le•top Chef Series: Tomato Chickpea Soup

And now for a budget-friendly soup…

Some folks said they’d use fresh basil instead of the cilantro. Or only use the cilantro as a garnish.

Mouth watering and full of fresh flavors, this soup, with soft chunky tomatoes and healthy chickpeas, will be an instant winner with the family.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (14 oz) can cooked chickpeas or 1-1/2 cups home cooked chickpeas
• 3 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and fresh ground pepper

In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion until soften. Add garlic, chickpeas, water, cooked rice, tomatoes, paste, and dried parsley. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in chopped cilantro, season with salt & fresh pepper to taste. Remove from heat, let stand for about 7 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Soup will thicken up, too. You’re ready to eat! Tastes wonderful with fresh baked bread on the side.

Source: simpledailyrecipes.com.

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Le Top Chef Series: Grilled Chicken with Tortellini Pasta Salad

By Tara Duggan, Chronicle Staff Writer

The pasta salad is somewhat decadent, so you don’t need much of it.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 pound small dried tortellini
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 to 2 stalks celery hearts, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 slices prosciutto, diced, or some julienned salami
• 1 cup small cherry tomatoes, halved if large
• 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella pearls or about 3 ounces diced fresh mozzarella

DRESSING:

• 3 tablespoons fresh pesto, stirred before measuring
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pasta cooking water or plain water (if needed)
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions. Add frozen peas during the last 5 to 8 minutes so that they cook along with the tortellini.

Meanwhile, flatten chicken breasts with a mallet to a uniform 1-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Grill in a lightly oiled grill pan over medium-high heat until browned, 5-8 minutes per side. Lower heat and continue cooking until no longer pink in the middle but still juicy, about 2-4 minutes. Let rest a few minutes.

When peas and tortellini are done, drain, reserving pasta water for dressing, then gently rinse in cold running water until cool. Allow to drain completely. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. If the dressing is very thick, add 1 tablespoon pasta cooking water.

Combine tortellini, peas, celery, prosciutto, tomatoes and mozzarella in a medium bowl. Gently toss with the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with the chicken.

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Le Top Chef Series: Confetti Yogurt Pops

…A Delectable Dessert in about 10 MINUTES!

Makes six (6) popsicles

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup assorted berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, chopped strawberries)
• 5 pretzel rods (halved), OR 10 baked snack stick crackers

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, gently stir together the yogurt and fruit. Spoon into 4-ounce ice-pop molds or 3-ounce paper cups. Cover molds/cups with foil. Use a sharp knife to cut a small hole in the foil and insert cut side of pretzel rod or snack stick. Freeze until firm. Remove foil and mold/cup before serving. (Store for up to a month.)

Recipe from Parents.com

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Le Top Chef Series: Mini Cheddar Burgers

Perfect activity for little hands, and perfect to eat for little mouths!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Grill: 8 minutes

Makes 12 mini burgers

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2  pounds ground beef (90 percent lean)
• 1  tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4  teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2  teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4  teaspoon black pepper
• 12  small round dinner rolls (such as potato rolls or dollar rolls)
• 24  leaves fresh arugula or other leafy green, cleaned
• 12  slices sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces total)
• 12  slices plum tomato

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat gas grill to medium-high or prepare charcoal grill with medium-hot coals. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion flakes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Mix until well combined.
2. Shape seasoned beef into 12 small patties, about 1/4-cup mixture for each, forming patties that are 2-1/2 inches across and 1/2 inch thick.
3. Split the rolls in half and toast the cut side on the grill, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large platter. Top buns with arugula leaves.
4. Transfer hamburger patties to the grill and cook 2 minutes. Flip and cook 2 additional minutes or until cooked through. Top burgers with cheese. Slice should be roughly the size of the burger; if not, cut or fold it to fit. Grill until slightly melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Transfer burgers to lettuce-topped buns and place a plum tomato slice on each. Serve warm.

source: parents.com

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Secret Contest: We have Another Winner!

We have another Secret Contest winner!

Amber D. (from Boerne, TX) had the most views for her “Chocolate Cake in a Mug” recipe she submitted in February. She also has submitted Daily Darling photos of her two boys, and shared topic ideas with us here at le•top blog.

Congratulations and thank you, Amber, for reading and participating!

We have many on-going Secret Contests for different prizes. You’ll never know what the contest is (it’s a secret!), but staying involved and particiating will reveal them one by one. It could be for submitting photos, sharing a story, recipe or funny quote, or maybe…just for commenting. So, keep coming back and sharing with le•top blog because you might win just for letting us know you’re out there! Stay tuned to see what Amber won. It might be something really special from the le•top Spring 09 Collection.

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Le Top Chef Series: Chocolate Cake in a Mug

…IN 5 MINUTES!

I received this recipe from my friend, Amber (from Boerne, TX). She found it on one of the many blogs that she reads (like ours!) and made this delicious little cake IN A MUG! She raves about how easy this recipe is and thought our le•top readers would enjoy it as well. Perfect little project to do with your child on a cold, rainy day!

I wish I could try this as a Valentine treat, but with gestational diabetes, I’m going to have to wait until after my little munchkin delivers. It’s a perfect dessert for two, or for someone eating for two. 😉

Five Minute Chocolate Cake In A Mug For Two

4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp oil
3 tbsp chocolate chips
a splash of vanilla
1 large mug

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mug. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the
milk and oil, and mix the batter well. Then add the chocolate chips and vanilla, and mix again.

Place the mug in your microwave oven (1000 watts) and cook for 3 min. The cake will rise over the top of the mug but don’t be alarmed. Allow the cake to cool a bit and tip out on a plate if desired or eat right out of the mug. Serve with ice cream on the side. Voilá… dessert for two. (Thanks, Amber!)

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le•top Chef Series: Teething Biscuits

When my daughter was a wee little babe and going through the teething phase, I tried everything under the sun to pacify her (frozen bagels, frozen waffles, and a wet face cloth). I also bought everything at the store that had the word “teething.” It got pretty expensive. I remember coming across a recipe online to make my own teething biscuits, but that was a few years ago, and I can’t locate it anymore. Instead I found something similar, courtesy of wholesomebabyfood.com. It’s eggless and wheatless!

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Le Top Chef Series: No Sugar Pineapple Coconut Sorbet

Here’s another quickie, no sugar added recipe from my good friend Sharon. I just made it today and I love, love, LOVE it!!!  The best part of this delicious frozen treat is that it barely made a dent in my glucose levels. How “sweet” is that?

All you need are a few frozen fresh pineapple pieces and 1/2 cup of coconut milk. The coconut milk has only 1 gram of carbs! (Pineapples, coconuts, bananas? Hmm… I see a theme here. I think I’m having a tropical monkey baby.)

Blend all the ingredients together until slushy, and BAM… Another sugar-free treat! If the mixture isn’t slushy enough, you can put it back in the freezer for a few minutes. You can also add a bit of sugar-substitute is you prefer it to be a little sweeter.

I had this sorbet for a snack this afternoon, and it was yummy! I also had some for dessert after dinner. I was so pleasantly surprised (both times!) that my glucose levels stayed low. Now I have two fruity, no sugar snacks to choose from: this one and the banana with cocoa powder.

You’re the best, Sharon! Keep sending me more recipes.

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le•top Chef Series: Homemade Mac & Cheese

for busy moms and dads…IN ABOUT
15 MINUTES!

Who doesn’t love this luscious comfort-food-of-all-comfort-foods?!? (sweetie is going to just swoon over this one…watch out!). This recipe is submitted by le•top’s own Kristin, who is a self-proclaimed non-cook (although I suspect she made this for the office party!) and doesn’t like spending more than 15 minutes in the kitchen at a time. Good thing this recipe only takes about 15 minutes start-to-finish:

1 box of macaroni shells
1/4 stick of butter
1/3 C Milk
4-5 slices of Kraft American Cheese (torn up into little pieces)
1/2 T Dried Mustard (approx. to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the macaroni shells as called for on the box. Melt butter with milk in pan on low. Drain macaroni and put back into pan with milk and melted butter. Slowly add cheese bits into pan, stir until melted. Add dried Mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

(With apologies to Jamee and Sharon for taunting this not very GD-friendly carbo recipe…!!)

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le•top Chef Series: Mexican Lasagna

For busy moms and dads…in UNDER 30 MINUTES!!!

I received this recipe from my dear friend, Liz, who is all about making life easier and more fun for busy moms like herself. She is a mother of two from Yakima, WA. She says that her kids (ages 5 and 3) love this dish, and that, “It is definitely easy and SUPER yummy, too!” (I’d like to see our messiest eaters get their hands on this one.)

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