Shredded Pork

1 pound boneless pork shoulder
1 tomato, rough chopped
1 small onion, cut into fourths
1 carrot. cut into 1 inch chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin seed OR 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp oregano, dried
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
1 bay leaf

Place all ingredients in to a large stockpot with enough water to just cover.  Bring to a boil and reduce.  Cover and simmer for about 90 minutes until pork is tender.  Remove from broth.  Cool.  Shred when cooled.  If pork becomes dry add a little of the reserved liquid.
NOTE:  I use the other reserved liquid to make Rice-Lulu-Roni.  This meat can be used for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.  It freezes well too.  I put some of the reserved liquid into the meat when I freeze it so that it is not too dry when thawed.

Tuscan White Bean and Southern Greens Chicken Soup

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery with leaves on, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, freshly ground
• 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups gluten free chicken broth
• 1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro(optional)
• 10 ounces of southern greens, thoroughly rinsed and roughly chopped
• 2 cups chicken or turkey pieces, precooked

Directions

Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add drained beans, broth and chicken.  Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.

In saute pan heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the roasted peppers, minced garlic and cilantro.  Cook until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in the southern greens , cover and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the pot and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.desired.

NOTES:

(1)  This can be made in the crock pot IF you leave the addition of the roasted peppers and the southern greens until right before you serve the soup.

(2) Southern greens:  I purchase mine from Trader Joe's.  The package includes, spinach, collard greens, kale and turnip greens.  However, you can pick up what you would like at any grocery store.  I started using these because Trader Joe's was out of kale one day.

(3)  This is a great soup for leftovers but only if you add the greens prior to serving them.  When I am going to do this I do not saute the southern greens.  I just throw them into the soup and cook for a few minutes.

Mom's Lentil Soup

This recipe is compliments of my mother, Esther Ruth (Hostetler) Zook who would often make this in the fall when the Midwest weather would turn crisp and cold or would become cold and rainy. "Good soup day!" would be my mom's comment as she began to pull the ingredients out of the cupboards. I think of her every time I make this soup.

Mom's Lentil Soup


1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
2 T olive oil
3 -4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
6 cups boiling, gf chicken broth
1 c lentils
1 pinch thyme
1 large can stewed tomatoes (minimum 14.5 ounces) *Personally I like to use Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes because of the flavor that it adds to the soup.

Directions:

(1) Put chicken broth on to boil.
(2) Saute onion and garlic in oil.
(3) Add carrots and celery, saute 2-3 minutes more.
(4) Add chili powder, boiling chicken broth, lentils and thyme.
(5) Cook covered for 35 minutes.
(6) Add tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.

Make sure to use boiling water. This decreases that amount of time needed to cook the lentils.

Notes:

This is the basic recipe. There are many things that you can add to make even more yummier soups.

Crock pot Version:   Do NOT use hot water as this will quick cook the lentils.  Use room temperature water or chicken broth.  This should be done in about 4 hours in the crock pot on high.


Lentil and Lamb Stew
Add 1 - 2 cups lamb meat, cooked (Or ground beef, stew meat or sausage.  Even chicken apple sausage is good with this.)
Decrease the water by 2 cups
Add some oregano...Greek oregano if you have it


Today we added cooked chicken, leftover rice and some browned turkey meat. So yummy.


Enjoy!

Roasted Apple Chicken

1 whole chicken (5 to 7 pounds), cleaned inside and out, patted dry inside and out
6 stalks of celery, cleaned and trimmed
1 sweet apple, sliced
1 semi sweet apple, quartered
1/2 an onion, cut into chunks
4 - 5 garlic cloves, skins on
1 - 2 tsp freshly ground salt
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground pepper

Combine salt, thyme and pepper.  Rub the inside cavity of chicken with this mixture.  Loosen the skin from the breast of the chicken, lay the sliced apple between the skin and the breast meat.  Fasten the skin to the breast of the chicken with toothpicks so that the skin does not recede back during the breast meat as this will dry the chicken out during the roasting process. Stuff the cavity with the remaining ingredients:  celery, quartered apple, chunked onions, garlic cloves.

Roast at 425 for approximately 90 minutes.  An instant read thermometer should read 170 when checking the thigh.  Juices should run clear.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Chicken Adobo

While living in the Philippines in 1990 I fell in love with Filipino food!  Here is one of my favorites which we have not been able to use for sometime because of the soy sauce.  BUT since finding out that our precious girl is not allergic to non-GMO soy that is found in Bragg's Amino Acids, we can make this and many other things again.

(Please note:  I  am not in anyway supporting the health claims espoused on this website.  I just know that for us this is a good alternative to the regular soy sauce found in American grocery and specialty food stores.) 

Chicken Adobo

(Dairy, Egg, Gluten and Soy Free)

(Note:  Only gluten free if GF Soy sauce is used)

2 lbs of chicken legs with skin on
2 T oil - peanut or sesame is traditionally used although I use olive oil
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 small onion, sliced - we use a sweet onion
1/2 c rice vinegar - occasionally I will use cider vinegar
2 T brown sugar

Heat pan and add oil.  Add chicken, bay leaves and garlic.  Saute chicken for approximately 5 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides.  Remove any excess oil.  Add all remaining ingredients, cover and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir chicken occasionally to cook evenly.  Serve over hot rice.

Other options:

- Boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into 2 inch pieces and also be used BUT do NOT overcook.  This will cook much faster.


- Chicken thighs can also be used following the above directions.

-Pork chops or pork loin can also be used.  I use the pork chops without making them smaller.  I cut the pork loin into 2 inch pieces.

-Adding additional vegetables works GREAT although traditionally adobo is served without vegetables in the mix!  Add them toward the end of the cooking time.  Broccoli, celery and carrots are good options as well as green and red bell peppers.  They take about 10 minutes to cook in the pan OR steam them separately and add them before serving.

- Can also add some julienne ginger with the garlic for additional flavor

Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

1 c cranberries
1/2 c water
1/4 c sugar
4 c corn bread stuffing or dried corn bread crumbs, gluten free
1/4 c finely chopped celery
1/4 c finely chopped sweet onion
2 T dried parsley
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried marjoram OR rubbed sage
1/4 t salt
Dash of pepper

Combine cranberries, water and sugar.  Boil for 10 minutes.  Add to the other ingredients.  Mixture will be just slightly wet.  Stuff up to a 15 pound turkey.

If you want to bake the stuff separate from the turkey, you will need to add enough chicken broth to make it quite moist.  Otherwise it will be very, very dry.

Pasta e Fagioli

If you like the Pasta e Fagoili soup at Olive Garden, you will like this soup as well.  My recipe is lower in sodium than what you will find in the restaurant.  You can also brown the meat on the stovetop and then add all the remaining ingredients to a slow cooker if you need to do so.

1 - 2 lbs lean ground beef, Italian sausage, lamb, turkey, veal or pork or any combination
1 T olive oil (omit if using Italian sausage)
2 t Italian seasoning
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced thin
4 stalks celery, chopped (including leaves if available)
1 28 oz diced tomatoes
2 c red kidney beans, drained (1 can)
2 c white kidney beans, drained (1 can) also called cannellini beans
24 oz gf beef broth
1 T dried oregano
pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
8 oz shell pasta
1 T fresh parsley chopped

In Dutch oven, saute meat in olive oil with Italian seasoning if needed (see above) just until begins to brown. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain and rinse beans. Add to pot. Add beef broth, pepper, Tabasco sauce and chopped parsley.
Simmer until celery and carrots are tender.

In separate pot, boil shell pasta according to box instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

When soup is ready, spoon serving size of pasta into dish and ladle soup on top. Serve with freshly grated pecorino romano cheese.

Notes:

Crock pot version:  Follow all directions above OMITTING pasta.  Cook pasta separately and add to soup immediately prior to serving.

Gluten free version:  Omit pasta altogether.  It is quite tasty without the pasta.


To freeze this soup.  Cook using the crock pot version making sure to omit the pasta until prior to serving.