Monday Motivational Meal - Watermelon Gazpacho

 Looking for a quick and simple no cook meal? Try this fresh and satisfying twist on a summer favorite from @MyPlate...watermelon gazpacho...and to make it the perfect meal...make sure to serve it up in a beautiful Livliga Healthy Lifestyle soup bowl!

Get the recipe here.

 

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🍜SOUPS! 🍜Livliga's NEW eCookbook Available for FREE download NOW!🍜

 Discover Livliga's Lastest eCookbook!

Livliga is souper excited to introduce our new eCookbook all about soups! This is the perfect time of year to indulge in some healthy homemade soups to boost your immunity and tantalize your tastebuds. Check it out...its FREE! 🍜

Download our FREE Soups eCookbook

 

Inside you'll find:

    ▪    5 of our favorite healthy soup recipes
    ▪    How to feel full and satisfied without a whole lot of calories
    ▪    The way to boost your immune system through food
    ▪    The tools to support you in right sized eating

 

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Monday Motivational Meal—Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

 

It is winter so it is time for a heart-warming soup. This week we offer our Slow Cooker French Onion Soup. There are many wonderful things about onions. They are a nutrient dense food which also means they are low in calories. There is evidence to show they are heart healthy, diabetes and cancer fighting, mood boosting as well as great for our skin and hair. And on the practical side, they are a budget-friendly food with a long shelf life so they are easy to keep on hand, ready to be used in any recipe. We served up this classic in a gorgeous Celebrate bowl! 

Get the recipe here. 

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Monday Motivational Meal—Roasted Tomato Soup

 

Here is a Tomato Soup to warm up your spirits and your insides.There is nothing better than a simple homemade soup on a cold night.This soup is as simple as it gets and delivers a heartwarming satisfaction thanks to a little @CookingLight inspiration. We served ours up with Celebrate!

Click here for the recipe.

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Roasted Tomato Soup--big in flavor yet low in carbs!

 

It is that time of year when a hot soup for dinner sounds devine. Soups are so good for our soul, health and weight management! They tend to be budget-friendly as well.

During the summer months we have a vegetable garden with a number of tomato plants. Typically we have more tomatoes than we can use so not only do we can them but we also freeze whole cherry and roma tomatoes. These can be used during the winter months to make soups and sauces. 

Here is a Tomato Soup to warm up your spirits and your insides. There is nothing better than a simple homemade soup on a cold night. This soup is as simple as it gets and delivers a heartwarming satisfaction thanks to a little @CookingLight inspiration. We served ours up with Celebrate!

 

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 8 medium tomatoes, quartered 
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock
• 1 cup torn basil leaves (optional)
  

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Toss together tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large bowl. Spread mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast at 425ºF until tomatoes are softened and browned, 45 to 50 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and caramelized, about 20 minutes, adding water if necessary if mixture becomes too dry.
3. Transfer roasted tomato mixture and onions to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Transfer tomato mixture back to pot. Stir in 2 cups vegetable stock; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Top soup with basil leaves, if desired, and serve immediately.

 

Nutritional Information 

Serves 4. Serving size: about 1½ cups. Calories 187; Fat 11g; Protein 5g; Carb 21g; Fiber 5g; Sugars 11g (no added sugars); Sodium 620mg.  

To make it a meal: serve this luscious soup with a homemade muffin like Maple Squash or Apple N'Spice.

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Monday Motivational Meal — Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

 

One of the ongoing debates about eating healthy is the challenge to do it on a budget. There is often the underlying assumption that it is not possible to eat healthy on limited resources. With a little planning it is. Soups are the easiest. Come Fall I particularly love a homemade Vegetable Beef Soup. It is hearty, healthy and good for our immune system to keep the flu and other viruses at bay. For perfect portioning serve it up in your favorite Livliga bowl with our award-winning LivSpoons!

Try this recipe here! 

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Three Favorite Soups for Spring and Summer

Soups are so nurturing. They fill our stomachs and our souls with goodness. Soups are also very flexible. You can make them from what you have on hand and can adapt them to feed one or many. Another wonderful thing about soups is that they can reflect the seasons and our moods.

In spring it is time to freshen our palates and bring in brighter flavors and use the ingredients available. Spring can be mixed weather with storms and hot days. Here are three soups that fit the season and also the vagaries of this transitional season. They can also be great for the upcoming summer months!


Freshen your palate with a fruit soup. Here is a recipe for:

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Fresh Ginger

Use the leftovers and bones of your spring lamb to make an immune boosting bone broth soup. Here is a recipe for:

Welsh Lamb and Root Soup

Beat the heat with a pantry-friendly soup. Here is a recipe for:

No-Cook Healthy Gazpacho Soup

Complement these soups with a muffin freshly baked! Click here to choose from ones we love on our blog.

Enjoy! And Live vibrant!

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Monday Motivational Meal

There is nothing more juicy or sweet than our recipe for Chilled Cataloupe Soup with Fresh Ginger. This makes a great cold soup and a healthy summer meal. Get ready to spoon up this refreshing soup from our favorite Halsa bowl!

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Try this recipe here!

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Monday Motivational Meal - Welsh Lamb and Root Soup

Looking for an easy yet wholesome homemade soup suitable for spring? Try our Welsh Lamb and Root Soup that starts with immune building bone broth! Packed with nutrient rich and healthy ingredients this recipe is good for our hearts and health! This savory soup is served up in our stylish Vivente bowl!


Try this recipe here!

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Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup—A Family-friendly and Budget-friendly Meal

One of the ongoing debates about eating healthy is the challenge to do it on a budget. There is often the underlying assumption that it is not possible to eat healthy on limited resources. It is certainly not easy. We are now seeing that it is possible with a little planning and taking advantage of specific things like cheaper vegetables according to the seasons, sales, as well as buying frozen and canned foods. There are also types of meals that are budget-friendly. MyPlate provides some great resources to help everyone manage healthy eating on a budget.

Soups are one of the categories of meals that are budget-friendly. There are so many varieties. Soups are flexible and can combine any number of ingredients. They can feed a few or many. We all have our favorites. Recently I bought a large bag of frozen mixed vegetables at a great price. Next I wanted to use them to make a variety of meals. One of those meals I wanted to include was a soup. Below is the slow cooker soup recipe I came up with. Everyone loved it and we all thought it got more flavorful with time. It made enough for a couple of meals, which made it the best of budget-friendly meals.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup


Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb beef, stew-quality meat, cut into bite-size cubes 
• 1 lb potatoes, cut into cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 cans (14 oz each) beef broth, low sodium 
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained 
• 1 can (15 to 16 oz) great northern beans, drained and rinsed 
• 2 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables 

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes on high. Next add meat and brown on all sides. Place in slow cooker. 
2. Mix in remaining ingredients, except frozen vegetables. 
3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours. 
4. Add mixed vegetables. Increase heat setting to High. Cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove bay leaves before serving. 

Nutritional Information:
Serves 6. Serving size: 1½ cups. Calories: 310. Fat 7.3g (Saturated Fat 2.2g); Sodium 686mg; Protein 15g; Carbohydrate 30.4g; Fiber 6.4g; Sugars 6.1g.

Menu Tip: To make it a meal add a delicious homemade muffin. Here is a link to some of our favorites: Healthy Muffins.

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Monday Motivational Meal - No Cook Meal - Health Gazpacho with Chicken

As we begin September and are worn out from the heat, it is hard not to get stuck in the Summer Doldrums, especially when it comes to preparing healthy meals. We have just the refreshing solution! Try our cool and inviting no cook gazpacho soup. We served ours up in Halsa with its cool hues of blue...Enjoy!

 

Get the recipe here.

 

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Healthy Recipes Served Up on Livliga! Video 11: Bone Broth Soups

Make your own homemade bone broth to use in recipes, including soups.The soup recipes below are made with a homemade bone broth. Bone broths are one of those “miracle” concoctions, good for our health and soul. Pair it with a homemade bread or muffin and you have a hearty and healthy meal any time of year. 

Turkey Bones and Root Soup

This is a great recipe to make a day ahead. The flavors in a bone broth based soup only improve with age. It can even be frozen to be eaten at a later date.

Welsh Lamb and Root Soup 

This nutrient rich bone broth soup recipe is full of healthy ingredients that come from the bones they are made from. It is good for our heart and health!

Best Chicken Soup Ever 

The ingredients we can put in soups also help us stay healthy by boosting our immune system, decreasing inflammation, and upping our antioxidants. This recipe is a favorite regardless of whether you need some extra TLC or not!

Love these recipes? Follow along below as we show you how to seasmlessly create bone broth soups from scratch. You can find more Healthy Recipes Served Up on Livliga on our Youtube channel here. 

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Soups are good for our Soul and Health – Best Chicken Soup Ever!

Soups are great any time of year but they are particularly our “go-to” meal on cold winter nights. They warm us up, and give us that much needed sense of coziness and comfort. They are a great communal meal that can be stretched to suit a flexible number of people or they can be served up for one.

The best part about soups is that they can be hearty and healthy for us. They can make us feel full and satisfied without a whole lot of calories. This means they can help us lose weight and manage our weight. The ingredients we can put in soups also help us stay healthy by boosting our immune system, decreasing inflammation, and upping our antioxidants. This means they help us fight disease.

We all know that chicken soup is good for the soul and nurtures our bodies. And now we know it isn’t an urban myth…because of all the healthy ingredients in homemade chicken soup we know it really does help us cure what ails us. Whenever someone comes down with the cold or flu in our family the first thing I do is make my own chicken soup with bone broth.

Soups can be one of the easiest meals to make. They are great to make in crock pots to cook slowly through out the day and be ready when you come home from work or from a day of winter play. My homemade chicken soup is a great example of a soup you can make in a stockpot or crockpot…you choose what is easiest for you. And it is a favorite regardless of whether you need some extra TLC or not!

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 parsnip, chopped
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
• 1 (3-4 pound) whole chicken, neck, liver and gizzards removed
• ½ cup parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot or crockpot. Place on high and bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then lower heat to simmer and cook for 6 to 7 hours.
2. Remove the chicken and all bones. Separate the chicken from the bones.
3. Shred the chicken and place it back into the soup.
4. Select 3 to 4 large chicken bones and place them back into the pot. Throw the rest of the bones away.
5. Soup is ready to serve. It is great to serve as is or add egg noodles (2 cups) to make chicken noodle soup. Want to make a heartier meal? Prepare rice and serve up ½ cup rice and pour 1 cup of chicken soup over it. Top with a sprinkle of parsley, if desired.

Leftover soup can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for a future meal.

Serves: 12
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 105
 

 Looking for more health-filled and yummy soups? Check out our other soup recipes on the blog. Want to make it a meal? Add one of our delicious homemade muffins and make a simple tossed green salad with one or our homemade salad dressings.

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Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Fresh Ginger

There is nothing more refreshing than a cold soup in the summer. It can be served as a first course or as the main course for a simple supper when it is just too hot to cook or put much effort into a meal. Soups are also handy because you can make them ahead of time so all you need to do is spoon it up when you are ready to eat.

Another wonderful thing about making cold soups in the summer is all the abundance of fresh produce so the soups can be made of vine ripened seasonal fruits and vegetables. We live in the land of Rocky Ford Cantaloupe. There is nothing more juicy or sweet. They make a great cold soup and a healthy summer meal.

Cantaloupe Soup with Fresh Ginger

Ingredients~
1 cantaloupe, ripe and large, skin pre-washed before cutting
1 tablespoons ginger, grated
2 teaspoons orange zest, freshly grated
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, plain (Chobani)
⅔ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Mint for garnish
Lemon zest for garnish


Directions~
1. Place cantaloupe, ginger, orange zest and honey in a food processor or blender and puree.
2. Add yogurt and blend until smooth.
3. Next add the orange and lemon juice. Pulse just until blended.
4. Pour into a bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
5. Serve when ready and garnish with fresh mint and lemon zest.


Serves 4 - 6 (1 cup for 1st course serving; 1 ½ cup for meal serving). Calories: 100 per 1 cup.

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Facebook Live Recipe: Turkey Bones and Root Soup

There are so many ways to make soup. Creating a homemade bone broth can add richness and health to the soup. The soup recipe below is made with a homemade bone broth. Bone broths are one of those “miracle” concoctions, good for our health and soul.

Chicken soup is the most well-known and commonly consumed bone broth. There are many other soups, however, that you can cook and enjoy that are made from bone broths. Bone broths are a great way to use up the excess bones you have. There is never any reason to throw those bones away again. Just make your own homemade bone broth to use in recipes, including soups. Pair it with a homemade bread or muffin and you have a hearty and healthy meal any time of year.

After Thanksgiving I always have bones leftover from the turkeys I roast. I put them in the freezer until I am ready to make a bone broth. Here is my recipe for the broth and then the soup I make with it. The cooking can be done in stages or in one day, if you have the time.

Turkey Bones and Root Soup

Broth

Ingredients

• 3 turkey legs
• Leftover turkey necks and bones
• 12 cups of water
• 1 large yellow onion, cut in quarters
• 20 whole peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a stockpot.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
3. Simmer semi-covered for 2 hours and the meat is falling off the bone.
4. Separate the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into medium chunks. Keep a couple of the largest bones to place in the soup, and then discard the rest. Set aside the meat and large bones to put into the soup.
5. Strain the stock, discard the onion and bay leaves and peppercorns. All the remaining broth will be used for the soup.

Soup

Ingredients

• 4 ounces salt pork, chopped
• 1 large leek, pale part only, cut in half, clean and then slice crosswise
• 1 large parsnip, diced
• 1 large rutabaga, diced
• 1 medium turnip, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 large potatoes, diced
• All the turkey bone broth
• 3 cups water
• 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Spray a skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Add the salt pork and leeks, sautéing for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
2. Add all other vegetables to skillet and sauté for 5 additional minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer mixture to a slow cooker. Then add the meat, broth, water, thyme, salt and pepper. Place a couple of the larger bones into the soup. Cook on low for 5 – 7 hours.
4. Just before serving remove the bones and thyme sprigs then add the parsley and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Serves 8     Serving size: 1½ cups

This is a great recipe to make a day ahead. The flavors in a bone broth based soup only improve with age. It can even be frozen to be eaten at a later date. Once the soup has cooled, skim off the fat from the top, then store in the refrigerator or freeze.

As for ratings on the soup. My husband gives this soup 5 stars. The turkey meat and rutabaga make the taste rich and the finish slightly sweet.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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Slow Cooker French Onion Soup—Easy & Healthy Meal for Family and Friends

 

For years I was intimidated by the thought of making an authentic French Onion Soup. Recipes I had read made it sound like it would take days. It seemed way to complicated and time consuming. Then I talked to a dear friend who is, in fact, a chef who "poo-pooed" the idea that delicious, homemade onion soup was difficult to accomplish. With that I decided to take on the challenge. I took out calories where I could without sacrificing flavor and I kept the process as simple as possible.

There are many wonderful things about onions. They are a nutrient dense food which also means they are low in calories. There is evidence to show they are heart healthy, diabetes and cancer fighting, mood boosting as well as great for our skin and hair. And on the practical side, they are a food with a long shelf life so they are easy to keep on hand, ready to be used in any recipe. Click here for a blog that tells you all about different onions and how to grow them in your own back yard!

Check out the recipe below. My family loved it and we enjoyed it as easy meals for a couple of days during the week!

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

Ingredients~

Cooking Spray, olive oil flavored

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

5 pounds large yellow onions, vertically sliced (about 16 cups)

1 teaspoon sugar

6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

24 (¼ inch slices whole grain French bread baguette)

1 ¼ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

Directions~

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Add butter, thyme and bay leaf to pot. Next place onions and sprinkle them with sugar. Cover and cook on HIGH for 8 hours.

2. Remove the sprigs of thyme and bay leaf; discard. Add stock, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat broiler to high.

4. Arrange bread in single layer on a cookie sheet; broil each side until browned. Next place a generous ½ tablespoon of cheese on the top of each slice of bread. Broil until melted.

5. Fill right-sized soup bowls with 1½ cups of onion soup. Top with two slices of cheese topped baguette. Serve hot.

Serves 12. Serving size 1½ cup soup with 2 slices cheese topped baguette.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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Welsh Lamb and Root Soup--good for your heart and health!

Welsh Lamb and Root Soup in Slow Cooker

 
This soup is made with a homemade bone broth. Bone broths are one of those “miracle” concoctions that are good for our heart and health. They are nutrient rich and full of healthy ingredients that come from the bones they are made from. Below is a recipe for one of my favorite bone broth based soups:

Prep for Welsh and Lamb Root Soup

Welsh Lamb and Root Soup

Broth

Ingredients~

4 pounds of lamb with bone in

12 cups of water

1 large yellow onion, cut in quarters

20 whole peppercorns

2 bay leaves

Directions~

1. Combine all ingredients in a stockpot.

2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.

3. Simmer semi-covered for 2 hours and the meat is falling off the bone.

4. Separate the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into medium chunks. Keep a couple of the largest bones to place in the soup, and then discard the rest. Set aside the meat and large bones to put into the soup.

5. Strain the stock, discard the onion and bay leaves and peppercorns. All the remaining broth will be used for the soup.

Soup

Ingredients~

4 ounces salt pork, chopped

1 large leek, pale part only, cut in half, clean and then slice crosswise

1 large parsnip, diced

1 large turnip, diced

2 large carrots, diced

2 large potatoes, diced

All the lamb bone broth

3 cups water

5 sprigs of fresh thyme

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions~

1. Spray a skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Add the salt pork and leeks, sautéing for 5 minutes on medium-high heat. 

2. Add all other vegetables to skillet and sauté for 5 additional minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Transfer mixture to a slow cooker. Then add the meat, broth, water, thyme, salt and pepper. Place a couple of the larger bones into the soup.  Cook on low for 5 – 7 hours.

4. Just before serving remove the bones and thyme sprigs then add the parsley and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Serves 8. Serving size: 1½ cups.

Welsh Lamb and Root Soup Meal

 

This is a great recipe to make a day ahead. The flavors in a bone broth based soup only improve with age. It can even be frozen.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

 

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No Cook Meal-- Healthy Gazpacho

No Cook Meal-- Healthy Gazpacho (photo by LivligaHome)

When it is hot outside it is nice to think of cool meals, especially those that require no cooking. An easy meal for a refreshing lunch or dinner is a no cook gazpacho. It is super easy to make and can be made from fresh ingredients or can incorporate canned ingredients, depending on the time of year, or your willingness to chop tomatoes. 

The traditional base of a gazpacho is tomato. Its origins are thought to be from Andalusia, a region of Spain.  Historic conjecture has it that the soup as we know it today was developed after Columbus returned to Spain from his voyages with peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.

The health benefits of gazpacho are numerous. According to an article written by Dr. Andrew Weil, this cold soup is great for your heart. The antioxidants fight heart disease and reduce blood pressure, if eaten regularly, by as much as 27 percent. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research all the ingredients combined in gazpacho make for a powerful, cancer fighting, concoction worthy of regular consumption, any time of year.
 
No Cook Healthy Gazpacho
 
Ingredients

• ½ sweet onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 7 cups tomato (or 1- 28 ounce can diced tomato)
• 3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Toppings

• 8 ounces cooked chicken or crabmeat (for non-vegetarian version)
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• Remaining cucumber, finely chopped
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Cut prepared cucumber lengthwise and then into quarters. Place all but two quarters into the well of a food processor. Add all other ingredients. Process until ingredients are well blended and finely chopped.
2. Chill for at least ½ hour. Divide soup into four servings. Top each serving of soup with ¼ of each topping. Serve with grilled garlic bread or baked sweet potato fries.

Serves: 4. Serving size: 1½ cup. Calories: 277 (with toppings/crabmeat). Fat 12.5g (Saturated Fat 1.9g); Sodium  507mg; Protein 10.4g; Carbohydrate 36.3g; Fiber 6.3g; Sugars 17.5g.

Re-posted from Sheila's Blog on TheEpochTimes.com.

 

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Easy Crockpot Soup for a Cold, Busy Night--Potato Soup

Crockpot Potato Soup (photo by LivligaHome)

During the holidays I am really reminded of the meaning of the word "harried". I just don't seem to have enough time to do all the things I need and want to do. Cooking becomes a lower and lower prioirty. In order to cook a healthy meal at home it has to be easy and comforting. It needs to ease my stress. Crockpot recipes can often be the solution. One such recipe is Potato Soup.

Potato Soup with a Homemade muffin for a perfect supper (photo by LivligaHome)

Here is how I do it:

Ingredients-
5 small to medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
1 medium onion, diced
3 gloves garlic, diced
Cooking Spray, Olive Oil flavored
pinch of sea salt
dash of ground pepper
3 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 or 4 pats
¼ cup unbleached flour
1 ½ cups reduced fat milk (1 %)
7 tablespoons reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese


Directions-
1. Place first 4 prepared ingredients into the crockpot.
2. Sautee the onion and garlic in a cast-iron skillet sprayed with olive oil flavored cooking spray until softened and translucent. Once cooked place the onion mixture in the crockpot.
3. Add sea salt, pepper and butter to the mixture in the crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours.
4. Place flour in a bowl, gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended.
5. Stir into soup. Cook uncovered 25 minutes on high or until thickened.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the cheddar

Yield 7 servings. Calories:  194

Serve with a tossed green salad (45 calories) and muffin (137 calories) for a total calorie count of 376. The soup was a creamy color, not white because I sauteed the onions and garlic. To make it a more visually attractive dish the cheddar helps; I might also suggest some parsley on top. The salad on the side makes it a more attractive plate for sure. The taste was delicious. It will be a cozy, comfort food repeat, for sure.

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Mediterranean Diet- Greek-Style Lentil Soup with Crispy Olives

Greek-Style Lentil Soup with Crispy Olives Served Up on Livliga's Halsa Portion Control Dinnerware

I am beginning to notice that a lot of the Mediterranean recipes I find are vegetarian. It is making me understand why everyone who eats Mediterranean as a way of life is healthier. There are lots of fresh vegetables and not much fat. There are also a lot of spices used which makes each dish wonderfully aromatic and flavorful. This Greek-Style Lentil Soup with Crispy Olives (290/cal) is packed full of flavors from garlic and onion to thyme, rosemary and oregano to cinnamon enhancing the natural flavors of the foods which make up this recipe. This needs a little forethought in making because it takes about an hour to simmer once you have assembled all the ingredients. It is not difficult to make, just takes a little time to cook.

To complete the meal I added a whole wheat pita bread (100/cal) for a total calorie count for the meal of 390. It was delicious and hearty and enjoyed by all the family. A definite repeat.

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