Category: Eats

To start off the New Year in style, I decided to dedicate my first show of 2010 to healthy foods.  Now, don’t panic–you know I love my butter etc but these two recipes are so delicious that you won’t miss the bad stuff just this once!  Regular programming will resume next time!  Inspired Cooking airs on Cape Ann TV on Tuesday nights at 8:30, Friday afternoons at 4:30 and Sunday mornings at 11:30.  Hope you will tune in!

Here is the video:  youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JgMlxNHJ5w

Hearty Fire Roasted Tomato & Chicken Soup

3 large chicken breasts, diced (about 2-2 ½ pounds)
4 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium onions, diced
2 medium peppers, diced
8 cups fat free chicken broth
3-14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
2-14.5 oz cans Fire Roasted diced tomatoes
1-10 oz can tomatoes with diced chilies
1-14.5 oz box high fiber white or whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Reduced fat sour cream (optional)
Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish (optional)

On the stove top in a large Dutch oven, combine chicken, 2 teaspoons cumin and 2 teaspoons chili powder over chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper.  Brown chicken and then saute until cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, combine garlic, onions and 2 tablespoon olive oil.  Cook slowly over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes.  Add green peppers and 2 teaspoons cumin and cook until peppers are softened, about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add diced tomatoes.  With an immersion or conventional blender, puree vegetable mixture until no large chunks are present (you can omit this step if you like a chunky soup).  Return puree to the pan and add chicken broth, fire roasted tomatoes and tomatoes with green chilies and stir to combine.  Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.

While soup is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions.  When finished, drain and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with freshly ground pepper and set aside.

After soup is simmered, add diced chicken, pasta and fresh cilantro.  Simmer until hot again.  Dish into bowls and top with sour cream and fresh cilantro springs, if desired.

How about some banana bread to go with that soup?

Here’s the video: youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh3vPlrU9ck

Healthy Banana Bread (really!)

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

5 very ripe bananas, peeled

1 large egg

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons decorating sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon and baking soda and set aside.

In large bowl with a potato masher or hand mixer combine bananas, egg, applesauce and vanilla extract until mostly smooth (leave a little chunky if you want to).  Gently fold in dry ingredients until just combined and you don’t see any flour streaks.

*at this point, feel free to add nuts, dried cranberries, raisins or whatever you like, if desired, about a cup

Pour mixture in to prepared pan, smooth top and sprinkle with decorators sugar.

Bake 50-60 minutes until tester inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.    Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely in a wire rack.