wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes.

2. Thread chicken thighs onto skewers. In a small sauce pan, combine sake, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. 

3. Place skewers on grill, turning and brushing with sauce frequently. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until cooked through.

(Recipe adapted from The Complete Chicken Cookbook, ed. Justine Harding)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene and vitamin C. Asparagus is high in vitamin K and is also a great source of vitamin A, folate and iron.

Feta Shrimp Skillet

This is an awesome healthy dinner recipe that was in my Taste of Home magazine that arrived last week. And it only took about 30 minutes to make, from start to finish. The brown rice that I made to go with it did take an hour, though. This was filling without being too heavy and was really good with brown rice. This would also be really good with along side a salad. I think I will make this again in the summer time with a fresh greek salad to enjoy outside on the deck with a cold glass of organic chardonnay!

Feta Shrimp Skillet

Makes ~4 servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
29 oz canned organic diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup white wine
1 lb cooked shrimp
2 Tbsp fresh organic parsley, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In large pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute. Stir in tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

2. Add shrimp and parsley and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until shrimp are heated through. Remove from heat and sprinkle with feta cheese.

(Recipe adapted from April/May 2014 issues of Taste of Home)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control.  Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C.  Shrimp are an excellent source of protein, providing 24g of protein in a 4oz serving. Shrimp are also a good source of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Feta cheese is a great source of protein and calcium.

Fresh Veggie Pita

This is my version of one of my favorite meals from a restaurant called Yours Truly in my hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. It is a really healthy lunch or dinner and an easy and delicious way to get in some fresh leafy greens. When I was working full time before my son was born, I used to make these stuffed pitas for my husband and myself to take for lunch. It takes just a few minutes to get them all stuffed and toss some dressing in a little to-go container. To add some protein to these, I will sometimes add some cheese or hummus to them.  The original version from Yours Truly uses Muenster cheese. For dinner at home, these are great on their own or alongside a bowl of soup.  It's not warm out quite yet, but this is a really nice quick and healthy meal on a hot summer day!

Fresh Veggie Pita

Ingredients

1 whole wheat pita
2 cups fresh organic spinach leaves
1/4 fresh avocado, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 fresh organic cucumber, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 fresh organic tomato, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 Tbsp fresh balsamic vinaigrette, or your favorite dressing

Directions

1. Cut pita in half so you have 2 "pockets." Place avocado and cucumbers in bottom of each half, then stuff with spinach. Place tomatoes on top of spinach. 

2. Serve with dressing on the side, for dipping.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Compared to white pitas, whole wheat pitas provide more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron. Spinach is packed with fiber,  vitamins K, A, C, B2, B6 and folate, and the minerals iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Cucumbers are an excellent source of vitamin K and a good source of vitamin C. Tomatoes are high in fiber, lycopene and vitamin C.