Another Clean Eating Magazine Recipe- Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff

In an effort to go for a healthier lifestyle, I decided to try some new things and see what the "clean eating " trend is all about.  For those of that may not be familiar with the clean eating concept, it basically involves cutting out processed foods and eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. My family already eats few processed foods so that part wasn't hard  and I started looking for a few recipes. The Pumpkin Surprise Pasta from Clean Eating Magazine was a bit of a disappointment, but I decided to give their recipes another try, this time with the Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff.

First, I cooked some onions and garlic in a bit of oil until they were translucent.

Then I added a mix  of sliced white and Portobello mushrooms.

 While they were cooking down, I used my awesome immersion blender to puree the tofu for the sauce.

The tofu, sour cream, beef stock and tomato paste were added to the pan and cooked until the sauce smooted out a bit and then cajun seasoning was added.

The sauce and mushrooms were served over whole wheat egg noodles. It look pretty good doesn't it?

I was really excited about this meal and couldn't wait to try it. Once again, I was disappointed with the bland flavor of the dish.  The basic bones of the dish are good, but it just needs a bit of something. Next time....

INGREDIENTS:

•12 oz whole-wheat egg noodles

•Olive oil cooking spray

•1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

•4 oz white mushrooms, thinly sliced

•8 oz portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced

•1 clove garlic, minced

•14 oz medium-firm tofu, puréed in blender or food processor

•8 oz low-fat sour cream

•8 oz low-sodium beef stock

•1 tbsp unsalted tomato paste

•1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

•Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

•1 tsp dried dill

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2.Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low, mist with cooking spray and add onion. Sauté for about 8 minutes or until caramelized. Add white and portobello mushrooms and garlic. Mist with cooking spray, if needed, and sauté until cooked, about 5 more minutes.

3.Add tofu, sour cream, stock and tomato paste, and stir until smooth. Stir in seasoning, salt and pepper.

4.Pour mushroom sauce over cooked noodles. Serve topped with dill.

Nutrients per 1-cup serving: Calories: 140, Total Fat: 3.5 g, Sat. Fat: 0.5 g, Carbs: 18 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 9 g, Sodium: 140 mg, Cholesterol: 15 mg

Portobello Mushrooms

Gadget Tuesday: Cuisinart Smart Stick

Yes, I know it has been awhile. Life gets the best of me sometimes, what can I say?! The other day I was making a batch of really delicious manicotti when I realized that I use my Cuisinart Smart Stick for everything and needed to tell the world.

This little powerhouse of a kitchen appliance can do so many cool things. It comes with a chopper attachment that makes it into a mini food processor, a whick for whipping up fluffy cream to top decandent desserts, a large measuring cup that is perfect for blending up smoothies in, and my favorite part- the immersion blender.

I am pretty embarrassed to admit the number of times that I have blown the lid on my standard blender when trying to puree warm soups. It is really dangerous to send scalding soup flying, plus I really hate cleaning so scraping pureed split peas off the ceiling is not my idea of a good time. When my kids were tiny I would use this to puree just about anything into a smooth baby food consistency. Seriously I love it!!!

The chopper can take an onion from this:

to this in a just a minute.

After sauteeing the chopped onions and making into a really great fresh tomato sauce I attached the blender motor to the immersion blade.

This made the smoothest tomato sauce for my manicotti without making a huge mess in my kitchen.

One of my favorite uses for the blender is in making soups that usually call for cream. You can really get a get creamy texture without having to actually add the cream by pureeing up a bit of the soup. It really thickens it up and makes for a very healthy way to get that rich texture with no fat.

You can make awesome smoothies right in the blender cup and puree steamed veggies with a bit of the cooking water for a really nutritious baby food.

So, seriously everyone check it out. I purchased mine at Sams club, but they are available at the most stores. There is a version available with out the chopper attachment, but it is really useful and I highly recommend it. So go get one and then try out the recipe below for Broccoli Leek Soup from William Sonoma. It will be totally worth it!!

Ingredients:

For the garlic croutons:

4 to 6 slices coarse country bread, each 3/4 inch

thick, crusts removed

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, sliced lengthwise





For the soup:

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 leeks, including tender green portions,

rinsed well and finely chopped

1 1/2 lb. broccoli, trimmed, florets and stalks

cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste



1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives

Directions:

To make the croutons, cut the bread slices into 3/4-inch cubes. In a fry pan over medium-high heat, combine the olive oil and garlic. Fry until the garlic turns brown, about 4 minutes; do not allow it to burn. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out and discard the garlic. Add the bread cubes to the pan and fry, stirring often, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.



To make the soup, in a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and sauté, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes more.



Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover partially and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.



In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return the soup to the pan. Alternatively, process with a stick blender in the pan until smooth. Reheat the soup gently over medium heat. Season with salt and white pepper.Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the sour cream, croutons and chives. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Immersion Blender

Tackling Leftovers

Whenever we have a party we are always left with a ton of food afterwards. I am not sure if we think that we are cooking for an entire army or if our friends are trying to watch their figures, but it never fails - leftover for days.

This spring we had our annual BBQ and Boil. Crawfish was hard to come by, so we went with shrimp - lots and lots of shrimp. After the masses were fed and everyone headed home, I was faced with a mountain of shrimp, corn and potatoes. Normally, I like to try to put the shrimp in omelets, but there was enough to keep the entire block in egg heaven for a week. So, I decided to try to make a soup. 

The first thing I did was cut the kernels of corn from the cob. I then put some chicken broth in a large soup pot and warmed up the leftover potatoes and corn.

After it was heated up,  the mixture was pureed with an immersion blender. I only pureed about half of the potatoes and corn and left some whole.

After pureeing, the peeled shrimp was added. This made a really spicy, chunky and flavorful chowder. The spices were a bit intense but it was really good and a great way to use up leftovers. The chowder was a big hit at a potluck lunch and every bit went to use! You have to love that!