Archive for 2016

This would be my take on the proverbial "chicken soup for the soul". I trust it to treat everything from a sour mood to a burgeoning cold. My doctor gave me a pamphlet on natural cold remedies once and I remember there is statistical evidence that eating soups with chicken decrease the number of sick days. There was also some evidence that vitamin C and garlic helps as well. So I decided to throw all those ingredients together and add some kale because, why not.

Citrus Chicken, Kale & White Bean Soup

1 navel orange

1 lemon

3 giant garlic cloves

1/4 olive oil, plus 1 T.

1 lb chicken breast

2 large celery stalks

2 medium carrots

1/2 small white onion

1 dozen tuscan kale leaves

1 can white beans (16 oz)

1 pint chicken stock

Wash all produce, even the citrus. Roll out the citrus to make them easier to juice. Place the chicken breast in a medium to large bowl. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, then zest and juice both the orange and lemon (catch the lemon seeds), and grate 2 garlic cloves using the microplane as well. Mix well, cover and set aside in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

Lemon and orange juice not added yet. This will be a juicy marinade!

Pre-heat oven to 375 F. When the marinading time is over, cook the chicken for 25 minutes in a high-walled pan in the entire marinade. I used a brownie pan. Flip breasts half-way through.

While the chicken is cooking prepare the vegetables by peeling and roughly chopping carrots, chopping celery, and dicing onions. I sometimes have trouble chopping carrots and celery to an appropriate size, this time I thought to myself "macaroni-width". I think that helped a lot. Remove most of the stems of the kale (see first photo) and chop to 1 inch width pieces.

Note: the below times are approximate.

In a medium stock pot, add 1 table spoon olive oil and set heat to medium. Sautee onions and the remaining garlic clove (grated) for about 3 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, then refill the container with water and add that too. Slowly bring stock to a simmer over the course of 10 minutes.

While the stock is coming up to a simmer the chicken should finish and give you enough time to roughly shred or chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Add the chicken breast to the stock and bring it back to a simmer. Finally, add the kale and cook for 3 minutes.

Voila!

Wrote by Rachel Quimby

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I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I eat better food and save more money when I have ingredients on hand for cooking. I think it's important to know what style of food you like and keeping those staples in stock. For example, just like people think of having personal style when it comes to fashion, so does your eating habits! The most effortless and chic outfits are the ones that are thrown together from proven classics. I think of food in the same way. These items are the things I know to re-stock when I run out-- even before I think I know what I'm going to make for the week. Here is my pantry list for making effortless, healthy, and delicious meals (with minimal thinking required) time and again.

Pantry Staples

Dry Goods

Organic dry pasta

Basmati rice

Organic marinara sauce

Diced tomatoes, canned

Coconut milk

Organic chicken & vegatable stock (multiple quarts of this stuff, I'm obsessed)

EVOO
Coconut oil

Apple cider vinegar
Amino acids
Vanilla extract
Dark cocoa powder
Honey

Rolled oats

Spices

No-sodium Italian spice mix

Apple pie spice

Turmeric
Cumin

Sea salt

Black pepper

Unrefrigerated Produce

Bananas

Garlic
Onions

Refrigerated Items

Sugar-free non-dairy milk

Lemons

Carrots

Celery

Hummus

Wrote by Rachel Quimby

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I am a soup aficionado. I have quite a few soup recipes that I'm looking forward to sharing with you. I whipped up this recipe for lunch with my step-mom today and it turned out great. Broccoli and cheddar soup has a reputation for being high in calories, however, this soup delighted my guest even with only a quarter of a pint of cream and quarter of a bag of shredded cheddar in my fridge!

Light Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

4 T butter

3 T all purpose flour

1 small white onion

1 elephant clove garlic

1 1/2 c no-sugar added plain almond milk

1 quart chicken stock

4 carrots

3 broccoli crowns

1/2 c half and half

1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 t salt

pepper to taste

This soup starts by prepping the vegetables. Dice the onion and peel the garlic (mince as well if you don't have a microplane, which is what I use). Then wash and peel the carrots and broccoli. I peel the stalk of the broccoli because I like to dice the stem for adding to the soup. Thinly slice the carrots. Then dice the stalk of the broccoli and create small florets from the crown.

Heat a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Melt butter, then slowly whisk in the flour one spoonful at a time, stirring constantly. The whole process should take 1 to 1.5 minutes. This is called a roux. The roux should have movement to it (i.e., not complete paste). Add onion and garlic (grate garlic into pot with microplane if not minced). Saute for 2-3 minutes, adding splashes of almond milk to keep the roux from burning.

Slowly add chicken stock and remaining almond milk while stirring constantly to incorporate with roux. Turn heat to medium. When the stock is steaming add the carrots and broccoli and cook for 10 minutes. Add cream, then cheese (in small handfuls). Add salt and pepper, then simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Wrote by Rachel Quimby

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This recipe is in honor of my dearest Nana. She enjoys pork tenderloin and rice for dinner, so I made a dish similar to this when I was living with her last winter and she loved it! This dish would be great with a glass of pinot noir for a Friday date-night.

Italian Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Rice

1 pork tenderloin

2 T. sodium-free Italian spice mixture

2 T. olive oil, plus 1 T.

4 good baking apples, such as Macintosh

1 shallot

1 package rice pilaf (sorry, I just haven't beaten it yet)

1/4 lb. green beans

Wash, peel, and core apples. Cut into 1/8th's and place into a pan large enough to hold apples and pork. Peel and dice shallot and add to pan. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil over produce and toss so they are evenly coated.

Preheat oven to 390 F. Place a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 T. olive oil. Rub spice mixture evenly over tenderloin. Sear tenderloin in pan to lightly brown each side. Place tenderloin in pan with produce, push up the apples and shallots to encircle the pork. Cook in oven for 25 minutes.

Cook rice according to package. Wash, trim, and half green beans. Steam and set aside to serve with meal.

The apples and shallot will soften to an applesauce texture that is excellent with the Italian-seasoned pork.

Wrote by Rachel Quimby

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This recipe comes from my new-found love of chia seeds (hello Omega-3 fatty acids). I add them to my oatmeal every morning and I've even started experimenting with chia seed pudding. I was instantly hooked on the puddings for an easy, nutritious dessert. Turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory and has some amazing preventative health benefits (see here)! Add raw pumpkin, a superfood in itself, and you've got a festive and delicious treat without any haunting regret!

Raw Pumpkin Pie Pudding

8 oz can pumpkin

8 oz can full fat coconut milk

1 c. plain, no-sugar added almond milk

1/4 c. honey

5 T. ground turmeric root

5 T. apple pie spice mix or pumpkin pie spice mix (the only difference is the latter contains ginger)

1 c. chia seeds

Add ingredients to blender, wet ingredients first, then dry (add chia seeds last). Chia seeds will clump as soon as they touch moisture if they're not mixed quickly. Pour into a 1/2 gallon container and refrigerate for one hour before eating.

Chia seeds not yet added

Wrote by Rachel Quimby

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My secret weapon

I love this recipe because of it's bright yellow color. This is a simple vinaigrette that brightens up any salad. It's great for dressing a side salad of baby lettuce paired with a main course or a large potluck salad of shaved brussels sprouts. The taste is so rich, and the ingredients so simple, I make a large batch for the week ahead in an old honey jar I have.

The tool that makes this salad dressing so easy is the microplane. Mine is a wand style, and it was a gift, but it was probably under $10. I use it all the time! The trick to the microplane is to rinse it clean with water directly after use. This prevents any crusty pieces from sticking to the tiny teeth on the grate-like edges. That could be a real pain to clean if clogged.

Yellow Vinaigrette

1 lemon
1 giant clove garlic (or 2 small-medium)
3 T. feta cheese
3 T. honey
2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. apple cider vinegar

Over a medium jar, start by using the microplane to zest the entire lemon (make sure to wash it first). Only take off the outermost yellow layer of the lemon with the microplane, don't go too far into the white rind. Then add the juice of the lemon by either squeezing through mesh colander, so as to catch seeds, or squeeze into side bowl and pick out seeds by hand.

Next, peel garlic. My trick for doing this quickly is to take off the top and tip. This always seems to make the whole shell pop off in one or two pieces.

Then holding the garlic vertically, grate over the jar using the microplane. I find that rotating the clove keeps the microplane teeth from creating grooves and the job stays quick. Use your finger to scoop out the pulp from the back of the microplane.

The hard work is over. Add the rest of the ingredients. When you get to the feta, go for the crumbled bits on the bottom of the tub or crush any large chunks before adding to jar. Finally, put a lid on the jar and shake vigorously to mix. It should be a gorgeous creamy yellow color when mixed, but it will separate if refrigerated.

Wrote by Rachel Quimby

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The time is middle September and I'm not quite ready to give up the last of summer's bounty. To celebrate yesterday's Harvest full moon, and before my plate goes completely to the amber tones of fall (Macintosh apples, pumpkins, butternut squash), I made a "Late Summer Fruit Cobbler".

I experimented with steel cut oats (health benefits here) to try to get these healthy grains into my diet. When cooked, they can have a consistency similar to brown rice.

Late Summer Fruit Cobbler

3 green apples

1 peach

10 oz blueberries

1 c. steel cut oats

1/4 raw sugar

1 1/4 c. almond milk

1/2 stick butter

2 T apple pie spice mix

Pour oats and milk into deep dish pie plate. Wash all fruit. Core and cut apples into roughly 1" cubes, then place in pie dish. Core and cut the peach into 1" cubes. Layer peaches over apples in pie plate, and top with blueberries.