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01/03/2018 11:01 PMMy friend Katrina used my four-mold Bundt pan to make rum cakes for family and friends. I used to make full-sized rum cakes during the holidays and, about a decade ago, I bought that mini-sized mold. I had never used it and was glad that it was going to get a workout, even without me at the helm.
I dropped off at her house a few of those faux crystal plastic plates and her husband showed me the ones she had made, mentioning that she was going to make about two dozen more, and would I like one to take one home? I said I would, after Christmas—if there was an extra—but that I myself was so tired of making holiday cakes and cookies and candy and pies that I didn’t even want to see another dessert, maybe for another year.
Of course, that “other year” has arrived, and I began to think of what I could do with a cake or two, wondering if anyone might be interested in a trifle with cake and two different kinds of pudding, jam, fresh fruit, and whipped cream. Then I thought, “No, nothing until Valentine’s Day,” when I would make a trifle and tell you how to make one, too.
Instead, I am writing again about what I will be making, and enjoying, especially as I have that “freshman 15” I seemed to have added between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. This soup is a recipe I have adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe that has no points. I add low-sodium chicken stock, a teaspoon of red curry paste, and a can of low-fat coconut milk. You can use my recipe or add or subtract fewer or more vegetables. I will make this a few times all winter. I have found that if I have it for lunch or dinner at least four times a week, I will lose that extra weight.
Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup
Heavily adapted from Weight Watchers booklet, Week 1
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 or more red and yellow peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
Red curry paste (I use about 1 tablespoon; you might start
with 1 teaspoon)*
4 cups fat-free low-sodium broth (I like chicken or vegetable)
1 ½ cups diced green cabbage
1 ½ cups green beans (frozen is fine)
1 cup low-fat unsweetened coconut milk*
1 28-ounce can of good diced tomatoes (I love Muir Glen)
Salt to taste
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil until warm. Add carrots, onions, garlic, and peppers. Sauté over low heat until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add red curry paste and stir until veggies are covered. Add broth until warm. Add cabbage, green beans, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Lower heat and simmer, covered, about 15 to 20 minutes or until beans are tender. Season to taste.
This soup can be kept in the refrigerator for at least a week. It can also be frozen and thawed before heating, but I will finish this soup in a week, easy.
* The red curry paste is made by Mae Ploy. Once open, bag it and refrigerate. I have had one jar in the fridge for years. There may be an Asian market near you and some supermarkets carry it, too.