Root Stew with chicken

A hearty, healthy chicken stew made of various roots and seasoned with fresh rosemary, oregano, and tarragon. Wonderful on a cold winter evening.

6 chicken thighs, cut in bite-sized pieces (with bones and skin removed)
2T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 yam, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
1 baking potato, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
1 turnip, peeled and chopped in bite-sized pieces
1T fresh, diced rosemary
1T fresh, diced oregano
1T fresh, diced tarragon
Salt & Pepper to taste
16 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chicken broth

In a large pot, cook the chicken, onion and garlic in the olive oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the roots and fresh seasoning. Cook until just nearly tender. Add the tomatoes and broth and simmer until roots are done.

New Orleans Gumbo

The word "gumbo" comes from the Central Bantu dialect term for "okra" which is ngombo. Okra is indigenous to Africa but is popular in the southern United States. The great thing about making gumbo is that you can be creative. The only stipulations are that you use okra and you begin the dish with a brown roux. Gumbo usually has some shellfish, but not always. Most people add andouille sausage and a fair amount of cayenne pepper and hot sauce. A lot of times gumbo is made to use up leftover meat or poultry or fish.

Veggies:
2 Tbsp butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 lb chopped okra (you can use frozen okra if fresh can't be found)

Brown Roux:
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1/4 cup flour

Poultry & Fish:
1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs cut in bite-sized chunks
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled
1 lb lump crab meat
1 1/2 lb andouille sausage

Liquids:
8 cups chicken broth
16 oz can of chopped tomatoes in juice

Seasoning:
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp fresh parsley
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , or to taste
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco), or to taste
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Juice from 1/2 lemon
filé powder



Prepare all your veggies and sauté them in the butter until tender. Set aside. Make a roux in the bottom of a large sauce pan or small gumbo pot with the butter and flour. Cook over medium low, stirring constantly, until it looks like color of milk chocolate. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Prepare your meats. To prepare andouille sausage, cook for ten minutes in a small amount of water in a covered sauce pan until done. Then slice in 1/2 inch pieces. Add chicken to the sautéd veggies and cook until chicken is done. Add the sausage and chicken and veggies to your roux, then add the liquids. Add all the seasonings except the hot sauce, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and filé powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

In the last ten minutes, add the raw shrimp, lump crab, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and lemon juice to the pot. Cook until shrimp is done. Never over cook shrimp or it will be rubbery! Remove the bay leaves and serve, sprinkling the filé powder over the top of each serving.

Rosemary Veggie Soup with Turkey

This is a hearty, healthy soup for a cold winter day. Rosemary and garlic are king and queen, and the courtiers are spinach, tomatoes, and onions. The turkey is... if I continue this metaphor... the entertainment: court jester. Simple to make!

1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T olive oil
2 lbs chopped turkey (or other poultry)
6 cups loose baby spinach leaves, rinsed
4 cups chopped organic tomatoes in juice (canned is fine)
4 cups vegetable or poultry broth
1 1/2 Tblsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 16oz cans of your favorite cooked beans

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add the other ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook until flavors are blended (at least 15 minutes).




The wintery scene from my kitchen window today.

Winter Squash & Yam Soup

This is my own recipe, which I whipped up from various ingredients I had on hand. The bold, creamy flavor makes this naturally sweet soup the perfect side dish or first course. I love the taste of the goodness of the Earth in the cold autumn and winter months.

2 small winter squash (about 6 cups of flesh)
2 yams (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 cups fresh carrot juice
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups milk
Vegetable stock (add as needed for liquid)
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2T olive oil
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1 T ginger, crushed
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
Dash of ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 crushed dry red pepper

Bake the yams and halved squash (seeds removed) on a cookie sheet for about an hour. While they cook, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot until the onion is clear. Add all of the seasonings to the onions. Slowly add the carrot juice, coconut milk, and milk, stirring constantly until hot. Remove from heat.

Scoop out squash and yam from skins and add to the large pot with other ingredients. Puree the soup a little at a time in a blender until smooth. Reheat in the pot until hot. Adjust seasonings, salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot in small portions.

Dave's Beef Chili

Loaded with veggies, tender melt-in-your mouth beef, and rich flavors, Dave's traditional Halloween chili always gets applause. Dave has been making his chili annually on Halloween for at least 20 years now. He quadruples this recipe, because people love it so much.

1 1/2 lbs boneless beef top round
1 T canola oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
32 oz canned tomatoes, cut up
3/4 cup sliced black olives
1 cup beef broth
1 T brown sugar
2 T chili powder
1/2 cup chopped green chilies
2 tsp crushed dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups cooked pinto beans
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded for garnish

Soak beans over night and cook them in a large pot the next day until tender. Brown, then cover and cook chopped (1/2-inch cubed) boneless round in another large pot over low heat with oil, onion, and garlic until almost tender. Add other ingredients (except beans), cover and cook for at least an hour until meat is ultra-tender, stirring occasionally. Add beans and heat thoroughly. Serve, topped with sharp cheddar (if desired).

Stuffed Baby Sugar Pumpkins

This is another of my own recipes inspired from a more "protestant casserole" recipe from my past which included food items I no longer use, like canned soups. This recipe uses natural flavors and my absolute favorite type of nutty, rich rice: brown basmati rice.

2 cups brown basmati rice
4 cups broth (your favorite: veggie, chicken, beef, etc.)

Bring rice and broth to boil in a sauce pan, cover and reduce to simmer for 50 minutes.

1 lb Raw, boneless turkey, minced or ground
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped (or to taste)
1/2 tsp savory
1/2 tsp thyme
2 cloves minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced (your favorite)
3 eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste
Soy Sauce to taste
2 T brown sugar
3 small sugar pumpkins (enough to fee 6 people)

Cook onion, and garlic in olive oil until veggies are tender. Add minced turkey, mushrooms, and sage, savory, thyme and cook until turkey is browned and mushrooms are done. Add previously cooked rice, eggs and salt and pepper, soy sauce and brown sugar to turkey mixture.

Cut the tops off the sugar pumpkins and clean out seed and strings. Sprinkle the interior with salt, fill with rice & turkey mixture and replace tops. Place on a cookie sheet and cook at 375ºF for at least an hour until pumpkin flesh is tender. Serve by allowing people to scoop out rice and pumpkin flesh onto plates. The pumpkin may need a little more salt after it is dished out.

Wheel Soup

This simple soup has a surprising flavor which combines cocoa powder with tomato, paprika and beef. Delicious!

12 ounces beef sirloin, cubed
Olive oil
2 sweet onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
28oz beef or veggie broth
29oz stewed, chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups green cabbage
1 1/2 cups mini-wheel pasta
2 Tbsp paprika powder


Cook beef in olive oil in a covered, large sauce pan with onions and garlic on low heat for 2 hours or until tender. Add remaining ingedients (except pasta) and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add pasta and cook until tender. Serve hot with sour cream (optional)

Pumpkin Black-Bean Chili with chicken

I love the addition of pumpkin to this chicken chili. I've used this recipe with the exceptions noted below:

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped (I used a green bell pepper)
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used chicken and sauted it with the veggies)
  
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fresh tomatoes)
  
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender (I sauteed the chicken with these veggies). Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. (I cooked over low on the stove for about half the time)
  
• Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Excellent served with this:

Sweet Cornbread

1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour

Combine in a bowl and blend. Pour into buttered 8 inch square pan. Bake at 375ºF for 35 minutes or until done.

Posh Joes

Sloppy joes charged up a notch and made more healthy with red wine and veggies, sandwiched in whole wheat toasted pita bread.

1 3/4 cup hand-pureed fresh tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 -2 carrots, finely chopped
1 rib of celery chopped
1 1/2 lb mixture of your choice: ground beef, lamb, chicken, pork, etc.
1 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp mustard powder
3/4 cup red wine
2 T Worcestershire sauce (made from tamarind)
1 1/2 T brown sugar
Salt, to taste
Whole Wheat Pita Bread, lightly toasted

Cook onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in olive oil until done. Add ground meat/poultry and cook until brown. Add seasoning and salt. Add tomatoes, wine, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Boil until thickened (about 8 minutes). Fold toasted pita bread around meat filling.

Crustless Spinach-Cheese Quiche

My confession is that I love pie crust and I love quiche WITH a crust. However, I'm trying to cut back a bit on lard and butter, so I've developed this quiche that has so much flavor, it hardly needs a crust.

Recipe makes 2 quiches. Hint: cut each quiche into 8 pieces and freeze them for quick breakfasts.

8 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
Black pepper to taste
12 oz cottage cheese
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (you can use seasoned feta if you wish)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp chopped fresh dillweed
1 bunch of spinach, chopped. Stems mostly removed
1 cup lower-fat shredded cheddar (or favorite brick cheese)


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease two quiche pans (or pie pans). Combine ingredients and divide between pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until set.