Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Happy Day!

We've had our ups and downs. You've broken my heart. But yet, when you promise me new recipes and comfort food, I fall in love all over again.

Yes, dear readers, I'm referring to (once again) Clean Eating. Because today the brand new "Clean Eating Classic Comfort Foods" hit the shelves! And there I was, ready and waiting at 6a to purchase my very own copy.

OK - not really, but I am pretty excited over this new special edition. So much so I haven't even opened it up because I want to ensure that I have the time to savor every new recipe option.

I think I have out-geeked myself with this post, btw. But the wannabe clean eater in me just can't help it.

So, to celebrate, I made a couple of Clean Eating recipes today. The first I whipped up earlier as I worked from home (2 hour delayed start for the kid - WTF?), the second for dinner.

And in case you're wondering why I didn't use a recipe out of my new cookbook - remember peeps, I plan our meals ahead. Look for some updates next week.

Hearty Lentil Soup
Source: Clean Eating, Sept/Oct. 2010

Ingredients:
  • 1 c. dried red lentils (just used regular that I had on hand)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped (used a 1/2 on had on hand)
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 c. brown rice
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt (skip)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (skip - forgot)
Directions:
  • Rinse and drain lentils
  • Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper and saute until brown. Stir in cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Add 4 c. water, lentils and rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 mins. Add salt, stir and cook for an additional 30 mins. Stir in lemon juice.
Yield: 4 servings (1c/serving)
Per serving: 290 cals; 9g fat (sat: 1g) carbs: 41g; fiber: 9g; protein: 14g; sodium: 248mg; chol: 0mg

Southwest Meatballs
Source: Clean Eating, October 2011

Ingredients:
  • 1 lbs ground turkey
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/4 c. while wheat bread crumbs
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt (skip)
  • 1 c. frozen corn
  • 1 can black beans (I use no-salt added), drained and rinsed
  • 2 c. diced tomatoes (I used a can of no-salt added)
  • 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (used no-salt added)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 c. fresh cilantro (skip)
Directions:
  • In a large bowl, combine turkey, egg whites, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into 16 meatballs (I got 15), each about the size of a golf ball.
  • In a large skillet heat oil on med-high heat. Add meatballs and cook for 3-5 mins, until browned on all sides. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, broth, lime juice and cumin and mix well. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover and cook for an additional 3-5, or until meatballs are cooked through. Stir in cilantro.
Yield: 4 servings (4 meatballs and 1c. corn-bean mix)
Per serving: 320 cals; 4.5g total fat (0g sat); 32g carbs; 7g fiber; 37g protein; 340mg sodium; 55mg chol

Reviews:
Despite my high hopes for both of these recipes, neither are my faves. The soup is kind of a user-error issue: I didn't really read the directions and dumped all of my lentils in (instead of measuring out one cup), therefore making it basically cooked lentils with some other stuff thrown in instead of soup. Bah. The southwest meatballs tasted fine, but the hubs thought they were going to be a little spicier and I kind of agree - I think they needed more seasoning. The very positive of the dinner was that it took no time, which is imperative on a Tuesday evening due to our schedules.

Ranking:
Two Forks

As pretty as a cover shot - I bet K-Skull will approve!

No comments:

Post a Comment