Clean Eating: Creamy Mushroom Soup

This is a very simple, very delicious recipe that I adapted from a Weight Watchers Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe.



Ingredients:

1 lb of Cremini Mushrooms (sometimes called Baby Bellas)
1 head of Cauliflower
1 32 oz box of Vegetable Stock
1 Onion, medium sliced
3 Garlic, cloves
1 Tb Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1. Chop cauliflower into smaller florets and put into a pot with the vegetable stock over medium heat.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and  layout the mushrooms (destemmed), the sliced onions and the three cloves of garlic (still in their paper) on the a sheet pan. Make sure the mushrooms are upside down to catch the good mushroom liquid



3. Cook both the cauliflower and the mushrooms for 45 minutes to an hour or until the cauliflower is fork tender.

4. Take your mushrooms out of the oven and remove the three garlic cloves.  Put contents of the sheet pan into the pot with the cauliflower.  Squeeze out the roasted garlic into the pot.

5.  Either using an immersion blender or regular blender puree up the batch.

6. Take a second and check the consistency of the soup.   You may need to add some vegetable stock to thin out. 

7. Take off the heat and add Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard.  Stir until combined. Enjoy!

Family Favorite Beef and Bean Chili

Chili is one of my family's favorite dinners. Though it took me more than a few tries to find one that pleased everyone!

Ingredients:

1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 Tb Canola Oil
1 Can Whole Tomatoes, 28 oz
2 Tb Chili Powder
1 Tb Cumin
1 Tb Garlic Powder
1 Tb Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 Tb White Vinegar
1 lb Ground Beef
1  Can Black Beans, 15.5 oz
1 Can Pinto Beans, 15.5 oz
1 Can Kidney Beans, 15.5 oz
3/4 cup Frozen Corn Kernels

Equipment:

5 Quart Pot
Blender or Handheld Submersion Blender:  In the directions I discuss using a blender, though I often make it using the handheld because it's easier.   If using a handheld blender then you would brown the meat first, drain, then remove to another bowl while you build the sauce.  After you blend in the pot add the beef back in.


Directions:

1. Rough chop garlic and onion and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.



2. Add the salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika and ground cayenne pepper and can of tomatoes.  Crush the tomatoes with your hand before you put them into the pot.  Cook until onions are soft about 15 minutes. 

3. Remove the sauce to the blender and blend until smooth. 




4. While the sauce is blending, saute the beef in the sauce pan until browned.  Once cooked through add the blended sauce back to the pot.




5. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Add more salt if tastes flat)

6. Add all of the beans and corn and cook on low for 20 minutes so that flavors get a chance to meld together. 

7. Serve with some corn bread and enjoy!

Fennel Garlic Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

I love the combination of fennel and garlic and a slow roasted chicken.   Just typing it now is making me want to go to the fridge and pull out the left overs.  Just yummy!  This is a very easy one pot roasted chicken recipe that doesn't take a lot of hands on time but comes out tasting like it did!!

Ingredients

5lb Chicken

5-6 thin skin potatoes

1 onion

3 Tb Fennel Seeds

3 cloves Garlic

1 Tb + 1 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Olive Oil

 

Equipment:
 

Heavy Cast Iron Pot:  I have a very loved Le Crueset that I use but any heavy oven safe pot will do (no teflon coated).  If you don't have one you can use a baking dish. 

Mortar and Pestle:  One of my new favorite kitchen gadgets of yore.  I'm sure not all of you have one of these (why would you?).  If not just chop up garlic and mix with garlic, salt and oil.  When adding the fennel seed to the mixture run between fingers to break open the seeds a big.  Mix all together.

 

Cutting Board/ Sheet Pan:  This is my favorite set up for cutting up a roasted chicken or any other cut of meat that is sure to send fatty liquid onto my counter.  I know a lot of people suggest using a cutting board with a well but those inevitably overflow.  Just get a sheet pan put a few paper towels onto it and then a cutting board that fits into the sheet pan on top.  Voila!  Clean counter!!

Sharp Knife: For obvious reasons!

 

Directions

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and pull out chicken.  Remove giblets and pat dry. ( No rinsing the chicken, read about that here).

 



 

 

2. Slice up onions and spread onto the bottom of pan or dish. Quarter potatoes and spread on top of onions.

 

3. Using the mortar and pestle crush garlic and salt into a paste. Add seeds and and crush just to release aroma. Add oil to create a paste. (if not using a mortar and pestle see the equipment not above)

4. Spread paste liberally all over the outside and inside of chicken. Tie the legs together (don't worry about getting fancy and put on top of the potatoes in the pot. Cook at 425 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours with out a lid until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in the breast and 175 degrees in the thigh or until the juices run clear when pricked.



5. Set up carving board set up. (See equipment for set up) and pull chicken out to rest on the cutting board for 15 minutes.

 

6. Give potatoes and onions a good stir to coat in fennel and garlic chicken fat. Remove with a slotted spoon to serving platter, taste and sprinkle with salt if needed.



7. Slice up chicken and serve with the potatoes and a simple greens salad topped with your favorite vinaigrette. 



Don't forget to save the carcass to make the best Chicken Stock ever!!

Rich Chicken Stock

The ultimate comfort, aromatherapy feel good food.  Chicken stock is not only good for chicken soup (although it rocks there too!), use it when cooking rice, polenta or your favorite grain.  It makes everything taste better!

So simple Directions:

Put into a pot (at least 5 quarts):

Roasted Chicken Carcass
Several Stocks of Celery
Several Carrots cut in half
Several Onions
Couple Cloves of Garlic
3 Bay Leaves
Bunch of Peppercorns
1 Tb. Apple Cider Vinegar

Cover with water and bring to a boil.

Ingredient Explanation:  You may have noticed the vagueness of my measurements.  That is because chicken stock is vague by definition.  What you have on hand gets thrown into a pot and miraculous, amazing broth emerges.  Though do note that there is not need to cut off the leaves or the skins of your vegetables, wash them and rough chop them into several pieces and you're good! 

Also note, making sure you have roasted your chicken and picked it of the majority of the meat is wildly important.  To amp up the flavor after you have thoroughly picked your chicken throw it into the oven at 350 degrees for an hour before you throw it into the pot.

Once stock comes to a boil reduce to a slow simmer and let roll for 4 hours or so.   (On my electric stove I bring it down to 3)

Strain the liquid out and put strained stock back on the stove to simmer for another 2 hours. 

This step isn't entirely necessary but makes the stock so full and delicious you won't want to skip it, plus I find that I need to add less salt if I do this step as all the flavors concentrate.  Once the stock is cool enough to taste, here is where you will add salt for the first time.  Add sparingly.  You can always add more as you cook with the stock but you can't take it away. 


Voila!  Amazing stock.  You can use this right then or let it cool and put it into the refrigerator overnight.  The next day skim off the fat and use. 


(Note:  If you have made this stock properly it will set up in the refrigerator like Jello.  This is not fat it is collagen and it is the yummy goodness.  The fat is usually white or yellow and is on the very top. )