It’s been a while, I know… Thanks to a recently acquired parasitic being (see below!), I’ve been spending more time in the bathroom than in the kitchen. I’d pretty much lost my appetite and desire to cook, though I was fairly hungry most of the time. Fortunately, the creature is scheduled to disengage itself sometime on or around June 8, 2012. And with the help of some lovely, lovely medication called Zofran, I finally feel well enough to get back in the kitchen.
It's kicking my uterus. Awesome kid!
In light of this new development, my sweet, thoughtful husband gave me a great book, Eating for pregnancy: The essential nutrition guide and cookbook for today’s mother-to-be. The first recipe I decided to try out was the split pea soup with homemade croutons. I added the Niman’s ham… because that’s how I roll.
Like most recipe books, Eating for Pregnancy requires a little bit of advanced planning in terms of shopping and stocking your pantry, but I appreciate that the authors point out time saving tips as well as how far in advance various components can be made and stored. I also like how they offer meal plan suggestions, complete meal ideas, and a heading for each recipe “What’s in this for baby and me?” In the case of the split pea soup: protein, vitamin A, folic acid and fiber. It’s a great book – one that I can see working for us even after the little uterus-kicker arrives.
Split Pea Soup with Niman Ranch Ham
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- Diced ham (optional) – I used about 1 1/2 cups, but you can add as little or as much as you like
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed – I also minced!
- 4 carrots peeled, sliced, or 2 cups baby carrots (peeled, sliced)
- 2 celery stalks washed and sliced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon thyme (optional)
- 1 teaspoon marjoram (optional) – and a good thing since I didn’t have any!
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 8 cups fat free low-sodium stock (I used chicken, but use veggie — and don’t add the ham — for a vegan friendly recipe), or water; add more as needed
- 1 1/2 cups green split peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes.
If you choose to add the ham, now would be a good time.
Add the garlic, carrots, celery and seasonings (thyme, marjoram, bay leaves) and saute for another 3 minutes.
Stir in the stock and peas and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam with a spoon, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the peas are tender.
Note: Now if you are like me and preparing this on a weeknight after a long day of work, and you get to this part and say “what the hell!? TWO HOURS!?”, don’t panic. Fortunately, we had some quick cooking peas from Whole Paycheck Foods, which kinda saved my bacon. We started cooking them separately in water for about 25 minutes and then added the peas only into the soup base at this point. They cooked for another 30 minutes, just to try to maximize tenderness and impart more flavor.
As the soup thickens, if it’s too thick, you can add more stock or water about 2 tablespoons at a time.
Adjust seasoning to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately with homemade croutons or crusty french bread.
Yields about 6 servings or about 7 cups.
Homemade Croutons
I normally cook my croutons in a saute pan with plenty of butter and a little bit of garlic salt… But I liked the Eating for Pregnancy version just as well. It was much simpler and A LOT healthier.
- 1 small french baguette
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Cut the bread into small cubes and place flat on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Turn the croutons.
Continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until hard and light golden brown.
Cool and store in an airtight container or storage bag.
Enjoy! With or without a little parasite!
So-Called Instant Pudding 