Tofu Noodle Soup with Ginger and Scallions

I've caught the cold that's going around!

I'm such a Type A personality that having a cold drives me insane. I rarely get sick, and when I do it tends to be the every-waking-hour-is-miserable-so-I'll-sleep-for-twenty-of-them kind of sick. That lack of productivity drives me crazy, because I always like to be working on things. Instead, I sleep. All. The. Time. Which leads to some weird dreams, for sure, but also means that I can't study for the two tests I have next week or write that five page essay for SOC333 Gender in Society...

Eeep!

What I can do, though, is throw some broth noodles, tofu, and ginger into a pot and make some soup. I really thrive on simple recipes when I'm sick because a) as stated, I'm a hot mess and b)eating yogurt and oatmeal for every meal gets real boring, real fast. Strong flavors tend to be best when you have something like a cold, so I usually have a lot of ginger or peppermint (or, let's be honest, Nutella, because that stuff is so sweet and hits every single one of my cravings when I am sick).  This soup has ginger and a mild vegetable broth base, and it feels so good on your throat if you're sick. To make sure that nutritional needs are still met, I used no-sodium vegetable broth and added in some tofu to get a decent amount of protein and a touch of iron.

Plus, it has noddles. Who doesn't love noodles?

Tofu Noodle Soup with Ginger and Scallions

Serves 2             Serving Size: about 2c. soup or so
 

Ingredients:

• 4c. vegetable broth, no salt added
• 3oz whole grain linguini
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
• 3/4c. extra firm cubed tofu (about 5oz pressed tofu)
• 2/3c. sliced scallions (green onions)
• 1/8tsp pepper
• 1/8tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Bring the broth to a boil in a medium pot. 
2. Add in the linguini, ginger, and tofu, and cook for as long as pasta takes (mine took 8 minutes). When the pasta is about two minutes from being done, add in the scallions, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes (can also sit overnight-- delish!). Remove ginger pieces, and ladle soup into two bowls. Enjoy! 

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 72mg
Total Fat: 6g
     Saturated: 1g
     Trans: 0g
Sugar: 4g
Protein: 15g
Calories: 270

Pumpkin Ice Cream with Spiced Apples

And so it begins.

Yes, yes, I know everyone on every single blog that has to do with anything is posting pumpkin things. Can you blame us? Fall is pretty much the best season: you have crunchy leaves, orange colors, leggings, knit sweaters, boots, and an excuse to have coffee every single morning because "Oh, it's getting crisp outside, I need to warm up" (although in summer I drank iced coffee every morning because "Oh, it's so hot out, I need to cool down." So there's that.)

Basically, fall is amazing and therefore the things associated with fall should be celebrated.

Like pumpkins. Or apples. Or pumpkins and apples. Or pumpkins and apples and healthy ice cream that's lower in fat and sugar than normal ice cream, but still tastes awesome. Yeah, I said it. You can make ice cream without the cream and not have it be a complete and total disaster. You can make ice cream with 2% milk and it will still be creamy, smooth, and fluffy.

How?

Pudding mix.

This is actually an idea I got after I heard (and I'm not sure if this is myth or fact) that ColdStone creamery (which is like Marble Slab ice cream, but in the West) uses pudding mix in their ice cream to stop it from ever truly melting. The pudding makes the consistency creamy and ensures that the ice cream will never melt to a full liquid form; instead, it just becomes pudding-like in texture. I figured that adding pudding mix would make the 2% milk base work out, and it does.

This ice cream, if put into an equation, is pretty much pumpkin+maple+vanilla=deliciousness. Then multiply that deliciousness with some spiced apples and you get deliciousness squared, which obviously is better than just normal deliciousness.

So much deliciousness.  

Pumpkin Ice Cream with Spiced Apples

Serves 4       Serving Size: approximately 3/4c. ice cream and 1/4 of apple topping

Ingredients:

For the ice cream:

• 3c. 2% milk
• 3/4c. pumpkin
• 1/4c. light maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4tsp pumpkin pie spice (can substitute with 1/4t nutmeg)
• 1/2c. sugar OR splenda (I actually like the splenda version more)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 pkg sugar free vanilla powdered pudding mix (such as Jello brand)

For the apples:

• 2 medium sweet apples (such as gala or honeycrisp), cut into small, bite-sized cubes
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4tsp curry powder (optional, but really does add depth)

Instructions:

1. Combine all "ice cream" ingredients except pudding in a large bowl and beat until very well combined. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or until deeply chilled.
2. Remove from fridge, mix in the pudding for 1 minute. Place in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. 
3. While ice cream is freezing, preheat a small pan over low heat. Add in apples, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes (until apples are warmed through and slightly soft). Sprinkle curry powder over the top of the apples.
4. To serve, place approximately 3/4c. ice cream into a bowl; top with 1/4 of the apple mixture. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Devour!

Ice cream is best served the day of, but usually will last a few weeks in an airtight container, frozen. I doubt this recipe will have any leftovers, though!

Nutrition Info (with Sugar)

Sodium: 568g

Total Fat: 5g

      Saturated: 2g

      Trans: 0g

Sugar: 36g

Protein: 7g

Calories: 251

Bonus! Vitamin A: 63% Daily Value

Nutrition Info (with Splenda) 

Sodium: 568g

Total Fat: 5g

      Saturated: 2g

      Trans: 0g

Sugar: 24g

Protein: 7g

Calories: 203

Spicy, Smoky Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

We are doing the coolest project right now in my Food Principles and Applications Lab.

First off, I have to note that it's an awesome class. We literally cook different variations of recipes and then get to eat them, plus we use a rating scale to determine relative sensory appeal (texture, flavor, aroma, etc). There have been some disasters (like when we had to add salt to egg whites and attempt to whip them, or when we needed to replace half of a meatloaf with Textured Soy Protein, which is a filler that is commonly used in fast food industries and makes the meat even less appealing, which I didn't think was possible), but overall it's been fantastic! Angel food cake, tofu chocolate pie... Yum!

What I'm really loving is 1) understanding the science behind cooking and baking and 2) a focus on healthy substitutions and habits. The project currently in the works involves taking some type of dietary concern (Celiac Disease, Anemia, Hypertension, etc) and modifying a recipe so that it is appropriate for someone who has that health issue. I'm focusing on the prevention of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, it is the number one cause of death for men and women and is the most common form of heart disease. I had no idea until I did the project. I'm redoing a recipe for cheesy zucchini casserole to cut down the saturated fat, and I'll probably end up putting it on this blog because so far my modifications are working very well! 

Until then, though, I thought I would honor trying to lower saturated fat in meals by making a spicy sweet potato and black bean chili, which is not only low in saturated fat but is also packed with flavor. The black beans, cumin, garlic, tomatoes, kick from the cayenne, and of course the sweet potatoes-- you really can't go wrong with this. I recommend making it the day before so that the flavors have even more time to tango before they have a party on your taste buds. With fall and winter coming (or, in the case of CO, visiting occasionally and then letting summer come back, and then sending summer away to boarding school for a week before missing summer and making it come back), it's always good to have a filling, vegetarian chili on hand in case you need something to warm up.

Enjoy your week, everyone!

Spicy, Smoky Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Adapted from Eating Well 

Serves 6         Serving Size: about 1.5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1T extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 ounces sweet potato (medium-large), peeled and diced
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1T chili powder
• 2t ground cumin
• 1/2t ground cayenne pepper (or red pepper)
• 1/4t kosher salt
• 1/2t paprika
• 2.5c water
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/4c. tomato puree
• 4t lime juice

Instructions:

1. Heat a large saucepan (or dutch oven) over medium heat. Pour in oil. Add in potato and onion, and cook (stirring often) for about 5 minutes, or until onion starts to soften. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and paprika to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Pour in the water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer; cook for 7-11 minutes, covered, until the sweet potato is tender but not mushy.
3. Add in the black beans, tomatoes, and tomato puree. Bring back to a simmer and then add the lime juice. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Voila! 

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 168mg
Total Fat: 3g
       Saturated: 1g
       Trans: 0g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 15g
Calories: 292