Spicy Pumpkin-Lime Soup

This recipe is approximate.  I wasn't keeping very close tabs on it while cooking =)

1 medium pumpkin
1 onion
1-2 cloves garlic
Sage (I used fresh, about half a container.  I'm not sure the equivalent amount of dried/ground)
1 serrano pepper
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
2 cubes vegetable bouillion
6 cups water
3 limes

Cut pumpkin in half.  Scoop out seeds (roast them separately, yum!).  Spray insides of pumpkin with cooking spray, place upside down (inside of pumpkin face down) on baking sheets, and roast at 425 for 30-45 minutes, until tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a large stock pot, chop up garlic and onions, and sautee in olive oil.  Add chopped serrano pepper and sage.  Start to scoop meat of pumpkin from skin and add to stock pot.  Toss to coat lightly with oil.

Add bouillion and water and bring to boil.  Add juice of 3 limes.  Stir occasionally, and continue to lightly boil until pumpkin meat starts to fall apart into soup.

Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, then blend with immersion blender (alternately, transfer in batches to a stand blender).

And, then... eat!  Yum.


Now, I didn't add any extra salt or pepper.  The bouillion has enough salt on its own usually, and the serrano pepper was hot enough... but you can change to taste.  Or if serrano is too hot, try a jalapeno... or just sum cayenne.  The lime is such a nice addition -- adds a little sweetness to the already sweet pumpkin.

"Paleo Pancakes"

Now that I've gotten into cross fit, I've been indoctrinated into the Paleo diet -- short for Paleolithic, or "Caveman diet."  The concept is... don't eat anything you wouldn't have eaten when you were a caveman.  No grains, processed foods, candy, sugar, etc.  Meat, fish, fruits, vegetables.  Delicious right?  So here's a way to still enjoy pancakes while keeping to that strategy (note:  Peanut Butter is not necessarily paleo in and of itself, but I didn't have almond butter in the house to use this morning)

2 eggs
1 banana
2 T Peanut Butter

Mash banana, beat eggs, mix together with peanut butter.  Heat griddle and pour batter on to make pancakes (As per usual pancake recipe instructions).

Makes 8 pancakes.  Nutritional info per pancake.

Calories

56.7

Total Fat

3.3 g

Saturated Fat

0.7 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

0.9 g

Monounsaturated Fat

1.5 g

Cholesterol

46.3 mg

Sodium

37.1 mg

Potassium

114.6 mg

Total Carbohydrate

4.9 g

Dietary Fiber

0.7 g

Sugars

2.4 g

Protein

2.7 g

I added chocolate chips to mine (yum!)  You could add blueberries or apples too, as per your taste.  Skip the syrup and butter -- you won't need it.

Brazilian Fish Stew

Adapted from 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brazilian-Fish-Stew-238413#ixzz1LhmDb7eA

• 8 (6-ounce) pieces skinless hake or Pacific cod fillet (1/2 to 1 1/4 inches thick)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped habanero pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 pound tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1 chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 chopped orange bell pepper
• 2 yellow plantains, peeled and each cut diagonally into 8 pieces
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

Pat fish fillets dry and put in a bowl. Stir together lime juice, habanero peppers, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, then pour over fish and toss to combine. Marinate, covered and chilled, 1-1.5 hours.

Put tomatoes in bottom of a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Top with onion and remaining tablespoon garlic, then sprinkle with bell peppers. Place plantains on top of vegetables, then sprinkle with tossed avocado. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange fish in 1 layer on top of plantain. Sprinkle cilantro and parsley over fish, reserving marinade. Pour oil and marinade evenly over mixture in pot.

Bring to a simmer, then cover pot. Adjust heat to gently simmer until vegetables are softened and have released liquid and fish is just cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Calories		395.5
Total Fat		15.5 g
	Saturated Fat	2.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	2.7 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	8.8 g
Cholesterol		69.7 mg
Sodium		128.5 mg
Potassium		1,468.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate		17.1 g
	Dietary Fiber	3.7 g
	Sugars	4.6 g
Protein		47.3 g

Vitamin A	22.5 %
Vitamin B-12	38.8 %
Vitamin B-6	49.3 %
Vitamin C	87.8 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	18.3 %

Spicy Watermelon Gazpacho

Trying to get caught up on some recipes I've made recently... sorry I've been MIA for a while.

Recipe adapted from http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spicy-tomato-and-watermelon-gazpacho-with-crab    I have made it with the crab salad (delicious!) but for a low-calorie snack, leave that off and just enjoy the soup.

1. 1 habanero chile, preferably red
2. 4 cups seedless watermelon chunks (1 1/2 pounds)
3. 1 large garlic clove, mashed to a paste
4. 2 pounds tomatoes, cored
5. 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6. Salt  

1. Roast the habanero over a gas flame until lightly charred all over. Using a paper towel, rub off as much skin as possible. Remove the stem and seeds and transfer the chile to a blender. Add the watermelon and garlic and puree; transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Score the tomato bottoms with an X. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and blanch for 10 seconds to loosen their skins. Transfer the tomatoes to the ice water to cool.
3. Peel the tomatoes and halve them crosswise. Working over a sieve set in a bowl, pry out the seeds. Press on the seeds to extract the juice, then discard them. Transfer the tomatoes and their juices to the blender and puree. Stir the tomato puree into the watermelon puree along with the vinegar and season the gazpacho with salt.

 Makes 8 servings.

Amount Per Serving
Calories		40.8
Total Fat		0.6 g
	Saturated Fat	0.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	0.1 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		8.3 mg
Potassium		258.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate		9.3 g
	Dietary Fiber	1.2 g
	Sugars	5.3 g
Protein		1.1 g

Quinoa with dates, raisins, and pomegranate seeds

This makes a delicious side dish, or a bed on which to serve an entree.

1 cup dry quinoa
6 dates, pitted and chopped coarsely
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup red wine
1 1/2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 T Olive Oil

1)  Soak quinoa for 15 minutes in warm water.
2)  Strain quinoa, then place in 2 quart sauce pan with 2-2.5 cups water.  Bring to a light boil then simmer 25-30 minutes.  All water should be absorbed, and grains will be plump and tender.
3)  Meanwhile, mix dates, raisins, lemon juice, wine, and spices in small sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Bring to a light boil then simmer until reduced and absorbed by fruit.  Stir frequently, and mash fruits lightly with stirring spoon so that they slowly fall apart into the mixture.  Resulting fruit compote should be thick and chunky.
4)  Fold fruit compote into quinoa, and mix well.  Toss in pomegranate seeds and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 Makes 8 servings.

Amount Per Serving
Calories		142.8
Total Fat		3.2 g
	Saturated Fat	0.2 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.1 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.2 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		1.2 mg
Potassium		111.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate		26.4 g
	Dietary Fiber	2.3 g
	Sugars	7.5 g
Protein		3.4 g