Lentil Soup with Sausage, Brown Rice, and Spinach: Things Are Looking Up

Today on Serious Eats: Swiss Chard and Turkey Sausage Over Polenta. So simple. So seductive delicious.

Painful things I have done recently (SPOILER ALERT):

Dislocated and/or broke my left pinky toe on a door frame. That’ll teach me to ... uh ... walk.  

Read the entire Lord of the Rings series. Fellow nerds! Hear my call! Why did no one tell me the books were butt-awful? Sweet bejeezus, Tolkien dedicated entire CHAPTERS to whether Frodo and Sam should take a left at the scary-looking rock, and exactly two pages on the death of Gollum, destruction of the ring, and collapse of Mordor. By the ancient sword of Elendil, Charles *freaking* Dickens would been like, “This needs fewer words, old chap.” 

Admitted my English degree has been fairly useless. With apologies to the Bronte sisters, Jane Eyre does not prepare you for the intricacies of expense reports. 

Watched Precious. “Hm,” I thought halfway through the film, “The only thing that could possibly make this more depressing is if they gave Precious AIDS.” (ten seconds pass) “Aaaaand there you go.” 

Threw out my old music cassette tapes. Oh, man. Here’s something they don’t tell you when you move: Carrying 90 boxes up a flight of stairs isn’t the hardest part. It’s chucking beloved, but outdated and useless possessions, like Open Up and Say ... Ahh!, the 1988 multiplatinum classic from Poison. Every rose has it’s thorn, indeed.

A very enjoyable thing I did recently: 

Ate Double Lentil, Sausage, Brown Rice, and Spinach Soup from the stupendous Kalyn’s Kitchen. Speaking of which, Kalyn just published her Top 10 Recipes of 2010, which you should gaze upon immediately.

HOTUS and I had guests for the first time at our new apartment. As it turns out, it’s impolite to starve company, so thus, the soup. And it tasted good. Real good. So good, there was slurping. From guests! Even my sister liked it, and she hates food.

I made two medium-sized changes to Kalyn’s original recipe: I substituted water in for part of the chicken broth, and used a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for Spike Seasoning, which I couldn’t find in Brooklyn. Also of note: Kalyn and I both used a 3.5-quart slow cooker. If you don’t own one, she includes instructions to adapt the recipe for the stovetop at Kalyn’s Kitchen. (They’re not included here).

A wonderful thing I have recommenced recently: 

Blogging. It's good to be back, sweet readers.

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If this recipe floats your boaty, these will surely make you gloaty. (Sorry.):

• Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
• Slow Cooker Pork Chops, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes
• White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage

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Double Lentil, Sausage, Brown Rice, and Spinach Soup
Serves 6.
Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen.

1/2 medium onion, diced small
1 carrot, peeled and diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
A few shakes each: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, paprika
3 links pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage, chopped into 1/3-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can petite dice tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken broth
2-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup brown or green lentils
1/4 cup red lentils
1/4 cup long-grain brown rice
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1) Heat olive in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Saute until ever-so-slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Saute an additional 2 minutes.

2) Pour onion mixture into crockpot. Add sausage, tomatoes, broth, water, and all lentils. Stir to combine. Cook on high 3 hours.

3) Add rice and spinach. Stir to combine. Cook 1 more hour.

4) Add balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Cook 15 minutes. Serve, with crusty bread and “Parmesan cheese if desired.”

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
226 calories, 7.8 g fat, 7.3 g fiber, 15.5 g protein, $1.72

Note: Calculations are for Chef Bruce Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage from CostCo., since the numbers were easily available online. I personally used a different, yet similar brand, the label of which I can't remember, and is currently buried under two feet of garbage.

Calculations
1/2 medium onion, diced small: 23 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.8 g fiber, 0.5 g protein, $0.17
1 carrot, peeled and diced small: 25 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.7 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.08
2 stalks celery, diced small: 17 calories, 0.2 g fat, 2 g fiber, 0.9 g protein, $0.25
1 tablespoon olive oil: 199 calories, 13.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.13
3 cloves garlic, minced: 13 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.6 g protein, $0.20
1 teaspoon dried thyme: 3 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.4 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.12
A few shakes each: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, paprika: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.03
3 links pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage: 480 calories, 30 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 42 g protein, $4.34
1 (15-ounce) can petite dice tomatoes, undrained: 70 calories, 0 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, 3.5 g protein, $1.69 (ugh, I know)
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken broth: 67 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 13.1 g protein, $1.33
2-1/2 cups water: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.00
1/4 cup brown or green lentils: 119 calories, 0.5 g fat, 14.7 g fiber, 12.4 g protein, $0.37
1/4 cup red lentils: 119 calories, 0.5 g fat, 14.7 g fiber, 12.4 g protein, $0.37
1/4 cup long-grain brown rice: 171 calories, 1.3 g fat, 1.6 g fiber, 3.7 g protein, $0.18
4 cups chopped fresh spinach: 28 calories, 0.5 g fat, 2.6 g fiber, 3.4 g protein, $0.86
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar: 20 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.20
TOTALS: 1354 calories, 46.8 g fat, 43.7 g fiber, 93.2 g protein, $10.32
PER SERVING (TOTALS/6): 226 calories, 7.8 g fat, 7.3 g fiber, 15.5 g protein, $1.72

Veggie Might: Have a Bubbly New Year!

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Gentle readers, I’ve missed you so. Hope you had a happy and delicious New Year celebration. Mine was on the down-low this year; CB and I were still shaking off scoundrelly colds that had already derailed his Christmas plans, and I was too tired to do much more than sit on my couch with a few friends.

However, I still wanted the evening to be celebratory and festive, even if we were just ordering takeout and playing board games. I asked my guests to bring dessert, and I provided the beverages. Since I don’t drink alcohol due to health issues, I am always trying to come up with fun alternatives to hootch.

On New Year’s Eves of yore, my beverage of choice was always champagne. I love sparkly, fizzy drinks: pop, sparkling water, effervescent cold medicine. Though I never tire of a seltzer with a twist, I wanted something special and unexpected on New Year’s Eve.

Bubble tea! While only metaphorically bubbly, bubble tea has the sparkle I wanted for my party and the bonus attributes of being relatively healthy, beyond easy, and incredibly inexpensive to make.

Bubble tea requires two special ingredients: the bubbles, which are black tapioca pearls or boba in Taiwanese, and wide straws that allow the pearls passage from glass to mouth.

I had my first bubble tea about five years ago with a friend. Bubble tea was at its peak trendiness, and I was convinced I would hate it, despite the fact that tea and seltzer consumption are on par. All the tea and coffee shops advertised the candy-colored drinks with fruity flavors that did not appeal to me and my fruit/milk hating taste buds.

Turns out, bubble tea comes in regular tea flavors, like standard black and green tea, as well as fruit concoctions like lychee, coconut, and mango. The gummy tapioca pearls live at the bottom of the cup and are sucked up through a fat straw along with the tea, which is usually sweetened and served cold with milk.

If you’re someone who loves Gummi bears or Swedish fish, bubble tea is likely right up your street. The texture of the tapioca evokes a love-it or leave-it reaction in most folks. I’m the exception to the rule, never having been a fan of gelatinous candies. But there is something weird and wonderful about bubble tea that has kept me coming back. Maybe it’s the fun straw.

At $4 a pop, I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to put bubble tea to the DIY test, especially because it’s as simple to make as boiling water and stirring. Wait. I forgot the pouring. The hardest part was finding the tapioca pearls and straws, and even that was fairly easy. My go-to market in Koreatown had neither, so I had to try another store. But before I could make it to Chinatown, I happened by an outpost an Asian convenience store chain.

Five minutes later, I walked out with a 9 ounce bag of tapioca pearls and a package of 50 bubble tea straws for $2 each: the makings of a party for the cost of one tea-shop drink. If you don’t have an Asian market in your area, bubble tea components are just a few clicks away via the Marvelous Internet Machine.

The bubble tea was a hit on New Year’s Eve. I made the tea ahead of time so it could chill in the fridge, and then cooked the tapioca a few minutes before I served the drinks. The instructions on the package say to serve immediately, and I’ve since learned that they get sticky and hard if left to sit too long.

The recipe below is more of a guideline than a strict formula. Make tea you like to drink, add as much or as little milk and sweetener as you wish, and pour over a few tablespoons of tapioca pearls―whatever you like; it’s your party.

Gentle readers, I raise my glass in toast to an abundant, healthy, and sparkling new year. More whimsical beverages in 2011!

~~~~

If you fancied this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Make Your Own Almond Milk
• Masala Chai of Gratitude
• Vegetarian Virgin Marys

~~~

Jasmine Bubble Tea
Yields 64 ounces/Serves 8

48 ounces water (6 cups)
4 tablespoons jasmine green tea, loose (or 6 tea bags)
16 ounces (2 cups) almond milk
6 tablespoons agave nectar (or more to taste)

32 ounces (4 cups) water
3 ounces (1/2 cup) tapioca pearls

1) Bring 48 ounces (6 cups) water to a boil in a tea kettle or large sauce pan. Pour boiling water over loose tea or tea bags in a tea pot or add tea to saucepan. Allow to steep for 3–5 minutes, but no longer. Green tea gets bitter quickly. Strain tea leaves or remove tea bags and pour tea into a serving pitcher. (If you’re using glass, take care that the glass is tempered for hot beverages. If you’re unsure, allow tea to cool before pouring into serving pitcher.)

2) Add sweetener and nondairy milk to tea and stir well. Chill for at least an hour; two hours is ideal.

3) When you’re just about ready to serve, bring to a boil 32 ounces water (4 cups) in a medium sauce pan. Slowly add tapioca pearls, stirring gently. After a few minutes, the pearls will become plump and begin to float to the top of the water. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes or until all the pearls are floating on the top of the water.

4) Remove lid and carefully scoop out the tapioca pearls with a slotted spoon or wire mesh strainer. If you’re serving cold tea, run the pearls under cold tap water to chill.

5) Divide cooked pearls evenly among the glasses and pour tea over them. It’s best not to add the tapioca pearls to the tea pitcher; they will sink to the bottom, only to be retrieved with a long spoon or tongs. Serve with fat straws and whimsy.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
95 calories, .75g fat, .25g fiber, .25g protein, $.36

Calculations
4 tablespoons jasmine green tea: 16 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.28
2 1/2 cups almond milk: 80 calories, 6g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, $1.00
6 tablespoons agave nectar: 360 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.96
3 ounces tapioca pearls: 300 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.66
TOTALS: 756 calories, 6g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, $2.90
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 95 calories, .75g fat, .25g fiber, .25g protein, $.36

Guest Post: Four Key Ingredients to Eat Well and Frugally at Home

Vincent Scordo is the proprietor of Scordo.com, a fabulous blog about Italian American cooking. Check out his Pasta Challenge, which is more than sufficiently awesome.

As I've said in the past, eating out/ordering in is a colossal waste of money, and beyond the occasional breakdown or special night out I tend not to reach for the Chinese take out menu or make reservations at our local restaurant. My other rationale for not eating out is that I simply will not get the same quality food at 95 percent of the restaurants in our immediate area (including New York City). I'm not a trained Chef, but outside some extraordinary restaurants in New York, I'll take a simple meal prepared at home, with high quality ingredients, over a mediocre restaurant experience. Eating well at home is not rocket science, and moreover, you don't always need to purchase exotic ingredients to make tasty dishes. (The ingredients need to be high quality, but they shouldn't break the bank).

Here are 4 ingredients that can help you eat cheap and well for as long as our recession lasts:


From Flickr's
Minimalist Photography



1. Eggs

Eggs are a terrific source of protein and can be prepared in a variety of ways. My two "go-to" recipes for eggs include the basic onion and potato frittata and the cheese omelet. I often have eggs for dinner, but aim to keep my egg consumption to 1-2X per week. Also, I've gone back and forth on using organic/free range vs your typical Omega 3 fortified, Eggland, eggs and to be perfectly blunt there isn't much difference taste-wise. (Eggs taste best fresh so only buy what you're going to consume.)

2. Tuna in Olive Oil
I always keep between 3-4 cans of Italian tuna in olive oil stocked in my kitchen. My ideal tuna sandwich consists of one can of tuna (do not discard the oil!) with salt and pepper on toasted whole wheat bread. You can also add some fresh parsley and a few slices of tomatoes if they're in season. (Try it without the mayonnaise, I swear you'll like it.)

3. Pasta and Rice
My pasta and rice arsenal includes: thin linguine, angel hair or capellini, linguine, rigatoni, penne rigate, pastine, soba noodles, arborio rice for risotto, Carolina rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, and whole wheat couscous. Having the aforementioned pasta and rice on hand at all times gives you limitless possibilities, including: linguine with olive oil, parsley, and garlic, baked rigatoni with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, soba noodles stir fried with green peppers, chicken breast, and onion, brown rice with ginger, cilantro, and cracked black pepper, couscous with feta, red onion, cucumber, and olive oil, etc.

4. Whole Chicken
Buying a whole, free range, chicken is the equivalent to getting the deal of a lifetime. A whole chicken gets you two types of meat (dark and white) as well various parts which translate into various types of dishes. I purchase a whole, free range, chicken every other week and butcher the chicken according to my preferences. If I'm interested in making a whole roasted chicken, I'll simply leave the bird as is and make a rub mixture with lemon zest, salt and pepper, rosemary, and olive oil. If I have a little more time on my hands I'll butcher the bird into nine pieces and freeze the parts for various dishes throughout the week, including: braised chicken thighs with fresh mint, breaded and baked drumsticks and wings, thinly pounded chicken breast with shitake mushrooms and sherry wine, etc.

~~~

If you like this article, check out:

• The 10 Cheapest, Healthiest Foods Money Can Buy
• 10 Ways to Eat Less Meat
• Touch of Class: 10 Thrifty, Healthy Ingredients to Improve the Quality of Your Meals

Ask the Internet: How Are You Changing Your Eating Habits?

Sweet readers! How have you been? We're slowly approaching full-swing mode here at CHG, and should resume our regularly scheduled program soon. (As it turns out, new marriage + new pet + new job as Food Editor of Grandparents.com + new apartment + holidays in three different, non-adjacent states = not conducive to blogging.)



From Flickr's Mike_Fleming



In the meantime, I'd love to hear from you on this lovely question:

Q: How are you changing your eating habits for 2011? Will you be cooking more? Buying less processed food? Going on an Monte Cristo binge for the entire month of February? (*coughs* *raises hand*) Do tell.

A: Personally, the year will begin with a massive effort to re-normalize my relationship with food. My all-cake diet will come to an end. I'll resume eating vegetables again. The bajillion dollars I've been blowing on office lunches will dwindle down to zip.

After that ... I'm not sure. Maybe I'll try some crazy bean recipes? Or work with the slow cooker a bit more often? Or just drink. That works.

How about you guys? The comment section, she is open.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

Welcome to CHG: A Quick Overview

Note to longtime readers: We'll be assuming our regular posting schedule very soon. Hope you're having a wonderful New Year.

With the dawn of 2011, there’s been a pretty neat uptick in traffic here at Cheap Healthy Good. If you’re visiting the blog for the first time, welcome! We’re so happy to have you. Bathroom’s on the left. If you’re a longtime reader, we love you! We’re not kidding. It's a little scary.

To get an idea of what CHG is all about, our FAQ and mission statement are good places to begin. To go a little deeper, these six posts give a pretty solid overview of what we do here:

1. Spend Less, Eat Healthier: The Five Most Important Things You Can Do
2. Dr. Veg-Love, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Seasonal Produce
3. The Circular Game: Decoding Your Supermarket Weekly
4. How to Tell if a Recipe is Cheap and Healthy Just by Looking at it
5. Weekly Menu Planning for Singles, Couples, and Working People
6. Relax, Frugal Eater: A Measured Approach to Lifestyle Changes

Our master article directory of over 150 similar pieces can be found here. We also post one or two frugal, healthy, and delicious recipes per week, which are compiled here. There are over 400 right now, and we’re always adding to the list. Here are ten fairly simple favorites to get you started:

• Asparagus, Mushroom, and Parmesan Frittata
• Baked Apples
• Egg Drop Soup
• Honey-glazed Roasted Carrots
• Indonesian Curried Bean Stew
• Light(er) Macaroni and Cheese
• Pumpkin Orzo with Sage
• Roast Chicken with Two Lemons
• Sweet Lassi
• Wacky (Chocolate) Cake

Hope you’re enjoying the blog so far. We’d love to hear from you if you have suggestions, and best of luck with your resolutions!