Finally temperatures are on the rise, but I don’t think they’re here to stay for too long. As long as we can stay in the double digits, I’m pretty happy these days! In case those winter chills return, I’ve got a couple more soup recipes as promised before spring comes.
BLT Chili http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/blt-chili-cocktails-2009
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb turkey sausage, casings removed (ground chicken/turkey would be fine too!)
- ½ lb diced turkey bacon
- 2 medium onions, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- Two 28-oz cans diced tomatoes (or four 15 oz cans as I’ve not found 28-oz no salt added tomatoes)
- 16-oz can kidney beans, rinse and drain well
- 4 cups water
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Veganaise, chopped onion, jalapeños and hot sauce, for serving
In enameled cast-iron casserole, heat oil. Add sausage and cook over high heat, breaking it up, until browned, ~15 min. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic; cook over med-high heat, stirring, until onion is translucent, 8 min. Add tomato paste and cook for 3 min. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 min. Add tomatoes, beans, and water and cook over med-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, ~1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 4 protein/carb servings (omit beans to omit carbs). Recipe called for the veganaise like mayo on a BLT sandwich. Stirring a dab in is pretty good but totally not necessary. It would add a fat making this ok for L0-1 only.
Where’s the lettuce for this BLT? Garnish with some shredded lettuce! I did find this chili…not “spicy” but overly spiced. Next time, I may decrease the seasonings some and/or will use ground meat. Using turkey sausage (instead of ground) and turkey bacon will increase the fat and sodium of this dish. Bootcampers might want to avoid this until after bootcamp or at least use regular ground meat instead of sausage. We limit consumption of turkey “products” to 2x/week maximum so this is not a chili I make in bulk for many days’ worth of lunches.
Sweet Pea Soup http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/sweet-pea-soup-with-majorero-cream-and-roncal-crisps
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1/3 cup broth
- 3 cups water
- 5 cups frozen peas (25 oz)
- Salt
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Add shallot and thyme and cook over med-low heat until shallot is softened, ~5 min. Add broth and simmer over med-high heat until reduced by half, ~3 min. Add water and all but 1 cup peas and bring to a boil. Add pinch of salt, cover and simmer over med-low heat until peas are tender, ~8 min. Add remaining 1 cup peas and simmer for 1 min, then remove from heat. Discard thyme. Stir in parsley. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender. Strain soup through a coarse sieve set over another medium saucepan. Season soup with salt and keep warm.
Be sure you have a coarse sieve! This recipe became way more labor intensive for me than it should have been. I planned to skip the straining all together but the texture of the soup was kinda creepy so I really recommend the sieve. However, mine was a fine mesh and getting all the soup through (all the while pressing it thru with the back of a spoon) took FOREVER! If you have the right sieve this recipe is a piece of cake with very few ingredients for an all-veggie option to add to meals and snacks. (Do not use for a snack on L4 due to the oil.)
Whether a chill hits you to the bone or the promise of warmer weather gets you craving BLTs, try these recipes the next time soup sounds good. Feast when we hope the weather improves, feast more when the weather actually improves, and as always…FEAST ON!!!
~Coach Lauren
