beet tomato soup

This ruby-red soup, well balanced in flavor between the beets and tomatoes, needs to be served very cold; plan to make it in the morning so it has time to chill. 

Adapted from Good Tempered Food by Tamasin Day-Lewis, this recipe, which can be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for chicken stock, serves 6.

1 lb small beets, pre-cooked and ready to eat, or fresh beets
5 cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium storebought, or vegetable stock
3 large ripe tomatoes, cored, halved, seeds squeezed out, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice, to taste
2/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp chopped chives

If using pre-cooked beets, chop roughly and set aside.

If you're using fresh beets, preheat the oven to 375°F. Scrub the beets and trim the stems down to one-half inch. Wrap the beets individually in foil, place on a baking sheet, and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, or until just tender when pierced with a knife tip. The beets will finish cooking in the soup, so take them out of the oven and unwrap the foil. When the beets are cool enough to handle, cut them into large chunks.

In a 3-quart or larger stock pot, heat the chicken or vegetable stock over high heat. When the stock begins to shimmer, add the beets and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have begun to collapse. Remove the pot from heat, and puree with an immersion blender (or let the soup cool a bit, and puree in a blender in batches).

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the soup in a container or bowl, covered, and refrigerate for at least two hours until well chilled. Just before serving, squeeze in the lemon juice, adjust with salt and pepper if needed, and ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with a small dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped chives.

http://www.soupchick.com/2010/07/recipe-for-chilled-beet-and-tomato-soup.html

mango soup

#5 Live Mango Gazpacho from Renfield & Murray's 30-Minute Vegan, via Chow Vegan, chowvegan.com

3 cups mango, cut into small cubes (about 3 medium-size mangoes)
2 cups tomato, chopped small (about 3 medium-size tomatoes)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped small
1 teaspoon seeded and minced jalapeño (optional)
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley

• Mix all of the ingredients together well in a large bowl.
• Transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a blender and blend on high speed for 20 seconds and return to the bowl. Mix, and if desired, chill for 30 minutes, otherwise serve immediately.

Excerpted from the book The 30-Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray, published by Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2009. www.dacapopresscookbooks.com

golden beet soup

Golden Beet Summer Soup
2 servings

1 can low salt chicken broth
4 golden beets
1 Tbsp heavy cream
½ tsp lemon zest, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh chives chopped
Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper

Wash beets, wrap in foil and bake in oven at 400 degrees until fork tender (about an hour). When cool, skin the beets. Beets can be refrigerated at this point for later use, or proceed with soup. Chop beets into cubes.

Heat chicken broth and beets in medium saucepan. Puree in blender or with immersion blender until smooth. Add cream, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh chives.

http://www.tastemonials.net/2010/08/golden-beet-experiment.html

kale soup

http://veganyumyum.com/2007/02/kale-soup/

Creamy Kale Soup
Serves 2-3 dinner sized portions

1/2 Cup Green Lentils
1/2 Cup Quinoa (I like to use half-and-half)
1/2 Medium Onion, finely chopped
4 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Small Bunch Kale
5 cups water

Spices
1 tsp Cumin, heaping
1/2 tsp Curry Powder
1 Veg Bullion Cbbe
3 Tbs Tahini
2-3 Tbs Tamari or Soy Sauce

Wash and de-stem kale (I use kitchen scissors to cut along the sides of the stems), tear the leaves into smallish pieces. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add quinoa and lentils. Sautee for a few minutes, add spices and kale. Mix well. Add water and bullion cube and bring to a boil. Cover and turn down heat to low. Simmer for 35-40 minutes.

Carefully blend the hot soup in a food processor or blender and return to pot. You can skip this step or blend only half of the soup if you want some texture, but I think it's nicest smooth. Add tahini and tamari to taste.

To garnish, mix 1-2 Tbs of tahini with a small amount of water until it becomes smooth and bright. Drizzle on top of the soup and serve.

Mushroom-Rosemary Orzo, Bulger Chicken Salad, and Spinach Chickpea Pasta

Whole in one: add these three recipes to your rotation and you'll increase both your whole-grain intake and your stable of delicious, easy-to-prepare main dishes

Nutrition Action Healthletter, April, 2010 by Kate Sherwood

Mushroom-Rosemary Orzo

Serve it as a main dish with a simple green
salad or as a side dish with roasted or grilled
chicken. Orzo is tiny pasta that's shaped like
rice. If you can't find the whole wheat version
where you shop, try a store like Whole Foods.

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/2 lbs. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms,
chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed
and minced

1/2 lb. whole wheat orzo

1 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry
white wine

3 cups boiling water

2 cups peas, thawed from frozen
Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 oz. (about 12 Tbs.) freshly grated
Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet over medium-high heat,
saute half the mushrooms in 1 Tbs. of the oil
until well browned, about 5 minutes. Remove
from the pan. Saute the remaining mushrooms
in I Tbs. of the oil until well browned.

Push the mushrooms to one side of the
skillet and add the last 1 Tbs. of oil to the
pan. Saute the garlic, onions, celery, and
rosemary for 2 minutes.

Stir in the orzo and wine and simmer until
all the wine is absorbed. Stir in the boiling
water and simmer vigorously, stirring often,
for 8 minutes. Stir in the reserved mushrooms
and the peas and season with pepper
and up to 3/4 tsp. of salt. Serve with the grated
Parmesan. Serves 4.

PER SERVING (2 cups)

Calories: 510
Total Fat: 16 g
Sat Fat: 4 g
Protein: 22 g
Sodium: 600 mg
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Carbohydrates: 65 g
Fiber: 9 g

Bulgur Chicken Salad

If you don't like the strong taste of arugula,
use baby spinach or mixed salad greens.

1 cup bulgur

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

5 oz. (8 cups) arugula, roughly chopped

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes,
quartered

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 avocado, chopped

Put the bulgur into a large bowl, pour in
the boiling water, and cover. Let stand for
10 minutes, then uncover and allow to cool.

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel
and season with pepper and 1/4 tsp. of salt.
Saute over medium heat in 1 Tbs. of the olive
oil until golden brown on both sides, about
2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from
the pan, allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then
slice.

Make the dressing by whisking together
the remaining 3 Tbs. of olive oil with the
orange juice, lemon juice, remaining 1/2 tsp.
of salt, and pepper. Add the arugula to the
bowl with the bulgur and toss with the dressing.
Top with the sliced chicken, tomatoes,
scallions, and avocado. Serves 4.

PER SERVING (2 1/2 cups)

Calories: 490
Total Fat: 25 g
Sat Fat: 4 g
Protein: 31 g
Sodium: 460 mg
Cholesterol: 70 mg
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Fiber: 13 g

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Spinach Chickpea Pasta

If the sundried tomatoes are packed in extra-virgin
olive oil, you can use some instead of
the olive oil called for in the recipe.

1/2 lb. whole wheat fusilli or other pasta

4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
and chopped

10 oz. (16 cups) baby spinach

1 15 oz. can no-salt-added chickpeas
Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 oz. (about 6 Tbs.) freshly grated
Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta according to the package
instructions. Reserve I cup of the pasta water.
Drain the pasta, toss it with I Tbs. of the oil,
and set it aside.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep pan over
medium heat, saute the garlic, red pepper
flakes, and tomatoes in the remaining 3 Tbs.
of oil until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute.
Add the spinach, chickpeas, and reserved
pasta water. (Stir in the spinach in batches if
it doesn't all fit at one time.) Cook while stirring
until all the spinach is wilted.

Toss in the pasta, stir to combine it with
the chickpea mix, and heat through. Season
with pepper and up to 1/2 tsp. of salt. Serve
with the Parmesan. Serves 4.

PER SERVING (2 1/2  cups)

Calories: 510
Total Fat: 20 g
Sat Fat: 3.5 g
Protein: 19 g
Sodium: 530 mg
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Carbohydrates: 71 g
Fiber: 12 g

COPYRIGHT 2010 Center for Science in the Public Interest

COPYRIGHT 2010 Gale, Cengage Learning

Quick Orzo Veggie Risotto

Nutrition Action Dish of the Month

Quick Orzo Veggie Risotto
Sauté 1 diced onion in 2 Tbs. olive oil until soft. Stir in 1 cup whole-wheat orzo, 2 cups low-sodium broth, 1 cup milk, and ½ cup sundried tomatoes. Simmer, stirring often, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 min. Stir in 1 bag baby spinach and ½ cup Parmesan cheese.

Orzo

Right Stuff

IN THE ORZONE

Spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, penne. Americans love their pasta. But many people have never heard of orzo, the silky-textured pasta that looks like oversized rice. If that’s you, here’s your chance to make your first orzo your best orzo. RiceSelect Whole Wheat Orzo and DeLallo 100% Organic Whole Wheat Orzo don’t toss out the bran and germ like refined pastas do. So you get not just the couple of B vitamins and the iron that’s added back to white pasta, but a higher dose of fiber (6 to 9 grams), plus roughly 10 percent or more of a day’s vitamin B-6, magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium in each 200-calorie cup.
And whole wheat orzo has more fiber, protein, and selenium than you’d get in brown rice, which takes longer to cook (unless you buy it parboiled).
How do you prepare orzo? Like any pasta, just boil it in plenty of water until al dente, about 8 minutes (6 minutes if you’ll be using it in a cold pasta salad). Then just drain and you’re ready for business.
Toss the cooked orzo with plenty of chopped fresh basil and ripe tomatoes with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil. Or mix in some fresh dill, mint, scallions, feta cheese, lemon juice, and olive oil. Or toss with roasted veggies—cherry tomatoes, garlic, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, anything that’s in season.
You can also treat orzo like rice. Try it in a simple risotto (see the Dish of the Month).
No matter how you prepare it, one thing’s for sure: your diners will want some morzo.
RiceSelect: (800) 993-7423
DeLallo: (877) 335-2556