Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

This has been a great winter for me and my old enemy soup. We have been able to work out our differences and have an amicable relationship. For soup Sunday this week I made coconut curry chicken soup, yet another awesome recipe I was exposed to thanks to Pinterest. In the original recipe it was suggested to pour the chicken and veggie mix over the rice, but I stirred it in.  It will thicken significantly if you do this, so I added about a cup of extra chicken broth.  The coconut flavor was mild and you could certainly add in more curry if you wanted a stronger flavor. Yet again, I found a soup I will make again.

Salsa Bean Soup

My husband looked at me a little funny when he asked for dinner and I told him salsa bean soup.  Once he ate a bowl, he wanted a second, and confessed it was absolutely delicious.

In the making process I realized it was probably the way some people make chili- with a can of salsa.  In any case, the type of salsa will either make or break this recipe.  I used homemade salsa that I am absolutely in love with, and a can of drained cannelloni beans. Heat them together, and that's about it. I topped it with Daiya Cheese, avocado, and some tofutti sour cream.

I had previously calculated the cost of my homemade salsa at $2.00 a jar, and with that knowledge I was able to determine that it was only $2.09 a servings, including all the dairy free toppings.

Califlower Potato Chowder

I decided to play in the kitchen with some vegetables I bought at the farmer's market.  Simply put, to make calif lower potato chowder...

• Boiled 4-5 small red potatoes and 1 head cauliflower-Drain. 
• Then put it in a blender
• Add 1/4 raw yellow onion and a little green onion (but those are mainly for decorating when serving), and 1 cup of chicken broth. Salt, pepper, garlic, and dill to taste and then blend until desired consistency.

In the end it comes out like a medium-thick chowder. Serve with a little cheese and green onion or chive on top, and that's it. Ridiculously simple.

Might be Minestrone

For the month of December every Sunday is a soup day. I made up a batch of something sort of like minestrone soup. I took a cue from a fellow blogger, Poor Girl Eats Well, with a few tweaks of course. I used rice, while her recipe called for couscous, and I left out the spinach. I used the last bits of turkey meat leftover from Thanksgiving in this batch and well, it was pretty good. I kept my veggies pretty chunky, since I like more of a chowder feel, while my husband blended up some of his and made it more of a consistent texture across the board.

According to Kimberly over at Poor Girl Eats Well, this dish serves 8 and only costs $0.88 a serving, and depending on where you shop (my veggies came from the farmer's market), I'd say her estimate is close on.

Next up in for Soup Sunday is Potato Cauliflower Chowder.

I think I'll Press the Soup Button

I love my blender.  A slow cooker, I almost called it a crockpot, but like "sticky" vs. "post-it" and "gelatin" vs. "Jello," Crockpot is a brand, but in any case whatever you call it is a great winter appliance.  Sure you use it sometimes during the rest of the year, but it really gets its use in the winter. Go ahead, tell me if I'm wrong, but that's my take on it.

 The blender, however, is my next best friend in the winter for soups and smoothies in spring/summer. The right blender can make anything into a smooth liquid, and even heat it up for you too.  I made broccoli soup a little while ago, and loved it, and with fresh veggies from farmer's market  this past week I made taco soup.  Add in some beans at the last minute and pulse them in and sprinkle tortilla chips bits on top and it's like dining at a Mexican restaurant in the comfort of your own home.

Pacific Foods Condensed Soups

During this time of year condensed soup is pretty much on everyone's shopping list for their go to casserole dishes. Canned gluten free soups however are not the same as condensed soup from Campbell's; the trick is mixing the soup with sour cream, well at least until I met this one. Pacific Foods recently introduced 3 Cream Soups: Celery, Mushroom, and Chicken. I like their packaging, as they are easier to ship and travel with then a can, plus their consistency is right on.  I mixed together a cream of mushroom and a cream of chicken for a large casserole I was making with mushrooms, broccoli, and chicken.  It turned out perfect.  The box says you can mix with equal parts water or milk, but if you want a strong flavor for a casserole, I say use it straight.

Broccoli Soup

I am embracing the world of soup.  I have little time right now, as it is my busy time at work, and I have am amazing blender with a soup setting, so I'm taking advantage of its full potential. I made broccoli soup and it was delicious.  I ate the entire bowl.  I'm patting myself on the back for that one because that is certainly a rarity in my life.  Paired with a side of tortilla chips, it was completely satisfying.

What did I do you ask?  Well I steamed my broccoli, and then I threw I bunch of stuff in my blender until it was full. Broccoli. maybe about 3-4 cups, a can cannelinni beans,  1 1/2 cups chicken broth, salt, pepper and garlic to taste, and a little cheese as a garnish. Sorry, that's as specific as I can get on this one. Play around. I bet you can make up a great batch too.

Pho No....

This winter I am truly making efforts to be a "soup" person. I thought I would use this Vegetarian Pho soup base to make a tasty Sunday dinner.  I added fried tofu, rice noodles, and all the veggies, but both my husband and I could not get past the smell of the soup base- licorice. I've had Pho before and don't recall it smelling or tasting like black licorice.  It just really threw us.

Progresso Chowder Update

I think it was around last fall that I noticed some of the Progresso products were labeled gluten free. During my recovery soup and I came to an understanding- I had to eat something generally substantial, easy, and quick, and the soup agreed to somewhat appease my tastebuds, as they don't like soup. I saw this flavor that I had never seen before at Target and had to try it, well.... because it had cheese it appealed to me. It was actually quite good and I was able to make it through my entire bowl.  That's something I can't say about the the Progresso clam chowder.  I crave clam chowder, I eat like half and then I'm done; the taste starts to put me off.  Anyway...this potato, broccoli, cheese chowder was tasty but haven't seen it since I bought it the first time.

Gluten Free Broth Travel Packets

 

Over the winter season I received samples of Savory Choice liquid broth concentrate: Chicken, Beef, Vegetable, and Turkey, (not photographed). As someone who does not like soup, generally doesn't make soup, or consume liquid soup/stew meals, it took me some time to getting around to using them. It was mainly my husband who consumed them, just mixed with water, and nothing more. He really enjoyed the chicken and beef, although he thought they were similar to a low sodium formula, and needed a little extra salt.

As for functionality of the product, to have a small transportable gluten free product is a great option for people with food allergies, especially for those who travel. A box of 4 pouches is less than 3 oz of liquid so it meets airport regulation. Having it as a liquid concentrate instead of a bouillon cube it mixes up with more ease, and yet it is still in a small compact package. The product is sold in both a box of 4 (which translates into 1 quart of broth)  and a box of 12, and at a max of $6, it seems like a good use of cash.

Tomato Soup

If you haven't heard me say it before, well I'm shocked, but I HATE soup. I don't find it satisfying, and always makes me think of when I was young and ill, all I was allowed to eat was soup. Recently I found myself in the hospital and I had it noted that I was on a gluten free diet and what did they serve me for lunch- soup! Something I both personally dislike, and something that would make any gluten intolerant or Celiac person worried. No clue where the soup came from I was nervous. Gluten in my system would be a quite unpleasant addition to my already injured and delicate state. I wasn't that hungry anyway so I had a few spoonfuls but ate my cottage cheese and fruit.

When I came home from the hospital I still didn't have much of an appetite but knew I needed to eat.  I also didn't have the energy to make much for myself, so I went to the back of my pantry and pulled out a thing of...

Homemade Stew

Being health-aware, and gluten free, you won't find TV dinners in my freezer, but instead you'll find homemade soups, stews, and casseroles in single serving containers. My supply of lasagna, and chicken noodle has dwindled, and thus I decided a batch of stew was in order. I learned a few things in the process. The most important lesson I learned is that you can't rush the simmer process. Of course you could make this in a crockpot, but I choose to do it over the stove top.

I attempted to make the stew before work one day when another employee didn't show up when scheduled; I had a pot of stew on the burner, and my boss texts me to see if I can come in. We got it all worked out, but basically I was shorted 30 minutes in the time I thought I had to make my stew. I had to turn the burner up a little higher than recommended to hurry the potatoes and vegetables along, but in the end I made a great 6 serving batch of stew for reheat.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 package, about 1 LB stew meat, cleaned and cut into bite size cubes
2 Tbsp gluten free flour (potato or cornstarch will do)
1-2 dash salt
1-2 dash ground black pepper
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 small bay leaves
4 OZ tomato paste
2 handfuls gluten free pasta, the shape is up to you
3 small potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size chunks
3 medium carrots, cut into bite size chunks
2 stalks celery, thickly sliced (This I only added for my husband- I hate celery)


Directions

1. Heat up some oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Place the meat in a ziplock, sprinkle with flour, and toss to coat.
3. Transfer the meat to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and brown meat on all sides.
4. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the meat, mix in onion, bay leaf, and 1/2 cup tomato paste.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes- meat should be tender.
6. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Continue cooking over low heat for another 45 minutes, until vegetables are almost tender.
7. Add in gluten free pasta and cook on low for another 10 minutes.
8. Remove bay leaf before serving or storing in Tupperware.

Tofu Quinoa Soup

Soups and salads are great healthy options for lunch, and since my husband can only eat so much salad, I've been experimenting more with soups, as well as alternative filling foods, such as quinoa and tofu. I know my husband likes the miso soups he gets when he goes out for sushi, so I figured I'd make something along those same lines.









Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 square of firm tofu, baked (If you don't buy pre-baked, cut into into small cubes and bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.)
2 large carrots, sliced
8 oz sliced mushrooms, sauteed
1 cup water
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
green onions, optional

Directions
1. Combine quinoa and 1 cup water in pot. Bring to boil, then turn heat down and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
2. When quinoa is done, add in carrots, sauteed mushrooms, baked tofu, soy sauce, and broth. If it's looking a little thick, you can add in additionally broth or water.
3. Simmer on low for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.
4. Taste test, and add in salt and pepper as desired.
5. Serve or store in single serving containers for the week. Add green onions at time of serving.

Homemade Tortilla Soup

I am generally not one for soups, at least not canned soups. Thus I've been playing around with making my own for a couple winters, and have come up with a few nice soups/chowders. A bowl of soup with some bread is a great winter meal; easy, generally cheap, healthy, and since they are mostly liquid, they can help maintain or shed some of those holiday pounds. With a nasty bug invading our home, I was getting tired of eating chicken noodle, so I whipped up what I'm calling tortilla soup.

My magic Blendtec blender played a roll, and inspired the recipe, but we made several modifications to the original recipe, so it definitely has the Debbie twist. If you don't have a powerful enough blender to blend all the ingredients up, you can use a food processor first, then the blender, and heat it all up on the stove.









Ingredients
4 small tomatoes, cut into 4ths
1 large carrot or a handful of small carrots
1/4 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 slices of a small jalapeno (this will give it a mild to med spice)
1 2 x 2 cube of sharp cheddar
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
4 sprigs cilantro
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cups hot water

Add In's
At the very end you can add in corn, beans, and anything else you'd like, and right before serving, add in some crushed tortilla chips. (I think some taco meat, sour cream, and extra cheese on top might be nice next time).

Directions
1. Place all ingredients (except add in's) into your blender, and blend until smooth.
2. Add in whatever extras you'd like, and pulse only once.
3. Top with tortilla chip pieces at time of serving.

Progresso Soup goes Gluten Free

During a regular grocery shopping I saw that Progresso soup was on sale and thought I'd pick up a jar for my husband. When I picked up the jar and turned it around to check on the sodium level, I saw something that I had not previously seen on the Progresso label: Gluten Free.

I came home to research this a little bit more and discovered that recently the Progresso line added "gluten free" to several of their soups, including Split Pea, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Potato, Broccoli, and Cheese Chowder, Southwestern style Chicken, Chicken Cheese Enchilada Flavor, and New England Clam Chowder (or the 99% fat free version).

I am happy to see this change, however I would still be concerned for those who are very sensitive, as it is not a clean (meaning 100% gluten free) facility, and companies can hide lots of non-favorable things under the label of "natural flavor." It's nice to see more and more main stream grocery items indicating gluten free or not, however there are other brands out there, like Kettle Cuisine, that offer delicious gluten free soups without chemicals, artificial coloring/flavoring, and any other ingredients the average consumer can not read, understand, or pronounce.

Homemade Chicken & Rice Soup

I mastered my mom's chicken noodle soup recipe, and with some upcoming serious dental work, I decided it would be a really smart idea if I premade some soup and chowder that I could freeze as individual servings. This time around I made some chicken and rice soup. In the end this recipe produced about 8 individual servings worth.

Ingredients:
5 cups chicken broth
3-4 chicken thighs, uncooked, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 Tsp dried parsley
1 Tsp pepper
1 Tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp lime juice
2-3 cups cooked rice (depending on how thick you want your soup)










Directions:
1. Prepare rice according to package, or use leftover rice already in the refrigerator.
2. Chop all vegetables and chicken.
3. Combine chicken, vegetables, and seasoning (everything but lime juice and rice) into a large pot and bring to a boil; keep at medium heat for 20 minutes.
4. Stir occasionally.
5. Remove bay leaf and discard.
6. Add rice and lime juice.
7. Double check seasoning and store in Tupperware or serve immediately.

Tortilla Soup in a Cup

When I was a freshman in college I remember eating lots of meals in a cup; white cheddar mashed potatoes was one of my favorites. Then I went gluten free and it was harder to find meals in a cup that were safe. A couple months ago I discovered that Dr. McDougall's offers 5 Cup meals that are gluten free: Black Bean & Lime Soup, Pad Thai, Split Pea Soup, Tamale Soup, and Tortilla Soup.

Just add water and pop in the microwave and you have a pretty fulfilling meal in 5 minutes. The flavor of the tortilla soup is pretty good; I just wish the corn chips didn't get quite as soft, so next time I'm going to try cooking it for 30 seconds less and see if that makes a difference. The whole cup is only 200 calories, but the sodium level is kind of high at 310mg, or 13% of your total sodium intake for the day. In any case it's nice to know my options for a quick and convenient meal are growing.

Campbell's Soup Co.

Campbell's Soup company owns many brands you're familiar with including Prego, Pace, Pepperidge Farms, Swanson, and V8, and as such a large company you would think they would want to be super friendly to the gluten free population. Instead they want their consumers to read the label; understand the ingredients, instead of relying on a GF symbol. While that's all fine and dandy, why buy a product that seems to be ok, like or love it, and then you go to buy it next time and they have changed the recipe, and now it is not safe.

Infact that's exactly what just recently happened with regards to Pace Salsa. All Pace Salsa had been safe for a long time and in December 2008 they changed their recipe. A large portion of people who thought Pace was safe continued to buy it and got very ill because it was no longer GF. I try to check the ingredients on labels every time I go shopping, but if it's something I've bought before I just give it a quick scan, which I think is what most of us do.

The average person has their go-to brand for certain items. I know growing up all my mom bought was Prego spaghetti sauce. I deserve to have a go-to brand too. For salsa I am loyal to Oli's Products, and as for chicken broth, I buy Pacific Brand. I can't say I'm boycotting Campbell's but I will always be apprehensive about buying one of their brands. For the time being Campbell's says the following items are GF as of Feb 2009:

Swanson Broth & Stock (Aseptic):
Natural Goodness Chicken Broth
Chicken Stock
Chicken Broth
Beef Stock

Swanson Broth (Canned):
Natural Goodness Chicken Broth
Chicken Broth
Vegetarian Broth
Chicken Broth with Garlic

Prego Heart Smart Italian Sauce:
Heart Smart Mushroom
Heart Smart Onion & Garlic
Heart Smart Ricotta Parmesan
Heart Smart Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic
Heart Smart Traditional

Prego Italian Sauce:
Chunky Garden Combo
Chunky Garden Mushroom & Green Pepper
Chunky Garden Mushroom Supreme with Baby Portobello
Chunky Garden Tomato Onion & Garlic
Flavored with Meat
Fresh Mushroom
Italian Sausage & Garlic
Marinara
Mushroom & Garlic
Organic Mushroom
Organic Tomato & Basil
Roasted Garlic & Herb
Roasted Garlic Parmesan
Three Cheese
Tomato Basil Garlic
Traditional

Loaded Baked Potato Chowder

This chowder is the perfect one dish meal for a chilly winter evening.
Simple and Delicious!

You'll Need:

4 medium potatoes, unpeeled
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/3 cup bacon bits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp slice green onions, divided
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic

1 Pierce potatoes; microwave on high 5 min, turning half way through
2 Cut potatoes into chunks
3 Combine potatoes, broth and milk in large microwaveable bowl
4 Microwave on high 6 min, stirring after 3 minutes
5 Slightly crush potatoes with a potato masher (or blend half of the potatoes in chicken broth, but you'll need a good blender for it to work)
6 Reserve 2 Tbsp each of the bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp of onions for topping; set aside
7 Add remaining bacon, cheese and onions to soup
8 Serve topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions, and sour cream.

The Wellness Guide Makes Shopping Easy

Sometime within the last 6 months I noticed that the Nob Hill Family of grocery chains, which includes Raley's & Bel Air have implemented a very handy labeling system for their fine foods brand. The Wellness Guide can be found on the back of any of Raley's brand items, and has labels like" lactose free, low fat, low sodium, whole grain, and gluten free". Since the store brand is typically cheaper than the name brands and often contains the exact same ingredients I have found it easier as of late to buy canned food items like diced tomatoes, canned fruit, etc. and to my surprise I discovered that one of the canned soups, Chicken with Rice, is gluten free!

I know there are some gluten free soup brands out there, but I have to say I am not a fan of any of the ones I've tried. I typically make my own soup from scratch but then the problem is when you really want soup, say when you're sick, you don't really feel like taking the time and energy to make soup and want the convenience of soup out a can. And $0.72 for gluten free condensed soup is quite impressive. I have not actually had the experience of tasting this soup yet as I am saving it for one of those days I'm desperate for quick and easy, which does not normally happen when eating gluten free.