Creamy Chilled Vegetable Soup

It has been HOT in Sacramento! I'm used to summer weather in the 80s, maximum (since I've always been in either a mountain town or Colorado, which both had snowstorms in May). About a week ago we had our first 105 degree day and I thought I might die. Or sweat enough that my body would shrivel up. 

Thankfully, my mini garden is doing really well despite all the heat. The Roma tomatoes are starting to sprout little buds which makes me so excited, and all of them are growing quite well. I've been fertilizing them because two days ago they looked a tad droopy, and they perked right up. I'm sure I'll have photos of them and the first tomato/pepper/whatever, because I am obsessive and seriously have proud parent syndrome. Normal people post photos of their kids on Facebook; I post photos of my vegetables. To each her own.

Speaking of vegetables, I have this awesome soup for you today. Since it has been so hot, I've been craving chilled everything (ask my poor barista, who has been making my iced coffee for a few weeks straight now. I must be so boring). This soup is a mixture of tender broccoli, meaty mushrooms, and the pop of onion all blended together with some creamy white beans and tangy Greek yogurt. Basically, it's the bomb. Super refreshing and packed with vitamins: Iron, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium-- the list goes on! I even snuck in some spinach, because I love my leafy greens (I had this awesome Kale salad with a friend the other day, but you'll see that mentioned in a different post soon!). 

Creamy Chilled Vegetable Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1c. chopped yellow onion
• 2 large stalks celery, diced (about 1c.)
• 1c. sliced white button mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2tsp)
• 4c. no salt added vegetable broth
• 2 pounds uncooked broccoli crowns, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 (15oz) can reduced sodium white beans
• 1tsp cumin
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 3c. baby spinach leaves
• 1c. nonfat plain greek yogurt
• Garnishes: 6tbl light sour cream
                    6tbl reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat a large pot with olive oil over medium heat. Add in celery, onion, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add in garlic; cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add broth, broccoli, beans, salt, pepper, and cumin to the pot. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes covered. Add spinach, and remove from heat. 
3. Allow to cool, and then blend with either an immersion blender or a normal blender (in batches) until creamy and smooth. Refrigerate, covered, for at least four hours and as long as a few days.
4. Before serving, stir in Greek yogurt until well-blended. Ladle approximately 1 and 2/3 cups of soup into each of four bowls. Top each serving with 1tbl sour cream and 1tbl cheddar.

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 550mg
Total Fat: 4g
         Saturated: 2g
         Trans: 0g
Sugar: 8g
Protein: 17g
Calories: 231

Pesto Pasta with Haricot Vers and Tomatoes

It's been an awesome weekend so far. I'm still getting used to the summer heat of California after being in Colorado for so many months straight, and I'll admit that I've largely been staying inside as I adjust. Still, I've gotten the chance to go for a run and play some basketball (and by "play some basketball," I mean get the ball stuck on the roof of the local elementary school and have three kids retrieve it for us, like the old people we are). Yesterday, my Aunt and Uncle came over and we had a beautiful dinner of roasted vegetables with a zesty salad that my Aunt made.

 She also brought over some fresh basil which has been making my entire kitchen smell amazing (Thanks, Karen!). I couldn't resist making some Broccoli-Basil Pesto with it, simply because it is my favorite pesto of all time and it's ridiculously healthy. Tomatoes and green beans in the fridge? The muse hit, and I decided to throw everything together into a nice pasta dish.

Guys. This is so good. The tomatoes add some pop between each bite of tender green beans and hearty whole-wheat pasta. It's slightly peppery and has a touch of tang. I knew a girl Freshman year who always said, "A colorful plate is a healthy plate!" which certainly holds true for many things. The more color (aka variety) you have in a recipe as far as produce goes, the more changes you have for nutrients and health benefits. This pasta certainly holds up to that: you have the green from the iron-rich pasta, brown whole grains from the pasta, and bright red from the vitamin-rich cherry tomatoes. It's gorgeous. Another bonus: with the summer heat hitting, chilled pesto pasta is a simple, bright meal that won't make you sweat anymore than you already are (which, in California, is a lot). If you're in the mood for some hot pasta, that also works-- just don't do the last chilling step in the recipe.


Pesto Pasta with Haricot Vers and Tomatoes
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 16 oz whole wheat pasta of your choice (I used fettuccini)
• 8 oz haricot vers (green beans), ends trimmed, halved diagonally
• 1/2c. broccoli basil pesto
• 1 (10.5oz) container cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 1/4tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Boil water. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding in haricot vers when five minutes remain. Drain and let cool slightly.
2. Toss with pesto and tomatoes. Sprinkle with spices. If serving cold, refrigerate for at least four hours or as long as overnight. Lasts well for five days.

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 105mg
Total Fat: 5g 
      Saturated: 1g
      Mono: 2g
      Trans: 0g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 8g
Cal: 257

Spiced Chai Custard

You know when you were a kid and you ran through the sprinklers because it was just so damn hot outside? That was a really common event in my childhood, along with things like water balloon fights and plenty of trips to the river about thirty miles away. Now, without a car or a sprinkler, I have to find different ways to beat the heat. When it's hot outside and the sun is shining, I like to bring come chilled foods into my menu. This can be done with soups or iced drinks, which are treats in themselves, but I also like to have chilled desserts. 

On top of that, I enjoy something that I can just mix together, throw in the oven, and then let sit in my fridge to be eaten whenever I desire. I'm so often outside enjoying the weather that I don't want to be couped up in the kitchen all day, tending to food. That's why I really cherish any recipe where all you need to do is mix, bake, chill. This brings me to today's recipe, which I absolutely love (I know I say that about every single recipe I post here, but this one... this one holds a special place in my heart during the hot summer months).

A delicate, creamy custard is an impressive sight. Regardless of the occasion, eating a custard that has light hints of chai and bright pops of raspberry is a delight. This custard, which is perfectly creamy and just sweet enough, uses the natural flavors of chai to elevate the hints of vanilla and almond undertones. This custard is a refreshing treat for any day. Not only that, but custards are actually super easy to make but somehow greatly impress people. Again, this stems from people just not having the resources or information to know better.
 

Spiced Chai Custard with Raspberries
Serves 4              Serving Size: 1 custard and 2tbl raspberries          

Ingredients:

• 2c. unsweetened almond milk
• 4 chai tea bags (i like to use two vanilla chai, and two spiced chai)
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 2/3c. sugar OR splenda
• 1/8tsp salt
• 1/4tsp vanilla
• Boiling water
• 4 (6 to 8-oz) custard cups
• 1/2c. fresh raspberries

Instructions:

1. Heat the almond milk, either in a microwave or on the stove top. You want it just before boiling point. Transfer the milk to a bowl, and place in the tea bags. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the tea to steep in the milk. Occasionally move the tea bags around in the bowl.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. While tea is brewing, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat very well. Once the milk has absorbed the tea, take the tea bags out (squeeze them gently to make sure all the moisture gets back into the milk) and pour the milk into the egg mixture, beating as you do so.
4. Take a large, rimmed baking dish that you will be able to fill with hot water and custard cups. Take each custard cup and ladle in a bit more than half a cup (I did 1/3c. plus 1/4c. for each one). Place them in the dish, and place the dish in the oven. Carefully pour in broiling water until it comes about halfway up the cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-80 minutes (I know this is a long time zone, but custard is all dependent on the oven. I suggest checking it at 40, then checking back every ten minutes or so). The custard may still look a tad liquidy on the top, but you can check the doneness by inserting a thin knife into the center of the custard and seeing if it comes out clean.
5. Once done, remove the custards carefully from the oven. Take out of the water and let sit for 5 minutes; cover (so the plastic wrap touches the custard itself) and chill for 4 hours to overnight. When serving, garnish each custard with 2 tablespoons fresh raspberries. 

Nutrition Information (using Sugar):
Sodium: 210 mg
Total Fat: 6g
       Saturated: 1g
       Mono: 2g
       Poly: 1g
       Trans:02
Sugar: 34g
Protein: 6g
Calories: 217