Roasted Root Vegetable Soup and Curried Chicken Puffs

1 large sweet potato
4 carrots, peeled and cut up
2 parsnips, peeled and cut up
1 small apple, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 onion, chopped and sauteed
3-4 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Oven Grilling Method:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread vegetables in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle on the oil and mix with your hands to evenly distribute the oil. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until vegetables are lightly browned and tender. Transfer to a large saucepan, and add the broth and seasonings. 


Easy Slow-Cooker Method:  Sautee chopped onion in a fry pan and transfer to slow cooker. Place all cut up vegetables in slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours. Add broth and seasonings and cook and additional 1 1/2 hour. Mash vegetables with a potato masher or blend in a blender in batches till smooth. Serve 


CURRIED CHICKEN PUFFS (from sparkpeople recipes)
Pastry Puffs:
1 c water
1/2 c hard margarine, butter, or shortening
1/4 tsp salt


1 c all-purpose flour


4 large eggs


Curried Chicken Filling:
2 c chopped cooked chicken (for veg version may use tofu, crumbled)
10 oz. can of low-fat condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom, or your own white gravy or     cream mix)
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/16 tsp pepper


For Pastry Puffs: Combine first 3 ingredients in medium heavy saucepan. Heat and stir on med-hi until boiling and margarine is melted. Reduce heat to medium.
Add flour. Stir vigorously for about 1 min until mixture pulls away from side of sacepan to form soft dough. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 min.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until well combined and dough is thick and glossy. Drop, using about 2 tsp for each, about 3 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake in 425 degree F oven for about 30 minutes until dry. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes about 48 pastry puffs. Trim 1/4 inch slice from top of each. Set tops aside.


Curried Chicken Filling: Combine all 5 ingredients in large saucepan. Heat and stir on med-low for about 10 minutes until heated through. Makes about 2 1/3 c filling. Spoon about 2 tsp filling into each pastry puff. Cover with tops. Serve immediately. Makes about 51 puffs.

Butternut Chili

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each: cumin, chili pwdr, and ginger
1 med red or sweet onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
2 c butternut squash, cubed
3 c gluten-free broth
1 28-oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes, diced or broken up, with juice
1 c chopped green chiles - mild or hot, as you prefer
2 14-oz cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1 14-oz can white Northern beans, or red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 Tbsp golden balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar
1 Tbsp agave nectar (honey if you don't have agave, but honey not considered vegan)
1 large fresh lime - for juice and garnish


To assemble in a slow cooker: Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the cooker; add garlic and spices and stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients except the lime juice. Gently stir with a wooden spoon or vinyl spatula (you don't want to mash the beans) to mix. Cover and follow the manufacturer's instructions for slow cooking a chili with canned (not dried beans). Suggested cooking is on low for 5-6 hours.

To make on the stove top: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; add the spices, stir and heat through for a minute; add onions and stir for 2-3 minutes; add the remaining ingredients except the lime. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer; lower the heat and keep the chili at a slow simmer, covered; stir now and then, and check the consistency. Add a little more broth if needed, to thin. Cook for an hour or so until all the flavors have combined and the sauce is thickened and rich.

Before serving, squeeze in the juice from half a lime; stir. Taste test for seasoning adjustments -more lime? A pinch of salt? More heat? A touch more sweetness? Serve piping hot, as is, or with a garnish on top.  Serves 6.

Garnish Ideas:
Chopped fresh cilantro
Wedge of lime
Crumbled blue corn chips

In making this, I omitted the celery as we aren't overly fond of it, and reduced the garlic. I used a fresh jalapena pepper from the garden for the green chile. It was so delicious that Pat told me it was the best recipe I've made to date. Yay! Another yummy recipe to enjoy.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This dish is eaten throughout Asia, with some variations. This is the plain and average version Americans enjoy.
1 lb. chicken meat, cut into bite-sized chunks and sauteed
1 8-oz can pineapple tidbits or chunks
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c vinegar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp soy sauce
(opt) 1 t instant chicken bouillon granules
1/8 t ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 c bias-sliced carrots ( 2 med, or more if you like)
2 cloves garlic, minced (or powdered if you don't have fresh)
   If you don't want as much garlic taste, reduce or change out the garlic and add some onion
(1/4 c onion, minced or sliced in thin lengthwise half-moon strip)
1 lg green or red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups hot cooked rice

For sauce, drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add enough water to juice to equal 1 1/2 cup. Stir in sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and bouillon. Set aside.
Start stir frying the chicken chunks and garlic. Add carrots and stir-fry 1 minute. Add bell peppers (and onions), stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes or till crisp-tender.
Stir sauce. Pour into center of pan. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Add pineapple. Heat through. Serve over rice. Serves 5.

Stir-fry Rice (Pat)

When I ate this for dinner after Pat had made it, and said how delicious it was, he had me take a picture of it and wanted me to include it on the blog. He doesn't use a recipe. And, he puts anything in the fridge in it. These are the approximate instructions for making it:
5 c cooked rice
1/4 onion, chopped
4 T veg oil
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c mirin
2 carrots, sliced
1 lg bell pepper, chopped
3 eggs
1-2 tsp white pepper
Heat the oil and start to saute the onion. Then add the pre-cooked carrots and the bell pepper, stirring 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and mirin. Then add the rice and stir till hot and seperated, starting to turn slightly brown. Turn off heat. In seperate pan, scramble eggs, add to the rice mixture, and incorporate the white pepper seasoning, flavoring to taste. Thanks for whipping up one of your quick meals Pat.

PERUVIAN QUINOA-VEGETABLE SOUP

I found this recipe in the book "The 30-Minute Vegan" by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray. I've been wanting to try eating quinoa for some time, but hadn't found an appealing way to eat it. This piqued my culinary curiosity and I tried it. Here it what the authors tell about the recipe; "On our honeymoon in Peru, after politely refusing the house specialty of fried guinea pig, we would typically opt for this yummalicious soup. From the mountains of Cusco to the jungles of the Amazon to the island of Lake Titicaca, we were happily treated to this national favorite time and time again. Most of these ingredients grow in the Andes Mountains and are popular among the locals. It was amazing to see quinoa growing in its natural environment. If you can't find purple potatoes, and will do." 
7 c water of vegetable stock 
3 Tbsp soy sauce 
3/4 c uncooked quinoa 
1 1/2 c chopped purple potatoes, or potatoes of choice 1 large carrot, sliced 
3/4 c diced yellow onion 
4 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced 
1 c sliced cabbage 
1 Tbsp seeded or minced jalapeno or other chile pepper 
2 large tomatoes, chopped 
1/4 c minced fresh cilantro 
1/4 c fresh Italian parsley 
1 t sea salt, or to taste 
1/2 t black pepper, or to taste 

1) Place the water and soy sauce in a large pot over med-high heat. Add the quinoa. 
2) Begin prepping the vegetables and place them in the pot as you go. Start with the potatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, cabbage, jalapeno, and tomatoes. 
3) Cook until the potatoes are tender and the quinoa is cooked, about 20 minutes from when the quinoa was added. Add the cilantro, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

I wanted to make it for Sunday dinner, and to have it ready after church, adapted it to cooking in a slow cooker. I reduced the amount of vegetable stock to a 32-oz tetra pak carton of veg broth, increased the carrots because I like them, and used canned jalapeno, and dried garlic and parsley. I cooked it on high for about 4 hours or so, and served it with cornbread drizzled with honey. It was incredible. I could eat the whole pot of it all by myself.

Black Bean Enchilada

I love black beans, so when I made enchiladas with chicken, I had to make some with black beans for me. I had left-over cooked Yukon Gold potatoes, so I put those in as well. I made the filling on my own, but then found a recipe for black bean filling in the Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Mexican issue, so added carrots to it. This second time I made these enchiladas, I tried following the recipes from the magazine more carefully. I don't think I like purchased mole sauce. I would either leave it out, or make my own. Here it the recipe from the magazine:

Black Bean Filling
1/2 c chopped onion (1 med)
1/2 c chopped carrot (1 med; I like at least two)
1 med fresh jalapeno chile pepper, stemmed seeded, and finely chopped (canned worked for me)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 c sour cream (I left this out)
1/3 c purchased mole sauce
2 Tbsp water
2 15-oz cans black bean, rinsed and drained
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (again, no dairy for me)

In a large skillet, cooked onion, carrot, chile pepper, and garlic in hot oil until onion and carrot are tender. Remove skillet from heat. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mole sauce, and the water. Stir sour cream mixture, beans, and cheese into onion mixture in skillet. Makes 8 servings.

So without all the dairy to offset the mole sauce, I only used the onion, garlic, carrot and jalapena; sauteed. Then stirred in 1 can black beans and the microwaved carrots, spiced with black pepper,  a generous tsp or to taste of dried oregano or Italian seasonings, and red chile pepper or red chile flakes. Maybe those potatoes really were a good addition. Don't use baking potatoes, use the thin skinned boiling kind. Then roll up the filling in tortilla shells, place in greased or sprayed baking rectangle pan. Cover with sauce of your choice, and bake on 350 till heated through. If you choose to use a salsa as topping for the sauce on these, like I pictured it, then you can optionally heat in the microwave, and top with the salsa.

Chip and Salsa Soup

Chip and Salsa Soup
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 1/4 cups fresh salsa, mild or medium
• 1 tablespoon canned diced green chilies
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 2 cups fat-free tortilla chips, broken into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup avocado chunks

Place the broth, beans, salsa, corn, green onions and chilies in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes to blend flavors.

Place 1/2 cup of chips and 1/4 cup of avocado in each of four bowls. Ladle the soup over the avocado and chips and serve at once.


I really like this recipe, and it's non dairy! I got it from the "McDougall All-You-Can-Eat Cookbook", which is a cool resource (http://www.drmcdougall.com/free_5a.html).  This is another way I get some veggies in Karl's diet ;)  We like to have quesadillas on whole wheat tortillas on the side.

I'm in the middle of moving, but I'll get pictures up as soon as I can!

Chicken Enchiladas

ENCHILADAS- Shredded Chicken Filling

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (abt 1 1/2 lbs total)
1 4-oz can diced green chile peppers
1/12 c chopped onion (1 med)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 10-oz can enchilada sauce

Slow cooker method: In a 3 1/2 or 4-qt slow cooker, combine chicken, chile peppers, onion, garlic, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Pour canned enchilada sauce over chicken mixture, coating the chicken. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5-6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2- 3 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker, reserving cooking liquid. When chicken is cool, use forks to pull chicken apart into shreds. Place shredded chicken in a serving bowl. Stir in enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten. If desired, use remaining cooking liquid to make Chile Enchilad Sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Chile Enchilada Sauce: On a bowl, combine two 10-oz cans enchilada sauce and 1/4 c reserved cooking liquid from Shredded Chicken Filling or 1/4 c vegetable broth. Stir in one 4-oz can diced green chile peppers. Spread 1/2 c sauce in a 3-qt rectangular baking dish. Add enchiladas and top with remaining sauce. Cover; bake in a 350 degree F oven until heated through. Sprinkle enchiladas with 1/2 c cheese; bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Makes 8 servings.

These are recipes I found in Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Mexican. I followed the recipe after I had made enchiladas without a recipe, then looked at this to add anything interesting, and they tasted sooooo good, I had to try it again. Of course I had to tweak it some by adding leftover rice to the chicken filling. I think dishes always have too much meat. Pat says they tasted good, but I haven't tasted mine yet. I made the black bean one with no cheese for me. I will have to post those next, I guess.

I will hurry it up by microwaving the chicken breasts, covered. When the chicken cools, I will slice thinly or shred it. In a skillet I saute the seasonings, then add the chicken, stirring and heating. Then I pretty much follow the directions for the chile enchilada sauce, but if I only use one can of sauce, then I spray the baking pan, put the filled rolled enchiladas in, pour sauce over, and heat in the oven at 350. I will take them out for the last 5 minutes, sprinkle with shredded mexican cheese, and put bake in the oven to bake until cheese is melted. Serve with any toppings you enjoy. I'm going to try out a recipe for Sweet Corn Pudding to go with this later in the summer when there is fresh corn. For now, I used corn chips as a side. We enjoyed this watching the Basketball games in HD on the large screen tv.

GYOZA (potstickers)

So my kids aren't all-American! Most kids love eating pizza. Mine are on a potsticker craze right now. They will eat them twice a day, so I've taught my son how to make them himself. For these, I don't make them from scratch. Here in Walmart HQ country, I've found two kinds, pork or chicken Teipei brand frozen bags of potstickers. It makes such a quick and simple Asian meal.
Put your rice on to cook (Asian rice, not American premade type. We've become addicted to the Jasmine rice), toss a green salad, and follow the cooking instructions for preparing the potstickers. It should all be done about the same time, in 30 minutes. Serve with the sauce that comes with the potstickers, or soy sauce. If you have furikake (rice sprinkles - salty flavored toppings to sprinkle on rice) then so much the better. Have a good meal!

Japanese Miso soup with fried rice

Because Japan is such a big part of our lives, we have to have some good home-made japanese food once in a while. Too bad I can't have a japanese person cook for me, like my sister-in-law Asuka. But I do the best I can anyway.



 
 MISO SOUP
dashi stock (I can't get the dried fish so I use the powder dissolved in water, follow directions)
1 block firm tofu, rinsed and cubed
3-4 Tbsp miso, white preferred with seaweed or spinach, stirred into stock to taste
Opt. ingred: dried wakame seaweed reconstituted in cold water, or cooked cubed potatoes, or left-over rice, left-over finely chopped or match-stick cut veges like carrot or other root veg. or mushrooms - shiitake preferred.
Put one or more of the optional ingredients in the stock and bring to boil. Cook for 2 minutes or so, then add tofu. Put miso onto ladle or soup spoon, immerse in soup and add broth gradually as you stir the miso with chopsticks or a fork till completely dissolved. Make sure there are no lumps of miso left when adding to the soup. Bring to boil again, and turn off the heat. Put boiling soup into soup bowls and serve immediately.

FRIED RICE
3 c cold rice from earlier in the day or day before
1 Tbsp safflower or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, minced (can use powdered)
4 oz raw chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 scallions(green onions), thinly sliced
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1-2 tsp soy sauce, mixed with 1-2 Tbsp chicken stock
1 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed or ground (red pepper flakes also work), or freshly ground black pepper
Opt: 1 green bell pepper, but into 1/4" strips, or 1/2 c mushrooms, scrambled egg, or green peas

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot (or a wok). Add oil and when hot, stir-fry garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry 1 minute. Add carrot, and choice of optional ingredients, and scallions and stir-fry over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and stir (and toss) until heated through. Add soy sauce mixture and pepper and mix well. Serve immediately, but it tastes fine at room temp also. Works well reheated too for next meal.

Down-Home Vegetable Frittata

The original recipe is called "Down-Home Vegetable Frittata"

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 med yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 beaten eggs, or 1 c egg substitute
2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or oregano, or 1/4 tsp dried
1 lg baking potato, cooked and cubed
1 med tomato, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spicy tomato salsa, for garnish

Heat oil in a lg nonstick skillet; saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper until soft, about 3 min. Combine eggs, cheese, herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add potato and tomato to the skellet and immediately top with the egg mixture. Cook over low heat until nearly cooked through; top should be slightly uncooked. Transfer skillet to broiler for a minute, or until top is done and slightly browned. Loosen frittata around the edge with a narrow spatula and slide frittata from skillet to a plate. Cut into quarters. Serve with spicy tomato salsa.

Serves 4 (Per serving with eggs: 209 cal; 7.3 g total fat(2.3 g saturated); 26 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 3 g fiber; 130 mg sodium.)

I couldn't find the recipe, and anyway, I only use recipes as guides and do my own thing. So I made the frittata with onion, spinach, a Yukon gold cooked potato, canned diced tomato, and a generous sprinkling of McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken spice, 5 eggs because of the extra tomato liquid, and let it set up over low heat in the skillet covered with a lid to help cook it through better. When done, I loosened it from the pan, folded it over, ground some fresh black pepper over, and slid it onto a plate to serve. The ingredient combination on this frittata is excellent, and we enjoy it every time, with whatever variation I happen to feel like, though the egg, potato, tomato is the same. No cheese for me. Pat added a dash of Tabasco as he likes that on his eggs.

Extra Note- Why it's good for you: Onion, garlic, pepper, tomato, and herbs contain antioxidants. Eggs contain antioxidants and brain-protecting choline. Science says - Eating about three eggs a week as a teenager cut odds of breast cancer risk later in life by 18 percent, find Harvard researchers. Hmm. I'll bet vegan will improve things even more though. Oh well, once in a awhile, maybe an egg dish?

Asparagus Soup :)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 dash garlic powder
• 1 dash white pepper
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

Microwave onion and butter on HIGH for 2 minutes. Add asparagus, vegetable broth, garlic powder and white pepper. Microwave, covered, on HIGH for 10 to 12 minutes. Puree in blender.

Return mixture to microwave safe dish, stir in milk and microwave until heated through. 

This was the first time I tried this recipe, so I was nervous (especially since Karl doesn't like many veggies), but it actually turned out really well!  I put red bell pepper slices in it for some color, and we melted some cheese on top for Karl ;)  Instead of milk and butter you can use olive oil and soy milk to take out the dairy, I'm also thinking about adding some canned chicken next time for some extra protein.  I think it's a good way to get some veggies in and it's pretty fast and simple! :D

Easy Pasta

This is easy pasta. Cook up some (preferably) whole wheat pasta spirals. Then in a skillet, add one can of fire-roasted tomatoes, zucchini sliced and then cut into fourths, and some chopped bell pepper, and minced onions. Cook until just tender and serve over the pasta, with cheese or mozzarella sprinkled over it if you like.

Golden-Glow Stuffed Squash

Recipe from "Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" cookbook

GOLDEN-GLOW STUFFED SQUASH

1Tbsp olive oil
1 med-size yellow onion, minced (can use dried minced)
1 med-carrot, coarsely shredded
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 1/2 c cooked white or brown rice
(or couscous, cooked quinoi)
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves (can subst. dried equiv)
1 tsp dried thyme or ground sage
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 lg winter squash, halved and seeded
1 c hot water

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and bell pepper, cover, and cook until softened, abt 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and turmeric, then stir in the rice, parsley, and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and spoon the mixture into the squash cavities.

2. Pour the water into a 6-qt oval (can use round if squash fits in) slow cooker and add the squash halves, stuffing side up. Cover and cook on Low until the squash is tender, abt 5 hours. Serve hot.

Alternatively: Halve and seed the squash, place and cook in the slow cooker so it will be ready in time to serve for dinner (or cook ahead and just reheat in microwave). Then cook the grain (rice or preferred grain, will taste even better cooked in vege broth). Saute the onion, carrot, and bell pepper, adding spices. Add the sauteed veges to the cooked grain. Just before serving, fill the winter squash halves with the grain/cooked veg mixture.
Note. Can also cook the rice or grain with the vege mixture and seasonings in a rice cooker, then fill the squash halves to serve.

Decorate your dinner plate with any sides you prefer. This photo has slices gala apple and romaine salad withe sliced up deli ham and cheese shreds.
-Christine Smith