As Promised...

So as promised in the last post it is time for the monthly recipe. Get ready to experience a slight watering of the mouth, a desire to bring out your inner chef, and finally a tingling of the taste buds!

OK OK..so you are probably thinking one of two things:

1. Tasty??! HAH! Health food can't be tasty
2. Tasty??! Well there goes my plan of healthy eating.

Well sit back and relax because not only are the recipes I promote healthy AND tasty, they also cater to many common food allergies. True not every food allergy is represented in EVERY one of my recipes, but I do my best to give options. In addition you can always email me or call the office to get recipes that cater to your specific allergies and limitations. I have a lot of great suggestions!

So back to the purpose...."good eats"

"Rustic Chicken Soup for the Soul"

"Baby it's cold outside" and this recipe will warm you right up! I got this particular culinary delight from one of my favorite Gluten Free Blogs Karina's Kitchen (there is a link on my sidebar). Her food is amazing and caters to many allergies (as she has many of her own)

This is an easy healing soup with the goodness of cabbage [so soothing to a celiac's tummy] and lots of garlic [a natural immune booster and cold fighter]. Karina says she "made it like a stew, starting with a layer of split chicken breasts on the bottom of the crock [drizzled with olive oil]. Then [she] added eight cloves of fresh chopped garlic, lots of cut-up veggies, herbs, a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, green chiles, and just enough organic chicken broth to cover the veggies."

Virgin olive oil, as needed 3-4 split chicken breasts [free-range organic, if possible], rinsed, patted dry 8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage [bagged cole slaw mix is fast and easy] 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut up 1 yellow summer squash, cut up 2 zucchini squash, cut up 6 to 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut up 1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles - mild or hot, to taste 1 teaspoon rubbed sage 1 teaspoon each of: dried basil, oregano and parsley Hot red pepper flakes, shake to taste 1 14-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes 2 or more cups organic chicken broth, as needed A dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, to taste, if desired [may omit]

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom; top with half the chopped garlic. Season with sea salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, bell pepper, yellow and zucchini squashes, potatoes, and green chiles; and toss them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt, ground pepper, herbs and a shake or two of hot red pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Pour the veggies into the crock in an even layer. Pour on the diced tomatoes. Add the chicken broth and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, to taste. The liquid should just about cover the veggies. If you like more of a brothy soup than a stew, add more broth. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily breaks apart into pieces with a large spoon [my chicken was thawing from the freezer, and very cold when it went into the pot, so adjust your cook time accordingly, if you need to].

Taste test for seasoning adjustments. I added a pinch of brown sugar to mine to balance the tomato-garlic and spice. Stir in any seasoning adjustments and serve.

Makes four hearty servings
This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, corn-free.

1/19/08
Quick Suggestion: Alicia, one of our office managers, made this delectable dish this week and while she highly enjoyed it she had a few very valid suggestions:

1. do not mince or chop the garlic. Float the peeled cloves for better texture and flavor. When mincing the garlic you often get the gritty pieces in some spoonfuls that may not be too pleasing to the palette. Floating them allows you to either pick them out before serving or easily spot while eating.
2. be wary of the green chiles. If you do not handle spicy well then cut the order in half on that ingredient. It will still give it flavor sans the "kick"
   

"Braised Collard Greens"

It is NEW YEARS...so get out the "good luck food" (greens of course...a Southern Tradition!)
However, following tradition doesn't mean that you have to suffer through the process of eating these lovely veggies...instead make them edible! Try out this recipe from A Veggie Venture

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound fresh collard greens, cleaned, trimmed & chopped (see below for more detail)
1 cup chicken broth (I used the leftover giblet stock)
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used balsamic, the inspiring recipe called for cider vinegar)
2 teaspoons sugar (don't skip this, it really helps counter the bitterness that greens can get when cooked)
Salt to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste


(If you're cleaning/prepping the greens yourself, you may want to do so before starting the skillet.) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet til shimmery. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the greens, stirring to coat. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook til tender about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Works Cited:

Allrich, Karina. Karina's Kitchen: Recipes from a Gluten Free Goddess [Internet]. 2007 Feb- [cited 2008 January 4]. Available from: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com.

Kellogg, Allanna. A Veggie Venture [Internet]. 2008 Jan-[cited 2008 January 4]. Available from: http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/.

As Promised...