Fish Stew with Turkey Sausage

The fall feels like it is rolling in. My plants hate this quick temperature drop. Everyone and everything around me is in need of some comfort food.

Usually when people describe comfort food, I hear of mac and cheese, casseroles, meatloaf, and other delicious items. When I think of comfort food, I think of what I grew up with... fish soup. My mother made the most delicious one but it used a full head of fish, many vegetables, an enormous pot, and many hours of labor.

She would start around 9 am procuring the ingredients but the fish soup would take the whole day to make and cook down. It was always ready by dinner time and it was perfect. I wish I had the energy, strength, and courage to make a dish like that. But very honestly, I don't....not A not B, and definitely not C.

Therefore, to make what I call comfort food, I had to use quick and easy ingredients working towards the flavor and taste of comfort. I am impressed with the result. I am impressed with the taste. I am almost certain that my mother would be proud but that is less important. I am proud of the end result. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do.



Ingredients:

1-2 Tilapia filets
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, sliced or diced
6-8 large shrimp, cooked and frozen
1/4 cup diced Smoked Turkey Sausage (I used Butterball)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 pinch of dried Mediterranean Oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
dash of Creole Seasoning (not particularly necessary)
1 tbsp tomato sauce or tomato paste
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash of ground black pepper

Recipe:

(1) In a medium sauce pan, sprayed with olive oil, saute red onion on medium heat, until browned.
(2) In a medium-sized pot, saute celery and red bell pepper until wilted. Add onions to this dish.
(3) Add 1 cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil.
(4) In the medium sauce pan, add the fennel seeds, turning occasionally to brown.
(5) In the pot with the vegetables, add the remaining seasonings: thyme, oregano, creole seasoning, mustard, garlic powder, black pepper, and ketchup, followed by the tomato paste.
(6) When the pot begins to boil, add the tilapia and shrimp. This will extract a lot of shellfish flavor.
(7) Lastly add the diced sausage that is already cooked. I used a type that is fully cooked to save myself the time.
(8) Bring this to a simmer, leaving the lid off to allow the soup to reduce (approximately 8-10 minutes).

Serve and enjoy. This a delicious, hearty dish that provides both nourishment and energy. Definitely something great to savor when the temperature begins to drop. Sit back and enjoy.

Turkey two-bean chili and gluten-free biscuits

One of my good friends, who has a gluten allergy, recently sent me a wonderful recipe for turkey chili with gluten-free cheesy biscuits. I don't have pictures to show but just imagine the delicious flavorful combination from these details. Try it and let us know what you think.

Guest post from B. Riley

Turkey two-bean chili

I created this recipe when HBH came to visit and announced that he doesn't eat beef. Here we go:

Recipe:

(1) Brown the following: 1lb ground turkey, 1lb hot italian poultry sausage, 1lb sweet italian poultry sausage, 2 c mushrooms.

(2) Once browned, add 2 tbsp tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.
(3) Add herbs: 3 tbsp minced garlic, one large sweet onion, 2 tsp thyme, 2 tbsp chipotle powder, 2 tbsp chili powder.
Cook until onions are translucent. 

(4) Add cumin, 2 more tsp thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, and stir.
(5) Add 3 cans stewed tomatoes, 1 can black beans (drained) 1 can white beans (drained), 1 can sweet corn (drained), 2 tsp thyme, 2 tbsp chili powder, 2 tbsp chipotle powder. 

(6) Stir, cover, simmer for 30 minutes.

Makes at least 10 cups of chili or 40 servings. Freezes well, too.


I served that with 

Cheesy garlic biscuits

Ingredients:

2 c gluten-free bisquick
1 c low fat sour cream
2 c low fat mild cheddar cheese
2 tsp (heaping) garlic powder

Recipe:

(1) Mix all ingredients until crumbly. Form into little balls and stuff down into a silicone mini-muffin pan. 

(2) Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Makes 24 biscuits.

Split, pour on the chili, top, and serve in cute little dishes. - or split and serve on little spoons for "bites". :-D

Note: As always, gluten free can be replaced with regular (especially with bisquick).

Lentil Chicken Soup

For two weeks, I craved lentils. I remember the delicious lentils seasoned with cumin, garlic, and onion that my mom would miraculously put together after coming home from work when I was young. Recently, I was fortunate to have my mom visiting with us in North Carolina. It was a great visit. After a quick trip to Weaver Street Market, we made lentil soup. This time, we cooked together, making this dish extra special.

Lentil Chicken Soup
adapted from The Joy of Cooking


Ingredients:


1 cup lentils (8 oz.), picked over and rinsed
4 - 5 cups water (more or less depended on desired thickness)
olive oil cooking spray
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced tomatoes with juice
2 sprigs of thyme (fresh, if you have it) or 1/2-1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chopped chicken breast (optional)
1/4 tsp. cumin
dash of oregano
salt and pepper, to taste


Recipe:


1) Rinse the lentils with water. Begin boiling the lentils in water with the dried thyme, cumin, and oregano in a medium stock pot. Do not yet add the salt and pepper.


2) While the lentils are boiling, spray a medium sauté pan with olive oil. On medium heat, add the diced onions and minced garlic. Sauté until slightly browned and add to the stock pot with lentils.


3) Reduce the heat on the lentils to a simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning. Add the tomatoes and apple cider vinegar after 15-20 minutes to the pot. 


4) While the lentils simmer, spray the medium sauté pan again with olive oil. On medium heat, add the diced chicken breast. Sauté until cooked through. Remove from heat and add cooked chicken to the stock pot.


5) Taste soup, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Serve in a 1/2 cup portion as an appetizer or a 1 cup portion as an entree with warm bread/flatbread/pita.


Enjoy this wholesome, delicious treat. I sure did!

Spicy White Bean Chili

I recently made a chili for a group of friends. It turned out well so I decided to post the recipe without the picture. But believe me.... If you follow this rough recipe, even with a little extra of this or that, it will come out well. Chili, my friends, is forgiving. That is why I love it.

Spicy White Bean Chili



Seasonings:


1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp malt vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tbsp barley syrup (I used) or molasses
1 tsp Adobo spice
1 jalapeno chopped with seeds
1 habanero (left intact and removed before serving)
2 cloves garlic, chopped


Base Ingredients:


2 cups water
1 can pinto beans
1/2 container of Great Northern Beans (Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped




Recipe:


(1) Spray a 2 quart pan with olive oil. Add chopped garlic and onions and saute until slightly brown on medium heat.
(2) Add the red and green bell peppers to the mixture. Saute for 3-5 minutes.
(3) Add the beans and tomato sauce to the pan, followed by the jalapeno. Saute for a 2-3 minutes. Add water, spices, malt vinegar, and apple cider vinegar. 
(4) After 30 minutes, lower the heat. Add the habanero and the small tomatoes. Simmer for 1 hour (basically forget about it). 
(5) Remove habanero and serve.


Always with chili, it tastes better after a few hours of letting the flavors meld. I like to make a day in advance but this tastes good right after making.


Either way, enjoy.

Delicious cakes from Christmas and Tailgating

After many requests, I know I had to post pics of some of the other things I ate on Christmas.
My future mother-in-law made a lower sugar version of this 7-up cake that was very light and fluffy.

She also made this buttermilk pie. The delicious flavor of the nutmeg in the buttermilk pie is very memorable. 




After a wonderful Christmas, I took my fiancé to the 49er-Lions game in San Francisco to celebrate him for all that he does. We had a great time.


It inspired us to cook a pot of turkey-sausage chili. It was quick and easy. Can we claim we tailgated without doing it at the stadium? I say we can.



Turkey-Sausage Chili with nachos

Ingredients:


1 can kidney beans (50% reduced sodium)
1 can black beans (50% reduced sodium)
Lean turkey meat diced
2 pork sausages sliced
2 roma tomatoes
habanero sauce (we used trinidadian hot sauce but add jalapenos/habaneros to your liking)
1/2 large onion or 1 medium onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup shredded light cheese
1 cup beef or chicken stock (reduced sodium)
1 cup tomato sauce 
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar


Note: For each of the canned ingredients, we chose reduced sodium versions since the meats do provide a good amount of sodium. If you were using left-over turkey meat or don't mind the salt (or the bloating), regular sodium versions could be substituted. 


(1) Preheat the broiler for the nachos.
(2) In a large pot, brown the chopped onions. Meanwhile, in a separate frying pan, brown the sausages.
(3) When the sausages are fully cooked, add them to the onions. Chopped bell peppers can next be added and allowed to cook until soft.
(4) Add 1 cup of beef stock and 1 cup tomato sauce. Make sure you choose a tomato sauce with lower sugar if you are watching the carbs.

(5) Next, add the beans, which have been washed twice with water to remove the additives that mask the flavor of the bean. Also, add in the diced turkey and the jalapenos, if you are not using pepper sauce.
(6) Allow the pot to simmer and the flavors to meld. You will want the sauce to reduce to about 2/3rds. 
(7) Meanwhile, sprinkle the cheese over the nacho chips in a baking  pan or tray. Place in the broiler for 4-6 min (keep an eye on these because they can burn quickly). Remove and cover with foil until the chili is complete.
(8) Here is the most important part. Season the chili to taste with your pepper sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. If you are using jalapenos, add these around step 5 so the flavor permeates the dish.


We had a great time at the game, tailgating, and most importantly eating the delicious, filling chili. 

We couldn't resist after the bowls of chili, a sweet treat sent from my phenomenal mom. It is a delightful, light, and moist cake filled with raisins and other fruits that have been soaking for months in rum. Additional Rum is added to the cake before packaging in an alumninum tin and allowed to soak in. 


Here are pics of her rum cake (recipe still tba). Yummm.