Stop... Don't Throw Vegetable Scraps Out!

Did you know you can save the trimmings from your vegetables to make stock?  That's what I do and it saves you time and money. Unless your saving your vegetable scraps for compost, you could be using them to make any variety of stocks.
I am not at all against using the store bought stock that comes in cans and cartons, but nothing is better than homemade stock. What I do is I use a gallon size freezer zip bag to store the scraps. As I am prepping recipes I place all the vegetable scraps on a plate. When I say all, I mean all the end and the skins from the onions, which adds a deep color naturally to your stock, the greens from scallions, the tops and the peels from carrots, the bottoms of romaine lettuce or celery, parsley stems, the woody stalks from broccoli ... pretty much anything that is a vegetable goes into my scrap bag.  Of course, there are exceptions, I do not add potato peels (white or sweet) of any kind because it "dirties" the stock or beets and red onions, unless you want a red/pink stock. Green, white, yellow and orange vegetables all make it into the scrap bag. I'll collect 2-gallon size bags worth of vegetables before using them for stock. If I am making a vegetable stock, I tend to use 3-gallon size bags worth of scraps.
You are probably wondering, who has time to make stock? Everyone does! If you have a slow cooker, all you have to do is chuck all your ingredients in to it, set it on low for 8-10 hours and you've got stock. Portion out into freezer safe containers, zip bags or into ice cube trays and you are ready to elevate and enhance your recipes. Give it a try and not only will you be utilizing all your food resources, but you'll know what you putting into your food and body.

Spring Pea Soup

It's the quintessential lunch; soup and salad or soup and a sandwich. I really enjoy accompanying a salad, sandwich or wrap with a soup.  It rounds out the meal and you'll be less likely to overindulge too. Unlike other recipes that use chicken stock, I use vegetable stock, which enhances the flavor of the peas and gives it a light spring taste. If you want to trim some of the calories, use skim milk and fat free half & half. 

Serves 2

1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 tablespoon light butter

3 - 4 shallots, small dice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 garlic gloves, crushed

5-6 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup milk (use your preference, whole, 2%, skim etc)

1/2 cup half and half

In a medium stainless steel pot heat the oil and butter over medium heat and add shallots, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, saute for 3 minutes. Next add garlic gloves, basil and parsley, cook for another 2 minutes and add stock and the peas. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 5-7 minutes.

Using either a blender or immersion stick blender, process until smooth. Stir in milk and half & half, heat through but do not boil. Add remaining salt or season to taste.

Serve with dollop of sour cream and a light spring salad or wrap. ENJOY!

Cuban Ropa Vieja or Cuban Shredded Beef in Sauce

"Ropa Vieja" literally translates to "old clothes".  This refers to the stringy, twisted look of the beef in this dish.  This is a classic Cuban dish.  The smells of the "sofrito" as it cooks and permeates the air, takes me back to my moms kitchen. It's memory evoking aroma is bittersweet. The main portion of this dish cooks very quickly, however, the meat needs to cook in water first before it is transformed into Ropa Vieja. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do at our home.


Serves 4-6

To prepare the meat:
2 1/2 - 3 pounds eye round roast, cut into long chunks
1 large onion quartered
3-4 garlic cloves crushed
1 large green bell pepper
2 quarts of water





Place all of the ingredient into a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. If you don't have a slow cooker, you can simmer the meat for about 2-3 hours, until fork tender. Once cooked, pull the beef like you would string cheese so that you have beef strings of different thicknesses. Set aside to make Ropa Vieja. TIP: Do no throw out the yummy stock the beef made while it cooked. Simply cool, remove any fat, strain and freeze in portions as needed.

To make the Ropa Vieja

White Bean & Spanish Chorizo Soup

I have a new favorite bean ... Great Northern White Beans! I am completely enamored of these dusty white little gems.  When cooked they are soft and creamy, and have a rich buttery flavor. So, after a 4 day weekend hiatus to the Hollywood beach boardwalk and a bit too much food and libations, our tummies needed something homey and comforting.  I was craving this simple, yet satisfying soup. The addition of the Spanish chorizo adds an extra depth and layer of flavor to this soup.

Serves 4

1 pound great northern white beans
5-6 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1" strips
40 oz (5 cups) vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into half moons
1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
2 links fresh Spanish chorizo, sliced into coins
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped, stems discarded
1 1/2  teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Salt Will Keep Your Beans from Softening

Did you know you shouldn't add salt to your beans until they are softened?  That's right, adding salt to your beans when you start cooking them will inhibit the softening process. The salt actually prevents the starches in the beans from breaking down, thus producing a hard bean. Beans are a superfood! They are high in fiber and protein and rich in anti-oxidants, and because they digest at a slower rate than their protein counterpart - meat, they keep you full longer and that makes them great for your waistline.  Beans are so versatile and it's another food staple that I think people, in general, tend to shy away from. I have found that the best way to prepare dried beans for cooking is as follows:

1. Soak beans overnight in water. At least 8 hours or more. The ratio I use for the soaking is 2:1 (2 parts water to 1 part bean)
2. If possible, I like to change out the soaking water a few times.
3. Never cook in the soaking water. Discard and and rinse your beans.
4. Place your beans in a stock pot or dutch oven. Add enough water or unsalted stock to cover beans about an inch over top of beans. You can add aromatics, such a onions, peppers etc., but NO salt.

Petits Oignons, Mushrooms & Chicken à la Sauce

Can you tell by the title of this post I was in a Parisian mood? I knew I was going to have a busy day, with a 3 mile run this morning followed by some grocery shopping and then vet visits for Lennon, our beagle and Sophie, our silver tabby. But, a simple but very Parisian inspired dish, I knew would hit the spot at the end of the day. I had a pound of chicken breast brining in the fridge overnight. I had no idea then what I was going to do with it, till I hit the running path this morning! And so, here is the recipe for my française inspired dish. 

Serves 4

1 pound chicken breast*, diced into 1" cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound frozen* pearl onions, defrosted, reserve the "onion" water 
8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered

Ginger-Coconut Curry Shrimp

Last Friday, I was in the mood for curry and coconut with some heat and I also wanted shrimp! So here's what I came up with, and it was delicious! The Hub and I had seconds, not something we do often, as we both try to not over-indulge, but we just couldn't resist!

Serves 4

Shrimp stock:
Using all the shrimp peels, plus  1 small onion roughly chopped, skin and all, 4 cups of water. Cook in a mini slow cooker on low for 8 hours or stove top bring to a boil for one minute, simmer for an hour or longer. Using the onion's skin adds flavor and a rich color to the stock. Freeze any leftover stock for use in future recipes!

Mix 1 cup shrimp stock + 1 cup coconut milk + 3 tablespoons unsweetened finely shredded coconut and 2 teaspoons honey together. Set aside 1/4 cup, and when cooled add 2 generous teaspoons of cornstarch, stir to incorporate.