New Year's Resolutions SUCK - Have a Smoothie

What is our obsession with this date on the calendar? Just because a new year begins does not mean that I have to make my life all new and sparkly. I'll sparkle when I want to sparkle. Clearly I've broken one of my resolutions - three actually. I haven't started reading anything; I'm not eating as many raw fruits and veggies as I resolved to; if I'm lucky I might drink pure milk 3 times a week. Anyway, I was determined to do better today so I made a smoothie. Here's the recipe for what I have (somewhat stupidly) nicknamed The Banamangberry Smoothie.

The Banamangberry Smoothie (makes approximately 16 oz.)

• 1 large banana
• 1 medium sized mango
• 5-6 strawberries
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp wheat bran
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Peel and cut up the banana. Wash the strawberries and remove the leaves. Cut up the mango by whatever method you would normally use. Then put all the fruits and the other ingredients into an osterizer/blender/magic bullet/vita-mix and blitz them until smooth. Pour into a glass and happily drink your 3 servings of fruit. Just because I can't stick to a goal doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy a yummy fruity drink. 

Brownie in a Mug - Still Undecided

A friend of mine recently posted 50 Life Hacks to Simplify Your World to Facebook. Intrigued by anything claiming to simplify my world, I clicked the link and discovered at #34 the recipe for a brownie in a mug. Ever the fan of chocolate, I couldn't resist trying out the brownie and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't explode in the microwave. I did make some minor adjustments to the recipe, but overall I was satisfied with the result. So here it is: brownie in a mug.

Brownie in a Mug (serves 1 or 2 if you like to sharing)

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil (I used light olive oil for less calories)
• 3 tbsp water (I used closer to 5 to get the right texture)
• pinch of salt
• vanilla ice cream for topping (I didn't have any)
• microwave

Add all the ingredients to a microwaveable mug, saving the oil and water for last. Thoroughly mix the ingredients in the mug until they form a thick yet smooth and gooey consistency. Microwave the brownie in the mug for 1 minute and 40 seconds. I ended up microwaving mine for a little longer because after the suggested time, I didn't quite look ready. And in retrospect, I probably should have taken the above picture BEFORE digging in, but I hadn't thought of it until it was too late. I don't know how often I would make this brownie, though I'm happy to have tried it once. This may or may not end up being both the first, and last time; but in the words of Justin Bieber and many before him: "Never say never."

Edamame Vegetable Soup

A few months ago I received a complimentary issue of Canadian Living. I couldn't remember the last time I enjoyed reading a magazine that much. Then I immediately wondered when I became someone who enjoyed reading about cooking, home decor, or health and wellness. Wasn't this a "Mom   Magazine?" Well if it be Mom, then Mom be I. The articles were thoughtful, useful, and relevant, and ever since the mailman shoved it into our box back in November, it has moved from bedside to counter to kitchen table. My  own mother recently asked if we should throw it in the recycling and I nearly body-checked her to the ground. I'm considering blogging my way through a few of the recipes in the magazine, so let's see how this goes. 

Moving along, I love soup. I don't know anyone who doesn't love soup. We have it when we aren't feeling well, it comforts us, and we associate it with love. Also, it's winter - the perfect soup weather. For the last 2 months, I've been drooling over a recipe for Edamame Vegetable Soup that I read in Canadian Living. I finally gave it a try and am happy to report that it is scrumptious! I had the trifecta - the listed ingredients, the time, and a kitchen all to myself - so I set about making my soup. Here's the recipe, and I hope you love it too!

Edamame Vegetable Soup - as printed in Canadian Living November 2012 (serves 8)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots thinly sliced
• 2 ribs of celery thinly sliced
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced (I grated mine for a finer texture)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (I assumed ground black pepper, but I think white would work just as well.)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 zucchini thinly sliced
• half sweet red pepper diced
• 2 tbsp sodium-reduced soy sauce
• 1.5 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 450 g medium firm tofu
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• I also added 1 tsp of red chili oil (because I couldn't resist.)

The instructions given were fairly simple; I'll paraphrase: 

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat and cook the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and pepper for 8 minutes while stirring occasionally. At this point the recipe says: "Add broth, 3 cups water, zucchini, red pepper, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil." Since 3 cups of water were not originally listed in the ingredients I was a little unsure about what exactly this meant, but I think it's safe to say that in order to make a recipe for 8 people, you would in fact need 3 cups of water AS WELL AS 3 cups of vegetable stock. 

Now that you have everything (except the tofu and edamame) in a pot along with 6 cups of fluid, bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Use this time to cut the tofu into 1 cm cubes, then add it along with the edamame to the soup and simmer for an additional 3 minutes. 

If you exactly follow the recipe, then each serving will cost you approximately 105 cal, which is pretty good if you like to count. Adding the chill oil will add an extra 5 cal. If you don't have edamame, you can substitute green peas, lima beans, or french green beans and I'm sure it will be just as yummy. Bon appétit!