OH JOY AN EASY DINNER!

Welcome to Wednesday TLB friends,

Are you tired of struggling with what to make for dinner every night? Sometimes I feel like I want something easy, because I frankly don't want to be in the kitchen in Florida for long periods of time!

Some might say that soup is out of the question, but I don't feel that way. Soup prep is easy and in air conditioning a pot simmering on the stove is not an issue. Besides it's a great way to have a nutritious meal without alot of fuss.

So today's blog is just that.....Cauliflower Chowder is a favorite in my house. Simple ingredients make this a "go to favorite" of mine and it's low-carb!

The recipe may be found at: 

https://damndelicious.net/2014/03/22/cauliflower-chowder/

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my hubby does!

Have a fantastic week!

                          Kathleen

DELISH WAY TO EAT HEALTHY!

It's that time of year when everywhere we look there are commercials, magazine articles and morning TV segments all focusing on getting in shape with weight loss, healthy food, and exercise. 

In today's blog I'm featuring two light recipes. One is a slightly sweet cookie recipe Chocolate Chip Kale Cookies, and the other is a light Tomato-Tortilla soup recipe that will take the chill off when those cold wintry days hit.

FOODIE FRIDAY---ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH SCALLOPS

The height of the season is NOW for asparagus, so why not feature a dish made with it. My husband and I love asparagus!

While I was in flight to Florida I had purchased some magazines to read during the flight to pass the time. One of the magazines was House Beautiful April 2014. I typically turn to this magazine for its decorating ideas and great articles, but this time I found a delicious recipe for Asparagus Soup with Perfect Sea Scallops. I couldn't wait to get home to try it.

I made this recipe last evening for my husband and it's being filed as a keeper in our house. We both remarked on how delicious it is, however, we decided that personally, we didn't need the 1 cup of heavy cream, nor the calories that accompany it. The soup was delicious without it. Preparation is not too fussy....but allow time to chop, saute' and puree. This would be a wonderful recipe to serve to guests you would like to impress. It can be made ahead. You don't have to add the scallops if you are not a fan. The soup is delicious alone. The scallops are as well.

You may find the link to the recipe here:
http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/recipes/asparagus-soup-recipe-0414?click=main_sr

This meal fits into a Foodie Friday Meatless category for those of us who celebrate Lent or don't eat meat. Let me know if you give it a try.......I would love to hear your comments.

                                                        Have a wonderful weekend!

                                      Kathleen

*****Thanks so much for visiting THE LAVENDER BOUQUET! Don't forget to stop back on Monday!

An Easy Healthy Meal--Cut the Calories with this New England Clam Chowder Recipe

It's our first Friday of Lent.....oh dear what should I make for dinner?

I think most everyone enjoys a meatless meal from time to time. And if you are a seafood lover as my husband and I are, we like to change up how and what type of seafood we eat. Not only is it a great way to eliminate the fear that I used to have when preparing seafood, but it allows us to explore some of the great choices now available from the sea.

I have learned so much by chatting with the lady that works at our fish counter. For instance what is the difference between Farm Raised Fish and Wild Caught Fish?

Farm Raised- raising fish commercially in tanks, and controlled pens usually in lakes, ponds, rivers and oceans.  They live and feed in compact living situations. And they tend to have more diseases, toxins, artificial dyes, and antibiotics. They also may contain more fat then compared to wild caught.

Wild Caught - tend to be higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, and protein. They contain very low levels of disease and are free from antibiotics, pesticides & artificial dyes. They are free to roam the ocean and to find their own food ultimately helping them contain less fat than the farm raised. One issue with wild caught, is it can contain Mercury, however, this can be just as much of an issue with farm raised fish that are raised in the ocean environment. The cost is the down side with wild caught fish being significantly more than farm raised fish. 

I chose Clams to highlight today. One of husband's favorites is New England Clam Chowder. Clams are always available and are so easy to use in a recipe.

A lot of New England chowder recipes are laden with heavy cream driving up the unnecessary calories. This recipe is  from Ellie Krieger and contains 312 Calories per serving, not bad. She has lightened the amount of cream normally used and it tastes fantastic! By adding a colorful side salad of your choice, dinner is served!

Why give it a try tonight?

         http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/new-new-england-clam-chowder-recipe.html

         Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

                                                                                     Kathleen

***Thank you for visiting The Lavender Bouquet. Please feel free to comment and don't forget to visit us on Monday!

It's Foodie Friday--Tasty Tomato-Tortilla Soup and Chocolate Chip Kale Cookies

The weather certainly has been frigid this past week. I hope you all are safe and sound.  Dangerous temperatures kept many of us inside our warm homes and out of work or school for a few days as the national average temperatures plummeted. Snuggling with warm blankets and a good book was definitely in order.

On frigid winter days I love a one pot meal. There is nothing like the smell of soup cooking on the stove and cookies baking in the oven on a cold day. With Pinterest, the plethora of cookbooks now available, along with old family favorites from years ago, our  recipe choices are endless. While searching for soup recipes, I try to keep the calories under 300 per serving (which is usually 2 cups or under).

The Tomato-Tortilla Soup from Ellie Krieger's book The Food You Crave,  fits that bill, coming in at 220 calories per 2 cup serving. The soup is light and tasty.  Accompanied with a warm corn muffin and a small leafy green salad, the meal is complete.

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/tomato-tortilla-soup-recipe/index.html

Now what about that sweet tooth!  Ahhhh......is it really possible to have a chocolate chip cookie with Kale in it that tastes good? I have to admit I had my doubts. My husband bought me the Fifty Shades of Kale book for Christmas. As I browsed the pages, when I came across this recipe, I
just had to try it.

I found that the recipe states that it makes 24 cookies with 141 calories per cookie. But when I dropped the cookies onto the cookie sheet with a measuring tablespoon they looked small and would make alot more than 24. So I made the last batch larger using a silverware tablespoon which was much more generous. If you take a look at my cookie plate you will see the difference in size.

The taste is actually pretty good. The bottom of the cookie has a nice crunch to it because it browns more. I didn't taste the kale at all. I also couldn't find small 70% semisweet chocolate chips in my grocery store so I used 60% bittersweet, and I thought it was sweet enough.

Article with recipe can be found at---http://www.cbsnews.com/news/recipe-chocolate-chip-kale-cookies/

After I made these, I browsed the internet for the good old fashioned Toll-House Chocolate cookie nutritional info and found the information on Fitness Pal.The calories were 120 per cookie, however, it does not state the cookie size. In comparing all of the nutritional values, I saw no reason that the Kale cookie would be better for you in any way.

In the future if I want Kale, I will have it in a salad or side dish. If I want to splurge on a chocolate chip cookie, I will stick with Nestle Toll House!

Hope you enjoyed today's blog.

Have a wonderful and healthy weekend!

Cheers,

  Kathleen

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