Tag Archives: basil

Creamy Tomato Soup

There was a time years ago when people found comfort in a can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup. It was all they knew: a creamy, warm meal that flowed smoothly down their throats, and straight to their hearts. Often, the soup was rounded out with the addition of a grilled cheese sandwich. A simple comfort yes, but it was cheap and it was good.

Little did those people know, they were missing out big time.

The real appeal of canned soup is its convenience; it’s quick, easy, and tasty. All you’ve got to do is pop open a lid and heat it up. But did you know how incredibly easy homemade Creamy Tomato Soup is? All you need is a handful of ingredients to create fresh, flavorful soup in next to no time. You can have this meal on the table in ten minutes, or you can cook it then let it sit over low-heat and eat when you’re ready. It’s a perfect weeknight dinner because it takes so little effort. You practically just pile the ingredients into a pot and call it a day. Let’s be honest; after a long, hard day, you need something hearty and replenishing that won’t diminish whatever small bit of energy you have left to make.

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Sweet & Simple: Basil Garlic Bread

Garlic is a beautiful thing. It’s flavor is so fantastic and so powerful. And yet, garlic is also universally complimentary of a plethora of foods. That’s one brilliant bulb. But garlic is in danger, my little cookies. It’s being exploited, overworked, and depreciated. We use garlic all the time, but hardly give it its place in the spotlight that is deserves. Basically, we’ve been putting garlic in things just for the sake of putting it in. Don’t get me wrong, most dishes are bettered by the addition of garlic. But sometimes, we need to step back and remember why garlic is such a wonderful herb/vegetable/spice in the first place.

Garlic bread is a fabulous way to showcase that. I’m not talking about that crap you get in the frozen section of your grocery store; I’m talking about the stuff you make fresh at home that is practically just as easy as throwing some frozen slices onto a baking sheet and tossing it in the toaster. There are a few simple steps and an itty-bitty ingredient list. The results that this quick and easy recipe yields are unbelievably delicious and packing tons of garlic impact. You won’t believe how this simple homemade bread can be some of the best you’ve ever had. Olive garden breadsticks, step aside.

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Healthy Cookie: Ricotta & Basil Stuffed Omelet (125 Calories!)

Today, we must discuss these two words: cheese-stuffed. You can never go wrong with a cheese-stuffed food. Um, hello: Stuffed shells, calzones, grilled cheese sandwiches, ravioli & tortellini, mozzarella sticks, and need I say, stuffed crust pizza? When you stuff something with cheese, you essentially stuff it with awesomeness. The addition of cheese elevates almost any dish.

This omelet is no exception. Let’s just take a moment to appreciate the amount of cheese oozing out of the center of this egg:

Yeah. And that omelet, my little cookies, is one-hundred-and-twenty-five-freakin-calories. It’s so substantial and full of creamy cheesy goodness that you’re not going to believe it. Well, feel free to calculate the cals yourself if you don’t believe me. As I told you before when discussing my 205-calorie Cheesy Breakfast Pizza, I don’t joke around about this stuff!

So if you’re looking for a satisfying breakfast/dinner/brunch that will fill you up with happiness rather than guilt, this omelet’s for you. With a fresh basil flavor complimented by a nice saltiness and a kick from the red pepper flakes, this cheese-stuffed egg is not only good for you; it’s just plain good.

A few tips before you get cooking:

  1. If you want, you can make a full-fat, full-calories version of this and not only would it be AMAZING, but it would still be pretty good for you and relatively low-cal. Replace the fat-free ricotta with regular ricotta, add a tablespoon of shredded mozzarella to the filling, and use regular eggs if you want. It’s that simple.
  2. Pesky must-have-meat eaters in your life? Serve with sausage, prosciutto, or chicken.
  3. Yeah…I was a bad girl again. I used basil paste instead of fresh. DON’T DO THAT. Fresh tastes so much better. See, I thought we had fresh basil, but my sneaky mother throws things out when I’m not looking…(hence why it’s garnished with fresh parsley instead of basil).

Ricotta & Basil Stuffed Omelet

Recipe by Colleen Bierstine

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
  • 1/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tsp. fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • dash of onion powder
  • red pepper flakes, to taste (a little goes a LONG way)
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring a small round pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to medium-low heat. Pour egg substitute into pan and allow eggs to form to the shape of pan. When the edges start to firm up and the bottom is browned to your liking, carefully flip the egg.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, basil, garlic, parmesan, onion powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and pepper with a spoon or rubber spatula until well-combined.
  3. Once you’ve flipped the egg and both sides are cooked, evenly spread the ricotta mixture directly onto the cooked egg in the pan. The mixture will become easier to spread as it heats.
  4. Turn off the heat but keep pan on warm burner. With a spatula, carefully fold the omelet in half, sandwiching the cheese in between (like a taco). When the cheese is melted to your liking and the egg is fully cooked, use a spatula to transfer the omelet to a plate.
  5. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and garnish with more fresh basil or parsley if desired.

Yay cheese!