Peel a bulb of garlic in 30 seconds

This is not the crush and peel method.
AMAZING!!Pin It
 I saw this photo and method on a blog called The Kitchn

It is the fastest way ever to peel an entire bulb of garlic in less than a minutel they say 10 seconds

 I was so fascinated after seeing it demonstrated on the The Kitchn, I had to try it.

Incredible

WELL, I tried it and it worked.

The entire bulb was all peeled in less than a minute!!!

This method comes in very handy for recipes that call for a lot of garlic

Recipes with garlic:
Lemon/Garlic Pasta with Mushrooms & Asparagus- Secret Recipe ...
Sauteed Spinach and Garlic With Gluten Free Pasta
Moroccan Spiced Soup
Gluten Free A-Z Blog: Creamy Broccoli Soup
Gluten Free A-Z Blog: Black Bean Salsa Soup ( Slow Cooker)
Baked Samosas and Raita Dip; Quick, Easy and Delicious
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Moroccan Spiced Carrot Soup

                                                                     
                                        


This rich Moroccan spiced carrot soup calls for a hot Moroccan spice blend called "harissa" 
 which is a pasty combination of hot chili, cumin, coriander, garlic and other spices typically used in North African cooking in countries like Morocco, Algeria,and Tunisia. 

You might really like it, but it's too hot for me. I toned my recipe down and just used the cumin, coriander, and garlic, but I left out the hot peppers and added some white wine( Chardonnay)  for flavor. If you do want to use authentic "harissa" it can be purchased in a can in most spice shops or scroll down to the end of this post for a link to an authentic  homemade" harissa" recipe posted by Katherine Martinelli on her fabulous blog.

Cumin, coriander and garlic are some of my favorites spices, partly because they taste so good and partly because they are so good for you. Freshly ground spices are brilliantly colored, exceptionally fragrant, and bursting with healthy antioxidants.

Moroccan recipes are not new to me, as I already make a wonderful recipe called  Moroccan Spiced Lemon Carrots which I adore. So, you can imagine how excited I was when I found this recipe in Vegetarian Times  for Moroccan Spiced Carrot Soup . I knew it was something we would love.

However, I never would have guessed how much we would love it. It is exceptional.

 I adapted the recipe somewhat. So, the recipe that follows is my version.

                                 
                         Fresh Spice Market in Istanbul, Turkey  (pic from our trip to Turkey in 2010)

Soup Ingredients:

2 TBS. butter (I use organic)

1 TBS olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

3 TBS  tomato paste

8-10 fresh cloves garlic, chopped

3 medium-size carrots, diced

2  russet potatoes, peeled and sliced

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth ( I  used Pacific Brand Organic)

1 cup low sodium tomato juice or V8 juice

2 1/2 tsp. harissa ( optional if you like things hot! ) or just select the next spices 

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/2 cup white wine optional  ( the alcohol will cook out completely but imparts a nice flavor )

Directions

1. Melt butter and olive oil in large soup pan over medium heat. Add onions, peppers and garlic, and saute 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft, stirring often.  
2. Add carrots and potato and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, or until potatoes begin to become  brownish . 
3. Add tomato paste and stir through all the vegetables and stir and cook a little more
4. Add broth, tomato juice, and wine, harissa if using it or cumin and coriander. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are soft.
5. Serve chunky vegetable style ( my favorite) or
6. Transfer mixture in small batches to blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Garnish with Greek Yogurt.. ( I put it in a zip loc bag and snipped the end. Then I squeezed it into a heart  design onto the soup)

The soup is good blended or not! Have it your way!

 

I sometimes want a milder soup, so I  eat this soup chunky, made with white wine and leaveout  the cumin and coriander. It tastes different, but still really good.

For an authentic homemade  recipe for harissa,  visit a fabulous blog  by Kathernine Martinelli      

Authentic Homemade Harissa Recipe

 


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Dieting? What's your eating game plan for the Super Bowl ?

What's your eating plan for the Super Bowl Game.? Are you already worried that you may be tempted to over indulge ? The Super Bowl Game is one of the most watched sports events. It's an exciting event, and people tend to get together to cheer on the teams. But it can also be a fattening event!

Whether you are watching your weight or watching the game, if you plan on making your personal touchdowns and goals, you need an eating plan that will work for you!

Traditionally, snacks and food go hand in hand with watching the game.

If you are dieting or just like to eat healthfully, don't use the game as an excuse to indulge in all kinds of sugar, fat, and white flour.. You'll be sorry tomorrow and have a set back. You can get through it easily.

Make sure you know your eating plan before your get to the game.
Remember, there are lots of healthy choices if you plan and being prepared and planning is the key!

So , put your eating plan together before you start watching and tomorrow you will be happier for it.

Now, Stop whatever you are doing and take the time to leave me a comment of what your eating plan is for the Super Bowl tomorrow . If you have a low cal or low carb recipe to share, link it in the comments. It will help you make time to plan in advance and help inspire others with some good ideas

My Super Bowl Eating Plan is low calorie and full of  healthy nutrients! 

My plan is to eat a light meal before I go to the party and bring
Colorful vegetable platter ( red pepper, carrots, romaine lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, etc.)
and a low calorie dip. I'm also bring some fresh strawberries to share and that will be my dessert!

I'm also bringing some jicama fries because jicama is a vegetable that is thought to speed up the metabolism.

Low Calorie Jicama Crunch Fries

2 medium jicamas ( peel and slice into strips)

1 TBsp of olive oil ) optional

1 tsp each of onion powder & paprika

Sea salt, and optional 1/4 tsp of cumin powder

Directions:
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl until fries are well coated. Enjoy!
or leave out the oil and make it lower in calories

To read how it speeds up the metabolism, how to buy, store and prepare jicama and more ideas about click here Jicama

What is your Eating plan?
May be shared on a few of the following blog carnivals
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Untangle Ribbon with this + other great ideas

Ribbon gets tangled? Enjoy these Fabulous Finds from all over the Internet
These are great household Tips

Fabulous Find #1
This is such a clever idea.
No more tangled ribbon.. What a find!
I found this fabulous find at Spunky Junky



Fabulous Find #2
I couldn't wait to try this idea.
It works great!! Now all my lids are neat and organized
I found this Fabulous Find and photo at As The Card Rack Turns


Fabulous Find #3
Speaks for itself!
I found this Fabulous Find and photo on Real Simple


Fabulous Find #4

How cute are these eggs!
I found this picture and fabulous find on
Imgfave

Wow this is great!
A Kitchen miracle cleaner.
Easy way for baking pans to look like new!
I found this fabulous find and photo at One Good Thing by Jillee

Fabulous Find #5
Great way to store potholders!
 found this Fabulous Find and photo at  Sprinkles of Parsley which is no longer online.




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