Chicken and rice soup

My husband and I both have a cold so it was time to make hot chicken soup. We usually buy it but I decided to make it and test out my roasted-garlic infused broth.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium to large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 large shallots, peeled and chopped fine (a large onion also works)
• 3 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled and chopped up
• 3 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped up
• 1 cup white parboiled rice (20 minute cooking time, tops)
• 2 cartons sodium-reduced chicken broth, infused with roasted garlic
• 3 tbsp dried summer savory
• 1-2 tbsp dried oregano

Directions:
Roast the two chicken breasts in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes then chop up fine. Meanwhile, heat up a Dutch oven pot on medium heat and add the chopped shallots (or onions), celery and carrots. Add a little bit of hot water, if necessary, to keep it from burning on. Stir and let soften. Add rice and broth then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken then you are done! Add salt and pepper at the end if needed, although it was so good that we didn't add any.

This makes 7 servings.

Notes:

• The next time that I make this, I will be doubling the garlic that was in the broth. This recipe was very good but I want the strong stuff for when we are sick.

Spinach, mushroom and feta quiche

I made this lovely quiche for breakfast this morning and decided to share the recipe with you. The best thing about it is that it is a base recipe that you can adjust and add your own combinations. I have some ideas at the bottom.

(don't mind my picture, I forgot to use cooking spray)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cleaned, sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup dethawed, cooked spinach (from frozen)
• 1/4 cup sodium-reduced feta cheese, chopped up
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup Bisquick
• Cooking spray (ex. PAM)

Directions:
Turn the oven on 385 F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Meanwhile, add vegetables and feta cheese to a baking dish and stir well. In another medium-sized bowl, crack and add eggs. Discard shells and remove any traces of shell from the eggs. Add milk and Bisquick then stir together well with a whisk to break up any lumps. Add to baking dish with vegetables then bake for 40 minutes. Serve!


Notes:

• The base for this quiche is the milk, Bisquick and eggs. Once you have that down, anything is possible.The cheese ratio is usually 1 cup of shredded cheese but I reduced it given the strong flavor of feta cheese.
• I have also made quiche muffins before. I sprayed the muffin tin with cooking spray then I mixed it up in a mixing bowl then added it by a 1/2 cup measuring cup to each muffin. Baking time is around 30 minutes.
• I added no salt to this particular combination because I had feta cheese in it. However, with other combinations you might want to add salt and pepper to taste before baking.

Combination ideas:

• Green pepper, mushrooms and ham with shredded cheddar cheese
• Shredded apple (or pear), ham and very sharp or old shredded cheddar cheese
• Hot salsa, corn and shredded cheddar cheese
• Broccoli, ham or bacon and cheese (blue cheese, Havarti, cheddar, etc.)
• Leftover chopped chicken or turkey, green pepper, spinach and cheese (any of the above choices although feta would be stellar)
• Red pepper, asparagus and Swiss cheese (or Emmenthal, Havarti, Gouda, etc.)
• Sliced potato, bacon and 1 cup very sharp or old shredded cheddar cheese
• Red pepper, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese
• Caramelized onions, mushrooms and leftover beef roast with cheese (perhaps cheddar or Havarti)
• Roasted cauliflower, red pepper and onions with Jahlsberg cheese (or Havarti, Gouda)

How to reuse a planter

Has your plant died recently? Or, perhaps you have planters lying around the house or garage just waiting for spring. Well, here are some ideas on what to do with those planters during the off-season -- or any time of the year.  

1. Use it to hold vegetables in the fridge: despite what your planter is made out of (plastic, terracota, ceramic, porcelain, etc.) it can go in the fridge. Clean it, and use it to store items like apples, oranges, onions, potatoes, peppers and such. It actually helps you to organize your fridge.

   
2. Use it to store cat or dog toys: every night, pick up the toys off of the floor and put them in the planter. Put the planter up high to store the toys and when you want them again, simply take it down and start tossing them around.

   
3. Use it to display ornaments for Christmas: fill a cleaned planter with ornaments, pinecones or leftover garland and wrap a long ribbon around it, tied with a bow. Display as a table centrepiece or on a night table. 

4. Use it as a transfer vessel: if you store potatoes, onions, pears, apples or anything else in another room, you need to put them into something to bring them to the kitchen. Clean a planter and use it as the transfer vessel. 

5. Use it in your home organization: if you have a shed or a storage room, use it to store smaller items like tennis balls, paint brushes, tools and/or nails, cleaning cloths, etc. This is a bonus if your planter is meant to mount on the wall.  

6. Use it to hold crafty or office items: this could be sewing thread, yarn, knitting needles, small bolts of fabric, embroidery floss, etc. It would be great for holding office supplies or scrapbooking supplies as well. Display it on your desk so that you items are within reach.  

7. Use it to hold scraps of yarn: put the leftover bits of yarn in here for whenever you need a small amount to hold stitches or other uses.  

8. Use it to hold small sports equipment in the summer: when you take the kids out to the park, use the planter to hold the baseballs, tennis balls, badminton birdies or other small items so that you don't loose them.


9. Use it to hold fabric handkerchiefs: once you have a collection of fabric handkerchiefs you need to put them somewhere. Decorate the planter with a ribbon, clean the inside and store them all rolled up in here. Take one out whenever you need one.

10. Use it to hold your keys or electronics by the door: everyday when you get home, put your keys, iPod, cell phone or other daily items here so that you always know where they are. Put the planter on a stand by the door and make a habit of always putting the items here. If you have a key ring, it's still perfect for the electronics. It's also great for holding gloves and scarves in the winter time.

Making a lazy supper better...

I didn't want to cook last night AT ALL. No way, no how. So, I bought a bean and cheese burrito with the thought that supper would only take 2 minutes. Then my conscience stepped in saying: you have time to sauté some vegetables. I listened and it only took about 15 minutes. I did the dishes while this cooked.

Sautéed cabbage:

• 1/4 Savoy cabbage, shredded
• 1 tbsp butter
• sodium-reduced chicken stock
• salt
• pepper

I heated up the cast-iron pan to medium and melted the butter. Add the cabbage and sauté but let it stick on a little bit. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. I added a splash of chicken stock whenever it was needed then seasoned it with salt and pepper before serving.

After I cooked some cabbage and green beans, I felt better about the burrito. At least I was getting some veggie intake!

25 fast, easy sides for meals

Here are 25 ideas that I had for sides to your supper. These are mostly vegetable sides that take around 20 minutes to make. They also make use of your oven if it takes longer so that the stove is free.

1. Heat up a skillet on medium heat. When warm, add some chopped bacon. Stir fry until it becomes brown and crisp, drain off a little fat if desired. Add chopped cleaned broccoli and stir fry until broccoli becomes bright green. Serve with rice. This can be done with green beans or Brussels sprouts as well.
2. Chop 3 onions into thin slices and a box of cleaned mushrooms into quarters. Add to a warm skillet with a little oil and sauté down until reduced in size by half, about 15 to 20 min. Add as a side to steak and rice, or potatoes.
3. Take four onions. Peel off the skin, cut off the hairy ends. Set all four onions (whole) in a purex baking dish. Brush with BBQ sauce then roast in an oven at 375 degrees for 45 min to one hour, or until soft. Serve with steak.
4. Clean off three large potatoes (peel if desired). Cut into wedges, fries or hash browns. Toss in a bowl with a little oil and a variety of spices, from chili powder to thyme and basil. Add salt and pepper. Lay in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25 min, shaking and stirring at least once, until golden brown.
5. Take some leftover mashed potatoes. Add cooked bacon and chopped green onions, or other add-ins. Add enough flour and an egg to bind it together, then form into patties in your hands. Add to a hot skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 4 mins. Serve.
6. Sliver some nappa cabbage and add to a warm skillet with a little oil. Stir fry and add some hot sauce. This only takes five mins at the most, when the cabbage is limp, it’s done.
7. Sliver some nappa cabbage, chop an onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Add the onion to a hot skillet with a little oil and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cabbage and saute until the cabbage is done.
8. Heat up the oven to 375 degrees. Cut an acorn squash in half, clean out seeds. Season with salt and pepper and add spoonfuls of applesauce. Add a little grated cheese on top if desired. Roast covered with aluminum foil for 45 min to an hour, or until soft with pierced with a fork.
9. Peel and chop some cucumber into rounds. Add to a bowl with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons vinegar and a 1 tablespoon of white sugar, enough to create a watery sauce. Season with salt and pepper, let set for as long as possible.
10. Cut a butternut squash in half. Peel with a vegetable peeler (it’s easier) and scoop out seeds. Add to a roasting dish. Toss with a little oil, salt and pepper then roast in the oven at 350 until fork tender, about 30-45 min. When done, toss with a chopped fresh herb before serving, like basil or coriander.
11. Heat up one and a half cups of chicken stock in the microwave. Meanwhile, chop up some cleaned spinach and some sun-dried tomatoes. When stock is hot, add to a bowl and pour in one cup of couscous. Add the spinach and tomatoes, cover. Let set for about 5 to 8 min, fluff with a fork before serving.
12. Chop up some peeled carrot and peeled turnip. Add to a pot and simmer with enough chicken stock to cover with a little extra. Add a clove of peeled garlic too. Once fork tender, purée in a blender and season if necessary.
13. Clean four hot house tomatoes. Finely chop up some onions, bacon, mushrooms and green pepper and add to a skillet to reduce it down. In another bowl, mix some of your favorite shredded cheese with some bread crumbs of finely chopped nuts. While the onion mixture is reducing, cut the tops off of the tomatoes and remove the seeds and pulp so that you can stuff them. Once the onion mixture is ready, add the bread crumb mixture to it. Stuff the tomatoes with the onion-bread crumb mixture and top with the cheese. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-45 min or until the bread crumbs and cheese are golden brown.
14. Open two cans of sliced beets and drain. Cube on a chopping board. On a separate board, crumble some feta or goat cheese. Heat up a skillet, add the chopped beets and sauté. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped basil. Add crumbled cheese and serve. 
15. Cook some frozen peas in water until they are done, usually 5 min after the boiling point. Drain and toss with some sour cream and freshly chopped mint or coriander.
16. Clean off four large portabello mushrooms with a paper towel and remove the stem. Meanwhile, chop up two Italian tomatoes, some pitted black olives, some fresh spinach and some feta cheese. Add all of these ingredients to a bowl and toss with fresh bread crumbs or finely chopped walnuts. Stuff mixture into mushroom cavity, bake in preheated 375 oven until the top is brown and the mushrooms have shrunken a little in size.
17. Chop off the frizzy top (fronds) of a fennel and the stump off the bottom. Slice in half, then cut into ½ inch slices. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat up a skillet and spray with Pam or add butter to melt down. When hot, place in the slices of fennel in one layer and let sear down. This takes about 6 min per side and it’s done once the core of the fennel is softened.
18. Chop of the hairy end and dark green parts of the leek. Clean, half and chop into small pieces. Clean and chop up some mushrooms and an onion. Sauté in a warm pan with a little oil, first the onion, the leek then the mushrooms until all is softened. Meanwhile, place dethawed pastry tartlets in a muffin tin. Place leek mixture into tartlets by the spoonful, not too full. Add a little cream to each tart and cover with a little grated cheese; bake in a preheated 375 oven until the cheese is gold and bubbly.
19. Peel or clean an English cucumber. Slice into rounds, not too thick or thin. On the cutting board, season each side with salt and pepper. Arrange cucumber rounds onto a plate and eat as a veggie side.
20. Preheat the oven to 375. Clean and chop the ends off of two small zucchinis. Slice in half. Salt and pepper the top. Crumb some feta or goat cheese and add on top of the zucchini halves, add a dash of hot sauce if you like. Place in a square baking dish and bake until soft and the cheese is a little golden, about 10-15 min. Serve on the side.
21. Take a ripened avocado and slice in half, twist apart. With a quick thrust with a butchers knife, hit the pit, turn to the side and pull it out. Now, very quickly, use a spoon and go around the entire edge of the avocado to scoop it out in one piece. On a cutting board, chop it up into cubes and put into a dish. Quickly douse it with the juice from one lime. Add salt and pepper and some freshly chopped coriander, toss together for a side salad.
22. Open a can of lentils, drain and wash well. Add to a bowl. Chop up some fresh coriander and  two chopped tomatoes, add to bowl with lentils. Sprinkle with a little thinly chopped onion and garlic, the juice from a lemon, pepper, and some Parmesan cheese. Toss together and put in the fridge for a couple of hours beforehand.
23. Heat up two cups of vegetable or chicken stock in the microwave until boiling. Once done, add one cup of couscous, let set for five min. Meanwhile, chop up some dried apricots and fresh coriander. Have some chopped walnuts and raisins ready, along with a chopped fresh tomato and a little olive oil. Once the couscous is ready, add all of this and fluff. Add salt and pepper.
24. Québécois mashed potatoes: Peel and chop up 2 or 3 large potatoes, 2 or 3 large carrots, 2 parsnips and half of a turnip. Add to a pot with enough chicken stock or vegetable stock to cover (Or, mix the stock with water so that you don’t use so much of it). Boil and cook until fork tender, like normal with potatoes, but make sure that it’s the turnip that’s cooked. Once done, drain off some of the stock, using some for natural liquid when mashing. Add salt and/or pepper if desired, perhaps a little sour cream if you want. Serve on the side. 
25. Heat up a skillet over medium heat and chop up an onion, a box of mushrooms and some cleaned spinach. Saute onion and mushrooms with a pat of butter until the mushrooms have shrunken (6 minutes) then add the spinach. Add a little hot sauce if desired then serve.

Getting 5 per day

I am on a mission to get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Perhaps you are too? Well, I did some research with the help of the Nutrition Diva and her podcast on how to get 5 per day. Here is a sample menu from what I could come up with:

5 Servings Per Day

Breakfast: 

• Eat 1 apple, cut into slices, along with breakfast.

Snack:

• Eat 1 cup carrot sticks with 4 tbsp hummus.

Lunch:

• Have a 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for lunch. This could be a small garden salad or the side of leftover green beans from supper last night.

Snack:

• Eat 1 orange, clementine or mandarin. If the clementine is small, eat 2.

Supper:

• Have 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for supper.

Well, that was easy, wasn't it? I have to admit though: I am an overachiever. The Canada food pyramid recommends that you get 4-5 servings of vegetables and 3-4 servings of fruit per day which puts you at 7-9 servings per day. That seems like a lot but let's add that up:

7-9 Servings Per Day

Breakfast: 

• Add 1/2 cup thawed, cooked spinach to scrambled eggs with 2 tbsp feta cheese.
• Eat 1 apple, cut into slices, along with breakfast.

Snack:

• Eat 1 cup carrot sticks with 4 tbsp hummus.

Lunch:

• Have a 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for lunch. This could be a small garden salad or the side of leftover green beans from supper last night.
• Have a fruit salad for dessert with 2 tbsp Greek honey yogurt.

Snack:

• Eat 1 orange, clementine or mandarin. If the clementine is small, eat 2.

Supper:

• Have 2 cup vegetables with whatever you have for supper. This could be mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms, or a vegetable stir-fry on the side.
• Have a tropical fruit salad for dessert (kiwi, mango, pineapple) with honey-lime dressing.

Hmmm, that wasn't very hard either. But that's only one day. We can't all eat that one meal plan every day, can we? We need some variety. What are some other ideas?

Creating Variety

Breakfast: 

Fruit:

• Have a yogurt parfait with 1 cut peach and 1/2 cup blueberries and yogurt. Try also 1 cup varied berries or just one fruit that you really like.
• Try 1 sliced banana and peanut butter on whole grain toast. If you don't like the peanut butter and banana combination, try Nutella or another kind of nut butter like almond or cashew butter.
• Have an orange, clementine or mandarin on the side.
• Have half a grapefruit on the side. You could even broil it with some sugar and cinnamon in this recipe.
• Make a fruit syrup and add to pancakes with some fruit. For example, make a maple blueberry syrup served with fresh blueberries on (or in) the pancakes.
• Have a 1 cup serving 100% fruit juice like apple, orange, grape or grapefruit.

Vegetables:

• Make an omelet with 1 cup chopped vegetables like peppers, mushrooms, onions or leeks.
• Have a side of sauteed vegetables with breakfast (mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, etc.). I am very fond of mushrooms on the side.
• Add 1/2 cup salsa to scrambled eggs with 2 tbsp sharp cheddar cheese. I could eat this every day!
• Make a breakfast casserole like this one or this one.

Snacks:

Fruit:

• Have a serving of whole fruit (apple, orange, banana, grapes, kiwi, etc.)
• Have a fruit salad.
• Try one of the above breakfast options.
• Have a serving of dried fruit like apricots, cranberries, kiwi, pineapple of blueberries. These usually have added sugar though and more calories.
• Try a fruit smoothie made with whole fruit and no added sugar.

Vegetables:

• Have a 1 cup serving of vegetable sticks (zucchini, celery, carrots, cucumber, etc.) with 2 tbsp of your favorite dip.
• Have a 1 cup serving of fresh, whole vegetables like cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas or radish slices.
• Have a 1 cup serving of a vegetable salad like a Greek pepper salad, apple-beet salad, or carrot salad.  

Lunch:

Fruit:

• Try any of the above options for fruit. 
• Have a slice of fruit pie that is low in sugar.
• Add 1 serving of fruit to your spinach or garden salad.
• If it's summer, try grilling the fruit before having it for dessert or adding it to the meal.

Vegetables:

• Add a 1 cup serving of a vegetable salad to your lunch. This could be a marinated vegetable salad or a green salad with veggie toppings.
• Add a 1 or 2 cup serving of vegetable soup to your lunch. Bonus points of that soup is a pureed vegetable soup from home.
• Have 1 cup of leftover veggies from last night to heat up. 
• Have cut raw veggies and dip on the side.

Supper:

Fruit:

• Try any of the above options for fruit.
• Try a fruit crisp for dessert.
• Try a whole-fruit pie for dessert (cherry, blueberry, strawberry and rhubarb, pumpkin, etc.). Perhaps it's a good idea though to cut down on the sugar and crust.
• Have a fruit sauce with your meal like applesauce on pork or a fruit salsa with chicken.
• Add fruit to your salad. 

Vegetables:

• Try any of the above options for vegetables.
• Switch a serving of the starch (pasta, potatoes, rice) with another serving of vegetables. If you are having spaghetti, try your sauce on spaghetti squash. Try roasted squash and peas on the side instead of mashed potatoes and peas. 
• Have a side salad with your meal. Reduce the portion of pasta that is served to have a salad on the side, for example, of serve a salad with steak. 
• Try roasting vegetables with salt, pepper and a spice of choice (like dried basil, oregano or cumin). 
• Try braising vegetables (like you do for a stew) in a thick chicken or beef broth and serve as is over meat.
• Try serving the meal with a side of cooked veggies and a side of raw veggies, like cooked peas and raw carrots with chicken or steak.

How I lost 55 lbs

So, as I mentioned in my post about remodeling a Bridesmaid's dress, I have lost 55 lbs over the past few years. This seems to be a hot topic with everyone so I decided to share how I did it.

It actually happened in phases over a few years. I had to make gradual changes that would stick then I built on them.

Phase 1

• Realize that I have to lose weight.
• Stop buying junk that I don't need to eat: pop, candy, chips, etc.
• Eat a piece of fresh fruit for dessert.
• Stop snacking. Ask myself if I am really hungry.
• Drink water instead of pop.

After phase 1, I lost nearly 30 pounds. It happened VERY quickly, that is, over the span of 5 months or so. It felt like I had done nothing yet I was loosing weight which was great. Then, when the scale started to plateau, I made the next set of changes:

Phase 2

• Start a walk/run program on a treadmill for 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week.
• Start lifting light weights.
• Eat more vegetables.
• Eat more protein and less carbs (so pasta nights are only on Fridays and no other time during the week). This means that leftover chicken dipped in BBQ sauce becomes a snack instead of crackers, bread or leftover rice.
• Monitor my sugar intake.
• Stop emotional eating. If I am sad or angry about something, write it down or listen to music instead of eating.
• Continue doing everything else above, most notably drinking more water.

After phase 2, the scale started moving again and I lost 25 pounds within a year. Not only that, but my clothes seemed to fit differently now. The scale wasn't moving quite as fast but my clothes were loose. I couldn't figure it out until I realized that I had gained muscle from the walk/run program on the treadmill. It took so long for this phase because my weight seemed to go up and down so I had to constantly lose 5 pounds that I had put on during holidays or trips. Now I am working on phase 3.

Phase 3

• Do a walk/run program for 45 minutes, 3 times per week, until I can run for 30-45 minutes at a time. 
• Do a calisthenics workout (mine is on our Wii) for 40 minutes, 2 times per week.
• Walk to locations whenever possible. For me, this means taking the bus less, walking home from the bus stop every day and walking to and from the grocery store.
• Eat more vegetables and less carbs. So, instead of mashed potatoes with supper, eat two vegetables instead.
• Eat fruit or other real food for snacks and desserts.
• Phase into Clean Eating so that each snack has protein and/or fibre. I really like their menus.
• Again, continue doing everything else including drinking more water.

With these steps, I hope to loose another 20 pounds. That would be the weight that I have been carrying since high school and I don't know how successful I will be as I can already feel my ribs right now. But, if I only end up losing 10 pounds I can continue living like this and I know that this is a healthy lifestyle.

25 Easy Vegetable Sides

These are some of my favorite fast vegetable sides on the planet. The inspiration from here might have come from magazines or cooking shows but I have tested it all and it's great!

1. Heat up a skillet with a little oil. When warm, add some chopped bacon. Stir fry until crisping up, drain off a little fat if desired. Add chopped cleaned broccoli and stir fry until broccoli becomes bright green. Serve with rice. This can be done with green beans, Brussels sprouts, chopped nappa cabbage, peas or spinach as well.
2. Chop 3 onions into thin slices and a box of mushrooms into quarters. Add to a warm skillet with a little oil and sauté down until reduced in size by half, about 15 to 20 min. Add as a side to steak and rice, or potatoes.
3. Take four onions. Peel off the skin, cut off the hairy ends. Set all four onions (whole) in a purex baking dish. Brush with BBQ sauce then roast in an oven at 375 degrees for 45 min to one hour, or until soft. Serve with steak or grilled chicken.
4. Clean off three large potatoes (peel if desired). Cut into wedges (or thinner for fries). Toss in a bowl with a little oil and a variety of spices, from chili powder to thyme and basil. Add salt and pepper. Lay in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 min, shaking and stirring at least once, until golden brown.
5. Sliver some cabbage and add to a warm skillet with a little oil. Stir fry and add some hot sauce. This only takes five mins at the most, when the cabbage is limp, it’s done.
6. Sauté some slivered nappa cabbage in a hot skillet with a little rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce or soy sauce until done (about 15-20 minutes).
7. Heat up the oven to 375 degrees. Cut an acorn squash in half, clean out seeds. Season with salt and pepper and add spoonfuls of applesauce. Add a little cheez whiz or grated cheese on top if desired. Roast covered with aluminum foil for 45 min to an hour, or until soft with pierced with a fork.
8. Peel and chop a cucumber into rounds and add to a bowl. In a separate bowl, add some miracle whip, a little vinegar and a little sugar, enough to create a watery sauce. Season with salt and pepper, let set for at least 6 hours before serving.
9. Cut a butternut squash in half. Peel with a vegetable peeler (it’s easier) and scoop out seeds. Add flesh to a roasting dish. Toss with a little oil, salt, pepper and roast in the oven at 350 until fork tender, about 30-45 min. When done, toss with a chopped fresh herb before serving, like basil or coriander. This is great with potatoes, sweet potatoes or yams as well.
10. Chop up some fresh, cleaned spinach and add to a saute pan on medium. Add a little chicken stock if necessary and saute until the spinach has wilted. Toss with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and serve.
11. Chop up some peeled carrot and peeled turnip. Add to a pot and simmer with enough chicken stock to cover with a little extra. Add a clove of peeled garlic too. Once fork tender, purée in a blender and season if necessary.
12. Clean four hot house tomatoes. Finely chop up some onions, bacon, mushrooms and green pepper and add to a skillet to reduce it down. In another bowl, mix some of your fav shredded cheese with some bread crumbs of finely chopped nuts. While the onion mixture is reducing, cut the tops off of the tomatoes and gut them so that you can stuff them. Once the onion mixture is ready, stuff the tomatoes and top with the cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-45 min or until the bread crumbs and cheese are golden brown.
13. Open two cans of sliced beets and drain. Cube on a chopping board. On a separate board, chop up pieces of bacon or pancetta. Heat up a skillet, add the bacon or pancetta first and let it cook down. Once browned, add the chopped beets and sauté. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and a dash of chopped rosemary. Serve once all is tender and the bacon is crisp.
14. Chop and clean some fresh spinach and slice a box of mushrooms and an onion. Add onion to a saute pan on medium and saute for two minutes then add the mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms shrink then add the spinach. Saute until the spinach wilts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve. This is also great with spicy cooked shrimp served on top.
15. Cook some frozen peas in water until they are done, usually 5 min after the boiling point. Drain and toss with some sour cream and freshly chopped mint or coriander. This also works great with green beans, Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
16. Clean off four large portobella mushrooms with a paper towel and remove the stem. Meanwhile, chop up two Italian tomatoes, some black olives, some fresh spinach and some feta cheese. Add all of these ingredients to a bowl and toss with fresh bread crumbs or finely chopped walnuts. Stuff mixture into mushroom cavity, bake in preheated 375 oven until the top is brown and the mushrooms have shrunken a little in size, about 20 minutes.
17. Chop off the frizzy top of a fennel and the stump off the bottom. Slice in half, then cut into ½” slices. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat up a skillet and spray with Pam or add butter to melt down. When hot, place in the slices of fennel in one layer and let sear down. This takes about 6 min per side and it’s done once the core of the fennel is softened.
18. Chop off the hairy end and dark green parts of the leek. Clean, half and chop into small pieces. Clean and chop up some mushrooms and an onion. Sauté in a warm pan with a little oil, first the onion, the leek then the mushrooms until all is softened. Meanwhile, place dethawed pastry tartlets in a muffin tin. Place leek mixture into tartlets by the spoonful, not too full. Add a little cream to each tart and cover with a little grated cheese; bake in a preheated 375 oven until the cheese is gold and bubbly.
19. Peel or clean a cucumber. Slice into rounds, not too thick or thin. On the cutting board, season each side with salt and pepper. Arrange cucumber rounds onto a plate and eat as a veggie side.
20. Clean a head of collard greens and cut the stems off. Add to a pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce and boil for another 5 minutes or until the leaves have wilted. Drain and toss with salt and pepper. Serve.
21. Preheat the oven to 375. Clean and chop the ends off of two small zucchinis. Slice in half and slice a little bit off of the skin on the bottom so that it sits upright with the cut end facing you. Salt and pepper the top. Crumb some feta or goat cheese and add on top of the zucchini halves, add a dash of hot red pepper flakes if you like. Place in a square baking dish and bake until soft and the cheese is a little golden, about 10-15 min. Serve on the side.
22. Take a ripened avocado and slice in half, twist apart. With a quick thrust with the bottom edge butchers knife, hit the pit, turn to the side and pull it out. Use a spoon and go around the entire edge of the avocado to scoop it from the skin. On a cutting board, chop it up into cubes and put into a small dish. Quickly douse it with the fresh juice from one lime. Add salt and pepper and some freshly chopped coriander, toss together for a side salad.
23. Peel and chop up 2 or 3 large potatoes, 2 or 3 large carrots, 2 parsnips and half of a turnip. Add to a pot with enough chicken stock or vegetable stock to cover (Or, mix the stock with water so that you don’t use so much of it). Boil and cook until fork tender, like normal with potatoes, but make sure that it’s the turnip that’s cooked. Once done, drain off some of the stock, using some for natural liquid when mashing. Add pepper or more salt if desired, perhaps a little sour cream if you want. Serve on the side.
24. Clean 2 heads of fresh broccoli and pull the leaves off. Chop up the stems then the heads into slivers and add to a bowl. Julienne a peeled carrot and 1/2 peeled, seeded cucumber and add to the bowl. In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 1/2 tbsp liquid honey and 2 tbsp wine vinegar and stir together with a fork. Add 1/4 cup sour cream and 2 pinches of paprika, combine again then pour over the broccoli slaw. Mix together then serve.
25. Open 2 cans of beets and drain, add to a medium-sized bowl. Core and chop up two large Granny Smith apples and add to the beets. In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp liquid honey with a fork. Add to beet mixture and toss together. Let sit for a few hours or overnight.

Quick and Delicious Tortellini Soup

I made this soup the other day and I totally love it! I used reduced sodium broth and tomatoes for this but I dare you to taste it once it's done before using salt.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3-4 carrots, peeled, halved and chopped (ends cut off)
• 4-5 ribs of celery, washed, halved and chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, washed, quartered and chopped (ends cut off)
• 2 900 mL cartons sodium-reduced chicken broth
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I use Unico, no salt added)
• 1 454g bag cheese-stuffed tortellini, dethawed
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano leaves

Instructions:
Saute the onions in a Dutch oven pot (or a large soup pot) over medium-high heat, adding a little chicken broth whenever necessary to prevent the onions from burning. Once onions have softened, add carrots and celery. Saute, adding broth, for another 5-7 minutes to soften. Add zucchini, chicken broth and diced tomatoes then bring to a boil. Add tortellini then reduce to medium. Add chili powder and oregano then stir. Let cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste before adding salt. Serve. Makes 8 servings.

Total time: 10 minutes to chop vegetables, 20 minutes to cook

Ideas:

• This is a great way to use up carrots and celery before going grocery shopping. 
• I bet this would be good with beef tortellini too.
• Other vegetables to try are artichokes, broccoli, peas, corn, mushrooms, red or green peppers. 
• Other add-ins could include pesto, chopped sun-dried tomatoes or Parmesan cheese.