This recipe below is courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine June 2009.

The vitamin C from lemon juice aids iron absorption. Round out the meal with grilled chicken, lemony hummus, and toasted 100 percent whole-wheat pita wedges. Substitute fresh shelled fava beans for edamame, if you like. Fava beans also supply protein, fiber, and B vitamins.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
1 pound yellow and red cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
1. Combine bulgur and 1 cup boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 1 hour or until bulgur is tender.

2. Cook edamame in boiling water 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Add edamame, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients to bulgur; toss well. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 208 Fat: 10.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 6.7g,poly 1.2g) Protein: 6.3g Carbohydrate: 25.4g Fiber: 7.1g Cholesterol: 0.0mg Iron: 2.2mg Sodium: 332mg
Calcium: 59mg

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Wow! I was just watching Tyler Florence and saw this awesome recipe for chicken soup. Sounds amazing. I’m going to try it tonight. You should too and let’s compare notes.

For the soup:
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 large carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
5 parsley stems, plus 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
4 black peppercorns
Kosher salt
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

For the meatballs:
1 medium onion, diced
Olive oil
6 links organic chicken-apple sausage meat (or any chicken sausage)
1 egg
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 handful fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 pounds frozen cheese tortellini, store bought
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
Set a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, half the garlic, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, and thyme and gently saute until fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, add parsley stems, black peppercorns and salt, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer while you work on meatballs and tortellini.

For the meatballs:
Caramelize the diced onion in a saute pan with a little olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, egg, onion, thyme, parsley, and cheese to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they all come together. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil until just smoking. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop meatballs onto skillet. Cook, turning, until golden brown.
Drop tortellini straight from freezer into soup. Cook until they float. Once meatballs are browned, add to pot of chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Give soup a final seasoning and serve in shallow bowls with a small shower of Parmesan, olive oil, and parsley.

I cannot take credit for this following recipe, but I can brag about it.  My parents had us over for a Memorial Day celebration this past Sunday and my Mom made this salad she saw the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten make.  It’s called Guacamole Salad.  It was delightful!  Flavors bursting, crunchy and smooth textures, sweet and salty contrasts made this the perfect side dish.  Check it out.  The recipe is bleow…

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed limejuice (2 limes)
1/4-cup good olive oil
1-teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Directions
Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

So if you are anything like me, you’d rather make something yourself than purchase a costly item full of preservatives.  Well this is how I feel about hummus.  I love the stuff, but a small little container of it is on average about $3.49.  Well you can make your own hummus for about $2.00 and get twice as much.  Check out my recipe below. 

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 lemon, juice of (about 1/4 cup)
1/4-cup olive oil
1 clove garlic (optional)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions
Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
*You can add just about anything to hummus to flavor it up.  Try roasted red peppers, garlic, orageno, parsley or any or spice that fancies your palate! 

Serve with pita crisps, pretzels or assorted veggies.

This recipe by far is the best cream of mushroom soup I’ve ever had.  It is not my recipe, it’s actually Ina Garten from the Food Network’s recipe.  She is one of my favorite chef’s on the Food Network.  Follow this recipe exactly and you’ll wow your friends and family.  It pairs well with some lightly toasted sour dough bread.  Please comment back and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
(or just get the best variety you can find at the local super market)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Meatball Soup

You will need the meatballs from the recipe below. Make sure to make them into bit-sized balls.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1 & ½ cup cups dried pasta (something small)
1-pound washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

Bring chicken stock to a boil, and then add the meatballs. Bring back to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer adding the remainder of the ingredients, excluding the spinach. Let cook for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the veggies are tender, and then add the spinach and pasta. Cook until the pasta in al dente, which is about 7-10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

As with any pasta salad, you can serve it as a refreshing summer side dish, or you can make it your main dish by just adding a protein, such as chicken or shrimp.  Pasta salads can tend to be heavy and fatty.  The following recipe tickles your taste buds and leaves you feeling happy without weighing you down. 

The Dressing:

6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

The Pasta:

1/2 pound gemelli (thin spirals) pasta

Salt

Olive oil

1 pint ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and diced

1 pound fresh mozzarella, bite size dice

8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

The Garnish:

1-cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup packed basil leaves, julienne

Cook the pasta salted, boiling water. Boil for 12 minutes, or until al    dente. Drain and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine all of the above “dressing” ingredients in a food processor and blend until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, add the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.  Serve chilled.  Add grilled chicken or grilled shrimp to make this a main dish or other wish just serve as is.  You are guaranteed to impress someone!

Couscous is a coarsely ground semolina pasta. The grain is a staple in many North African countries. Recently, it’s popped up on American menus and dinner tables like wild fire. Easy prep couscous is available in any grocery store. It’s a great alternative to rice, which can get pretty boring.

I prefer to cook my couscous in chicken stock.  It gives it a greater depth of flavor.  Below is a recipe for couscous as a main dish:

1 box of plain couscous.  (Make desired amount of couscous.  Follow recipe on box, be sure to use chicken stock or vegetable stock instead of water)

½-cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and garlic, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

1 green zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 yellow zucchini, quartered lengthwise
6 spears asparagus, trimmed
10 cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded

10 white button mushrooms, halved

You can substitute any of the above vegetables with any other vegetable you like.  You are going to take half of your marinade and cover the vegetable with it.  Let sit for about 10 minutes, then grill or George Foreman them. 

¼-cup basil chiffonade (stack leaves, roll in a cigar shape and cut crosswise into thin strips)
¼- cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Toss these herbs into the couscous and place into large bowl.  Stack grilled vegetable on top of couscous, drizzle a small amount of olive oil over vegetables, along with salt and pepper.  Use the remainder of the marinade to drizzle on top of the complete dish.  This can be served warm or at room temperature.

You can add grilled shrimp, scallops, chicken or tofu to this and make it a manlier dish!