Chicken and Kale Stew over Quinoa

After yesterday's 10,000 calorie post, I feel the need to redeem myself with something a little healthier.

I have been in a teensy cooking rut, probably because I've been working my tail off for my totally-unrelated-to-food consulting job.  Like I've said previously, working from home without childcare should be an Olympic event. In fact, last week my 5-year old brought to my attention that he hasn't had any clean underwear in his drawer for "two whole days, Mommy!"   Do you even want to know what my laundry piles look like?  

Ah, well.  I'm grateful for the job.   

Needing a swift kick in the tail of kitchen inspiration, I turned to Sargent Martha Stewart.  I love clicking through the food photos on her site...they always get my motor running.  But cooking is my only talent...I run like the wind from the crafty section of her empire.

This is her (or one of her hundreds of employees') recipe:  I've modified it slightly by using chicken thighs instead of breasts, kale instead of escarole, and quinoa instead of cous-cous.  

It was wonderful all the same!

Begin with a tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or other large pot or skillet.

When the pot is hot, add the diced chicken.  DON'T STIR IT RIGHT AWAY.

Let it get good and brown. 

After about 3-4 minutes, turn it.  Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Then transfer it to a clean plate.

Whatever you do, don't wash the pot yet.  

Those brown bits are the secret to deep flavor.

Slice the onion and the garlic cloves.

Add the onions to the pot first (drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil).

Saute for several minutes until they begin to brown,

and then add in the garlic.

Saute for several more minutes, adding in the oregano.

Then pour in a large can of whole (peeled) tomatoes, crushing each tomato while you stir well.

Return the chicken to the pot,

and then add the kale and cook it down a bit, adding more to the pot as you have room.

While the stew is....stewing, make the quinoa.

Quinoa has a natural sudsy substance on it's surface; always rinse it first.

The ratio is:  1 cup quinoa to two cups liquid. 

Simmer for 15-20 minutes in medium saucepan until all liquid has been absorbed.

Rather than cook it in plain water, I prefer to use chicken stock for extra flavor.

Place a serving of the cooked quinoa in a shallow bowl 

and top with a generous serving of the stew.

Enjoy!

Here's the printable recipe.


Chicken and Kale Stew over Quinoa
Serves 4-5

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

1 medium onion, skins removed, halved and thinly sliced 

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in puree 

1 large bunch kale (stalk removed), coarsely chopped 

1 cup quinoa, cooked in two cups of chicken stock 

1/2 teaspoon salt (if needed)

In a Dutch oven or a large, heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in two batches, tossing occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate. 

Add onion to the pot; drizzle with remaining olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 3-5 minutes until slices begin to brown, stirring often.  Add garlic and oregano to pot; cook an additional 2-4 minutes.  (Don't worry if the pot darkens).  Add can of tomatoes (juice and all); crush tomatoes with back of spoon as they are added.  Cook for 8-10 minutes until stew is slightly thickened.  Return chicken to the pot and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 2-4 additional minutes.

Add as much kale to the pot as will fit.  Cook, tossing, until kale begins to cook down.  Add more kale as space becomes available, until the entire bunch has been used, or until the desired amount has been reached.  (It gets pretty "kaley" in there, but it's good for you!)

Prepare quinoa according to package directions, substituting chicken stock or broth for the water.  Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.  

Serve stew over quinoa. 

Recipe slightly adapted from here. 

"Vegetarian" Chicken & Dumplings

Sometimes, I like to pretend like I'm a vegetarian.  

But I'm not all that great at pretending; even this dish uses a chicken-based stock.  (It can be made completely vegetarian by substituting a vegetable stock.)  The end result retains the best parts about chicken and dumplings (the flavor, the colorful tender veggies, the moist-but-not-gummy dumplings), without the use of actual poultry.  Truth be told, I like it both ways, but today I was feeling lazy and this meatless version suited me just fine. 

Hands-down, this is the best dumpling recipe I've ever found.  My family has suffered through countless batches of bad, pasty dumplings.  Have you ever watched a dog eat peanut butter?  That's the way we all used to look trying to get the other dumplings unstuck from the top of our mouths.  But these.  These are wonderful dumplings.

To begin, saute the onion in olive oil for about 10 minutes.

Dice up carrots, celery, and a small green bell pepper (if using). 

Add them to the pot with the onion. 

Toss in some spices:  thyme, turmeric, and salt.

 

 I LOVE turmeric and the golden yellow it imparts to the dish.  

But skip it if you aren't a fan. 

Add 7 cups of chicken stock.  

(Or use low-sodium broth.)

Bring it to a simmer.

Now for the dumplings:

Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

Then pour in half-and-half.
Stir gently to make a dough.

Use a tablespoon to scoop the dumpling dough into the soup.

 

 The recipe makes 14 large dumplings.

Cover the pot halfway and let the dumplings simmer and steam for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

And serve.

(Here is the printable recipe.)

"Vegetarian" Chicken and Dumplings
Serves 4-6

1 medium onion, diced
5 medium carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 cups chicken stock (low sodium) or broth
1 teaspoon dried parsley (or substitute 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley)

Dumplings
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 (heaping) tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 and 1/4 to 1/2 cups half-and-half

In a large dutch oven or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and saute about 10 minutes.  Add carrots, celery and bell pepper.  Saute over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until crisp-tender. 

Pour in chicken stock or broth.  Bring liquid to a gentle simmer (not an active rolling boil) while you prepare the dumplings.

Sift together in a medium bowl the flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt.  Pour in half-and-half (you may not have to use it all...pour in 1/2 cup increments).  Stir gently until dough is combined.  Do not overmix.

Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering soup.  Cover pot halfway and cook for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Allow soup and dumplings to "rest" for about 10 minutes before serving. 

*Adapted from Pioneer Woman and Gourmet Magazine

Linking up at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

I love simple pleasures.  Like cooking on a beautiful fall day with the windows open, listening to the newly-fallen leaves turning cartwheels down the driveway.  It's as if every cookbook in my home automatically opens, flips to a page involving soup or squash (or both), and beckons my attention.

This recipe combines butternut squash, apples, and curry into a velvety pureed soup.  The color, the cashmere texture, the scent: they all curtsy to the arriving season. 

My only word of caution is this:  there are 3 tablespoons of curry in the soup.  ("Yum" if you love it, "ack" if you don't.)  So if you serve it to little ones, please go ahead and dress them in orange or wrap them in a bib.  Curry stains.  :)

Begin by melting butter, adding a splash of olive oil, 

an onion, and the curry powder.

Then add the chicken stock, squash, and apples.  

Simmer 'til tender.

 

Strain it.

 

Puree the solids.

 

Velvety gorgeousness.

 

Add the puree back to the pot with some apple juice, 

the reserved liquid, and some goat cheese.

Garnish with grated Granny Smith apple, if desired.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

4-6 servings

3 tablespoons sweet butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

3 to 4 teaspoons curry powder 

2 medium-sized butternut squash (about 3 pounds all together)*

2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

3 cups Chicken Stock

1 cup apple juice

3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

1 shredded unpeeled Granny Smith apple (garnish)

1.  Melt the butter in a stock pot.  Add chopped onions and curry powder.  Cook, covered, over low heat for 25 minutes, or until onions are tender.

2.  Meanwhile, peel the squash (using a regular vegetable peeler...it works best...just be careful).  Scoop out the seeds, and dice the "meat" of the squash.* 

3.  When onions are tender, pour in the stock, add the squash and apples, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are very tender, about 25 minutes.

4.  Pour the soup through a stainer, reserving liquid, and transfer the solids to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Add 1 cup of the cooking stock and process until smooth.

5.  Return pureed soup to the pot and add apple juice and about 2 cups of the remaining cooking liquid, until the soup reached the desired consistency.

6.  Add cheese and stir until melted/incorporated.

7.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately, garnished with shredded apple if desired.

(*I "cheated" and used two 12-ounce bags of pre-diced squash.  Sure was easy.)

Recipe slightly adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook:  Delicious Recipes, Menus, Tips, and Lore from Manhattan's Celebrated Gourmet Food Shop

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup

An easy week-night supper.

Add a salad and cornbread and you're done!

Do you know about these little beauties?

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup
(Serves about 8)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 pound ground meat (beef, bison, turkey, chicken)*
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Cook onion until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

Add ground meat to skillet; cook until browned.

Drain grease from skillet and add meat/onion mixture to the slow cooker.  (You can even blot the meat with paper towels to really remove the excess grease.)

Place the meat mixture, beans, corn, green chilies, beef broth, diced tomatoes, cumin, salt, and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on the low setting for 8 hours.

*You can also substitute cooked, shredded chicken for the ground beef. 
 
Adapted from this recipe

Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup
Serves 6-8

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (about 3-4 carrots)
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock or broth (or substitute vegetable broth)
1 can white beans, drained
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups egg noodles (or your favorite pasta...bow-tie, rotini, etc.)
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves removed and chopped (or substitute 2 tablespoons dried)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes until softened.  Add salt, carrots and celery and cook for 5-6 additional minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, add beans and pepper.  Taste.  Add more salt if necessary.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add egg noodles and cook for 15 additional minutes.  (Test the carrots; make sure they are "fork tender.").  Remove from heat.  Add parsley and lemon juice.  

Serve immediately.

Spiced Parsnip Soup

A soul-warming soup for a cold winter's day.

Parsnips impart their subtle earthy flavor to this simple, velvety soup.

Peel the parsnips.

Slice in half lengthwise, and then cut across in half-inch sections.

Add parsnips to 6 cups of chicken stock or broth.

Bring to a boil and then let simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

Spices (clockwise):  salt, cinnamon, cloves, curry, and cumin.

In you go, little darlings!

Transfer tender parsnips to a food processor (or blender), puree, return to reserved liquid, add cream (if using), and enjoy!

Cream added...

Without cream...

Suggestion:  serve with crusty French bread and this delicious salad.

Spiced Parsnip Soup
4-5 servings

4 parsnips (about a pound), peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then across into half-inch lengths
6 cups chicken stock or broth (or a mixture of the two)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
small pinch (less than 1/8 teaspoon) ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

Plain yogurt and fresh dill for garnishing (optional)

In a stockpot, bring the parsnips and stock to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until parsnips are very tender.  Add spices.  Taste.  (If you used stock or broth that contains salt, you may not need to add more salt).  If necessary, add salt.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Drain parsnips in a colander (be sure to catch the liquid in a large bowl beneath the colander!).  In a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or in a blender), puree the parsnips with a little of the reserved liquid.  Return all reserved liquid to stockpot.  Whisk pureed parsnips into liquid.  Return to a simmer.  Adjust seasonings again, if necessary.  Remove from heat and whisk in the cream, if using. 

Garnish with yogurt and dill, if desired.

Chicken and Kale Soup

Much malaise has been swirling around my home for the past week.

Timothy has an ear infection, Matthew has a fever and runny nose.

And I'm sick of it, no pun intended.

But, as I returned from dropping Timothy off at school this morning, anticipating a morning of cooking and blogging about this soup, it hit me.

Achy muscles, chills, throbbing joints.

You know, the feeling of general impending doom.

I just about stopped making the soup right in the smack-dab middle of it because I felt that bad.

But then I thought of...you.

And I pressed on.

I'm so glad I did because this soup ROCKS. 

Seriously.  I just ate two bowls, and I could have sworn I wasn't even hungry.

And now I feel much better!

So let's rename this the Miracle Chicken and Kale Soup.

(There are about 20 jillion pictures in this post.  Just warning you.)

And let's keep it real, here.  The picture below is a general illustration of what you don't normally see because I zoom in.  My precious bebe, always underfoot. 

I know you're distracted by the police car on the quinoa, but do you see the shoe on the table? 

Never a dull moment!

Ingredient list:  chicken quarters, carrots, celery, onion, spices, kale,

diced tomatoes, white beans, quinoa, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

Let's talk chicken here.

Please wash your chicken before you use it. 

See that gross little thing sticking up from the leg quarter on the top?

Pin feather or whatever.

It needs to go.

Bye-bye now.

  

Perhaps the most thrown-away part in the veggie world:  celery leaves.

They are pretty good for you.

I chopped up a few and tossed them in for good measure. 

And then I chopped the rest.

These are organic carrots.

So, after a good scrubbing,

I saved myself a little time and didn't peel them.

I'm a rebel that way.

  But I did chop them.

Next up, the onion.

I love onions.

 Halve it and then chop it, please.

What's this, you ask?

This is what happens when a small child helps himself to the marshmallows

while his mommy is chopping onions.

 Add a little olive oil a large stock pot.

Crank the heat to medium-high.

 Saute the onions for a few minutes alone,

then add the rest of the crew.

Saute for about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken stock (or broth) to the pot.

Then add the spices and the chicken.

Simmer over medium heat until chicken is done.

(If you are using really large cuts of chicken or a whole chicken,

it might take an hour or two.

To hasten the progress, dice up a few chicken breasts.)

I fished out the chicken once it was cooked through.

Then I rinsed it with cold water so I

could quickly remove the skin without burning myself.

 

And then I used two forks and shredded it.

Now back to the kale.

Please "google" how good kale is for you.

It's amazing.

Chop it roughly and add it to the soup.

I feel myself getting better just by looking at it!

Now, get your quinoa.

And add it to the pot.

Same with the beans.

I was feeling so crummy by this point that the

thought of tomatoes threatened to do me in.

So I skipped them.

But if I hadn't, a picture of them being added to the soup would be here.

Cook soup over medium heat for about

15 additional minutes until the quinoa is done.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with the grated Parmesan.

There are approximately one hundred million variations to this soup.  Here are just a few:

1) Nix the chicken, swap the chicken stock for veggie broth, and voila!  It's vegetarian!  Leave out the cheese and it's vegan.

2)  Add in the diced tomatoes that I forgot.

3)  Add some diced green chilies for a little heat.

4)  Swap out bow-tie pasta (or any sort, really) for the quinoa.

Chicken and Kale Soup
makes 12 cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
7-8 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
12 cups chicken stock (or broth)
3-4 pounds chicken (either a whole chicken, chicken quarters, or breasts)
9 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped (1 tablespoon dried)
1 teaspoon rosemary (all herbs may be dried)
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
1-2 bunches fresh kale, chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) cans white beans, drained
1.5 cups quinoa
1 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
Parmesan cheese, grated, to garnish

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions, and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Then add carrots and celery and saute for about 10 minutes.  Add the next nine ingredients and cook over medium heat for about an hour, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove cooked chicken and shred.  Return shredded chicken to pot.  Then add in kale, beans, quinoa, and tomatoes.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is done.

This soup freezes very well.

----------------

Many thanks to my friend Stacy for passing along this recipe to me.  It was developed by her friend. I fiddled with the amounts a little bit, but, with the exception of the olive oil, I didn't alter the ingredients.)