Monday, February 28, 2011

Menu Plan Monday and the Week Ahead...

This is going to be a different sort of week so I won't have much of a menu plan.  David is out of town until late Tuesday, I have choir rehearsal Wednesday evening, and we are attending a Red Cross fund raising dinner on Thursday.  I'm going to take advantage of a week in which I really don't need to cook in order to kick off my weight loss plans. 

I have various vegetables on hand so I'm going to make up a big pot of soup today.  I'll eat homemade yogurt and fruit for breakfast and the soup for lunches and dinners the next few days.  I love soup so this won't be much of a deprivation.  I won't know until I start making it exactly what it will be since I tend to cook by inspiration rather than recipes.  I looked through my recipe file and found an old recipe from Weight Watchers for a vegetable soup that is worth zero points.  I have everything but the zucchini on hand and I'm sure I can find something else in the freezer to substitute.  In fact, this will be a good way to use up some of the veggies in my freezer.  I know I have some leeks and celery that I froze a couple of months ago.  And while it will add to the calorie/point value, I have two bags of organic potatoes so I'll probably add a few of those to the pot. 

Here is the original recipe:

2/3 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. fat-free broth, (any kind)
1-1/2 c. diced green cabbage
1/2 c. green beans
1 T tomato paste
1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. diced zucchini

Saute onion, carrot, garlic, around 5 min. until soft over low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients except zucchini. Simmer 15 minutes over low heat or until green beans are tender. Stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 min. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings at 0 pt.
 
 
I will be making a much larger quantity and of course it will have to include Creole seasoning. ;)