Janice's Chicago Style Soy Dog

This "recipe" is for the Chefery Football Futbol Challenge. The team - The Chicago Bears!

The sandwich can be made with a soy hotdog or a turkey hotdog, a regular hotdog, or better still a nice Polish sausage! The nutrition facts were done for the soy dog as so many at CC Palate will choose one of those to save calories and sodium (I hear they have improved the taste too!).

If you use any other hot dog, be sure to use Calorie Count to find the nutrition facts for your dog of choice!

A Soy Dog Done in the Traditional Drag it Through the Garden Chicago Way

Ingredients:

1 Soy Hotdog
1 poppy seed bun
1 t mustard (approx)
1 T onion, fine chopped
1 T sweet relish
1 dill pickle, sliced lengthwise
1/4 tomato, half the tomato and make some nice half moon slices
2 Sport Peppers
Dash of celery salt

Directions:

assemble and eat!

Laura's Thyme for Veggie Soup

The nutrition facts for this tasty and healing soup can be found at Calorie Count!

Thyme For Veggie Soup

Ingredients (with variations so that it can be vegetarian or vegan): 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 onions, finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 quarts (8 cups) beef, chicken or vegetable broth

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 turnips or potatoes, diced

1 cup barley (not quick-cooking)

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp thyme

1 29-oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup fresh or frozen peas and/or corn

1 cup fresh or frozen lima or green beans

1 cup greens (Swiss chard, spinach, Napa cabbage, etc)

Directions: 

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until lightly golden.  Stir in broth, carrots, celery, turnips or potatoes, barley, and any other hard vegetables preferred.  Add celery seed and thyme.

Simmer for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in tomatoes, peas or corn, beans and greens.

Simmer for another 15-20 minutes before serving.

Option:  Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Variations:  Any kind of preferred vegetable can be added or substituted.  1.5 cups soup pasta can be added along with the tomatoes, etc, as can 1-2 cups shredded/cubed cooked beef or ham.

Crazypotato98's Roasted Ratataouille

Ratatouille can be made on your stove top, in your oven, or on your grill! The ingredients vary to personal taste - so when Crazypotato98 says "squash" - you use the type you love! The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count.

Roasted Ratatouille

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups  eggplant, cubed

1 cup  squash, cubed

8  pearl onions, halved

1  yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch strips

2 tbsp  fresh parsley, snipped

1 tbsp  olive oil

2 cloves  garlic, minced

1/8 tsp  salt

1/8 tsp  black pepper

2 large  tomatoes, chopped

1 ½ tsp  lemon juice

Directions:

Coat a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place eggplant, squash, onions, sweet pepper, and parsley in the pan.

In a small bowl, stir together oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle over vegetables; toss to coat.

Roast, uncovered, in a 450 oven about 20 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned, stirring once. Stir in the tomatoes and lemon juice. Roast, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes more or until tomatoes are very soft and starting to juice out.

Pat's Grilled Baba Ganoush

Remember with Baba Ganoush, a lot is open to your taste preferences. Some like more lemon, some more tahini paste........Enjoy! The nutrition facts for this wonderful dish can be found at Calorie Count!

Pat’s Grilled Baba Ganoush

Ingredients:

1 eggplant

1 t olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice – or more to taste

1/4 cup tahini – or more to taste

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Heat the grill. When the grill is hot, slice the eggplant to about 1/2 inch thick, brush with a bit of olive oil, and grill until soft (about 10-14 minutes), allow to cool and then chop.

Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree – or place in a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender. Remove to a bowl and season the mix with a bit of salt and pepper. Slowly stir in olive oil, taste and adjust seasonings. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Ninav on How to Turn Zucchini into Pasta!

Instead of pasta, my friend Ninav from Calorie Count loves to substitute zucchini! Her method is so simple and accessible that it is a fantastic way to make a lovely work night meal. Zucchini has only 20 calories per cup, a lot fewer calories than pasta -so enjoy this as often as you like!

How to Turn Zucchini into Pasta

Use either a julienne peeler or a vegetable peeler and make wide strips of "noodles".

Lightly sprinkle with salt and let it sit for 10 min.

Then rinse, squeeze off the excess water.

Eat it raw, microwave, or sauté it for a few minutes to heat it up.

Try it! You'll be surprised!

Trancendenz's Vegan Gyros

The same mix can be used to make Vegan "Chicken" Patties! The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Vegan Gryos

Serves four

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) Grated Tempeh (use a cheese grater)
1 Grated onion
1/3 cup panko (or the "binder" of your choice such as vital wheat gluten, bread crumbs, or flour)
1/4 cup Parsley, fresh (use as much as you want, but I use what I can rip with one hand)
1 tsp Dill (or use 1 or two fresh sprigs)
Juice of one lemon or lime
1/8 t Salt
1/8 t pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/8 t Sage (a small pinch)
1/8 t Basil (a pinch)

Directions:

Chop parsley and dill. Mix with grated tempeh and onion, lemon juice, seasoning, and garlic. Once well combined mix in the binder. Form patties and fry for 5 minutes a side in 1 tbsp olive oil on lower heat.

Pile onto flat bread with onions and other wonderful gyros toppings!

Or you can bake them in an oven like a "chicken" patty.

Hollie's Mexican Rice

No Tex-Mex dinner is complete without a bit of that fantastic rice, but you don't have to go out to get it.  Mexican Rice is incredibly easy to make, and just as easy to change up and make it your own. The nutrition facts can be found at the best FREE website on the planet for counting your calories - Calorie Count.

Mexican Rice

about 6 side servings

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup frozen corn
~1 1/2 cups water
1/2 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
Include ALL of the tomato juice from the can - juice and water should equal about 2 cups

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, saute onion in oil until translucent.
Pour in rice and stir to coat grains.
Stir in water, tomatoes and juice, corn, salt, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder.
Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
Allow to simmer 20-30 minutes, until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Notes:

This is my personal preference on Mexican rice, but a lot of Mexican chefs I know will add carrot medallions or green peas to theirs as well.

45 minutes prep/cook time

Aea's Simply Peas

So easy and aromatic. Give this dish a try soon. The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count.

Simply Peas

Serves two

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen and rinsed peas
2 tsp. fresh mint leaves finely chopped or 2 pinches of dry rubbed mint
1/2 cup thin sliced celery (make sure you include some of the tender leaves)

Directions:

Steam saute in a splash of water for only few minutes until peas are warm and the celery/mint starts to smell great!

Notes:

Serve over brown or white steamed rice.  Aea likes the proportion of 1cup of peas to 1 cup of rice for a delicious meal.

Hollie's Salsa Verde

When I go out for a delicious Tex-Mex dinner, I particularly enjoy the Salsa Verde. Now that I have Hollie's simple recipe, I don't have to wait for dinner out to enjoy this delightful sauce. Dip a few chips in some this weekend!

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count.

tomatillos!

Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

3 tomatillos, pealed, cores removed, left whole to retain the juices
1 white onion, halved and skinned
2 serano peppers, halved
5 cloves garlic, skinned
1 avocado, peeled and diced
3 tbs lemon or lime juice
olive oil to drizzle
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Place tomatillos, onion, seranos, and garlic in baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt.

Broil about 15-20 minutes until charred on top. Allow to cool about 10 minutes.

In a glass blender, puree roasted veggies until smooth.

Add avocado and lemon/lime juice and blend to desired consistency.

Place in airtight container and chill before serving.

Lasts about 2 weeks in fridge. If color begins to brown, add a splash of lemon juice and stir.

Richard's Black Bean & Corn Relish

I've had Richard's terrific relish a number of times and finally got him to share the recipe for his simple but fantastic relish! I love it scooped with chips, but it is also awesome as a condiment or side dish. In fact, I think it would make a great starting point for a Southwestern Pasta Sauce...or under polenta...infinite possibilities.

Make it as hot or mild as you like and enjoy it often. The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count.

Black Bean & Corn Relish

Ingredients:

2 cans Bush's Black Beans - well drained
2 cans Green Giant Shoepeg Corn - well drained
1 can RoTel Diced Tomatoe3s with Lime Juice and Cilantro - well drained
1 can RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Habaneros - well drained
1 large bunch of fresh cilantro - chopped



Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Mix well.

CRITICAL: Let sit over-nite in the refrigerator. Stir from time to time. The "aging" really lets all the flavors mature and mingle. This relish is better the second day, or even the third day!

Notes:

Make it hotter or milder by using either 2 cans of hot RoTel or 2 cans of the regular RoTel. Also you can change the amount of cilantro to suit your tastes.

This makes a big batch. The extra amounts beyond party dipping use we serve as a side dish with meals for a couple of days after or just go back and snack on it some more.

Polo's Indian Lentil Soup

This is another recipe from one of the wonderful calorie counting members of Calorie Count! Check out the fantastic nutrition analysis!

Indian Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

¼ tsp mustard and/or cumin seeds (to your tastes)

curry leaves to taste
1green chili, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1/4 Tsp chili powder and/or coriander powder
pinch turmeric powder

3 cups water

1 cup squash*

1 cup carrots*

1 cup spinach*

1-2 cups lentils, cooked

½ Tbs tamarind paste (optional)

Cilantro as garnish

Directions:

Saute the onion until golden brown in the olive oil, add the garlic and sauté one minute, add the chopped tomato and sauté one more minute.

Add the spices and stir another minute.

Add 3 cups of water

Mix well and then add the vegetables.

Cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes, taste and add salt if you use it.

Add the cooked lentils and mix well. Add the tamarind paste if you wish and finally garnish with cilantro.

Notes:

* add any vegetables that you love and that are seasonal for you.

Trancendenz's Vegan Fried "Chicken"

The nutrition facts for this Vegan recipe that can easily be made Vegetarian (see notes below) can be found at Calorie Count! There is a range of amounts indicated below, that is because the recipe is done by "feel" for texture. The nutrition facts were done using the lower amounts and assumes four patties - your patties may be a different size, or you may decide to make nuggets!.

a veggie "burger"

Vegan Fried "Chicken"

The "Meat" -

1/2 cup up to 1 cup of Textured Vegetable Protein (also called Textured Soy Protein)
1/2 up to 1 cup of "not chicken" broth, heated
poultry seasoning to taste (or just make a mix of garlic, salt, pepper)
2 tbsp. Vital wheat gluten

The "Breading" -

1/4 cup flour (whole wheat or regular flour is fine)
seasoned salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4 cup crushed french's fried onions
1/4 cup unflavored soy milk

Combine TVP with hot stock or water and seasoning. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Add vital wheat gluten or flour if that's all you have. Make patties.

If too loose add more vwg or flour. Then dip in egg or milk and coat with flour mixed with crushed fried onions. Fry in minimal oil (I use peanut oil, but other oils are OK; don't use olive oil because it will burn).

Notes:

Trancendenz doesn't use the pre-made stock because there's too much celery and sage flavor. You can use Veggie stock if you prefer it. If you have no stock, you can use water and "not chik'n" boullion cubes.

If you are not Vegan and prefer, you can use eggs instead of milk.

If you like your "chicken" more bready, increase the amounts in the fixings for that!

Jane's Hummus in a Blender

The nutrition facts for this delightfully easy hummus can be found at Calorie Count!

Hummus in a Blender

Ingredients:

8 oz chickpeas
juice of half a lemon
1 good tablespoon tahini (or to taste)
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 oz water (approximately)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper...use plenty
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Place all the ingredients with the exception of the water, oil and
paprika into a blender and switch on.  Gradually add the water and
keep blending until you have the right consistency... should be that
of thick cream.   Turn into a bowl, drizzle over the olive oil and
sprinkle with paprika.