Soup and Sandwiches Archives | Page 6 of 6

Apple Carrot PB Panini

March 2, 2009

If I’m not eating peanut butter by itself with a spoon, it is most likely being used as a dip for my apples and carrot sticks. As I was trying to think of how I would participate in the Great PB Exhibition #5 I was feeling a bit restricted by the topic of sandwiches. I kept coming up with a fun idea and then realized it wasn’t even close to the sandwich category.

Then I thought, why not turn my favorite PB dippers into a sandwich. And why not take it a step further and make it a toasty Panini? This is an all around balanced meal – protein, grain, fruit, veggie and healthy fat all rolled into one.

I left my carrot and apple raw because I wanted the sandwich to have a bit of a crunch. I don’t have a Panini press. I just use two skillets with some foil over the sandwich. The heat makes the bread crisp and warms the peanut butter just enough that it covers the carrot and apple with gooey goodness.

Apple Carrot Peanut Butter Panini

4 to 6 inch piece of baguette (Sub any bread. A whole grain would be nice, but hard to come by here. )
2 Tbsp of natural peanut butter
1 small carrot, shredded
½ of a small apple, diced

Half your baguette, spread a little PB on each side. Top one side with carrots and the other with apple.

Carefully put together and heat in press or skillet for about 2 to 3 minutes each side.

Have you entered yet? The deadline is March 15th at Noon (PST).

Submission:

Click here to submit your recipe online. Alternatively, email “pbe (at) peanutbutterboy (dot) com” with “PBE #5″ as the subject and the following information:

Name

Recipe

Title

Recipe or Recipe Permalink

Prize:

All recipes will be listed but the judges will vote for the Top 3. All 3 winners will receive a winning badge to place on their site but the first place winner will receive the Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, one of the books that was the inspiration for The Peanut Butter Boy.

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetable Chili

October 20, 2008

A few weeks ago I came across a recipe for Fall Vegetable Chili in the October issue of Good Housekeeping. It looked really interesting and I thought I’d give it a try.

Then I started thinking about the different ingredients and some I also had in the fridge so I ended up making some major changes. First, I really wanted to experiment with some pumpkin. I also had some black beans on hand and chopped zucchini leftover from last night.

So this is what I came up with. What makes it a little different than some of the pumpkin chili I’ve come across is that I kept the pumpkin pieces pretty solid. I didn’t want them to be roasted first and turn into mush. I liked the chunky veggies. They gave it a good texture. I also like my chili really spicy.

It made a filling, fall-inspired lunch for my day. It takes a little time with the challenge of chopping up the pumpkin, but it is worth it.

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetable Chili

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cups fresh pumpkin (no seeds or skin), chopped into small pieces
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups zucchini, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2-3 Tbsp. spicy chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
½ cup water
1 ½ cups black beans, pre-soaked and cooked (no canned in these parts, but use them if you have them)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in soup pot, add pumpkin. Cook about 5 minutes. Then add carrot, zucchini, onion and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes more, until veggies begin to brown.

Add chili seasoning, cook an additional minute; add tomatoes and water. Simmer covered for 5 to 10 minutes or until veggies reach desired tenderness.

Using a fork, mash ½ cup of black beans. Add the 1 cup of whole beans and ½ cup mashed beans to the chili. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes more, heating the beans. Salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 4 servings.

I have a question. Anyone out there eat their chili with a scoop of peanut butter?

I used to eat it with a PB sandwich when I was a kid, dipping the sandwich in the chili. I think the habit started because the standard school cafeteria meal on chili day always included a PB sandwich.

As I got older I skipped the bread and just starting putting a spoonful of PB on the side of the bowl and mixing in a bit with each bite. I love it!

Arugula and Sun-dried Tomatoes

October 17, 2008

The combination of arugula and sun-dried tomatoes has become like peanut butter and chocolate to me. Well, okay, not exactly on the same level, but they go really well together.

There is something about the bitterness of the green with the sweet of the tomato that is like a party in your mouth. The combo is huge here in Brazil. You can find it in almost every form – pizza, crepe, sandwiches.

Many sandwich shops make a spread with sun-dried tomatoes and cream cheese. It is one of my favorites so I set out to try and re-create it to could control the amount of cream cheese and enjoy it more often.

I found just a little of the spread with a lot of greens makes it a healthier option. Using whole grain bread would help too, but this time around I stuck with a fresh baguette. I made just a single serving, but you could easily use a whole block of cream cheese and add the desired amount of each ingredient if you are feeding a group or turning it into an appetizer.

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

2-4 tbsp cream cheese, depending on how you want to control kcals and fat
2 tbsp white or yellow onion, chopped
2 large sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss the ingredients in a mini-food processor or use an immersion blender to combine well. If you like a chunkier texture, feel free to leave everything as is and just stir together.

Arugula and Sun-dried Tomato Sandwich

¼ average size baguette, split
1 cup arugula leaves, washed
Sun-dried Tomato Spread

I think you can figure out the instructions from here. Just put the sandwich together and enjoy a great meal that is easy to make with simple, yet powerful flavors. Not to mention that you’ll have a least one serving of dark, leafy greens for the day.

Sweet Potatoes and Coconut

September 15, 2008

Okay, I tried it.

I think I was semi-successful at recreating the soup I had in Ireland, Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup.

Just a few notes. Mine doesn’t have the rich orange color that yours probably will. I had to use sweet potatoes, batata doce, from here in Brazil which have a white flesh and look like this.

I’m looking forward to trying it with sweet potatoes from home when I return around the holidays. The starch from the potatoes makes this a really thick soup so if you like it thinner add more chicken stock. I loved it, but my husband said it was a little too sweet for him.

4 – 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ tsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
4.5 cups chicken stock or broth
½ cup light coconut milk

Heat olive oil in soup pot, add potatoes, onion and carrot. Cook on medium for about 8 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic, butter and sugar; cook about 10 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add cinnamon and stir to coat vegetables, about 30 seconds. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Using an immersion blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. Stir in coconut milk. Garnish with finely shredded coconut, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Less Soup from the Shelf

August 29, 2008

What’s not to like about soup?

For the most part, it is a healthy yet filling meal. Warm, hearty varieties are great for winter days and lighter versions, or even cold soups, are good for the heat of summer.

I used to take soup to the office a lot for lunch. It was always an easy thing to pop in the microwave and you really can’t beat the calorie content – a definite figure-friendly choice.

Yes, I was always aware of the sodium. I chose brands with less, but to tell you the truth I wasn’t all that concerned. Only a small part of the population is considered sodium-sensitive where excess intake leads to high blood pressure. I was always cautious of my sodium intake from other sources on the days I ate it.

Well, when I took on the challenge of reducing fake and processed foods my convenient soup had to go.

There are still times that I gaze around the soup aisle at all the different flavors, but I know those varieties are full of preservatives, and of course sodium, that my body doesn’t really need.

So my interest has moved to making different varieties of soup that don’t take all day. So far so good, but I’m always looking for unique recipes. One can only take so much vegetable and chicken noodle. Actually, I rarely make those.

I’ve been eating a lot of soup during my time in Ireland. It is often the cheapest thing on the menu (always on a budget) and it warms you up on the cool and rainy days. Not to mention it is served with some amazing brown bread loaded with grains.

Many of the soups here are pureed which gives it a much heavier texture. I really like it, but it does take some creativity to thicken it without using too much cream.

One of my favorites has been this Sweet Potato Coconut soup.

I’m thinking I can easily recreate it from the Butternut Squash soup recipe I shared a while back. Substitute sweet potatoes for the squash and add just a touch of coconut milk for flavor.

Do you have a resource for great soup recipes? If so, definitely let me know.

Newer Posts

Soup and Sandwiches

Apple Carrot PB Panini

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetable Chili

Arugula and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Sweet Potatoes and Coconut

Less Soup from the Shelf

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