Hello you lovely readers :)

Did everyone enjoy their weekend? Did you do anything fun?

I certainly didn’t do a whole lot. REB is in Chicago for a few days for a conference and he left on Saturday and will be back on Wednesday night, late. I had a pretty low key weekend though, hanging out with the furballs, folding laundry, cleaning, and of course cooking!

I haven’t cooked in about a week. How horrible is that? With the travel to Chicago last weekend and eating salads at home or making them at Whole Foods during the week, I just never got around to making anything exciting. I need to make sure such a hiatus doesn’t happen again. But no matter! I remedied that on Sunday. I was in deep need of some comfort food. There was nothing wrong or any particular reason except that I wanted some comfort food.

What screams comfort more than pot pies? I had never made pot pies before and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make. I made them vegetarian but I also threw in some tofu for added protein and meatiness. You could certainly use Boca-brand Meatless Crumbles, Morningstar Chick’n Strips or just leave out the meat substitute completely and keep it with just veggies! Of course you can make them with meat for any meat eaters in your family. The possibilities are absolutely endless.

Individual Tofu and Vegetable Pot Pies

•6 oz. firm tofu, cut into small cubes
•Non-stick spray
•2 teaspoons olive oil
•1 shallot, finely chopped
•2 teaspoons minced garlic (1-2 garlic cloves)
•1 carrot, diced (about 1 cup)
•2-3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
•1 medium-sized Yukon gold potato, diced (about 1 cup)
•1 cup (8-oz. carton) baby Bella mushrooms, diced
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon black pepper
•2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
•1 tablespoon cream (you can use less)
•1/2 cup frozen baby peas
•2 teaspoons dried thyme
•2 teaspoons dried parsley
•2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

Method

Preheating your oven to 375°F

Start by cooking the tofu in a pan with non-stick spray until browned on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. When it’s done, transfer to a bowl that has a little water in it, to help keep it moist, and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, carrots and celery and cook until the shallots are translucent and softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and mushrooms, salt and pepper and stir. Cook until the mushrooms are softened and reduced in size, about 5-8 minutes.

Sprinkle the mixture with flour and stir well until all the vegetables are coated well. Let it cook a minute or two or until the flour is dissolved and you’ve cooked the flour taste out of the dish. Add the vegetable broth and cream and stir well. Leave uncovered and bring to a simmer. Near the end, add the cooked tofu cubes and stir. Once the tofu is heated through, turn off the heat and add the frozen peas and herbs (parsley and thyme). Stir and set aside.

It’s time to prepare your ramekins! I bought some ramekins recently and they worked perfectly. They were about 8 or 10 ounces and I loved the color and texture! Anyway, roll out the puff pastry (you may need to flour your board and some of the pastry sheet) and cut 1/2-inch strip and wrap it around the edge of each ramekin. Then cut a circle larger than the size of the ramekin. Wet the strip that’s already on the ramekin, and place the larger circle on top. Using a little more water, press down the sides so the bowls are covered. Take a fork to crimp the edges and cut some slits in the top to let out the steam while they bake.

Now they’re ready to bake!

Optional: You could do a simple egg wash (one cracked egg mixed with milk or water) on each pastry and then sprinkle with coarse salt so it bakes up suuuuper golden

Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. The smell in the house was absolutely amazing!!

So I guess TECHNICALLY you should let them sit for 5-10 minutes to let them cool before you dig in. But what’s the fun in that?

The filling was so hot and gooey, the tofu and vegetables cooked perfectly and the pastry? Ohhh the pastry. So flaky, golden and delicious. It all turned out so great and it was so, so easy to make! I enjoyed one for myself and then put the rest in the rest in the freezer so REB can have some when he’s home later this week <3 :)

Storage tip: Once the pies are completely cool, take some parchment paper and place on top of the pastry. Then wrap the entire ramekin tightly in aluminum foil (be careful not to crush the pastry crust), and then place in a Ziploc bag. Let as much air out before you seal ‘em up! Label and freeze! They should be OK for 1-2 months! When you’re ready to re-heat, set it out to thaw for 20 minutes, preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Comfort food is a necessity – in moderation – and it totally hit the spot for me!
Each pot pie is just around 400 calories, so it’s not too terrible!

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite comfort food?

Happy Wednesday everyone!!

It really feels like a Tuesday for me since I had Monday off (was traveling back from the Chi) so my week feels all thrown off. No matter because 1). it’s a short week and the weekend will be here again soon and 2). it’s Wednesday which means…it’s time again for What I Ate Wednesday! As always you can go over to Jenn’s blog Peas and Crayons to find out how to participate with all of us!

So here are some highlights from what I ate yesterday!

Breakfast

I was all kinds of out of sorts yesterday morning so I just grabbed a Nutrigrain bar to have my with my coffee. I was actually full after that so I saved my apple for snack time later.

Snack

Not pictured but I had some string cheese! Yum!

Lunch

Since I was in Chicago over the weekend I couldn’t do Soup Sunday so I just grabbed a carton of the Pacific Natural Foods Roasted Red Pepper and Vegetable Lentil soup. I had half a serving of Special K multigrain crackers to have with it, which was a perfect portion for me while I got caught up on some work!

Afternoon Snack

I cut up the apple I had originally planned to have for breakfast and had it with my Laughing Cow Light! It was a perfect little snack and held me over until dinner with REB.

Dinner

So last weekend I was in Chicago and this weekend REB is going to be in Chicago (for work) so we decided to have a date night. It was so beautiful outside so we headed to Zingerman’s Deli located in Kerrytown (historic district).

It’s a pretty expensive deli, that much is true, but it’s so iconic of Ann Arbor! They are famous for their sandwiches. They have the nicest staff ever and you can sample anything in there (and I mean anything) and you aren’t pressured to buy a thing. They are just wonderful! If you go there on football Saturdays, you’ll see a line out the door and around the corner – no joke.

REB and I have tried a few of their vegetarian sandwiches (look how many there are!) and we always try something new each time we go there. We’re running out of things to try, but luckily this time we had something new to try!

I got a small Rodger’s Big Picnic and a side of their garbanzo salad.

Um yeah, I got the small sandwich. I don’t ever want to know what the full order of their sandwiches are! The small is always more than enough! This sandwich had grilled portabello mushrooms, grilled asparagus, Vermont cheddar and a Dijon vinaigrette. The vinaigrette had quite a bite to it – I think it had horseradish in it or extra spicy mustard! It was super tasty though.

REB got the Gemini Rocks the House and a side of their lemon couscous.

His sandwich was tomato, mozzarella and a pesto spread. The couscous was so delicious! Both our sandwiches were so good and we had some good drinks to wash them down too.

Boylan Diet Black Cherry for him and Tropical Crimson Iced Tea (hibiscus, citrus and lemongrass) for her!

It was a beautiful night downtown and wonderful just sitting with the hubby, talking about our day and enjoying the weather :)

Workout

When we got home, we let our food settle a bit then took the dog on a walk. When we got home from the walk REB and I headed to our apartment complex gym. I did 10 minutes on the elliptical on resistance 10, then moved to the elliptical for 30 minutes. I did a shortened version of Andrea’s interval treadmill workout and all in all, burned over 500 calories and did about 3.75 miles! I felt fantastic!

Oh! Someone was curious about what I listen to when I work out. I have a work out mix I’ve had for years and I’ve added a few recent songs on it a couple weeks ago. I absolutely LOVE this mix though. It has a great song in the beginning for a warm up, great drum’n'bass songs when I’m in the zone and then some slower electronic music/Chicago house for when I’m cooling down. It’s a mix I love that lasts a full hour, too!

It was a perfect day in my opinion!! I didn’t eat a WHOLE lot of greens, but I at least had my first grilled veggie of the warm weather! And it was one of my favorite vegetables of all time!

Hello my lovelies!!

So I hope you’re in a region of the country where the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. I can’t get enough of this amazing weather we’ve had all week. I am so ready for spring it’s ridiculous. I can’t wait to enjoy the outdoors in the sunshine, go to the farmers market to get fresh veggies like zucchini, heirloom tomatoes and herbs!

Maybe that’s what sparked my interest in making this black bean soup. I wanted to go Mexico…or some place warm? Or maybe I was just thinking warm…? Haha. OK but seriously, I wanted to make something on the lighter side but packed with tons of flavor and spice. This soup was perfect for the job.

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It also only has 10 ingredients. Now how could you not want to try to make it??

Adapted from Eating Well

Southwestern Spicy Black Bean Soup

•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1/4 cup red onion, chopped (1/2 medium onion)
•1 tablespoon chili powder
•1 teaspoon ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper  **optional – (I added this. And added a lot apparently. WOO-EEY! spicy)
•2 cans (15-oz. or approx. 3 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed
•1/2 cup salsa (I used hot!)
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•3 cups water
•1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Method

Heat a large pot with the olive oil. When it’s nice and hot, add the onions and cook 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Next add the spices (chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper) and cook 1 minute. Add the beans, water, salt and salsa and stir. Cover and let it come to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer 5-10 minutes. Take the soup off the heat and squeeze the lime juice in. Transfer half the soup into a blender or food processor and process until slightly smooth. Add back to the pot, stir and serve.

Optional garnishes: dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream, chopped cilantro, extra salsa or lime juice.

It’s that simple! This made about 5 cups and I’ve been eating 3/4 cup since the spice is just too much. Even for me. GASP. Never thought that would happen ;) It was just over-zealous me thinking I could handle more spice than trusting the recipe probably had more than enough, what with that chili powder. Oh well. It was still delicious. And hey! The spice only helps rev up that metabolism! Another good thing? Eating 1 cup is only around 200 calories per serving and 9 grams of protein. Not bad for a lunch! Pair it up with some Greek Yogurt for extra protein. Yummy!

Are your ready for spring?
What foods do you most like to eat during spring and summer?

Hello friends!

How is everyone’s week going so far? It’s hard to believe that we’re already getting into the second week of March! Where do the days go every year. Just seems like it goes by lightning fast.

In any case, I had a crazy-busy weekend of cooking and making yummy treats. Sunday was a fun recipe day too. Why? It was Soup Sunday of course!

So for this past Soup Sunday I made a spicy chickpea soup. My friend Allison showed me a recipe for a spiced Moroccan chickpea soup and I just had to try it. It kind of reminded me of channa masala, but it wasn’t thin like a curry. Instead it was hearty, full of protein and had a little kick to it!

I ended up making a lot of soup, too – about 8 servings of soup when all was said and done. I think where it gets its Moroccan flavors is the fact it had both smokey and sweet spices in it, which balanced well together. Because it was so thick, I see myself scooping it onto slimwiches to make open-face sandwiches!

Recipe adapted from Dave Lieberman

Spicy Chickpea Soup

•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1/2 cup onion, chopped (half a large onion)
•6 garlic cloves, finely minced
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1 teaspoon ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•1 teaspoon paprika
•4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium vegetable broth
•1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (liquid and all)
•3 cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed) – you can save a few for garnish
•1 teaspoon sugar
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/4 freshly ground black pepper
•5 oz. frozen chopped spinach

Method

Start by heating a large stock pot with olive oil until hot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Next add the spices and stir. Then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, broth and sugar. You want the chickpeas to be submerged. If they aren’t, you can add a little water to completely submerge them. Season with salt and pepper and stir well. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and let it cook uncovered for 45 minutes. After that time has passed, take a potato masher and mash the chickpeas in the pot until you get a thick consistency. Add the frozen spinach and continue cooking until the spinach is heated through and broken apart into the soup.

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As an optional garnish, take a few of the reserved chickpeas and dry roast in a pan until crispy. Ladle soup into bowls, top with a few roasted chickpeas and a drizzle of olive oil.

What you’re left with is a thick, spicy soup that is oh so delicious and 100% vegetarian! I completely agree with Andrea over at Onion in my Hair when she said she wished soups every where were always made with vegetable broth or stock instead of chicken. I hate when I go into a restaurant and the menu says there’s a great tomato basil soup or vegetable soup, but then you find out it’s made with chicken stock. What’s the point in that?! Well I can tell you right now that this soup is 100% vegetarian and tasty to the last bite! Enjoy!

Do you have any suggestions for me for upcoming Soup Sunday recipes?
I’d love to hear about them!

Hi everyone! I hope you all are doing well!

So the title isn’t a mistake. There is such a thing as healthy Italian food. Ever since I started my new low-calorie/low-carb diet, I’ve missed pasta a lot. I’m also really nervous to eat a lot of pasta because I’m afraid of portion control. While I think I’ve, for the most part, learned how to eat the right amount, and also not eat things like cream sauce and stuff, I’m afraid I’ll still eat too much. It’s a terrible, horrible feeling that I’m hoping one day passes, but still. It is a bit of a struggle and it’s more mental than anything, but I’ll get better about it. I’m sure of it.

In light of thinking healthy Italian, REB and I made tofu parmesan on Saturday night. I never was a big fan of chicken parmesan when I ate meat, but I wasn’t a fan of deep fried things. I’m still not big on eggplant parmesan either. However, I found this recipe on Eating Well for tofu parm and decided we should give it a shot! I’m glad we did!

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It was not only delicious, but it was under 300 calories per serving. Perfection. I wish there was more protein in it, but you can always add some extra sides to make that happen. We did change a few things for our tastes, but it worked great.

Recipe adapted from Eating Well

Tofu Parmesan

•1 14-oz. block firm tofu, cut lengthwise into four “steaks”
•1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
•1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
•2 teaspoon olive oil
•1/2 pound (one 8oz.-carton) baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
•1/2 cup onion (half a large onion), chopped
•1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
•1/2 cup total low-sodium marinara sauce
•1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (can also use vegan cheese if you prefer)
•5 basil leaves, chiffonade

Method

On a plate, combine the Panko and Italian seasoning. Cut the tofu lengthwise into four “steaks” or pieces. Lightly season each side with garlic powder and salt (we didn’t use the full 1/4 teaspoon for each) and then dredge each side in the breadcrumb/Italian seasoning mix.

In a large deep skillet heat the olive oil and then add the onions and let them get translucent and slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Next add the mushrooms and let them sweat their liquid out and turn slightly brown, about 5-10 minutes.

Transfer the onions and mushrooms to a bowl. In the same skillet, which you may need to add another teaspoon of olive oil, add the tofu steaks and cook until it’s golden brown (about 3 minutes per side).

Turn the tofu, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, spoon the mushroom/onion mixture on each steak, top with a tablespoon or so of marinara sauce, then the mozzarella cheese. Cover the skillet and let the tofu continue to cook until the cheese is melted, about 2-3 minutes.

The last bit is just sprinkling some basil on top of each and serving it up! I’m glad we decided to use Panko instead of breadcrumbs. It made the tofu a little crispier. Note to self: find more recipes to use Panko! Like I said, this recipe is under 300 calories per serving and all delicious! Enjoy!

Have you had struggles with weight?
What are things you miss eating and have you found alternatives?

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! I had a weekend of cooking, relaxing and all around happiness. I’m mostly happy about this thing I’ve decided to start.
I’m starting what I’m calling Soup Sunday. As many of you might already know, I eat soup almost every day for lunch. It’s quick and easy, low carb, healthy and filling! Last week I made the Spiced Vegetable Lentil Soup and the entire thing lasted a week for my lunch (one cup per day). I decided to try making another soup on Sunday and this time I made vegetarian chili.

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Chili is one of those quintessential winter-time foods for me. It’s so easy to make and you can basically let it simmer all day either on the stove or in your crock pot and you can throw whatever you want into it. I guess that’s true with most any soup really.

Here’s what I used to make it:
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1/2 cup red onion, chopped
•2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves. Add more if you want!)
•1 carrot, peeled and diced
•1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced (that’s about half the pepper)
•1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced (that’s about half the pepper)
•1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes w/ green chilies (liquid and all)
•1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
•1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
•1/2 can (15 oz.) corn kernels, drained and rinsed
•1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
•2 cups vegetable stock
•2 tablespoons tomato paste
•1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•1 teaspoon chili powder
•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•1 teaspoon paprika
•1 teaspoon ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
•1/2 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
•1 cup Boca Ground Meatless Crumbles (or you could use tempeh or even tofu I’m sure!)

Lots of ingredients for a lot of soup!

Start by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, add the onion and carrots and cook until soft (5-8 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for one minute so it doesn’t burn. Next add the bell peppers to start cooking those down. Once they’re a little soft, add the can of tomatoes and the two types of beans and corn. Then add the vegetable stock, tomato paste, spices and stir. Cover and bring to a boil. Then uncover and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes. Near the end of the cooking process, add the crushed tomatoes, stir, and then add the Boca crumbles. Cook another 15-20 minutes or until the Boca is warmed through and the soup is thick like a chili should be (well for me anyway -ha!). You can adjust the spices before serving.

You can garnish with the usual: cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream. But both REB and I wanted to keep it healthy so we just added a small dollop of Greek yogurt (a great substitute for sour cream in my opinion) and some cilantro. You could also cut out the yogurt to make this entire soup vegan! It was the perfect garnish to cool us down since parts of the chili had quite a bit of kick! Just how I like it!

This made quite a bit, but again, that was kind of the point. The best thing? I cup is under 200 calories!

I can’t wait to try another soup recipe next week for Soup Sunday! Enjoy!

Is there a soup recipe you have that you think I should try?
Send me a link and maybe I’ll give it a try!

Hello hello! I was reading Sarah’s blog the other day and she had mentioned something about how she starts her posts. She said she usually starts with a greeting as if she’s in a conversation with her readers, instead of just listing a random fact. I realized I do the latter most of the time. I’m going to try doing what she does – greeting all of you! I do love that I’ve gotten more response on my blog this year than I ever have since starting this thing back in 2007. No lie. I am so grateful for all of you and that some of you really do like coming by and reading! I hope you all continue to do that.

OK enough mushy stuff. Onto the chips!

In the last post about the guacamole dip, I mentioned you could serve it up with baked Parmesan pita chips.

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That’s exactly what I did. Why buy them when you can make them and make them without frying? Much healthier, less greasy and ridonk easy. Yes, ridonk.

Here’s what you need!
•Whole wheat pita (I used 4 and made two batches)
•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
•Pinch of salt and pepper
•1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (more if you want more, less if you want less)

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Next cut each pita in half and then in thirds (to get triangles). Then pull them apart so you end up with 6 pieces per half. Lay the pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet.

In a small bowl combine the oil, garlic and S&P. Brush a little on each pita triangle and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Keep your eye on them because if you’re like me, you’ll burn a batch. I’m not saying I burned a batch, but it’s possible that my second batch was more crispy than the first.

Serve it up with hummus, salsa or make that guacamole dip I was talking about! The great thing about them is that you can season them how ever you want. Other options: curry powder, cumin, garam masala or cajun seasoning (for a spicy twist!). You could even go the sweet route and do cinnamon and sugar and serve with your favorite sweet dip!

Either way, they will go fast so either make enough or eat them all before they disappear. Now, I’m not saying we ate them all in one day, but I’m also not saying that we didn’t ;) Enjoy!

Have you ever made homemade chips before?

Hello my lovely readers! Is it just me, or do the weekends go by too fast? It seems like just yesterday it was Friday and now the week is starting up again.

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I had quite the weekend, though! I did a full day of cooking today. So much so, that I’ll have three different posts for the three things I made. So bear with me, please :) One of my favorite parts was not only the cooking, but Oscar Sunday! I’m such an awards show junkie. I made a dip to eat for the Oscars that was healthy and flavorful and was so so good!

If you haven’t already guessed, I made a guacamole dip! I saw a few recipes online and decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did. The star ingredient? White cannellini beans instead of all avocado. I know avocados have healthy fats, but it’s all about moderation, right? Right.

Can I be honest? I’ve never bought, cut open, or used an avocado on my own. I was a big nerd and was pretty excited when I was able to cut it and then get the pit out without ruining any part of it. It’s about the little things :)

So here’s what you need to make this lovely dip:
Adapted from Good Housekeeping
•1 can (15 oz. weight) white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
•1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1-2 limes)
•1 jalapeño, seeded, and diced
•1 tsp salt
•1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
•1/4 cup onion, chopped
•1 avocado, halved and pitted
•2 tomatoes (I used Campari, but you could use Roma. If you use smaller ones, you’ll need more of course)

In a food processor or blender, add the beans and lime juice and pulse until smooth and mixed. Transfer to a bowl. Next add the avocado to the bean mixture and mash with a fork to combine. Keep some chunks though (at least I like chunks for added texture!). In the food processor again, add the jalapeño, onion, cilantro and salt and pulse until thick and combined. Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze to get rid of the juice and seeds. Coarsely chop and add to the bean-avocado mixture. Add the onion-cilantro to the mix, stir everything well. Squeeze a little more lime juice and serve! You can eat this right away, or you can store it in the fridge for up to an hour. Make sure it has enough lime juice so the avocado stays green!
Possible garnishes: cilantro leaves or finely minced onion.

Serve it up with some fresh cut veggies or with these homemade Parmesan baked pita chips!
The great thing? This makes about 3 cups and one serving (1/4 cup) is only 65 calories! Not so bad when you’re really having half that and sharing that 1/4 cup. Enjoy!

Are you an awards show junkie like me?
What are your favorite snacks while watching them?

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It doesn’t take very long to make either!

Here’s what you need:
•2 tablespoons butter, plus another tablespoon to spread on the bread
•1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
•1 cup milk (I used nonfat)
•1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
•1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper each
•4 slices French loaf
•4-6 oz. Gruyere cheese (cut into slices, and some grated)
•1 tomato, thinly sliced
•2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat your oven to 375°F
You’re going to start by making a beschamel sauce. Heat two tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan and melt it over low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 30 seconds to create a roux. Add the milk and with a spatula or wooden spoon, stir until the mixture becomes thick. You can have the milk warmed or leave it cold. Leaving it cold will just take longer. Once the sauce is thickened, take it off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Give it a good whisk then set it aside.

Slice up a French loaf into four slices that will sandwich well together. Heat a pan or skillet. Assemble your sandwiches by spreading 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, per sandwich, doing a layer of cheese, some tomato then cheese again and then topping the other slice. Once you have both sandwiches built, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and let it melt. Then add either one or both sandwiches to the pan to lightly grill them. You don’t want to completely cook up the sandwiches, you want to get the bread lightly brown and the cheese slightly melted.

On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, place both sandwiches on the pan. Spread the beschamel sauce on top of each sandwich and top with grated Gruyere cheese. Bake the sandwiches for 5-10 minutes or until melted and golden brown. Then turn on the broiler and with the door open, let it broil so the top gets very brown and crispy!

You have to keep your eye on it because you don’t want it to burn! But when it’s done, you’ll know! Let it sit for 1-2 minutes before you cut into it and then enjoy! We served it up with a salad of mixed green and our homemade lemon vinaigrette.

I might have burned mine juuuust a touch, but it was still delicious!! Enjoy!

What are your favorite variations of grilled cheese?

I think I’ve mentioned before that I started a new job this year. In my previous job, I traveled almost every two weeks and was away a lot. While it was fun and a perfect time in my life to travel and see the country, near the end, I was ready to just be home and actually live my life. I started a new job in September working for a not-for-profit company located right downtown in Ann Arbor. The job is great, pretty laid back, I can take the bus to work and I’m home for dinner every night with my favorites! It’s been working out so well. Another added benefit? Having random days off in observance of holidays, like President’s Day today! I spent the day catching up on sleep, hanging out with the pup, and making a most fabulous soup for lunch.

One of my best friends, who lives in Mississippi, made a lentil soup last week and was nice enough to share her recipe with me. I made a few changes to fit my needs a little better, and I also scaled it down so I wouldn’t have a ton of leftovers.

The only lentils I’ve ever cooked with is for Indian cooking to make dal. I’ve actually never made a lentil soup with brown lentil that needed to really cook for a long time. The other star ingredients?

Fire roasted tomatoes and ground cumin! That plus other spices made this soup spicy, hearty, filling and full of flavor! You’re sure to love it. The great thing about soup is that you can throw anything you want into it. If you have leftover veggies, throw them in! I kept this soup simple with just some root veggies, though.

Here’s what you need:
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1/2 cup brown lentils, picked through and rinsed under cold water
•1 carrot, diced
•1/2 cup red onion, diced
•1 Yukon gold potato, peeled and cubed
•1 teaspoon garlic, minced
•1 14.5-oz. can fire roasted tomatoes (you can use the kind with roasted garlic, or any flavor you want)
•1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•1/2 teaspoon paprika
•1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon pepper
•2 cups vegetable stock
•1/2 cup water (more as needed)

In a large pot, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. When it’s hot, add in the onions, carrots and potatoes. Cook about 5-8 minutes until so they start to cook and get a little soft (the potatoes will take longer to soften, but they’ll cook completely through the duration of the recipe). Add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute to allow it to cook and blend in with the flavors.

Add the can of tomatoes (liquid and all!), vegetable stock, spices and stir well. Cover and bring to a boil (about 15-20 minutes). Once it’s boiling, simmer partially covered for another 15 minutes. After that, you may need to add more liquid if you notice the soup getting too thick. You can add 1/2 cup water,  then add in the lentils, leave uncovered and cook for 40-45 minutes or until the lentils are soft. If you notice the soup losing too much liquid, you can add more water, 1/2 cup at a time until it’s the soup-y consistency you want.

Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy! Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro or parsley, freshly squeezed lemon juice or drizzle of olive oil. Serve with crusty bread or roll. This should serve about 4 people.

OK so this soup might not be presidential, but I do know it was delicious and perfect for a relaxing day at home.

What are your favorite flavor combinations in soup?

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