My kids finally wore me down: I just put a deposit on a Golden Doodle puppy. We spent yesterday driving 85 miles each way to the breeder’s farm, to see the puppies and put our name on the waiting list for the next litter. Meantime, we got home from our puppy excursion at 4:30pm, and I hadn’t thought about dinner. The kids were hungry, and I didn’t want to feed them restaurant or frozen food. I cut up a few pink lady apples, sent them outside to jump on the tramp, and told them dinner would be ready at 5. Then I thought: soup! Here is how I got a totally healthy and kid-pleasing dinner on the table in about 20 minutes (thanks, Terri, for the recipe concept).
1. Quick-chopped 2 small onions, 1 carrot, 2 ribs of celery, 1 red pepper, 4 garlic cloves. Sauteed in 1 T olive oil, 1 T butter for about 5 minutes. Added 2-3 cups of water, 1 can finely diced tomatoes, simmered till all soft. Used immersion blender to puree.
2. Added 3 cans of black beans (1 had chili peppers already in it), 1 T cumin, some garlic powder, salt and pepper. All to taste. Simmered it all another 10 minutes. Zapped it a bit longer with the blender. Added a little water as necessary. Dumped in 1 c. of frozen corn, stirred it in. Done!
3. Meantime, had washed 3 large idaho potatoes, pricked with a fork, and popped in the microwave for 5 minutes. Flipped over and zapped another 5. Cut in pieces and topped with a little butter and salt. (Thoughts on microwaving at another time.)
4. Finally, put out bowls of feta, lite sour cream, and low fat shredded mexican cheese as toppers. And cut up a personal watermelon for afterwards.
Really, it was that easy. I work really quickly in the kitchen, but do try this at home even if you’re a little more plodding. So it takes you another 15 minutes, big deal. I felt so pleased and proud watching them inhale the wholesome and nutritious meal I’d whipped up; they devoured it, and I felt so happy knowing I’d done their bodies right.