Meatless Mondays: Asparagus, Broccoli, and Spinach Soup

A very long time ago, while watching Rachael Ray, I heard her say to save the woody ends of asparagus instead of throwing them away because they can be made into soups. I remembered this little tip while I was making Marinated Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Hearts of Palm the other day.

I scoured the internet looking for recipes for asparagus soup using the leftover parts of asparagus, but every singe recipe called for whole asparagus.

 I decided to go for it anyway and threw in spinach and broccoli because I had those on hand and knew it would bulk up the nutritional value and flavor of the soup. I used vegetable soup as the base but used a little half and half to make it more velvety and creamy. Shredded parmesan cheese added in at the end made the soup richer. This soup is uber healthy and chock full of veggies. I hope you'll give a try the next time you have asparagus ends and if you do, please let me know what you think!

Asparagus, Broccoli, and Spinach Soup
An Ashley's Cooking Adventures Original
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 pound of the leftover woody ends of asparagus
1 cup spinach (frozen or fresh)
1 cup broccoli (frozen or fresh)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup halt and half
2 tablespoons garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Directions
In a dutch oven or large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a slow boil. Add the asparagus and broccoli to the pot and cook for about five minutes. Add in the spinach and cook two minutes more. Stir in the garlic. Take the pot off the heat and with a hand blender, slowly begin to puree the vegetables until only a few small chunks remain (or to your desired consistency).

Add in the lemon juice and half and half. Stir in Parmesan cheese until combined, then season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and sour cream if desired (this was my hubby's touch). 

Lightened Up Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana

Whew! This recipe's gotta have the longest title of any of my posts! Regardless of the extra wordy title, this is one filling and pleasing dinner. Chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and ricotta, rolled in breadcrumbs and topped with marina sauce and mozzarella cheese. I modified the original recipe from Gina's Skinny Taste because I only had two chicken breasts, perfect for hubby and I.

I don't know how this recipe only has 7 grams of fat and less than 200 calories per serving, but you won't feel like you are eating "light". This chicken dish is loaded with flavor and is a wonderful variation of your standard chicken parmesan. 

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana
Serves 2 - for 8 servings go to Gina's original recipe!
Printable Version


Ingredients
2 chicken breasts - flattened with meat tenderizer
1/4 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
2 ounces frozen spinach, squeezed dry of any liquid
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 slices skim mozzarella 
Cooking spray
1/2 cup marinara sauce
salt and pepper to taste


Directions
Wash and dry chicken and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese in one bowl and the 2 egg whites in another shallow bowl. Place the remaining parmesan in a bowl and combine with spinach and ricotta cheese. 

Lay the chidken on a working surface and spread 2 tablespoons of spinach-cheese mixture on each cutlet.

Loosely roll each on and keep seam side down. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs and place seam side down in the baking dish. 

When finished lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven and top with marinara sauce.

Lay a slice of cheese on top of each piece of chicken. Bake until cheese is melty and bubbling, about 3 more minutes. 

Marinated Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Hearts of Palm

It's been a while since I first saw this beautiful dish on Elizabeth's Blog, Dutch Oven, and bookmarked it. I had to wait for asparagus season and now that's in full swing here in Virginia, I decided to finally make this marinated veggie dish. It was very fresh and the combination of tomatoes, hearts of palm, and asparagus made it very light and refreshing. It's an excellent summer side dish or vegetarian dinner! 

Marinated Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Hearts of Palm
As seen on Dutch Oven, From Pioneer Woman
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus
1 can (14 oz) hearts of palm, drained and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup sugar

Directions
Steam asparagus until tender crisp (about 12 minutes). Allow to cool. Meanwhile, combine oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, and soy sauce. 

Place cooled asparagus, hearts of palm, and tomatoes in a large plastic bag. Pour sauce over veggies. Refrigerate for 8 hours and serve. 

Oreo Cupcakes

I made these incredible Oreo Cupcakes from Beantown Baker for my good friend Cheryl's birthday yesterday. Although the cupcakes required much more time and work than your average cupcake, they were so worth it!

 Everyone seemed to really like them, especially the birthday girl! My favorite part was the Oreo on the bottom of the cupcake but the chunks of Oreo in the cupcake and the cream cheese frosting topped with more Oreos were also so yummy! 

After pulling these impressive babies off I am definitely feeling more confident of my baking skills. Make them the next time you need cupcakes, they are impressive and delicious! They will definitely be the star of any party!

Oreo Cupcakes
From Beantown Baker
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 sick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used my homemade vanilla extract)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 package Oreo Cookies (45 cookies)


Directions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Insert cupcake liners into cupcake pan. Twist apart 24 Oreos, being careful not to break them. Place the side of the cookie with the filling on it in the bottom of each paper liner, filling side up. 

Crush the remaining sides of the Oreos and set aside. Take twelve more Oreos and cut them in half. Save them to place on top of the cupcakes. 

Cut the remaining Oreos and cut into quarters with a sharp knife. In a large bowl cream the butter until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and mix to combine. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in sugar. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat for 30 seconds. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites. Beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the quartered cookies. 

Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan. 

Frosting
8 oz cream cheese at room temp
1 stick butter at room temp
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with cream cheese frosting.
 Sprinkle with crushed Oreos and place one half of an Oreo on the top of each cupcake. 

Store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Eat within one day!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

In honor of Cinco de Mayo I decided to share my favorite Mexican inspired dishes. Looking back at these dishes make my stomach growl. I could eat Mexican just about every day, I absolutely love the flavors - cilantro, black beans, avocado, tomatoes...are you hungry yet?

Hope you are enjoying your 5th of May!

Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

Grilled Fish Tacos

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Huevos Rancheros

Salsa Two Ways