Heart Healthy: Split-Pea Soup

It seems that our version of winter weather has finally arrived in Southern California. We’ve enjoyed some spring-like days these last weeks, but now gray skies and drizzly rain has made its way into our weather forecast. No complaining here – we need it!

Soups On!
I’ve been working on modifications of this Split-Pea Soup for the last couple of weeks. I think we’re just about all split-pea souped out! The best thing about it…it’s a healthful version so I don’t feel as bad about having served bowls of it almost every evening for the last two weeks.

This is a more healthful version of a classic soup that traditionally uses a ham hock. I’m not going to lie to you…there’s no substitute for the fantastic flavor that a ham hock adds to a soup. That said, if you’re looking for a split-pea soup version with less sodium but with split-pea and veggie goodness – this is a good alternative that you can work with and further customize to your culinary and palate preferences.

Serve it up with a fresh baguette that’s been sliced, brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled lightly with Parmesan. Toast the slices in the oven at 400 degrees until golden.   Serve the tasty toasts as a complimentary accompaniment next to a cozy mug of this heart healthy soup!

** I am not a dietitian or nutritionist. Consult with your family doctor(s) for nutrition and dietary needs.

Dried Split Peas

TeenieCakes.com

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All text, photos & content © 2008-2012. All Rights Reserved.
Cristina A-Moore Photography, CAMoore Photography and TeenieCakes.com

Meyer Lemon Bread - Glazing

The holiday season is officially over. Whew! Made it through another year. I hope you all enjoyed a happy holiday season and rang in the New Year of 2012 with happiness and promises of good things to come for you and your loved ones!

The Happy Meyer Lemon Tree
Wouldn’t that be a cute title for a children’s book? Our Meyer lemon tree is making up for lost time and has been working overtime with lots of juicy, beautiful, and bright yellow fruits. I spent part of the weekend squeezing lemons to freeze lemon juice. I tweeted for some insights from others if anyone knew how to “preserve” lemon zest. It’s such a wasting shame to throw away citrus without zesting it and having it on-hand when needed. I’ve read that you can freeze zest, but that it loses its potency. Blah! Not the ideal preservation method. Please share with me if you have any words of wisdom on how to preserve the zest.

I’ve made this recipe twice over the last week and can attest that it’s a good recipe for lemon bread. I used a slightly larger loaf pan than what the recipe calls for, a 9×5-inch, so my bread obviously didn’t bake as high. There’s some modifications I made that are reflected in my notes and the recipe itself. This quick bread has a good texture and subtle lemony goodness. The complimentary sugary-lemon glaze drizzled on the bread after baking lends to additional moistness and will beckon you for yet another slice!

I’ll be featuring more recipes using lemons…the next feature on Teenie Cakes appropriately uses 4 + lemons. What uses that many lemons? I bet you can guess. :)

Meyer Lemon Bread

TeenieCakes.com

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All text, photos & content © 2008-2012. All Rights Reserved.
Cristina A-Moore Photography, CAMoore Photography and TeenieCakes.com
15 December 2011

Grape Focaccia – Schiacciata con L’uva

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Grape Focaccia - Schiacciata con L'uva

Grape Schiacciata con L’uva is a traditional bread made during the Tuscan grape harvest. Adorning this Tuscan-themed focaccia with both red and dark purple seedless grapes made for a seasonally gorgeous and tasty flat bread.

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12 December 2011

Lemon Ricotta Muffins with Almonds

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Lemon Ricotta Muffins with Almonds

This is a fantastic recipe for a coffeehouse-type muffin. It’s not a sweet muffin, but it has a great texture, moist, crunchy topping and lovely delicate flavors of lemon and almonds. The use of almond extract in combination with the fresh lemon juice and zest that you use is a tasty compliment.

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7 December 2011

Cuties Clementines® Are Back!

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Cuties Clementines® Are Back!

They are the perfect snack…pick up two or three on your way out the door. I feel much better about going for my fourth Cutie rather than a fourth holiday cookie!

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21 November 2011

A Word Of Gratitude

A Word of Thanks

Sometimes, just sometimes…life requires that you take a moment and take in a deep breath, close your eyes while shutting out the noise around you and remind yourself of all the people and life’s gifts to be grateful for.

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17 November 2011

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes and Walnuts

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes and Walnuts

That slight bite of a taste that brussels sprouts can have, paired with a subtle sweetness from the grapes and tang of balsamic vinegar is surprisingly complimentary.

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7 November 2011

Rustic Italian: Plum-Almond Cake – Torta Di Prugne E Mandorle

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Rustic Italian: Plum-Almond Cake - Torta Di Prugne E Mandorle

There’s a hint of lemon, then there’s the sweetness from the plums and then a subtle texture and sweetness of the cake’s topping that incorporates a small amount of sugar and generous helping of slivered almonds. This Plum-Almond Cake is sure to be a favorite and comes from the new book “Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian: Simple, Authentic Recipes for Everyday Cooking” by Domenica Marchetti.

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