Hearty Broccoli Cheese Soup

With the rice as a base, this soup is hearty enough for a meal!

HEARTY BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

3/4 C brown rice
6 cups chicken stock, divided (*make sure your stock is gluten free, if you are celiac!)
2 lbs broccoli florets
2 C 2% milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz shredded sharp cheddar

1. Start the rice with 2 cups of chicken stock in a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Heat to boiling over high; cover, turn to low heat, and simmer for 50 minutes.

2. While rice is cooking, trim and steam broccoli to tender crisp in the microwave.

3. When rice is done, remove from heat. Add garlic and milk. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
           
(If you do not have an immersion blender, you'll have to carefully blend it in a regular blender. Remove the little hole from the lid after transferring the soup to the blender and cover with a towel before blending. Return to stockpot.)

4. Add half the broccoli and the remaining chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add additional chicken stock if necessary.

5. Blend soup to desired consistency. (I wanted mine a little chunky.)  Use your immersion blender again, or follow the blender instructions in parentheses above.

6. Add remaining broccoli florets and about 8 oz of the cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and blended.

7. Serve hot, topped with remaining cheese.

Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

Fair warning here, guys - I wasn't intending on blogging this, so I took no pictures and didn't measure a thing. My usual cooking method - season to taste!

I'll try and guess for you.

**If you're gluten free, be especially careful with the enchilada sauce and the corn tortillas! Check the ingredients on your enchilada sauce and watch those "May Contain" warnings. Corn tortillas  - we have to be SO CAREFUL with ground corn, guys, tortillas or corn chips or whatever. Only use corn tortillas MARKED Gluten Free! Corn is often ground on the same machines as wheat, and that doesn't have to be declared in the ingredients list or on the package!**

CHICKEN AND SPINACH ENCHILADAS

12 oz bag frozen chopped spinach
Chicken breast
14 oz can diced tomatoes
Chicken broth
Garlic powder
Cumin
Hot Chili powder
3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz block Neufchatel or cream cheese
1 large can enchilada sauce
Corn tortillas
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. I used a 12 oz bag of frozen chopped spinach. Microwave in a large bowl according to package directions.

2. Trim up a chicken breast. Mine was large so I only used one. Add to your Instapot with the 14 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain), and then add enough chicken broth to cover the chicken breast. Add garlic powder (maybe 1/2 teaspoon?), cumin (probably a tablespoon), and hot chili powder to taste.

3. Set your Instapot for 15 minutes on Poultry. I've never noticed much difference with this recipe whether I let it cool or release the pressure manually: do whatever fits your timetable for getting dinner done.

4. Shred the chicken and add to the spinach. Here goes the I-really-should've-measured bit - I added a bit of the liquid left in the Instapot to the chicken and spinach,. Absolutely no idea how much. I just didn't want my chicken to be dry. I then drained the rest of the Instapot liqujid into a colander and added the tomatoes to the chicken and spinach.

5. Add 3/4 C  mozzarella cheese and an 8oz package Neufchatel to your chicken and spinach. Mix well.

6. Layer a baking dish with enchilada sauce, corn tortillas, the chicken mixture, shredded cheddar. Repeat. Top with corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese.

7. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese melts.

Pesto Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

This is a quick-and-easy one, thanks to the fact that the basil has failed consecutive years in a row and I am using store-bought pesto!

The pesto I’m using is an Aldi brand, Priano Alla Genovese Pesto Sauce.

 I microwaved the spinach; we call it “steamed” or “wilted” in the culinary world, but it went in the microwave in every-day parlance. I did buy super-cool tomatoes, since it was such a simple pasta. 😊

I just split the tomatoes in half, added them to the spinach, and tossed with the hot pasta and pesto when the pasta was done.

PESTO PASTA WITH SPINACH AND TOMATOES

1/4 C Pesto sauce

16oz Tinkanyada brown rice pasta

1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes

32oz fresh spinach

Grated fresh Parmesan 

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Microwave spinach, in batches, until all is wilted. Split tomatoes in half.

Add spinach, tomatoes, and pesto to hot cooked pasta. Toss well. Top with fresh Parmesan.

Servings: 7

Calories per serving: 284

Cauliflower Gluten Free Pizza Crust

I have tried many, many gluten free pizza crusts over the years: this one has actually become my go-to, can you believe it? A cauliflower crust? I’ll tell you why:

IT’S EASIEST AND HEALTHIEST, BOTH.

Pre-riced frozen cauliflower has been the BEST for healthy pizza crusts. I don't know about the rest of you, but ricing my own cauliflower was WAY too much effort.






Nice and easy, here, I’ll show you. 2 10-oz bags Green Giant riced cauliflower (I buy name brand Green Giant because it says Gluten Free right on the front); 3 eggs; about 1/2 C mozzarella; and maybe a scant 1/3 C grated Parmesan. 

I use a pizza stone covered with parchment paper: note the use of parchment paper! A friend of mine tried this WITHOUT the parchment paper and it stuck horribly.

Preheat your oven to 400. Microwave the riced cauliflower according to package directions. Mine called for 5 1/2 - 6 minutes a bag. Tear or cut the bags open and let it sit for a bit to cool.

I beat my eggs with a fork (and checked my written changes to the original recipe!) while I was waiting.

Then stir both bags of riced cauliflower and your cheeses into the egg.

If you've never used parchment paper before, you've absolutely <got> to get some. Stuff is magical for baking and easy cleanup! Nothing sticks to it that I've ever tried, and you just throw it away when you're done, no scrubbing pans or baking sheets! They sell it in the grocery stores with the aluminum foil and plastic wrap and that sort of thing.

Scrape all your cauliflower mixture onto the pizza stone and spread it around. I use my bare hands to shape it; that’s always seemed to work best. SO much easier and quicker than kneading and shaping regular dough!

And into the oven for 25 minutes at 400 it goes!
Voilà!






Top it with whatever sauce or pizza toppings you choose: I am using an alfredo sauce I whipped up in the microwave real quick (equal parts butter, fat free half and half, and Parmesan, just heat till it’s melted and whisk together), steamed spinach, and rotisserie chicken. And mozzarella, of course, what’s a pizza without mozzarella cheese? 

*Just a health-conscious, calorie-saving tip here: I have found that if I use really top-quality pizza toppings (note I made the sauce rather than using a canned alfredo), I don’t feel the need to DROWN it in cheese. You’ve got cheese in the crust already, remember! If I’ve put the money and effort intgetting really good pizza toppings, I want to be able to TASTE those toppings, you understand. You can see, it's not a solid slab of melted cheese. I used closer to 3/4-1 cup, rather than two or three cups of shredded cheese.

Pop it back in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Aaaaaand done!


CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST

2 10oz bags frozen riced cauliflower
3 eggs
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 C shredded Parmesan 

Preheat oven to 400.

Cook cauliflower according to package directions and allow to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs together; add cauliflower and cheeses. Stir until mixed well.

Top a pizza stone or round baking sheet with parchment paper. Press cauliflower mixture to even thickness on parchment paper.

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven; top with desired sauce and toppings. Return to oven 8-10 minutes or until cheeses are melted and lightly browned.

Servings: I wound up cutting six slices out of my pie.
Calories per serving: *just for the crust* 55

My Cream Sauce is better than Your Cream Sauce (and *Healthier* Too): Grilled Chicken Florentine Pasta

I started today with that “Florentine,” which really just means “spinach,” for those of you not used to that!

I was steaming it in the microwave. Buy a lot of spinach, it cooks down like nothing else.

Add a little bit of water (I just run it under the tap for a few seconds), cover, and into the microwave it goes for four minutes at a time, until the whole bag’s steamed. Stir it in between its four-minutes-es.

Next I did the chicken. Just one chicken breast, but this one’s a little over a pound, by itself. Use the big knife! The chef’s knife really IS best.

Trimmed up, and I’m just playing a bit with the spice cabinet before I put it on my George Foreman (my condo doesn’t have space for an outdoor grill, you see!): I patted parsley, thyme, and oregano into it.

I think I gave that eight minutes on the electric grill. It may not be as much fun as a gas grill outside, but it sure is a lot more convenient! 

I had eighty-seven other things going on in the kitchen (I’m making lunches for the week too), and the chicken grilled right there on my counter where I could keep an eye on it. And the George Foreman is even cleaned and ready to go back on its shelf while the chicken is resting.

IMPORTANT TIP for you newer cooks out there: don’t cut your meat right away after it’s cooked. Let it sit - oh, five or ten minutes or so - long enough to clean your grill, at least, lol! That keeps it juicier, less dry.

I was cooking my pasta while all this was going on. And that pasta-pot is KEY to the healthier cream sauce!

In my four-cup measure (if you do not have a glass four-cup measure you simply MUST get one), I have tossed in about two tablespoons minced garlic, half an 8-oz block of Neufchâtel cheese, and probably a teaspoon each of parsley and oregano - you see?

NOW, as I drain my pasta, I’m <reserving> TWO CUPS of the water the pasta cooked in! One cup is going in the four-cup measure, the other I’m saving to thin down the sauce if it needs it. Get a whisk and stir till it’s smooth.

You see?

I’m putting it in one of my great big mixing bowls to toss it all together, since I’m not serving it from here. A nice serving bowl would work as well!

*A note on that Neufchâtel: it’s often sold as the “low-fat cream cheese.” Which it is, a lower-fat cheese very similar to cream cheese - but it really is a separate kind of cheese (a Swiss cheese, from Switzerland, that is: as my friend Eric just reminded me, as he helped me title this blog post). I prefer it for cooking or for hot dips - I use it in my Spinach-Artichoke Dip, for example. Cheese balls and such, I prefer regular cream cheese. You can use either here; but I prefer the Neufchâtel!

GRILLED CHICKEN FLORENTINE PASTA

Large bag of fresh spinach (mine was 40 oz)

16oz Tinkanyada pasta

1lb chicken breasts

1/2 an 8oz block of Neufchâtel cheese

2T minced garlic

Parsley

Thyme

Oregano 

Fresh Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Steam the spinach in the microwave, four minutes at a time, until done. Set aside.

Pat parsley, thyme, and oregano onto chicken breasts, to taste. Grill chicken. Remove chicken from grill when done and set aside to rest. After 5-10 minutes, thinly slice chicken.

Roughly chunk the Neufchâtel into a large glass measure or small bowl. Add the garlic and more herbs, as desired.

When pasta is done, reserve two cups pasta water. Add one cup to the Neufchâtel mixture and stir until smooth. Thin with reserved pasta water as needed.

Toss steamed spinach, grilled chicken, pasta, and sauce together. Top with fresh Parmesan to serve.

Servings: 7

Calories per serving: 283

Chicken Fried Rice

The trick to fried rice is <leftover> rice. Dead serious.

I cooked this yesterday and left it in the fridge overnight. 

If you’re using bacon, fry that in your wok first. I didn’t go to the trouble of finding GF bacon, so I started with my chicken. 

Pan spray, your stir-fry-sized chichen, and garlic: stir fry is best done over relatively high heat, but that means you’ve got to keep an eye on it!

When the chicken’s done, set it aside and scramble an egg or two.

When that’s done, add in your leftover rice; I used a bag of frozen peas and carrots too. Top it with a good bit of soy sauce.

If you’re gluten free, make sure you are using GLUTEN FREE SOY SAUCE. This is Tamari, a brand made with 100% soy. Most brands have wheat. Check your labels, as always!

I added half a bag of cole slaw mix, because I like the crunch of the cabbage. Once that was all heated through, I added my chicken back in.

And voila! Stir it in, serve it up.

I’m packaging this in my bento boxes for lunches this week. I LOVE homemade stir fry for packed lunches!

CHICKEN FRIED RICE

2 cups rice, cooked ahead and refrigerated overnight

2 slices bacon
2 T minced garlic

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 eggs

12oz bag frozen peas and diced carrots

1/2 16oz bag cole slaw mix

GF soy sauce

Fry your two slices of bacon in the wok over medium-high heat. Remove bacon when done, reserving grease. Crumble.

Add chicken to the wok. Stir fry until done; remove.

Scramble the eggs, adding more pan spray if necessary. Add rice and peas and carrots; heat through, topping generously with soy sauce. 

Add the cole slaw mix and reserved chicken and bacon. Stir through till thoroughly heated. Serve.

Servings: 7

Calories per serving: 330

Baked Potatoes: A Week’s Worth of Options

So I was at the theater all day Saturday, which is usually my cooking day.

Easy and quick solution? A bag of Russet potatoes. 

Potatoes get a bad rap, between all the the low-carb folks and all the horrible things we do to them - well, horrible health-wise, at least. I’ll be the first to admit I like a deep-fried potato as much as anyone! 

But to try and keep them lighter and healthy - this bag of Russets were BAKED. A good sized (10oz) Russet baking potato - those are the great big brown ones in the store - only has 150 calories, but has a good bit of fiber and potassium and over HALF of your Vitamin C for the day. (Who goes to potatoes for Vitamin C?

Here are potatoes in their nice little bento boxes for my weeknight dinners with some of my toppings behind them

 

Some of the suggestions:

Pesto + Spinach + Fried Egg + Bacon (I tried that one)

Greek Yogurt + Tomato + Smoked Salmon + Chives (I tried this one too)

Barbeque Sauce + Broccoli + Shredded Pork + Cheddar Cheese (I'll get you my recipe for homemade barbeque sauce one of these weeks - SO easy, and SO much better than anything you can buy!)

Fresh Salsa + Avocado + Pinto Beans + Chili Powder 

Mayonnaise + Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion + Ground Beef + Colby Jack Cheese