Chicken Wild Rice Soup

 

3 – 3 ½ cups shredded or diced chicken (approx. 1 lb chicken meat or 1 store bought rotisserie chicken)
3 cups cooked wild rice (2:1 water to rice ratio in rice cooker)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium carrots, peeled as desired & diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby bella), trimmed & sliced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons chicken base


4 cups chicken broth or stock, divided

1/2 cup flour

3 T butter
3 cups half & half
½ lemon, juiced
kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season


INSTRUCTIONS
Soften the veggies: Add the butter to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 5-qt capacity) over medium heat. Once melted, add in the carrot, celery, onion, & mushroom. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened slightly, 6-8 minutes. If you haven’t already, this is a great time to shred or dice the cooked chicken.

Cook the aromatics: Add the garlic, dried poultry seasoning, & chicken base to the pot, stirring to coat the softened veggies. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

Build the chicken & wild rice soup: Make a roux by whisking flour in melted butter until cooked. Pour the chicken stock & roux into the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the stock thickens, 2-3 minutes. Stir the shredded/diced chicken and wild rice into the soup. Increase heat to medium-high to bring the soup to a steady simmer, then cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to bring the flavors together.

Finish the soup: Stir the half & half into the soup, cooking for about 5 minutes more to ensure it’s warmed through without boiling it. Turn off the heat & stir in the lemon juice. Taste & season with additional salt & ground pepper as needed.

Norwegian Waffles

 INGREDIENTS

7 eggs

¾ cups sugar

1½ cup flour

5 green cardamom pods, ground 

1½ cup sour cream 

6 Tbsp melted butter 

METHOD

Beat the eggs and sugar in a blender for 8 minutes, until the preparation becomes white and makes ribbons. 

Incorporate half the flour and cardamom, alternating with the sour cream, folding delicately using a spatula.

Add remaining flour and melted butter. Mix delicately - let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat the waffle maker. Pour about ¾ cup of dough at a time (or follow the manufacturer’s instructions). Close the appliance and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until golden.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cottage Pie

 Cauliflower topping

• 1 head of cauliflower, steamed
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 c milk 
• salt and pepper
• Blend together in food processor

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Filling

Saute 5 min:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion

Add and cook until beef is brown:

1 lb. 90% lean ground beef 

2 teaspoons dried parsley leaves

1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Add and cook 1 min:

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves -minced

Add and stir well:

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Add and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and simmer for 5 min:

1 cup beef broth

fresh or frozen peas, green beans, carrots, etc.

Pour the meat mixture into a 9x9 (or 7x11) inch baking dish. Spread it out into an even layer. Spoon the cauliflower on top of the meat. Carefully spread into an even layer. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

5 Spice Tofu

•  1 block super-firm (16 oz) tofu
• ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup low-sodium tamari
• 1 tbsp brown sugar 
• 1 tsp chinese five spice blend

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Cut the block of tofu in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half again to form four even blocks.

Add the broth, water, tamari, sugar, and five spice to the base of a large, oven-safe pot or sauté pan and whisk until combined. Place the tofu in the pan, then cover and bring to a simmer. Cook covered for 20 minutes on medium-low heat. Use tongs or a spatula to flip the tofu every 5 minutes, to ensure even cooking.

Place the pan into the oven and bake on the top-most rack for 10 minutes, then flip the tofu and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan. 

Let the tofu cool for at least 10 minutes, then slice and serve as desired. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to one week, or the freezer for up to two months.

From From My Bowl

 

Vegetable Pancit

 INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4-5 cups shredded veggies (cabbage, carrots, sugar snap peas, bok choy, etc.)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• Calamansi juice or lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and cover them with lukewarm water. When the noodles are soft, after about 10 minutes, drain and set noodles aside.

In a wok or large saucepan over medium heat, add in the oil along with the onions and garlic. Sauté for 4 minutes.

Add in the remaining vegetables along with a splash of the chicken broth and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender.

Remove the vegetables from the wok and set them aside. If there is leftover liquid, just leave it in the wok.

To the wok, add in the remaining broth and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and then add in the noodles. Allow the noodles to simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through.

Add in the vegetables, green onions, and sesame oil. Gently toss with tongs until uniform. Season with salt and pepper as desired. 

Serve with calamansi or lemon and enjoy!

https://sweetsimplevegan.com/vegan-pancit-bihon/

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Ingredients

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and just warm to the touch

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons nonfat milk powder

1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

12 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate chips

¼ cup flaked salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

With a wooden spoon, mix the sugars together in a large bowl and add the melted butter. Stir vigorously for about a minute or more. Mix the egg and vanilla in the measuring cup you used for the sugar and add to the mixture. Stir until the mix gathers a glossy sheen, about 1 more minute.

Mix in the flour, milk powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.

Use a #24 squeeze handle scoop to portion the dough (or lightly form into balls about the size of a golf ball) and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper about 2 to 3 inches apart.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle. The cookies will fall as they cool. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

https://www.foodiecrush.com/milk-bars-salted-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Ground Turkey Tacos

 For the taco seasoning:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or other hot pepper
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Whisk together in a small bowl

For the tacos:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add ground turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through but still slightly pink, about 2 minutes.

Stir in tomato sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Can add pineapple for Al Pastor-flavored tacos.