Dinner · Soups

Beef & Barley

Beef & Barley
Ingredients:
1 lb beef stew meat
3 large carrots diced
1 large onion diced
4 celery stalks diced
1/2 cup perl barley

1 cup frozen corn
6 cups water
1 tsp garlic salt
2 large heaping tbsp of beef bouillon 

Serving day:
1 baguette sliced and then toasted for dipping.  

To Freeze:
Label bag and write cooking directions.
Add all ingredients into gallon size ziplock and remove all air. Freeze Flat. 

To make day of:
Saute the onions, celery and carrots until they are fragrant and begin to soften. Then add all other ingredients and cook in Instapot or crockpot.
To Cook:
Crockpot: Place frozen contents into pot and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-9 hours. Thaw shrimp and add to saute pan with 2 tbsp butter and saute until they are pink. Add to pot 30 minutes before serving.
Or
Instapot directions:
Place frozen contents into pot. Add 1/4 cup water and cook on high for 30 minutes and then allow to release for 10 minutes naturally. 

To Serve:
Slice baguette and  place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toast in oven at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes until browned and crispy. Serve with soup. 

Dinner · Lunch · Soups · Veggies

Butter Bean Soup w/Basil topping

Youll need:
1 lb dry butter beans
2 medium sweet onions diced
6 cups chicken stock
1 large carrot diced
1 celery stalk diced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 small zucchini quartered and diced
salt and pepper to taste 

Basil topping:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup parmigiano regiano cheese
1/2 cup roasted pistachios
 1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper 

Directions: (The night before, make sure you place beans in bowl and cover with cold water, cover and let soak until next day)
Dice all veggies.
In skillet add a little olive oil and saute onions until soft, add in celery and carrots and saute another 3 minutes. Then add into crockpot along with broth and drained beans. Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low. Then add in fennel, tomatoes, zucchini, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook 1 hour more. 

Basil topping directions:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil and season with a little salt. Once boiling add fresh basil leaves to water and blanch for 20 seconds utnil bright green. Remove and place into bowl of ice water. Then place into town and dry all excess water. Place into a food processor with roasted pistachios and cheese. Slowly add in the olive oil while pulsing. Add salt and pepper to taste. You want a nice paste. Once done place in bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to top on soup. 

 To serve place in bowl and top with basil topping. You can serve with crusty bread. Enjoy! 

Soups · Veggies

Butternut Squash Coconut Stew

You’ll need:
1 medium whiter yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 green onions chopped
1 bell pepper diced
2 cups butter nut squash diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 -15oz can black beans drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 kup chopped kale
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch allspice (if you don’t have that okay, but it adds just a little extra warmth to soup)
olive oil
1 cup brown rice cooked
1 avocado for topping (if you would like) 

In dutch oven drizzle with olive oil and heat. Add in chopped onions and bell peppers and cook until tender. Then add in garlic and green onions and cook another minutes to soften garlic. Add in the squash, black beans, seasonings, coconut milk, stock, allspice and cayenne pepper. Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn. Then stir in the kale and simmer another 5-7 minutes until kale is wilted. Serve over brown rice and slice avocado over top for extra creaminess! Enjoy

Dinner · Lunch · Soups

White Chicken Chili

2-3 Chicken breast 
3 15oz cans great northern beans 
1 medium onion Chopped
3 garlic cloves minced 
2- 4oz cans green chillies (hot or mild) 
3 tbsp cumin 
2 tsp oregano 
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp white pepper
2 tbsp chili powder 
salt and pepper to taste 
1 lb shredded cheese. (Monterey jack or mozzarella)  
1/2 cup sour cream 
4 cups chicken stock 
To top:
Sour cream
Green onions
cheese

In a crock pot or in a big pot. Add copped onions and garlic to bottom of pan or crockpot. 
Take chicken breast and salt and pepper both sides. Place into crock pot or pot and add 1 cup chicken stock. Place lid on and cook 2-3 hours on high or until chicken is cooked through. Then remove lid and shred or dice chicken up to you. Then add in beans, 3 cups stock, green chilis, and seasoning. Place lid back on and let heat a half hour to hour. Last add in 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 cup shredded cheese. Serve after addding this. 
For toppings you can add, green onions, cilantro and sour cream. 

For stove top version: You can dice uncooked chicken into bit size squares (this makes it quick to cook the chicken) 
Then in stock pot drizzle pan with olive oil. Then add chopped onions and garlic. Saute until they become soft and fragrant. Then add in chicken pieces and cook for 4-5 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add in chicken stock 4 cups, beans, green chilies, and seasoning. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10-15 minutes so flavors meld together. Add in sour cream and cheese right before serving and stir.
Add toppings of choice and serve with crusty dipping bread. ENJOY!  

Dinner · Lunch · Soups

Black Bean & Butternut Squash Soup

You’ll need:
1 medium whiter yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 green onions chopped
1 bell pepper diced
2 cups butter nut squash diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 -15oz can black beans drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 kup chopped kale
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch allspice (if you don’t have that okay, but it adds just a little extra warmth to soup)
olive oil
1 cup brown rice cooked
1 avocado for topping (if you would like) 

In dutch oven drizzle with olive oil and heat. Add in chopped onions and bell peppers and cook until tender. Then add in garlic and green onions and cook another minutes to soften garlic. Add in the squash, black beans, seasonings, coconut milk, stock, allspice and cayenne pepper. Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn. Then stir in the kale and simmer another 5-7 minutes until kale is wilted. Serve over brown rice and slice avocado over top for extra creaminess! Enjoy 

Chicken · Dinner · Lunch · Meat · Soups · Uncategorized

Gumbo

You’ll need:

1 large chicken breast cooked and diced

2 links smoked sausage cut into 2 inch slices

1 lb uncooked shrimp tail on

1 cup celery

4 garlic cloves minced

1/2 pablano pepper diced

1 yellow onion diced

1 tsp dried thyme

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

1-2 Cajun style flavor cube McCormick (in seasoning isle)

6 cups water

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Green onions chopped

2 cups uncooked brown rice

First chop all veggies and slice meats. In a Dutch oven add in chopped onions and minced garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Sauté until soft the. Add in chopped pepper and celery. Cook for a few minutes until they are soft then remove and place into bowl. Add in butter and melt and then slowly add in the flour and make a past. As soon as paste forms add in water slowly stirring until you have all water in. Add flavor cube and stir. Start with one cub and once gets boiling taste of you need to add a second one do that after it has been boiling for at least 10 minutes. Add in all veggies, seasoning, can tomatoes, cubed chicken and sliced smoked sausage. (Don’t add shrimp at this time) Bring everything to a boil and let boil for 12-15 minutes stirring occasionally. Cook rice as directed separately. After boiling for 15 minutes add in shrimp and boil another 3-5 minutes remove from heat. If it doesn’t have enough spice you can add some Cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Then to serve place rice in bowl and top with gumbo sprinkle on chopped fresh green onions and enjoy!!!

Dinner · Soups

Venison chili

You’ll need:

2 lbs ground venison

4 cans chili beans

2 peppers diced

2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes

1 yellow onion chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 48oz tomato juice

1 cup water

4 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper

1 tsp Garlic salt

Fist brown your venison. Then chop onions and mince garlic then add to browned meat. Sprinkle in the garlic salt and sauté until onions and garlic are soft and fragrant. Once soft add in the diced tomatoes and let simmer a few more minutes. Dice your peppers and open cans of beans and drain. Then in pot add beans, tomato juice, water and pour meat mixture in. Add in seasonings and stir. Bring to a boil and let boil for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes longer. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed or more chili powder if you would like a little spicier! Serve with sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese! Make a pan of corn bread and you have a perfect fall meal!

low carb · Low Carb Dish · Lunch · Soups · Veggies

Sausage & kale soup

You’ll need

2 15.5 cans green northern beans

1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage

1 medium onion diced

3 garlic cloves minced

6 cups chicken stock

1 15.5oz can diced tomatoes

6-8 baby carrots chopped

4 cups fresh kale chopped stem removed

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 baguette sliced and toasted

First add sausage to a Dutch oven and brown. Dice onion and garlic and add to pot. Sauté until they soften. Then add in the chicken stock, beans, tomatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil and let boil 5-7 minutes. Then add in the kale and let boil 5-7 minutes longer. Reduce heat and let simmer while you slice baguette. Place into a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and place into oven at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes until they began to brown. Remove and serve with soup. Ladder soup into bowl and top with cheese. Serve with bread! Enjoy!

Dinner · Lunch · Meat · Soups · Uncategorized

Honey Soy ham steaks & black eyed peas

You’ll need:

2 ham steaks

1 small sweet onion diced

4 garlic cloves minced

4-6 tbsp olive oil

4 cups fresh chopped kale stem removed

3 cups cooked black eyed peas

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

First drizzle pan with olive oil. Heat and place ham steaks one at a time into pan. Heat each side about 3-4 minutes in high medium heat and brown both sides of ham steaks. Remove and set aside.

Chop onion and garlic and add to pan. (If there is chared pieces in pan remove and add a little more olive oil so your not burning)

On medium heat cook onions and garlic until soft. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Then add in kale, heat until kale is wilted. Then move to side of pan and add black eyed peas and cook on high for 1-2 minutes to brown peas just a little. Remove and pour onto serving tray.

Mix honey, brown sugar and soy. Add steaks back into pan and pour sauce over steaks turn steaks and cook another 3-4 minutes until sauce is bubbling and begans to reduce. Then place steaks over the peas and kale. Pour sauce over top of steaks and beans. We’ve hot. Enjoy!!