Tag Archives: vegetarian recipe

Dinner on My Doorstep! Greek Beef & Kale Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

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jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - greek beef kale stuffed portabellasSome of the best food I’ve ever eaten has been in Greece. A trip back in 1996 to run the Athens Marathon and explore the area afterward brought back a rush of fond foodie memories so fresh I instinctively want to undo the top button of my jeans.  Ahh, seared into my mind forever is the smell of succulent rosemary chicken roasting all day, the drama of feta cheese flambéed tableside, and the never-tiring taste of authentic Greek salads boasting the ripest, most aromatic tomatoes, peppers and olives plucked straight from the country’s sun-kissed groves and gardens.

Unfortunately, I’m not moving to the Greek countryside anytime soon and I just don’t have my act together enough to tend to my never-ending family obligations while taking care of a backyard garden.  So, I decided to check out Greenling.com, a home delivery service in Texas that brings the freshest local and sustainably grown produce to my doorstep. With just a few clicks on the computer, I ordered the “Local Box” that features a signature selection of in-season fruits and veggies plucked from the fertile and chemical-free soil of area farmers. The selections change weekly, so it’s always a fun surprise (although you can always see box contents a week ahead of time to start menu planning or cancel). jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - local box

This week’s local box was bountiful. I received arugula, spring lettuce mix, kale, fennel, oranges, grapefruit, baby carrots, and turnips along with a potted live thyme plant. I have absolutely no idea what to do with turnips (you could say I just fell off the truck). Thankfully, they sent along a sheet of recipe ideas to get me started.

I also ordered a few meal kits that have all the ingredients portioned, prepped and ready to go. What a lifesaver for those super-busy nights when we might be tempted to order a pizza. Last night I used the “Greek Stuffed Portabellas with Greens” kit to make a very easy, healthy and satisfying supper.  Of course, if you know me, I don’t like to follow the rules when it comes to cooking and added my own creative touches (mainly beef) to this convenient meal kit.  Here’s my version, you can order the kit or start from scratch; either way it’s a delicious meal that be easily kept vegetarian.

If you’d like to try Greenling.com and save 10% in the process, just follow this discount referral link.

Greek Beef & Kale Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Recipe

  • 4 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • ½ lb ground sirloin
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups chopped kale
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 large portabella caps, stemmed and washed
  • Optional: bed of spring mix

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - mushrooms ready for oven

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

In medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté red onions until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.  Remove onions and set aside.

In same skillet, cook ground sirloin over medium heat. Remove from heat and drain off any excess fat and liquid.

Add back in red onions. Add green onions and feta cheese to the meat; stir until combined.

Gently rub olive oil (approximately 1 teaspoon between the two) on the tops of portabella mushroom caps. Place on baking sheet, tops down.

Top mushroom caps with the beef mixture, pressing down slightly.

Bake at 400 F degrees for approximately 15 – 20 minutes, until mushrooms are softening and cheese is browning.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to skillet and add garlic, cook for one minute until fragrant.

Add chopped kale to skillet and cook over medium heat until wilted but still green, approximately 5 minutes. Stir frequently. To speed the process, add a tablespoon or two of water and cover skillet with a lid.

Remove mushrooms from oven and top with sautéed kale. Add parmesan cheese over this and return to oven for 5 minutes, until browned.

greek beef and kale portabella nutrition

Lightened Yet Still Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

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There’s nothing more soul-satisfying on a cold winter night than a nourishing bowl of soup for supper. And for those who know me even just a little bit, will confirm that I’m that always-freezing chick who is bundled up in long johns and ready to slurp soup anytime the thermometer plunges below 70 F degrees.  Soup is a beautiful thing. Not only is soup easy to whip up and low-mess (it’s a one-pot meal), the leftovers are often better the next day. For dinner tonight I made Lightened Yet Still Loaded Baked Potato Soup, a recipe I tweaked and adapted from a 10-year old recipe in Cooking Light magazine (9/2007).

Don’t worry about sabotaging your diet with this make-over recipe; it’s relatively low in calories and fat compared to the naughty restaurant equivalents. For example, 12-ounces of Baked Potato Soup at Outback Steakhouse has an impressive 514 calories and 53 grams of fat (24 saturated) compared to this lightened version that has just 346 calories and less 11.7 grams of fat (7.3 saturated). Calorie-counters could always skip the bacon, but that wouldn’t be any fun.

By the way, if you’re already drooling over the tantalizing photo, you can thank my dear mom and dad for helping get your appetite worked up – they gifted me with a brand new camera for my food photography! Kisses!

 

Lightened Yet Still Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

  • 2 ½ lbs Russet potatoes
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (8-ounces) light sour cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Wash potatoes and pat dry. Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave together for 15 – 20 minutes (turning every 5 minutes) until tender. Cool to handle under cold water.  Peel potatoes; coarsely mash in large bowl.

Place flour in a large Dutch oven or stock pot; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, approximately 8 – 10 minutes. Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated taking care not to let soup  boil. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoon onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon.

 

 

 

 

‘Fall’ in Love With Black Bean-Pumpkin Soup

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Even though it’s really not that cold yet in my part of the world, I’m ready to slurp me some soup. I love making a hearty soup for dinner; it is soul satisfying and the leftovers are always better the second day!  I came up with this Black Bean-Pumpkin Soup recipe last autumn when they finally put the canned pumpkin back on the store shelves. I’m like Bubba Gump for this ginormous squash – pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin lasagna, pumpkin enchiladas and more. You could bake and smash your own pumpkin, but who has that kind of time? Try this healthy, vegetarian recipe tonight. It’s packed with protein from the beans and loaded with vital vitamins from the pumpkin. The dollop of light sour cream adds a satisfying touch and eliminates the need for any kind of fattening topping.

 

Black Bean-Pumpkin Soup Recipe

  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon, optional
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1/2 cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds

Place beans and tomatoes in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, saute onions in oil until tender. Add garlic and cumin; saute 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, vinegar, pepper and bean mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in bourbon if desired. Garnish each serving with sour cream, green onions and pumpkin seeds. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Nutritional Facts: 1 cup equals 238 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 716 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 13 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1-1/2 fat, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

Eat Your Fresh Veggies Day this Saturday – Corn, Edamame, Grape Tomato Trifecta Recipe

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This Saturday, June 16th, has been declared Eat Your Fresh Veggies Day. Not sure who made this official proclamation of nutritious noshing, but I’m supporting it all the way for every day because I’m really into colorful stuff to eat that doesn’t come from a box.  As a carrot-crunching, mushroom-munching, lettuce-loving, zealot of zucchini, broccolini and celery, I usually have no problems getting my 3 to 5 servings of vegetables per day as recommended by the USDA  — check out their Fruits and Veggies Matter campaign that lists out more specific measurements for age groups and activity levels.

One of the best things about the spring and summer seasons is the bounty of fresh vegetable choices available to us city-dwellers and suburbanites. Say “no” to the canned food aisle and check out the produce section of your favorite grocery story or, better yet, head to the nearest farmer’s market for inspiration. Eat your picks fresh in a salad or grill, roast, steam or sauté them up lightly in a skillet to retain optimal levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – for these same reasons, experts say that microwaving and boiling in water should be avoided.

Here’s what I’m having as the side to my beef fajitas on Eat Your Fresh Veggies Day, a 1-cup serving of Corn, Edamame, Grape Tomato Trifecta.  Simple to make, delicious to eat and inspired by a recipe from a favorite Mexican Food restaurant. This delish veggie dish is also yummy as the filling in vegetarian tacos, as a topping on chicken or fish or in an omelet.

Corn, Edamame, Grape Tomato Trifecta

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup fresh corn taken off the cob
  • 1 cup shelled edamame beans (use frozen if you have to)
  • 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce.

In large skillet over medium-high, heat oil and sauté corn and edamame for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and sauté for another minute. Reduce heat to medium and stir in garlic and soy sauce until well-combined. Makes 4 (1-cup) servings.

Nutritional details: calories 118, total fat 1.7 g, saturated fat 0.1 g, cholesterol 0.0 mg, sodium 115 mg, potassium 119 mg, total carbohydrate 20.2g, dietary fiber 1.6g, sugars 6.3g, protein 6.4g. Daily recommended values: vitamin A  17.3%, vitamin B-12 0.0%, vitamin B-6 1.6%, vitamin C 58.1%, vitamin D 0.0%, vitamin E 0.2%, calcium 4.6%, copper 1.2%, folate 4.5%, iron 8.0%, magnesium 3.7%, manganese 4.0%, niacin 3.4%, pantothenic acid 3.0%, phosphorus 3.7%, riboflavin 1.5%, selenium 0.5%, thiamin 5.3%, zinc 1.3%