I eat this soup when my tummy is upset. You can make a spicier version of this by doubling the dried herbs & spices.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp olive oil
2 medium onions
4 small organic carrots
2 large stalks of celery
1 package of fresh asparagus
32 oz fat free chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 tsp sea salt
Dried basil, cumin, oregano, black pepper, 2 shakes each   Continue reading →

LOWFAT EASY HOMEMADE FRENCH ONION SOUP FROM SCRATCH
This version calls for caramelizing the onions in the oven rather than on the stove top. This gives you more flavor out of the onions without having to continually stir them.   Continue reading →

Collards are packed with nutrition but, truth be told, Kale has almost three times as much

Collard greens are packed with nutrition (see links below). I cooked a batch the other day and flavored them with some favorite Indian spices. I add plenty of liquid so it makes a flavorful pot liquor broth as well. I sauteed in a 2 quart pot 1 chopped celery stalk, one chopped carrot, 1 small chopped onion. Saute a few minutes to release the flavor and add your spices in: 2 star anise, 1/4 tsp each  garlic powder, onion powder, crushed fennel, crushed coriander seeds, a dozen mustard seeds and a cinnamon stick. Cook a few minutes to release the oils, then add a large bag of chopped collard greens and one quart of low sodium chicken broth.   Continue reading →

Photo credit http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-blog/baked-chicken-thighs/

(1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
(2) Remove the skin from 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs.
(3) Line an oven sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray, or place on a wire rack.
(4) Arrange the thighs and spray them.
(5) Using a half teaspoon of each, season the thighs with with sea salt, fresh ground pepper, granulated garlic, turmeric, paprika, dried tarragon, basil and oregano leaves.
(6) Into the oven for 20-25 minutes until top begins to crisp.  Then turn over, season the other side, back into the oven for 10-15 minutes.     Continue reading →

I have a bad habit of skipping breakfast, a time I should be fueling up for the morning. I’ve begun doing smoothies again and I went to Naturesmarket Healthfoods today for some Spirutein Whey Vanilla protein powder. While there, I thought I’d get some extra nutrition while I was at it. I stocked up on chia seeds, magic greens (it has spirulina in it, also alfalfa powder chlorella and barley grass) and soy lethicin for my power smoothies. I told the clerk I used to take soy lecithin but I don’t remember what I took it for. She laughed and said it’s good for memory!      Continue reading →

Spaghetti squash and kale for breakfast, sprayed with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and sprinkled with nutritional yeast. The Bragg’s is a nutritious version of soy sauce, and the nutritional yeast is cheesy tasting savory flakes full of B vitamins, folic acid, selenium, zinc and protein. You shake it on the same as parmesean cheese and it’s great on veggies and popcorn.

2 TBS of olive oil
1 small yellow onion (1/2 cup diced) (I used a large white onion)
2 cups of diced raw sweet potatoes
2 cups of diced raw white potatoes
4 cups of vegetable stock (I used chicken broth)
2 cups of pure water
half of lemon freshly squeezed for juice   Continue reading →

Yummy no fat dessert: a cup of Kaffree Roma faux coffee with six fat pitted dates dropped in. The dates get warm and chewy and gooey-ish and each one is like a mouthful of chocolate cake. Which I don’t eat. Which is why I’m eating this instead.

I’ve been making lazy soups, semi-homemade soups. I’ve got it down to a formula.  I love formulas.  The formula is:  (1) choose a protein,
(2) chose your veggies,
(3) choose a broth: chicken, beef, veggie
(4) choose your spices, then
(5) simmer and eat. 

I’ve been grilling vegetables in my new grill pan so when I do that, or when I roast veggies, I set some aside to add later to soups and salads.  This morning, I had some grilled peppers and onions that I put in a small (1 quart) saucepan and filled half way with low sodium chicken broth.  I added a teaspoon each of turmeric and jerk seasoning, a half teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried basil, dried tarragon and fresh chopped rosemary.    Continue reading →

I’m loving my new Rachael Ray anodized aluminum grill pan. For lunch yesterday I made turmeric cinnamon jasmine rice and grilled zucchini and yellow squash in the grill pan. Maybe it was the grill marks distracting me, but it seemed to carmelize up quickly and taste better than simply sauteed. I sliced them into thin planks for maximum grilling surface. A spritz of olive oil onto the grill, then onto the planks themselves. Sprinkle crushed or dried rosemary, basil, tarragon, salt and pepper. Who knew a couple of squash could be so yummy and satisfying? Then I created the perfect dessert, also in the grill pan: I sliced a banana into planks and lightly grilled it, then tossed in a half handful of fresh raspberries and raisins. I added a little water to plump up the raisins. It was delicious, much better than a bowl of ice cream. And zero fat or added sugar.