Weekly Recipes: Chicken Noodle soup

Bad week, bad week, sorry.

We have a really easy recipe this week, but one that even my pickiest eater wolfed down!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

One large chicken breast, cooked and shredded,
2 tbsp butter
2 Large carrots, chopped
5-6 sprouts sliced
3-4 cups chicken stock
2 sheets of dried noodles

Method

• Saute the carrots and sprouts in the butter.
• Add chicken stock and shredded chicken, and simmer for 15 mins. 
• Add noodles, season with salt and pepper, and cook for the length of time given on the instructions. 
• Serve, and enjoy!

So simple, yet so delicious!!!!

Bonus Recipe : Taco Seasoning!!

One thing we use a lot of in our house is Taco Seasoning. We used to buy it in, back when we didn't know any better, but then I found out how easy it is to make, and how much better it tastes!!!!

Ingredients

2 tsp chilli powder

1 ½ tsp paprika

1 ½ tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

¾ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

Method

·       Mix!!!!

It really is that easy!! And super tasty!! Give it a go, you will LOVE it!! 

Weekly Recipes: Mexican Lasagna

I have to admit, I'm not the biggest Lasagna fan usually. It's the moussy white Bechamel sauce that gets me. So we modified our family version to only have 1 layer of plain cheese sauce. However, I still have to really be in the mood. That was until we found this amazing Mexican version!! Now this is my fave!!!

Ingredients

1lb Beef mince
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tins of tomatoes, or 6 fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped, with seeds
2 carrots, diced
3 tbsp Taco Seasoning
6 lasagna sheets (to fit a large glass dish)
1 pack Organic tortilla chips
Grated cheese to top

Method

• Fry diced onion in the butter until clear and then add Garlic. Saute for 2 mins. 
• Add the mince and cook until browned.
• Add the 2 tins of tomatoes, the seasoning, and the carrots and simmer for 10 mins. 
• Transfer about half of the mixture to a glass baking dish, and layer on the lasagna sheets. Put on the other half of the mixture and layer with Tortilla chips.
• Add the grated cheese and return to oven for 15 mins, until cheese is brown, and pasta is cooked.
• Serve with green salad and optional salsa.

MMmmmmmm my new favourite!!!

Enjoy!

Fermenting flop, Weekly Recipe: Lacto-fermented Carrots and Ginger

So I can't seem to get the hang of this fermenting lark!

My second try had had to go in the bin, again!

My first go was with sauerkraut, but I put too much salt in, and it tasted nasty!!! (although, having never tried any kind of sauerkraut, I'm not sure what it SHOULD taste of...)

I brushed that off and tried the carrot and ginger recipe from my Nourishing Traditions book, but that went mouldy on the top after 5 days!!

Grrrr!!! I keep reading how good it is for you, and I am trying to convince hubby that it's a good idea, but all he sees at the mo, is me wasting food!!!

Anyway, I am not going to be beaten, and I will try again soon, and for those of you who are better at these things than me, here is the recipe I was using!

Lacto-fermented Carrots and ginger
Ingredients
4 cups grated carrots
1 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs salt
4 tbs whey (if not available, use extra tbs salt)

Put all ingredients into a bowl, and use a mallet, or your clean hand to release the juices out of the ingredients.
Place in a wide mouth mason jar, and push ingredients down so the juices cover the carrots. The juices need to be at least an inch above the carrots. 
Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for about 3 days, before transferring to cold storage.

Sounds great, now if i can just get it to work for me......

Weekly (Friday) Recipe: My spicy Tomato Stir fry Sauce

When I started down this real food journey, there were a few things that I really couldn't get my head around making from scratch. Ketchup was one, and stir fry sauce was another. 

I couldn't see how I could compete with the sticky, sugary, sour, florescent sauces that came in a jar in the supermarket, so I just avoided making stir fry.

The problem is, we LOVE stir fry. So I put it in one of my meal plans, and thought, "I'll wing it..."

And here is the result. Easy peasy, but super tasty.

Ingredients
1 can of Tinned Tomatoes
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
splash of Worcestershire sauce

Method
Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth
Strain through a sieve, and add to meat and vegetables. 
Cook all together for 5 mins.
Serve.

So yummy, and goes well with any meat.

Enjoy!