By Request

This is a recipe post for my sweet friend, Andrea.  She has been asking for some recipe ideas since before we went to China.  I'm sure you can guess that that hasn't made the top of my do-to list for obvious reasons!  But today as I was making lunch I decided I would just do one.  One at a time every few days or weeks until she's happy.  Or I run out of fun, new recipes!  So here goes. 

And if you aren't interested in this awesome Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, just skip to the bottom to see a super cute dude eating said soup!

Oh, and Andrea, I know you said that your husband isn't crazy about soups because they aren't hearty enough for him.  Well, I intend to change his mind!  Do you see the picture of my husband over there?  Does he look like the kind of man that could be satisfied with a dainty soup?  Huh?  No.  This soup is kid friendly, teenager approved and man filling!  Trust me. 

Chelsea's Chicken Noodle

Ingredients:

1 small onion
carrots
2-3 stalks celery
3 or more cloves garlic
1-2 cups frozen corn
2 32 oz boxes of broth (I use Veggie)
salt
pepper
curry powder
Bragg Liquid Aminos
parsley
Kombu {optional-more on this later}
1 package egg noodles
Chicken

Instructions:

First brown the chicken in a skillet with olive oil.  You can use boneless, skinless breast or I use tenderloins.  How much depends on how much you like.  We tend to go easy on the meat so I use about 1 tender per serving and this recipe will serve 8.  You can use more if you are big meat eaters.

Dice onion, press garlic, slice carrots and celery and then saute in olive oil until onions are transparent.  I do this in the pot I will use for the soup.

Next add the broth.  I use two boxes (32 oz each) of veggie broth or if I don't have any on hand, I will use vegetable soup base mixed with water. 

Cut the browned {or almost brown} chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the soup with 2 cups of frozen corn. 

Turn the heat up to bring the soup to a boil and add the seasonings while you wait.  I put in 3 or more Tbsp Bragg, a tsp curry powder, a thumb sized piece of Kombu {see package below}, some chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste. 

Turn down to a simmer and leave on until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.  You can leave it on longer if you want. 

See the Kombu in the soup.  It's that green square in the bottom of the picture. I buy dried Kombu and tear off a piece to add to soups, sauces, grains and beans when cooking.   Kombu is a sea vegetable that reconstitutes and releases it's nutrients into the cooking liquid.  This is absorbed by your food and will infuse your foods with the highly alkalinizing minerals, iron and iodine.  So, I use it often! {Insert Significant Source rolling her eyes at me!}

The last thing you do is add the package of noodles and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  Take off the heat and serve!

I often make the soup up ahead of time, but do not add the noodles.  You can refrigerate or freeze the soup, reheat and add the noodles later. 

This soup is heavy on noodles and veggies so I can't see how it could not be classified as a hearty soup.  It's so hearty in fact that my kids eat it with a FORK!

And the best part?

It fills teenagers!

And cute 3 year-olds with hollow legs!

So....what's for dinner?

If I had a dime for every time I hear that during the day.....well you know.  I guess I wouldn't exactly be rich, but I'd be less irritated if they paid me to answer that question! 

Anyway.

White Bean Chicken Chili.  That's what's for dinner tonight.  Want the recipe?  Well, you're getting it anyway, because I really don't have time to blog about anything else and I'm really trying to blog every. single. day. 

Disclaimer:  This is not the actual recipe.  This recipe has been Chelsitized! Or Chelsinated?  Whatever.  I took a recipe and changed it to suit us.  I think it's better!  You may not.  And, that's okay.  Really, it is. I won't come to your house and fuss at you if you decide you'd rather use one off the internet.  Or you just don't like white bean chili.  I didn't think I did until I made it!  I'd even tried someone else's and didn't like it.  But, this one, I do like.  And better yet, everyone in my house will eat it. 

What's in it?



2-6 cloves fresh garlic
1 onion
chicken breast or tenders
olive oil
2 cups veggie or chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans white beans (I use navy)
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1/2 cup medium salsa
Bragg
salt
pepper
cumin
kombu

What is Bragg?
Bragg is liquid amino acids. Tastes like soy sauce.  Adds loads of healthy things you can not pronounce to your food!  I add at least 3 Tbsp to all soups and chili.  I also sauté green beans and other veggies in it.  And add it to homemade salad dressings.  Let's put it this way, it's a staple around here and I buy it in a large 32oz bottle! 

What is kombu?
Easy version?  Seaweed.  I know!  Who would have thought I'd put seaweed in my food!?!?!  But, I do.  I put a small piece {check the picture above for that small beef jerky looking thing in front} of kombu in about anything that simmers.  Rice, soups, chili, veggies.  Why?  Well, wouldn't you know it!  Seaweed is good for you!  It infuses the food with good minerals that you might not be getting enough of!  You don't have to eat it.  I use it like you would use bay leaves.

How do you make it?

Press your garlic,

Dice your onion,



And cut the chicken into bit sized pieces.  Then sauté the onion, garlic and chicken with olive oil over medium heat until the chicken is white all over.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

See, we like pepper!



Now add everything else. I recommend starting with the veggie stock and working down. 

Whew!  That was a tough one!

Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer on low for at least 30 minutes.  If it's not spicy enough for you, add more salsa, or some hot sauce.  I added another 1/2 cup of salsa to mine! 

Serve with corn bread

{which is in the oven right now!}

Breakfast of Champions

I make smoothies.  I make a lot of smoothies.  My kids drink smoothies.  My kids are rarely sick.  Do you think it's the smoothies?   I don't know.  But, I think I'm on to a good thing here, so I'm going to keep it up.  We don't necessarily eat them for breakfast.  We often have them as an after dinner treat.  Since we only allow dessert on weekends.  'Cause you know, I'm mean like that. 
Moving along.

My smoothie recipe is real simple.  Juice of some kind and frozen fruit.  I have never used a recipe for my smoothies.  I just start throwing things into the blender!  But, here is what it looks like.

I start with juice.  I often use OJ, because that is usually handy around here.  But, on the occasion that I have splurged for some Superfood, I use that.  I mean, would you ever get your kids to drink green juice any other way!  I know I won't.  But, once camouflaged in the smoothie, they have no idea they are drinking wheat grass and Jerusalem artichoke!  Mwahahahahaha {that's my evil laugh, y'all}! 

Then it's onto the frozen fruit.  I use strawberries, peaches, mangos and lots and lots of blueberries.  I have also been known to use banana and pineapple. 

I just start dumping it in the blender and blending it.  Prepare for your blender to get stuck if you load too much in at one time.  But a big spoon will remedy this problem.  And pretty soon your green-juice-that-no-kid-in-his-right-mind-would-drink, looks like this!

And they will happily slurp this up!  So that is the standard smoothie.  How can you make it better?  Oh, let me tell you!  In addition to these fruits and juices, I have been known to add yogurt, flax seed oil, acai berry powder and protein shake to it.  My kids won't drink the protein shake because it's gritty, but added to the smoothie it's not so bad.  Flax seed oil is wonderfully nutritious but what kid can swallow those pills?  So I add a tablespoon or two to the smoothies!   But, if you add these things, it is best to do them with the juice, before you add the fruit.  Once the fruit is in the blender it becomes to think to be sure these things get mixed in well!  

  

{Plain yogurt will do, this is just what I have on hand today}

And, I use rice milk if I need more liquid than just the juice I've used.  You know, if it gets too think for the machine to handle.

YUM!

Potato Soup My Way

Okay, so this blog started out as an adoption blog, has morphed into a family blog and now what?  A foodie blog?  Well, maybe.  HA! Or not. 

I doubt anything I have to say about food will be all that enthralling.  I'm not exactly The Pioneer Woman,  and I've got nothing on Bakerella.  But, according to my friends and family....I have some, well.....fascinating aggravating ideas about food.  So, I thought I'd share a little.  Or a lot.  Because why not share the torment, right?  Besides, these aren't even my ideas, I just adopted them.  Ooh, that means it's still an adoption blog!  Get it?  Get it?  Okay then......ahem. 

A few years ago, Paul and I read a book, The Seven Pillars of Heath by Dr. Don Colbert, that started us thinking about the food we were eating and the results we were getting from eating said foods.  Long story short, we eventually purged our pantry and have since Tried, with a capital T, to stay away from processed foods, chemically treated produce, empty carbs and refined sugars.

We also eat fewer animal products, but that's a topic for another day. 

Where was I....yes, we strive to eat "clean foods", foods eaten closer to the source....or at least that have ingredient lists that I can actually read!  Because the bottom line is that the more the food is processed, the less it's nutritional value.  Period.  I don't care how fortified it is. 

If we are Facebook friends, there is a good chance that you've seen some of my closer friends ribbing me about what I feed....or don't feed, my kids.  Whatever.  That so does not bother me.  At all.  Really.  Eh...So, feel free to get a good laugh when you find out that my kid made her own Oreos out of hummus and crackers!  I know. 

But, this is not the day that I bestow all my nutritional wisdom on you.  Nope.  Begging won't do you any good.  You'll just have to come back another day.  I'll share more recipes and my favorite cook books.  Eventually. 

But, today I just want to share something I came up with over the weekend.  We....and by we I mean I, was craving some Potato soup.  It was cold and dreary and definitely the best day for hot soup!  Potato soup is not extremely nutritional and it contains milk or cream.  I usually make a big pot of vegetable soup or rice soup.  But, I wannnnnted potato soup!

Then I remembered....hey, I've been cooking "my way" for years, surely I can come up with a recipe for potato soup that is a little bit healthier.  Right?  I did.  And, it was a huge hit, got gobbled up!  The whole pot!  So I am patting myself on the back right now. 

Enough?  Alright.

Since, this recipe is not radical or anything, I thought it would be a good introduction to eating "my way".  Plus, who doesn't like potato soup?  And, if you can eat it in a healthier version, all the better, right?  Your welcome!

Potato Soup My Way
serves 8

1/2 stick of butter (not margarine)
1/4 -1/2 cup chopped onion
2-4 cloves garlic pressed (good for you!)
1/4 cup ground flax seed (whole wheat flour will work)
14 oz vegetable broth (better for you than chicken broth)
12 oz rice milk  (better for you than milk or cream)
6-8 large russet potatoes
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (better for you than soy sauce or more salt)
ground pepper to taste
curry (optional)

Toppings

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (go easy on the cheese, folks)
Chopped green onion or chives
Four slices turkey bacon

Assemble your ingredients.  Don't they look nice? 

Do not salivate on the computer.  That is not good form!

Chop your onion, press your garlic and cut your potatoes.  Peeling them is optional. 

Then put the potatoes on to boil.  You can bake them if you prefer, but please don't microwave them.  You do realize that you reduce the nutrition of food by about 70% when you microwave it, right?

Make sure you have a good helper!  That is essential you know!

Then drain and leave in the strainer for now.

Now, melt the butter and sauté onion and garlic in a pan.

When the onions are tender, add your ground flax seed (or flour) and stir.

Put this mixture along with a spoonful....or two of the cooked potatoes in the blender and pulse.  I do this because we, and by we I mean my kids, prefer it creamy-ish and do not like pieces of onion.  Whatever!  It is actually good this way. 

Put this pulp into the stock pot you used to boil the potatoes and set it on medium heat. Stir in the vegetable broth and the rice milk.  Well, you can stir..... I whisk.  Mostly because I love that word, whisk.....

Now is the time to stir in your Bragg Liquid Aminos.  I add about 2 Tablespoons.  What is Braggs you ask?   Well, it's like soy sauce on steroids with actual nutritional value! Tastes like soy sauce, smells a little funny, but packs a nutritional punch with 16 essential amino acids.  I add it to soups and beans and salad dressings and such.  It will make black-eyed peas taste like they were cooked with ham all day!  And, in this case, keep the soup from being too bland.  Most people would just add more salt.  You may regret that one day.  I taste it at this point to see if even needs the salt.  If it does, I add it and stir in black pepper.  I also add curry powder because....well, we like it. 

Dump the rest of the potatoes in, stir and let simmer on low while you get the toppings ready. 

Turkey bacon won't crumble like pork bacon, but it will tear up into pieces and then it's the same....only better! 

Serve!

Doesn't that look scrumptious?!?! 

No silly!  The soup, not Claire!

I served with prairie bread, but the additon of a salad would be ideal!

Now, aren't you glad I shared?  Your welcome!