Quinoa, Chicken, and Red Lentil Stew Recipe courtesy Juan-Carlos Cruz

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely diced red onion
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup red lentils
4 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth

In a heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and saute for 2 minutes. Add quinoa, oregano, and thyme and saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and chicken and saute for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Stir in lentils and cover with chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until both lentils and quinoa are tender.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving Calories 331
Fat 8 grams Saturated Fat 1 gram
Carbohydrates 34 grams Fiber 10 grams

From Foodtv.com as written. My changes - used chicken thighs, added more veggies - extra pepper and mushrooms. Also mixed in a can of chopped tomatoes. Very good.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 c. chicken stock
1 whole butternut squash or 2 packages pealed sqaush
1tsp salt
1tsp curry powder
dash pepper
oil spray

If using a whole squash, cut in half length wise. Place on a baking sheet lined with alumnimu foil, cut side down. Roast in a 400 degree over for 30 minutes. You want it soft enough to remove the peel. When done, remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled scrape out squash and set aside. (I’ve done this step the day before). OR you can buy the squash already peeled.

To make soup – in a large soup pot sauté the onion and garlic until soften. Add salt, pepper and curry powder. Mix. Add in the chicken stock and squash and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes if the squash was roasted. If squash is uncooked, cook for 45 minutes or until its very tender.

Take off heat and let sit and cool a bit. Puree with an emulsion blender in the pot or transfer to a blender to puree.

I don't really follow a recipe for this, its sort of what I find goes in. It always comes out really good and freezes well.

Into the crockpot:

1 onion chopped
1 package ground turkey
season this layer with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin
2 or 3 peppers - which ever colors you have
1 small package mushrooms - which ever type you prefer
season again with salt, peper, chili powder and cumin
Add one can chopped tomatoes and one small can rotel tomatoes if you like it spicy

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours -stir after 1 hour to break up the ground turkey. After 2 hours add in one can of tomatoe paste and a can of beans, again, what ever you prefer or omit if you don't like them. Cook on high for another 2 hours or low for 4 hours or until you think its done -- veggies are soft and meat is cooked.

Very easy and I end up with 5 or 6 meals from this.

Enjoy!

Secret is in the sweating. I maybe the last to know this idea but going to pass it on anyway. All Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cover bottom of pan. Add all the vegtable you are going to put in soup. Simmer about 15 minutes, constantly turning. That is called sweating, it brings out all the flavors in the veggies. First ones to sweat out should be onions and garlic. Then add the rest of your veggies to sweat with them. Add one quart of broth. You can use beef or Chicken. Only spices used is once it is in your bowl sprinkle with basil, fresh or dry and salt, pepper. I made this yesterday, it was to die for. So few calories and Extra Vigin Olive Oil is good for you, not bad for heart or arteries.

thai carrot soup

http://www.recipezaar.com/31738

Very yummy - its very thick, more like a stew than soup.

Sweet Potato Chicken Barley Soup
By Marjorie Druker, New England Soup Factory

16 servings

2 tsp olive oil
1 large spanish onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup celery, diced
3 cups carrots, sliced
2 parsnips, grated
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1¼ cups pearl barley
2½ -3 quarts chicken stock
3 cups chicken, poached and diced
¼ cup freshly chopped dill
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large heavy lined stock pot heat the olive oil, add garlic, onions, celery and carrot and sauté 8 minutes. Add the parsnips, barley, chicken and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook an additional 30 minutes. Add dill and season.

Per Serving: 174 calories, 1.8g fat, 12.3g protein, 27.6g carbohydrate, 20.2mg cholesterol, 382mg sodium

New England Soup Factory
Brookline and Newton, MA

This recipe was in the Toronto Star last weekend. All Core, I think?


Quinoa Chili

This unusual but delicious vegan chili, based on supergrain quinoa, comes from Toronto author Judith Finlayson's new book The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook. Since most whole grain dishes soak up liquid if left to sit, you may need to add extra stock/water if reheating.

1 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder, such as ancho or chipotle
1 tbsp puréed chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce
28-oz (796-mL) can diced tomatoes with juices
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt + freshly ground pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
14 oz (398 mL) can pinto beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup corn kernels

In large, deep saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Add chili powder and chipotles. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juices and stock. Bring to boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add quinoa, beans and corn. Cook, stirring, until mixture returns to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 25 minutes.

Makes about 10 cups (6 servings).

Just got this from Dottis. A lady named Jamie posted it. You'd have to count pts for the cornstarch.

Just thought I'd post this for an alternative to canned cream of soups:

Homemade "Cream" soup mix - taken from usu extension services

2 c. powdered nonfat milk
3/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. instant chicken bouillon
2 T dried onion flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Yield: 9 cans

To make CREAM OF CHICKEN:
1/3 c. mix
1 1/2 c. water
Stir and Cook until thickened. Use in any recipe where you would add a can of soup

CREAM OF MUSHROOM:
Add a 4oz can of mushrooms undrained as part of the liquid in the cream of chicken recipe


The cornstarch isn't Core but I'm pretty sure it's zero points over the whole recipe. It comes out to about 1 1/2 T per "can"

****Just a side note on this. The recipe calls for just nonfat powdered milk it doesn't say "INSTANT" nonfat powdered milk. Soooo, with regular powdered milk, you mix 3 T powder with 1 cup of water to make 1 c. milk. With INSTANT, it's 1/3 c. powder to 1 c. water to make 1 c. of milk. I'm sure you could make this mix with INSTANT, you would just have to increase the amount of powder. Confusing??

i'm thinking if you use INSTANT powdered milk, you might have to use 4 c. of instant powdered milk instead of just the 2 c. of regular powdered milk. and then when you make the recipe, use 2/3 c. of the mix to 1 1/2 c. water. I hope that works.
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I'm not sure where I got this one. Maybe here, but I just tried it, and it is awesome!!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
olive oil
1 large onion
1 large carrot
2 stalks celery
8 c FF Chicken broth
2 c cooked brown rice
1 c. cooked wild rice
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t curry powder
1 t dry mustard
1 c evaporated skim milk
2 chicken breasts cubed

Saute onion, celery, and carrot in oil til tender-puree 1/4 of mixture. Add broth and chicken and cook til done. Add rice and spices and bring to a boil. May thicken with cornstarch as desired. Stir in evap. milk and cook another 5 min. Enjoy!

I just found this recipe on the Sonoma/Mediterr. Diet Recipe Thread. It sounds really good, so I thought I would post it here! I have not tried it, but I will. Adding the pumpkin is a good way to add veggies to your diet if you are not really keen on them!

Pumpkin Chili Mexicana - I copied this over from the Medieterranean Diet recipe board since it was so well received there.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil - I used olive oil and maybe a little less
1/2 cup chopped onion - I used a whole onion
1 cup chopped red bell peppers -
1 clove garlic - I went heavy on this
1 pound ground turkey - I used ground turkey breast
2 (14.5 ounce) cans canned peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 (15 ounce) can canned tomato sauce
1 (15.25 ounce) can canned kidney beans, drained - I used pinquitos
1 (4 ounce) can ORTEGA® Diced Green Chiles
1/2 cup whole kernel corn - I used frozen corn
1 tablespoon chili powder - I went heavy on this
1 teaspoon ground cumin - I went heavy on this too
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

*Linda addition - Added some chopped fresh spinach during last 5 minutes of cooking*



HEAT vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add turkey; cook until browned. Drain.
ADD tomatoes with juice, pumpkin, tomato sauce, beans, chiles, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Changes for next time: Cut back on turkey and add some cooked bulgur or quinoa. Try different beans, black, white, etc. I plan on making this again after thanksgiving using up diced leftover turkey breast