Bulgar Sage Dressing

For many who don't like the thought of eating a bread as a side dish, this is a delightfully lighter alternative... and it definitely does not sacrifice flavor! Bulgar has a texture similar to rice and there is no real flavor when eaten plain, thus making it a perfect ingredient for this recipe! This recipe is easily prepared on the stove-top.

Bulgar Sage Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup Bulgar wheat
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups rich chicken broth (homemade is best!)
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a pot on the stove-top over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic. Cook until soft. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Turn heat up to high and bring contents of pot to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

This recipe goes quick! You may want to make a double batch.

** Variation - You can also add 1 pound of browned ground sausage (after you soften the onion, celery and garlic).

Brown Rice Pilaf

Brown Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 celery rib, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/4 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Lightly spray a pan with non-stick spray and pre-heat over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and garlic. Saute until onion and celery are translucent. Transfer veggies to a pot.

Melt the butter (or oil) in the pan. Add the orzo and stir constantly until the butter is absorbed and orzo starts to turn a light brown. (Do not burn the orzo! Stirring constantly will help make sure it does not burn and does not stick to the bottom of the pan.)

Add the orzo to the pot with the sauteed veggies. Add the remainder of the ingredients to the pot. Stir well. Cover and bring contents of the pot to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is cooked until desired consistency (approximately 30-40 minutes). 

Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Chicken Breakfast Sausage Patties

Ingredients:

• 5 1/2  pounds ground boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Form into 4 ounce patties. Cook patties in a skillet on the stovetop until cooked all the way through.

Makes 22 patties

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Add a pat of coconut oil to a soup pot. When the coconut oil melts, add the onion and the garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes.

Next you'll puree the soup by either 1) using an immersion blender in the soup pot; or 2) CAREFULLY placing the soup into a blender. Puree ingredients to desired consistency. (We used our Vita-Mix.)

Return soup to the pot and add in the can of coconut milk. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Options:
-- For a chunkier soup, keep some of the cooked broccoli florets in the pot while you puree the rest of the soup then mix together back into the pot.
-- For some heartiness, add some chopped chicken or you can top with cheese.

Enjoy!

Fresh Roasted Tomato Sauce

Fresh Roasted Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 24 Whole Roasted Roma Tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons fennel seed
• 2 teaspoons marjoram
• 1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 (6 ounce) can water

Preparation:

Put the tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. In a pot on the stovetop, saute onion and garlic in olive oil just until starting to brown.  Place roasted tomato puree into the pot with the onion and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the spices, tomato paste, and can of water. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.

**OR** Place the (blended) roasted tomato puree, sauteed onion and garlic, and remaining ingredients into a crockpot. Cook on low for 4 hours.

If you prefer a meat sauce, brown one pound of ground meat and add it to the sauce.

Quick Tip: Easy Steamed Cabbage

Easy Steamed Cabbage

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage
• water
• stock pot

Preparation:
Place water (at least 3 inches) in a pot. Cut the core out of the head of cabbage. Place the cabbage core side down in the pot of water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and steam until leaves are tender for easy removal.

Lemon Shrimp with Baby Spinach

Lemon Shrimp with Baby Spinach

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 12 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon bayou seasoning blend
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined    

Preparation:
Heat stove-top pan on high. Add onion and garlic, cook until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomatoes, stir until tomatoes begin to soften. Add the baby spinach and lemon juice, bayou seasoning and pepper to the pan. Stir until spinach begins to wilt. Add the shrimp and cook until heated through.

Makes 4 servings 

 

Quick Tip: Make Your Own Chicken Broth

There are a variety of ways to make chicken broth. These are our 2 preferred methods, depending what you have on hand and what your "intentions" are for the broth. The directions are the same for both methods. The only differences are the ingredients and how the broth turns out in the end.

• Method #1 would be a "leaner" and more watery broth when cooled (great for an easy quick-add to a recipe). You're basically infusing water with chicken and other "flavorings". 
• Method #2 is a great "leftover" method for when you have cooked a chicken and only the carcass is remaining. You could also do this with a whole uncooked chicken as well. This broth is very rich,  not as lean and has more of a "jello-like" consistency when cooled. When you add this broth to a recipe you can keep it as-is, or add a bit of water to thin it down.

Chicken Broth - Method 1

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups water
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 4-5 garlic cloves (leave whole)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken Broth - Method 2

Ingredients:

• Carcass of a whole, cooked chicken (only the bones and minimal remains) OR 1 whole uncooked chicken (gizzards, neck and all that stuff removed from the inside)
• Water (about 8 cups)

STOVE-TOP
Place all ingredients in a stockpot on the stove-top. Turn stove burner on high and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer for roughly 1 1/2 - 2 hours .  Let the pot rest until contents are cool enough to handle.

If you are using a whole uncooked chicken, be sure to boil until the chicken is cooked through. This may take a bit longer than the suggested 2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate until cool enough to handle. The meat should fall right off the bone. Use the meat in any recipe as you normally would. Discard the skin and carcass. Once the chicken has been removed from the pot, continue with the directions below.

Place a colander in /over a large bowl. Pour the pot contents through the strainer. The broth will be in the bowl, ready for your recipe or to freeze into broth cubes (see below). 


CROCK-POT:
Place all ingredients into a crock-pot. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours, or high setting for 4-6 hours. Turn off the crock-pot and let it cool down. 

If you are using a whole uncooked chicken, be sure to cook in the crock-pot until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. This may potentially take longer than the suggested cook time, depending on the size of your chicken. When the whole chicken is done cooking, carefully remove it from the crock and place it on a plate until cool enough to handle. The meat should fall right off the bone. Use the meat in any recipe as you normally would. Discard the skin and carcass. Once the chicken has been removed from the pot, continue with the directions below.

Once the crock is cool enough to handle, place a colander over a large bowl. Strain the crock-pot contents through the colander. The broth will now be in the bowl. Remove the chicken from the colander and use in any recipe. Discard the carcass.




See Quick Tip: Shredded Chicken to learn how to shred your cooked chicken (Method #1) for use in other recipes.
 




To Make the Chicken Broth Cubes:
When the broth is cool, pour it into an ice cube tray and place tray in the freezer. When cubes are frozen, you can pop them out and store them in a freezer bag for future use!

Curried Chicken

Curried Chicken

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• dash of salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Add chicken to a pre-heated wok or skillet. Cook until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium for 10 minutes. Garnish with green onion.

1 serving = 3 ounces cooked chicken and 1/4 cup sauce

Serves 2