Confessions Of A Frozen Pizza Addict Part Two

As much as I love pizza, even the healthy version that I described in Part One of this series doesn’t drastically improve the variety of my diet. Plus, I figure I need at least two healthy dishes so that I can eat something different for lunch and dinner. And so my quest for healthy eating must branch out beyond my favorite meal.

I come from a family of cooks. It’s not unusual for dinner to take an hour or more to prepare every night. Things are sautéed, stuffed, seasoned, soused, seared, shredded, simmered, steamed, and steeped on a regular basis. Marinades, brines, fillings, and sauces rule each day. While I often enjoy the fruits of these labors, my own mind boggles at the thought of spending so much time on something that disappears in a matter of minutes. And when frozen pizza can be had at the click of a button – well, any interest in learning the art of cooking disappeared as quickly as food does from my plate.

However, now living away from my family, and having decided that frozen pizza alone isn’t going to cut it, it seems I am destined to enter the land of dicing and flambés after all. But how can I turn this around and, instead of seeing it as a chore, make cooking into an enjoyable activity by doing it my way?

The first thing I firmly decided was that leftovers are critical. If I’m going to spend time cooking anything, then I want several portions of it to last me through the week. A great option for leftovers is soup. Soup can be made in large quantities and frozen for later consumption, heated up quickly just like my frozen pizza!

And so I needed a healthy, easy-to-make soup recipe. My mom provided me with one of her favorites, and it has quickly become a favorite of mine as well. Split pea soup is full of vegetables that provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It can look a little, well, green, but with the right proportions it tastes quite good, especially with a little bread and cheese on the side. And although it takes a few hours to make a batch, it lasts for several meals. I’ve taken to making it on weekend afternoons when I’m puttering around the house – once I have it going, I can stir it every fifteen or twenty minutes while I’m doing other things.

Intrigued? I include the recipe below for your tasting pleasure:

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 bag of dried split peas

4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth

1 to 2 cloves garlic

1 yellow onion

1 stalk celery

2 to 3 potatoes, depending on size

2 to 3 tomatoes, depending on type

1 large carrot

Pepper

Water

Directions:

1. Rinse 1 regular bag of dried split peas and add to large pot.

2. Add chicken broth plus 2 to 2.5 cups of water.

3. Peel and cut garlic cloves and add to large pot.

4. Cut onion into several pieces and add to large pot.

5. Chop celery and add to large pot.

6. Dice potatoes and add to large pot.

7. Cut tomatoes into several pieces and add to large pot.

8. Chop carrot and add to large pot.

9. Add a dash of pepper.

10. Gently simmer all ingredients about 2.5 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.

11. Once everything is mushy, turn off heat and allow mushiness to cool for about 30 minutes.

12. Blend in a blender until smooth.

13. Eat now or save for later!

I like to eat mine with a little bread and cheese (whole grain roll and Havarti with dill are my favorites). But you can also try it with turkey sausage for extra protein.

Total prep time is a little long, but most of that is spent letting the soup simmer, only requiring the occasional stir on my part. It takes mere minutes to heat the leftovers, so I find the trade-off acceptable. I have even begun to enjoy the more intensive cooking part of preparing the vegetables, turning on some music and wiggling my way through the chopping and dicing (very carefully, of course).

Thoughts? Comments? Give the soup a try, and don’t be turned off by a little bit of green! Or share your own favorite soup recipe!

By Jennifer Stanhagen
In addition to being a frozen pizza addict, Jennifer is a fitness trainer and wellness coach with Total Health Concepts.  She also works as a freelance writer and group fitness instructor, where she earned the nickname "Bootcamp Jenn."  You can contact her at jennifer@totalhealthconcepts.net.