Tag Archives: vegetables

Spicy Sausage, Chicken, and Bean Stew

Posted on
4

Sometimes Ben has gets to eat tofu. [Dinner tonight!! Yum.] I am very fortunate that he is such a willing eater. Ben will try just about anything once. But of course, being the good wife that I am, I don’t want to take [too much] advantage of his easygoing nature. And in order to reward him, sometimes I make man meals. You know what I’m talking about… the kind of dinners most ladies would never request but will eat once in awhile to make a special someone happy. Those sort of meals. Mhmmm. Not exactly a special Valentine’s dinner, but definitely a “love your guy” kind of dinner.

One of the latest in our world is this hearty, meaty, thick stew. Spicy Sausage, Chicken, and Bean Stew has tons of meatyness thanks to hot Italian sausage and flavorful chicken thighs [use boneless, skinless chicken thighs to make it easier and to cut down on the fat], but still plenty of healthy stuff like celery, carrots, tomatoes, and potatoes to make me happy, as well as a plethora of herbs to add depth of flavor. Though I made this dish with Ben in mind, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it too. Don’t worry about the spicy factor either–this is one dish that did not “spice me out!” If you want a spicier stew, I would up the cayenne pepper or add a little hot sauce. This stew makes a ton so be prepared for a few days of leftovers. It also freezes well!

Spicy Sausage, Chicken, and Bean Stew [adapted from Rachael Ray's just in time!]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces ground hot Italian sausage
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 celery ribs, diced
  • 3 medium white potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and shredded
  • 1/2 large red onion, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 15 ounces chicken broth
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 15 ounces cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat, add Italian sausage and begin to cook, crumbling into large pieces. When fat starts to render, after about 2 minutes, add chicken and stir to incorporate. Season to taste with black pepper. Cook the chicken on each side for about 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown. When chicken is fully cooked, add celery, potatoes, carrots, onion and bay leaf. Cook for another 7-8 minutes to soften the veggies. Then pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Lastly, stir in broth, tomatoes, beans, thyme, sage, parsley, and cayenne pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then cook for 10-15 minutes, remove bay leaf and serve.

Time: 40 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted on
11

My poor husband is sick in bed at home today. While it’s no fun to be sick, what better way to get well sooner than a warm, cozy bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup?

It’s a good thing that I made some of this classic comfort soup recently and stashed the leftovers in the freezer, since I can’t stay home all day and take care of him. At least I’ll be able to be here all day in spirit through each bite of light, savory chicken broth filled with tender chicken, slurp-able noodles, and hearty vegetables. Nothing sates sickness quite like old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup, and I’m hoping it’ll do the trick in our house today!

Chicken Noodle Soup
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 10 cups chicken broth [I used homemade, but if I wasn't, I would recommend low-sodium.]
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped [about 1 cup]
  • 3 large stalks celery, chopped [about 1 1/2 cups]
  • 6 medium carrots, scrubbed and chopped [about 2 1/2 cups]
  • 1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped [about 3/4 cup]
  • 4 small turnips, chopped; optional
  • 2 small radishes, chopped; optional
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken [I used a combination of white and dark meat, from my whole roasted chicken, but use whatever you prefer.]
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 ounces extra broad egg noodles, uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

In a large stockpot, combine chicken broth, onion, celery, carrots, parsnip, turnips, radishes, garlic, and chicken. Stir in pepper and the bay leaf, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the chicken is hot and the vegetables are tender. Then, discard the bay leaf and add the noodles, dill, and basil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until noodles are cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, and serve with crusty bread.

Note: As you might be able to see in the photo, my noodles broke up pretty quickly after they were cooked. My only explanation for that was that I used no-yolk egg noodles, which have a slightly different texture than regular egg noodles… just keeping it in mind for you!

Time: 70 minutes.

Yield: 10-12 servings.

OTT: Asian Chicken Bowls

Posted on
7

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

———-

Ah yes, some of my favorite food ever is Asian cuisine.  Or perhaps more accurately, Asian food that’s been Americanized into a fast food format.  Yum.  But this is my take on Asian-inspired food that’s simple and delicious.

dinner tableAsian Chicken Bowls

Ingredients:

  • Asian rice sticks (or another form of pasta or even rice)
  • 1 lb chicken
  • 1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables (or the same ones fresh-style that would probably cost a small fortune at your local grocery store)
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 3 T Szcehuan sauce
  • 1/4 t Chinese 5-spice
  • 1/2 t sesame seeds
  • dash of red pepper flakes

Directions:  Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.  My bites may be larger than yours so adjust according to mouth size.  Heat the oil in a large skillet on the stove (or better yet, in a wok if you have one…I don’t…).  Place the chicken in the skillet and cook.  Flip after several minutes and cook until golden brown.  Add water, frozen vegetables, soy sauce, and szechaun sauce.  Cover and let cook for several minutes.  Meanwhile, begin making the rice sticks.  Back to the chicken mixture, add Chinese spice, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.  Stir and let cook until vegetables are tender.  When rice sticks are finished cooking, drain and add to chicken/vegetable mixture.  Stir together and serve.  Obviously, the amounts of sauces and seasonings can be adjusted.  I used enough pepper flakes and szechuan to give it some kick.  But for a sweeter sauce, add more Chinese spice and less pepper flakes and szechuan.  If there isn’t much sauce at the end, add some more water.

Question of the Day:  Since Halloween is nearly here, what’s the best person/thing/whatever you’ve ever been for Halloween?

You, Too, Can Like…

Posted on
17

…TOFU!

You don’t have to be a vegetarian. Or a vegan. Or really weird. Or any of the excuses you’ve made over the years for avoiding tofu.

If this guy… this bacon loving man likes tofu…

Ben and tofu

Yes he does!

…then you can too!

tofu bowl

Especially when it looks like this... so pretty! And get ready--it tastes even better!

It’s not slimy. It’s not smelly. It’s not mushy. I promise!

Just give it a try… these tofu shrimp bowls I made the other night don’t really have a recipe, per se, but here’s what I did.

Tofu Shrimp Bowls

Ingredients:

  • 1 block tofu
  • 8 ounces cooked cocktail shrimp
  • 1/2 cup frozen lima beans
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • salt
  • pepper
  • cooked rice
  • 1/3 cup water

Directions:

Prepare tofu according to The Front Burner Blog’s tutorial. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, place water, shrimp, lima beans, and peas. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer until heated through. Prepare your rice according to package directions, and combine rice, shrimp/veggie mixture, and tofu in a bowl to serve. Enjoy! We found everything very flavorful on its own, but you could experiment with soy sauce, teriyaki, etc. if you’d like an extra boost of flavor!

Question of the Day:

On a scale of 1-10, how do you feel about tofu? 1=EWWWW gross, I’d never eat it if I was starving in the desert and 10=tofu is the BEST thing EVER!!!!! I’m about an 8… I won’t go so far as to say it’s my absolute favorite food ever, and I wouldn’t eat it once a day [or once a week even], but I’ll eat it a few times a month.