Two Breakfast (or lunch, or dinner...) Options

Spinach & Mushroom Omelette

"Italian" Tofu Scramble

Lately, I have been so busy with student teaching and a full load of graduate classes that it has been difficult to keep up with this blog.  Fortunately, even with a packed schedule, it's easy to make time for whipping up these two dishes, which are both nutritious and very satisfying. Recipes after the jump!

Kale and Chickpeas

Product Review: New Fave Fibrous Snack!

I picked up GG Scandinavian Bran Crispbread, which is touted as "the appetite control cracker," at Whole Foods yesterday.  Invented by a Norwegian, these crispbreads pack 5 grams of fiber each and a meagre 12 calories!  For someone like myself who is always trying to up my fiber intake but likes the idea of doing so without supplementing my diet with sugary fiber bars, granola, or excess fruit, these bran snacks are perfect.  They may not be as tasty as a slice of baguette (that really goes without saying), but they are definitely palatable and, for a "Whole Fools" yuppie type of product, they are reasonably priced.

White Bean Vegetable Soup

I am glad that I finally made a bean soup and that I used those parsnips that were just lounging in my fridge for the past week or so. Parsnips really taste a lot like carrots, but I find they're more chewy and less crunchy and have more of a zing to them.

I am so glad I made this soup, and you will be too! I found that it did not require more salt beyond that which I added during the initial sauteing of the garlic, which was only about three shakes. This could be because of the broth I used - Trader Joe's Organic "Free Range" Chicken Broth; I'll have to check its sodium content. Anyway, this soup is hearty and nutritious and can definitely be eaten as a meal.


White Bean Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2 cans of cooked cannelli beans (drained)
1/4 tablespoon of butter
olive oil
3-4 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1/3-1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1/3 cup of sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas, but you can use whichever are to your liking)
1/3-1/2 cup of chopped celery stalks
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
parsley (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

Preparation:
1. Coat the bottom of a pot with olive oil.  Turn the heat up to low-medium flame and add the butter. After the butter has melted (don't let it burn!), add the chopped garlic, thyme sprigs, some sea salt, and black pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon) and saute the garlic for about one minute.
2. Add the chopped mushrooms to the pot, sauteing them for about 1-2 minutes.  Then add the parsnips, stirring so that everything gets coated with some oil. After 1 minute, add the carrots and celery. Saute everything for about 5 minutes, but not for much longer -- you don't want to overcook the vegetables and make them mushy!
3. Add the broth and bring the soup to a boil, then let it simmer for a while.  Test taste some of the rougher vegetables, such as the parsnips and celery, to ensure that are not too firm. Simmer for about 5 minutes. First remove the thyme sprigs, then add the drained cannelli beans. Since the beans are already cooked, you don't have to heat them for long. Bring the soup back to a boil, then simmer it for roughly 10 minutes. Serve with some chopped parsley and fresh black pepper.