I was looking for a way to use up leftover crudite from a party and thought I would try something new. I found recipes online for peanut butter soup and I thought why not take it to a next level and make a satay inspired soup. I tossed in leftover chicken from the night before and leftover white rice from chinese takeout. Why not use up leftovers, right? This experiment turned out great. I hope you give it a try.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked chicken, in bite size pieces
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons minched garlic
- 1 large potato, diced into bite size pieces
- 3-5 cups cut up veggies of your choice (in the soup I made I used red & green peppers, celery, baby carrots and zucchini)
- 4-6 cups chicken stock or water and bouillon, enough to cover veggies and extra to make it soup consistency
- 3 tablespoons butter or margerine
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed to release their flavor
- 1 lemon, skin grated and the juice
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
Directions:
- In a soup pot, melt butter/margerine and saute onion, garlic until onion is translucent.
- Add in remaining ingredients except for peanut butter and red pepper flakes. Let boil until potatoes and all the veggies are tender. (maybe 30 minutes)
- Add in peanut butter and blend until melted in.
- Rub red pepper flakes between your hands to release their flavor and stir in.
Soup is on!
I was in the mood for stuffed peppers today, but decided this was easier to get the same flavors in a soup. Also, I was able to include extra veggies, always a good thing. This came out absolutely yummy, I hope you will enjoy it.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 3 red peppers, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 3-4 cups chicken stock (or one large container)
- 1 large can crushed tomato
- 1 large can diced tomato
- 3/4 cup white long grain rice (or whatever rice you prefer)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
In large soup pot, brown ground beef/turkey.
Drain, set aside the meat, reserve a little fat in the pot.
Add onions, celery and red peppers and saute until onions are translucent. (if you are using ground turkey, you may need to add a tablespoon of oil.)
Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and undrained diced tomatoes, browned meat, carrots and seasonings.
Cover and cook on medium until carrots are tender.
Add rice and cook for 10 minutes more.
Turn off heat but let the soup sit until the rice has cooked through, maybe 15 minutes.
Ready to serve.
This makes a large pot and will keep for 3 or 4 days in the fridge. I also like to freeze leftovers in individual serving containers to have for lunches.
Update 4/1/13: My cheeseburger chowder soup was one of the 5 finalists! It did not win, but I am happy we made it that far. The recipe I entered into the contest is slightly different than the one on this blog.
You can see it here: Cheeseburger Chowder - Recipe
You can see pictures of the judging here: New England Soup Facebook Page
Celebrating the holidays is often tough for those with dietary restrictions. Often we are faced with a hodge-podge of pot luck type dishes we just have no idea might contain those things we cannot have. How you handle it of course is up to you. I suggest if it will be a sit down meal, you speak with the host and let them know beforehand. Tell them they do not have to make everything according to your needs, but that they could point out what will be OK for you. (you may have to explain your allergy to them). Or, as an alternative, ask if you can bring a dish that you know you can have - to share with them. Let them know it is not about their cooking.
In our household, we plan these holidays around all our restrictions, so we know what we can have.
I have a few recipes posted that might help you make your family dinner this year. I hope you have a safe and healthy holiday.
Turkeys -
Believe it or not, most turkeys sold commercially today HAVE GLUTEN in them. They inject them with extra flavor (salt & gluten) and moisture to make a tastier bird, but some of us just cannot eat this. Look for the words GLUTEN FREE on the package.
Your oven gets a real workout around the holidays and finding the room for an extra dish, or trying to time it so everything comes out when it should is tricky. This is one solution I came up with that might help. This one comes out of your slow cooker!
Traditional warm spices make this a real treat too. Serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Delish!
Ingredients:
6 granny smith apples, peeled and diced bite size
1 cup raisins
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground gingner
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 c orange juice
2 tbsp sugar or splenda
Directions:
In a bowl, break up the cranberry sauce so it is loose. Mix in raisins
Place apples in slowcooker, add cranberry raisin mixture and toss gently to blend ingredients
In the now empty bowl, add remaining ingredients. Wisk to blend
Pour spice & juice mixture over apple mixture
Set pot to cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours (until everything is tender)
Keep your pot on warm until ready to serve
Serve in dessert cups topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, or serve it over ice cream while still warm
Optional:
Sprinkle chopped pecans on top!
Traditional Thanksgiving side dishes are usually loaded with salt and gluten. This dish is what I plan on making for my side this year, cutting all the gluten and most of the salt out. It is an alternative to the green bean casserole, but you can certainly make your green beans in this manner.
Ingredients:
- 16-24 oz frozen brussel sprouts, defrosted, or fresh
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/2 c white wine
- 1/2 stick butter/promise
- 1/2 c heavy cream (or plain fat free creamer)
- 1/2 c bread crumbs (gluten free, or pulse 2 gluten free toast)
- 1/2 c shredded parmesan
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp canola oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt 1 tbsp butter and oil in saute pan. (oil prevents butter from burning)
Add brussel sprouts and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes
Remove brussel sprouts to oven safe casserole dish an set aside
Add onions to saute pan an brown (you may need to add a little more oil)
Remove onions to casserole, covering the brussel sprouts
Add wine to saute pan, use a wooden spoon to get all the goodies stuck to the bottom
Add remaining butter to melt.
Add seasonings and cornstarch
Saute until cornstarch has cooked through and mixture starts to thicken
Add cream, stir until mixture thickens again
Pour mixture over onions and brussel sprouts
Combine parmesan and breadcrumbs in a bowl, use to top the brussel sprouts and onions
Bake for 45 minutes covered, removing cover the last 15 minutes to brown the top
Makes 6 servings
Thanksgiving dinner is just not the same without the stuffing. This year, you can make your own home made gluten free version that is just as delicious as the original.
Ingredients:
Croutons:
- 1/2 loaf gluten free bread, cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Bell No Salt Turkey Seasoning
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Stuffing:
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 apple, granny smith, peeled and diced
- 1 c chicken stock (plus a little extra if needed)
- 1/2 stick butter (promise)
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Bell No Salt Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Directions for Croutons:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place diced bread in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing as you go for more coverage
Mix the spices in another smaller bowl to combine, then sprinkle onto croutons. Try to get even coverage
Spread croutons out on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted
*Note: These can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed container for a few days until ready to use
Directions for Stuffing:
Brown ground pork and set aside.
In the same pan, add onions, celery, carrot and apple. Saute until all veggies are translucent and softened.
Melt butter/promise in with the veggies. Stir in seasonings and 1 cup broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat.
Place croutons, ground pork, and veggie/broth mixture into a large bowl. Toss lightly to combine. If needed add more chicken stock or water.
This can stuff a turkey up to 15 lbs, or can be cooked separately in its own casserole, just get it into the stove about an hour before the turkey is done so it will all come out at the same time.
Note: If cooking separately, cover with aluminum foil and remove the foil 10 minutes before done to brown the top.
