Everyday Food - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [18]
1 jalapeño chile, finely chopped (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired), plus more for garnish (optional)
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
3 cans (15½ ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups water, plus more if needed
½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, plus sprigs for garnish (optional)
1 In a large pot, cook ham over medium-high heat until browned on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
2 Reduce heat to medium, and add oil. Cook onion, stirring frequently, until ightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add jalapeño, garlic, cumin, and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant and garlic is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beans and the water; simmer 10 minutes.
3 Remove from heat; stir in cilantro leaves. Using an immersion or regular blender (work in batches so as not to fill jar of blender more than halfway), puree mixture until smooth. Add more water to thin soup, if needed. At this point, soup can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; let cool completely before storing. (Refrigerate ham in a separate container.) Reheat gently before serving.
4 To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Cut ham into ½-inch cubes; sprinkle over soup. Garnish with finely chopped jalapeño and cilantro sprigs, as desired.
PER SERVING: 332 calories; 10.9 grams fat; 22.7 grams protein; 35.9 grams carbohydrates; 9.5 grams fiber
ASIAN CHICKEN SOUP
There’s no need to boil the noodles separately; here, they are cooked in the savory broth that serves as the base of this soup. Look for soba noodles in the Asian-food or pasta section of the grocery store. If you can’t find them, use whole-wheat spaghetti instead.
SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
3 cans (14½ ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, cut into slivers
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
2 cups water
4 ounces soba noodles
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch strips
6 ounces snow peas, stem ends and any strings removed, sliced diagonally into ½-inch pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Coarse salt
1 In a large pot, bring chicken broth, ginger, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and the water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles, and reduce heat to a simmer; cook until noodles are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
2 Add chicken, bell pepper, and snow peas; cook until chicken is opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Add lime juice and scallions, and season with salt. To serve, use tongs to divide noodles among four bowls, then ladle the soup mixture over each.
PER SERVING: 259 calories; 2.3 grams fat; 33.4 grams protein; 27.1 grams carbohydrates; 1.3 grams fiber
QUICK NAVY-BEAN STEW
This flavorful potato, bean, and mushroom stew is ready in less than an hour. You can use other beans, such as black-eyed peas, in place of the navy beans; kale or Swiss chard would be nice substitutions for the spinach leaves.
SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 small red potatoes (10 ounces), scrubbed and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) baby spinach
1 can (15½ ounces) navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar (optional)
1 In a large, deep skillet (or pot), heat oil over medium. Add onion and potatoes; cook until onion is lightly browned, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and thyme; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2 Stir in tomato paste and the water; cover, and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife but not falling apart,