If you are on my email list be looking for an extra email each week for the next 10-12 weeks as I feature what you can eat at local and National chain restaurants and still stay within the guidelines of healthy eating!  I am excited about this series I am going to be doing because let’s face it, we get tired of cooking and some days we are just plain tired and going out sounds so easy.  Who doesn’t like easy.

This week is all about soups, chili and stew.  Baby it’s cold outside and what better way to warm up than with a hot tasty bowl of soup, chili or stew.  Although the recipes do not call for crock pots this week, you can cook any of these using a crock pot, just remember to brown any meats first before adding them to the crock pot.

Weekly Tips

#1 I am sure we all made a resolution for 2016, have you kept it or broke it already?  Don’t worry and attempt at getting healthy is a step forward.  If you fail, guess what there is a new day and you can start again, but the important point is to remain determined and keep trying.

#2 REMEMBER this – it took you 5, 10, maybe 15 years to pack on all the extra weight you carry.  SO, that being said, DO NOT expect it to go away in a few weeks or even a few months.  It could take up to a year to lose unwanted pounds in a safe manner that does not require surgery.  Keep trying and don’t give up.

 

Texas Beef Chili with Poblanos and Beer

2 Tbl olive oil

2 large sweet onions

3 poblano peppers stemmed, seeded and diced

5 garlic cloves diced

1 tsp salt

4-5 lbs beef chuck cut into 2 inch cubes

2 bay leafs preferably fresh

2 cinnamon sticks or 1 drop Young Living Cinnamon essential oil

1/8 tsp ground cloves or 1/2 drop Young Living Clove essential oil

1/4 C ground New Mexico Chili powder

1 Tbl plus 1 tsp ground cumin

12 oz of amber or bock beer

8 C beef broth

Mexican Style Crema or sour cream

1 med red onion diced

3 tomatoes chopped

1/3 C fresh chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet heat 1 Tbl olive oil and over med heat add the sweet onions and saute until translucent and soft, add the poblanos and continue to saute and reduce heat in order to not brown the onions.  Add the garlic and salt and cook an additional 5 mins.  In a dutch oven or large pot with a lid add 1 Tbl olive oil and brown the beef cubes on all sides until crusty.  Remove the beef to a plate.  Return everything to the dutch oven and add the rest of the spices, cook and stir until they form a thick paste on the meat.  Watch carefully and do not scorch the spices.  Add beer to deglaze the pan, and simmer until reduced and meat mixture is thick.  Add beef broth and reduce heat to low, simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

When done remove about 2 cups of the beef and shred with a fork, return to dutch oven and stir, this will help to thicken chili.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some of the chopped tomato, onion and cilantro.

Fresh Tomato Soup

20 medium to large ripe tomatoes or more if desired

2 cans chicken broth or your own homemade broth

1/2 C butter

1 Tbl olive oil

1 C finely chopped onion

1 C finely chopped celery

1 C finely chopped carrots

1/2 C finely chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper

1 tsp or more of salt to taste

2 tsp ground black pepper or one drop Young Living Black Pepper essential oil

2 tsp dried or fresh basil or 2 drops Young Living Basil essential oil

1 C flour

3 TBL tomato paste or more to desired taste

3 tsp chicken bullion granules

1 C heavy cream or evaporated milk

Using the essential oils in your cooking really makes the meal “POP” it is not necessary, but, if you have them handy use them for a great tasting meal sure to please.

NO RETAIL STORE OILS PLEASE as I cannot guarantee their safety and purity for ingestion.

DIRECTIONS

Core tomatoes, chop into 1 inch chunks and place them along with their juice in a large stockpot.  Add 12 oz chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Lower heat, cover and simmer until tomatoes are soft.  Allow mixture to cool slightly and pour mixture through a large colander or sieve, press with a wooden spoon to get out all the liquid possible.  Discard seeds and peels.  You should have about 3 1/2 quarts of liquid.  In another stock pan heat oil and butter.  Once butter is melted add the onion, celery, carrot and peppers, and saute until soft, about 5 mins.  Add salt, pepper and basil and saute another 5 mins.  Reduce heat to low and gradually add flour, stirring to make a thick paste.  Slowly add 1 quart of tomato liquid stirring until smooth.  Stir in tomato paste and remaining liquid, and another 12 oz chicken stock and chicken bullion.  Simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.  When ready to serve, remove from heat and stir in the cream.  Taste to adjust the seasoning if needed.

Make a big hearty salad to go with this!

Kale and Meatball Soup

1/2 pound ground beef

1/4 pound ground turkey

1/2 C diced onion

1 clove garlic

1 slice PALEO bread

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

3/4 tsp of your favorite herb mixture

3 TBL milk

8 C beef or chicken broth

1 can small white beans drained

1 large carrot diced

3 C kale or more to taste, cleaned

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine beef and turkey with 1/4 C onion, garlic, salt, pepper and 1/4 tsp of spice mixture in a large bowl.  Add milk and bread in a separate bowl to moisten bread, add to meat mixture.  Make 1 inch meat balls and place them in a single layer on a lined, rimmed baking pan.  Cook approx 20 mins, drain excess grease from pan.  Combine broth remaining onion, white beans, diced carrot and remaining 1/2 tsp of spice mixture in a large stock pot over med to high heat.   Bring to a boil, add meatballs and chopped kale.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until vegetables are cooked to your liking.  I personally do not add the kale until right at the end, I like mine a bit firm.

Beef Stew

I am going to grab a recipe out of the past and add a link here.  this was so delicious I think I will throw it in again.  Click here to get it!  Enjoy!

Clam Chowder

DIRECTIONS

Drain clams through a colander into a bowl, reserving liquid and clams. Combine clam liquid and clam juice.

Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add clam juice mixture, potato, and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth; add to pan. Stir in clams and half-and-half. Cook 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Serve with a hearty veggie salad or a side of roasted or steamed broccoli.

SHOPPING LIST

PRODUCE

5 Onions

1 Red onion

3 Poblanos

1 Bulb of garlic, you will need 12 cloves this week

Fresh Bay leaf or dry if preferred

23 Large ripe tomatoes

Cilantro

Celery

Carrots

1 Red, Yellow or orange bell pepper

Fresh Basil or dried

Kale

3-4 White fleshed sweet potatoes

Fresh Thyme or dried

Parsley

1/2 lb fresh green beans

Don’t forget lots of veggies for salads like mushrooms high in vitamin D, cucumbers, avocados for healthy fat, radishes, cherry tomatoes, baby greens, fresh baby spinach, nuts like walnuts and pecans.

Add plenty of fruit on the list for snacks and breakfast

Nuts are always good for snacking

Add zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, butternut squash, spaghetti sqaush and more for delicious sides.

OILS/SPICES

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Balsamic Vinegar

2 Cinnamon Sticks

Ground Clove

New Mexico Chili

Herb Seasoning Mix

Bay leaf (if not fresh)

Thyme (if not fresh)

Basil (if not fresh)

MEAT

4-5 lbs beef chuck

1/2 lb ground beef

1/4 lb ground turkey

2 lb cubed beef

DAIRY

Sour Cream or Mexican Crema

Real Butter

Milk

Half & Half

Heavy Cream or 1 can evaporated Milk

MISC.

4 – 6 1/2 oz cans diced clams

1 sm can white beans

12 oz amber or bock beer

10 C beef broth

10 C chicken broth

Chicken bullion

Almond meal flour

1 small can tomato paste

Paleo bread

Containers for freezing leftover meals for later

Don’t forget personal products (I make all of my own, check some of them out here), paper products, foil, etc.  Cleaning products ( I use one product called Thieves Cleaner Concentrate for ALL my cleaning and even laundry, check it out here)  Buy Thieves Cleaner here.

If you would like to try cooking with essential oils you can purchase them here  I can only recommend Young Living essential oils as I know the purity and safety for ingesting them.  Other retail grocers or pharmacies carry a lot of synthetics and I do not know the quality, nor the safety of them.  Essential oils can vary in strength and  quality, please read labels and I am not responsible for any other brands you buy/use.