Amery's Chicken Noodle Soup

Amery sent over her favorite recipe to this classic soup.  We were able to email about ways to amp-up the nutrition in her recipe.  Here is what she wrote (ideas follow her recipe):

Here is my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. My kids love it and every kid family I have ever cooked it for, the kids eat it all.  

8 c water

7 cubes chicken bouillon 

(can substitute above with 7 cups chicken broth and 1 cup water)

1 clove garlic

1 chicken breast half (I like dark meat, so I use a chicken thigh)

1 c chopped celery

1 c chopped carrot

1/2 c chopped onion

3/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp thyme

dash of pepper

2 c uncooked egg noodles

Add water, bouillon, carrots, celery, onion, seasonings and uncooked chicken breast to a large pot and bring to a boil.  Watch chicken and removed when it is fully cooked (about 10 minutes).  Shred it and return to soup.

When you have removed the chicken to cup up, add the egg noodles to the soup and continue to boil for 10 minutes.  Ready to serve when chicken is back in the soup and the egg noodles have boiled for 10 minutes.

Here are some thoughts on making it more nutrient-rich:  add more carrots to get a higher ratio of veggies, try to avoid bouillon (I wrote a bit about this in my previous post) because it is loaded with things like msg, modified corn starch, & lots of sodium in general (peek at the ingredients of yours and see what it's got-  maybe it's different).  A easy alternative if real broth is not an option is the organic Better than Bullion that you can get at Costo (or wherever).  It has more real flavor (as opposed to just salt) and pretty straight-forward ingredients.  Egg noodles are really tasty, but again, don't have much to them.  A whole grain pasta would be a great add here, or better yet, make a quick pasta dough with whole grain flour and throw it right into the soup.They will absorb all the flavors from the broth and be so good.  Here is the pasta recipe I use.  It takes less than 5 minutes:

1 egg

1/2 teas. salt

1 tsp italian herb mix (optional)

1 cup whole grain flour (any kind…wheat, rice, spelt)

2 Tbs. cold water

mix dry ingredients, make a well and mix in beaten egg and water.  Roll out on flat surface & cut into desired length/shape.  Keep in mind that it will expand, so cut smaller than you think.  Add to simmering soup.

What do you like to add to you chicken-noddle soups?

I really like the flavor that celery seed and fresh thyme add to mine.  

I also prefer a creamy chicken-noodle (even though it is more fattening!).

Please share!

Ashley

Packed Lunches

Packing lunches that aren't filled with pre-packaged or highly processed foods is tricky--  especially when you have several to prepare every morning!  Lets share some ideas and tips for packing to-go lunches, for either ourselves, spouses, and kids.  Here are some fabulous ideas from, again, one of my favorite blogs:

Design Mom's Lunch Box Menu Series

The key here seems to be thinking outside the (lunch)box.  

Get out of the sandwich rut and get into a new one.  It seems to be the routine that makes it easy. 

Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers

Jessica Lambson mentioned in a comment on a previous post that she has been using quinoa in her stuffed peppers instead of rice.  It reminded me of this easy and tasty meal that I like to make.  I am not great at recording detailed recipes...especially not measurements...because I usually just make guesses.  So, bear with me as I attempt to share some with you.

It may not seem like it, but this is enough to feed my family of four for two meals, and we eat a lot.  These are really filling!

Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 bell peppers 

any color

1.5 cups uncooked quinoa 

I like to use the tri-colored quinoa from Trader Joe's because it's so pretty, but it doesn't matter

1 can diced tomatoes, reserve juice

make sure you read the ingredients here...there should not be any added sugar!

1 can drained white beans 

Great Northern, Cannelini, whatever

1 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

I keep the big bag of shredded parmesean from Costco in my freezer to mix into the filling

 and a fresh block of romano (again from Costco) to shave on top of the peppers for a good crust

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3 TBSP olive oil

1.5 teaspoons cumin

just a guess here...use more or less to taste

Salt &  Pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa in salted water according to directions.  Just add twice as much water as there is quinoa. I usually use my rice-cooker...much easier.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pour the juices from the diced tomatoes in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  

Cut the peppers in half vertically (so they will be lying in half on their sides) and "gut them."  Shave a little bit of their backs off so they will be more stable in the pan.  There should be 8 halves that fit snuggly into the bottom.  Squeeze them in however you can.  Spray with some olive oil (or whatever you have) cooking spray, cover the pan with foil, and throw them in the oven for about 10 minutes while you put everything else together.

Mix all the rest of the ingredients together (reserve some cheese for topping) in a bowl, then stuff the peppers!  I don't handle the peppers themselves...just scoop the stuff right into the peppers in the pan (because they should be hot from being in the oven).  Top the peppers and filling with some extra parmesean or romano and put back in the oven without the foil.

Cook for about 15-20 more minutes or until the peppers seem tender when poked with a fork.  If there isn't a nice crust on top where the cheese is, turn the broil on for a minute or two.

These make great left-overs, and if you have extra stuffing, throw it in a wrap with some spinach or lettuce for a really healthy lunch!

Soups, Part One

Like I mentioned in the previous post, soups are one of the easiest, heartiest, and healthiest things to make...and so comforting (especially on rainy days like today)!  

I always make as much as I can fit into my stock pot so we will have left-overs for lunches or busy nights.  They also freeze so well in individualized tupperware containers.  Just dump the block of frozen soup into a little sauce pan and heat like you would a can of soup (but enjoy having lots more flavor and fewer yuckies!). 

The possibilities for soup are endless.  It is difficult to go wrong!  

For extra tasty soups, see my tip in the earlier post for sautéing veggies and spices before adding liquids, and also experiment with deglazing (HERE is some great deglazing info).

Here are several good-looking soup recipes that my favorite blogger just posted:

DesignMom's Hearty Fall Soups to Keep You Warm

PLEASE share some of your favorites either in the comments below or in your own post.  (You can always email me and I will post for you!  Links, full recipes, tips, whatever!)

Take Care,

Ashley

Pantry Staples

There are several resources for whole-foods pantry staples online and often in the front of good cook books.

The idea is that if you have all these items on-hand, you can make just about anything with whatever perishable items need to be used (week-old broccoli? provolone threatening to mold?).

The Gracious Pantry

 Alternatives and expansions for items you typically stock

Apartment Therapy's "The Kitchn"

Stocking a healthy pantry for under $99

Whole Foods Market

Sponsored by Whole Foods to promote their brand, but still helpful!

Personally, during the winter, I make sure my pantry is stocked with soup-making staples.

-Vegetable, chicken, and beef stock are my foundations (make your own, or a second best is the 

Organic Better than Bullion from Costco.  Avoid bullion-  it often contains MSG and other yuckies, as well as exorbitant amounts of sodium). 

-onions and garlic are my other foundation for just about any soup...they keep forever, so I almost always have them on-hand

-variety beans, both dried and canned

-lentils & split peas

-canned, crushed tomatoes

-canned coconut milk

-our essential soup spices (ground cumin seed- use it in everything, green curry/indian curry pastes, celery seed, fennel, fresh ginger, typical italian spices- I use lots of thyme and oregano, miso-japenese soy paste, dehydrated onion from the cannery has saved me several times)

-a fruity tasting olive oil

-i use red and white cooking wines for some soups and it adds a lot...if you feel uncomfortable about this, apple juice (for white) and red grape juice (for red) can produce a similar effect

-lemon and lime juice

-frozen veggies like butternut squash cubes, bell peppers, peas, cauliflower, leeks, etc. (Trader Joe's has lots of these items)

-italian sausage and bacon add a lot of flavor to soup (I personally prefer turkey/chicken varieties that are minimally processed with only natural additives...Costco and Trader Joe's sell types like this)

-heavy-duty leafy greens (like kale and swiss chard) and cilantro/parsley are items that I usually buy fresh each week because they can go in just about any soup and add so much flavor, texture, and nutrition when fresh

A tip for adding flavor when making soups:

If you saute whatever dense veggies you are including in your soup with all the spices at the bottom of the pot BEFORE you add stock/liquids, it will add a richness and depth that you can't get from throwing them in later. 

What resources do you use for stocking your pantry?  Please share!

Take care!
Ashley

Favorite Links

Do you have a go-to website for  healthy recipes and cooking ideas?  Let's keep a running list over on the left of our favorites.  You can email me at cleancookingcoop@gmail.com (or Facebook message me) with your favorites to share!  I have added some of mine.

Take care!
Ashley

Welcome!

This blog is meant to simplify whole-food cooking and provide inspiration for eating well.

I hope we can all make the effort to share with each other and use this as resource in order to encourage a healthier  lifestyle and appreciation for our bodies--  not to mention the fulfillment that comes from being creative and consuming yummy food that feels good!

Here's how it works:

1.  I will send each of you the username and password via Facebook or email.

2. Sign in at the top-right corner of the blog.

3. You will be taken to a page that says in orange, "Clean Cooking Co.op's Blogs." 

4. Click on the orange box with a pencil icon.  This is the "new post" button.

5. Post away!  You can copy and paste recipes, links, articles, inspirations, favorite products, etc. 

6.  Be sure to title your post and put your name at the bottom so we know who contributed it.  

7. Then click the orange "Publish" button!  

*Note* 

You can save a post and come back to it if you aren't ready to post it.  You can always edit it after it's published, too.  

I will go through the posts and "tag" them with categories (soups, main course, desserts, etc.) so we can easily navigate through recipes.  

Let's take advantage of this technology and use it to better each other's lives as well as our own.  

Take care!

Ashley Reese