How many working women do you know who cook on Sundays to prepare meals for the week ahead? I know quite a few — I do it myself. A couple of weeks ago, I met one more.

“I still do the Sunday thing, but with less effort,” said Dawn Amano-Ige, Hawaii’s first lady. “Now there’s just my husband and me. Sometimes I cook for my mom.”

Who knew?

The Iges’ three children are grown and have left the nest, but back in the day the first lady was like many a working mom, driving the kids to soccer and music lessons after a full day of work as a public school teacher and, later, a vice principal. Once home, it was a race to get a meal on the table.

“It was always a juggling act to get everything done,” she recalled. “I tried to make healthy, nutritious meals.”

Still, there were times when the family relied on takeout, she said.

With that in mind, 7-Eleven locations will soon offer Mrs. Ige’s Chicken Cilantro Sandwich, part of the state Department of Health’s “Choose Healthy Now” campaign. The sandwich, filled with a yogurt-based chicken salad that’s less than 500 calories, will be available Oct. 31.

Here, Amano-Ige shares the recipe for a cilantro-lime dressing, crafted by chef Kelvin Ro, that flavored up the original sandwich upon which the 7-Eleven version is based.

“Everyone’s busy with lots of things to do,” Amano-Ige said. “As an educator, I know that in order for children to learn, they must have a healthy diet, and I want them to choose healthy options for long-term benefits.”

During a visit with the first lady at Washington Place last month, Amano-Ige taught me a quick, easy recipe for the perfect accompaniment to the chicken cilantro sandwich: a healthy tomato basil soup, one of her personal favorites. It comes from the Iges’ housekeeper, Elena Kealoha, who makes the soup for events at Washington Place.

You couldn’t find a simpler recipe: Ingredients are sauteed in a pot and simmered until soft, then blended into a thick soup. But don’t confuse simple with run-of-the-mill. It’s truly delicious, thanks to a couple of unexpected ingredients.

To start, the recipe calls for carrots, which add another facet of sweetness alongside the tomato paste, and these balance out the tang of the stewed and fresh tomatoes. The carrots also lend a pretty depth of color to the soup’s orange hue.

But the real surprise here is the way the soup is thickened. Rather than employing a slurry, the recipe calls for bread slices, offering another opportunity to add a healthful element. Although any kind will do, something like a multigrain would provide fiber and nutrients.

The one decadent aspect of the soup is a bit of half-and-half that provides definite richness. The final touch: a garnish of fresh basil leaves from Washington Place’s aquaponic garden.

The Iges eat from that garden whenever possible, including its tilapia, and visiting chefs who cook for special events at Washington Place have open access. Amano-Ige hopes to turn it into a learning garden for students.

During my visit the space was lush with eggplant, kalo, bok choy, kale, lemon grass, watercress, lettuce and more.

Contrary to what I had conjured up in my head, the first couple does not have a private chef, and they’re responsible for their own meals. Sure, they attend fancy dinners often, but not every night. Like everyone else, after a long day the Iges crave comfort food.

This sends Amano-Ige to the supermarket regularly — yes, the first lady does her own grocery shopping — and into the garden at all hours. Her favorite garden dish: just-harvested kale, sauteed and tossed with pasta and tomatoes.

“I usually cook late at night,” she said. “When we eat at home, it’s a very simple meal. I go out to the garden with my flashlight and pick stuff.”

Elena’s Tomato Basil Soup

Courtesy Elena Kealoha

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 ounces (1/2 small can) tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 carrot, cut into small chunks
• 3 fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped in half, divided
• 3/4 cup water or chicken broth
• 2 slices bread
• 4 tablespoons half-and-half, or to taste

In medium pot over medium-low, heat oil. Add onions, tomato paste, salt and pepper, stewed tomatoes, carrot, fresh tomatoes and half the basil. Saute and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Raise heat to high and add water or chicken broth, then add bread, breaking into pieces by hand into the pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Add half-and-half and remove from heat.

Let sit 10 minutes to cool, then blend in blender to a smooth consistency.

Over low heat, return soup to pot and stir 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve in warmed bowls and top with remaining basil. Makes 6 cups.

Approximate nutritional information, per cup (using chicken broth): 150 calories, 6 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 4 g protein

———

Cilantro Lime Dressing

Courtesy chef Kelvin Ro

• 1 cup chopped cilantro, stems and leaves
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 serrano chili peppers, seeded, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 4 limes, juice and zest
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients except oil into food processor, and blend well. Add oil slowly. Makes about 2-1/2 cups.

Use dressing on bread with cucumber, tomato and lettuce. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Add roasted chicken breast if you like.

Approximate nutritional information, per 2 tablespoons (not including feta or chicken): 90 calories, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, 1 g sugar, no fiber or protein

Is there a cooking technique you’d like explained? Email food editor Joleen Oshiro, joshiro@staradvertiser.com. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.