Roasted Tomato , Kale  & Potato soup with fresh herbs: 

Ingredients:

4 Yukon Gold Potatoes- cubed

(you can use 2 sweet potatoes instead)

4 cups of Kale - Diced

5 stalks of celery with leaves - Diced

1 Container of Vegetable or  Chicken stock

2 tbs lemon juice 

1 tbs of lemon zest

 1 tbs black pepper

1 Med Onion- Diced

1 can roasted Tomatoes

(If you have time roast 4 large tomatoes with olive oil instead of can)

1 tbs rosemary

1 tbs thyme

1 can cannellini beans ( White Kidney Beans)  

(Dried beans that have been cooked work well )

1 cup white wine
6 cloves of garlic                                           

Prepare all ingredients :
dice onions, celery, and garlic ,
peel and cube potatoes,
remove rosemary and thyme from steams and finely chop,
rinse and drain beans

Add onion, celery and garlic to a large stock pot over medium heat with a tablespoon of broth, saute until vegetables are soft. Add in white wine and continue to cook until liquid is reduced for about 3-4 mins., Stir in herbs . Add cubed potatoes and stir for 2-3 mins, then add in cannellini beans, roasted tomatoes and stir , then add in the rest of the broth. Add lemon juice and black pepper. Simmer on medium low until potatoes are tender and flavors meld.

Before serving taste and season with pepper /sea salt to taste, then add in chopped Kale and lemon zest and simmer 3-4 minutes until Kale is at desired texture. ( serving size is 1 1/2 cups)

Egg Foo Young - Garnished with Shrimp

Ingredients

2 cups of Egg Beaters

1 Med White or Yellow Onion

3 Cloves of Garlic

3 Stalks of Celery with leaves

3 Stalks of Bok Choy or 2 Baby Bok Choy

1 Carrot

4 Green Onions

1 Cup Snow Peas

1 Can Water Chestnuts (drained & rinsed)

2 cups Baby Bella Mushrooms

1 cup Fresh Bean Sprouts

2 teaspoons of Olive Oil

Sauce:

1 cup Beef Broth

1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger (mashed into a paste )

1 Tablespoon Garlic ( mashed into a paste)

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

2 teaspoons of Corn Starch

1 Tablespoon Water

Garnish:

24 Boiled Shrimp

2 Green Onions

8 Sprigs of Cilantro

Black Sesame Seeds 

Cut Bok Choy into bite size pieces, dice white onion, green onions and celery including leaves, mince garlic, cut mushrooms, water chestnuts  and snow peas into bite size pieces , julienne carrots, leave bean sprouts whole.

Peel and devein Shrimp , Bring a pot of water to a boil and add shrimp , cover and turn off the heat , let the shrimp cook just until they turn pink  (do not over cook), Drain the shrimp and pat dry, Chill until ready to serve.

 In a Wok or large non-stick skillet heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium high heat, once oil is heated add white onions and mushrooms cook until the mushrooms begin to soften

Add in Celery , Carrots and  cook unto they begin to soften , then add in Bok Choy, Green Onions and  Snow Peas cook until Bok Choy starts to wilt

 Remove from heat and add in the bean sprouts, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool slightly before adding eggs (if you add the hot vegetables to the eggs at this point the eggs will scramble)

While the vegetables cool make your sauce

In a small sauce pan add the beef broth , garlic paste, ginger paste and rice wine vinegar and bring to a boil , stir and reduce heat to medium high and let that cook for a few minutes until the broth reduces slightly, in a small bowl whisk corn starch with water and mix until dissolved , then whisk into sauce until blended and the sauce thickens. It should be shiny and coat the back of a spoon at this point, turn down to warm 

To make the Egg Foo Young take a 1 cup measuring cup and add 1/4 cup egg beaters and then add enough vegetables to equal 3/4 cup ,

 heat wok or non-stick skillet over medium high, ( if you are afraid the food will stick you can use a cooking spray)When your skillet is hot pour egg mixture into pan and use a spatula to keep the egg mixture in an oval  

 When egg mixture lifts easily with out breaking turn it over and cook the other side

Once both sides are cooked remove from pan and place on a baking sheet and place in a warm oven until all mixture is cooked. (This recipe made 8 servings )

Plate Egg Foo Young , top with sauce, green onions , Cilantro sprig  and place Shrimp on top , sprinkle with Black Sesame seeds

 Pan Seared Grouper served over Apple & Celery Slaw , topped with Garlic & Ginger Glazed Shrimp

Recipes for this combined dish are posted separately.

Pan Seared Grouper:

Ingredients:

4 4-6 ounce Grouper Fillets

1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger (minced fine & crushed into paste)

1 Tablespoon Garlic (minced fine & crushed into paste)

1/4 cup Citrus Ponzu

1 Tablespoon of Lime Juice

1/2 Tablespoon of Rice Wine Vinegar

zest of lemon and lime

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Turn oven to 375 degrees and pre heat. Rinse grouper and pat dry , salt and pepper both sides. Mix  other ingredients in a small bowl, except citrus zest. Heat Cast Iron Skillet or Oven safe pan over medium high heat on stove top. When skillet is hot add the olive oil , and place grouper in the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes without moving the fish , turn fish over and add liquid to skillet and place into the oven. Depending on the thickness of your fish cook for 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and plate fish drizzle pan sauce over fish. Top fish with Lemon and Lime Zest 

Garnish with Green onions and Cilantro leaves if desired

Garlic & Ginger Glazed Shrimp

Ingredients:

12 Jumbo Shrimp (3 per person)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of lime juice

zest of 1 lemon and lime 

1 1/2 tablespoon of Fresh Ginger

2 Minced Cloves of Garlic

1/4 cup of low sodium Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of Orange Marmalade ( I used thick cut with texture)

2 teaspoons of Chili Garlic Sauce (find it in the Asian aisle)

Green onion for garnish 

In a saucepan over medium high heat add all ingredients except Shrimp and Citrus Zest. Cook sauce until it begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. When sauce is done lower heat to simmer. Peel and devein shrimp and butterfly, place in a pot of boiling water and immediately reduce to simmer and cover. Cook until they turn pink making sure to not over cook the Shrimp. Drain Shrimp and toss into the sauce and coat.  Plate Three shrimp per person and top with zest of Lemon and Lime, garnish with green onion if desired

Apple & Celery Slaw

Ingredients:

1 Granny Smith Apple

2 Stalks of Celery with leaves

1 Small Carrot

1 Small Jalapeno

1/4 head of Purple Cabbage

3 stalks of broccoli

2 tablespoons of Rice Wine Vinegar

1 lime

1 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper

 Black Sesame Seeds

Salt and Peeper to Taste

 Core Apple and slice thinly , slice celery into bite size pieces, julienne cut  carrot , trim florets and discard from broccoli , using a vegetable peeler peel broccoli stalk and then julienne cut broccoli, seed jalapeno and mince, Chiffonade the purple cabbage, Toss all prepared ingredients in a mixing bowl , add rice wine vinegar , juice of lime toss to mix. Salt and Pepper to taste , sprinkle cayenne pepper and Black Sesame seeds on top, Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

What's Been Cooking?

Turkey Vegetable roll ups:

These tasty treats are easy to make and loaded with many things that are good for you.

 2 Spinach Wraps

1 Ripe Haas Avocado

2 Tablespoons of Tomatillo Salsa (see receipe below)

1/2 cup Shredded Raw Beets

1/2 cup Shredded Carrots

1 cup Baby Spinach

1 small Cucumber seeded and cut into strips

4 ounces thin sliced turkey

New Things for a "New Start"

New Things:

I joined a Gym (failed the fitness assessment on the first task: standing on one foot) ( I have gone every day since joining 5 days ago and twice on one of those days)

Went to a Dietitian (It was free from my insurance company , so why not)

Started  a Blog

I am a little behind on "New Starts" for 2013

Over the last few years I have started taking pictures of food my daughters and I have made at home. A couple of times a month my daughters would tell me to start a blog, then along came Pinterest and I had a place to post my pictures with little effort.

Which leads to New Starts, I no longer can put in little effort into my weight and health, so why not tackle that and put some effort into blogging too?

By now you can tell I have no clue about blogging or writing things that people want to read, but even if no one ever reads this or follows my blog at least I'm doing what I love and that is truly enough. 

The name of the blog is Tea 3, this is the name of the "dream"/"one day"/"most likely never" funky not your Mama's Tea House that I have always wanted to start. I know...new starts means just doing it, but I have a job I love (and it pays the bills), one daughter graduating from UNC this year and another daughter in her second year of law school and sometimes dreams can't be reached for practical reasons. So, I cook for family and friends as often as I can and pretend that I am cooking in Tea 3. (Not Pretend in a crazy, creepy way, I just put a lot of effort in to cooking dishes my guest will love!) 

My oldest Daughter made me some tea cups for "Tea 3" for my Christmas gift and wrote "our" slogan: