Superfood Soup

(i.e. Chicken, Kale and Quinoa Soup)

This was one of those, what do I have lying around the house? kind of soups.  Affectionately named Superfood Soup by Matt, for the presence of kale and quinoa.  Adapted from Cookin With Chopin, Living with Elmo.  (http://cookingwithchopin.blogspot.com/2011/01/chicken-and-kale-soup.html.)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced 
6 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped (I threw in a little of the celery greens, too)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
Fresh cracked pepper
4 cups chicken stock (or broth)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary 
1 teaspoon dried sage 
1 teaspoon dried thyme 
2 bay leaves 
1 bunch fresh kale, chopped 
1 1/4 cup quinoa (rinsed)
1.5 pounds chicken (I used what I had leftover from the night before)

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 kosher salt and some fresh cracked pepper for the last two minutes of the saute. Add the chicken stock and herbs and let it come to a boil.  At that point throw in the kale, allowing it to boil for 5 minutes or so.  Add the quinoa and let it cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The quinoa won't look very prevalant, but trust me, it will be dominant in the soup when it's done cooking.  For the last 5 minutes add the chicken, just to heat it up.

The original recipe called for canned white beans and diced tomatoes, neither of which I had on hand, but my end result was excellent!

Total cooking time: 45 minutes.

~Shae

Paleo Banana Cardamom Bread

The ingredients are a little pricey, but once you have them they will last you.  I was doubtful, but this may be my favorite banana bread yet, paleo or regular

Paleo Banana Cardamom Bread 

Ingredients
■2 cups blanched almond flour
■1/3 cup unsweetened coconut 
■2 teaspoons ground cardamom
■1 teaspoon baking soda
■1 teaspoon cinnamon
■1/4 teaspoon salt
■1 cup of mashed ripe banana (approximately 2)
■4 large eggs
■1/4 cup maple syrup
■1/3 cup liquified coconut oil (butter or ghee)
■2 teaspoons vanilla extract



Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2.Grease 2 loaf pan (8x4).
3.Combine/sift dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
4.Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together (or use a stand mixer).
5.Pour dry ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
6.into loaf pans and smooth the tops.
7.Bake for about 40-50 minutes.* (Banana bread is done when a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.)
8.Remove banana bread loaf from oven, let it cool in the pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
9.Store in the refrigerator.

Crock pot Paleo Gumbo

I have become a little obsessed with my crockpot lately to help with our Paleo transition.

I saw paleo gumbo on another blog a few days ago, and it got me craving cajun. I couldn't find a crock pot version I liked, so I read some traditional recipes and some paleo alternatives and this is their love child....

Ingredients
*1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
*1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
*1 lb chicken breasts
*2 slices thick cut pepper bacon (I removed some of the excess fat, but you don't have to)
*4 cups chicken stock
*1 onion
*1 cup celery
*1 small red bell pepper
*1 small yellow bell pepper
*1 small green bell pepper
*3-4 cloves garlic
*3 oz tomato paste or 2 TBS of concentrated tomato paste
*1 can diced tomatoes
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp onion powder
*2 tsp smoked paprika
*2 bay leaves
*1 tsp thyme
*1 tsp oregano
*2 tsp cajun spice (I got a blend from WinCo, which is my favorite new supermarket)
*1/2 tsp cayenne
**** Rice ingredients and recipe below (yes, paleo rice.... prepare to be amazed...)

Gumbo Instructions

1) Dice the onions, peppers, celery, bacon and garlic and add to crock pot

2) Add spices, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes and stir it up then add chicken stock and stir again

3) Submerge whole chicken breasts in the mix 

4) Cook on low for 3-4 hours

5) Remove chicken breasts and use 2 forks to shred chicken

6) Add chicken and sliced andouille sausage 

7) Cook on low for another 3-4 hours

*If you're setting it and forgetting it, you can add the sausage in the beginning and shred the chicken before you serve it.  This way just makes the chicken soak up more of the flavor 

8) 20 minutes before finished cooking, add the shrimp and start making the "rice"

Rice Ingredients
*1 head cauliflower
*2 tbs olive or coconut oil
*1 clove garlic
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp thyme
*1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
*1/3 cup chicken stock
*salt to taste

1) remove stems and process cauliflower in food processor into "rice-sized"pieces
2) heat oil and garlic in a saucepan till garlic becomes fragrant
3) add cauliflower rice, pour over saucepan and bring to a sizzle/simmer
3) add spices and sauté the mix for 10-15 minutes

Put rice in a bowl, top with gumbo goodness, and MAGIC!

Delicious, healthy, worth the effort :) My boyfriend said it was the best thing I've made in a long time.  BOOM.

Curly Kale Chips

I have a TON of kale, from our organic community farm share.  Not a huge fan of wilted kale (it reminds me of cooked spinach) I was looking for something else to do.  I've heard a lot about Kale Chips, and as I had the material and it takes little to no time to prepare, I figured I would try it out.

~10 kale leaves (it cooks down a lot, and is seriously addicting, so the amount you do really should depend on how much you will eat)
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt
Pepper
Shredded Locatelli Romano cheese

Tear the kale away from the purple stems in handfuls.  Larger chips tended to be harder for me to eat, so I would recommend pieces between 2 and 3 inches.
Toss the kale in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated.
Coat the baking sheets with cooking spray and spread out your kale pieces, so not very many of them are touching.

Bake your kale chips at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  At 10 minutes I tested one, and mine were done.

Put in a bowl and toss the chips with a little cheese and salt (I love salt...) and enjoy!

~Shae

Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

This recipe came from having lots of good ingredients and a little boredom on hand.  I had a bone-in venison roast from the crock pot made the day before that needed to be used, but this soup would be GREAT with sausage.  Frozen squash reduced down with the broth and made a very good base.  Fresh squash may do the same, but I think it would leave chunks of squash.  This is a seriously healthy soup that tured out really delicious too

Extra virgin olive oil (of course)
1/2 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb bone in roast chopped or 1 package hot Italian sausage, cut in small pieces
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots peeled and chopped
1 package frozen butternut squash (or fresh if ya got it- peeled, cleaned, and cut)
8 cups low sodium beef broth
1 bunch kale, sliced
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS paprika
1 dash cayenne
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp fresh basil
salt to taste
1 cup dry lentils
1/4 cup dry quinoa

Heat oil over medium heat.  Cook onions and garlic until turn transluscent (don't burn the garlic!).  Add celery, carrots, and meat (if using cooked roast or already browned anad drained sausage, cook the veggies till softened first).  Add squash, spices, broth, and lentils and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about an hour or until the lentils cook.  Return to a boil and add quinoa and kale then reduce and simmer for length of time it takes to cook whatever kind of quinoa you're using. 

Sweet and Spicy Pasta

1 package of quinoa pasta (or regular pasta)
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1+ cup chopped kale
4 cloves garlic
Chopped basil
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz feta or other salty crumbly cheese

Boil the pasta. sauté onion in oil, add garlic, add chopped peppers, add kale and spices. Sauté until cooked to your preference (5-10 mins). Toss saucers veggies in pasta and add feta.

This is so easy, very healthy, sweet/spicy/ and a little salty from the feta. I served with baked lemon basil salmon.

Mexican Chocolate Almonds

Had most of a bar of Brix dark chocolate (Thanks Shae!) and a big bag of raw almonds...

Almonds
Dark chocolate (70% or higher)
1 tbs vanilla
1/3 shot espresso
1 tbs cinnamon
less than 1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp arrowroot starch (optional)

Roast almonds on 325F for 20 minutes.  Melt chocolate and stir in other additions. You can put the almonds in and remove them to dry on parchment OR add the arrowroot starch.  This will make the chocolate denser. Mix in the almonds and press combination into a baking dish.  Refrigerate and then chop chocolate and almonds as pictured.  I think it looks fancier this way, but both ways= delicious