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White Chili with Shredded Chicken

It’s that time of year… yummy chili with a beautiful glass of red wine..

  • 4 chicken thighs, skin off with bones
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer chicken thighs to a lined cookie sheet.

Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the chicken thighs. Sprinkle salt, smoked paprika and chipotle powder and rub all over the thighs. Roast in the hot oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Keep aside and let cool. Shred the chicken with the fork and keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • ½ green pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 4 ounce can roasted green chilies
  • 1½ cups roasted frozen corn
  • 1 can cannellini beans
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • Salt
  • Grated cheese for garnish

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, garlic and jalapeno. Saute on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat, stirring constantly. Add the canned green chilies, corn, beans, cooked chicken and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer and cook for about 20 minutes with lid on. Take the lid off, check for seasonings and serve with a garnish of grated cheese.

 

 

 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Almonds

1 medium head of cauliflower (cut into florets)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, with skin

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

 

Transfer the cauliflower, onion and garlic onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt. Roast for about 30 to 40 minutes until the cauliflower is golden brown. Keep aside.

2 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sliced almonds

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add the spices, salt and almonds and toast on medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool and keep aside. This can be done a day before and kept in the fridge.

1 medium red skin potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup half and half (substitute with coconut milk for vegan)

5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Salt

Harissa for garnish

In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the potatoes, cauliflower, onion and garlic and boil for 10 minutes till the potatoes are tender. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender till smooth. Transfer back to the large pot and bring to a boil, cook for 10 to 15 minutes on a medium heat. Check for seasonings and add more stock if needed. Strain the soup (it is optional but I prefer the smooth consistency). Serve with a sprinkle of almonds and a small dollop of harissa.

 

Mango Tomato Salsa

I made this with yesterdays fajitas and since it was made in the summer- I used mangos and nectarines. Mangos are still available although they are not as yummy as they are in the summer. You can substitute pineapple for mango and apple for the nectarine… so good!

  • 1 large mango, chopped
  • 1 large nectarine, chopped
  • 1 large tomato, chopped or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Mix all the ingredients and let the salsa sit for an hour before serving.

 

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

Jamie OliverOur choices make an impact on our health. It is a very simple concept but most of us don’t make that connection… somehow we don’t pay attention to what we are putting in our mouths.. well, we should. I am glad Jamie sat some kids together and discussed calories and lack of exercise and what it does to our bodies.

As parents it is our responsibility to teach our kids how to cook and eat healthy foods. We need to show them how each meal needs to be balanced with protein and healthy carbs including fruits and vegetables. For those of us who work in addition to taking care of our families- we need to organize ourselves and plan meals for the week on the weekend. I realize people are busy but it is important to break the junk food cycle and teach our kids how to live healthy and make sensible choices for themselves.

Thanks to Jamie Oliver, some people will make this change and start to live healthier lives….

Jamie’s Food Revolution Resumes…

Jamie OliverIt was a bit unclear why the show stopped airing on ABC once the month of May began. After looking it up on line, I realized it was all a ratings issue. May is the month when all networks put on their best shows to boost their ratings and viewership. Jamie’s show was not doing as well as last year so they put it on a hiatus until the May sweeps were done. I guess I understand their reasons but find it very sad that a show like this couldn’t make it in.

Anyway, it is back and it is nice to see Jamie back to the good work he does.

It was interesting to see the exchange between the young girl and the restaurant owner. I can see the girl’s point of view and how she thinks the fast food joints are the reason for her family’s diabetes problems. I can also see the owner’s point of view and how everyone has a choice.. but the problem is when people don’t have time or the money to prepare healthy, fresh food for their family, they go for the easy, fast food.

It was shocking to see how many high school students did not know where butter, chocolate or cheese come from. It is our responsibility as parents to teach our kids about food.

I am quite strict about what my daughter eats when it comes to candy, etc. I can’t wait for her to see when Jamie goes over how the candy is made and what all goes into the crap that is out there in the supermarkets… worth a watch and very eye opening.

Jamie Oliver- Food Revolution- Second Episode…

Jamie OliverA big hug and kiss for Jamie Oliver for what he is doing for our kids. As I watched the show last night, I couldn’t believe all the hoops he had to go through to get into the Los Angeles school cafeteria. Obviously they have something to hide- why else would they create so many hurdles. Bottom line- we as parents have more power than we think. Our kids should be eating healthy, good food and we should know where the food is coming from. It is important to teach our kids to eat healthy and hopefully keep far away from diseases like diabetes. It was heart breaking to hear that girl’s story about her family being sick all the time.

I love what Jamie did with the healthy burgers. It is amazing how good food can be especially when it is healthy. It is important to bump up the flavor with lots of spices and herbs. I couldn’t believe the owner claimed his customers are not looking for quality- just quantity!! Really??? Maybe that is the problem- we don’t demand good, real food. Well, we should ask for good, reasonably priced food. It doesn’t help matters when places like McDonalds and Burger King are always full and doing better business every year. If we can’t afford to go out to places serving healthier food- we need to cook at home and serve our families good food.

I agree with Jamie- we do deserve better.

Jamie Oliver- Food Revolution- First Episode…

Jamie OliverI am so happy to see Jamie Oliver back on television. Don’t get me wrong- I watch him all the time- cooking with the kind of passion that generates huge amounts of pleasure. His passion is contagious. Last year when he started the Food revolution, I was thrilled and grateful.. someone is doing something and getting people aware of what we are feeding our kids and ourselves. I try my best to feed my family healthy food but unfortunately the stuff served in schools is a different story. Right now, my daughter takes lunch from home- thank God.. but I know as she gets older, she is going to want to eat at school- and that thought is super scary, especially knowing what is being served.

It scared me watching the show last night- what was that food they showed??? There is no cooking going on- my rule is – if food given to me that does not have an expiration date- I will not eat it. There is something wrong when our kids are given this crap.

It is so important to know where our food comes from. When Jamie showed what parts of the cow is being used at our schools- I was not shocked. We have the lowest standards for food in our schools- imagine.. that is what our kids are eating. I was sick to my stomach… and at the same time wanted to give Jamie a big kiss for putting this in front of all of us and making us aware.

We need to stop eating fast food and giving it to our kids- to me the big fast food places are the biggest culprits. There is nothing wrong with a burger- but I want good quality ingredients in my food, which most fast food joints don’t use. Good for Jamie to try to revamp the menu in that restaurant… at the end of the day- we need to demand where our food comes from.

Watch this show with your kids- it was amazing to see my daughter’s face last year while watching Jamie’s show. I will be watching it again with her this weekend as we do tv turn off through the week…

Sign the petition for serving plain milk in schools.