Shayna and I conducted a fun class today at Cancer Wellness. It was all about SELF-Care for the Holidays, filled with tips and techniques for making the holidays great for others, AND ourselves. One of the soups called for homemade stock, and it reminded us to post the recipes from our Homemade Soups and Stocks Class. So – here they are! Remember that making it yourself means that it is much less expensive, delicious and all yours – because YOU made it!
Roasted Veggie Soup
3 Carrots, peeled and chopped into 2” lengths
1 Large Red Onion, peeled and cut into 8
1/2 Small Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 2” pieces
4 Roma Tomatoes, cut into 4 pieces
1 Head Fennel, chopped into 2” pieces
6 Garlic Cloves
1 TB Olive oil
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
1 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tsp Paprika
6 Cups Veggie Stock*
4 Cups of Sliced Kale
1 Herb Bouquet with Thyme and Parsley
Julienned Basil for Garnish
Step One
Arrange the carrots, onion, squash, tomatoes, fennel, and garlic on a sheet pan that has been sprayed with olive oil spray. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, turmeric and paprika. Toss to coat. Roast the vegetables until they are browned about 30 minutes.
Step Two
Scrape the roasted veggies into a large stockpot along with ½ cup of the stock. Using an immersion blender, puree the veggies, leaving some texture. Add the remaining stock and the herb bouquet to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the flavors have melded. Add the kale and cook until the kale is tender. Remove the herb bouquet and serve, garnished with the basil
Veggie Stock
Keep a large Ziploc bag in your freezer – labeled Veg Stock, with the date. During the week, toss in ends and pieces of your veggies, and any herb stems and pieces. When the bag is full, take it out and drop the contents in a large stockpot. (For beautiful color in your stock, make sure to add in some papery skin from the outside of an onion.) Barely cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain the veggies from the stock and use in any soup recipe. Want richer stock? After removing the veggies, continue to cook and reduce the stock by a third to half of its volume.
Lighten Up! Seafood Gumbo
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Olive Oil
2 Cups Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Red Pepper
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1 TB Smoked Paprika
4 Garlic Cloves, Grated
1 (15 oz) Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 TB Purchased Cajun Seasoning
24 – 32 Oz * Shrimp Stock
2 Bay Leaves
1 (8 oz) Pkg Crab Meat
1 LB Medium Shrimp, Uncooked, but Peeled and Deveined, reserving the shells.
1 Tsp – 1 TB Hot Sauce
Kosher or Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
To Serve:
Warm Brown Rice
Chopped Parsley
Thinly Sliced Green Onions
Step One
Place the flour in a 9 or 10-inch cast-iron skillet; cook over medium heat 20 – 30 minutes or until nicely browned, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; set aside.
Step Two
Heat the oil in a stockpot. Add the onion, pepper, celery, and smoked paprika; sauté until vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook and stir until fragarant. Add the tomatoes, Cajun-Creole Seasoning, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Gradually add browned flour, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 -30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step Three
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp just begin to pink. Add the crab and cook for an additional minute. Taste for Hot Sauce and add. Taste for Salt and Pepper. Serve the gumbo over rice, garnished with chopped parsley and green onions.
*Shrimp Stock
Place 1 TB of oil in the bottom of a stockpot, add the reserved shrimp shells and sauté until the shells are pink. Add 4 cups veg stock and cook for about 30 minutes. Strain, pressing down on the solids.
Easy Cornbread Muffins
¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
¾ Cup Medium Grind Corn Meal
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Salt
1 Cup Skim Milk
1/4 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
2 Egg Whites
Preheat oven to 400F. Combine dry flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into 12 or 24 non-stick sprayed muffin tin. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Lighter and Luscious Apple Granola
3 Cups Oats
¼ Cup Uncooked Millet (Optional)
¼ Cup Sesame Seeds
¼ Cup Chopped Walnuts
¼ Cup Chopped Almonds
1 ½ Tsp Cinnamon
¼ Tsp EACH Mace and Cardamom
½ Cup Dried Apples
¼ Cup Maple Syrup
¼ Cup Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Orange
Step One
Preheat the oven to 300F. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients except dried fruit. Drizzle in the maple syrup and stir well. Add orange juice and zest, stirring so all ingredients are coated.
Step Two
Spread the mix out onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring checking about every 10 minutes so nothing burns.
Step Three
Remove from oven, add the dried fruit and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
MEXICAN INSPIRATION SOUP
3 Large Roma Tomatoes
1 TB Olive Oil
1 Red Onion, peeled and halved
4 Green Onions
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled
8 Cups Chicken Stock
½ Tsp Cumin
½ Tsp Turmeric
¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
½ Tsp Chipotle
1 ½ LB Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts or Thighs, cut into 1/2-inch strips
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
3 TB Fresh Lime Juice
8 OZ Light Monterey Jack or Cheddar, grated
1 Avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
Non Fat Greek Yogurt and Chopped Tomatoes for Garnish
Step One
Grill the tomatoes, onion, and green onions over high heat. Remove from the grill and chop the onion and green onion. Set aside
Step Two
In a large saucepan heat the oil over medium-low. Add the onion and whole garlic cloves, and sauté until both are a deep golden-brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the grilled tomatoes and puree using an immersion blender.
Step Three
Add the chicken stock to the tomato-onion mixture and stir to combine. Add the, cumin, turmeric and peppers and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step Three
Add the chicken; simmer until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the scallions, cilantro, and lime juice. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Just before serving, divide the cheese into 6 – 8 bowls. Ladle on the hot soup, garnish with avocado, yogurt and tomatoes.
Really GOOD Chicken Stock
4 – 5 LBs Raw Chicken Bones
2 Medium Carrots, cut into 2″ pieces (if organic – no need to remove the peels.)
2 Celery Stalks, cut into 2″ pieces, leaves removed
1 Large Yellow Onion, washed, unpeeled and quartered
3 Cloves Garlic, peeled
1 TB Black Peppercorns
1 Small Bunch Parsley, washed (or combo of green herbs)
1 Tsp Sea Salt
Cold Water, to cover
Step One
Add all the ingredients to a large stockpot. Over high heat, slowly bring the water to a boil. Reduce the temperature to a simmer. Using a large spoon or ladle, skim off the foam as it appears at the top of your stock. Continue this until there is very little foam on top, about an hour. Continue cooking uncovered for about 2 hours until the flavor develops.
Step Two
Cool the strained stock as quickly as possible. An ice bath will cool the stock faster than your refrigerator. Fill your kitchen sink with ice and water. Place the container in the ice bath and stir until the temperature is reduced to 70 degrees. Refrigerate or freeze the stock. It will keep about 2 days in the fridge.