THE HOMEMADE SOUP DIET
I chuckle to myself every time I watch the Progresso Soup commercial on TV because you can also lose weight on a hearty homemade soup diet. It's a good way to control weight and makes an adequate meal when you add a green salad and some kind of fruit for dessert. I hear a lot of older women say they don't cook much anymore and many make-do with a sandwich instead of soup and salad or a well balanced meal. There are always two or more kinds of soup in my freezer and when I don't have time or feel like fixing a meat-potatovegetable meal, soup is my food of choice, no matter what the season.
Because I do have a freezer, I don't shy away from larger quantity soup recipes. That's why I like Hearty Mushroom and Beef Soup that makes 12 cups.
HEARTY MUSHROOM AND BEEF SOUP
- 1 pound fresh button mushrooms
- 1/4 cup canola oil, divided
- 2 pounds boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into small cubes
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 7 cups beef broth
- (1) 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice (do not use instant)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup Burgundy wine
Rinse, pat dry and slice mushrooms. In large stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil until hot. Add mushrooms and saute until golden. Remove from pan and set aside. To stock pot, add remaining 2 tablespoon oil and half the beef cubes. Brown on both sides; remove and set aside. Add remaining beef and onion and cook until meat is brown and onions are golden. Return first half of beef cubes to stock pot. Add broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, bay leaf, carrots and rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until meat is almost tender, about 2 hours. Mix cornstarch with water. Stir into soup along with reserved mushrooms. Cook and stir until soup is slightly thickened. Stir in wine. Heat 2 minutes longer. Recipe makes 12 cups.
COMFORT FOOD IN A BOX
Macaroni and cheese has been around for a long time but it's surfaced again as a popular entree. I'm also seeing Kraft Original Macaroni and Cheese dinner on sale quite often, even 10 for10. Our Chris snacked on it after baseball and basketball practice and his son, Noah, loves it, even |
prefers the box kind to homemade. Once I thought I'd do Chris a favor and I bought the Kraft deluxe kind and he told me he liked the cheaper one better. Personally, I prefer homemade macaroni and cheese but keep the box mix on hand to make a tuna salad and a microwave chicken entree. People will never know you started with "store-bought" macaroni and cheese.
MACARONI TUNA SALAD
- 1 box Kraft Original Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1/4 cup diced pimiento
- 1 family-size can water-packed light tuna, drained and flaked
- (1) 10 oz. package frozen peas, thawed and drained
- 1 cup light-type mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's)
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
Cook macaroni and cheese dinner according to package directions. In large bowl, combine prepared macaroni and cheese with celery, onion, pimiento, tuna, peas, mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish. Mix thoroughly. Cover and chill before serving. Recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.
MICROWAVE CHICKEN CASSEROLE
- 1 package Kraft Original Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
- (1) 5 oz. can boned chicken (or 1 cup leftover chopped chicken)
- 1 can undiluted condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 tablespoon dry minced onion
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 small can French-fried onion rings
Use a 2-quart casserole. Mix everything together but onion rings. Microwave on high 16 minutes, stirring after 8 minutes. Recipe makes 6 servings.
TOMATO PRODUCTS REDUCE "BAD" CHOLESTEROL
Tomato, tom-AH-to .... no matter how you say it, the tomato and its byproducts are packed with healthful nutrients. Now a new study from Finland says tomatoes may even help improve your cholesterol. The researchers report that people who ate tomato products every day for just three weeks lowered their LDL by 13 percent.
Although high intake of tomatoes and tomatoes products has previously also been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, scientists didn't understand why. The new research suggests a possible mechanism, with the tomatoes affecting the body's cholesterol levels.
Source: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, March 2008. |
