Today has been a lot about food to me. I’ve been PMS’ing B-I-G time today and incredibly moody. When this happens I tend to redirect my moodiness to something creative. Today I’ve been cooking up a storm – and trying to be healthy.
Now – before you get all excited – I’m not one of those New Year’s resolution kind of gals. I’ve never really worried about my weight too much and never really had to diet. However, as you reach mid-thirty (I mean 29) your metabolism does slow down. The hubs has been eating healthy and exercising for about a year now and looks younger and more fit than the day we met.
I’ve been on the all-you-can-eat-breastfeeding diet for two years now and haven’t really cared too much about what I put into my body. Sure it has to be healthy because I’m feeding Lil B as well – but I’ve never been overly concerned with watching my figure. So I eat chocolate (alot), drink sodas (less than I use to), and love CHEESE!
Yesterday we made our traditional ham, black-eyed peas and turnip greens for New Years Day and I’m now stuck with a TON of ham in the fridge. This lead me to searching the web today for leftover meal ideas. I didn’t really find what I was looking for…but I found something better…and healthy!
Here is my modified recipe for a Healthier to You Potato and Ham Soup (Original: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1088659)
Ingredients:
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- olive oil
- 5-6 medium potatoes (any variety will work – you’ll need about 2 lbs roughly)
- 2 cans veggie or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup cauliflower puree (I used this recipe: http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipe_white_puree.php)
- 2 small containers of Square One organic super food puree- butternut squash variety (recipe called for 1.5 cups butternut squash puree)
- 1 cup milk (recipe called for Buttermilk – gag!)
- added: leftover ham cubed
- optional: cheese
- salt and pepper to taste (won’t need much salt if you add the ham)
Directions:
- Bake potatoes in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until squishy (yes – I said squishy – real technical!)
- Heat stock pot/dutch oven over medium heat
- Add olive oil, diced onion, and diced/minced garlic – sweat until onions are almost clear
- Add broth and ham to pot
- When potatoes are squishy remove from oven and allow to cool to the touch (about 5 minutes)
- While still warm remove skins from potatoes and place in a separate bowl for mashing
- Mash potatoes until slightly lumpy in texture
- Take 1/4 of potatoes and puree with cauliflower puree until smooth
- Add all of the potatoes (pureed and mashed) to pot
- Add containers of Square One butternut squash or butternut squash puree to pot
- Add milk, cheese and salt and pepper to taste
- Eat and enjoy!
I made a similar potato soup without the added veggies (and a ton of butter and cheese) a few weeks ago and the family devoured it. In an effort to make it a little less fattening and a little more healthy I tried this recipe. It turned out really well and both my children (ages 7 and 2) asked for seconds. Hubby didn’t enjoy it as much as the fatty version – but he was polite and ate it without much added commentary. I was really impressed that you couldn’t taste the added veggies and that my kids asked for more. I personally felt much better about eating a second bowl tonight as compared with the fattier version.
Never heard of Square One Organics? They are a brand of frozen organic baby food that is available on Amazon, locally in Chicago, and I’m sure will be popping up at a store near you soon. I received a sample set of 6 of their flavors geared for babies and tots starting at 6 months. Since my baby is almost 2 I decided to find creative ways to incorporate already pureed organic vegetables into our meals. The above recipe was my own modification but Square One does have a list of additional recipes that you can try with each of their purees. I’m actually really excited to try the Chocolate and Spinach Cupcakes. I have more to share with you about Square One this week so stay tuned for some Healthier to You recipes from The Eco Chic Kitchen.
Oh – and Happy New Years! Do you make resolutions? Do you set goals for the New Year? I’ve never written mine down and when I’m done PMS’ing I’ll work on that.
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[…] few weeks ago I shared a recipe that I spiked with Square One frozen organic baby food, Healthier for you Potato and Ham Soup. Wednesday nights at our house (OK – every night) is hectic with trying to figure out […]