So far so good

I've been leafing through my Ellie cookbooks this week and so far have tried some pretty great recipes. Last night we had these:

Sloppy Joes
Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

* 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
* 1 onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 jalapeno, minced
* 1 red pepper, diced
* 1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
* 1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon molasses
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon mustard powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 8 whole-wheat burger buns

Directions

Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.


I loved them. Nate wasn't sure about the beans, but they could be mashed next time for a smoother texture. Very good- healthy, worth a try.

Soup has been sounding oh-so-good with these oh-so-chilly temperatures this week. I went for this soup New Year's day- my only problem was that I didn't leave it in the blender long enough to take care of ALL the veggie chunks. Next time: blend longer. :)

Green Pea Soup
2005, Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
* 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (10-oz) bag frozen peas
* 4 teaspoons plain nonfat yogurt, optional

Directions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over moderately-low heat. Add the onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tarragon, salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook just until defrosted.

In a blender, puree the soup in 2 batches until very smooth. If serving hot, return the soup to the pot and bring just to a simmer. If serving cold, transfer to the refrigerator to chill. Ladle into bowls. Stir the yogurt so that it is smooth and top each serving with a swirl of yogurt.

Nate's parents bought me a bread machine for Christmas. I love baking and I've been making bread for years. But the ease of throwing all the ingredients into the machine, letting it mix and rise without my assistance....this is a new luxury! My first two loaves have been a "winter bread" and an "apple walnut". More often than not, I will probably mix and rise in the bread maker and then take out to bake in the oven. I'm excited. So is my stomach.

Coffee refill- coming right up. Followed closely by reading of some sort. :)