Sunday Food Prep – what went down in my kitchen (9)

Hi there!

Is it just me or is anyone else disappointed that Monday actually made an appearance?

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Oh well, I guess it’s a good thing it showed up otherwise we’d never see Friday, right? #brightside

So, I spent a little more time on my feet this weekend than I probably should have.

I really should have put myself in that stupid walking boot but I didn’t. I just kept popping Advil and taking “rest breaks.”

*sigh*

I’ll never learn.

Anyway, I got down to some serious business in the kitchen on Sunday!

I don’t know exactly what hit me but I was a food prepping FOOL yesterday.

And, it wasn’t even that cold out – 40-50s maybe (and yes, that’s cold but it sure beats the 20s!) – but I felt the need to build a fire so I did.

Most awesome fire ever! #madskills

Between the fireplace, my oven, and the kitties who kept occupying my lap every time I sat down, I was as toasty as a marshmallow. 🙂

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So, the first thing I made was a loaf of bread.

I’ve mentioned before about tummy issues so I’ve decided to toss out gluten for a little bit and see what happens.

Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m not allergic and I definitely don’t have celiac but it’s worth a shot to see if maybe I have a gluten sensitivity.

I bought this Bob’s Red Mill gluten free whole grain bread mix and went from there. I made one last week and it made great toast that tasted amazing with smushed avocado on it. Mmmmmm

I actually bought some gluten free flour but, in order to make the bread rise, you have to substitute something “gluten-like.”

Like xantham gum.

Which, for one thing, I can’t even pronounce and, for another thing, is ridiculously expensive.

I’m not committing to it until I know. For now, I’ll spend $8 on a mix that has everything in it that I need, minus the eggs, fat, and cider vinegar. Yeah, I don’t get it either but it’s a small amount and the bread tastes great so….fine. Cider vinegar it is.

I also stocked up on quinoa so I made a nice big batch.

Had some for breakfast this morning – 1 cup quinoa, 1/2 cup milk, heat 60 seconds, add fruit. I also added some raw honey and almond butter because, duh, it’s raw honey and almond butter. 🙂

I snagged an organic chicken at the Harris Teeter and put that in the crockpot for about 5 hours.

I’ve made it before but this time, it literally fell apart when I took it out.

After I shredded it, which we’ll use for salads, sandwiches, quick meals, etc, I put all the bones and skin back into the crockpot, added some onion, carrot, celery, fresh thyme, some dried oregano, a bay leaf, and a bunch of water and I set it to LOW for 12 hours.

When I woke up this morning, I had homemade chicken broth that I portioned out into mason jars.

I had to come in to work early so I left them on the counter to cool and Thing 2 took care of freezing/refrigerating them for me.

I ran out of time to snap a picture but broth is broth and my counter pretty much looked like this, like last time. 🙂

Then, for dinner, I made Roni’s beef and sweet potato chili.

Holy. Yum.

I pretty much followed her recipe exactly except I added a teaspoon of some super-hot fire sauce I picked up a few weeks ago.

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There are only 2 things I would do differently – I would definitely cut the sweet taters into smaller chunks (honestly, I left them pretty big) and I would definitely use a whole lot less spinach. Like half. Or, I might leave it out and substitute something else. Thing 2 wasn’t crazy about it and thing 2’s BF didn’t eat at all because he “doesn’t do sweet potatoes” or pumpkin.

Whatevs. More for me! Cuz, I thought the chili was amazeballs. 🙂

I also roasted some chickpeas but they didn’t turn out very picture worthy. I may or may not have been lulled into a brief nap by the warmth of the fire and a snuggly lap cat. They’re a little on the burnt side. #dontjudgeme

Talk to me: What’s on your menu for Thanksgiving? Are you going to food prep in advance?

– jennifer

Roasted Veggie & Chicken Stew

Hello, hello!

Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner?!

I was out doing some last minute Christmas shopping and I came across this.

I just had to have it!

So, I bought it. 🙂

Hey, surely I’m not the only person in the world who’s done that?

I am?

Oh.  Well. Don’t judge me.

Anywho, it’s been a super busy physical week for me.

Raked 28 bags of leaves on Monday, smashed my fingers for good measure, 5 1/4 mile tempo/hill run on Tuesday, 9 miles on Thursday + a 3 mile walk through the park with Thing 2, and another 3 mile walk in the park with my sailor yesterday.

I was supposed to do 20 miles this morning.

Um, no.

I twisted my foot a little on Thursday and, after yesterday’s walk, there was no way my foot was going to hold up. It’s not swollen but it’s definitely stiff. It’s been healing pretty well since I did whatever to it back a few months ago but I don’t want to take any chances.

So, I’m resting it and I’ll jump back on the mileage on Monday.

I’m feeling more confident about being able to finish the marathon but I certainly can’t go into it with a hurt foot.

I’ve been so hungry this week!

And, really tired. Holy cow, am I getting a ton of sleep!

And totally craving veggies!

So, I made up a dish with some yummy roasted veggies, rotisserie chicken, and black beans.

Om nom nom!

Roasted Veggie & Chicken Stew

1 rotisserie chicken, pulled apart and bones discarded (or, roast your own chicken and shred that bad boy up)
1 sweet potato, cut into wedges
2 red bell peppers, cut into chunks
handful of baby carrots (as many as you want)
1 small red onion, cut into quarters
1 small yellow onion, cut into quarters
5-10 garlic cloves, NOT peeled (I love garlic so I used 10. You may not love garlic as much as me. Fine. Remove the papery coating but don’t peel the cloves)
Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken broth
fresh rosemary, thyme and sage (aka the poultry blend)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potato, bell peppers, carrots, onions, and garlic on large, rimmed baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2. Shred rotisserie chicken into a large Dutch oven and add black beans.

3. Toss with roasted veggies and chopped herbs. Add broth (up to a cup) and heat over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, until heated through and seasonings mesh. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

4. EAT!

Question: Sweet potatoes – yum or yuck?

Posole

Comfort food – when you think about it, it’s kinda what makes the world turn. Everyone has some memory of a dish that Mom or Dad or Grandma or whomever made that makes them think of home. I have two – chicken curry and chicken curry.  There was nothing better in the world than coming in the house after a cold day outside sledding, making snowmen, playing football or whatever and being greeted by the spicy smell of curry or the pungent odor of the vinegar and garlic in the adobe sauce.  Ahhh….heaven!

I found a great recipe that could possibly achieve that status – Posole. Interestingly enough, this dish is considered Mexican comfort food. It’s a brothy stew chock full of braised pork, green chiles and hominy. The aromas of cumin and oregano will fill your home and have you salivating the minute you walk through the door. Yep, that’s right! I’m talking crockpot comfort food. A small amount of prep in the morning and you’ll have memories etched in your head when you get home from work, working out, or whatever. What are you waiting for? Start up your crockpot and make some new family memories.

Posole
recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 (1-lb) pork tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 2/3 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 (15.5-ounce) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
1 cup packaged angel hair slaw
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes (about 4)
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
2 limes, each cut into 4 wedges (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan. Cook 8 minutes, browning on all sides.

2. Combine pork, broth, and next 9 ingredients (through chiles) in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Ladle Posole into bowls; top with slaw, radishes, and avocado. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Serve with corn bread (or muffins), if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cup soup, 2 tablespoons slaw, 1 tablespoon radishes, and 1 tablespoon avocado)
Calories 213; Fat 6.1g (saturated 1.2g, monounsaturated 3g, polyunsaturated 1.3g); Protein 26.7g; Carbohydrates 12.4g; Fiber 3.4g; Cholesterol 74mg; Iron 2.1mg; Sodium 553mg; Calcium 39mg