Sorta Lasaga Soup: SHV

Quite a while ago, I read this recipe in a shared space and was interested in blogging / sharing it; but had some issues with provenance. For one thing, the person that posted the recipe wasn't the author, but where she got it from wasn't the originator either. Messy! Plus I really don't know how any of that works.

So, I decided to do the recipe anyway, almost a year later, but with all the changes I thought would make it all the more awesome, and also somewhat healthier along the way. And voila!! Zut alors! And alla that jazz (hands!).

You will need:

600 g hot Italian turkey sausage (8 med in this case)
2 tsp Olive oil, divided (NEVER EVOO for cooking! Nevair!!)
Chili flakes
2 med onions
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
4-6 cloves of garlic
1-156 ml can tomato paste
1-2 tsp oregano
Salt, pepper
2 bay leaves
796 ml  (28oz) can diced tomatoes
6 c chicken stock ( I use unsalted-ish)
3 c egg noodles, 4.5 oz (I use No-Yolks brand out of habit, but whatever you have is fine)

Optional: 6 oz light shredded cheese

Not pictured: bay leaves. It's always SOMETHING!

Prep!! First, de-skin your sausages (not a euphemism); I've found that the easiest way to do that is to cut along one side, like zo:



Then just peel them off around. Voila! Touche! Lots of other words that mean Easy Peasy!

Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a large, heavy bottom pot. They make the cooking world go round.

Add the sausages and chili flakes, breaking the meat into bite-sized chunks.

While that is cooking (jk, you know  did it in advance. But you totally could do it while the sausage is cooking), chop the onions and peppers.

When the meat is all nicely browned, scoop it out and set aside.

I absolutely HAVE to take a picture every time I see a nice fond like that. Lookit it!!

Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and the onions and peppers, cook stirring over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Now mince your garlic! No earlier. The air does things to it.

Add in the garlic, cook for ONE MINUTE ONLY.One!!

Add in the can of tomato paste, cook for 3 or 4 minutes until it turns a dark rust colour.

Add in 1 teaspoon of oregano, salt, pepper and return the sausage to the pot. Stir until well mixed. Coat that sausage (also not a euphemism).

Add in the tomatoes, stock and bay leaves, and another bitta oregano. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid, add in the egg noodles and cook for 10 more minutes or until the pasta is tender.

This is a very big soup, it makes 6 very healthy-sized portions at 294 calories per serving. 



To make it more lasagna-ish, you can top it with as little or as much cheese as you would like. This is half an ounce of light cheddar blend, but I also recommend adding Parmesan. People use cottage or ricotta in the bowl, more power to you. Just add in the calories and Bob will be your uncle.

Enjoy!

Saturday: Turkey Soup with Mom's Tea Biscuits

I make turkey soup almost weekly, mostly because it is the best way I know of to get veggies into my 4-year-old. He'll eat ANYthing in soup, and so he does. These are my mom's tea biscuits - it's still Fambly Week! They've been updated by her into a healthy version ( I just added salt - you need it Mom, I'm telling you!), enjoy!

You will need:

For the stock:
1 bunch of bones - I am using half of the bones of a 25-lb turkey and some raw chicken bones
Leftover onion tops, celery tops, carrot peels, whatever you have in the freezer
2 bay leaves
Ground sage, dried rosemary, dried thyme, cracked black pepper

This is what I use for stock: I save up the tops of my onions, celery and carrot cuttings and throw them in the freezer. I buy bone-on chicken and save the raw bones (the gelatin gives body and helps to thicken). When I've got enough, I rinse it and put it into the largest stockpot I own.

This sort of thing

 I have it on very good authority (thanks, C!)  that you can also use the leek tops (the dark green bit that you can't use otherwise) but I haven't tried that yet. But I will!

And more - including raw chicken bones

 Put it into your largest stock pot and cover with as much water as possible, but leave a couple of inches at top for bubbling and foam.

Boil, partially covered, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, skimming any foam that comes to the top. I've heard that is just how the blood shows up, from the raw bones, but I don't know for sure. It should be reduced by about a third or so.

After three hours, strain your stock and set it aside to cool. There are two easier ways I know how to do this, one is to put it on your garage floor. The other depends on your sink; if it is wide and deep, this will work. Put the stopper in your sink, place a small baking rack, folded down, on top of it. Fill the sink with cold water and ice, if you have it, place the pot of hot stock on top of the baking rack. Add ice as needed to the water.

When it is cool, scrape off any fat off the top. You know, do your best, don't obsess.


Now, the soup!

You will need:

1 tsp vegetable oil
3 onions, fine dice
3 carrots, fine dice
3 celery stalks, fine dice
Broccoli stalk, fine dice
5 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
Sage, dried rosemary, dried thyme, salt, pepper
1 1/2 c brown rice
2 c whole wheat pasta of your choice
6-8 cups turkey (whatever is left from the carcass), chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 c egg noodles
2 c broccoli and cauliflower florets

Soooo, prep! Lots of it, and it's all listed up there. I stick to vegetables I know the kids will eat in soup, but corn, zucchini, pretty much anything out there is going to taste yummy in this. Just add them in at the end.

Heat the oil in your biggest stockpot, add in the onions, carrots and celery. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for just one more minute. Just ONE!

Pour in the stock, add in the sage, thyme, rosemary, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer until it is reduced by a quarter.

Add the rice, boil at low temp for half an hour, then add in the pasta and turkey. You can also add in any gravy you have left over, it adds a punch of flavour, as do any leftover mashed potatoes you may have around. Both of those are good for thickening. After another 15 minutes, add in the broccoli, cauliflower and egg noodles and taste it. Add salt. Then some more, come on, just a little more, it's a big pot! Add thyme, sage and pepper as necessary. Let simmer for another 15 minutes, when all the veggies are softened, it is ready!

And on to the biscuits!

You will need:

1 1/2 c whole grain whole wheat flour
1/2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c butter, cold
2/3 c milk

 This is actually a sweeter-tasting biscuit than I remember, and I had to fight myself (spoiler alert: I won!) to not change everything back to my own recipe, but I like the way it turned out. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Same biscuit plan as usual, mix all dry together in a large, wide bowl.

Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives, until it looks like small crumbs.

Add in the milk, mix together quickly just until formed.

Turn out on a floured counter and pat it into a flat disc. Cut out circles with a glass or cookie cutter (I usually do dinosaurs but the boys were just not.deserving.it tonight). Place them on a baking sheet sprayed with oil and bake for 10-13 minutes. Check around 10, then every minute after. You don't want them too dark on the bottom.  I wouldn't recommend using parchment paper, as I've yet to find one that is rated for up to 450 degrees.

 

 

I like to put mine immediately into a bowl and cover with a large tea towel. 

 



But here they are nekkid:

And here is the whole meal!

The soup was too difficult to work out calorie-wise, but I have done so before and ended up just under 100 calories for a cup, which is pretty good. The biscuits end up being 140 calories each, but I didn't use any butter with them, just dipped them into the soup.

Enjoy! Thanks for the biscuit recipe, Mom!

Turkey Burgers

I've been craving turkey burgers all week; and since I just happen to have half a pound of the ground big bird, I am going for it. Simplest recipe ever! 3 ingredients! Use whatcha got. I am making 2, double it for four and on and on.

I used:

1/2 pound ground extra-lean turkey
3 large stuffed olives (mine have garlic and jalapenos because I like to be stinky AND uncomfortable whilst pooping)
1 oz goat cheese (I bet feta would be amazing)

Chop your olives, warm your grill. That's it for prep. Spray your grill with oil, so that's like another half a step. Throw all three ingredients in a bowl, mix together and form two patties.

Place on grill over medium-ish heat, cook for 15-20 minutes, flipping after about 10.

 

 Note: I am not a burger presser. I know people that are (some of my best friends!) so no judgement, but I like to keep all the juices inside the burger, as then they have a better chance of getting in my belly.

You can tell they are done when their juices run clear when you press (gently!) on them. A thermometer would help if you really want to get technical.

These babies came in at 165 calories each, add a bun, some salad and there we are, another meal under 500 calories. We totally rock.

Enjoy!

Tuesday: Turkey Parmesan Meatloaf

The tricky bit with lower calorie loaves of meat is that they can be a little bit dry. Here I added in spinach and grated carrot and onion, they add a nice moistness and slip my family some veggies at the same time. Win win! Also surprisingly yummy cold. In a sandwich with a tiny bit of mayo, raw onion and some pepper - amazing! And yes, it is miserable here again, so we get the non-grilled meal. One day it will be nice and there will be BBQ!

You will need:

2 tsp butter
1 large onion (or two small)
1 small carrot
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 c fresh spinach
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
Salt, pepper
2 slices whole wheat bread, not fresh - or maybe Whole Grain Whole Wheat??
2 Tbsp ketchup
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

Grate your onion(s) and carrot into a non-stick saucepan. Add in butter and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for just one more minute. Just ONE!

Remove to a bowl, let cool. Add three tablespoons of water to the hot pan, cook the spinach until it wilts, under a minute.

Remove to a cutting board, let cool and then mince finely. I know, you could cut up the spinach before you wilt it, but then all the green stuff ends up on my board and I like it to be in my belly.

Tear the bread into chunks and whirl in a food processor until reduced to small crumbs.

Small-ish, anyway

Dump the turkey, thyme, sage, salt, pepper and egg in a bowl.

Cover with the breadcrumbs, then onion mixture, then spinach and ketchup. Mix together, using a spatula orrrr, the best mixer of all, yer fingers:

It's like a spa for your hands

Add the Parmesan cheese last, give it a quick grope and scrape it all into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, checking to make sure it has reached an internal temperature of 180 degrees before removing.

Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then place on a plate. Remove the paper and slice into 4 servings.

Soo much less cleaning

I came up with 250 calories per serving, once I added some asparagus and a half cup of brown rice, I was nicely within the Weight Wise 400-500 calorie meal recommendation.

Enjoy!