Soothing, quick comfort food for winter days

Tags

comfort food, easy recipes, healthy food, quick meals, winter

And did I mention a one pot creation? This sinfully easy concoction suits both families and singles…Are you ready?

Shopping list:

• 1 quart Imagine organic chicken broth (no substitutions)
• one package boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Bell & Evans preferred)
• one pound Red Garnet yam (usually one) peeled and diced (the only yam I eat)
• one pound Carrots of Many Colors (organic found at Trader Joe’s), peeled and sliced
• 1 T Herbes de Provence placed in a tea infuser
• a few ribs of organic kale, rinsed, stem removed, and torn in small pieces
• Himalayan salt to taste
• Serves 4 and may be doubled

Begin with a medium/large stew pot. Pour broth into pan along with the herbes tea ball…and bring to a boil. Add chicken thighs (do not rinse, just open package and add to boiling broth.)

A classic herb seasoning…if not found in this fancy jar, find in the bulk department of WF.

Reduce heat to medium, cover pot and simmer 10 minutes. Add both yam and carrots to broth/chicken, cover, and continue simmering 10 additional minutes. In the final moment, add torn kale to the pot, cover, and cook 1 minute more and not any longer…overcooked kale is bitter! Remove the tea ball (allow to drain into the pot for full herb flavor)

Before serving, shred chicken thighs into reasonable pieces using two forks or your gloved hands…and remove any bits of fat that remain too.

Organic kale is a wonderful, tender, healthful leafy green if cooked properly. NEVER, EVER steam or simmer more than ONE MINUTE. Please.

Have you found these sweet carrots at Trader Joe’s? Carrots of Many Colors are seasonal, so I stock up this time of year.

Have your bread, biscuits, or crackers ready, along with heated bowls (zapped in the microwave for one minute, empty.) Serve the soup steaming, drizzled with a little olive oil.

Dessert can be a delightful pumpkin tart, made at home

This quick soup is colorful, healthy, and may be reheated in portion sizes throughout the week for smaller households or for trips to the office.

Bon Appetit!

And Happy Holidays to all my readers!

Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

homage to Herbes de Provence

Tags

chicken, chicken thighs, healthy food, herbes de Provence, quick meals, veggie broth, winter warmer

Today is Friday. A. Cold. Friday. Old man winter refuses to head north, so I decided to create a quick, hot, healthy dish while tipping my chapeau to seven generations of French ancestors and to an underused herb — Herbes de Provence.

an underused herb in American cooking ~

begin with organic ingredients ~ skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1.25 lbs.), 32 oz. Imagine veggie broth, 1/2 pound each ~ baby carrots and red garnet sweet potato, peeled and cubed.

1/2 lb. of pearl onions add a nice touch

Empty the quart of veggie broth into a medium stock pot.
Add one heaping tablespoon of Herbes de Provence. Bring to a boil.
One piece at a time, add chicken thighs, directly from package.
Reduce heat to medium and gently poach chicken for six minutes.
Off heat, let the chicken continue to poach for another six minutes, covered.

poaching chicken thighs on stove for six minutes, then off heat, continue to poach another six minutes

Remove chicken from broth, and place on a nearby plate.

poached chicken thighs ~ oh, so tender

Strain broth through a China cap or other straining device and return broth to pot. This step will remove most the herbes, yet some remain on chicken.
Return broth to a boil and add onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, and a chunk of fennel (I happened to have one in the fridge). Reduce to a simmer, partially covered, for six minutes.

simmering veggies

While the veggies simmer, pull any fat off chicken thighs (there won’t be much) and cut/tear meat into smaller bits. Why thighs, you might wonder? Thigh meat has considerable flavor and it is oh, so tender!

tender bits of thigh

When veggies are tender, using a spider, remove them to a plate.

strained veggies

Return broth to the original pot and bring back to the boil.
Add 2 heaping tablespoons of Arrowroot using a whisk to quickly incorporate into hot broth. Arrowroot is another underused thickener in America, yet its silky texture cannot be matched, and it does not need to be “cooked in” as flour or corn starch do.
When broth is nicely thick, in about one minute, add 1 teaspoon of fine salt and return chicken and all veggies to the pot to just warm.
Serve up into warm bowls.

finished dish ~ silken goodness your entire family will enjoy.

This mild recipe will feed four nicely and I suggest serving it with a crusty baguette or lightly toasted Tuscan Pane. I considered making dumplings for this dish, and if I had not been so hungry, I think dumplings would be delightful. Joy of Cooking has many nice, simple dumpling recipes if you feel froggy. Further more, if someone in your home needs TLC, this is the go-to soup, as it is delicately seasoned and subtly sweet.

Let me know how you like this quick-to-prepare, tasty, warming bowl of goodness.

Cooks Note to Readers: purchase herbes and spices in small quantities from your local health-minded grocery. Store all herbes and spices in the freezer, prolonging shelf life. The brands and varieties of veggies mentioned are personal recommendations based on years of tasting experience. Arrowroot may be purchased in the bulk department of any fine health-minded grocery and it has a long shelf life.

Bon Appetit!

Copyright © 2014 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
“Respect the Earth; Create Memorable Food”

the powerhouse herb…chives!

Tags

chive artichoke pesto, chives, easy recipes, edible flowers, herb garden, nourishing herbs, pesto, quick meals

There are many presumptions regarding herbs—chives in particular.
Many see them as a garnish, and push them aside.
Yay whoa, let me share the reasons why this little herb belongs in your belly.

First off chives are:
Low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium
High in dietary fiber, vitamin A, C, K, B6, Riboflavin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Manganese, Thiamine, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Phosphorus, and Zinc!
So there!
Ready for a tasty, nutritious, signature recipe for chive artichoke pesto? OK!

When I bought my first patch of land back in 2001,
one of the first plants chosen for the herb garden was chives!

humble chives harvested and rinsed and ready for a spin.

edible flowers first thing in the spring!

cut rinsed and spun chives into 2″ lengths–easier for the processor to handle

drain and rinse canned water-packed artichokes

Rinse and spin equal amounts of curly parsley and pack the bowl of your processor with equal portions of chives and parsley. Top with one cup of raw walnuts, cup of drained artichokes, 1 rounded teaspoon kosher salt, juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon, and 6 glugs of virgin olive oil. Process until smooth, scraping bowl a couple of times during processing. FYI, a glug is a free pour out of a spouted olive oil bottle, counting up to six as you pour. My food processor bowl is 7 cup size, so make allowances if yours is larger…

finished pesto divvied up into 8 OZ deli containers, ready for chill down, then freezer for up to six months. By the way one 8 OZ container dresses one pound of pasta beautifully–just add a touch of hot pasta water, 2 T sweet butter and pepper of choice.

You may be saying, “where’s the cheese?” Most of my pestos are sold, therefore
I do not add cheese now as it does not freeze well and many of my patrons are lactose intolerant.
Cheese may be added when preparing pasta or when using as a spread in a sandwich.
When using this pesto for the base of pizza crust, no cheese is necessary.

after processing all the herbs, if you have a bit of pesto, say 3/4 cup, left over in the processor, add a peeled, seeded ripe avocado, spin then use as a dip! Deelish!

Have I convinced you to grow/eat chives?
As I frequently say, “there is more to life than basil pesto!”

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

guilt free dessert ~ almost

Tags

chicken thighs, chocolate, chocolate lovers unite, cocoa, cocoa powder, foodie friends, grade b maple syrup, guilt free dessert, lavender honey, pantry ingredients, quick meals, quick recipes, summer cooler

As hard as I try to wean myself away, chocolate is my vice. At times I manage to distance myself from the stuff, yet always manage to fine the path back. Now, I don’t consume mass branded chocolate bars, yet consume the 60% up variety at least once per week.
With a fresh container of Fage yogurt in my fridge this week, and no chocolate in the house but cocoa, here is what I concocted with much success.
Two of my foodie friends agreed, this is worth sharing:

a delicious brand that lent itself to manipulation

found pantry ingredients

first finished version with dollops of local lavender honey ice cream

second version layered between heavily whipped organic cream

should mention the light meal with thinly sliced roasted chicken thighs and fresh fennel

Recipe for Diane’s Guilt Free Dessert:

To begin, add one container (500g) Fage yogurt to a mixing bowl and add 1/2C dark (grade B) maple syrup or organic agave, 1/2C dark rum (optional), and 2 heaping T of cocoa powder, unsweetened. Gently fold all together until well incorporated. Chill for 2-4 hours before serving as shown above. One container will serve 4. What could be simpler? This keeps in the fridge too, for smaller households or when not entertaining, except yourself! Stir before serving.
To all of you chocolate lovers out there, kindly let me know what you think about this recipe. Should we feel any guilt over this silky concoction?

PS I actually like this dessert best without the rum. If you omit the rum, I add a 1/4 C. of almond milk to thin out the consistency. I promise, you chocolate lovers out there will LOVE this delightful concoction. Promise!

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

baby it’s cold outside

Tags

buttered noodles, cayenne pepper, fast food, food, healthy food, pumpkin pulp, quick meals, quick recipes, spicy pumpkin, sustainable living, vegetarian

Remember those containers tucked away in my freezer, filled with pumpkin pulp? Well, if I inspired you to roast and freeze your pumpkin back in November, NOW is the time to reap your reward—spicy pumpkin soup in just minutes. Defrost and add one container (2 cups) of pulp to a lightly sautéed sliced onion in a small soup pot. Add a heaping teaspoon of ground ginger and a healthy pinch of cayenne pepper to the pulp. Add enough organic vegetable broth to dilute and simmer 10 minutes. In batches, puree this mixture in a blender until smooth, adding one-quarter cup of heavy cream (or full fat coconut milk if you are dairy free) to each batch. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and black pepper and your winter warmer is complete. This makes about one quart of soup. Serve with crusty bread or buttered noodles. Just the healthy meal to warm both body and spirit! Try it—simple, wholesome, and oh so delicious.

If this soup is not consumed in one sitting, simply store in the fridge, up to one week, and re-heat on low heat. Thin with veggie broth to desired consistency.

To see the entire pumpkin roasting topic, visit my thank a pumpkin blog found listed in the left column of this page. Bon Appetit!

embrace this day

Tags

farmer's market, harvest, healthy meals, Ichi Ke Jiro persimmon, Monarch butterflies, October, photography, quick meals, vegetarian, Virginia

I feel giddy, as if I were in love for the first time.

I am beguiled by October. Yes, the month of October is a time to celebrate—and feel the flush of Mother Nature’s boundless beauty. I embrace her, crave her, and revel in her. The planet shifts, shadows elongate, high humidity and biting insects depart, and temperatures top out at 70 degrees F— yes I am in love again.

At home, the garden is bursting with colors of fall. As many plants begin their decent into dormancy, others like this ‘Muhlenbergia capillaris’ explode with riotous hue. This is the only pink that I tolerate in my gardens, as this display epitomizes fall in my world — life is intoxicating!

Monarch season was extremely challenging this year, as the oleander aphid ravaged the host plants (tropical milkweed) forcing me to raise most monarch larvae indoors, multiplying my daily chores ten-fold. The monarch’s predatory wasp also took a high toll on the larvae, leaving dozens dead. However, ninety monarch beauties successfully emerged and flew from my terrace over the past month, hopefully to find safe haven in a warm climate, where they may overwinter. Nearly one-hundred others went Fed-Ex to southern states where they will live out their lives in a lush botanic gardens and educate visitors.

The farmer’s market is brimming with large, leafy vegetables, root crops, and loads of pumpkins. Therefore my daily lunch plate is full of steamed kale and red garnet sweet potatoes, splashed with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and garnished with sliced almonds. Six minutes are all one needs to provide a healthy, farm fresh meal.

Another tasty mid-day meal came from the remaining bit of basil pesto left in the food processor following a massive harvest. I tossed in a peeled avocado, a splash of olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. After a brief spin, the fluffy dip was quickly consumed with crusty crackers.

A third fast meal came from a friend who dropped off assorted tomatoes, eggplant, and squash. I quickly sliced, diced, and cubed the lot, added fresh okra from the garden and voila! a beautiful medley of healthy goodness. A quick saute in olive oil, then covered and steamed until tender, a half tube of tomato paste, seasoned with sea salt and black pepper finished this dish! Topped with grated cheese and toasted breadcrumbs, made this a memorable, quick, healthy meal. Try it!

Remember the Ichi Ke Jiro persimmon blog from this spring? Well, twenty-five fruit formed, despite the July wind storm that claimed half of the tree, and they are amazing. Ever had one? The fruit is unlike native persimmons. One fills my hand, is eaten while hard, and has none of the tannic aftertaste of the native. In fact, this fruit tastes like a firm melon! What I do not eat, will be introduced at market this Saturday and boggle curious shoppers. Looking forward to the dialogue!

PS There is still nothing like a power snack of the hard-boiled egg. I always have some in the fridge, ready to peel when I need a boost. Better to have a snack like this on hand rather than eat a carb or a handful of chocolate!

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Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved