Yummy Chili

4 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 peppers, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped finely
1 c chopped, sweet onions
1 1/2 pound ground meat (beef, chicken or turkey)
1 T all purpose flour * GF Note below
4 T tomato paste or catsup (if using, catsup omit brown sugar)
1T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
2 tsp brown sugar (see note above)
1 t oregano
1/2 t cinnamon
3 - 4 c. broth, depending on how "soupy" prefer (beef or chicken)
1 can of drained, rinsed white cannellini beans

Heat oil in Dutch oven.  Add garlic, peppers, celery and onions.  Saute until soft.  About 5 minutes.  Add meat and saute until "just" done.  Sprinkle with flour.  Stir to coat meat.  Add remaining ingredients and cook at least 30 minutes until done.

Note:  any kind of pepper will work in this chili.  I have used poblano and bell peppers as well as any combination of them.

GF note:  If making this gluten free, used some potato starch instead of all purpose flour.  Cook for 2 minutes until meat is a little brown.

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.

Bombay Chicken

This is a very yummy dish but requires a considerable amount of taste testing along the way to acquire the taste that your family will enjoy.  Please read the entire recipe before beginning as I have personally screwed this recipe up more times than I care to tell you.  :)

3 T olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 1/2 pounds shrimp
1/2 c red onion (sweet yellow will also work)
1/2 t garlic
1/2 t slat
2 T fresh ginger root, minced
1/8 t chili powder or Tabasco sauce
1/8 t cayenne or 1/2 t paprika
1 t curry powder
1 c fresh tomatoes or peaches, chopped
1/2 c chicken broth, gluten free
1/4 c dry white wine or gluten free beer or apple cider vinegar
1/3 c milk
2 - 3 t cornstarch or arrowroot
Cooked rice or Coconut Rice


Cut chicken into 2 inch pieces.  Preheat cast iron skillet.  Add olive oil.  Heat over medium heat.  Brown chicken pieces.  Remove from skillet. Cook onion for 3 minutes.   Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.  Return chicken to pan along with broth, salt, ginger, chili powder, cayenne, curry, peaches and wine.  Simmer covered for 15 minutes on low heat.   Combine milk and arrowroot in small cup making sure to remove all clumps of arrowroot.  Stir into chicken mixture while bringing it to a boil.  Thicken sauce which should take about 1 - 3 minutes.  Serve over rice with garnish.

Garnish:

2 green onions, chopped including green stems
1/4 c chopped almonds, cashews or peg almonds (salted peanuts work too although not as good)
1/4 c shredded coconut (toasted coconut is really yummy)

While chicken is cooking mix onions, nuts and coconut.  Allow ingredients to sit for at least 20 minutes.

NOTES:

(1)  If using shrimp, do not add it with the broth, salt, ginger, spices, peaches and wine as shrimp does not need as long to cook.  You will over cook it.  Add it after 10 minutes.  Also I marinade the shrimp in the mixture of the broth, salt, ginger, spices and wine.  When it is time to add this mixture, add the liquid and then add the shrimp after cooking the liquid for 10 minutes.


(2) To keep this recipe dairy free, gluten free and soy free the following substitutions are made:  gluten free chicken broth for regular chicken broth, rice or coconut milk or Mimicreme for the milk, AND arrowroot for the cornstarch. 

Quick and Easy Hummus

2 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 cans (15.5 oz) garbanzo beans
4 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt
pepper to taste (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil

In food processor, chop garlic until finely chopped. Drain but do not rinse beans.  Reserve liquid for later.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Process in food processor until smooth adding reserved bean liquid until desired consistency is reached.  I had to use 2 tablespoons of the bean liquid.  Store in air tight container in fridge.

Smoked Salmon Pasta

I have not made this in a long time primarily because we have not had any smoked salmon.  But if you received some as a gift for Christmas and have no idea what to do with it, well here is your recipe.

Smoked Salmon Pasta
(If Mimicreme is used, this will be dairy free)

ONLY serves between 3 to 4

8 oz gf spaghetti, capellini or linguine, cooked per directions
1/4 c pine nuts
2 T olive oil
1/3 c shallots, chopped (can substitute white or yellow onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c dry white wine (can substitute pasta cooking water with 1 T lemon juice)
1/4 c cream (we use Mimicreme)
1 T lemon juice
2 T lemon zest (divided)
2 T fresh parsley or dill, chopped
4 oz smoked salmon, cut into bite size pieces
fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
- Cook pasta per package directions for al dente.  If not using white wine, reserve 1/3 c pasta water for sauce.
- Heat large skillet on medium heat for 30 seconds.  Add pine nuts in single layer.  Stir occasionally until fragrant and lightly brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add olive oil.  Heat for 30 seconds.  Add garlic and shallots.  Cook for 2 minutes but do not allow garlic to burn.  Add white wine, lemon juice and 1 T of lemon zest.  Increase heat to a boil, reduce liquid by half.  Add cream and boil for an additional minute.
- Add cooked pasta, salmon, toasted pine nuts, parsley and lemon zest.  Season to taste and serve.

Notes:
(1) As previously stated, if Mimicreme is used, this will be a dairy free pasta.  You can also make this dairy free by omitting the cream altogether.  I have done both and it is delicious either way.
(2)  We have made this with shrimp or precooked chicken pieces as well.
(3)  Precooked broccoli or peas can also be added at the end.
(4)  If you would like to add mushrooms, do so before sauteing the garlic and shallots so that the garlic does not burn.
(5) Pine nuts are actually a seed; however, some experience cross-reactivity after consuming pine nuts.  Exercise caution.

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

Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Quinoa

This recipe can be found on the back of the Trader Joe`s Organic Quinoa box.  It is quite delicious and an easy introduction to quinoa if you have never tried it before now.

1 cup organic quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
4 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
20 leaves fresh sweet basil, julienne
Pecarino romano cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Rinse quinoa in cold water and drain, repeat.  In 2 quart saucepan, add 2 cups chicken broth and 1 cup quinoa.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.  Quinoa will appear translucent and will be soft.  The germ ring will be visible along the outside edge of the grain.

While quinoa is cooking, cut chicken into 1 inch pieces.  Heat large skillet over high heat and add oil.  Add chicken and saute for 5 minute until golden brown.  Add onions and bell peppers, saute for 1 to 2 minutes until peppers become slightly limp but still bright in color.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat; add basil and quinoa.  Toss until basil wilts.  Sprinkle with Pecarino romano cheese.  Serve hot.  Will serve approximately four.

Note:  I also added some toasted pine nuts to what I served at home.  For those of you unfamiliar with Pecarino romano cheese it is made from sheep's milk (Pecarino) and is a great substitute for romano.  It is somewhat more salty so I typically do not add salt to the recipe.  We are able to use it in place of a cow's romano due to a dairy allergy in the family.

Baked Kale

We all know or hear that green leafy vegetables are good for us. Most of us however don't really care for overcooked "greens". This is one way of getting your serving of green leafy vegetables that tastes Y-U-M-M-Y! I kid you not!


DG was so excited to have these for dinner last night! There were no leftovers....in fact there were not enough to go around for seconds. :)

Baked Kale

1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Garlic powder or dried, minced garlic

Wash kale thoroughly. I usually wash it two or three times and then finish off with a rinse in a salad spinner. Remove the thick stalk part of the leaf. Place the dried off kale into a gallon Ziploc bag. Add olive oil and sea salt. Toss until kale is completely covered. Place in a 13 x 9 baking dish with a rack. (Make sure to use a rack to lift the kale off of the bottom of the pan or it will get soggy.) Sprinkle garlic powder on to taste.

Bake at 375 for approximately 15 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, use a pair of tongs and turn the kale over. Bake until kale is crispy. :)

Remove from oven and place on a plate. Season with some freshly coarsely grated sea salt. Be careful not to add too much.

Yummy additions:

2-3 tablespoons of roasted/toasted pine nuts or
2-3 tablespoons of English walnuts


AND


2 -3 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (Since we have dairy allergies in the family, we use Pecarino Romano which is Romano cheese made entirely from sheep's milk.)


The additions are not necessary. The baked kale is good without it but they add the WOW factor when serving company.