Mediterranean-Style Chicken Soup

The last couple of weeks have seen the temperature dropping and a lot more people coming down with the coughs and colds often associated with this time of year.  It may be an old wives tale, but there is a lot to be said for a bowl of homemade chicken soup.  In many traditional cultures cooking broths from bones was said to help heal and strengthen the body.  There is also the obvious comfort you get from consuming a steaming hot bowl of soup.  This recipe is one that I have adapted from a book called 'Trupp's Wholefood Kitchen' and is a slight variation on the 'typical' chicken soup recipe.  You can make this as a vegetarian/vegan soup by substituting seasoned tempeh or smoked tofu for the chicken.

What you will need:

• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 1 cup of white wine
• 2 litres of stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 4 medium-sized, firm fleshed potatoes
• 1 large leek, finely sliced
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 1 handful of green and black olives
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp salted baby capers
• 2 tablespoons of butter (substitute with oil for vegan version)
• 1 pinch of saffron
• few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

What you need to do:

1.  Rinse the chicken legs (remove skin if desired) and place into a stockpot.  Cover with wine and water, bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.

2.  Peel potatoes and cut into 1cm cubes.  Remove the dark green leaves and cut the leek in half, and then into 1cm squares.

3.  Melt butter in a large saucepan.  Add potatoes, leek, garlic and capers.  Cook for 5 - 6 minutes over medium heat, and then add to chicken in stock-pot.

4.  Chop tomatoes into 1cm cubes.  Add tomatoes and saffron to stock-pot and bring to the boil.  Cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

5.  Meanwhile, chop thyme and parsley.  Pitt olives if not already done.

6.  Remove chicken legs from stock.  Get rid of any remaining skin and discard.  Remove all meat from the bones and return the meat to the stock.

7.  Add thyme, olives, parsley and season with salt and pepper.

8.  Serve drizzled with olive oil.

Baked Polenta

I really love polenta!  For me it's another one of those comfort foods that I'm happy to eat on its own, or as part of a meal.  While some people find it rather bland, I enjoy the natural flavour. Cooking soft polenta on the stove top can be a bit of challenge, especially if you have young children and may need to leave the kitchen for more than a minute or so.  It does require constant stirring and then there is the inevitable splattering of boiling hot polenta from one end of the stove to the other.  Several years ago I came across a recipe for baked polenta and since then I haven't looked back.  Both my girls love it and you can vary the recipe from plain (or bland as my husband would say) to full of flavour.

The full recipe below is enough for 6 servings.  If I'm using this as part of a meal I often halve the recipe as shown in the dish above, which gives each person about a 2/3 cup size portion of cooked polenta.

What you will need:

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 cup of polenta
• olive oil

What you need to do:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180 Celsius.  Coat the baking dish with olive oil (I use the olive oil spray).

2.  Add the water and chicken stock.  I generally add the water and then whisk in the stock powder while in the baking tray to save washing up.

3.  Whisk in the polenta.  Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, uncovered, until it resembles the photograph above.  All the liquid should be absorbed and the top will be golden and crispy at the edges.

Variations:

The recipe above may be simply too bland for some people so there are a few variations below.

• If you want the polenta saltier, add 1 tsp of salt at step 2, or replace the water with stock.
• Add some herbs at step 3.  You can try thyme, which is particularly tasty with polenta, sage or even rosemary.
• After 30 minutes baking, remove from the oven and stir through 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese.  Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes baking.
• After 30 minutes of baking, remove from the oven and stir through 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley.  Return to the oven for the final 10 minutes of baking.

Like rice, the fairly neutral flavour of polenta lends itself well to being served with richer foods.  It works particularly well with braised lentils, casseroles, and we enjoy it as part of our vegetarian baked dinners.

Vegan Baked Dinner

The photo above shows baked polenta served with Pumpkin Roasted with Cumin and Sesame Seeds, Puy Lentils with Rosemary and steamed broccoli with lemon dressing.

Baked Brown Rice Risotto

Brown rice is one of my favourite foods; my husband calls it my comfort food.  I can easily just sit down to a bowl of plain brown rice as I love the flavour and texture.  To me it just feels like I'm eating something that is so good for me.  Many people I know don't enjoy brown rice, preferring highly processed white rice which, although still a sound food choice, doesn't offer the same nutritional value as brown rice.

This risotto is so easy to make and uses brown instead of white rice, making it highly nutritious meal option.  There are many variations and the possibilities are really endless once the basic risotto is made.  I also love that it can be a one pot meal making it a great choice for weeknight dinners.

Basic Risotto Recipe (serves 4)

What you will need:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 leek or 1 large onion or 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, finely diced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (substitute with stock if you don't have or want to use wine)
• 3 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
• olive oil

What you need to do:

For this recipe you would ideally use an ovenproof dish with a lid that can also go on the stove top.  If you don't have one then you'll need to use a large saucepan or medium frying pan and then transfer into a casserole dish to go into the oven.

1.  Pre-heat an oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 

2.  Fry the leek or onion in some olive oil until it just begins to soften but doesn't brown.  Add the celery and cook until both are soft.

3.  Add the brown rice and stir for one to two minutes.

4.  Add the wine and cook, stirring, until most of the wine has been absorbed.  Add the stock and bring to the boil.

5.  Cover and transfer to the oven.  Cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.

6.  If you are eating plain then leave to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  Add salt, pepper and/or herbs to taste. If you are adding other ingredients then follow the directions below for different variations.

Tuna Risotto

Make the basic recipe and remove from the oven after 50 minutes.  Drain a large tin of tuna in oil and mix through the risotto.  Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for five minutes.  Add 1/3 cup of chopped parsley and some freshly ground black pepper, mix well and serve.

Mushroom Risotto

Make the basic recipe but at stage two, add one or two cups of chopped mushrooms and some fresh thyme.  Continue the recipe as above.

Italian Porcini and Herb Risotto

Before beginning, add a small packed of dried porcini mushrooms to a cup of boiling water and allow to rehydrate.  Begin preparing the basic recipe.  After step two, remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid BUT RETAIN THE LIQUID.  Add the mushrooms just before adding the brown rice.  When adding the stock, use the mushroom soaking liquid and reduce the stock amount accordingly (ie. only use 2 1/2 cups of stock if you have 1 cup of mushroom liquid).  At the end of the cooking time, mix through a selection of fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano or basil.

Roast Pumpkin and Pine Nut Risotto

Prepare the basic recipe.  Meanwhile chop some pumpkin into 2cm pieces.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  You can also add herbs if you like.  Roast until golden.  Toast some pine nuts leave aside.  Stir the pumpkin through the risotto after step 5 and add the pine nuts just before serving, or sprinkle on top to garnish.


The variations are only limited by your imagination.  Enjoy.

Co Yo Ice Cream

Some time ago I made a wonderful discovery in the health food store.  Co Yo.  This brand make coconut based yoghurts and ice cream which are all dairy free, gluten free and vegan.  My daughters love ice cream, as most children do, and although we had found some delicious sorbets they still seemed disappointed to miss out on the creamy taste of ice cream.  I was a little sceptical when I initially purchased the Co Yo ice cream, especially considering the almost $13 price tag for a 500ml tub.Was this just going to be another one of those disappointments where you spend a small fortune but the product just doesn't live up to expectations?

My fears were unfounded.  In fact, this is possibly the most exciting discovery I've made in the gluten-free/vegan world.  Our first purchase was the Organic Chocolate and it was superb.  Creamy like real ice cream, chocolaty but not too sickly sweet, and with that coconut flavour that made it feel like we were eating a really posh golden rough flavoured ice cream.  Of course we then branched out to try the Vanilla and Nutmeg (delicious, creamy), Sticky Date and Tamarind (a slightly sour note, fabulous), Cherry with Raw Choc Chips, and Acai Berry (less creamy).  There is also a natural coconut option, a Mango and Lime flavour and a Pina Colada which we haven't tried.....yet.

The yoghurt is also delicious and is rich and creamy.  There are a variety of flavours including natural, mango, mixed berry and passionfruit, which is my favourite.  The products are 100% vegan, containing no dairy protein at all.  They are also nut free, soy free and contain no artificial colours or flavours.  Obviously the ice creams are not an everyday food choice but the price helps to make sure we use Co Yo for special treats only.  It is delicious on its own or served with fresh fruit.

You can find more information at the Co Yo website.

Rice with Quinoa, Tomato and Cumin

This is another quick dish that can be served as a side or can be enjoyed on its own for a light dinner or lunch.

What you will need:

• 2/3 cup of basmati rice
• 1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2  medium ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed or finely diced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

What you need to do:

1.  In a small saucepan heat some olive oil.  Add the garlic and cumin and stir for about 30 seconds.  Add the tomato and stir gently over a low heat until it begins to soften.

2.  Add the rice and quinoa and mix well.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to cook for 14 minutes.

3.  Check that liquid has been absorbed and rice and quinoa are cooked.  Allow to stand covered for five minutes before serving.

I served this with sautéed kale with pine nuts and some store bought vegan falafels with a dollop of natural yoghurt for a quick and easy mid-week dinner.  If you are able to eat dairy, you could also make a quick sauce using 1/4 cup natural yoghurt with 1/2 tsp cumin and a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper which is lovely drizzled over the top.

Tray Baked Chicken and Vegies with Potatoes and Peas

I guess I grew up eating meat and three veg type meals the same as many of us did.  Usually the plate would have a large chunk of meat, a pile of mashed potatoes or chips and then one or two steamed or boiled vegetables.  I realised recently that this is a type of meal my children eat very rarely, it's just not the way I cook.  While we are not vegetarians, we do eat only a small amount of meat and aim to eat at least 80% of our food intake from plant sources.  I notice when I do cook meat that I try to make the portion sizes quite small per person and still include a lot of vegetables or whole grains in the meal.  This dinner idea is based on that philosophy and is a big hit with my girls. 

In this instance I didn't use herbs but generally I'll mix oregano, thyme or rosemary in with the chicken and vegies.  I also use less pepper if the children are eating and then just add it at the table.  You can vary the vegetables to suit you by adding sweet potato or pumpkin to the chicken.

What you will need: (serves two hungry children, double to serve a family of four)

• 2 chicken thighs
• 1 medium or 2 small zucchini
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 4 button mushrooms
• Mix of fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme or rosemary, roughly chopped
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tsp capers
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

What you need to do:

1.  Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius.

2.  Wash the potatoes and chop into small cubes, leaving the skin on.  Place in a baking tray and toss with olive oil and a little salt and pepper and place into the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes.

2.  Chop the chicken thighs into chunks, removing any fat and place in a baking tray.

3.  Chop the zucchinis, tomatoes and mushrooms and add to the tray with the herbs if using.  Toss with olive oil, a little salt and pepper.

4.  Cook for about half an hour or until chicken is cooked and golden and vegies are tender.  Give it a stir around about half way through cooking as the tomatoes will create a lovely sticky sauce and this will coat the chicken and other vegies if you mix it around.  Be careful not to overcook or it will all dry up. 

5.  When the baked vegies and chicken are almost ready, gently cook the peas and then drain.  Return them to the pan with the capers and a splash of olive oil and some pepper and heat gently and then they are ready to serve.

 

Egg Tomato

When my husband and I travelled to China over ten years ago we ate this dish in many different parts of the country.  Surprisingly it rarely seems to make it on to Chinese restaurant menus over here.  It's a quick dish to make and is a very tasty vegetarian meal that could be eaten for either breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

What you will need:

• 2 free range (ideally organic) eggs per person
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, depending how many you are cooking for
• 1 medium or 2 small ripe tomatoes per person, cut into wedges. (I find the 'egg' tomatoes are best)
• 1-2 spring onions, sliced finely
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (or to taste)
• peanut oil

What you need to do:

1.  Lightly beat the eggs, adding half the soy sauce to the mixture.

2.  Heat the peanut oil in a hot wok.

3.  Add the garlic, spring onions and tomatos and cook stirring continuously oper a high heat, until the tomatoes begin to soften.

4.  Add the eggs and cook until they are as set as you like them.

5.  Add the remaining soy sauce and the oyster sauce and mix well.

6.  Serve and garnish with a few extra spring onions.

Note:
I usually serve the egg tomato with rice and usually a green vegetable which I stir-fry quickly first.  Below I've made a stir-fry celery with black pepper and sesame oil.  The green vegies are ok if they cool to room temperature, but the egg is best cooked just before serving.