Chilean Chicken Stew (Food & Wine)

Chilean Chicken Stew

Source: Food & Wine.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large white onions, 1 coarsely chopped and 1 minced
20 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large chicken legs (about 3 pounds), skin removed
8 chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds) on the bone, wings and skin removed
1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
16 small fingerling potatoes
2 cups wild rice (about 3/4 pound)
4 quarts chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the carrots, celery and coarsely chopped onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 4 minutes.

Spoon half the vegetables into another large pot. Divide the chicken legs and breasts, the squash, potatoes and wild rice between the pots and pour 2 quarts of the stock into each pot. Season well with salt and pepper. Add enough water to just cover the chicken and vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the vegetables and rice are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 1 1/4 hours. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small strainer, rinse the minced onion. Transfer the onion to a kitchen towel and squeeze dry. In a small bowl, combine the onion with the cilantro.

Ladle the chicken stew into deep bowls. Sprinkle with the onion-cilantro mixture and serve.

MAKE AHEAD
The stew can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Prepare the cilantro garnish just before serving.

NOTES
One Serving Calories 683 kcal, Total Fat 13.6 gm, Saturated Fat 3.7 gm

SUGGESTED PAIRING
This hearty stew calls for a full-bodied white—why not make it a Chilean Chardonnay?

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Fudgy Brownies (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

The Best Fudgy Brownies

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Paige's Recipe Notes: ! - very good !

YIELD: MAKES 16 BROWNIES

Note: This recipe doubles wonderfully for a 9X13-inch pan. Just keep an eye on the baking time and adjust accordingly.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks or 5 ounces) butter
• 1 1/4 cups (9 7/8 ounces) sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 7/8 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (2 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium microwave-wafe bowl. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set the mixture aside until it cools slightly (is warm to the touch not hot). It will look gritty but it will become smooth once the other ingredients are added.
3. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. After the brownies are cooled completely, I like to throw the pan in the refrigerator - cold brownies cut much easier and taste heavenly. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen originally from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet.

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Paleo Vegan Lasagna (Healthy Recipe Ecstasy)

Paleo Vegan Lasagna

Source: Healthy Recipe Ecstasy.

Paige's Recipe Notes: delish !

PREP TIME
1 hour

COOK TIME
1 hour 10 mins

TOTAL TIME
2 hours 10 mins

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Basil-Cashew Cheese
1 cup unsalted cashews
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt
Artichoke-Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
8-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Zucchini Lasagna
6 medium zucchinis
Coarse salt
Fresh basil, for garnish
Olive oil, for drizzling

INSTRUCTIONS

Basil-Cashew Cheese
Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth.

Artichoke-Tomato Sauce
Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add diced onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until onions are softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Next, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, artichoke hearts and basil leaves. Season with red pepper flakes, sea salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.

Zucchini Lasagna
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice each zucchini into ⅛-inch thick slices. Salt the zucchini slices heavily and set aside for 20 minutes to drain the water out. Squeeze as much water out of the zucchini slices as possible.

Spread a few tablespoons sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Lay 4-5 zucchini slices side-by-side on the bottom of the dish. If you're slices aren't long enough for the entire casserole you can add another vertical row or place some slices horizontally to fill the space.

Top the slices with ½ cup sauce and ¼ cup cashew cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with a final layer of sauce and cheese. Garnish with more fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes and then bake, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the lasagna is golden brown. Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with another drizzle of olive oil.

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Oil-Free Hush Puppies (The Vegan 8)

Oil-Free Hush Puppies

Source: The Vegan 8.

YIELDS 16

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (7 g) mixed with 3 tablespoons warm water, about 45 ml)
• 1 cup corn flour, not cornmeal (130 g, I used [Bob's Red Mill Corn Flour)
• 1 1/4 cups almond meal (125 g, I used Trader Joe's, it has a superfine texture, not gritty)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (really gives depth of flavor, don't omit)
• 4 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion (58 g)
• 3/4 cup "lite" canned coconut milk (shake the can well prior to measuring. Or sub with another creamy milk like soy or cashew, creamy is best)
• Optional: 1/4 cup corn kernels (I didn't add any to mine, but I know some people like corn in their hushpuppies)

Coating:

• 2 tablespoons corn flour (15 g)
• 2 tablespoons almond meal (12 g)
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Note: These hushpuppies use corn flour and almond meal for their base. It gives them a wonderful, soft texture and keeps them moist so they are totally oil-free. If you sub either of these flours or measure incorrectly you will end up with a completely different texture.

Instructions

1. Mix your flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water and warm for 20 seconds in the microwave. You want the water very warm, this will help the flaxseed mixture to gel up really well and act as an "egg". Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, almond meal, baking powder, cayenne pepper, coconut sugar and salt and whisk everything really well until mixed. As always, for accurate results, use a kitchen scale to weigh your flours. When measuring the almond meal, scoop it up with your measuring cup and lightly pat down and then level off with your finger.
3. In a separate small bowl, add the white onion and coconut milk (shake can first) and stir well. Add the reserved flaxseed mixture and stir until well mixed. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until it all comes together into a thick, sticky batter. It should be soft and sticky. Now, you could roll them into balls now if you like, but they will be a bit sticky to deal with, so place the batter into the fridge for one hour and then proceed.
4. After the batter has chilled, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
5. Mix together the "coating" ingredients well into a small bowl with a whisk. Roll all the dough into 16 balls about the size of golf balls. Put a little corn flour on your hands to combat the stickiness. Coat each ball well with the coating mixture, shaking off any excess. After I coated each one, I rolled into my palms again to keep the round shape. Place them on the prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes, flip them over and bake another 7 minutes (15 minutes total), so they get a nice golden brown color on each side.
6. Let them cool just 10 minutes on the pan, then devour! These are best eaten immediately the day they are made, as they tend to dry out later. Eat them on their own or dip them in ketchup or mustard or even my Lemon Pepper Cream Sauce .

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Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: Running With Spoons.

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
10 mins

Total time
20 mins

Yields: 12 cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup whole wheat flour 
• ½ cup rolled oats 
• ¼ cup unrefined sugar 
• ½ tsp. baking powder 
• ¼ tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg 
• ¼ tsp. ground ginger-fresh 
• ¼ cup honey 
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1½ Tbsp. coconut oil 
• ¼ cup dairy free chocolate chips (can also use regular) 

Paige's Recipe Notes:

• Add more sugar 
• Sub baking powder for dash of baking soda and 1 egg white

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a cookie sheet or cover it with parchment paper. 
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. Mix until well combined and set aside. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, pumpkin, and vanilla, then stir in oil to incorporate. 
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips. 
5. Using a rounded tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, and flatten slightly. 
6. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges begin to turn golden brown. 
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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Mindfulness

"Healing Anxiety Through Embodied Mindfulness" by Irene Tobler and Saundra Stephen

Source: Hippocrates Health Institute Magazine.

Read this issue online.

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Quote on a Leaf

Text reads: 
"I express myself freely and easily I can communicate my thoughts clearly and effectively
I hear and speak the truth
Open your throat chakra!"

One source for parts of this affirmation: Natural Healing Center's Throat Chakra PDF.

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