Asian Chicken and Chili Soup

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While Martha Stewart’s recipe calls for freshly poached chicken, I think this spicy broth is a perfect way to turn leftover chicken into an exciting encore.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 red bell peppers, (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons Asian hot chili sauce to taste
  • 12 ounces diced cooked chicken
  • 1 bunch (6 ounces) watercress, large stems trimmed
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces

Directions

  1. In a 3-quart saucepan, bring broth, bell peppers, soy sauce, and chili sauce to a simmer; cook until peppers are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add chicken and watercress; cook 1 minute. Ladle into bowls, and top with scallions.

Skinny Soup Sunday: Cream of Cauliflower, Leek, & Spinach

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This recipe comes from my favorite soup cookbook, A Good Day For Soup. I received it for a gift in 1997 and have been using it ever since. There’s a whole chapter dedicated to “Slender Soups”, and the next several Skinny Soup Sundays will feature soups from this section. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

The text and directions come directly from A Good Day For Soup, though the calorie estimations are my own.

The cool green color of this light soup make it especially inviting, crisscrossed as it is with shreds of fresh spinach. We sometimes use green cauliflower, which produces a much darker puree. Either way, this fragrantly spiced soup is a treat.

  • 1 medium head cauliflower, coarsely chopped
  • 3 leeks, white parts only, thoroughly washed and sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cups Chicken or Vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayanne
  • 6 oz (6 cups) fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
  • salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, combine cauliflower, leeks, garlic, and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add cumin, nutmeg, cayenne, and half the spinach. Cook another 5 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor. Reheat with remaining spinach. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

About 85 kcal per cup.

Get Cultured

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How to Choose the Best Yogurt
You want to eat healthier, so the next time you swing by the dairy case, you reach for the yogurt. Healthy, right? Perhaps…

There are so many yogurt products out there, and many of them are absent of all the redemptive qualities that make us seek it out in the first place. Here’s a list of guidelines to help you choose a tasty yogurt that gives you all the health benefits you’re craving.

Personally, I prefer low-fat over fat-free yogurt. The texture tends to be more satisfying and I find that little bit of fat keeps me feeling full longer. Compare the labels and you might be surprised to find that there is little difference calorically between the two. You should, after all, enjoy what you’re eating.

When choosing yogurt, look for Low-Fat or Fat-Free Yogurt that contains (per 6-ounce serving):

  1. Has the official “LIVE AND ACTIVE CULTURES” Seal.
  2. No more than 180 calories.
  3. No more than 1.5 grams of saturated fat. Saturated fat’s daily limit of 20 grams is easy to reach, so avoid it here.
  4. No more than 30 grams of sugar. Naturally occurring lactose accounts for about 12 grams; more means excess sweeteners.
  5. At least 20% of your daily calcium. This nutrient can be watered down by added sugars and filler ingredients.
  6. 300 mg of potassium. Okay, so this tip is a little picky, but if you can find it, go for it!

Remember:
“Plain” doesn’t have to be… Layer low-fat Greek yogurt with blueberries (or any fresh fruit), a thin drizzle of honey, and two or three finely chopped almonds. Mmmmm.

If it says “creme” or “custard” on it, nutritionally, it’s probably one step away from ice cream.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Combine the olive oil and onion in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 10 minutes, until just starting to caramelize. Add the garlic, thyme, and ginger and cook, stirring so as not to burn, 2 more minutes until fragrant.  Stir in the carrots, potato and the chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the carrots and potato are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Keep warm.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until very smooth (or puree in a regular blender in batches).

Makes about 8 servings, about 140 calories each.

Bikini Bootcamp: Saturday, Feb. 25, 10:30am

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Get the body you want in 2012. Memorial Day is fast approaching, and the HardCore Method will get you ready to rock your bikini.

Special introductory rate of $15 (reg. $30) for new participants.Order tickets now via Eventbrite:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2878982113

Only three spaces left!

Bikini Bootcamp

This 50-minute semi-private class consists of high-intensity full body functional movements and high repetition weight training combined with cardio intervals for a stronger, leaner body.

  • Strengthen your core.
  • Tone your muscles.
  • Torch excess fat.

Bikini Bootcamp is designed to get you to and keep you in swimsuit shape all year round. Expect a workout that you’ll love to hate.

Brave the bootcamp, not the weather…

The HardCore Method offers semi-private classes in a boutique training facility so that you get all the energy and group support of a bootcamp in a comfortable indoor setting.

The exclusive small-class format provides you the attention and feedback from a watchful certified trainer. Your trainer will make sure you execute each exercise correctly, push yourself to your limits, and get results!

How Far, How Fast?

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There are a lot of great programs that make Smartphones the perfect running partner, such as Runkeeper. But if you don’t use an iPhone or Android (or you’re just getting lousy reception), there are online resources that can help take the mystery out of your last trail run. Enter your starting address, zoom in, and plot your course, and walkjogrun.net will let you estimate your distance covered, speed, and even calories burned as long as your route is visible via satellite or documented. On my last Mt Tam run, my iPhone and AT&T logged me in as covering 3 miles over almost two hours of running due to spotty coverage whereas I covered more than 7.