Turkey Black Bean Soup

In this cold rainy weather, nothing is better than a nice bowl of hot soup. I wanted to make a soup out of things I had in the house, because I hate going out in the rain. So after scoping out the pantry I decided I was going to make a Turkey black bean soup. 

This soup served as a perfect family meal dish. My kids prefer to eat finger foods more and more and they loved this soup. They would pick out all the beans, eat them first, next the turkey, then the carrots and so on. But they really love the flavor and every time I give it to them. My son says the cutest "Namm Namm" while he eats it. Best words a mom can hear during meal time. 

This is such an easy one pot dish. A "set it and forget it" meal. Best part; its ready in 45 minutes. You could make this meal with chicken breasts instead if you have them in the house or no meat at all. I used heirloom cherry tomatoes because it's what I had in the house, but use whatever you have on hand. You can even use a can of diced tomatoes if that's all you have. Just be sure to drain the liquid if you are using canned.

Turkey Black Bean Soup

1 lb. Turkey cutlets
1 small onion, diced

12 baby carrots, chopped
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes 
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
4 cups Chicken broth
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. dried basil (or 1 cube fresh if you have left in the freezer)
Salt and Pepper

Put all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot. Make sure that there is enough liquid to just cover everything. If it doesn't cover, you can add a little water. Bring it to a rolling boil. Cover with a lid and lower to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. Pull out the turkey cutlet out and place on a cutting board. Using 2 forks pull the breast apart and put back in the soup. Give everything a stir and taste for seasoning. Add salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Serve.

It freezes beautifully in Tupperware and will stay good for 4-6 months. 

Blender Banana Ice Cream

I am an Ice Cream-aholic.  I would eat ice cream every single day if it wouldn't go straight to my hips. I was making a smoothie with frozen banana. I turned on the blender without putting any liquid in and Voila, Banana Ice Cream.

Since there is nothing in it but bananas, I gave my little ones their first taste of ice cream. It went over with mixed reviews. Sam loved it and she ate the whole thing. David liked the taste but it was too cold for him. It was the first time they've ever really had anything that cold, so I think it will take a little time.

I love it. It was so easy to make, so I'm going t o be experimenting with different varieties.  My sister folds in a handful of dark chocolate chips and chopped walnuts to make a Healthy Chunky Monkey when she makes it.  I'll post other ideas as I try new varieties.



Blender Banana Ice Cream

Bananas- as many as you like

Cut your banana's into 1 inch chunks and put in Ziploc bag. freeze. I put them in in the morning and make it after dinner but i think they would freeze in about 3 hrs. Put them in a blender. I used my ninja because the individual container can go right in the freezer.

The bananas will turn crumbly. Don't freak out, just keep the blender going and it will turn into a smooth creamy consistency just like ice cream. Top it with a little peanut butter or chocolate topping. Amazing!

Strawberry Mojito Granita

And so the summer begins!

It's hot outside. And in this weather, there's nothing better than a cool refreshing mojito. I love them. I discovered them when I lived in Philly. There was a Cuban restaurant around the corner from where I worked and my co-workers and I would go for happy hour. The mojitios were $1.50. For a poor college student with no A/C, they were my survival tool through the summer heat.

This week, we got fresh strawberries and mint from my CSA. Strawberry mojitos, yummy. Since I can never eat them fast enough and I can't exactly get drunk on mojitos while watching my twins, I decided to make a granita.  Taking a cue from my college days, I merged the two together and came up with a Strawberry Mojito Granita

For those of you who don't know what a granita is, it's frozen dessert similar to water ice. The awesome thing is you don't need any special equipment to make this. All you need is a fork, a shallow baking dish,a blender, and a freezer. Two hours later you have a cool refreshing dessert that the whole family will love.

Now, I didn't use any alcohol to make this, but you can add a shot or two of rum into the mix before you freeze it and it would be an awesome adult dessert.  Or for an extra special treat, throw some of the finished granita and a little rum in your blender and serve up some Frozen Mojitos!

Strawberry Mojito Granita
1 pint fresh strawberries
24-36 fresh mint leaves (depends on how potent you mint is)
2 tsp granulated sugar
Zest and juice from 2 limes
1/2 cup boiling water

Rinse your mint and pat dry. Put the mint leaves in a glass or bowl (I used an 8 oz mason jar) and pour the 2 tsp of sugar on top. Using the back of a spoon, a muddler if you have one, or in my case, a honey drizzler, and mash up the sugar and mint leaves until you get a paste. Add in the lime zest and then pour the hot water on top. I used my Kurig and used the 8 oz setting. Let the mint steep in the hot water for 15 minutes.

While that steeps, rinse and cut the tops off your strawberries and throw in a blender. Add in the lime juice. Pour the mint and water mixture into the blender and puree. Once the mixture is smooth pour in your baking dish. I use a 13x9 glass pan. The thinner layer you use the faster it freezes. Place in the freezer.

After 30 minutes take your fork and scrape to break up the ice crystals. Place back in the freezer and repeat every 30 minutes for 2 hours. It should be about the constancy of a slushy when done. If it freezes too much, you can put it in you blender and pulse to break up the crystals.

How to store fresh ginger root

I don't know about you, but whenever I use a recipe that calls for fresh ginger, I go out and buy a fresh root, way bigger than I need, and then it goes bad before I can use it. I was watching food network and one of the chefs said that they kept it in their freezer. Genius idea. I can do that.

Well I kept it in the freezer, but the next time I went to use it, I couldn't cut a 1 inch chunk off because it was frozen solid. The only way to cut a piece is to thaw it, and once you thaw it, you can't refreeze it. Another problem is trying to peel the ginger root after it's been frozen. The skin sticks to the root and is more frustrating than its worth.

So how to solve this problem. First when you get the root home. Peel the whole root. Cut it into 1 inch chunks and put them in a Ziploc bag. Label and date them. When you need fresh ginger. Pull out a chunk and use. Fresh ginger at your finger tips anytime you need it.

 

Banana Yogurt Pancakes

It's been months since my last post, but I'm back!

It has been so hard to get a few minutes during the day to update the blog. My twins have recently turned one and they barely let me get a minute to myself. However, they are now taking longer naps during the day, so I should be able to post more often.

With that being said I have been cooking up a storm over the last few months and taking lots of pictures so we have lots of quick, healthy, freezable meals coming up over the next few weeks. 

My kids are starting to eat a larger variety of food, which means I have to have a large variety on hand in my freezer. The mornings are the hardest for me to cook because they are impatient and want to eat as soon as they get up. So when I cook breakfast, I make a large batch and freeze it so I can quickly grab it and throw it in the microwave.

These banana yogurt pancakes are so good and super easy to make. They are also perfect for anyone that has any egg allergies since they are egg-less and these pancakes can be made vegan by using soy yogurt instead. Since I make this for my kids, I do use whole milk yogurt, but you can use any that you prefer. 

These pancakes are not going to win an award for fluffiness, but they are darn tasty, especially if you spread some Nutella on top. Yummy!

Banana Yogurt Pancakes

2 Ripe Bananas
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Bisquick

Peel and mash the bananas. Once they are mashed mix in the vanilla, yogurt and completely incorporate. Next add in the Bisquick. Whisk together. It will be the consistency of regular pancake batter. If you find it a little to thick you can thin out with a little milk or water.


Pour on a well greased griddle. Once they begin to bubble, flip over and brown on other side.  Remove and serve warm.

Freezing Instruction: Allow the pancakes to cool completely. Stack the pancakes with wax or parchment paper in between to prevent them from sticking together. Freeze.

To reheat place in a microwave for 1 minute and serve warm.

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a happy new year. I apologize for slacking on the posts, but with the holidays and the twins, I've barely had time to sleep, let alone post. The good news is I have been cooking like a mad woman, and taking pictures all along the way so there are plenty of new recipes coming up. Not only are the recipes going to be for meals that are perfect for freezing, but there will be recipes on how to use some of the items you've packed in your freezer already.


My new years resolution is to eat healthier  I know who's isn't. so with each of the recipes i'm going to include a nutritional break down. This helps to plan your meals better, and for the calorie counters out there, it save the time in trying to figure out what is in each recipe.

So the first recipe of the new year is a sausage and lentil soup. This soup is a kicked up version of traditional lentil soup. My husband also likes it a bit spicy so i use a hot sausage, but you can use a sweet sausage or chicken sausage if prefer. It is so easy to make because its a one pot meal. this can be made stove top or in the crock-pot and they both come out equally delicious. This meal freezes well, and is perfect during the cold winter months.

Sausage and Lentil Soup


Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup Lentils
Spicy Sausage, 4 links cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 Carrot   chopped, and peeled
1 Parsnip peeled and chopped
1 Leeks thinly sliced
1 small Onions chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
6 cup Chicken Broth
2 cup Water
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt and Pepper

 In a large stock pot, heat the oil and then saute the sausage until nice and brown on all sides. Then add in the onions, carrots, leeks, pepper and parsnips, cook for 2-3 minutes, so that they begin to sweat. Pour the cumin and paprika into the pot and the cook for 1 minute. Then add in the Chicken broth, water, bay leaf, and Tabasco  Bring to a boil and add in the lentils. Cook for 35 minutes. season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts

  8 Servings

Amount Per Serving

  Calories        116.2

  Total Fat        4.6 g

              Saturated Fat  1.6 g

              Polyunsaturated Fat   1.0 g

              Monounsaturated Fat 3.2 g

  Cholesterol    9.1 mg

  Sodium          826.8 mg

  Potassium      662.1 mg

  Total Carbohydrate    15.1 g

              Dietary Fiber  3.9 g

              Sugars            2.9 g

  Protein           5.4 g

  Vitamin A      46.6 %

  Vitamin B-12 8.2 %

  Vitamin B-6   11.9 %

  Vitamin C      81.5 %

  Vitamin D      0.0 %

  Vitamin E      3.4 %

  Calcium         5.2 %

  Copper           17.5 %

  Folate 20.6 %

  Iron    15.9 %

  Magnesium    8.1 %

  Manganese     36.1 %

  Niacin            27.0 %

  Pantothenic Acid       5.1 %

  Phosphorus                20.6 %

  Riboflavin     9.4 %

  Selenium        9.7 %

  Thiamin         10.1 %

  Zinc   7.1 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Chunky Red Chili

This whole weekend had been dark, rainy, and dreary. I’ll I want to do is snuggle up on the couch with a piping hot bowl of chili. The twins keep me running, so snuggling up on the couch may be out, but I can make a big pot of chili, and let it cook while I chase after my little ones. Chili has a way of warming up not only your body, but your soul as well. And chili freezes so well and you can make a big batch and freeze individual portions so eat on a rainy day to warm up your day.

I know traditional chili has no beans, or what some people call filler ingredients. If you are one of those chili purest, then don’t think of this recipe as a chili, think of it as a chili inspired soup. This is thick, chunky, and packed full of flavor in every spoonful. You can make it as spicy or mild as you like. This is a spicier chili, so if you don’t like it that spicy leave out the jalapeno and cut back the cayenne pepper.

Chunky Red Chili
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground beef
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14 oz.) cans petite dices tomatoes, undrained
2 cubinal pepper seeded and diced
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 (8 oz.) can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. chili powder
3 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 bottle hard apple cider
2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken broth

In a large heavy bottomed pot heat the vegetable oil. Cook the onions until translucent. Add in the garlic, carrots, and peppers. Add in the ground beef and cook until the meat is browned.  Add in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add in the Apple cider and scrap all the brown bits up from the bottom of the pot. Then add in the beans, jalapeno, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes.

To freeze, Cool completely, then place in plastic freezer safe containers and freeze until solid.

To reheat, place chili in saucepan with 1/4 cup water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reheated. At this point if you wan thicker chili you can add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and cold 1/4 water mixture and stir well. Or you can reheat in the microwave, heaint in 1 minute intervals and stiring in between to help cook evenly. will take between 3 and 5 minutes.