Sigh. It’s a weeknight. You’re tired. You’re hungry. You’re out of dinner ideas. Never fear! I have a quicky, easy weeknight meal for you to try. Today, I am going to introduce a meal that is versatile, quick, and easy to cook. The technique – “en papillote” – is one you can use over and over with a variety of ingredients. Continue reading Quick, easy weeknight meal: Baked Salmon en Papillote→
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
What types of eggs should you buy? Let’s clear up that “farm fresh” label.
You’ve been there before. You are in the dairy aisle, facing 20 different options for eggs. The aisle is cold, so all you want to do is move your cart along so that you can begin feeling your toes again. So, you compare prices (quickly), choose a brand that’s recognizable, and maybe you choose a carton that says “farm fresh.”
In this post, I’m going to talk about what all of those labels mean on your eggs.
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
It was a Sunday evening. My spouse and I had been tilling the garden all afternoon, and we hadn’t had time to visit the grocery store. What were we going to make for dinner?
Luckily, I had roasted a chicken (yes, a sustainable one) earlier that week and we had some left over. And, I had a bag of chopped kale in the fridge that was on its way out. So, I decided to make a kale and chicken soup with white beans.
I often cook roasted chicken with other items in my fridge that were left over from the week (like my mediterranean chicken salad). Chicken is a pretty versatile protein, and pairs nicely with many different herbs, spices, and veggies.
And, I also love to make bone broth from the chicken as well. I make stock from any meat that we cook on the bone, and then I freeze it for later. Thankfully this weekend, I had a quart of chicken stock in the freezer that was ready to go.
As I mentioned last week, I keep some pantry essentials for circumstances like this. My pantry already had canned beans, dried barley (brown rice or quinoa would have been delicious), onions, and dried herbs/spices in stock.
PS – Wanting to make this soup a vegetarian or vegan option? Never fear! You get a complete plant-based protein when you combine a whole grain with beans and veggies. So, feel free to ignore the chicken, sub the chicken stock with veggie stock, and enjoy!
How to make Kale and Chicken Soup with White Beans
This recipe makes about ten servings of soup. We loved it for dinner and then for lunches throughout the week. It was hearty, filling, and oh-so nutritious!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
2 cups diced, roasted chicken
1 can (about 2 cups) white beans… go for no salt added if you can find it
1 cup dry, pearled barley
6 cups chicken stock
6 cups chopped kale
Directions:
1. Take out a large stock pot and add olive oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating, chop the onions. When the oil is shimmering, add chopped onion.
2. While the onion is cooking, chop garlic, carrot, and celery. When the onion becomes slightly translucent, stir in chopped garlic, carrot and celery. Cook for about 5 more minutes.
3. Add your spices: oregano, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes add Mediterranean flavors. If you would prefer French flavors, use rosemary, thyme, and black pepper instead.
4. Deglaze the pan with a cup of white wine. This adds a depth of flavor, and don’t worry, the alcohol cooks off 🙂
5. While the pan is deglazing, dice your your leftover roasted chicken (about 2 cups) and stir into your pot.
6. Open a can of white beans, and rinse (that gets the excess sodium that could be in your beans). Add to the pot.
7. Add 1 cup of dried barley. As I mentioned before, choose a grain that you already have in your pantry. Brown rice, quinoa, or any whole grain would be delicious in this recipe. A whole grain will complete the protein when paired with the beans and veggies in this soup.
8. Pour 6 cups of stock to the pot (or pour in stock until there is about two inches of liquid over the veggies, grains, and chicken). Bring to a boil and cook until your grain is cooked (took me about 30 minutes with barley).
9. Once the barley (or whatever grain you choose) is cooked, turn off the heat and add the kale. The kale will gently in the soup because the liquid is still hot.
Makes about 10 servings
Approximate nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 215
Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
Sodium: 369 mg
Sugar: 2.8 g (no added sugar)
Fiber: 6.4 g
Protein: 15.7 g
What soup do you like to make on the fly? Let me know by commenting below!
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
For the top half of the US this week, snow is on the ground and a chill is in the air. Eggs in Marinara (RED sauce in honor of American Heart Month) will warm your soul and your tummy. It’s my kind of comfort food to enjoy on a chilly weekend winter morning (or a stormy winter evening!). It’s full of bright veggies and packs a powerful protein punch to boot. Continue reading Comfort food for a Chilly Winter’s Day: Eggs in Marinara→
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
Let me tell you a secret: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Why? Because Thanksgiving means cooking, eating, and (in my opinion) no-fuss quality time with friends and family. Today, I’m going to talk about twelve dishes that will be on my table. And, I’d love to hear from you: What is on your Thanksgiving menu this year? Continue reading What’s on your Thanksgiving Menu?→
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
As Halloween draws near, many of us will be thinking about the sugar that kids and adults will be eating. It’s funny, because added sugar lurks in many foods all of the time. In this post, we’ll talk about sugar and five tips to cut down on it. Continue reading Five tips to cut down on added sugar→
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
Today, let’s talk about one strategy that can save you time in the kitchen without making you sacrifice a healthful, home cooked meal: The Roast Chicken. Roast chicken is my key to a better week. After I roast a chicken, I get about two cups of leftover chopped chicken, plus – I get a bonus because I use the bones to make homemade broth!
When I roast a chicken over the weekend, the leftovers from the roast are used in lunches and dinners for the week. This cuts my weekday cooking time, and also gives me ample opportunity to get more creative with my meals. For example, this week, I used leftover chicken in a casserole and in a chicken salad. Leftovers from this one roast chicken covered our lunches for the week and most of our dinners!
Here are ten ways to use leftover roast chicken:
1. Chicken casserole (I make mine with pesto, chicken stock, brown rice, frozen chopped broccoli and frozen artichokes)
2. Chicken enchiladas
3. Chicken salad (I make a no-mayo lemon poppyseed chicken salad or a Mediterranean Chicken Salad)
4. Chicken soup
5. Tortilla soup
6. Chicken stir fry
7. Chicken chili
8. Baked ziti with chicken
9. Chicken and dumplings
10. Pizza with chicken and pesto
Now, some of you may not want to roast a chicken, and instead opt to get a rotisserie chicken. While I think that is ok to do in a pinch, rotisserie chicken can come with a lot of extra sodium. Instead, I keep it simple. Prepping a roast chicken doesn’t take too much time, and you can do other things around the house while you wait for your chicken to roast.
Here’s how to cook a roast chicken:
1. Choose an organic chicken from the grocery (Why organic? see why by visiting my post about sustainable food).
2. Clean your sink and surrounding countertops using green cleaners.
3. Cut a small orange into quarters and place it next to the sink.
4. Fill a ramekin with a teaspoon each of black pepper, dried thyme and rosemary and place the mix next to the sink.
5. Put a roasting pan next to the sink too, and set your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
6. Open the roast chicken packaging in the sink and let all the juices run down the drain.
7. Run water over and through your chicken. If there are giblets (these are the organs packed in the chicken cavity), take those out. I usually throw them away, but some people use it to make sauce or gravy.
8. Place your rinsed chicken on a roasting pan.
9. Fill the chicken cavity with slices of orange (lemon works well too!).
10. Sprinkle herbs on and in your chicken until the top, sides, and bottom of your chicken are covered.
11. Place your chicken in the preheated oven
12. Clean your sink and counter tops while the chicken is cooking.
13. After your chicken has cooked for an appropriate time (about 90 minutes – you can see when the chicken’s juices are running clear), use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken has an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees fahrenheit. To do this, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. (see chicken from farm to table for more information about food safety and chicken)
14. Let your chicken rest for 10 minutes, carve, and then enjoy!
On this blog, I want to present creative ideas to make you more productive. And, one way to do that is to offer you strategies that will give you more time. If you want to eat healthfully on a budget, most of the time you have to cook at home. But, this takes up so much time! By roasting a chicken on the weekend, you can use the leftovers in many different ways to make delicious, healthful meals that won’t stretch your budget.
So tell us: How do you use leftover roast chicken?
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
Celebrating creative productivity, healthy living, and purposeful growth
