CHICKEN MISO SOUP with Butternut Squash, Sage & Apple

     Our chicken population was getting out of control. We were going through a bag of chicken feed every week and so it was definitely time to cull the flock. Although these lovely birds of ours aren't great for roasting, they do make great stock. If I remember to pick the meat off early enough, then I have a some nice tender meat to make sandwiches and soups with too.
     When it comes time to make soup, I often ask myself the same question; is there any way I can make chicken soup a little more exciting? Here was yesterdays chicken soup redo with a batch of the sourdough biscuits my family loves so much slathered with salty butter...

CHICKEN MISO SOUP with Butternut Squash, Sage & Apple

2 pounds leftover cooked chicken meat

2 onions, chopped

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

3 cups, peeled and cubed butternut squash

1 cup peeled and diced parsnip

1 1/2 cups apple cider

2 cups mineral rich chicken stock

2 cups peeled and chopped apple

2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, or 2 tsp dried

1 Tbsp peeled and grated ginger root

2 tsp sea salt, or more to taste

fresh black pepper

1/2 Tbsp white miso per bowl of soup

Method: Heat a large soup pot over medium heat, drizzle with oil, and saute onions until soft. Add the vegetables, apple, chicken, stock and cider. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until squash is tender. Place 1/2 Tbsp miso in each bowl, dilute with some stock, and then fill with soup. Stir and serve.

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SOURDOUGH BISCUITS

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp coconut sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter

2 cups sourdough culture

Method: In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the sourdough culture, stirring with a fork. Add more flour as necessary to prevent the dough from being to sticky and wet. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead very briefly until the dough is soft and barely sticky. Add more flour as needed. 

Using your hands form the dough into a rectangle about 2 inches thick. Using a large knife cut into 8 biscuits. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours. Bake in a preheated 375*F oven for about 20 minutes or until golden. Serve hot.

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BARE BONES OF WINTER

We are in the thick of winter.  Deep drifts of snow encase our home, and our activities revolve around the warm, cozy fire.  Trekking out to the deep freeze in the barn, I unearthed from deep beneath piles of pork chops a package of lamb ribs from this fall's slaughter.  

Soups are a regular feature on our dinner table these days.  Warming and comforting, soups almost seem necessary for surviving the long winter.  They are also a great way for using up those challenging cuts of meat and frozen packages of summer's bounty.

SCOTCH BROTH with Winter Roots, Barley & Lamb's Quarters

Grass Fed Lamb - 

either leftover from a roast or any bits and bobs you having around

1 organic leek or 2 onions, chopped

2 sticks organic celery, chopped

2 organic carrots, chopped

organic avocado oil or butter

1 small rutabaga, peeled and chopped

1 organic potato, peeled and chopped

1/2 cups organic pearl barley, rinsed

1-2 cups cooked wild lamb's quarters or spinach, chopped

3 litres organic bone broth ( I used chicken)

sea salt and pepper

Method:  If meat isn't already cooked, preheat oven to 350*.  Place lamb in a pan and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for about an hour.  Remove from oven, allow to cool.  Remove meat from bones, reserving bones to use in soup.

Saute the leek or onion, carrots, and celery in the oil until softened.  Add the stock and bones.  Simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes.   Remove the bones and then add the rutabaga, potato, barley and lamb's quarters,  and simmer gently for about an hour.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy.

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SUPER SIMPLE (and fast) BROTH

I am just about to make a bit pot of turkey soup and wanted to let you in on an amazing tip:  pressure cookers make the BEST broth.  I even amazed myself last night when after Christmas dinner I proceeded to pick all the turkey meat off the bones, put away leftovers, and still have the energy (and desire) to make broth.  The reason for this my friends, is that I was dying to try making broth using my pressure cooker because I knew it would only take 30 minutes.  What?!  That's right, you can make the awesome, nutrient dense bone broth that we all know is so good for us, in as much time as it takes you to watch a sitcom on tv.  I know, I know, I even posted a vlog detailing the 12-24 hour bone broth marathons I used to have - but no longer.  I am a pressure cooker convert.  I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this was the best turkey broth I have ever made.  It even looked beautiful, a lovely golden yellow.  So, if you are out there with a fridge full of turkey and a carcass just begging to be made into soup, try using your pressure cooker - I swear you will thank me.  

TURKEY BROTH (that will raise the dead)

Okay, so just to pre-empt this recipe, my pressure cooker is big, but not huge, so I had to divide the carcass and only put half in my pot.  Don't worry, the other half is tucked in the freezer for another cold winter day when I am in the mood for soup.

1/2 organic free range turkey carcass

1 large organic carrot, chopped

2 organic leeks or onions, chopped

2 organic celery stalks, chopped

1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

organic black pepper, ground

optional- bay leaf, thyme

Method:  Place all ingredients in a pressure cooker pot, close lid and bring to high pressure, lower heat just enough to sustain pressure (like 1 or 2 your stove dial) and let cook for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow the pressure to subside on it's own.  Strain and reserve stock for soup or freeze.  Another tip:  I like to freeze my stock in stainless steel bowls in the freezer and then I either forget about them and the bowls stay in the freezer until I make soup, or I tip the frozen stock chunks out and store them in a freezer container until ready to use - no plastic!)

HEALING TONIC

Yesterday we decided to plan a visit to my mother in law this weekend, who is fresh out of the hospital after suffering a stroke.  My first response to any kind of crisis usually involves providing nourishment and sustenance via the healing power of plants and foods.
We are in the process of moving and so are slowly emptying out the deep freeze of all frozen critters.  To my delight, we had two chickens that I knew would make delicious broth.  After a month of being on intravenous and no solid foods, a nice puree of  healing chicken soup, chock full of our garden veggies and home grown chickens definitely sounded like just what she needed.  So, the stock simmered overnight, and in the morning I whipped up a batch of our favorite Southwestern Chicken Chowder and a loaf of Zucchini Parmesan Bread (unfortunately she can't swallow large chunks of the bread, but I knew it would be a hit with my father in law).  

We had a great visit with the family, eating good soup, laughing, and hanging out by the lake.  An unexpected and wonderful day.

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN CHOWDER

1 Tbsp organic coconut oil

2 cups chopped organic onion

1 cup chopped organic carrot

1/2 cup chopped organic celery

1 organic red pepper, chopped

4 leaves organic kale, chopped

1 cup organic zucchini, chopped

1/2 cup organic string beans, chopped

2 tsp organic chili powder

1 tsp ground organic cumin

1 tsp organic ground turmeric

1 tsp organic ground coriander

1 tsp organic thyme, or more if fresh

6 cloves organic garlic, crushed and chopped

6 cups organic chicken broth

3 cups shredded cooked organic chicken

2 organic potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup organic whipping cream

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Saute the onion, carrot and celery in coconut oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the spices and cook for about 1 minute, then add the stock, kale, potato, green beans, red pepper, chicken, and some salt and cook simmering until the potatoes are tender, about 20 mins.  Turn heat to low and add the cream and enough salt and pepper as you like.  Remove about 1/4 of the soup and puree.  Stir the puree back into the soup and serve.

SINGING NETTLES- Soup Revisited

I've planted nettles at every house I have ever owned in the hopes of one day being able to watch it grow into a large healthy plant for harvesting from each spring.  That has yet to happen.  I keep moving before it gets a chance to establish itself.  Luckily I find nettle for sale every year at the Farmer's Market.  I also keep me eyes peeled for wild stinging nettles but have yet to find that special spot where they grow. 

I had fantasies of making Nettle Spanakoptia but having neither the ingredients nor energy to go that route, I opted for my annual pot of Nettle Soup.  Now, I know I've already posted a recipe for making Nettle Soup on this blog, but this recipe is a bit different so worthy of sharing anyway.

NETTLE SOUP Part Deux

150 g organic or wild stinging nettle leaves and tender stems

2 Tbsp organic butter

2 organic leek, cleaned and chopped thinly

1 organic onion

2 cloves organic garlic

2 organic celery stalks, sliced

2 Tbsp organic white or basmati rice

1 litre (4 cups) organic chicken stock

1 handful organic raw cashews, soaked for a few hours in water

1 cup filtered or spring water

sea salt and freshly ground organic black pepper

organic yogurt

fresh chives

Method:  Pick over the nettles, wash them thoroughly and discard the tougher stalks.  Melt the butter in a large pan over medium to low heat, add the onion, leek, celery and garlic, cover and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring a few times until soft.  Add the rice and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the nettles, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the rice and nettles are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  

     Drain the cashew and then place the cashew in a food processor along with the one cup of water.  Blend until completely  pureed into a milk.  Add the soup to blender and puree.  Pour back into the pot, check for saltiness.  Ladle into bowl, top with a dollop of yogurt and snipped chives.  Serve.

AN ODE TO ONIONS

There have been some "old wives tales" circulating on the Holistic Nutrition yahoo group I belong to for school about the curative powers of onions.  Hard to tell what is fact or fiction sometimes so I decided to look it up a bit more on the WWWeb and came across similar information from this chiropractor/naturopath who discusses how onions  can be used as a flu remedy, so who knows, maybe it is true.  Nonetheless, onions seem really potent and capable of killing nastiness.  A while back I mentioned that I was cooking up a huge batch of beef broth.  All this talk of onions got me hankering for some good old fashioned onion soup.  I finally scored some onion soup bowls at the local thrift store so I decided to give it a go tonight for supper.

BEEF BROTH

(makes about 3 quarts)

6 pounds organic/grass fed beef bones

2 Tbsp organic oil

6 organic carrots, coarsely chopped

2 large organic onions, coarsely chopped

2 organic celery stalks

1 tsp dried organic thyme

handful organic fresh parsley

1 large organic bay leaf

Method:  Preheat oven to 450*.  Place the beef bones in a large enamled cast iron pot and sprinkle them with oil.  Place the bones in the oven and roast, turning them occasionally, until they are browned, about 30 minutes.

     Remove from oven and add water to cover them bones by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat until the water simmers.  Remove scum as it appears.  Continue to skim away scum until it no longer rises to surface.

     Add the vegetables and herbs and bring to a boil once again over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover partially, cooking for 12 hours .  Remove from heat and skim fat from surface.  Strain the broth.  I like to freeze the broth in stainless steel bowls in the freezer.

ONION SOUP

(makes 4 servings)

1 Tbsp organic butter or oil

3 large organic yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

4 cups organic beef broth

sea salt and pepper

4 slices whole grain organic baguette

1 cup grated organic swiss cheese

Method:  Heat the butter in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring until onions are very soft, brown, and caramelized.  Add the stock and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

     Heat broiler with the rack in the top level of your oven.  Scoop the soup into 4 onion soup bowls.  Top with a slice of baguette and some grated cheese.  Broil in the oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.  Serve immediately.

RITUALS OF EASTER - Part One

The last few days I have been daydreaming and planning special Easter rituals and activities for the family.  We headed into the city this morning to pick up some special supplies for our Easter crafting and baking.  Faegan had fun spotting the Easter Bunny all along our journey, even in some unexpected places. The poor stuffed bunny we saw propped up at the end of someone's driveway is probably soaked by now from all the rain!  It is so special to slow down for awhile and spend time in the kitchen with a child, baking.  He loved dumping the cupfuls of flour into the bowl, measuring out the teaspoons of soda and salt, and then stirring it all together.  The best part, of course, was using the fancy Easter shaped cookie cutters to make the biscuits.  We chose an oatcake recipe to use for these treats, because they do require cookie cutters, but also because they are healthier than anything else.  (Plus I really like them!)

OATCAKES

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 cup organic all purpose flour

1/3 cup organic coconut sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup organic butter

1/2 cup organic whole milk

Method:  Preheat oven to 375*.  Mix together the dry ingredients.  With a pastry blender, cut in the butter.  With a fork, stir in the milk.  Dough should just cling together.  Divide the dough into 3 parts and roll out on a lightly floured board.  Cut with cookie cutters and bake on an ungreased sheet for 10-12 minutes.

We have also been eating a little simpler around here while we do a fast for the last week before Easter. This is a tradition my family used to do when I was growing up, and it brings back fond memories for me.  So no meat, dairy or eggs for me until Sunday.  This means lots of beans at meals, including this traditional Greek black eyed pea soup.  

BLACK EYED PEA SOUP 

1/2 pound organic black eyed peas, soaked overnight

8 cups water

1/2 cup organic celery, chopped

2 cloves organic garlic, sliced

2 cups organic onion, diced

1 can pureed organic tomatoes

1/4 cup e.v olive oil

3 Tbsp organic parsley, minced (optional)

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp organic pepper

Method:  Place the beans in a large soup pot and cover with the water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for about one hour, or until they are tender.  Then, add the remaining ingredients and cook, covered for 1 1/2 hours.  Season to taste.

COZY KITCHEN CURRIED LENTIL SOUP

To be honest, I haven't been much inspired to make supper this last leg of my pregnancy journey.  Estimated date of arrival of the new babe is in six days and I find myself lugging myself into the kitchen each night trying to figure out what to make.  Thank goodness my mom is arriving today, I look forward to passing the wooden spoon over to her for a little while.  Hope she doesn't mind!  

     Soup seems to be making an appearance on our menu more often than not these days.  I suppose that might have something to do with me trying to use up what ingredients we already have in the house, coupled with my insistence on only buying what is seasonal.  So we have been eating lots of squash, kale, carrots, and other wintry goods, which just so happen to make good soup too.  We eat a lot of lentil soup around here, but I wasn't much interested in a tomato based soup (all our stews and soups tend to have tomato in them) so opted for a curried lentil variety.  I love eating soups the next day for lunch too.

I had a great photo of this soup on file, but lost a bunch of my photos yesterday when I was trying to clean up my files..........

CURRIED LENTIL SOUP

2 cup organic green lentils

1 cup organic red lentils

1 Tbsp organic coconut oil

1 tsp organic black mustard seeds

1 large organic onion, diced

2 organic bay leaves

3 clove organic garlic, minced

3 Tbsp fresh organic ginger, minced

1 tsp organic cumin, ground

2 tsp organic coriander, ground

1 tsp organic paprika, ground

1/2 tsp organic turmeric, ground

2 organic carrots, chopped

5 leaves organic kale, chopped

2 cups organic butternut squash, cut into small cubes

1 organic rutabaga, cut into small cubes

8-10 cups organic chicken or vegetable stock or water

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method:  If possible, allow lentils to soak in water overnight with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.  Drain and rinse.  Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions for a couple of minutes and then add the mustard seeds.  When they pop, add the carrots, squash, rutabaga, ginger, and remaining spices and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, lentils and stock.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat and cook partially covered until the lentils are soft.  Stir in the kale, salt and pepper to taste, and cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes.  

BEEF BARLEY VEGETABLE SOUP

     I have a vivid memory of my mother taking me out for dinner in a restaurant as a child, and ordering me Beef Barley Soup.  It was so good!  This soup is my attempt at trying to re-create that awesome yumminess.  Although, I am pretty sure that one probably didn't include organic kale, cabbage and grass-fed beef.

BEEF BARLEY VEGETABLE SOUP

4 pounds meaty grass-fed or organic beef bones

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil or organic vegetable oil

4 organic onions, coarsely chopped

6 cups water

2 cups organic cabbage, chopped

3 stalks organic celery, chopped

4 organic kale leaves, stemmed and chopped

2 organic parsnips, chopped

4 organic carrots, chopped

3 pounds organic tomatoes, peeled and diced (or use canned tomatoes)

1 organic bay leaf

3/4 cup organic pearl barley

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Brown the meat bones on all sides, then remove from pan.  Saute the onion in the oil until softened.  Add the water and stir, removing the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Be sure the water covers the meat.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.

     Add the rest of the ingredients and cook another hour.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP with Cauliflower and Sage

     It was another beautiful sunny fall day after a week long deluge of torrential rain here in Nova Scotia.  After a long day hanging out with my wee one, I really craved a comforting bowl of soup.  The cauliflower in the fridge was begging me to get creative with it, so this is the soup I came up with.  It is going to taste great with a salad chock full of homegrown sprouts and some warm rye sourdough bread dripping with butter.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP with Cauliflower and Sage

3 cups diced and peeled organic butternut squash

4 cups chopped organic cauliflower

1 large organic onion, chopped

4-5 cloves organic garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp organic butter

2 tsp dried organic sage leaf, or 2 Tbsp fresh organic sage, minced

3-4 Tbsp organic white/mellow miso paste

sea salt and pepper to taste

enough organic chicken or vegetable stock to cover the vegetables ( or use water )

Method:  Heat a large soup pot over medium low heat.  Melt butter and saute the onion until soft.  Stir in the garlic, sage, squash and cauliflower.  Add enough stock to just cover the vegetables.  Bring to a boil, adding some salt and simmer until soft.  Dilute the miso with a ladleful of stock, then stir into the pot, being sure not to boil it to.  Using a blender, puree the soup and thin with more stock if soup is too thick.  Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.  Serve with a dollop of yogurt if desired.

FISH CHOWDER with Asparagus and Sweet Potato

It was a beautifully rainy day today, so rainy and damp I even had to light the fireplace.  It was the kind of day that chowders were made for.  A morning trip to the library, a good book read during nap time and a big, steamy bowl of chowder and biscuits made this day even cozier.

FISH CHOWDER with Asparagus and Sweet Potato

1 pound hook and line haddock

1 pound organic salmon

1 cup fresh clams and their juice

3 Tbsp organic butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 organic carrots, chopped

3 organic celery, chopped

3 cloves organic garlic, minced

2 organic bay leaves

3 tsp fresh organic thyme

4 organic potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 organic sweet potato, peeled and diced

4-5 organic asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

3-4 cups water

3 cups organic whole milk

1/2 cup organic cream

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup organic butter kneaded with 1/4 cup flour

sea salt and pepper

chopped organic parsley

Method:  In a large soup pot melt the butter and cook the onions, garlic, celery and carrot until the onions are soft and translucent.  Add the potatoes and enough water to just cover the vegetables.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 or until potatoes are tender.  Add the fish and clams, asparagus, the white wine, milk and cream.  Cook on low heat until the fish is opaque.  While the fish cooks, stir in bits of the butter/flour clumps, stirring until it reaches the thickness you desire.  Season with sea salt and pepper.  Serve sprinkled with parsley.

NETTLE SOUP

I've planted nettle at every house I've lived in, much to the dismay of the new residents I am sure.  Anyone unaware of it's presence might be surprised by it's nasty sting!  But rest assured, the needles and their stinging properties disappear once the plant is cooked.  After removing the leaves from the stems I started juicing an apple and carrot juice and decided to add in some of the stalks from the nettle into my juicer and I was pleasantly rewarded with a subtle grassy essence to my drink!  I will definitely do that again.

CREAM OF NETTLE SOUP

1/2 pound organic nettle leaves

4 Tbsp unsalted organic butter

1 medium sized organic onion, chopped

1 1/2 pound organic potatoes, thinly sliced

6 cups water or stock

1 Tbsp organic white wine vinegar

2 tsp sea salt

1 cup organic whole milk

1 cup organic cream

organic black pepper

Method:  Wash the nettle leaves.  Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Saute the onion until translucent, 3-4 minutes.  Add the nettle leaves, potatoes, water, vinegar, and salt and bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup, adding little bits of the milk until creamy.  Add the cream and simmer soup.  Season to taste with salt.

APPLE CARROT NETTLE JUICE

3 organic apples

4 organic carrots

5 organic nettle stems

Method:  Juice and enjoy!

THAI FISH CHOWDER

My son and I fell in love all over again over this soup.  Scott is working a bit late tonight, so Faegan and I ate dinner early.  Things can get kinda frazzled and tensions can run high with a little two year old getting into EVERYTHING, but dinner saved us.  That is, once it was done being prepared and the two of us sat down together, with nothing else on our minds but pure sensual enjoyment.  We giggled and slurped and ate more, more, more of this soup as time slowed down and the setting sun's light shone through the window.

     You may have noticed I've been using Coconut Sugar quite a bit these days.  It is a sweetener made from the sap or nectar from the coconut palm tree flower.  It has a caramel sweetness that I like, and the best part is it has a glycemic index of 35 which is kind of low considering honey is a 55.  It will never, ever take the place of maple syrup, honey or brown rice syrup in my heart, but I like having options.  I especially like to use it in recipes that are tropical and use ingredients like coconut or mango. 

     This Thai soup was very simple and fairly quick to make thanks in part to the Green Curry Paste I had leftover and frozen from the other day.  I am pretty sure I could keep it in the fridge for quite a while, but freezing it ensures that it stays super fresh for a very long time.  Which is a good thing because how many Thai curries can I make before I get really sick of it? 

     Oh, and I bought a very swanky camera and lens today, the picture of this soup was taken with it, but I still haven't had a chance to practice, but soon, the tripod and fancy flash will be set up, and watch out!

THAI FISH CHOWDER

(adapted from REbar)

4 cups organic fish, vegetable or chicken stock

4 cups filtered water

1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and chopped

1/4 cup fresh organic ginger, grated

4 cloves organic garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh green curry paste (http://prasada-eatingisdivine.blogspot.com/2010/03/thai-temptations.html) 

3 Tbsp coconut sugar (or honey)

3 Tbsp organic tamari

juice of 1 juicy lime

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 can organic coconut milk

1/4 pack brown rice noodles (I used vermicelli)

1/2 pack PC organic raw unpeeled shrimp

1 fillet hook and line haddock

4 dried kaffir lime leaves

1 carrot, sliced

1 bunch organic green onion

1/2 cup organic cilantro chopped

1/4 cup fresh organic mint leaves, minced

Method:  In a large soup pot, heat the stock and water and add the lemongrass, ginger, garlic.  Let simmer for about 5 minutes then strain the stock and stir in the curry paste, sugar, tamari, fish sauce, lime juice and coconut milk into the broth.  Allow the broth to simmer and then add the noodles, fish, carrots and lime leaves and cook until the noodles are tender.  Remove from heat, stir in the greens and serve!

Mom's Kitchen Post #2 Chicken Soup

So my camera broke today, I have a feeling my son banged it with a hammer.  Anyway, so I will be buying  a new one, but until then, enjoy my mom's posts........

MY MOM'S KITCHEN - POST #2

Chicken soup has always been at the top of my comfort food list. Today I decided that I needed a little of that comfort.

CHICKEN SOUP

1 whole organic chicken
3 stalks organic celery
3 organic carrots
1 large organic onion, or leek
3 cloves organic garlic
fresh organic parsley
2 organic bay leaves
8 cups filtered water
6 whole organic peppercorns and sea salt to taste
1 1/2 cups organic kamut orzo
3 organic spring onions, sliced
fresh organic lemon juice

Place all ingredients  except last 3 for broth in a stock pot, cover with cold water over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Simmer until chicken is tender. Strain the ingredients, set the chicken aside until cool enough to handle. Bring broth to a boil, add orzo, and simmer until tender. Separate the meat from the chicken and add to soup. Serve with chopped spring onion garnish, or parsley ,or both if you wish, a little fresh ground pepper,and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve with some nice crusty bread....now that's comfort!

Lentil Soup and Savoury Stuffed Goodness

I can't believe I have yet to share my recipe for Lentil Soup.  The Lentil Soup.  The stuff of my childhood, the broth of comfort and nourishment.  Sad to say, but today won't be the day I do it either.  Just as I was going to make the good old standby, I said no, let's try it a bit differently.  So I did, and here it is.  

     Instead of making some bread to dip into it's brothy loveliness, I went with making some sort of bready type thing with spinach and ended up with a cross between an empanada and a panzerotti.  As I was in the middle of painstakingly rolling, cutting and stuffing these beauties I kept thinking to myself, these babies better be good because this is somewhat labour intensive.  But they were good.    Very, very good.

     Now I am all for supporting local producers and buying local goods, but I draw the line at supporting farmer's who use genetically modified organisms in their products and who feed these to their livestock.  Apparently Greece is a 93% GMO free zone, so I only buy organic feta when I find it or Feta from Greece.

LENTIL SOUP with Brown Rice and Feta

6 cups organic vegetable or chicken stock

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups organic lentils (any kind but I used green)

1 cup organic brown rice (short or long grain)

1 28 oz can organic tomatoes, chopped or squished

3 organic carrots, chopped

1 cup organic onion, chopped

1/2 cup organic celery, sliced

5 cloves organic garlic, minced

1/2 tsp each organic oregano, thyme and basil

1 organic bay leaf

1/2 cup organic parsley, minced

2 Tbsp organic red wine vinegar

Black pepper and sea salt to taste

Method:  Mix broth, water, lentils, rice, undrained tomatoes, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and herbs in a large pot.  Heat soup to boil, reduce and simmer until lentils and rice are tender, about 1 hour.  Stir occasionally.  

     Remove and discard bay leaf.  Stir in parsley, vinegar, sea salt and pepper to taste.  If necessary, thin with additional water.  

SPINACH AND FETA WHEELS

THE DOUGH:

4 oz organic all purpose whole wheat flour

4 oz organic all purpose unbleached white flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 Tbsp organic sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 organic egg, lightly beaten

100 ml olive oil

50 ml white wine

1 organic egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tbsp organic milk

Method:  Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.  Gradually mix in egg, oil and wine, stirring and when it begins to clump, transfer to a floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

FILLING:

1 pound organic spinach, chopped

1 organic onion, chopped

1 clove organic garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1/2 cup feta cheese

sea salt and pepper to taste

organic paprika

Method:  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil and onion and saute until the onion is soft about 5 mintues.  Add the garlic and spinach and saute until the liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

ASSEMBLY:

Preheat oven to 400*.  Roll out dough on floured surface to a thickness of 3 mm.  Use a 3" cookie cutter to cut out 18 circles.  Put 9 of them aside and cover the rest.  Brush around edges of the rounds with the yolk mix.  Place 1 Tbsp of the spinach filling in the centre and sprinkle with some feta cheese.  Cover with one of the reserved doughs and press firmly around the edges to seal, crimp edges with a fork.  Transfer to a greased tray, brush tops with the yolk and spinkle with some paprika.  Bake until golden 15-20 mins.  Serve hot!

Dumpling Soup

Just as I was wondering what I was going to make for supper, I happened upon a container of turkey stock that I mistakenly left out of the freezer yesterday.  So that meant today was a good soup day.  For some reason I had visions of a dumpling soup.......

This soup would be really good with chickpeas, tofu, chicken or turkey in it too.

VEGETABLE SOUP with Savour Dumplings

4 organic carrots, sliced

1 organic onion, thinly sliced in half moons

2 organic celery stalks, sliced

1 cup organic butternut squash, chopped

1 organic parsnip, sliced

1/2 organic rutabaga, chopped

1 clove organic garlic, thinly sliced

2 organic bay leaves

2 1/2 quarts organic turkey, chicken or vegetable stock

sea salt

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

fresh grated romano cheese

Dumplings

1/2 cup plus 4 Tbsp finely ground organic cornmeal

1  cups organic unbleached flour

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

4 Tbsp finely chopped organic onion

2 Tbsp fresh organic lemon zest

1 cup finely chopped organic parsley

5 Tbsp fresh grated romano or parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp cold unsalted organic butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup organic whole milk

Method:  Bring the stock, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil in a large pot.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add thyme.  

     Whisk the dry ingredients, onion, lemon zest, parsley and cheese in a medium sized bowl.  Add the butter and crumble with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse meal.  Add the milk and stir with a fork until the dough forms.

     Drop the dough by spoonfulls into the simmering broth.  Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Spoon into bowls and dust with some freshly grated romano cheese.

Soup Day

A perfect foggy rainy day soup for this time of year.

CARROT CARDAMOM SOUP with Red Lentils and Squash

2 Tbsp organic coconut oil

1 organic onion, chopped

3 Tbsp peeled, grated fresh organic ginger

1 tsp organic ground cardamom

1/2 tsp organic ground turmeric

1/2 tsp organic ancho chili powder

1/8 tsp organic ground cinnamon

5 large organic carrots, cut into small pieces

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

8 cups organic chicken or vegetable stock or water

1 cup organic butternut squash, cubed

1/2 cup organic red lentils

1 Tbsp maple syrup

sea salt and pepper to taste

a few squeezes of fresh lime juice

organic yogurt for garnish

Method:  Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, ginger, spices, carrots, potato, and squash.  Stir to coat the vegetables in the spice and saute for 5 minutes, stirring. 

     Add the stock, lentils, and maple syrup.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat.  Keep soup chunky or blend until smooth.  Stir in salt, pepper and lime.  Add a dollop of yogurt into each bowl before serving.

SPINACH SALAD with Feta, Celery and Cabbage in an Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Okay, so I strive to eat locally.  Come winter though, I admit to buying the odd package of salad greens and celery.

Organic spinach leaves

Organic celery, chopped

Grated organic carrot

Feta cheese, crumbled

Organic sunflower seeds

Organic cabbage, shredded

Boates apple balsamic vinegar

E.V Olive oil

Sea Salt and Pepper

Method:  Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Flu Season Soup

I have been hovering on the edge of full blown cold or flu symptoms for days now and part of my stay healthy regime has been this delicious, easy miso soup every morning for breakfast.  

FLU SEASON MISO SOUP

(makes one large bowl)

1/4 small organic onion, minced

1 clove organic garlic, minced

1/2 Tbsp organic ginger, peeled and grated

1 heaping Tbsp organic white miso 

a wee ripped off piece of wakame sea vegetable

pinch organic cayenner pepper

Method:  Bring the onion, garlic, ginger, wakame and cayenne to boil in about 2 cups water.  Then simmer for 5 minutes.  In your soup bowl, dilute the miso paste with some warm water.  Then pour the hot garlicky water into the bowl and stir.  Enjoy first thing in the morning.  

BLACK BEAN SOUP AND CORNBREAD

I just finished eating my soup and cornbread by the fire on this gorgeous autumn evening.  What a blessing to live where we do, healthy and safe.  

     I used up my last egg last night making a giant chocolate chip cookie - 12 inches of cookie!  So rather than making cornbread the way I usually do, I had to come up with a no egg version.  I really liked it even though it was a bit crumblier than the regular one.  The crumbs were kind of nice the way they crumbled into the soup, making it nice and thick.  

BLACK BEAN SOUP with Red Pepper and Cilantro

2 cups dry organic black beans, soaked at least 6 hours and cooked until soft

6 cups organic vegetable or chicken stock

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 stalks organic celery, chopped

1 organic red pepper, chopped

4 cloves organic garlic, chopped

1 organic jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 can organic tomatoes

2 Tbsp ground organic cumin

2 tsp organic ground coriander

1 Tbsp organic dry oregano

1 organic bay leaf

3-4 tsp sea salt or to taste

pepper

2 Tbsp organic molasses

2 Tbsp maple syrup

fresh organic cilantro

organic sour cream

Method:  Saute the onion and celery in the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until they soften.  Add the jalapeno, red pepper, garlic and spices and saute another minute or so. Add the tomatoes, stock, beans, salt, molasses, maple syrup and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.  At this point, puree some or all of the soup.  Check consistency, you want the soup to be thickened but not too thick.  If still to watery, simmer until it reaches desired consistency.  Blend half of the soup with a stick blender and check for saltiness and adjust accordingly.  Serve with some fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

APPLE CIDER CORNBREAD

1 3/4 cup organic cornmeal (if using Speerville Mills cornmeal, grind in a coffee grinder for a bit to make it finer)

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1/2 cup organic unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

6 Tbsp organic butter, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup organic whole milk

3/4 cup organic apple cider

1/2 tsp sea salt

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Oil a large cast iron skillet.  Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Combine all of the wet ingredients except the butter in another bowl.  Add the wet to the dry and then stir in the melted butter.  Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Leftovers You Love

I have fond memories of my mom always making soup from leftover turkey the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas. So in keeping with this tradition I picked all the turkey off the bones and made a great stock which served as the base for this Greek soup which can be made with turkey or chicken stock.

AVGOLEMONO (Greek Egg Lemon Soup)

6 cups turkey stock

1/2 cup organic short or long grain brown rice (or use white rice or orzo pasta)

2 organic eggs

1/4 cup organic lemon juice

sea salt and pepper

2 cups leftover turkey

Method:  Bring stock to a boil over high heat.  Add rice, lower heat and simmer partially covered for 20-30 minutes for brown rice (15-20 for white or orzo).  Reduce heat.  In a separate bowl, separate the egg whites from the yolks.  Using a hand blender, beat the egg whites until they are frothy.  Then mix in the yolks.  Add the lemon juice.  Slowly, pour a few ladlefuls of stock into the egg mix. Then pour this into the soup stock.  Add the turkey pieces and stir. Heat without boiling for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Be sure not to cover the pot with a lid or it may curdle.