Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Our homeschool group hosted the parish Lenten Soup Supper last night. I volunteered to bring a pot of soup, knowing I could have control over the ingredients and this could be safe for my two sons. The recipe was originally from Paula Deen, but I adapted and tweaked a bit. My sisters raved and asked for the recipe, so I’m sharing it here. It’s a keeper, and will definitely be added to the rotation. The only thing that takes time is the peeling and chopping.

I doubled the recipe and saved some for dinner tonight, too.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup celery, sliced
1-2 cups carrots, sliced (about 3-6 small)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 medium)
1 cup peas (optional)
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano (undrained)
32 oz. or more Chicken Broth (I use Imagine brand in a box)
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Grated Parmesan, optional

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Salt chicken to taste and add to the pot, cooking for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, (peas,) and chicken broth. Add more chicken broth if more liquid is needed for the soup. Add oregano and basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Top each serving with grated Parmesan, if desired. Serve with salad and bread.

Good Friday Meal

(This is a repost from 2007)

I ran into some friends (a married couple) one Friday this Lent and we started discussing what kinds of meatless meals we served in the family. Usually a Friday meant tuna fish, either tuna salad or tunafish casserole (with rice, not noodles). The husband is Italian, and his family grew up with beans and rice for Friday meals…but not the Louisiana Red Beans and Rice that I love to make, but an Italian version. I pestered for a recipe of sorts and made it this Good Friday.

Italian Rice and Beans

Marinara sauce (I followed Giada’s without the carrots
Cannellini Beans (canned is an option)
Rice

First you make the marinara sauce, let it simmer, then add cannellini or any other beans. If using canned, make sure you drain and rinse the beans well. Add some water or stock and let it simmer up to an hour. Season to taste as you go along. Don’t let it become too thick, add some liquid periodically.

Cook the rice separately (I use short grain), until it is about done, or al dente. Add the rice to the bean and tomato mixture. The rice will absorb the sauce so add near the end, close to serving.

This was so tasty. My only change would be to use dried beans instead of canned…or find another brand. The beans were a bit mealy, and I like them to be a bit firmer. But I know dried would require some extra steps and time.

Dried Beans Tips and Dried Beans 101 are good reference points for understanding beans.

Ash Wednesday Beans

I’m sharing our Ash Wednesday meatless fare. In our family we are meatless on Fridays and Ash Wednesday. I’m striving to add one more day of meatless meals during Lent (and perhaps throughout the year), aiming for a legume meal. Usually we do some kind of fish.

I need to get over my fear of beans. It can be easy to create a delicious meal without eggs, dairy or wheat. Vegan recipes have all sorts of ideas. I do worry of too much fume-producing meals, but once a week is not “too much.”

I found a recipe in Celebrating the Faith: Lent and Easter in the Christian Kitchen by Laurie Navar Gill and Teresa Zepeda. Mrs. Gill’s reasoning behind this dish: “This is a tasty dish, but in my opinion, canned black beans with their purplish liquid are fitting for this day of sackcloth and ashes.” She even slips a tiny teaspoon of ashes from the burned palms after it is all cooked. It doesn’t change the taste, but another Lenten reminder.

I highly recommend this cookbook, especially if you’ve got food allergies and can’t seem to find inspiring meatless meals that don’t incorporate cheese. But the cookbook has more than abstinent menuse. There are also other Lenten ideas, bread recipes, Holy Week and Easter Season recipes.

We found this meal tasty, and even better the next day, and I only made a few changes. The spices and veggies reminded me of tacos, so I served this with taco shells and brown rice. It serves 8, so next time I’ll cut down the portions for my family!

Black Beans and Rice

3 cans black beans
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup picante sauce
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
a few dashes Tabasco sauce
Cooked brown rice

In a family size skillet, heat olive oil and then saute carrots for 3 minutes. Add peppers, onions, garlic, celery, picante sauce, water, and spices, mix together and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse beans, add to skillet, cook 5 more minutes. Serve over rice and/or in taco shells.

Lenten Recipes

As the Christmas season comes to a close this Sunday, I start thinking ahead to Lent. I know there are weeks of Ordinary Time, but Ash Wednesday begins on the 25th of February, not too far away.

I’m always on the lookout for a meatless meal that is free of eggs, milk, and wheat so I can serve it for the whole family. The Washington Post Food Section on January 7 had a recipe that I thought I’d “clip” and try for this Lent:

Quick Brown Rice With Tuna and Green Beans

If you’ve been trying to work more whole grains into your weeknight meals, let Wednesdays be the place to start. Today’s retro-inspired skillet supper is the first of six consecutive recipes that will feature a different, quick-cooking whole grain.

Cookbook author Lorna Sass is sharing three recipes from her latest cookbook plus three whole-grain recipes exclusively for Post readers. She’s done much work in testing new whole-grain products and will provide that insight as well.

Instant brown rice is first up. Sass prefers using (Kraft) Minute brand, because it ends up with a better texture than other brands on the market, she says. Toasting the quick brown rice before steaming it enhances the grains’ flavor.

The recipe can be cut in half, but it’s best to use the same amount of oil (1/4 cup). Serve this surprisingly hearty main dish on its own or with a side salad. Leftovers taste great cold.

Ingredients:
• 12 to 16 ounces frozen cut green beans
• 1 1/2 medium red or yellow onions
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 6-ounce cans oil-packed tuna, oil reserved from 1 can
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning blend
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder (do not use garlic salt)
• 2 cups (uncooked) instant brown rice, preferably Minute brand (see headnote)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place the green beans in a colander and run hot tap water over them to take the chill off and help separate any beans that are frozen together.

Coarsely chop the onions; there should be 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Coarsely chop the sun-dried tomatoes (no need to blot them dry).
Drain the oil from 1 of the cans of tuna into a large skillet; there should be about 1/4 cup total. Reserve the tuna; drain and discard the oil from the second can, reserving the tuna.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the onions, Italian seasoning blend and garlic powder, stirring to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Add the rice and mix to incorporate; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the rice has lightly browned. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for about 20 seconds, stirring, until it evaporates.

Add the water and let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the defrosted green beans and the sun-dried tomatoes, mixing well, then cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the green beans and the rice are just tender. Uncover to stir occasionally; if the mixture seems dry add a few tablespoons of water as needed.

Add the tuna from both cans, flaking it with a fork as you work. Mix well and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Source:Adapted from Sass’s “Whole Grains for Busy People” (Clarkson Potter, 2009).

I like to buy from Trader Joe’s some frozen brown rice, that only takes 3 minutes to cook in the microwave, and dh and children love it. I also make brown rice cooked in chicken broth regularly. We have leftovers and easily incorporate them into other meals.

Not sure if the green beans will be a hit, but otherwise the recipe works in tuna and brown rice, some of our usual Lenten Friday choices.

Wash Day Dinner — Red Beans and Rice

(This is a repost from April 26, 2006)

My mother’s family came from New Orleans. Since Monday was “laundry day” it was traditional to have red beans and rice cooking on the stove. This is definitely a comfort food. When I have a leftover ham bone I’m always trying to decide what to make with it. The usual choices are split pea soup or red beans and rice. I know there are other recipes and could broaden my horizon, but I usually come back to these two again and again. Today’s not Monday, but it does seem to perpetually be Wash Day!

Serve over rice. Brown rice is our preferred type here. I cook mine in chicken broth, add olive oil and salt. I love the Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth. It’s the tastiest chicken broth on the market…homemade flavor.

Red Beans and Rice

1 meaty ham bone or ham hocks
1 pound dry red kidney beans
1 medium onion, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
1/2-1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
Few dashes Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (butter if allowed)
8 cups (2 quarts) water
Brown rice (cooked)

Rinse beans, remove all foreign particles, and soak overnight covered with water or the quick soak method. See How to Cook Beans. Drain and rinse the beans and set aside.

In large pot, sauté onion, celery, garlic and green peppers until soft. Add water, ham bone, beans, spices. Simmer for about 3 hours. The beans should become creamy, but most stay whole. Before serving, remove bone and cut meat in bite sized pieces.

Meanwhile, cook rice. Serve with green salad and bread — French bread, Southern biscuits, but our family’s bread of choice is my aunt’s recipe, Cathey’s Corn Bread.

Cathey’s Corn Bread

(This is a repost from 2006. I’m transferring my recipes from my old blog, as I like to be able to have them in one place.)

For favorite comfort meals like red beans and rice and split pea soup, stews, chili, my aunt’s recipe for corn bread is our favorite. I’m posting the original recipe first, then my notes for a “safe” cornbread for my son.

Cathey’s Corn Bread

1 cup corn meal (white or yellow)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 stick butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (for glass pan, 450 for others). Grease a 9×9x2 pan or 12 muffin tins. Mix all ingredients except unmelted butter until all lumps are removed. Do not overmix. Pour into greased pan or muffin tins. Bake at 425 degrees about 20-25 minutes. Melt 1/2 stick butter or margarine on top after removing from oven.

Makes 12 muffins. (When doubling only use 6 teaspoons baking powder.)

==============================

I’ve mentioned before that because my son is allergic to wheat, eggs and milk, baking is one of the more difficult areas to find just the right combinations. If you’re used to having breads with your meals, imagine how hard it would be without them.

My son calls it “special bread” and always loves it when I make something he can have. Recently I tried making these Basic Biscuits again. He was so excited…and then so disappointed. They just weren’t any good. He was so polite and just simply said “I don’t like these, Mommy.” I felt so bad that I couldn’t make something tasty for him.

A few days later, he came in to the office. “I’m sorry, I still don’t like them, Mommy.” I had some leftover biscuits in a plastic bag on the counter and he tasted them again. He later told Daddy at the table “I really wanted to like them!”

I was so happy that the next batch of “special bread” I made for him had better success. I have already posted this recipe as a side dish with Red Beans and Rice. The original recipe was from my Aunt Cathey, and a family favorite when I was growing up. I’ve tweaked the flour combinations again and liked this result in the muffins much better. And so did my son!

“Safe” Version of Cathey’s Corn Bread

1 cup corn meal (white or yellow)
1/4 cup corn flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 cup soy milk or rice milk
1 Tbsp Egg Replacer with warm water
1 tsp. xanthum gum
1/2 tsp. soy lecithin
Safe margarine

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (for glass pan, 450 for others). Grease a 9×9x2 pan or 12 muffin tins. Mix all ingredients except unmelted margarine until all lumps are removed. Do not overmix. Pour into greased pan or muffin tins. Bake at 425 degrees about 20-25 minutes. Melt margarine on top after removing from oven.

Makes 12 muffins.

(When doubling only use 6 teaspoons baking powder.)

Hallowed Days

I’m a bit late for the Catholic Cuisine Hallowed Days Blog Fair, but I wanted to share a few ideas.

I love this time of year — the change of seasons, the winding down of Ordinary Time with the month of the Poor Souls. Hallowe’en, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are the three days that illustrate the Communion of Saints: The Church Triumphant (saints in heaven), Church Militant (people on earth praying for living and dead), and Church Suffering (Poor Souls in Purgatory).

I’ve written a few thoughts on these feast days in the past, Ideas for Sanctifying Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day and also a reminder on
Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November. I love visiting the cemeteries, both of family and friends and strangers and praying for the Poor Souls.

Hallowe’en or All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day each are marked with their unique foods and festivities and popular piety.

Because of my sons’ food allergies, most of the great festive recipes won’t be happening here. We can’t even do the the great Mexican Sugar Skulls because they require meringue powder or egg whites, which we can’t eat or touch. So, once again, I’m starting from scratch to find feast day recipes. I’m not a big experimenter with recipes. I like to tweak recipes, when I know ingredients. But since our family has food allergies to wheat, eggs, and milk, this is an area I don’t like to experiment much. I haven’t found the perfect substitutes, so switching out recipes for baked goods have always been a dismal failure, and I get too discouraged. So my general approach is to find existing recipes that only need small tweaks to be allergy friendly in the family.

Apple cider and doughnuts (soul cakes) are my favorite foods for these feast days. I have not tried rising with yeast with gluten or wheat free flours. So I’m thrilled to actually find a recipe that doesn’t even use wheat flour. I don’t have chestnut flour here, though. I have a favorite food store in PA that carries it, and I wish I found this when I was visiting this past weekend! So the trial will have to wait two weeks. This comes from one of my favorite Italian cookbooks, Festa: Recipes and Recollections of Italian Holidays by Helen Barolini:

Chestnut Fritters

Makes 6 servings

1/2 pound chestnut flour (available at Italian groceries and specialty shops)
1 cup water
Pinch salt
1/2 cup seedless black raisins
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts
1 tablespoon finest grade light extra virgin olive oil
Peanut oil for frying
Confectioner’s sugar

1. Put the chestnut flour in a bowl, and slowly stir in enough water to make a thick paste. Stir in the salt, raisins, pistachio nuts, and olive oil. Mix well.

2. Pour 4 inches of peanut oil into a deep skillet or deep-fat fryer. Heat oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fat frying thermometer.

3. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful into the oil, and fry the fritters, a few at at time, until golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.

4. Serve hot, sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar.

Instead of raisins, I might substitute a bit of sugar to sweeten the dough.

I forgot that Halloween falls on a Friday, which I prefer to keep meatless, so I’m going to make our special dinner for Thursday, which will be better since we won’t be running around. This is also from Festa. There are some steps I would tweak…either eliminate the flour part, or substitute with corn starch or rice flour, and no parmesan cheese.

Beef Stew in a Pumpkin Shell with Potato-Pumpkin Puree

Makes 6 servings

1 medium pumpkin (about 6 pounds)
Salt, to taste
1/2 onion
4 slices bacon
1 stalk celery
1 carrot, pared
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine, if necessary)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds lean beef cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup seasoned flour (flour mixed with salt and pepper to taste) (use corn starch or rice flour)
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef stock, hot
1 bay leaf
1 whole clove
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 small whole onions, peeled
2 carrots, cut in strips
1 pound boiling potatoes
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Cut off the top of the pumpkin, and set it aside for a lid. Scoop out all the seeds. (They can be dried, roasted on a baking sheet, and eaten as a snack.) Salt the inside of the pumpkin, replace the top, and wrap it securely in oiled aluminum foil. Bake about 2 1/2 hours.

2. While the pumpkin is baking, chop together the bacon, celery, and carrot. Put two tablespoons of the butter (or margarine) and all the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat. When oil mixture is hot, add the bacon-vegetable mixture, and cook until lightly browned.

3. Roll the beef cubes in seasoned flour. Add them to the pan, and cook over medium-high heat, turning to brown on all sides.

4. Add the wine. Cook over high heat until the alcohol evaporates.

5. Dissolve the tomato paste in 1 cup of the hot beef stock. Add the bay leaf, clove, and pepper. Pour the liquid over the meat, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for two hours, or until the meat is tender. Add more hot stock as needed.

6. About 30 minutes before the beef is done, add the 6 small onions and the carrot strips to the pan.

7. Peel the potatoes and, in another saucepan, cook them in lightly salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well, and push them through a food mill into a larger saucepan.

I’ve been eyeing this recipe for years and I hope I can make it come together this year!

May your hallowed days be faith and family focused, and don’t forget to pray and sacrifice for the Poor Souls!

Easter Ham

Christ is risen, Alleluia! He is risen, indeed, Alleluia!

My mother hosted our Easter family celebration this year. For the main meal, she decided to have roast beef and ham, and I offered to bring the ham and bake it for her. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but many glazes on hams have allergens, particularly wheat. Some hams have injected juices, so it’s important to read labels before buying ham.

I bought one at Costco. I follow the reheating instructions, 325 degrees at 8 minutes per pound, but I do not use the glaze packet, instead I follow the recipe from the old version of Joy of Cooking for Spirit Glaze for Ham. This is really taste, keeps the ham moist, and is my family’s favorite. When serving dinner, the question came “Is this Jenn’s ham? Allright!”

Spirit Glaze for Ham

1/2 to 1 cup dry red wine
1/2 to 1 cup bourbon whiskey (I use Maker’s Mark)
1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar
6 bruised cloves
2 tablespoons grated orange peel

Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan until sugar is melted. Pour over the ham and baste throughout the cooking cycle, about every 15 minutes.

The best thing about ham is that it can do double or triple duty for meals. So this ham was part of our Easter feast on Sunday, then a repeat meal on Easter Monday at home. On Wednesday we had Red Beans and Rice, one of my favorites.

Holy Thursday Meal

On my other blog I’ve talked about planning the Holy Thursday meal. Should I or should I not have a Passover meal? I know it’s a week later, but I thought I would share our menu.

I decided to not do an official Seder, but just incorporate elements that would remind us of Jesus’ Last Supper, and the reading and Gospel from the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

Holy Thursday Dinner Menu:
Lamb Chops with Artichoke Hearts (Reminder of the Passover Lamb, and Christ the Paschal Lamb)
Mashed Potatoes (allergy free)
Spinach (reminder of the bitter herbs)
Applesauce (reminder of the Charoses, the bricks and mortar in Egypt)
Bread (reminder of the Unleavened Bread and the Eucharist)
Grapes (reminder of the wine and Blood of Christ)
Dessert (Because it’s a festive day in the eyes of the Church)

As a family of three, with a messy 3 year old, we rarely eat in our dining room. But I set the table with a white tablecloth, our china and silver, even for our son. I made a resolution to make sure I do this more often with just us, because my son asked “Are people coming over for dinner?” when he saw the table.

Since dh and I don’t really have a taste for lamb and we’re a small family, I only made a few lamb chops (frozen from Trader Joe’s). The recipe I used was Lamb Chops with Artichoke Hearts, without the olives and tomatoes. It was quite easy and tasty, although it didn’t cover up the lamb aftertaste.

Since we were leaving for the Mass that evening, we didn’t have wine. We read from the book of Exodus 12:1-20 is read —the story of the first Passover before the meal. We also washed feet, reading John 13:1-17. We also talked about the events that happened with Christ that night, using some picture books to tell the story.

This was just a simple meal, but it was wonderful in preparing our son for the Mass that evening. He recognized the white vestments, like our tablecloth, heard the bells and triumphant singing, watched as Father washed the men’s feet, followed Father as he took the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose.

Was my son well-behaved thoughout? No. It was a struggle through the whole night, wanting to talk, play and wiggle. He was loud, and we had to take him out several times. Dh and I weren’t able to enter very deeply into the Mass. But it still was a beautiful Mass, and a wonderful experience for ds.

After the Epiphany

The party is over. Dh’s birthday on Saturday, and yesterday hosting my family’s Epiphany party, with 14 adults and 12 children under the age of 9, I’m a bit exhausted. But I thought I would mention our baking highlights:

My husbands enjoys football, and is a big Penn State and Pittsburgh Steeler fan. I decided to splurge and purchase this Stadium Bundt Pan. He loves cake, and has fond memories of his mother’s fancy decorated birthday cakes, so I thought he might enjoy this.

He really did. I used the Kahlua Cake recipe. It makes 9 cups of batter, but in the future I’ll only put 8 cups in the cake, as I had an overflowing lava of a mess and quite a smell in my house. But the cake was still good. I sprinkled the powder sugar and it looked like a stadium at a snow game. We’re very wishful for snow around here.

Yesterday was Epiphany and our family celebration. The day before I made our King Cake. This recipe makes two rings, and I did a few changes, as I was short of energy and time. I had to let the bread dough rise several times, because I just didn’t have free time to roll it out.

And rolling this dough out takes time. I have never been able to reach the dimensions of 15 x 30 inches, so I don’t. I think I did about 22-25 inches long. I doubled the amount of the filling. The first ring, I mixed the melted butter with the sugar combo, accidentally omitted the granulated sugar. I spread the filling all over the dough (didn’t divide into strips) and then rolled it like a cinnamon roll. My ring wasn’t perfect, but it’s oh, so tasty!

The other ring I made another batch of filling without mixing the butter and this time including the granulated sugar. I melted the butter, brushed it on the dough, and cut it in half, into two strips. I think put the filling, closed the edges and “braided” the two. It was easier than three, as I could keep the strips closed and not lose as much filling. I still struggle with the edges, so that the ring closes, but I was so pressed for time. I did the egg wash and colored sugar.

The cake is best served warmed with a bit of butter on the sliced piece. Yummy!

Last, but of course not least, was my first attempt at this Allergy Free King Cake. Don’t be aghast, but I used Crisco and store-bought icing, added Jelly-Bellys and Sour Lifesavers for decoration. My flour changes were 1/2 cup barley flour, 3/4 cup oat flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 tapioca starch, 1/4 cup corn starch and a small amount of soy lecithin and xanthum gum. The taste is delicious, although my version was a bit dry and crumbly. I would remove about a 1/4 cup of flour combination or maybe add a bit more shortening.

My son mainly enjoyed the candies and frosting, but enjoyed nonetheless and was thrilled to have his own cake.