GAPS Chili

The only thing that makes this stand out as diet food is the lack of cornbread. Chili has so many variations and is such a typical cool weather dinner. It is nice to have a few mainstream recipes that everybody recognizes in your back pocket.

This is a robust, thick and rich version. It has a nice balance of meat and vegetables. Since it simmers for a good amount of time, all the flavors meld and you don’t taste one vegetable in particular.

I had made a double batch of this and froze half of it. Just as we were sitting down for our second meal of chili two days in a row, we were invited to family dinner, where chili was on the menu. So I thawed out the other half and we ate chili three days in a row, nobody complained. I am looking forward to making this again.

1 cup lima beans, dried
2 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound ground meat
1 large onion
3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots
2 pablano peppers
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons navy bean flour
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 bay leaf
3 cups beef stock
48 ounces crushed tomatoes

Soak beans in two cups water and two tablespoons lemon juice for 24 hours. Brown ground meat in a large pot; add onions, celery, carrots, and peppers. Stir vegetables and let heat through. Melt butter in pot and sprinkle flour on vegetables, stir to coat. Add garlic and spices. Stir in stock and tomatoes and heat to a simmer. Rinse soaked beans and add to the pot. Simmer for one hour. Serve with homemade sour cream.
links; Simple Lives Thursday, Creative Juices Thursday,

Millet Tortilla Soup

I just love Mexican flavors, they seem to be made for vegetables.  My husband is not crazy about tomato based soup, though he loves chili, go figure.  This recipe has a mild, but nourishing chicken broth base.  Sometimes I throw in a jar of tomatoes, because I love the things!

Even though the list of ingredients is long, do not be overwhelmed.  This is a really quick soup to throw together and will turn out delicious even if you don't have an ingredient or two.  So just use up what you have laying around.

I always try to make a large pot because it freezes wonderfully.  Unfortunately we always eat more than I expect and there is not much left for freezing either way.  It is great left over and is a great time saver to cook once and just reheat on the stove a few days later.

Relishing the cool weather and the end of soup season.  Though I am NOT looking forward to covering my garden again this week!  Enjoy and stay warm.

1/2 cup millet
4 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeno
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 green onions, sliced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2/3 cup frozen corn
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado - sliced
Pepper jack cheese
Tortilla chips

Cook millet in chicken stock (cooking chart). Sautee carrots, peppers and onions in coconut oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin, cook 1 more minute. Mix in millet, green onions, cilantro, corn, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with avocado cheese and chips.

links; Menu Plan Monday, Happy Homemaker Monday, Monday Mania, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy, Tuesday Twister, Hearth and Soul Hop

Coconut Curry Soup

Last summer I moved from eating any old meat in moderation to eating mostly wild game and pastured meat only sparingly.  Without knowing, that is when I wrote my Vegetarian-ish Teaser.  Flavors abound in fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, while grains and beans add bulk to meals and give us sustained energy.  Through these past 6 months I have made lots of changes that all happened little by little.  It takes some creativity and a good resolve, but eating meat sparingly is O so doable.

Traditional American fare has become a plate of separates; large portion of meat with a starch and sometimes a small amount of vegetables.  When I eat American now, I just reverse the sequence with a large portion of veggies with a starch and sometimes a small amount of meat.  Simple.  It took my husband a little bit to accept this approach, his plate doesn’t always have the same proportions, but he is learning that a meal does not have to be centered around a large portion of meat to be satisfying.

This concept is a whole lot easier when we make more casseroles and soups because using less meat is not quite as noticeable.  This soup is meatless, though could very well have meat added for beginners.  The use of real chicken stock gives great flavor and lots of nutrition

Lemon grass is one of my favorite herbs.  It is hard to find so I am trying to grow my own.  Look at Asian Food Markets, the dried pieces from the grocery store is not the same.  I have also used 2 drops of lemon grass essential oil in a tablespoon of coconut milk added at the end of cooking with good results. 

I got the idea for this soup from Wildflower Bread Company.  Sadly, it is not on their regular weekly rotation.  With so much flavor,  a nice creamy smooth texture and small, soft bits for added interest, who could miss the meat? 

One 14-ounce can coconut milk

2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer portion removed tender portion only, chopped very fine

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons lime zest

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, finely minced

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 quart chicken stock

16 ounces tomato sauce

2 teaspoons salt

3 carrots, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste or cayenne to taste

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

In a large pot, combine coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger and lime zest, simmer for 10 minutes.  In a separate pan, sauté onions in coconut oil until soft.  Add garlic, then remove from heat.  Puree onions and garlic with curry powder, chicken stock and tomato sauce.  Add blended mixture, salt, carrots, celery, tomatoes and red pepper to simmering coconut milk, stir to combine.  Simmer until vegetables are tender, 8 minutes or pressure on high for one minute.  Stir in curry paste, lime juice, cilantro and serve.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Creamy Vegetable-Chicken Soup

THIS is what I mean by slow food.

Onions, carrots, celery, garlic and parsley are all things you can get in season right now.  I can buy them all from local farmers who use organic farming practices.

Nutrient dense, homemade chicken stock simmered with real vegetables and contains real chicken flavors without the chicken.  Nothing beats that delicious, lip smacking gelatin from a true bone broth.

Homemade noodles add such an amazing effect.  Here is a recipe for those so inclined.  If you are not up to making homemade noodles yet, soak some barley the day before and use that instead.  Barley is just as nourishing, but homemade noodles are so lovely.  The third option being brown rice pasta as brown rice is lower in phytates than other whole grains.

For kefir cream, just culture real cream with milk kefir grains and strain for a nice, thick, rich soured cream.  We love cream around here, fresh whipped cream makes anything a treat.  It is hard to find raw cream in my area.  The dairy where I get my raw milk does not have a real cream separator, so it is not pure cream and does not whip up.  I use Trader Joes brand, which is one of the only ones around that doesn’t ultra pasteurized and doesn’t add extra -- stuff.  Read the label, it should just be pure cream.

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups chopped carrots

2 ribs celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups noodles or soaked barley

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup kefir cream (or sour cream)

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Sautee onion, carrots and celery in butter until softened.  Add garlic, salt pepper and stock.  Simmer gently for 20 minutes.  Add noodles and peas, simmer 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir a small amount of stock into kefir cream to loosen up and add cream to soup, add parsley and serve.  Don’t rush through, take your time and enjoy.

For more slow food recipes, check these out:

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Winter Roasted Side

Spinach, Fig and Prosciutto Pizza

Feel-Good Granola

Mayonnaise

this post is part of Real Food Wednesday's, and Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Coconut Carrot-Ginger Soup

I’ve been jonesing for some soup for the last few weeks. On Tuesday, when it was 108 degrees outside, I gave in. I turned my thermostat down to 76 and downed a couple bowls of soupilicious. If I had been able to wait just one more day I could have had my first soup of the season on a more appropriate, under 90 degree day. I suppose it was the lack of groceries that pushed me into premature soup making.

Brilliant orange, sweet, creamy and a hint of spice. Eating vegetables is so dang easy! I serve this to my kids in a cup with a straw as a “warm vegetable smoothie.”

Don’t forget to adjust the seasonings at the end. There is no way to give you a good amount of salt to use as it depends on your stock. I add another good teaspoon because my stock is sodium free. Also important to heat the stock to boiling as it freshens it up a bit and kills some of the froth created by your blender. Do in batches if your blender is smaller than 8 cups. Sautéing in the case of onions improves the flavor of them, but the carrots could be easily steamed first to save time.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 large carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
pinch of cayenne (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable/ chicken stock
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 can coconut milk

Sautee onions in coconut oil, add carrots and salt, cook through. Season and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Place vegetables in a blender with stock and ginger, blend well. Return to heat and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in coconut milk. Add more salt to taste. Makes about 8 cups of soup, I can eat half of it in one sitting. Leftovers reheat well.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Chicken Barley Soup

Who didn't get sick this winter? Wow, it has been rough! We usually get by with a few sniffles but this year we endured week long fevers, 3 day flu's and horrendous coughs. Truly, the best medicine is chicken soup, more specifically the chicken stock in the soup. I learned this from Dr. Oz in You, the Owner's Manual...it is more than an old wives tale and mind over matter...it is science. So you got to use the real stuff, no bullion is going to get you feeling better.

This is a simple chicken noodle soup recipe with the noodles replaced with barley. I like the barley for 3 reasons. 1) Health of coarse, noodles are made with whole grain flour at best in most cases white flour which means VERY little nutrition. Whole grains that have not been broken down into flour have a lower glycemic index which means they have less of an impact on blood sugar. 2) Barley makes it hearty, this soup is filling. 3) Left over noodle anything is mushy - yuck. This soup is actually BETTER the second and third meals, that is extra points in my book, it also freezes well.

Now for the ingredients...Spike is a natural seasoning blend that is found in the baking aisle of any major grocery store. Ultragel or ultra maxigel are modified corn starch products that are great to add a bit of thickness to soups, dressings and syrups. Get it at Preparing Wisely or Grains Plus. Depending on how salty your stock is, you may need to salt the end product. Hulless barley...you'll have to come back tomorrow to learn more in my "One Grain at a Time" post on all things barley.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup dry hulless barley
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Spike
1 chicken breast
6 cup chicken stock
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
½ teaspoon pepper
ultragel

Sautee onion, celery and barley in oil. Add garlic, Spike, chicken and stock . Simmer 20 minutes or pressure on high 7 minutes, quick release. Remove chicken breast from pot and shred. Return chicken to the pot and add carrots and pepper, simmer 5 more minutes, or pressure 1 minutes, natural release. Check for salt. Add water if needed and thicken slightly with a couple tablespoons of ultragel. Serves 6 - 8.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Hearty Fiesta Chili

I was at Sprouts the other day and walked by the meat section, just browsing, longing for some organic grass fed beef. When there is was, Sommers Organic Grass Fed discounted to 2.99 per lb. Manager’s Special (I’m sure the sell by date only being a day away had something to do with it). So I came right home to make the manliest man soup (Second only to beef stew). Seriously, there are not many soups that my husband will consider a full meal. This soup is so hearty and filling. I use anasazi beans because I like the texture and they are less gassy. You can use what ever beans you have on hand. Also might I suggest Muir Glen tomatoes, they are the best canned tomatoes out there, look for them on sale for they can be spendy. My favorite chili powder is made by Frontier Seasonings, it is called “fiesta chili powder” (sounds great, right?) I had tons of peppers on hand this week (Remember 6 for $1?) so I used (lots of) fresh peppers instead of the canned chilies, but I am leaving the recipe as my original because it makes this a great pantry recipe for when my fridge is slim pickin’s. The vinegar is to brighten the tomato flavor, they loose some of their acidity sitting in a can which leads them to tasting tin-y. Oh yeah, and the Kamut can be substituted for the grain of your choice (rice, spelt, wheat, barley) or leave it out. I like my chili served with grated cheese and a big piece of cornbread. Although it has never won our Ward's Chili Cook Off that is held every Halloween, I think it is award worthy. At any rate, I'm sure glad the cold weather is back so that I can enjoy some more soup! BTW my mom won a chili cook off so I have potential.

2 cups anasazi beans
1 cup Kamut
6 cups beef stock
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
8 oz. green chilies, diced (canned or fresh)
2 tablespoons. Worcestershire sauce
3 cups crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt

Pressure beans, kamut and stock on high pressure for 30 minutes or simmer for 2 hours. Brown beef, add onions, chilies, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar. Quick release pressure on beans. Add beef mixture, tomatoes and chili powder. Pressure again on high for 10 minutes, natural release. Add corn and salt to taste. Stir in vinegar and if you like a more brothy chili add water.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Harvest Butternut Squash Soup

We are in the heart of soup season. I love getting 3 servings of veggies in one delicious warm-you-up meal. This one is so sweet and creamy, Brik calls it pumpkin pie and prefers it cold, I like to dip focaccia bread in it. This soup also freezes well, so make a double batch for a heat and go meal in the future.

3 pounds butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, cut into large dice
1 pinch sucanat
3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 quart chicken stock
1 dash cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon plus some for garnish
salt
½ cup cream
1 cup freeze dried* apples for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash halves cut side down on the dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the flesh. Cool slightly, then remove the peel. Set aside. Place oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and sugar, sauté for a few minutes, add garlic. Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Add the potatoes, carrot, apple and bring to a boil. Pressure for 6 minutes on high. Add the squash, use an immersible hand blender to puree the soup, or transfer to a blender or food processor in batches, and puree until smooth. Return to the pot. Season the soup with cayenne pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt, then stir in cream. Heat through, but do not boil. Ladle into bowls, and top with apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

*freeze dried fruits and vegetables are the premium of food storage. They rehydrate quickly and easily, retain most of their nutrients an taste almost as good as their fresh counterparts. They are also great snacks, even for babies. Pick up a can at Preparing Wisely and try them out.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

“Stocking” Bird Bones

Wait. Don't throw out those bones! Even if its that low quality Costco rotisserie birds and especially if it is a good organic free range, grass fed bird. Make those bones into chicken stock. If you don't buy whole chickens much a great alternative is using chicken wings as they are mostly bones and less expensive. If you have an in with a chicken farmer you might just get them for free as they are often wasted when packaging chicken parts.

Homemade stock is so YUM, and you don’t have to be all fancy about it. I have no doubts that all those extra ingredients and steps listed in the very complex recipes make for better end results, but how much better? Not worth it. I feel the difference between homemade and store bought is a lot. Not only is the flavor beyond comparison, it is healthier, more economical and storage efficient (homemade stock is more concentrated). Use stock in all your gravies, sauces and soups. Storage got to be a problem…not enough freezer space, so now I can it. Sound daunting? It’s not. Seriously, it took me 10 minutes. Here are the steps:

1 bird carcass
3 carrots, cleaned and cut in half (no need to peel)
2 celery stalks, cleaned and cut in half
1 onion, peeled and quartered
12 cup water

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Place all ingredients in pressure cooker, pressure on high for 3 hours. Natural release. Place a strainer in a pot both large enough for what’s in the cooker. Dump contents of cooker into strainer. Press with a spatula. Cool then throw away the solids. In a clean pot line a mesh strainer with fine cheesecloth. Dump liquid through second strainer. I like to pour this into a fat separator and let set a couple minutes before pouring it into my jars (4 pints), but this is optional, I usually only get 2 tablespoons of fat from the whole batch. From here you can either freeze or proceed to can. I fill my pressure cooker 1/3 full with water, place jars evenly spaced on a trivet and pressure the jars for 90 minutes, natural release. Once cooled, date and store! Fresh stock lasts only 2 days in the refrigerator so plan your storage option.

This is my quick and easy pressure cooker/canner for small jobs. It fits 4 pint jars. Leyse 8qt. electric pressure cooker.