Soup, Salad and Cake!

Last week I purchased a carton of Trader Joe's Low Sodium Butternut Squash Soup. Therefore I had to find a soup worthy of such a base. I found this recipe off of Pinterest and changed it a but. It turned out very well.

If you're anything like me, eating a boring salad just isn't worth it. I like combining flavors and textures. This salad is no exception.

And the final recipe: Apple Pie Cheesecake. I made this today for the Yom Kippur break-fast. I have an odd tendency of making up recipes while I am fasting. The problem is baking without licking the spoon.

Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup

Multiple Servings/Family Size (Each portion includes 3-4 servings of vegetables)

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped into ½ inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped into ½ inch wedges

6 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 carton of Butternut Squash soup (I used Trader Joe’s low sodium soup)

4 cups of finely chopped kale

1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or dried)

1 15 oz can of Great Northern white beans, drained

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp ginger

Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Pour thin coat of olive oil on a large baking sheet. Arrange carrots, squash, tomatoes and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Sprinkle with pepper. Roast vegetables until they are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Sauté onions in soup pot with more garlic and small amount of olive oil. Add broth, ¼ cup water, kale, thyme, and roasted tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Add roasted squash and carrots. Simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, ginger and pepper. Stir well.

Chick Pea, Broccoli, Tomato and Mixed Greens Salad

1 Serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Mixed Greens (Arugala, Romaine Lettuce, Spinach)

Onion, chopped

Broccoli, chopped

Tomato, sliced

1 tsp Roasted flax seeds

1/2 can Chick Peas, drained

Low Sodium Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Apple Pie Cheesecake

Multiple Servings/Family Size (Each portion includes 1 servings of fruit)

2 ½ cups Rolled Oats

1/4  cup Brown sugar

1/2 cup Oil

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Dash of Nutmeg

Dash of Cloves

1 package of Cream cheese

1/2 cup Brown sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp Whole Wheat flour

1 tsp Lemon Juice

4 Apples (I used a combination of Jonathan and Honey Crisp), sliced thin

2 Tsp Brown sugar

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Dash of Nutmeg

Dash of Cloves

1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauce pan, combine oats, oil, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Heat until well blended. Pour half of mixture into spring-form pan. Bake until filling is ready.

Combine cream cheese (softened), sugar, egg, vanilla, flour and lemon juice. Set aside.

Chop apples. Combine in a new bowl with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and flour.

Take pan out of oven. Spray edges of pan with non-stick spray. Pour in cheese cake filling. Then pour in apples. Top with the remainder of the oat mixture.

Bake for 1 hour.  Cover with tin foil for the last thirty minutes.

Can be served warm or cooled.