Chicken Vegetable Stew

At this time of year a hot stew goes a long way! This one is full of great vegetables and tasty marinated chicken. Sop up the juices with some fresh whole grain bread. If you don't appreciate the strong taste of parsnip, substitute another vegetable of your choice, such as butternut squash.

Ingredients:

4 large chicken breasts, marinated for several hours or overnight in 2 tsps olive oil; 1/2 juice of one lemon; salt & pepper. Chop the chicken into 1 inch cubes.
8 cups water
2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 tbsps olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups (large jar) strained tomatoes
8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
small can of tomato paste (about 4 heaping tbsps)
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 large white potatoes, chopped (leave peel on but scrub well)
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
10 brussel sprouts, chopped
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2tsps dried basil
1 tsp dried hot chili peppers
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in 2 tbsps olive oil until onion is soft. Add chopped chicken and saute until the chicken is lightly browned.
2. Stir in water, broth, tomatoes. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Lower heat to medium and stir in tomato paste until incorporated. Add remaining ingredients, except peas. Stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about one hour.
3. Add peas and basil; stir and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, covered. Ladle into large bowls and serve with whole grain bread.

Spicy Vegetable Bean Soup

This soup is full of so many different vitamins & nutrients! The beans add protein and fibre & the spices just top it off. I served this with some homemade crispy tortilla chips by slicing up some store bought soft tortillas into triangle shapes, laying them out on a very lightly oiled baking sheet & seasoning lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake the tortillas in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on them so they don't brown).This is a vegan recipe & makes a complete meal.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 large sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet potato, scrubbed and chopped into one inch pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 head of broccoli, barky part of stem removed & remaining stem peeled, chop everything and you want the flowers to be fairly small
2 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped (or two teaspoons of garlic powder)
1 19 oz can of 3 bean medley, rinsed and drained
1 19 oz can of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
5 cups of water (or you can use 1 cup of low sodium vegetable broth and 4 cups of water)
1/2 tsp sea salt & 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dry chili peppers (or to taste)
1 tsp picante hot sauce
1 tsp chipotle hot sauce
2 tsps chopped parsley

Directions:

1. In a large heavy saucepan, heat one tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and sweet pepper and saute until softened. Add all ingredients, except parsley & stir softly. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Add parsley and stir.

2. Remove 2 cups of the soup and put it through the food processor or blender until well pureed. Return this to the soup pot and stir---this will thicken the broth. Serve in large bowls and scoop with toasted tortilla chips or a spoon. You can also sprinkle a tsp of parmesan cheese over the soup in the bowls (of course then it would not be vegan).

Baked Vegetable Samosas

These samosas have a nice kick to them and because they are baked, not fried, they are much healthier and lower in calories than the fried ones. This recipe makes 8 large or 16 small samosas. This is a vegan recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pkg of fresh whole wheat pizza dough---enough to make two pizzas (readily available at Italian grocery stores)
2 tsps olive or canola oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 red sweet pepper, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
One 28 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup of water
1 tsp dried crushed hot chili peppers
1 tsp picante hot sauce
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the dough in a very lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel & let stand at room temperature for about one hour to allow it to rise.
2. To prepare the filling, place the drained chickpeas in a food processor or blender. Add 3/4 cup of water and puree until fairly smooth (this is a personal choice as some may prefer their filling to be more chunky).
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high. Add the cumin and stir constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the onion, sweet red pepper, carrot and garlic; cook, stirring as needed, until the onion and vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas, dried chili peppers & hot sauce; cook, stirring gently until most of the liquid is absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in the green peas, lemon juice, salt and pepper, taking care not to mash the peas. Let stand about 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Have a small bowl of water close by.
5. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Using a dusted rolling bin, roll out each ball into a thin 8 inch round & cut each in half. Scoop two tbsps of filling into the centre of each round of dough. (You can make 16 smaller samosas by cutting the 8 inch round into quarters and using one heaping tbsp of filling in each one). Dip your fingers in the bowl of water and moisten the edges of dough with a few drops. Fold dough over the filling and pinch edges firmly together to seal. Repeat until all samosas are made. Brush all sides very lightly with vegetable oil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.