Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

The measurements here are merely suggestions.  When I am making this soup I rarely use a measuring cup.  Also, this recipe makes a whole lot of soup.  If you follow these proportions be prepared for leftovers.  BTW, this soup does freeze well, and it does re-heat well.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1. 1 cup dry wild rice
2. 4 cups H2O
3. several dashes of salt
4. 14 oz boneless, skinless, raw chicken breasts
5. 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
6. several dashes of garlic salt
7. a few dashes of ground cayenne pepper
8. about 2 more cups H2O 
9. 1 1/2 cup carrots - pealed and diced
10. 1 1/2 cup button mushrooms - washed and diced
11. 1 1/2 cup celery - washed and diced
12. 4 cloves garlic - minced
13. 1 1/2 cup green onions - chopped
14. 1 cup slivered almonds - toasted
15. 10 cups chicken broth
16. 1 tsp dried thyme
17. 1 Tbsp dried parsley
18. 1 tsp ground black pepper
19. 1 pint heavy cream
20. 1 pint 2% milk
21. 4 oz neufchatel cheese
22. 1/3 cup corn starch - mixed with about 1/4 cup H2O
23. salt to taste
24. 1/4 cup dry sherry

Directions

• Prepare the wild rice by combining ingredients 1, 2, and 3 in a medium pot and bringing to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Ingredients 4-8 are for the preparation of the chicken.  Cook chicken by heating the sunflower oil in a large skillet, then frying the chicken breasts for about 10 minutes.  Turn the chicken breasts often, and season each side with garlic salt and cayenne pepper.  After the chicken breasts turn golden brown on each side add 2 cups of H2O to the skillet, bring the water to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover the skillet and let the chicken simmer for another 10 minutes or until it is no longer pink in the center.  Turn the chicken occasionally while it is simmering.  Remove the chicken from the heat and set it aside to cool.
• While the chicken is cooking wash, chop, dice, or mince ingredients 9 through 13.  Saute ingredients 9 through 12, starting with the carrots, then adding the mushrooms after a couple minutes, the celery after a few more minutes, and finally putting in the minced garlic for the last couple of minutes.
• Turn the oven on to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, spread the slivered almonds across the bottom of a metal pie pan, and toast the almonds in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Check them frequently so that they do not burn.
• Bring the chicken broth to a boil, adding the thyme, parsley and black pepper, as well as ingredients 9 through 12.  Save the green onions for later.
• Dice and/or shred the chicken.  Add it to the soup.
• Add the cooked rice, slivered almonds, and the green onions to the soup.  Cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add ingredients 19 through 22.  Cook and stir until the neufchatel cheese has melted and the soup thickens.
• Add salt to taste.
• Add the dry sherry, heat through, and serve.
• This soup goes especially well with a crusty bread (which can be conveniently heated up in the oven you warmed up to toast the almonds).

Decadent Shepherd's Pie

Extra Cheesy - Extra Garlicky - Extra Good!

The inspiration for this dish came from Shepherd's Pies that I have had at places like Merlin's Rest and the Claddagh Irish Pub.  I used what I liked about those dishes and what I have learned through my exploration of food thus far to come up with this dish.  My ingredients list is very specific and my directions are very detailed, but I'm sure that if you do this your way yours will turn out great as well.  Now, this is how I made my Decadent Shepherd's Pie:

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 6 medium red skin potatoes, diced into 1/2" cubes
• 2 quarts H2O
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large cloves or 6 small cloves fresh raw garlic, minced, divided
• 3 teaspoons roasted garlic paste*
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/8 cup 2% milk, warm
• 1 cup shredded jack style raw milk cheese

For the gravy:

• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 packet brown gravy mix
• 1 package frozen organic mixed vegetables

On top:

• 1 cup shredded jack style raw milk cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

• Combine diced potatoes, salt, 1 teaspoon minced raw garlic and water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  
• Strain and add butter, roasted garlic paste and the rest of the raw minced garlic.  Cover the butter with the hot potatoes and let the potato mixture sit for a while.
• Heat the sunflower oil in a large skillet and saute the diced red onion for a couple of minutes.
• Add the ground beef to the skillet with the onions and brown the ground beef.
• Throw the rosemary into the skillet while the beef is browning.
• Drain the excess fat from the beef/onion/rosemary mixture.
• Add the cream of mushroom soup to the skillet.
• Mix the vegetable broth and the gravy mix and add that mixture to the skillet.
• Bring the skillet mixture to a simmer, and let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Set the oven to preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• While the skillet mixture is simmering mash the potatoes, adding the warm milk and folding in one cup of the shredded raw milk cheese.
• After the skillet mixture has simmered for 5 minutes add the frozen vegetables and simmer for another 5 minutes, still stirring occasionally.
• Pour the skillet mixture into a 9x13 glass cake pan.
• Dollop the mashed potatoes on top of the skillet mixture in the glass cake pan, creating an even layer of mashed potatoes over the skillet mixture.
• Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, remove the tin foil, and cover the Shepherd's Pie with a mixture of 1 cup of shredded jack style raw milk cheese and 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
• Return the Shepherd's Pie to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
• Remove the Shepherd's Pie from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before digging in.
• Enjoy!

*For the roasted garlic paste essentially drizzle oil on a bulb (or 6 bulbs if you want to make a whole lot) of garlic, roast it covered in the oven on 400 for 45 minutes, let it cool, and mash the roasted garlic cloves together.  Next you can section off teaspoons of this paste into little blobs on parchment paper and freeze them for future use.

Forbidden Stew

I threw this together with what I had on hand at the time, and it turned out great.  Next time I think I'll add a can of diced tomatoes and maybe black beans.

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion - chopped
• 3 cloves garlic - minced
• 1/2 pound leftover hamburger - broken into small peices
• 8 cups water
• 1 can tomato paste
• 4 teaspoons beef bullion granules 
• chili powder and cayenne powder to your preference
• 1 bunch kale, rinsed, de-stemmed, and chopped
• 2 cups cooked forbidden rice (aka black rice)

Directions

• Saute chopped onions in large kettle
• Add leftover hamburger pieces and garlic, continue sauteing for a couple of minutes
• Add water, tomato paste, beef bullion granules, chili powder and cayenne powder
• Bring to a simmer
• Add kale and forbidden rice
• Return to a simmer and cook until kale is wilted

Danish Meatballs

I got most of this recipe from this one: Danish Meatballs.

Ingredients

• 10 oz (1/2 package) frozen No Name Steaks Wild Rice Meatballs (or, to make your own meatballs refer to the link above)
• 1/2 medium red onion - chopped
• 4 cloves garlic - minced
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Essence*
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz (1/2 package) egg noodles
• 2 ounces dehydrated onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup dry sherry

Directions

• Saute chopped onions until translucent
• Add meatballs and continue frying, allow onions to continue cooking until they start to blacken
• Add garlic, water, flour, Essence, Worcestershire sauce, and dehydrated onion soup mix
• Cover and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes
• Meanwhile, prepare egg noodles
• When the noodles are ready add the sour cream and sherry to the meatballs and sauce, heat through and serve

*That's Emeril's Essence (Creole Seasoning)

Ham and Egg Fried Quinoa

Inspiration: my mother's Ham and Egg Fried Rice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry red quinoa - rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 3 eggs - scrambled
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• hot pepper of choice - minced
• 1/2 cup onions
• 1 cup chopped ham
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas - thawed
• soy sauce to taste

Directions

• Combine quinoa and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until moisture is absorbed.
• Scramble the eggs and set them aside.
• Heat the oil in a skillet, add the minced hot pepper and onions and fry them for a couple of minutes.
• Add the ham and the hoisin sauce to the skillet and continue frying for 5 minutes.
• Add the peas to the skillet and fry for a couple more minutes.
• Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet.
• Season to taste with soy sauce.
• Fold in the scrambled eggs.

Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew

For this stew I almost faithfully followed this recipe: Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew.  The changes I made include: adding onions and Creole seasoning, substituting with crushed tomatoes instead of diced, and adding 15 ounces of cannellini beans instead of 19 (that last one had to do with availability at my co-op).  I did serve this with bread, and I chose an Oatmeal Flax Seed loaf that complemented it nicely.  

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 12 oz chicken sausage links
• Creole seasoning*
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 14.5 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 14.5-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 bunch kale leaves, torn into 2-inch pieces
• several dashes of black pepper
• optional: 1 loaf country bread 

*Creole Seasoning

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions

• Cook the chicken sausage, seasoning with the Creole seasoning.
• Slice the chicken sausage.
• Saute onions in a kettle for a couple of minutes.
• Add cooked chicken sausage and continue sauteing for a few minutes.
• Add garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, cannellini beans, chicken broth, black pepper, season to taste with more Creole seasoning.
• Bring stew to a boil then add the kale.
• Cook for a couple of minutes, until kale wilts.
• Optional: serve with bread.

Amaranth Porridge

This is super simple and super good for you! I make a big batch ahead of time, divide it into single servings and store them in the fridge, and then I just heat up one of those servings for myself the morning.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry amaranth
• 3 cups water
• optional: cinnamon
• milk of your choice

Directions

• bring amaranth and water to a boil (add cinnamon too if you like)
• reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes
• serve in a bowl with some milk