De Ma Cuisine

easy meals Archive

Friday

25

October 2013

0

COMMENTS

Taco Soup – In the Kitchen with Rachel O – Video

Written by , Posted in Beans, Beef, Cheese, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, In the Kitchen with Rachel O, Legumes, Main Dishes, Meat, One Dish Dinners, Soups, Vegetables

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I love soup! I could probably eat soup every day. Summer weather is no excuse for no soup, in our home. We just can’t get enough.

Thankfully, it’s finally feeling like fall (jump, cheer, squeak of joy). So we will eat soup, will eat soup, will eat SOUP!

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We are kinda crazy about anything taco. We love Tacos tacos, we adore Taco Salad, and we could eat endless bowls of Taco Soup. 

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This soup is all kinds of hearty. It’s full of veggies (corn, tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, and onions), it has a bit of a kick, but not so much that it will make you sweat (but if you want it to, add another serrano or two, and keep the ribs and seeds), and you get to top it with cheese, corn chips, yogurt, salsa, and cilantro.

We liked it so much that I made it for one of my ifood.tv episodes and will probably make it again and again this fall and winter. We also thought it was good enough to bring to some friends who just had the most adorable baby girl. They agreed (even one of them who claims to dislike vegetables liked it)…

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Here’s to a cold fall night, hot Taco Soup, and lots of time with the ones you love.

Happy Eating!

Taco Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 4

Taco Soup

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 T olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 medium (about 1 1/2 C) zucchini (or other summer squash), chopped
  • 3 small radishes, chopped
  • 1 serrano chili pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
  • to taste, salt
  • to taste, pepper
  • 1 t chili powder
  • 1/4 t cumin
  • pinch all spice
  • pinch ginger
  • 1 C corn (frozen or fresh)
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 2 tomatoes (about 1 1/2 C), chopped
  • 1 T red wine vinegar
  • 2 T lemon juice, divided
  • 6-7 C stock (vegetable, chicken, or beef), or water
  • salsa, for topping
  • corn chips, for topping
  • Greek yogurt (or sour cream), for topping
  • cheddar cheese, grated, for topping
  • fresh cilantro, chopped, for topping

Instructions

  1. Place beef in a soup pot. Cook over medium heat until it's partially cooked. Add olive oil and next 10 ingredients (thru ginger). Cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add corn and garlic, cook 1 minute.
  3. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, vinegar, and 1 T lemon juice; cook 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
  5. Add remaining lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  6. Serve topped with cheese, yogurt, salsa, chips, and cilantro.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/taco-soup-in-the-kitchen-with-rachel-o-video/

Friday

4

October 2013

4

COMMENTS

For a Simple Supper – Argentine Sausage with Zucchini and Bulgur Wheat

Written by , Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Grains, Main Dishes, Meat, Pork, Thoughts, Vegetables

ArgentineSausageBulgurWheatI really love to menu plan. But that doesn’t mean that things always go the way I have intended. Sometimes it means grilled cheese or some sort of re-heated leftovers from the freezer. But, occasionally inspiration hits and a new meal is concocted.

This is such a meal.

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We tried this Argentine sausage a while ago. I absolutely love it. It may be my new favorite. I don’t know why I had never tried it before. I didn’t know what I was missing. Now I do. We had a lot of zucchini in the fridge. It needed to be eaten. Perfect, because I wanted to eat it. And then we had bulgur wheat in the pantry. I bought it aaaaaages ago, thinking I would do something with it and never did. I was going to use rice in this meal, but why not switch it up?!

It comes together in a snap. Yeah, the bulgur wheat takes a while to cook, just like rice. But it’s not really that long. Pop it on the stove and then work on the rest. They’ll probably be done closer to the same time than you may have expected.

If you have other veggies that you want to use, I think that’s a good idea. If you have Italian sausage instead of Argentine, please use it! The basics of this dish are that it’s a grain, with some veggies, nuts, a bit of cheese, some fresh herbs, and some excellent olive oil.

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If you don’t have something in this recipe on hand – here are some other ideas that could work well:
Italian sausage, red pepper flakes, chopped rosemary, lemon zest, broccoli, and bulgur wheat or rice.
German sausage, onions, dijon mustard, parsley, dill, and bulgur wheat or rice.
Italian sausage, kale, onions, bell peppers, red pepper flakes, thyme, bulgur wheat or rice, with a drizzle of cream when you serve.
So many ways you could transform this simple dish.

Argentine Sausage with Zucchini and Bulgur Wheat
Recipe Type: Main, Easy, Dinner, Meat, Vegetables
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 C bulgur wheat
  • 2 C vegetable stock (water or chicken stock are fine too)
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 Argentine sausages, cut into rounds
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1/2 t red pepper flakes
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 T fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped, for topping
  • parmesan cheese, grated, for topping
  • 1/4 C walnuts, chopped, for topping
  • olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
  1. Cook wheat (similar to cooking rice): Add stock and wheat to a medium pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30-45 minutes.
  2. Heat skillet, add oil. When oil is hot, add sausage and zucchini (if using fully cooked sausage – if not, cook sausage until it’s almost done and then add zucchini). Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Add seasonings, lemon juice, and garlic to skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add wheat and herbs. Stir and cook 1-2 minutes.
  5. Serve topped with tomato, walnuts, parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of excellent olive oil.

Happy Eating!

Friday

25

November 2011

0

COMMENTS

Thanksgiving Soup

Written by , Posted in Dinner, Holiday, Inspired By, Leftovers, Main Dishes, Meat, Poultry, Soups, Vegetables

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Did you eat a lot yesterday? I sure did. It’s one of the best meals, in my opinion, and it only happens once a year!! But it’s the day after, and maybe you’ve already had a leftover dinner for lunch, exactly the same way it was last night. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with that. But, if you want to spice up your leftovers, I’ve got a few ideas for you.

Thanksgiving Soup (I’m hoping to make this again this year, if my family will let me! It was really great with my brother-in-law’s sourdough bread!)

Crostini

Slice leftover rolls or bread about 1/2″ thick. Top with whatever you’d like (suggestions below). Bake at 400F for about 10 minutes, or until bread is crispy, and toppings are warmed and bubbly (if cheese).

Cranberry and Parmesan

Turkey, Cranberry and Parmesan

Olive Oil, Rosemary and Cranberry

Caramelized Onion and Cranberry

Caramelized Onion and Turkey

Sweet Potato and Gruyère

French Toast using the extra rolls or bread from dinner, dip in egg mixture (whisk together egg, milk and cinnamon). Cook until egg is set and toast is crispy. Serve with leftover cranberry sauce, or sauteed apples and maple syrup.

Winter Veggie Salad

Turkey Club Pizza

Flatbread Pizza If you have leftover mushrooms from making the stuffing… here you go! Or, top this pizza with Alfredo sauce, turkey, cranberries, some kale or spinach and some parmesan or gruyère, and voila, Turkey Alfredo Pizza.

Honey Mustard Turkey Sandwiches

Turkey Parmesan Dip leftover turkey in egg whites, then into bread crumb mixture in recipe. Cook until heated through and temperature reaches 165F (and outside is crispy). Serve with rice pilaf, wild rice, fettuccine alfredo, pasta with olive oil… or whatever your favorite pasta or rice dish is.

Shepherd’s Pie with Turkey Use leftover turkey (instead of beef) and mashed potatoes mixed with mashed leftover sweet potatoes.

Turkey Pot Pie Cook up some leftover veggies, and potatoes. Add some flour to the oil (at the side of the pan, so the flour doesn’t get all lumpy) and whisk together (30-60 sec). Add some milk or stock (slowly), whisking. Once it’s thick, pour into a pie plate or individual ramekins. Top with leftover pie crust (if you bought it, I think they normally come with two, so if you didn’t make two pies, now you don’t have to take up space in your freezer for that lonely extra one). Bake at 350F or 375F until the pie crust is done, about 30-35 minutes. (You could also top with sliced leftover rolls or bread drizzled with olive oil. Bake at 375F or 400F until bread is toasty.) (Or, you could top with mashed potatoes. If the potatoes are already warmed up, just bake until slightly browned on top… you could even add cheese to the potatoes!) Or, just substitute turkey for the chicken in this Chicken Pot Pie recipe!

Fajitas Saute some green peppers and onions and reheat leftover turkey. Assemble on tortillas with some salsa and Greek yogurt

A few goodies about some of what you’ve been eating

and why you can feel good about Thanksgiving dinner (ahem, most of it, cough, the first helping… not judging here, I’m sure I had at seconds thirds of something everything on the table).

Cranberries are low in calories, a good source of vitamine C, soluable and insoluable fiber, manganese and copper. They’re high in anti-oxidants. They help prevent urinary-tract infections and kidney stones. (1) They also contain a natural vasodilator which opens up the bronchial tubes (good for the entire breathing apparatus). (2)

Turkey is a good source of protein, selenium, niacin, vitamin B6, zinc and vitamin B12. It’s high in the amino acid tryptophan (which is a building block of the brain compound serotonin, which may help improve sleep quality – after dinner nap anyone?!). (1)

Potatoes are a good source of potassium, vitamines B6 and C, niacin, pantothenic acid and dietary fiber. Potatoes also have a moderate amount of protein (about 2.5 grams in a medium potato). Unlike corn or rice, which have about the same protein content, potatoes contain lysine, an essential amino acid often lacking in grains. Most nutrients, fiber and protein are found in the skin (so scrub well, eat organic if possible and enjoy those skins!). (1)

Yams/Sweet Potatoes (traditionally the orange colored sweet potato) are a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamins B1, B6, C, manganese and carbohydrates. Yams are known to be a superfood for women because of the amount of B vitamines (among other things) they contain. (1)

Green Beans are known to help with rheumatism, and promote the normal function of the liver and pancreas. (2)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Soup

Ingredients

  • 3 T olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 sm. zucchini (optional), chopped
  • 1/4 C green beans, chopped
  • 1/2 t ginger (dried)
  • 1 t poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 t dried thyme, crushed (or 1 t fresh, chopped)
  • 1/2 t dried rosemary, crushed (or 1 t fresh, chopped)
  • to taste pepper
  • to taste salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • 2 T balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 C turkey gravy
  • 1/2 C mashed yams/sweet potatoes (I used my Roasted Garlic Yams)
  • 1 1/2 C leftover turkey, chopped
  • 32 oz. turkey stock
  • 32 oz. water (or use more stock), plus 1 C or so, if needed
  • 1 C rice spaghetti noodles, broken in pieces

Instructions

  1. Heat soup pot. When hot, add olive oil. Add onion and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until beginning to be translucent. Add zucchini through salt and cook for about 5 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  2. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in gravy, yams, and turkey. Then add stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-60 minutes.
  3. Add pasta and cook until noodles are to desired doneness (or according to package's directions).
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/thanksgiving-soup/

Sources: (1) Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, 2005, Murray, Michael N.D., Pizzorno, Joseph N.D., and Pizzorno, Lara. (2) Eating for Health, 2008‚ Bauman, Edward M.Ed., Ph.D.