Healthy Hamburger Soup

This is a long-time soup staple from my friend, Jackie.  It is very tasty and very healthy.  She originally got it from Taste of Home.

Ingredients

1. 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
2. 1 medium onion, chopped
3. 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
4. 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
5. 1 cup water
6. 4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
7. 4 large carrots, halved and thinly sliced
8. 10 whole peppercorns
9. 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10. 1/2 teaspoon salt
11. 1/2 cup quick-cooking barley
12. 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, broth and water. Add celery and carrots.
2. Place peppercorns on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to beef mixture. Stir in thyme and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Return to a boil. Stir in barley. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until barley is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in parsley. Let stand for 5 minutes. Discard spice bag. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts

1-1/3 cups equals 227 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 762 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 20 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1/2 starch.

Healthier Corn Chowder

This turned out so, so tasty, and the fat is cut way in-half from your typical cord chowder recipe.  The trick to this is cooking the veggies and bacon before adding liquid.

4 slices bacon turkey, chopped into little pieces
about 2 cups corn
half a head of broccoli, chopped
half a head cauliflower, chopped
1/3 head cabbage
2 cups skim milk
1/2-1 cup cheese
1/4 cup flour
olive oil
(I had 1 cup left-over roasted chicken I chopped up and put that in, too, but it would be good without it).

Place corn, other veggies, and turkey bacon in big soup pot.  Drizzle about 1tsp. olive oil in with it.  Cook about 10 min or until veggie brown and begin to soften.  If it starts getting dry, put about 1/4 cup water in rather than oil to cut down on fat.  When veggies are getting soft and bacon is cooked, sprinkle the flour over it and stir in well (this will allow the milk to thicken when it is added).  Then add your milk and stir again.  Turn down the heat after the milk is heated through (maybe after 3-5 minutes).  Let is simmer about 20 min.  Just before serving add the cheese in.  Notice the cheese is cut way back and it is still so tasty and your heart and waist line will thank you.