Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Rainy Day Eats


R


ainy days
call for comforting, warm eats. Yesterday afternoon I ventured out into the showers to go shopping for ingredients to make such eats. I had one slice of pizza for lunch while shopping.
Align Center
For dinner I made tortilla soup. It was FANTASTIC. Of course I smothered it with cilantro. Like duh, who wouldn't? ;-)





Tortilla Soup

(Adapted from John's tortilla soup)

3 T olive oil
1 onion - chopped
5 cloves garlic - chopped
1 jalapeño - chopped
2 T cumin
1 jar tomatillo salsa
Approx. 6 cups chicken broth (low salt)
Dried hominy (about 1 cups)
2 - 3 cups whole grain tortilla chips (to thicken)
2 limes
cilantro (optional, but seriously ... how could you not?)
Sour Cream (optional)

Sauté the onion, garlic, jalapeño for about 4 minutes in the olive oil.
Add the salsa, stock and hominy.
Cook until the hominy is done (desired softness) - about 15 - 20 minutes.
Crush the tortilla chips into the soup, and cook another 10 minutes.
Add the juice of 2 limes.

Serve with cilantro and sour cream on top.

I was hungry and craving protein later in the evening, so my snacks were yogurt and a couple eggs with hot sauce: (next time I will add beans, or some form of protein to the soup).





Breakfast this morning was a whole food juice made with 1 grapefruit, 1 pear, 1 red pepper, 1/2 cup OJ, and 4 ice cubes:



Unlike my juicer, the Vita-Mix gave me a juice with NO WASTE. 100% whole foods.

Mmmm mmmm mmmm!




(I had 2 full glasses).

Lunch was leftover soup and 1 chocolate chip cookie.

Mid-afternoon I had some yogurt.

For dinner this evening I made a spicy sausage and arugula risotto.

Spicy Sausage and Arugula Risotto

2-3 Spicy Italian sausage
3 cups (packed) arugula
3 cloves of garlic
Approx. 5 cups of chicken broth (VERY low sodium)
1 T olive oil
2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook the sausage and set aside (squeeze out of casings, and cook, breaking up in the pan until done). In the same pan, sauté the arugula and garlic until wilted (about 2 minutes), and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a pot, and add the rice, tossing to coat. Add 1/2 a cup of the broth, and stir until nearly absorbed. Add the hot pepper flakes. Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time until rice is of desired tenderness. When it is almost done, add the sausage and arugula to warm. Stir in the Parmesan before serving.







I got a lot done today. I cleaned my house, did Jillian's 30 Day Shred (she is crazy), and also baked some Irish bread. This bread is very easy to make, and is one of the best breads I have ever had. No kneading required! I made it once before when I had my Irish Themed Dinner Party.

Irish Oatmeal Bread
(Adapted from "The Irish Spirit" Book)

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
2 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 lg egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Sift together the first 4 ingredients. Add the whole wheat flour and the oats. Stir.
Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and egg.
With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it becomes a soft dough.
With floured hands, form the dough into 2 rounds, and place on the pan.
Bake 35 - 40 minutes.
Cool on wire rack

Before:



After:



I may or may not have snagged a slice after dinner ;-)

Perfection.

Do you make bread? Buns? What kinds?


22 comments:

Healthy. Happy. Well. said...

Oh my goodness! That cilantro looks so good! Awesome recipe!

Kelsey Ann said...

ur tortilla soup is fabulous enough it should carry those rain clouds away. saskatchewan isnt used to so much rain and uve been getting lots this year! its so sucky isnt it!!

xoxo <3

Anonymous said...

i usually make muffins and stuff! I can eat a whole loaf of bread so i avoid that situation! BTW look at you! you are cooking up a storm buddy!! How are you liking 30ds?

Simply Life said...

wow that bread and soup both look amazing!

Heather Iacobacci-Miller said...

Soup is always such a great dish for rainy days isn't it. So comforting. I do make my own bread. I use my bread machine to do the dough part though. I make a ciabatta and a French bread (that I often cut down to roll size).

Kat said...

I LOVE tortilla soup. I literally get is everywhere if they have it when we eat out. And yay for shredding! She is seriously so so awesome. I have a slight crush on her ;) I really love making breads...except I end up eating it all hahah

Anonymous said...

Every once in a while I'll use the bread machine, but I haven't done it in a long time.

Jessica @ Dairy Free Betty said...

mmmmmm I love fresh bread!! My favorite was the seedy irish bread I made at St. Patties day!! :) So good!

Kacy said...

I suck at baking, so the only bread I've ever made is out of a bread machine, haha. I love homemade bread tho! Your risotto looks insanely good!

Jessica @ The Process of Healing said...

How jealous of you am I that you have a VitaMix!!!! No fair! :)
That bread looks SO GOOD! I'm impressed. I'm so bad at making bread, it's ridiculous. Something about the yeast..

kalin said...

i make bread, but not right now-the high here today is 96! No cooking indoors when it's that hot

Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday said...

Oh boy to I EVER make bread! I love baking bread, it's one of my favourite things to do.

I make about a loaf a week. Right now it's all about sourdough, since I have a starter and everything.

sophia said...

I LOVE cilantro! I think people who hate it are crazy. And I wish I baked bread, but I suck at it for some reason. The yeast always comes out too strong!

Amanda- The Nutritionist Reviews said...

That soup looks awesome (except for the cilantro which for some reason I do not like). Just found your blog and am your newest follower :) Please check out my blog too!

Amber said...

YUM! Your drink is so fancy and delicious looking :)

The Fajdich Times said...

I am going to try your Irish Oatmeal Bread real soon. Your Irish dinner sounds great:)

Nirmala said...

I love cilantro too. That soup looks SO good.

Lindsay @ http://pancakesnpajamas.blogspot.com/ said...

Oh yeah, cilantro is a must! How does the red pepper taste in a juice? Does it sweeten it up a bit?

Crystal said...

I love making breads! Right now it is so so hot (heatwave in BC!) so I haven't made anything for awhile. But in the winters I enjoy making basic loaves of bread, pizza dough, and this muffin-like bread that has a citrus undertone with pecans. Delicious!

Anonymous said...

You have had some of my favorite foods today! Johns soup never fails! Soda breads are so easy to make and taste soooo good

theemptynutjar said...

hi...
if u know anything about Dauphin or Swan River or Thompson, Manitoba, can u send me an email?
theemptynutjar@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Never thought to put sausage in risotto before. Glad you did as next time I'll be trying this! Probably after the heat wave breaks.