This "stew" incorporates just about everything I love! Quinoa, butternut squash, tomatoes, and spinach. You could easily make this a vegan meal by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth instead of chicken. This is a soup that will fill any hollow leg. Hearty, great cold weather soup!
CHICKEN AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH QUINOA STEW (6 bowl servings/12 cup servings)
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 can (14 oz) petite or regular diced tomatoes
3 cups chopped butternut squash (about 1 medium squash) peeled and seeded
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1-2 cups chopped fresh spinach
In a large 4 quart pot heat the olive oil until hot. Add the chopped onions, oregano, and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and boil until the chicken is cooked, 7-9 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Add the tomatoes, butternut squash, and quinoa. Simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is tender and quinoa is cooked. If desired, scoop out some of the squash, mash it and return it tot he pot. Shred the cooked chicken and return to the pot. Add the S&P, adding more salt to taste, if needed.
Stir in the spinach. Cook 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Serve warm.
My Sweetheart had a really bad day today. He broke his hand!!! Not only that, but it had to be his dominant right hand. He'll be in a cast for SIX weeks. And all during the outage. Oy!
I love making different squash soups every fall. There are only a few recipes I repeated, not because they aren't all good, there are just so many recipes I want to try (there will be a few more coming...I've got a couple of recipes in reserve!)
I found this recipe in last Sunday's newspaper magazine. I'm used to roasting squash to use in soups but this super fast and simple recipe calls for canned pumpkin. And although it tastes really rich, it is very low in calories and fat.
This definitely is Indian-inspired and would be a great addition to any Indian meal.
SPICED PUMPKIN SOUP (4-6 servings)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 (12 oz) can evaporated fat-free milk
6 Tbsp plain fat-free Greek yogurt
Parlsey leaves, for garnish
In a large pot, heat oil over low for 30 seconds. Add onion and cook 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in spices and S&P. Cook 1 minute, stirring.
Whisk in broth and pumpkin. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk and simmer for 2 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender until smooth. Add a little more broth to thin, if desired. Ladle into bowls. Add more black pepper to taste. Garnish with yogurt and parsley.
It took me a while to make about 120 treat boxes....thank goodness I had a big bowl of extra candies, because I ran out of the boxes before the trick-or-treaters quit showing up. Our neighborhood gets lots of kids, and it's nice because it is 99% youngsters with costumes and always say "Trick or Treat" with enthusiasm. There were some really great costumes and almost all of them said "Thank You." Nice bunch of kids and lots of fun for me (not so much for the girls.....they had to spend a few hours in the bedroom.....ohhhh!)
OK, so I'll eat and make lentil soup because I know it's a good, healthy, low-fat, high-fiber meal. And especially since we're absolutely into the autumn season, I will have soup in the frig every day (I'm a soup-addict.....I'll eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, year-around). But lentil soups in general just don't "float my boat." And then I discovered French lentils. What a difference!!!!! Instead of turning to mush like traditional lentils do, these still keep a bit of a "snap" to them.
This is a fabulous recipe I ran across several years ago. I wish I could remember when I first discovered French lentils. Regardless, I will never turn back. No more of those other awful things which give health food a bad name. Switch to these. You won't be disappointed.
FRENCH LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP (Serves 4-8, depending on cup or bowl size)
1/2 pound French green lentils
2 cups chopped sweet onions
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (1 leek)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp EVOO, plus more for drizzling
2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp coarsely-ground black pepper
1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried (I used fresh, plus added another 1/2 Tbsp after cooking)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups medium-diced celery (about 4 stalks)
1 1/2 cups medium-diced carrot (about 4 small carrots)
1 1/2 qt chicken stock
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly shaved Parmesan
In a bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit at least 15 minutes. Drain.
In a stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the EVOO, S&P, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through (don't let 'em get mushy!) Check seasonings. Add additional thyme if you'd like. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with EVOO and sprinkled with Parmesan.
Enjoy!
NOTE: Since Jim is on outage, I'm not fixing dinner every night so there won't be such frequent postings as usual. I'll have to try to step up my baking for the office and will try to keep up on my soups and salads to keep things around for myself. I should be back on track by the first of the year.
I hope you're all enjoying the autumn temps and colors as much as I am! Our thoughts are with our friends on the East Coast.....stay safe!
These chocolate chip cookies don't have brown sugar as most chocolate chip cookies do. They are flavored with almond extract as a nice variation from the usual. Use your choice of chocolate chips: semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate. I used milk chocolate this time. Also, these are small, bite-sized cookies using just a teaspoon of dough. Make 'em bigger if you'd like, simply adjust the cooking time.
ALMOND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (makes approximately 4 dozen at this size)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/3 cups AP flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and almond extract..
Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoonfuls 2" apart onto a parchment-lined or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
I love tabbouleh. And I love quinoa. But I've always eaten it with the traditional recipe, with bulghar wheat. I had lunch downtown the other day and was of their side options of "Quinoa Tabbouleh." I am so bad about thinking outside the box. I hate that I've been making this for decades and not tried this. This will definitely be my "Go-to" tabbouleh recipe from here on out.
QUINOA TABBOULEH (6-8 servings)
1 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove minced (1 tsp), or more to taste
1/2 cup EVOO
Freshly ground black pepper
1 English cucumber, or 2-4 pickling cucumbers, cut into 1/4" pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Bring quinoa, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduced heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with S&P.
Spread out quinoa on a large rimmed baking sheet; let cool Transfer to a large bowl; mix in 1/4 cup dressing. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover remaining dressing and quinoa separately; chill.
Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, and scallions to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with S&P. Drizzle dressing over.
Recipe Source: www.bonappetit.com
