Magic Healing Chicken

Okay, okay, okay.  It isn't actually magic, but it definitely feels like it.  So don't get too eager about receiving your Hogwarts letter just yet.  This is just good ole nutrition.  (Although you might do well in Potions class.)

If you have ever:
- been hungover
- partied a little too hard
- had a stomach bug or the flu
- had surgery, or
- felt generally unwell
you need this recipe in your life.  Although, if you can plan it in advance to have as a leftover, that might be ideal.  While it is easy enough to make, sometimes you just don't want to cook when you feel like crud.

So why is it so magical?

There is something to be said about the healing properties of chicken broth.  Think about it.  Every time you got sick as a child, what did your parents give you?  Chicken and noodle soup.  The nutrients in the broth, while they may not actually heal you, they definitely make you feel better.  The only thing that has ever compared to chicken soup when I'm ill is a bowl of hot beef pho.  Bone broth for the win.

Image source:
http://www.deeprootsathome.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/turmeric.jpg

Another key ingredient here is a generous amount of turmeric.  If you don't know about turmeric, learn about it.  It is a root spice related to ginger and is native to southern Asia.  That's right.  Asia.  We all know anything that comes from Asia might as well be infused with magic.  Say what you want, but I hardcore believe in ancient medicine.  Hence its incorporation into this recipe.

I won't get into all of the benefits of turmeric, but there is one that makes it such a big player in the healing process.  As it turns out, turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory.  That covers such a wide range of problems, why wouldn't you want to incorporate it into your daily diet?  I just love the stuff so much I wish I could grow it.

The downside to turmeric is that it doesn't exactly absorb into the body very easily.  This is where the black pepper comes in.  I use more black pepper here than in any of my other recipes specifically to get as much benefit from the turmeric as possible.

And then of course you have a colorful mix of vegetables, the "super food" quinoa, and brown rice.  You don't need to be reminded of the importance of those things.  For the veggies, I usually use the frozen mixture of sweet peas, corn, green beans, and carrots, plus frozen broccoli florets.  For the picture, I was out my normal stuff and used cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots.

With all those powers combined, you have what I like to call my Magic Healing Chicken.  It's not just chicken, but turmeric chicken, quinoa, and veggies doesn't sound as fun.

So, without further ado, let's get cooking!


What you'll need:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen
• 2 cups frozen mixed veggies
• 1 cup frozen broccoli florets
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1/2 brown rice, uncooked
• 1 1/2 T ground turmeric
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup dried minced onions
• 1/2 tsp dill weed
• 1/2 tsp salt free Mrs. Dash
• a dash or two of Swampy's Bar-B-Q Rub (optional)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• large drizzle of oil (I prefer avocado)
• salt to taste

What to do:

Put all of the ingredients in the pot.  If everything is not covered with stock, add a little water until everything is submerged.

Bring to a low boil and cook for about 25 minutes.  (If your chicken is thawed, check it after 15 minutes.)

In my experience, the chicken is always done before the rice.  You'll need to remove the chicken once it's done and leave the pot to simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Shred or cut chicken into bite sized pieces.  When the rice is done, return chicken to the pot and combine all of the ingredients.

The mixture will be a little soupy, but will thicken as it sits.  This makes reheating the leftovers insanely easy as it will not dry out.

Serve hot, alone or with crackers.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Makes about 6 servings.

New Year's Soup

I have my mother to thank for the inspiration for this dish.  She used to always make cabbage soup when I was growing up, and it was pretty damn tasty.

Once I became a responsible adult, I always dreaded the New Year meal.
A. Cabbage is not tasty.  Not only that, it smells awful.
B. While black eyed peas are not really bad, it is difficult to get creative with them.

After several New Years of failed meals, I finally remembered about my mom's cabbage soup. I made some adjustments for the occasion, added some secret ingredients, and made a meal worthy of Hell's Kitchen (according to me and my minions).

And the best part is that it doesn't leave your kitchen reeking of cabbage.

What you'll need:

• 1 lb chopped ham (I just bought a small pre-sliced honey ham and chopped it up)
• 1/2 head of cabbage, medium to large, chopped
• 1 cup dried black eyed peas, rinsed
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14.5oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dried minced onion
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1 T basil
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp dill weed
• 2-3 dashes of Swampy's Bar-B-Q Rub (secret ingredient #1)
• 2-3 dashes of Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning (secret ingredient #2)

**This soup does NOT need salt**

What to do:

Warm the ham in the bottom of a large stock pot over medium heat.  I like to let it sizzle for about 4-5 minutes to bring out some of the flavor.  Stir in garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and stir it all together.  You may or may not need more water, depending on how big your cabbage is.  Make sure it is all covered up with liquid.  Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce to medium-low heat (slightly more on the medium side), cover, and let simmer for about an hour, or until beans are nice and tender.

Serve with cornbread, and you have a highly inexpensive, highly delicious meal to get you ready for your prosperous year.

Enjoy!

Prep time: About 10 minutes

Cook time: About an hour

Serves: 6-7

Black Bean and Sweet Potato (Vegan) Chili

I recently went through a weird period in my food life where all I could seem to put in my body was crap foods.  For about two straight weeks I was eating all the wrong things, feeling sluggish, and my weight was fluctuating more than usual.  My solution was to make it through an entire week of eating only vegan meals.  I figured it would be a good cleanse as well as a project that would get me back on track with my normal eating routine.

During this week I discovered some tasty foods that I plan on making again and again as well as some foods I will never ever ever make again.  It was a learning experience, and I managed to actually lose about 3lbs. One of my favorite meals I made was vegan chili.  The recipe I used as a guideline can be found here, but of course I could never follow a recipe exactly, so I'm posting the way I made mine.  It was so freaking delicious I will never make ground beef chili again.

I believe I have a homemade chili recipe on here somewhere.  As you might be able to tell from that, I like to make sweet chili.  I always make sweet cornbread and crumble it into my chili.  This vegan chili is already sweet, and it has way less calories than regular chili.  Not only do you not get the calories and fat from the ground beef, you also don't have to add any cornbread.  The sweet potatoes, corn, and carrots give it the exact same flavor as regular chili with sweet cornbread crumbled in.  And it's just as filling! You absolutely cannot go wrong with this recipe.

What you'll need:

• 1 small onion, chopped (or half of a medium to large onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I actually got really lucky and found a head of garlic with GIANT cloves, so I only needed one)
• 1 green bell pepper, diced and deseeded
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1 tbs chili powder
• (1) 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 large carrot or 10-12 baby carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 3/4 - 2 cups frozen corn (or one can drained)
• (3) 15.25oz cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• 1/2 small jar of salsa (I used Tostito's Restaurant Style)
• (1) 14oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook about 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper and continue to saute for another 4 minutes, or until pepper is soft.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add cumin and chili pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes and mix together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir them all together in the pot.  Bring the chili to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer covered on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, and then uncovered for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are cooked all the way through.

Serves about 6-8.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hr 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hr 20 minutes