Ok, you had one of those amazing roasted chickens from Costco for dinner. It served 4 people, but there’s not enough left for another meal. What do you do? Create a soup of course! By looking at the vegetables, herbs and spices you have on hand you can determine the type of soup you can make. Get all the ingredients out and immediately begin getting all the remaining meat off the bone. After doing that you just have carcass and skin left. Grab a large pot and put the remaining carcass and skin into the pot. Fill it with water and place it on the stove on high.
The vegetables I decided to use were:
3 potatoes, ½ red pepper, 1 medium onion, 5 cloves of garlic, 4 stalks of celery, and 3 small carrots.
I wanted to eat soon, so I got out another soup pot and placed it on the burner. I put a little canola oil in the bottom and warmed it up.
After dicing all the fresh ingredients, I turned up the oil to medium. I sautéed the onion, then added the garlic and the rest as they were ready.
With a bowl on the side for vegetable garbage, I began cutting the vegetables. All discards went into the bowl.
While I was dicing, 2 quarts of previously frozen chicken broth was thawing in the microwave. One had lots of chicken meat in it from a previously devoured “Costco Roasted Chicken”.
After about 10 minutes of sautéing the vegetables I added the chicken that I had picked off the bone and the 2 quarts of broth. Immediately I realized it looked like a stew instead of a soup, so I added 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of organic “Better than Bouillon” chicken base. That too was a Costco purchase.
http://www.superiortouch.com/retail/products/better-than-bouillon
I also added 3 Tablespoons of minced fresh parsley, 6 twists of ground black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. When I purchase or grow a fresh herb, often I prepare it for a recipe and freeze what I don’t use for the winter when it isn’t readily available in my garden. The parsley was in a bag in my freezer.
After simmering for 20 minutes we ate the soup! The leftovers I placed in quart containers and brought to a sick loved one.
What about the simmering carcass? No, I didn't forget it. I placed all vegetable discards in the pot as well as 4 cloves of garlic smashed with peel on. After 3 hours I let it cool, strained it, then put the broth in the fridge for my next soup concoction. While draining the carcass additional meat appeared which went right into the broth. The bowl of broth will sit tonight in the fridge where the fat rises. I will skim of the hardened fat in the morning and it will be ready to put in quart freezer containers.
“Costco Roasted Chicken” Soup
3 Cups cooked diced chicken
2 quarts chicken broth
6 Cups diced and sautéed vegetables of your choice
Minced parsley
Pepper and salt to taste
Cook until vegetables are the consistency that you like and enjoy!
Great with roasted garlic artisan bread!
Leftovers can be frozen for lunch at another date or eaten the next day.
Showing posts with label low sodium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label low sodium. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Turkey Time!
As Thanksgiving Day is approaching in the United States of America, I am already thinking about turkey bones. Why turkey bones? The bones are some of the great benefits of cooking the whole bird. The turkey bones are left when the meat is all picked off. When boiled, they create some of the best turkey broth ever. Why create great broth? Turkey soup of course!
Planning is crucial during preparation of the great turkey feast to ensure great broth to follow. When preparing your turkey and stuffing, many vegetables and herbs are used. All these have compostable waste. I will give you many examples:
carrot tops and bottoms or skins
onion skins and tough first layers
garlic skins and small cloves unworthy of using
celery tops and bottoms and leaves
herb stems and leftovers
sweet colored (green, red, yellow, orange) pepper tops
other vegetable discards depending on what you serve for Thanksgiving Dinner
Key to great turkey broth: save all these discards in the fridge.
A day or two after Thanksgiving Dinner when the meat has all been picked from the bone, it's time to make the broth. I like to do it on a day when I'll be home; usually before the weekend is over.(If you don't have time, throw it all in a freezer bag to do when you are home.) Get a large stock pot and place all the bones and whatever meat is still left on them, and all the vegetable discards into it. Cover it with water to a couple inches below the top of the pot. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, then reduce to simmer with the lid askew so that the liquid will boil down. I usually leave it like that for a few hours, or until the broth is a nice caramel color. When I take it off the stove to cool,I usually transfer the liquid into another pot by straining it with a fine mesh colander. When the boiled bones and vegetable discards have dripped most of the liquid into the cold pan, I discard all the solid contents. To do this, I place it in a bag, tie a knot at the end, and place it in the freezer. The knot at the end indicates to me that it needs to go into the garbage on garbage day. At this time of year in Spokane, my garage is usually the temperature of the refrigerator. I have a thermometer in the garage. If it is 35-37 degrees F. I place the covered broth into the garage on the cold cement floor overnight. That lets it cool down and allows the fat to rise to the surface. The next day I skim the hardened fat from the top of the pot and discard it. The lean broth is left for soup! Any broth that I am not going to use right away I put into quart freezer containers, label it, then place in my freezer. If there was any meat left over I usually freeze it in the broth quarts and label it "turkey broth with 1/2 Cup meat".
If you use this knowledge you can make tasty broth of any kind. The possibilities are endless; you can made Vegan broth, fish broth, chicken broth, seafood broth, pork broth, boiled dinner broth and more. Don't ever throw away the water you boil anything in...just add more vegetable discards and you've got a flavorful broth for you next soup or rice dish.
I hope you are prepared for Thanksgiving Dinner and think about creating Turkey Soup with what you might otherwise throw away. I will put some recipes on for soup using this broth later. Any questions or comments? Give me some great recipes!
Planning is crucial during preparation of the great turkey feast to ensure great broth to follow. When preparing your turkey and stuffing, many vegetables and herbs are used. All these have compostable waste. I will give you many examples:
carrot tops and bottoms or skins
onion skins and tough first layers
garlic skins and small cloves unworthy of using
celery tops and bottoms and leaves
herb stems and leftovers
sweet colored (green, red, yellow, orange) pepper tops
other vegetable discards depending on what you serve for Thanksgiving Dinner
Key to great turkey broth: save all these discards in the fridge.
A day or two after Thanksgiving Dinner when the meat has all been picked from the bone, it's time to make the broth. I like to do it on a day when I'll be home; usually before the weekend is over.(If you don't have time, throw it all in a freezer bag to do when you are home.) Get a large stock pot and place all the bones and whatever meat is still left on them, and all the vegetable discards into it. Cover it with water to a couple inches below the top of the pot. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, then reduce to simmer with the lid askew so that the liquid will boil down. I usually leave it like that for a few hours, or until the broth is a nice caramel color. When I take it off the stove to cool,I usually transfer the liquid into another pot by straining it with a fine mesh colander. When the boiled bones and vegetable discards have dripped most of the liquid into the cold pan, I discard all the solid contents. To do this, I place it in a bag, tie a knot at the end, and place it in the freezer. The knot at the end indicates to me that it needs to go into the garbage on garbage day. At this time of year in Spokane, my garage is usually the temperature of the refrigerator. I have a thermometer in the garage. If it is 35-37 degrees F. I place the covered broth into the garage on the cold cement floor overnight. That lets it cool down and allows the fat to rise to the surface. The next day I skim the hardened fat from the top of the pot and discard it. The lean broth is left for soup! Any broth that I am not going to use right away I put into quart freezer containers, label it, then place in my freezer. If there was any meat left over I usually freeze it in the broth quarts and label it "turkey broth with 1/2 Cup meat".
If you use this knowledge you can make tasty broth of any kind. The possibilities are endless; you can made Vegan broth, fish broth, chicken broth, seafood broth, pork broth, boiled dinner broth and more. Don't ever throw away the water you boil anything in...just add more vegetable discards and you've got a flavorful broth for you next soup or rice dish.
I hope you are prepared for Thanksgiving Dinner and think about creating Turkey Soup with what you might otherwise throw away. I will put some recipes on for soup using this broth later. Any questions or comments? Give me some great recipes!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Great Soup for the Fall
Butternut squash is one of my fall favorites. I created this recipe from a group of butternut squash recipes. I really like the flavor of the roasted onion, garlic and squash. This soup makes a great side dish for dinner or main course for lunch. I like making a double batch and freezing it by the quart. The quart is just enough soup for my husband and I for lunch on a cold weekend. I will also take one out of the freezer and give it away to someone who needs a quick meal.
I learned something about low sodium chicken broth the other day.I looked at all the canned and boxed chicken broth labels. I compared the amounts of sodium in the ones labeled low or less sodium and the regular versions in each brand. Some brands versions of low or less sodium had more sodium in them than the regular version of another brand.So, if you care about sodium intake, look at all the labels!
Here is the soup recipe for today!
Roasted Onion and Squash Soup
1 ¾ lb. butternut squash, roasted until soft
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
3-6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red curry paste
dash cayenne pepper
5 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 bay leaf
1. Place squash cut side down in a greased baking pan. Place one onion and 3-6 cloves of garlic on the baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until tender. Take onion and garlic out. Bake squash an additional 20-30 minutes until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out pulp; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the flour, salt, curry and cayenne until blended. Stir in broth. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool to room temperature.
3. In a blender or food processor, place half the broth mixture and squash; cover and process until smooth. Repeat with remaining broth mixture and squash. Return to the saucepan; heat through.
Use below recipe for topping.
In a large
CILANTRO CREAM TOPPING:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or
parsley
I learned something about low sodium chicken broth the other day.I looked at all the canned and boxed chicken broth labels. I compared the amounts of sodium in the ones labeled low or less sodium and the regular versions in each brand. Some brands versions of low or less sodium had more sodium in them than the regular version of another brand.So, if you care about sodium intake, look at all the labels!
Here is the soup recipe for today!
Roasted Onion and Squash Soup
1 ¾ lb. butternut squash, roasted until soft
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
3-6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red curry paste
dash cayenne pepper
5 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 bay leaf
1. Place squash cut side down in a greased baking pan. Place one onion and 3-6 cloves of garlic on the baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until tender. Take onion and garlic out. Bake squash an additional 20-30 minutes until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out pulp; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the flour, salt, curry and cayenne until blended. Stir in broth. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool to room temperature.
3. In a blender or food processor, place half the broth mixture and squash; cover and process until smooth. Repeat with remaining broth mixture and squash. Return to the saucepan; heat through.
Use below recipe for topping.
In a large
CILANTRO CREAM TOPPING:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or
parsley
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
It's 5:30 and no dinner!
Sometimes this happens to me, even though I have meals in the freezer. Fortunately, I also usually put some cooked meat in the freezer for days such as tonight. Between all morning with my Mom at the Dr., then helping a friend...ok, we were mostly visiting, but we did accomplish an important task, then transporting my daughter from school to home, I was finally free at 5:30 to cook! Here's what I came up with:
Chicken and Vegetable Soup
2 C cooked diced chicken (found in freezer)
2 Quarts frozen Chicken Broth (homemade)
2 C Boiling Water
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves. Minced
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
3 T fresh parsley, minced
1 T dry basil
1 t dry thyme
¼ t black pepper
1 shake red pepper flakes
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
½ C dry pasta (left over in the cupboard)
Salt as desired
Get out soup pot and sauté pan.
Place frozen broth and water in soup pan, turn to medium and defrost.
Place 2 T Olive oil in sauté pan and place onion in. Stir and add garlic. I sprinkled ½ teaspoon kosher salt over the mixture at this point.
When onion is becoming clear, place mixture in soup pot.
Saute carrots and zucchini for 7 minutes then place in soup pot.
By now broth is boiling and it’s time to add the spices.
Add the pasta and beans.
Keep the broth at a light boil.
The soup is done when the pasta is al dente.
Turn the stove to warm and serve!
Serve with roasted garlic bread, which I had left over from the night before…..we dip it into balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil..YUM!
Honestly, we were eating by 6:30pm!
Chicken and Vegetable Soup
2 C cooked diced chicken (found in freezer)
2 Quarts frozen Chicken Broth (homemade)
2 C Boiling Water
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves. Minced
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
3 T fresh parsley, minced
1 T dry basil
1 t dry thyme
¼ t black pepper
1 shake red pepper flakes
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
½ C dry pasta (left over in the cupboard)
Salt as desired
Get out soup pot and sauté pan.
Place frozen broth and water in soup pan, turn to medium and defrost.
Place 2 T Olive oil in sauté pan and place onion in. Stir and add garlic. I sprinkled ½ teaspoon kosher salt over the mixture at this point.
When onion is becoming clear, place mixture in soup pot.
Saute carrots and zucchini for 7 minutes then place in soup pot.
By now broth is boiling and it’s time to add the spices.
Add the pasta and beans.
Keep the broth at a light boil.
The soup is done when the pasta is al dente.
Turn the stove to warm and serve!
Serve with roasted garlic bread, which I had left over from the night before…..we dip it into balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil..YUM!
Honestly, we were eating by 6:30pm!
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