A Cure for Your October Snow-Ridden Blues

Today it snowed.  I know I shouldn't be shocked, because snow has fallen in Bend much earlier than the end of October, but there's no doubt, change is in the air (stay tuned to find out exactly how much change...).

Our house this morning

As far as I know, there are only a few ways to beat the cold in October.

• With a lit fireplace and warm blanket
• Hot tub and glass of red wine
• Sleeping off the cold morning (but like, who has the luxury to do that?)
• A pot of hot soup on the stove

Since not everyone has a fireplace, hot tub, or enough time for a lazy morning, my only solution for you is...a pot of hot soup.  And I've found a great one to introduce to your recipe box for Fall.

Lasagna Soup

Effort Meter (1 to 5): 2

Delicious Meter (1 to 5): 3.5
Serving Suggestion: Make ahead of time, and top with fresh cheesy topping and serve with toasted garlic bread or Parmesan bread sticks.
Weight Watcher Points -I don't know because WW has changed their way of points calculating AGAIN so now I have to recalculate all my recipes.  But my guess is it's not too bad if you go easy on the cheesy topping and noodles.  Bonus points to anyone who solves this mystery for me!

Ingredients:

2 TSP olive oil

1 pound ground turkey
2 C chopped onions (red or white)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TSP dried oregano
1/2 TSP crushed red pepper flakes
1 can tomato paste
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 C chicken stock
6 Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles, broken into 2" pieces
1/2 C finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Topping:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C Mozzarella
1/4 TSP salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper


Instructions:
Heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add turkey and cook until slightly brown.  Add onions, garlic, oregano, and red pepper and cook until onions often.  Add all remaining ingredients except noodles and bring to a boil.  Add lasagna noodles and cook until softened.  Simmer until ready to serve (make sure noodles are thoroughly cooked).  Top with cheesy topping before serving.

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Good for You, and Good for America Corn Chowder

I remember when I was younger there was this little stand down by the river that sold the sweetest, most tasty white corn on the cob every summer.  Since then, I can't help but think corn is synonymous with summer.  That's why I was so happy to see so many corn-inspired recipes on Pinterest and in Martha Stewart Food Magazine last month, which inspired the following recipe. 

Before we get to my recipe for Corn Chowder, however, how about a little corn trivia.  Did you know...

1. Corn is America's No. 1 field crop.
2. The average corn cob has 800 kernals and 16 rows.
3. The average corn farmer grows enough to feed 129 people.
4. Fifty percent of corn in the US is grown in four states: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota.
5. Exports of corn are critical to our nation's agricultural well-being.

Ok, so now that everyone can like corn a little more, I pass along to you this Corn Chowder recipe, which is not only cheap to make, and super-delicious, but also very filling for only about 5 Weight Watcher points (for about 1-1/2 cups).  Each serving has 274 calories, 8g of fat, and 6g of fiber.

Corn Soup with Orzo

Effort Meter (1 to 5): 3

Delicious Meter (1 to 5): 4 
Serving Suggestion: Serve with fresh baked bread garnished with olive oil and salt
Weight Watcher Points - About 5 Points for 1-1/2 Cups

Ingredients:

2TBSP of Lowfat Butter (like "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
1TBSP Olive Oil
1 Zucchini, diced
1-1/2 Cups Cooked Orzo Pasta
1 Bunch of Scallions, sliced julienne (separate whites and greens)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
4 Corns on the Cob (raw), kernels removed, cobs reserved

Instructions:

In a saucepan, melt 1TBSP butter and 1TBSP Olive Oil over medium heat.  Add zucchini and sautee' until crisp. Stir in orzo.  Toss in bowl with scallion greens, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Melt 1TBSP of butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add scallion whites and brown.  Add corn kernels and cook until tender.  Add three cups of water and corn cobs and bring to a boil.  Reduce temperature to a simmer until chowder thickens (about 8 - 10 minutes).  Remove cobs and season with salt and pepper. 

Place chowder into a blender and blend until smooth.  Serve with zucchini/orzo topping and fresh Parmesan (optional).

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If There Is a Real-Life Soup Nazi...

...It would be my father.  My family takes our soups seriously.  My dad will hover around a pot of soup all day, tending to its every whim if that will guarantee a delicious cup of liquid grub.

We can make soup out of just about anything: turkey, ham bones, wontons, tomatoes, peas, beans...and we argue about the best ones.  I personally love Albondigas with turkey meatballs.  My brother? Split Pea from the Thanksgiving ham.  And my sister?  Well, she has a long list: WonTon Soup, Navy Bean, Egg Flower, and...Tomato Bisque.

So here we are, a few weeks into the New Year with a renewed vow of healthy eating, and a starving appetite.  But you can have your cake and eat it too.  Or at least, you can have your soup and eat it too on Weight Watchers.  Here's a modified version of tomato soup--half the fat, good for you, and delicious!

Reduced Fat and Calories Tomato Bisque

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of reduced fat butter (I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 package of carrot chips
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves of minced garlic
5 tablespoons of whole wheat flour

5 cups chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid), roughly chopped
3 parsley sprigs, 3 fresh thyme sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig, and 1 bay leaf, tied together with a piece of string

1/2 cup fat-free half and half
1/2 cup of fat-free milk
1 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan (to top)

Instructions

Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

When the soup base is cool, remove and discard the herb bundle.

Whisk the half and half, milk, and salt into the soup and season with pepper and Parmesan to taste.