CHicken Veggie Soup

■You know those half bags of frozen veggies in your freezer? Put them to use in this delicious soup!


Vegetarians: just change the stock to vegetable and leave out the chicken.

Ingredients:
1 whole 3-5 pound chicken

1 medium white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, sliced
1 medium zucchini, chopped*
1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin
1 cup frozen Italian beans
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 can tomato paste
1 carton chicken stock
water
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning, or similar
1 tsp oregano

place chicken in a Dutch Oven (or soup pot) and cover with chicken stock. Add celery, onion, carrots, cabbage, and seasonings, dash of pepper and 1 tsp salt. (You can add more later, if necessary). Add water to cover chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 1-1 1/2 hrs. Remove from heat and carefully remove chicken. Shred or cut up chicken and return to pot. Add tomato paste and frozen veggies. Bring back to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 30-45 min.

*Note- notice how small I dice the zucchini? If you have someone in the family who doesn't like it, much, they will barely notice it this way! The cabbage and zucchini almost melt away, so the nutirion is there but not big chunks of it!

This soup does take time to make. If you can, make it on your day off - tastes better the next day anyway!

Roasted Lemon CHicken

You know those roasted chickens in the grocery that smell so good, the ones that fall apart they're so tender? They aren't cheap, but you can make your own and tastes (in my opinion) even better.

Roasted Lemon and Herb Chicken
Ingredients:

4 whole chicken legs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
bunch parsley, chopped
1 lemon, sliced

Rinse and pat dry chicken. Place on roasting rack in roasting pan. Season with some kosher salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over chicken and spread herbs on top. Squeeze a little lemon on top and place slices underneath each piece. Cover with foil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and baste with some of the juices with a spoon. Return to oven and cook an additional 1 1/2 hrs until skin is crispy. Chicken will fall apart when it's done. To make a nice lemon pan gravy- pour off most of the oil and return juices to a small pan and heat. Wisk in a tbsp of flour and simmer and whisk about 3-5 min. Pour some of the gravy over chicken on serving platter and pass the rest.

Grilled Baby Lamb Chops and Salmon

Lamb chop marinade:
4 baby lamb chops
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp any type of white vinegar
1 tbsp fresh parley
1 tsp thyme

pulse ingredients in food prcessor or blender and rub on both sides of chops. Marinate for 1 hr. in refrigerator. (If yours are reg lamb chops wrap the bones in foil), Then bring to room temp- for 20 min. Grill on medium heat for 3 min each side to 3 1/2 min each side. Serve over a bed of baby mixed greens tossed with vinegrette and roasted or grilled asparagus.

Salmon marinade-

1lb salmon filet, skin on
2 tbsp xtra viring olive oil
2 tbsp Italian flat leaf parsely
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt, 2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 clove garlic
1/2 orange, juiced


CHop herbs and spread marinade over filet, skin side down. Let marinate for 1/2 hr in refrigerator. grill on medium for 3 min each side. You can use either marinade on asparagus and grill 3 min each side or roast in 375 degree oven for 30 min.

You'll feel like you're in Tuscany!

Turkey Stuffed Mini Organic Bell Peppers

6 mini bell peppers, assorted colors or all red

1 1lb ground turkey
1tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion chopped finely
1clove garlic minced
1 bunch parsely, chopped
1 packet of brown rice (cook in bag type) cooked and cooled
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
2 tbsp Mrs Dash salt free seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 can no salt added diced tomatoes

Mix turkey, seasonings, (all except the Mrs Dash), rice, parsley, and cheese. Cut top off peppers and remove seeds. Using a teaspoon, stuff peppers and replace lids, (cut a bit off the bottom if it doesnt sit well) Place in a Dutch OVen and surround with potatoes (they'll help keep peppers upright.) Drizzle the top of the peppers with the olive oil. Pour tomatoes over top. Season top of peppers and potatoes with Mrs Dash seasoning. Cover with lid or foil. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 min. The inside should register 165 degrees inside.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Creamy Roasted Vegetables and Shrimp

You can substitute other veggies if you don't have the ingredients listed. I usually add asparagus but didn't have some on hand.


Ingredients:
1 lb Shrimp
1 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 bunch fresh broccoli broken up into florets
1.2 red onion, sliced thin

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin on the diagonal


1 tbsp olive oil, (I used light)
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
Mrs Dash salt free table blend
1 cup vegetable stock, chicken stock or milk (I used milk tonight)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
cracked black pepper
2 tsp salt

Saute' shrimp and garlic in the tbsp butter until they turn pink, add peas and turn off heat; set aside.

Toss broccoli, carrots and red onion with the tbsp olive oil and spread out on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Roast in a 400 preheated oven for 30 min.


Heat 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan and when melted whisk in the flour until the flour is well mixed with the butter, making a roux. Add the veg stock, chicken stock or milk and nutmeg bring to a boil. Turn heat on simmer and whisk for 3 min until thickened. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon (see photo).

Cook spaghetti according to pkg instructions. Whole Wheat takes a little longer than regular spaghetti so you can cook it while the veggies are roasting. When the veggies are cooked, add them to the shrimp and peas, pour the sauce over them and toss with the drained spaghetti. If the sauce is too thick add a little bit of the spaghetti cooking water. Season with salt and cracked black pepper as desired.

Serves 4-6