Showing posts with label zucchini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zucchini. Show all posts

Monday 28 December 2015

Recipes for Making Minestrone, Chicken Noddle Soup and vegetarian pistou

The recipes here are for the preparation of minestrone, chicken noodle soup and vegetarian pistou. These quick and easy recipes give soups that have low fat content.

Recipe for Minestrone

Ingredients

* 25ml of olive pure oil
* 1 large onion
* 125ml of chopped celery
* 1 garlic clove
* 840g of tin tomatoes
* 1 bay leaf
* 250ml of tubettini or any other good pasta
* 125ml of chopped carrot
* 520g of red kidney beans
* 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
* 125ml of chopped green pepper
* 1.25L of chicken stock
* 1/2 teaspoon of salt
* 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
* 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper
* 500ml of sliced fresh spinach
* Grated parmesan cheese

Procedure

- Slice the onion and garlic to very small sizes
- Put the olive oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat
- Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and green pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes in order for the contents to tender
- Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, salt, basil, bay leaf, ground pepper and thyme. Stir and allow to boil.
- Reduce the heat and uncover the saucepan. Then simmer for about ten minutes.
- Increase the heat and allow the soup to boil. Add the tubettini and cook for about 10 minutes for the pasta to become tender but firm.
- Add the beans, spinach and parsley while stirrings. Remove the bay leave. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on the soup and serve immediately.

View picture of a dish of prepared minestrone in order to have an idea of its appearance.

 Recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients 

* 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
* 1 celery stalk
* 1 carrot
* 1.5L of chicken stock
* 2 green onions
* 250ml of frozen peas
* 370ml of medium egg noodles
* 50ml of chopped fresh parsley
* 1 chicken breast

Procedure

- Chop the onions, carrot and celery stalk into small sizes
- Cut the chicken breast into 1cm cubes
- Put the vegetable oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot and celery stalk. Cook for about 5 minutes
- Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes while stirring continuously.
- Add the chicken stalk and allow to boil. Add the egg noodles and cook for about 6 minutes for the vegetable and noodles to become tender
- Add the parsley and peas, and cook for about 5 minutes
- Season the soup with the pepper, add salt to taste and then serve

View picture of a prepared chicken noodle soup and see how it looks like.


Recipe for vegetarian pistou

 Ingredients (First Set)

* 15ml of olive oil
* 1 small zucchini, halved and sliced
* 540ml of tin tomatoes
* 120g of green beans, cut into 2.5cm pieces
* 3 garlic cloves, cut into very small sizes
* 1L of chicken stock
* 1 onion, chopped into small sizes
* 250ml of tubetti
* 1 celery stalk, chopped into small pieces

Ingredients (Second Set)

* 50ml of olive oil
* 120ml of chopped fresh basil leaves
* 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
* 2 garlic cloves, cut into very small pieces

Procedure

- Using the first set of ingredients, put the 15ml of olive oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat
- Add the garlic, onion and celery, and then cook for 5 minutes
- Add the zucchini and green beans, and then stir. Add the tomatoes and break up the lumps formed by using the back of the spoon used for stirring
- Pour in the chicken stock and allow to boil. Add the tubetti and cook for 10 minutes. This gives the soup.
- Using the second set of ingredients, put the olive oil, basil and parmesan cheese in a blender. Blend them together to obtain a smooth mixture. Add the garlic and stir. This gives the pistou.
- Put 1 teaspoon of the pistou on a bowl of the soup each time it is to be served.

View picture of a dish of vegetarian pistou in order to know how it looks like.

Get more on recipes for making roasted red pepper dip, garlic crostini and marinated mushrooms.

What do you think about these recipes? Let me know your views and suggestions through the comment box below. Your comments would be highly appreciated. 

Monday 14 December 2015

Recipes for Making Grilled Ratatouille, Mediterranean Dip and Rice Croquettes

These recipes are quick and easy low fat recipes for making grilled ratatouille, Mediterranean dip and rice croquettes. Making these appetizers and hors d'oeuvres is easy because of the step by step guide provided.

Recipe for Grilled Ratatouille

Ingredients


* 120ml of olive oil
* 50ml of red wine vinegar
* 3 garlic cloves
* 80ml of roasted red pepper
* 100ml of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
* 2 small zucchini
* 1 whole yellow pepper
* 1 egg plant
* 220g of mushroom that is properly cleaned
* 1 red onion
* 1 fresh tomato

Procedure


- Cut the garlic gloves into very small sizes, and chop the sun-dried tomatoes
- Cut the fresh tomato into small cubes
- Cut the egg plant, zucchini and red onion into 1cm slices.
-  Put the olive oil, vinegar and garlic into a small bowl and whisk them together. Set aside one-third of this mixture for marinade
- Put the two-third mixture from the step above into a large bowl and add the red pepper, fresh tomato and sun-dried tomatoes. Gently mix them together
- Put the egg plant and zucchini slices on a moderately preheated grill, and grill for about 5 minutes, while frequently brushing with a little of the set aside marinade
- Remove from the grill, cut the egg plant into smaller sizes and add both the eggplant and zucchini slices into the red pepper mixture above
- Put the yellow pepper on the grill and grill each side for about 5 minutes to make its skin to become black. Put it into a small bowl and cover it tightly with polythene material
- Grill the onion slices and mushrooms for about 10 minutes while regularly turning and brushing with the set aside marinade
- Remove from the grill, cut the onion slices into smaller sizes, and add both the mushroom and onion slices into the red pepper mixture
- Peel, seed and cut the yellow pepper into small cubes, and then add into the red pepper mixture
- Gently mix together every content of the red pepper mixture and allow to cool to room temperature
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve this grilled ratatouille with bread.

View a picture of a prepared grilled ratatouille to know how it looks like.

Recipe for Mediterranean Dip

 

Ingredients 


* 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
* 220g of solid light tuna
* 120ml of pitted ripe olives
* 2 green peppers
* 120ml of stuffed manzanilla olives
* 500ml of mushrooms
* 310ml of roasted red pepper
* 100g of tomato sauce
* A pinch of ground cinnamon
* 120ml of chili sauce
* 2 bay leaves
* 120ml of white vinegar

Procedure 


- Drain out the liquid in the light tuna and cut it into flakes
- Remove any liquid or seed from the roasted red pepper and cut into slices
- Cut the ripe olives and the manzanilla olives into slices
- Chop the green peppers into small sizes
- Cut the mushrooms into small sizes
- Heat the vegetable oil in a sauce pan, add the green peppers and mushrooms, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes for the mixture to become soft
- Add the roasted red pepper, tuna, olives, chili sauce, bay leaves, tomato sauce, vinegar and cinnamon. Mix them together and allow to boil
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes for all the vegetables to become tender and the mixture to become thick
- Remove the bay leaves, cool and serve with bread, crackers or other types of crisps.
- This Mediterranean dip can be preserved in the refrigerator for up to a week

View a picture of a dish of Mediterranean dip to know it appearance.

Recipe for Rice Croquettes

Ingredients 


* 1 litre of chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons of butter
* 400ml of Italian style Arborio rice
* 75ml of grated parmesan cheese
* 115g of mozzarella cheese
* 375ml of Italian style bread crumbs
* 1 egg yolk, beaten
* 2 eggs, beaten
* Vegetable oil

Procedure


- Cut the mozzarella cheese into 25 cubes, each of sides 1cm, ( i.e. 1cm x 1cm x 1cm )
- Put the chicken stock in a saucepan and simmer it
- Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the butter to melt it, and then add the rice and stir
- Gradually add the chicken stock to the rice, while stirring continuously. The chicken stock should be well absorbed by the rice as it is gradually added to the rice.
- Add the parmesan cheese, stir and allow to cool. Add the beaten egg yolk and stir
- From the mixture formed, mould out 25 balls
- Push each cube of the mozzarella cheese into each ball and smooth the ball to properly cover the cheese
- Roll each ball in the beaten 2 eggs and then roll in the bread crumbs
- Put the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan and heat over medium-high heat
- Fry the rice croquettes in batches. Each croquette should last for about 50 seconds per side
- Use a paper towel to absorb the excess oil on the croquette after frying.

View a picture of a dish of rice croquettes to compare with yours.
 Get more on recipes for making minestrone, chicken noodle soup and vegetarian pistou.

What do you think about these recipes? Let me know your views and suggestions through the comment box below. Your comments would be highly appreciated.