I love soup. However, I used to eat rich, creamy, fattening soups. I loved clam chowder, cheddar broccoli, or any heavy cream soup. In the past few years, I had was diagnosed with two heart conditions. Thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ and His power to heal, my doctors have declared me HEALED. However, for a couple of years before my healing came, I got a serious wake-up call about my bad eating habits. I LOVE FOOD. I am a total foodie, as witnessed by my dedication to a blog dedicated to sharing delicious food recipes. However, even the best of food can be killing you. It can taste delicious going down, only to block your arteries, raise your blood pressure, cause obesity, diabetes, and a host of other health problems. Food was created by God to enjoy, but people also need to use wisdom about what food to eat.
God has given me a unique talent. I give him the credit for my ability to create these recipes because I used to be a heinous cook. My husband lovingly choked down my food for years before I finally learned to cook. I never dreamed I would be able to create original recipes that were both healthy and delightfully delicious.
Today was a creative day. I have been hearing all the hype in the past few years about "super foods". I have a bottle of pure 100% Acai berry juice in my fridge. I make superfood smoothies and try to incorporate many of them into my cooking. Avocado is probably my favorite one of these foods with superpowers to energize your body. The newest food celebrity is KALE. I admit, I have not been sure how to cook kale, what do with it, or how it should be eaten. I have been clueless about kale.
So...of course, I bought a giant tub of organic kale at the grocery store. It has been sitting in my refrigerator waiting for a stroke of creativity to hit me. A friend shared a kale recipe with me, and although it would be delicious, it was a cream sauce for pasta. Today, I didn't have room in my caloric budget for more carbs. I am a carb-fanatic, and I have to seriously watch how many carbs I eat. I think there are 3 food groups, pasta, rice, and sugar. Lord help me! We eat pasta ALL THE TIME at our house. I know it's bad...don't judge me.
As I stared at the kale, I thought "what on earth am I going to make?" Then the Spirit of God inside me took over, and this is what was created:
Mediterranean Cream of Kale Soup
3 cups of water
3 chicken bouillon cubes (or substitute organic chicken broth for these two ingredients)
1 cup half & half
4 Tbsp. sweet cream butter
5 oz. (1 tub) of organic baby kale
3 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes (julienned, or chopped, without oil)
2 Tbsp. (rounded) minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. corn starch + 1 cup of water
6 slices Borden natural Gouda cheese slices
Serves 6 (2 cup servings) at $1.25 per serving
Bring water and bouillon cubes to a boil in a large pot, until cubes are completely dissolved (or substitute chicken broth). Add butter to the broth. Chop baby kale into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in hot broth. Stir. Chop sun dried tomatoes and add to pot, along with minced garlic. Cook on medium heat until kale begins to wilt. Add half & half slowly to soup mixture. Mix 1 cup of water and 3 Tbsp of corn starch separately; stir until dissolved. Add the corn starch mixture to the pot slowly. As the soup cooks, it will thicken. Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 5 more minutes, then turn off the heat. Serve in a bowl with cheese placed on top. Cheese will melt to cover soup.
I just ate the first bowl. It was DELICIOUS! I hope you enjoy this culinary creation. :-)
--The Cheap Gourmet Mom
God has given me a unique talent. I give him the credit for my ability to create these recipes because I used to be a heinous cook. My husband lovingly choked down my food for years before I finally learned to cook. I never dreamed I would be able to create original recipes that were both healthy and delightfully delicious.
Today was a creative day. I have been hearing all the hype in the past few years about "super foods". I have a bottle of pure 100% Acai berry juice in my fridge. I make superfood smoothies and try to incorporate many of them into my cooking. Avocado is probably my favorite one of these foods with superpowers to energize your body. The newest food celebrity is KALE. I admit, I have not been sure how to cook kale, what do with it, or how it should be eaten. I have been clueless about kale.
So...of course, I bought a giant tub of organic kale at the grocery store. It has been sitting in my refrigerator waiting for a stroke of creativity to hit me. A friend shared a kale recipe with me, and although it would be delicious, it was a cream sauce for pasta. Today, I didn't have room in my caloric budget for more carbs. I am a carb-fanatic, and I have to seriously watch how many carbs I eat. I think there are 3 food groups, pasta, rice, and sugar. Lord help me! We eat pasta ALL THE TIME at our house. I know it's bad...don't judge me.
As I stared at the kale, I thought "what on earth am I going to make?" Then the Spirit of God inside me took over, and this is what was created:
Mediterranean Cream of Kale Soup
3 cups of water
3 chicken bouillon cubes (or substitute organic chicken broth for these two ingredients)
1 cup half & half
4 Tbsp. sweet cream butter
5 oz. (1 tub) of organic baby kale
3 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes (julienned, or chopped, without oil)
2 Tbsp. (rounded) minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. corn starch + 1 cup of water
6 slices Borden natural Gouda cheese slices
Serves 6 (2 cup servings) at $1.25 per serving
Bring water and bouillon cubes to a boil in a large pot, until cubes are completely dissolved (or substitute chicken broth). Add butter to the broth. Chop baby kale into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in hot broth. Stir. Chop sun dried tomatoes and add to pot, along with minced garlic. Cook on medium heat until kale begins to wilt. Add half & half slowly to soup mixture. Mix 1 cup of water and 3 Tbsp of corn starch separately; stir until dissolved. Add the corn starch mixture to the pot slowly. As the soup cooks, it will thicken. Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 5 more minutes, then turn off the heat. Serve in a bowl with cheese placed on top. Cheese will melt to cover soup.
I just ate the first bowl. It was DELICIOUS! I hope you enjoy this culinary creation. :-)
--The Cheap Gourmet Mom
No comments:
Post a Comment