Sweet Love and Ginger

Soup/Stew

Corn Chowder with Crab & Red Pepper Crostini

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Corn Chowder with Crab & Red Pepper Crostini

Corn chowder is probably one of the easiest things to make, but it’s so delicious, and a perfect ode to the end of summer, with fresh corn from the local stand, some fresh red pepper to brighten it up, and a cool glass white wine, and it’s pretty much heaven. Then as I was sitting at my desk at work daydreaming about this combination I thought that some crostini might just
make it that much better, I thought about things like caprese, French onion, cucumber and dill, and even ham and cheese, which all sounded delectable, then as always my mind turned to seafood. You probably know by now I have an undying love of seafood. Remembering I had a can of crab meat waiting to be used inspired a whole other idea.

It sounds do decadent, and looks like restaurant quality, but it only took 20 minutes to whip up and only costs $2.64 a serving, so $5.28 for the entire dinner for the two of us. The recipe actually serves 3-4, since I took the leftovers for lunch the next day, at a total cost then of $7.88.

Sometimes I love how things work out.

Here’s to the end of august, and fresh farm stand corn!

Clean Corn Chowder
Clean Corn Chowder with Crab & Red Pepper Crostini
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 spring of fresh thyme (1 tbsp dried)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 lb Fozen or Fresh Corn
  • 1 1/5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp low fat milk
  • ½ a medium red pepper chopped
  • 1-2 fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a thick bottom sauce pan heat oil, over medium high heat and sauté onion for 3-4 minutes, or until it begins to turn translucent.
  2. Stir in thyme, paprika, pepper and corn. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring
  3. continuously.
  4. Add broth and allow the combination to simmer for 6-8 minutes.
  5. Using a ladle spoon out about ¾ of the mixture into a blender and blend until
  6. smooth before returning it to the pan.
  7. Reduce the heat to low and stir in milk.
  8. Serve in bowls topped with red pepper and chives.

Crab & Red Pepper Crostini

½ a loaf of crusty whole wheat bread

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 can crab meat, drained

½ a red pepper, chopped

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp lemon juice

2-3 fresh chives, chopped

Sprinkle of shredded Monterey jack cheese

Slice the bread, and place on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Place in a preheated oven at 475 degress, for 5-10 minutes, or until toasted, meanwhile combine all other ingredients, except cheese in a small bowl. Once the bread is toasted place a clump of the crab mixture on each piece of toasted bread, and sprinkle with cheese. Then place back in the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
A small side note: the crab mixture is also good in the soup, so don’t feel shy about skipping the spoon using the crostini as a utensil instead. In fact I strongly suggest that this is how it should be eaten.

Irish Chicken & Herb Dumplings

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Have you ever been to Five Below? That place is a maze of
awesomeness, it’s just like the dollar store but the stuff lasts two weeks
instead of just one, and costs $5 or less. I happened to be poking around there
recently and came across this Irish Cook Book.

 

Now anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Ireland, especially the food. I grew up with stews, green peas, scones and tea; don’t even get me started on my dad’s favorite, boiled dinner. I flipped through this book thinking, that it would probably be wicked boring, and to my great surprise it was filled with recipes that I really wanted to try, so I sprung for the 4 bucks and bought it. I hope you are ready for about a trillion new Irish recipes.

Earlier this week I had a really awesome spring cold. The kind that feel like a bomb went off in your sinus cavity, yeah it was pretty fun. So on Monday I decided to make myself some chicken soup and use the herb dumpling recipe from this book.

The original recipe was for a roasted pork shoulder with the dumplings boiled separately, but I just tossed them in to the pot with my stew and they came out perfectly. Also the original instructions suggested using parsley and mint or anything other preferred herb. I went with chives because I had them, but my guess is that the use of mint would be great in a lamb stew. Just a thought.
Irish Chicken & Herb Dumplings
Irish Chicken & Herb Dumplings
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tbs oil
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter
  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 large celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tbs all purpose flour
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp pepper +more to taste
  • 1 lb cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • Salt to taste
  • For dumplings:
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tbs chives, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbs softened butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbs milk
Instructions
  1. In a thick bottomed sauce pan Heat oil, and melt butter.
  2. Add carrots, onion, celery and thyme and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
  3. Stir in flour until well blended before adding broth.
  4. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
  5. Add bay leaf, pepper, and chicken. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile sift together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and herbs for dumplings. With a fork blend in butter, until it begins to forms loose crumbs. Carefully stir in egg and milk until a dough forms. With lightly floured hands form 2 inch diameter dumplings.
  7. After 15 minutes stir frozen peas into the soup and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
  8. Add dumplings and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to float.
  9. Remove bay leaves, adjust seasonings, and serve warm.

 

 Even in my numbed taste buds enjoyed this one, and Chuck especially did. The stew was wonderfully creamy, and flavorful, the vegetables perfectly tender, and the dumplings light and refreshing. It was the perfect antidote for my cold symptoms. Ok maybe I had a little help from cough drops, honey, tea, and Alka-Seltzer, I’m still saying it was the soup though.
Irish Chicken & Herb Dumplings

 

This might also be a helper (comfort meal?) in light of this weeks most recent events in Boston and in Texas. My prayers are filled with hope and sorrow.

 

My Healthy Back Pocket Meal

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Tuesday’s run had an almost overwhelming affect on me. For starters I hadn’t run in almost 6 months, and definitely not since we moved. We live just off a very busy road that I’m not entirely comfortable running down, but on google I found an old snowmobile trail that I could get to a side street on. So I took it, not entirely thinking about how wet and gross it would be, since it had after all rained all day, I was able to keep a good pace through the much and more that destroyed my shiny, still newish running shoes, and was out on the open road.

Then I wanted to DIE. I was coughing, and sneezing, and my nose was dripping like crazy, and of course I didn’t bring tissues. I looked at my phone and realized that I had barely ran a mile. My goal was 2.62 in honor of Boston. And I was going to run it even if it did in fact kill me. So I switched the ipod to some skillet (your welcome) and pushed through it.

I made one stop at my turn around point to get my bearings and figure out how to get home then started off again, this time uphill (that was great). I did have to walk when I came back across the swamp, which I now noticed had a posted sign, whoops! I was mostly afraid for my sprain prone ankles and tired legs, but after getting out I jogged for the last .2 miles home, only of course to realize that I was short by .3 miles so I did a few laps on our little street in front of the house, I bet our neighbors think I’m crazy.

I’m honestly shocked by how well it all went. In the end I was fairly soaked, mud caked, and covered in snot (TMI? Sorry, it’s true my face was leaking like a faucet), but I could finally breath. After 3 days of congestion the run knocked it all out of me (Hell yeah), and this morning I only felt a slight twinge of discomfort going down the stairs, so my legs didnt even mind the shock. I know that a half hour for 2.62 miles is friggin awful, but hell I feel good about it, I actually
feel great about it.

I’m proud of my run, that I pushed myself when I really didn’t want to. I did it for something other than myself, for something bigger than me. For Boston.

Post run I was not in the mood for cooking so I pulled out one my super lazy day, back pocket meals.

Clean Sausage & Bean Stew

This one is one of my favorites because not only is it super quick and easy, but it’s clean and there is always leftovers, because lazy days sometimes last for more than one day. I also really like it because unless there is a vegetarian in the house nearly everyone likes it, so you can’t go wrong. This meal can be made in one pan, it can easily be multiplied for more people, or halved for fewer; and the flavor profile can easily be changed by simply changing the type of sausage. This is why I have voted it one of my favorite back pocket meals.

Tomato, Sausage & Bean Stew
Author: JC
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb precooked chicken sausage, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 ( 15 ounce) cans unsalted cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 8oz can tomato paste
  • 1 large bunch fresh spinach (5-6 oz)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet heat 1 tbs of oil and cook sausages on medium high heat, until they begin to brown, 2- 3 minutes.
  2. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
  3. Stir in the beans, tomatoes water and tomato paste until well blended. Cook, stirring occasionally for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
  4. Gently fold in spinach and allow it to wilt.
  5. Adjust seasoning and serve warm.
Note: I have been known to on very lazy days to skip the onion and garlic altogether and just toss in a can of low sodium tomatoes with onion and garlic added already. It really just depends on my mood.

 

For another version of this that’s similarly easy, but with 1 or 2 extra steps to change it up I will skip the beans and put it over pasta, much like this recipe from Clean Eating Magazine.

D4One: Cream of Spinach and Asparagus Soup

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This is a recipe for a quick and easy Cream of Spinach and Asparagus Soup with crispy panchetta on top. It’s perfectly decadent and a great starter.
Cream of Spinach and Asparagus Soup

So this recipe is one that I actually used for Valentine’s Day dinner this year however I think it is the perfect recipe to add to my Dinner 4 One series. If you are looking for a recipe for two simply double the ingredients.

What I like the most about this dish is that it is so simple, even though it looks complicated. It is a perfect way to use up extra spring vegetables while still being hearty and delicious. I really think that the crispy pancetta on top adds so much more dimension to the dish, by adding not only crunch, but a hint of saltiness.
Cream of Spinach & Asparagus Soup
1 Shallot, Sliced
1 tbs butter
¼ lb Asparagus, Cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tbs flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup half & half
1 cup baby spinach
salt & pepper to taste
pancetta diced & cooked crispy
In a sauce pan, cook shallot in butter on medium for 2-3 minutes.  Add asparagus and cook for 4-5 minutes until it begins to soften.  Add flour and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.  Add chicken stock and half-and-half, stirring until the mixture is well blended.  Bring to a simmer, and allow it to thicken, and then add spinach.  Add salt & Pepper and served topped with crispy pancetta. And a small drizzle of olive oil.
Cream of Spinach and Asparagus Soup

 

D41: Single Sweet Potato Soup

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These fall days often make me crave something warm and comforting, especially when I am home alone. On this particular day I decided to comfort myself with one of my favorite fall dishes for lunch. This recipe is a simplified version of my favorite Sweet Potato Soup recipe that is so easy for the single person to whip up!
Simple Single Sweet Potato Soup
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 ½ cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup milk or cream
Pinch salt
In a sauce pan boil potatoes and broth until tender. The liquid will begin to evaporate, so be sure to stir. Add spices and place in the blender. Blend until smooth and return to saucepan, on low heat stir in milk, adjust seasoning and serve.

 

Now I don’t always use a blender for this recipe. I often simply use a potato masher as shown above. Mostly because I am too lazy to do all those dishes for just me and I enjoy a little texture in the soup. This however is up to you.