There are some nights you just want a bowl of soup and a sandwich – no fuss. To keep it healthy, I like to prepare these ingredients when I have time and keep them in the freezer for when we want this simple type of dinner.
I bake the bread loaves, cut them in half and store each half in a separate freezer bag. Certainly you can buy bread if you don’t have time to bake, but this recipe makes exceptional tasting sandwich bread.
You can use whatever ingredients you have on hand for a sandwich, but I usually like to have extra cooked chicken breasts, pork tenderloin or meatloaf in the freezer. I slice them in sandwich portions and store them in freezer bags.
Soups are always a good solution after a busy day. I like to keep homemade soups in the freezer because they are healthier than canned soup. Soups that are not too heavy go better with sandwiches. I also freeze these in one or two cup portions.
Now with these in the freezer, you won’t have to ask – what’s for dinner?
Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
This is a very moist, tender, slightly chewy bread and stays moist for a few days.
Ingredients
- 3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup honey, divided
- 5 cups bread flour
- 5 tablespoons melted butter or butter alternative, divided
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 4 tablespoons of powdered vital wheat gluten
- 3 1/2 cups whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
Directions
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, mix warm water, yeast and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups bread flour and stir to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes or until big and bubbly.
Mix in the 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey and salt. Stir in the whole wheat flour.
Knead on level 2 for about 10 minutes. Then, take the dough out and knead by hand on a floured surface until not real sticky – just pulling away from the counter for about 1 minute. to form a large dough ball.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
Punch down and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in two greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise until the dough has topped the pans by one inch. You may also make 3 smaller loaves (8×4 inch pans) and reduce the baking time to about 25 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes. To be sure check the temperature with a thermometer. Most breads are done when the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F.
Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter when done to prevent the crust from getting hard. Cool completely
Italian Seasoned Meatloaf for Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 of a large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except bread crumbs. Mix well. Gradually add breadcrumbs and lightly mix mixture after each addition. Stop when the beef and breadcrumb mixture begins to feel firm and holds its shape.
Form into a loaf and place in a baking pan.
Bake the meatloaf until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, about 60-75 minutes.
Let the meatloaf rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow some carryover cooking and to let the juices redistribute.
Meatloaf Sandwich
Ingredients for each sandwich:
- 1 slice Italian seasoned meatloaf
- 1 roasted red pepper from a jar
- 1 large slice deli provolone cheese
- 2 slices homemade whole wheat bread
Butternut Squash-White Bean Soup
The soup ingredients may seem like an unlikely combination, but I have to tell you that the flavor is incredible. Be sure to use a good brand of chicken stock or even better use homemade.
Serves 4-6
For serving:
Cooked bacon, crumbled, and chopped parsley for garnish, if desired.
For soaking the beans:
1 cup dried white beans, such as cannellini, haricot blanc (navy) or Great Northern beans. Soak in 4 cups of water overnight. Drain.
For cooking the beans:
In a large soup pot combine
- Drained beans
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 whole, peeled garlic cloves
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the beans are tender but not soft. Check after 40-45 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Reserve.
For the soup:
In the same pot heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 3 or 4 freah sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
- 1 bay leaf
Cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes and cook for 5 minutes.
Directions
Drain the beans and the garlic and set aside. Add all of the cooking liquid to the squash and onion mixture.
Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Cook at a simmer until the squash becomes very tender. Add the drained white beans and garlic and heat thoroughly. Remove the bay leaf.
Purée one-third of the soup and add back into the pot. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
Serve in individual bowls sprinkled with chopped parsley and crumbled bacon, if desired.
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While you might think of sandwiches or soup as just for lunch, they are a good dinner choice when you get home after a hectic day. Sandwiches are endlessly versatile—you can pile lots of delicious, healthy toppings on whole-grain bread and many hearty soups can come together in 30 minutes or less with just a little advance planning.
How To Keep Sandwiches Healthy:
Better Choices:
Bread
Pick a bread with has three to five grams of fiber per serving
- High-fiber whole wheat bread
- High protein bread
- Wraps and pita bread (they are thin and have fewer calories)
- Reduced calorie bread
- Multi-grain bread
Proteins
- Lean deli meats preferably without nitrates : Turkey, chicken, ham, roast beef or homemade meatloaf
- Vegetarian spreads: Hummus, peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini or vegetarian patties
- Salads: Tuna fish salad, seafood salad, chicken salad made with low-fat dressing
Cheese
- Harder cheeses (such as Swiss and Cheddar) usually have less fat.
- Softer cheeses (like light cream cheese) may have more fat, but if spread thinly, can add overall less fat than slices of hard cheese
Condiments
- Mustard, nonfat salad dressings, salsa, and nonfat mayonnaise all add little calories and lots of flavor.
- Avoid high-fat salad dressings, regular mayonnaise and oil-based dressings.
Vegetables.
A sandwich is a great way to slip vegetables into a meal.
- Sliced tomatoes
- Cucumbers or pickles
- Onions: Sweet, hot, or red
- Peppers: sweet or hot
- Lettuce
- Apples or pears (especially good with ham and turkey)
- Sauerkraut
- Herbs (Basil with toasted cheese and tomato)
How To Keep Soups Healthy:
Fat
Most soups begin with a fat, such as oil, to saute vegetables and bring out their flavor. Fat isn’t always unhealthy; monounsaturated fats can help improve your blood cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats reduce your risk of type-2 diabetes and can help improve your blood cholesterol. Healthy fats are usually liquid at room temperature: Peanut oil, corn oil, safflower oil and olive oil are healthy choices. Always use the least amount of oil as possible in your cooking. I believe that you never need more than 1 tablespoon of oil in a recipe to saute ingredients.
Soup Base
In high-sodium soups, the base is often a salty stock. Keep the sodium low by using a salt-free stock. Chicken, beef, vegetable and fish stock often are available in salt-free varieties. Canned low sodium tomatoes are readily available and make a fine base for soup on its own or mixed with stock, depending on how thick you want the broth. Milk or fat free half works for creamy soups. Do not add salt or use full-sodium broth. There are 860 milligrams of sodium in 1 cup of full-sodium chicken stock and only 72 milligrams in low-sodium chicken stock. If you add 1 teaspoon of salt to the base, you increase the soup’s sodium content by 2,325 milligrams.
Protein and Fiber
Most soups include a source of protein, either meat or legumes. Legumes are also an excellent source of fiber. Lean beef, chicken, pork, turkey or fish are good choices. For legumes, don’t choose a sodium canned variety — they can have as much as 818 milligrams of sodium per 1-cup serving. There are many no salt added canned beans in the markets today. Almost any legume works in soup. For additional fiber, add whole grains, such as barley, quinoa or brown rice, all of which are low-sodium. If your soup recipe has noodles, choose a whole grain variety. In addition, use only fresh — not canned — veggies to avoid excess sodium. Onions, carrots, garlic, celery, corn, spinach, kale and potatoes are good choices for soup.
Seasoning
The seasonings make lower sodium soup tasty. They complement the flavor of the other ingredients and finish your soup. Add seasonings to taste — stir, taste and then add more if necessary. Most spices and herbs do not contain sodium. Provided it does not have added salt, any seasoning works. Rosemary, thyme and marjoram make a tasty combination, so do chili powder and cumin. Parsley and basil complement almost any type of soup.
Quick Soups and Healthy Sandwiches
Vegetable Beef Barley
Saute 1 pound lean ground beef in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; drain fat.
Add 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, 1 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Cover; simmer 15 minutes.
Add 1 cup frozen mixed veggies, 1 14 ½ oz can no salt added diced tomatoes, and 1/2 cup quick-cooking barley. Cover; simmer 15 minutes.
Warm Prosciutto-Stuffed Focaccia
Ingredients:
- 1 (9-ounce) round loaf focaccia bread, whole grain if possible
- 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 4 ounces thinly sliced Provolone cheese
- 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 2 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette
Directions:
Cut bread in half horizontally, using a serrated knife. Top bottom bread half with prosciutto and next 3 ingredients.
Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette; cover with top bread half. Wrap in aluminum foil; place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until warm. Cut focaccia into six wedges. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Many markets sell butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes in the produce section of the market, usually next to the cut up fruit.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 and 1/2 pounds after trimming)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup fat free half half
Directions:
Melt the butter in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the squash, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook 10 minutes, covered. Add the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes, stirring once in awhile. Remove the bay leaf.
Purée the soup with a hand blender and add the half and half. Warm gently, and serve immediately.
Grilled Eggplant Pita Sandwiches with Yogurt-Garlic Spread
4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 (1-pound) eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup plain reduced-fat Greek-style yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Cooking spray
- 4 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
- 2 cups arugula
Directions:
Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, yogurt, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Brush eggplant and onion slices with oil. Place eggplant and onion slices on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
Fill each pita half with 1 1/2 tablespoons yogurt mixture, one quarter of eggplant slices, one quarter of onion slices, and 1/4 cup arugula.
Crab Chowder
6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 1 cup cored fennel bulb, finely diced, plus 2 tablespoons chopped fronds, divided
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups diced red potatoes, unpeeled
- 28 oz container Pomi strained tomatoes
- 1 pound pasteurized crabmeat
Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, diced fennel, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are just starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add broth, water and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, crabmeat and fennel fronds. Return to a boil, stirring often; immediately remove from heat.
Turkey, Apple, and Swiss Melt
Serves 4 (serving size: 1 sandwich)
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 8 (1-ounce) slices whole-wheat bread
- 4 (1-ounce) slices Swiss cheese
- 5 ounces thinly sliced Granny Smith apple (about 1 small)
- 8 ounces thinly sliced lower-sodium deli turkey breast
- Cooking spray
Directions:
Combine mustard and honey in a small bowl. Spread one side of each of 4 bread slices with 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard mixture.
Place one cheese slice on dressed side of bread slices; top each with 5 apple slices and 2 ounces turkey. Top sandwiches with remaining 4 bread slices.
Coat both sides of sandwiches with cooking spray. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sandwiches to pan.
Cook 2 minutes on each side or until bread is browned and cheese melts.
Black Bean Soup 
Saute 1 chopped onion, 1 tablespoon cumin, and 4 minced garlic cloves in 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Add one 32 oz. carton (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth, 1- 14 ½ oz can no salt added diced tomatoes, two 15-ounce cans low sodium black beans, and one 1.4-ounce can diced green chili peppers. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro and 1 tablespoon light sour cream. Garnish with baked tortilla chips.
Avocado Tomato Wraps
Ingredients:
- 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 whole wheat tortillas (10 inches), room temperature
- Lettuce leaves
- 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
In a small bowl, mash a fourth of the avocado with a fork; spread over tortillas. Layer with lettuce, tomato and remaining avocado.
Sprinkle with cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper; roll up. Serve immediately. Yield: 2 servings.
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