Chicken Thighs, Sausage, and Kale Stew (slow-cooker recipe)

Nov 072011
 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

It is the time of year that calls for us to pull out our slowcookers and make hearty stews of tender meats and vegetables. I had a wonderful reader say what she loves about the growing season is that it starts and ends with greens. I couldn’t agree more. I don’t think that I even had kale until I was in my thirties, but I have grow to just love it. The heartiness in it’s texture calls for it to be cooked for a period of time. Outrageously good for you and super filling. I love incorporating it in our meals. My youngest son does not like spinach ever, but loves kale. He says that spinach makes him gag.  I still make him try it now and then.

This chicken, sausage & kale dish can feed an army for a reasonable price. I put everything into the slow cooker in the morning and then at dinner time cooked up some pasta to add in. It was done that easy. This is bowl of love and would not have any hesitation in serving this to my quests.

My favorite way to flavor kale is to add a piece of smokey meat and some wine while it simmers. I am lucky I have a super market close to me that always has smoked turkey legs and necks available at a great price. I like to use ham hocks as well, but use the turkey necks more often to reduce my cholesteral a bit. I am always shocked how much meat I get off the turkey necks. They add flavor and meat. Hearty, hearty goodness. YUM.

In the morning:

Brown the outer layer of six chicken thighs, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. I usually get skinless to cut the saturated fat. Remember browning adds flavor to any dish.

Brown the outer layer of six sausages of your choice.

Start layering in slow-cooker:

chicken thighs
one bunch of kale, cleaned, de-stemmed & finely chopped
1/2 an onion, chopped
6 gloves of garlic
smoked turkey neck
1 t. red pepper flakes
second bunch of kale, cleaned, de-stemmed & finely chopped
sausages
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth

Cover and set slow-cooker for 6 hours or longer.

20 minutes before eating:

Bring a pan of water to boil to cook pasta. Make sure to have plenty of salt in the water. This is the only time your pasta can get seasoned. Cook 1 lb. of pasta to al dente.

While cooking pasta, stir kale in the slow-cooker. Taste and adjust seasonings while pulling out the smoky necks on a plate. The smoky necks do add an amount of sodium, so I like to only add at this stage, if necessary. Let necks cool for a bit and then pull meat off the bones and return the meat to the slow-cooker.

After you drain noodles, stir into the slow-cooker. Then serve. This is also great to set up on a buffet as well and let people help themselves.

Pull out your slow-cooker or pull up a chair, Elizabeth

 

CSA recipe 3:Meatball and Swiss Chard soup

Oct 022011
 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Ingredient used:

Rainbow Swiss chard

I have to admit I make meatballs and greens soup quite often in the fall/winter/spring. My son just inhales it. It could be either turkey, pork, beef or lamb meatballs and it could be one type or  a variety of greens, such as kale, arugula, or spinach, but it is all basically the same recipe. He inhales it every time, no matter what. Now if I put a pile of greens on his plate to eat, he does not want anything to do with it. Ahh, the power of soup.

I usually let the meat and the greens dictate the spices and broth used. If I have lamb meat, I may make it with Greek or Moroccan spices in a beef broth. If I have turkey meat, then I use turkey or chicken broth. One unique thing I do is use instant tapioca instead of eggs, milk and bread crumbs in the meatballs to make them tender, because of my son’s allergies. This is a great trick. Tapioca is gluten free as well.

1/4 lb. ground beef
1/4 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup instant tapioca
3 big dashes worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients listed above together and make little meatballs. You can cook them in the soup or brown them off first on a sheet tray in the oven. It depends on what texture you want out of your meatball in the end. This time I baked them off in the oven first. I made them small, so one can fit in a spoon.

I usually have broth in my freezer, but I do not hesitate to use a bouillon to create my soup either. I have started working for Massel bouillon and have found it a quick and easy solution to have on hand. If I have some broth in the freezer, I will even add some bouillon to add another flavor profile to the soup. Today I used beef broth and added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste to liven up the broth.

4 cups beef broth
2 T. tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1 bunch of rainbow Swiss chard finely chopped (even stems)
1/4 cup onions, sliced or chopped

I heated up the broth and with all of the ingredients listed above until tender, then I added the cooked meatballs. If I was adding the meatballs raw, I would put them in the pot all at the same time. Cook until everything is tender and the meat is cooked. It usually simmers for about 15-20 minutes.

Served up warm with crusty bread is our favorite way to eat this up. I love how easy this is to prepare. I love that how healthy it is for my family and I love foefilling it is to eat soup with meatballs.

Can’t wait for you to pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Quick turkey sausage. 3 recipes. 3 days. Day 1!

May 182011
 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

It is rainy Sunday afternoon and I have 2 lbs of ground turkey in the fridge and a week of meals to plan. I do not like to waste, but I do not like to eat the same thing everyday either. I decided to make the ground turkey into sausage. Divide it into three equal parts. Then I use each third of sausage in three different recipes.

Sausage & greens soup
Biscuits & sausage with creamy poblano gravy
Eggplant & sausage lasagna

First of all the sausage recipe for the 2 lbs. of ground turkey.

*Note: I just looked up the difference of calories, fat, sodium, and cholesterol in ground turkey, beef, and pork. Surprising ground beef (95%lean) is your best choice in all these categories. Turkey is the highest in sodium and surprisingly high in cholesterol, but it lower in fat. (except 95%ground beef). I like the taste of ground turkey, but don’t be fooled that you are doing something that is much healthier for you.

I believe that we could start thinking about meat  in smaller portions and should compliment the meal vs. being the whole meal. Don’t get me wrong… I love a steak or a pork chop, but I can sure have it a lot less often. All these recipes have four servings.  About 2.6 oz of ground meat a serving. Pick which meat you prefer in the end.

Seasonings for turkey or ground meat of your choice:
2t. salt
1 1/2 t. ground pepper
1 t. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. coriander
1 1/2 t. fennel seed
1 1/2 t. cumin
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T. fresh thyme, finely chopped

Day 1 recipe: Sausage & greens soup:

1 portion of reserved sausage
1 T. olive oil
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 cups cleaned, de-stemmed and chopped greens(collard, kale, or mustard)
28 oz. can of diced tomato & juice
3 cups of chicken or veggie stock
2 t. creole seasoning
1 cup uncooked pasta(I used penne)
salt and pepper, to taste

1 .Place soup pot over medium heat. Place another pot of salty water over high heat.
2. Olive oil, sausage, and onion in pot. Sauté until sausage is cooked through
3. Add can of tomato, stock, and creole seasonings to sausage pot.
4. Meanwhile, salty water pot should be boiling. Place greens in the water. Cook them about 5 minutes.
5. Place greens in sausage soup pot.
6. Place pasta in pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Add water if need be. Remember pasta will soak up some of the broth. I like the consistency of my soup to be almost like a stew.  Taste, then adjust seasonings.
7. When pasta is cooked, serve up. I like to drizzle a little oil on top.

This was perfect for a chilly spring day. Not too heavy, but lots of sustenance.  We dunked bread in the broth. We slurped up big bowls. We were totally satisfied. My son said, “Thank you, Mommy. That was delicious.” Aaah, that is what you want to hear.

Tomorrow, I will serve up biscuits & sausage with creamy poblano gravy. I will also include a way to make biscuit and gravy for your vegan friend.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Beans & Pasta made three ways

Apr 042011
 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

I

As much as I love to cook, I do not feel like cooking from scratch everyday. Processed food from a box is just not an option. I also do not like to eat the same dish every meal until it’s finished. My budget doesn’t allow me to go out on those lazy nights, so making one meal’s leftovers into completely different dishes makes me very happy.

Meal 1: White Bean Sauce over Whole Wheat Capellini.

I make the entire pound of pasta. This is comfort on a plate. I use just a little bacon to add flavor, but can be omitted to make a vegatarian dish. The one thing that I love about bacon is that a little bit of smoky salty goodness can add so much depth to a dish. It goes well with vegetables and/or pasta. Bacon stores well and is affordable, so I can always have it on hand to enhance my recipes. My son is so much more willing to dive into a plate of veggies if there is a little bacon crumbled on top.

Recipe:

2 slices bacon
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 or 2 carrots, grated
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 15 oz. cans of small white beans,drained
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 T. fresh marjoram
2 T. fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1 T. creole seasoning
1 cup white wine
1 cup water
1 lb whole wheat capellini

1. Cut bacon up into small slices. Brown over medium heat in a large saute’ pan.

2. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic to pan once bacon is browned.

3. You will need to probably add some olive oil to the pan at this point. Look and see if the veggies need a little more fat in the pan to cook down. Usually the fat from the bacon does not give you enough fat for all those veggies. Also stir in herbs and seasonings at this time.

4. When the veggies are bit transulcent, pour in wine and stir. Let simmer until most of the wine is absorbed.

5. Add water and simmer on low heat. Then I use a emersion blender or you could use a potato masher or blender to make the beans and liguid into a sauce with beans in it. Make sure you do not blend all the beans. I blend about half of them.

6. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remember you will want the sauce to be big in flavor so that it will hold up when you add the pasta. Simmer on low. Add water or wine to make sauce more like fluid if needed.

7. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place pasta in the hot sauce. Toss and plate. I like to drizzle a little more olive oil on the top when I serve it.

Meal 2: Frittata

 I beat 6 eggs with milk, grated parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper together.

Meanwhile, I preheat my oven to 400F and start heating my 10 inch saute’ pan over high heat.

Then I add enough of the leftover pasta to the egg mixture until pasta takes up most of the mixture, but is still soppy.

Add enough butter and olive to the hot pan to coat saute’ pan genereously. Pour egg and pasta mixture into hot pan. Then place in oven for about 20-30 minutes. You want the egg to be cooked.

It will flip out easily because you heated the pan up before you added the egg and pasta mixture.

The taste of frittata is best at room temperature. I love it for breakfast or I wrap a slice and take it for my lunch on the go.

Meal 3: Kale and Bean Soup

I pulled chicken broth from the freezer and started to heating up on the stove top. Cut up kale is placed in the heating broth. Throw in a tablespoon or so of tomato paste. Maybe some spiral ham that you have on hand or some leftover rotiserrie chicken. While it is all heating up in the broth throw in your beans and pasta.

This is super delish soup that takes ten minutes to make and it is something that my son slurps up. I squeeze some sriracha in my bowl before I slurp mine down.

So there you go… THREE meals that are healthy, easy on your schedule as well as your pocket book. Start to rethink your leftovers.

You never know if you will be

Pumpkin Soup

Oct 252010
 
june '10 632

We never ate fresh pumpkin growing up. We carved them. We ate zucchini, butternut, and countless other varieties of squash, but then would head off to the store and purchase pumpkin puree in a can to make our holiday pumpkin pie.

I had no idea how easy it was to cook pumpkin. I have to admit that I learned this from Martha Stewart years ago and I have not gone a season without cooking up lots of pumpkins and storing the puree in the freezer to use in various ways all winter long.

Okay, are you ready for how easy it is to roast a pumpkin…

1. Stick the entire pumpkin on a foil lined baking sheet. Yes, the entire pumpkin! No cutting, nothing!

2. Put in a 350F oven for about an hour or until pumpkin starting to soften and brown up. It will be soft to the touch when done.

3. Let cool completely.

4. Pull off skin. Discard seeds and stringy stuff.

5. Store cooked pumpkin in quart freezer bags.

Can be used in soup, pie, ravioli, etc. So many choices.

Now, let’s get on with pumpkin soup…

The ingredients are few, but you do not need much with fresh pumpkin. It simply tastes fabulous.

2 T. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 t. sage
1lb. pumpkin puree
3-4 cups chicken/ vegetable stock
2-3 T. butter (vegan option: earth balance)
salt and pepper to taste

1. In soup pot, heat oil over med heat.

2. Add garlic and sage to oil and stir. Let get warm and garlic soften a bit.

3. Add pumpkin puree, stir. Then add 3 cups of stock.

4. I use a hand blender to blend the puree and stock together, but you can also use a stand blender. Add more stock to get the consistency that I want. Add butter one tablespoon at a time until the texture is smoother.

5. Taste, then adjust salt and pepper.

6. Heat through and serve.

Homemade soup is pure food of love. A warm cozy bowl of goodness. It is healthy and something my home always has some variety of it during the winter.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Greens and Potato Soup for Meatless Monday

Sep 272010
 
greensoup

“Meatless Mondays!” An intiative with the goal to reduce meat consumption by 15% to improve personal health and the health of our planet. I just love the idea and found out that “Meatless Mondays” is not a new concept. It was first introduced to Americans during World War 1 by the US Food Adminstration, though is was reintroduced in 2003 for health, as a way to reduce the consumption of key staples to aid the war effort. “Meatless Mondays” and “Wheatless Wednesdays” were born. According to Meatless Mondays.com

The effect was overwhelming. Some 10 million families, 7,000 hotels and nearly 425,000 food dealers pledged to observe national meatless days. In November 1917, New York City hotels saved some 116 tons of meat over the course of just one week. According to a 1929 Saturday Evening Post article, “Americans began to look seriously into the question of what and how much they were eating. Lots of people discovered for the first time that they could eat less and feel no worse – frequently for the better”.

Now do not get me wrong, I have said often the I am unapologetic carnivore, but working towards better health and safer planet is really a no-brainer. I make an effort to know where my meat comes from and I no longer desire to have an entire side of beef at one sitting to feel satisfaction. So we, as a family, decided to start not having any meat one day a week. No beef, chicken, pork or fish, so when you have a son that is allergic to dairy and eggs its more like vegan Mondays.

Okay, I was a little scared about doing this, but it has turned out surprisingly well. I have never allowed my child to eat something different then what the adults are eating unless is has to do with his allergies. I am not a short order cook to meet his every whim when it comes to food. I also believe that this really helps with the ability to try new things in many aspects of life. Have you ever know a super picky eater that loves to travel and explore new things? Gabriel know that what is served is what he gets for dinner or he doesn’t eat that evening. That being said, I do try to find things that he will find pleasurable. Soup is my best vehicle for going meatless for my six-year-old. He loves soup.

Super fast, super tasty, super healthy is Greens and Potato Soup. My six-year-old actually ate two bowls full.

Serves 2-4

Kale, one big bunch
3 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into chucks
1 large leek, thinly sliced
2 gloves of garlic
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 big handfuls washed spinach
fresh dill or other herbs that you have on hand.
few pinches hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Finish with purple onion,olive oil, and peashoots.

1. Put a pot of salted water on to boil.

2. Remove heavy thick stems from kale and slice up.

3. Place kale in boiling water for about ten minutes. Take a test bite of the kale and make sure that it is tender. When tender, drain.

4. In second sauce pan, place potatoes, leeks, and garlic with broth. Put enough broth in to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cook until tender.

5. Use a potato masher to mash-up the potatoes in the broth.

6. Add cooked kale, spinach, herbs, and seasonings.

7. Add more broth if necessary, then heat through.

8. Taste and adjust seasonings.

9. Serve and garnish as desired. Today I garnished with purple onions, a drizzle of olive oil (would have loved pumpkin seed oil, but I can not find it), and a few sweet pea shoots.

Note: a. You can make this super thick or soupy. I have made it thick like mashed potatoes as well. Just use less broth.
b. You can also mix up your greens. Use whatever ones you have on hand.
c. I have also added curry powder to this soup as well for a different flavor sensation.

Think about Meatless Mondays you and your family. When you join me and my family on Mondays at my communal table you will find us enjoying the bounty of vegetables and grains. I seem to make a new recipe every week to learn more and more about how to cook this way. I would love to hear about your favorite Meatless meals.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Orchazuke (Tea Rice)

Jun 162010
 

I was introduced to Orchazuke with this great recipe for Salmon Orchazuke on Food 52. I just loved this idea of making something so satisfying as soup with tea and a few leftovers. Making this from scratch is not hard either.

This is different everytime I make it. There are no rules. Sometimes I like a lot of tea in my bowl, sometimes just a little to cover the rice. Using the green tea with soy sauce makes it a bit like a dashi broth. I prefer brown rice to white rice, but make sure that you heat up your leftover rice up before adding your hot tea. It cools the whole dish down too much if you do not.

I have tried it with salmon, tuna, roasted pork shoulder and steak that I have had leftover. My favorite is salmon and pork. This is a little tuna leftover for this delightful soup of comfort.

Just make tea, heat rice and assemble.

Ingredients needed:

Cooked rice
Meat
Green tea
soy sauce
nori seaweed or furikake, cut into strips
sesame oil, just a few drops on top
green onions, thinly sliced
wasabi or sriracha

Optional: mushrooms or cilantro

As much as I love people around my table, this is one of those dishes that I love to eat when I need that zen moment alone. Great taste and no guilt.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth