Roast chicken soup

This is so simple!

In a pot put all the remnants of the chickens after removing all the meat, six cups of water, 2 carrots,  two celery ribs, 2 small onions skins and all sliced in half, a few cloves of garlic, a couple of bay leaves, and 3 large chicken bullion cubes gently simmer for 4 or 5 hours, the longer the better. Strain the broth through cheese cloth in a strainer and refrigerate till the next day. Remove some of the fat that has firmed up on the top. Add veggies you want I added pea pods, zucchini, red pepper, a cubed turnip, and yellow squash I cut with a julienne cutter to look like noodles and cubed chicken, cook for about 20 minutes and enjoy hot.

Quick chicken salad

When we got back from errands I was starving so I made up this quick chicken salad lunch. I took a leftover roast chicken breast, sliced it in chunks, added a couple tablespoons of chopped celery, chopped green and red peppers, half a chopped jalapeno, a bit of sweet red onion, mayo and dijon to taste, a couple drops of stevia, and a lot of fresh cracked black pepper mixed it up, and served it on cucumber slices.

Roast chickens

Ah, roast chicken, probably my favorite meal. So simple, elegant, and delicious. I'm roasting two of them today, then I'm making roasted chicken soup for my youngest who's not feeling well. I rubbed melted butter on them and sprinkle on some pappy's 50% less salt seasoning, I lay them breast side down, side by side in a turkey roaster covered with foil.

Here they are done. I prefer to roast them breast side down because they stay nice and moist that way.

I made two so I would have extra chicken for the week. Roast chicken make an extra flavorful broth. Recipe to come soon.

Beef jerky

I wanted to make beef jerky for a couple of weeks but have always forgotten to get the meat at the market, well today I remembered at the last minute, I ran back to get a london broil when I was already in line, yes I did make it back before they even started my order, whew!!!

Beef jerky

1 london broil (I'm not sure the size as the trash got thrown out before I checked the package)
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 teaspoon pappys 50% less salt seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlc powder
1 tablespoon truvia
1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes

Remove all the visible fat then partially freeze the london broil, cut in thin bias cut slices. I pounded the slices a bit with the end of the soy sauce bottle to to make it a little easier to chew. Mix the rest of the ingredients for the marinade and pour on the meat slices layering in a bowl, I prefer not to make a very wet marinade just enough to coat the meat not dripping wet, so I avoid having to pat it dry also I don't want to take away the meat flavor in the marinade. Marinate for a couple of hours or longer. Hang on skewers and rest on the ovens top rack like in the first picture. I let dry for 8 hours with 2 fans on sitting on the oven door, I cycled the oven off and on up to 120 degrees until I went to bed then left the fans on till the morning. You want it dried but not brittle or cooked.

A wonderful meat explosion!!!

Stuffed jalapenos

I made these to have with our lunch. So easy and so good!

Stuffed jalapenos

12 or more large jalapenos
1 cup colby jack shredded
1 cup cheese curds cut up (I got mine from our local dairy, some kind of fresh cheese like farmer cheese or queso fresco will do)
3 tablespoons of softened butter
1 cut up jalapeno (I used seeds and all)
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup hazelnut meal mixed with 1/2 cup grated parmesan

I cut the jalapeno peppers in half,  scraped out the seeds and veins, it's easy with a small spoon, set on a parchment lined sheet pan. Then I made the filling, mixing the shredded colby jack and cheese curds, 3 tablespoons of butter and one diced jalapeno and stuff it in the jalapeno halves pressing it in real good. Then carefully dip in beaten egg then in the mixture of hazelnut meal and parmesan laying it back on the parchment bake in a hot 450 oven for 15-20 minutes, I ran mine under the broiler for a couple extra minutes for them to be toasty brown.

I served them with carne asada, of course homemade salsa, and sour cream.

Cinnamon rolls

I love, love, love cinnamon rolls!!! Who doesn't? I took half of this biscuit dough/batter here and patted it out in a rectangle on parchment paper with a bit of extra almond flour, I brushed it with butter and sprinkled cinnamon mixed with truvia, rolled and sliced it up, put it cut side on a sheet pan covered with nonstick foil, baking for 10-15 minutes in a hot 400 oven

I added some cream cheese frosting I made by softening some cream cheese, adding a couple tablespoons of torani vanilla syrup. Great with coffee!!!

Turnip fries

I realized I've never made turnip fries, I've made fries out of zucchini and eggplant too, but never turnip. I made some for lunch today, I wasn't sure how they would turn out, but they're really good! I'm definitely making these more often. No real recipe I just cut up 3 turnips in fry shapes, tossed them with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and some herbamare seasoning.

I put them on non stick foil on a sheet pan and baked them in a hot 450 oven till browned and done, I like them well browned. I served them with some sugar free ketchup. Next time I'll add lots of fresh cracked black pepper.

Sauteed chayote

I have been working with chayote trying to make an apple like filling for an "apple" pie. These sauteed apples turned out very nice. I'm still working on getting a whole pie together.

Sauteed chayote

2 young chayotes sliced thin (I left the skin on and seed in if they're mature you might have to skin and remove the seed)
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons truvia
1 teaspoon molasses
1 tablespoon isomalt
2 tablespoons polydextrose
few drops butterscotch oil

I sauteed on medium low the chayotes and broken up cinnamon stick in the butter until very soft then added the rest of the ingredients for a few more minutes adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary. I picked out the cinnamon stick. If you want to make a whole pie It might take 5 or 6 chayotes. I haven't done that yet.

I was surprised how much it tastes like apple filling.

Pumpkin mousse ice cream

Oh my, I barely got a picture of this ice cream, it's so good! I reworked my vanilla ice cream recipe a bit, this is a completely original recipe. I put it on top of my last pumpkin to turn orange in my garden, I don't know why it's so late.

Pumpkin mousse ice cream

2 cups cream
1 cup pumpkin
3 pasteurized eggs separated directions here
2 tablespoons xylitol
2 tablespoons truvia
few drops stevia
few drops liquid sucralose (if needed)
1 teaspoon of molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
couple shakes of mace
few drops butterscotch oil
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon extract
2 tablespoons chopped roasted pecans

Separate egg whites and yolks in separate bowls beat whites to almost stiff peaks, then beat yolks with sugar substitutes and molasses till light and tripled in volume add spices and extracts, then pumpkin and cream, add egg whites folding in carefully. Chill well, then freeze in an ice cream freezer according to directions, add pecans at the end. You will lick the bowl, no lie!

Cabbage soup and sweet and sour coleslaw

I had a head of cabbage in the fridge for a couple of days thinking of what I should do with it. I got some inspiration at the farmers market in some beautiful leeks I found, I made cabbage soup with half of it and made sweet and sour coleslaw with the other half.

Cabbage soup

1/2 head of cabbage
2 leaks white and green parts cleaned well and sliced
10 cloves of garlic crushed
1 turnip diced
half head of cauliflower diced
handful of cut green beans
2 carrots sliced (optional higher carb but for daughter)
3-4 tablespoons butter
5 cups of water
3 large bouillon cubes
black pepper to taste

Saute leeks, turnip, cauliflower, green beans, carrots and garlic in butter till slightly softened, not brown, then add cabbage and saute a bit more. Add water and bouillon cubes, simmer for 20 minutes. That's it! Now on to the coleslaw.

Sweet and sour coleslaw

Half a head of cabbage shredded
half a bell pepper diced
half a red pepper diced
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons of mayo
2 tablespoons truvia
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
1-2 teaspoons of celery seeds

Mix and chill.

 

Breakfast biscuit sandwich

Since I made those wonderful biscuits a couple of days ago I have been thinking to make a breakfast biscuit sandwich. I layered on a sliced biscuit a couple slices of bacon, an egg with shredded cheese, and a tiny blob of sugar free blackberry jam.

A perfect Sunday breakfast!

Authentic salsa

Everyone knows I love kitchen gadgets. My Hubby gave me a Mexican "food processor" a molcajete. He's demonstrating how to make the most wonderful authentic salsa. First I broiled everything until it was charred removing the skins. He used 3 tomatoes, about 6 chilies, 2 cloves  garlic, and some really good coarse salt.

Start with the chilies and coarse salt gently pulverize them together.

Then add the garlic cloves and tomatoes.

Mmm this salsa was so good!

Really good biscuits

I found this recipe here

I followed the recipe perfectly as written except I halved it. I must say these are so delicious. The ones on the left are plain and the ones on the right I brushed with butter they don't look much different. I portioned them with a large spring loaded scoop and flattened them a bit. I got exactly 6. Next time I make them I will sweeten them a bit more because that's the way I like them.

They were divine with my new jar of sugar free blackberry jam. They would be equally good with some sugar free honey.

Chopped salad lettuce wraps

We decided to have a meatless dinner tonight. I was feeling like a nice salad so this is what we made.

I got 2 lovely heads of butter lettuce, I didn't even want to tear it up so we left the leaves whole and put the chopped salad and dressing on and then wrapped them up.

Chopped salad lettuce wraps

head of butter lettuce separate the leaves
2 tomatoes diced
2 jalapenos diced
1 red pepper chopped
english cucumber sliced
daikon radish noodles
green onion chopped
red cabbage chopped
radishes sliced
broccoli florets
shelled edamame
toasted pinenuts
cracked black pepper
blue cheese dressing

simply put the chopped salad on the lettuce leaves, top with toasted pinenuts, blue cheese dressing, and cracked black pepper roll up and eat.

If you wanted to add some meat I think it would be good with some sliced steak, shredded chicken, or shrimp. We just wanted something light, we had some of our leftover jalapeno soy chicken wings earlier in the day.

Jalapeno soy wings

 Jalapeno soy wings

3 pounds chicken wings
3 large jalapenos (mine were from the garden)
1 inch fresh peeled ginger (also from the garden)
6 green onions chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce I used wheat free
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Add jalapenos, ginger, soy sauce, green onions, vinegar, and sesame oil in a food processor and process till smooth, marinate wings 2 hours to overnight in a freezer bag (the longer the better) drain, bake on a sheet pan in a hot 450 oven for about 30 minutes I like mine well browned, sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and bake a few more minutes. They are very mild, double the jalapenos if you want them more spicy. I served it with edamame.

Hot chicken salad

Hot chicken salad

I didn't measure just eyeballed it, it's very yummy!

leftover shredded or cubed chicken
finely diced celery, red pepper, and onion to taste
sprinkling of slivered almonds or sunflower seeds
about a cup of mayo
about a cup shredded sharp cheddar
a little mustard
herbamare or salt and pepper to taste
tarragon or any herb you want

mix everything, saving half nuts or seeds, and half of cheese for the top turn into a greased casserole dish bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes