Month: January 2009

2 1/2 Tbsp ginger, peeled and grated
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces flank steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch wide strips and thinly sliced

1 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
6 cups thinly sliced bok choy (about 1 pound)
1 cup (about 2 ounces) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup carrot, sliced
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups hot water
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth
4 ounces uncooked soba (buckwheat) noodles
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil, divided

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 1/2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add beef mixture to pan; stir-fry 1 minute or until browned. Remove beef mixture from pan; set aside.

Add bok choy, mushrooms, carrot, and green onions to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes or until bok choy begins to wilt. Add water, hoisin, soy sauce, and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in noodles. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until noodles are done. Stir in beef mixture and vinegar. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; drizzle each serving with 1/4 tsp sesame oil.

8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, sliced into small pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (15oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 (15oz) cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 (6oz) bag fresh baby spinach leaves (about 3 cups)

Heat a large saucepan with olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook sausage for 5-8 minutes, until it browns, and remove from the pan.  Add carrots, onion, and garlic; saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, herbs, salt, pepper, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender (be sure there is no sausage in the soup), and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to pan and add in the cooked sausage. Simmer an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Add the spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.