Yum Soup....

It has been raining for the past couple days almost at a steady rate. I love the rain in the evening and most weekends when I do not have to be out and about. Yesterday I was inspired when I saw some people posting the want/need of soup during the rainy season. I lived on soup as a kid. My grandmother used make it all the time for me with different vegetables. My favorite were pumpkin soup and sweet potato soup. I couldn't get enough of it!


These recipes takes some planning. They were taken from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfelf and adjusted to my own tastes.


Meatball Soup


3 ounces whole wheat pasta shapes (I used bowties because the look so elegant and fancy)
nonstick cooking spray (I finally bought one of those empty cooking spray canisters and now my life is almost complete)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice (mine had basil and it was good)
1/4 cup carrot puree
1 1/2 tsps salt
3 cups reduced-fat low-sodium beef or chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
3 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten (I used egg replacer. They are a bit costly but lasts forever)
1/4 cup nonfat (skim) milk (soy milk here)
2 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 pound lean ground turkey (I used a veggie burger crumbled)
salt to taste


cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. drain in a colander and set aside.
coat a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. when the pot is hot, add the oil and then the onion and garlic. cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned 3 minutes. be careful not to burn the garlic because it will be bitter.
puree the tomatoes and their juice with the carrot puree in a food processor or blender, then add to the pot along with 1/2 tsp salt. add the broth, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered for 10-15 minutes.
meanwhile, put the bread in a large bowl. add the egg, sweet potato puree, milk, parmesan, 1 tsp salt, the pepper and paprika, and let soak until the bread is very soft. stir to break the bread, add the ground turkey, and mix until smooth. form into mini meatballs 1/2 inch in diameter (I didn't. Mine were about 1 inch and were fine).
add the meatballs to the pot. simmer, covered, until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center, 12-15 minutes. stir in the pasta.
salt to taste
serve sprinkled with parmesan.


Banana Bread
nonstick cooking spray
3/4 whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional but yummy)
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups banana puree
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


I dumped everything in my bread machine from wettest to dryest and walked away but you don't have to.


preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. coat a loaf pan or 2 mini pans with cooking spray.
in a bowl or a zipped lock bag, mix the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, if using. set aside
in a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. mix in the egg whites, banana and cauliflower purees, and vanilla. add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
pour the batter into the loaf pan. bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 55-60 minutes for the large loaf, 25-30 minutes for the mini loaves. let cool on a rack for 5 minutes. then turn the bread out of the pan to cool before serving.


OMG SO GOOD I HAD MINE WITH A BIT OF CREAM CHEESE!