FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Chicken Spinach Lemon Soup

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Chicken Spinach Lemon Soup 2

Noodle-less soup was a tough concept for me to grasp tonight.  Austin is rainy and rain totally calls for noodles.  But I’ve been trying to do this bootcamp, green smoothie, minimal dairy, minimal grain thing – so I got creative.  And by getting creative, I mean getting simple.  Super simple.

Shredded Chicken Breast

The shredded chicken and spinach gave this soup enough heartiness that your mind didn’t wander towards thoughts of noodles.  And adding egg to the chicken broth made this soup nice and creamy, giving the illusion that dairy was invited.  Dee-lish!

Chicken Spinach Lemon Soup

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On Top Of Spaghetti {Squash}

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It turns out there are benefits to digging through your archives and re-blogging an old recipe.  Like the feeling of goodness that fills you up because you already know you’ll love your meal, and it’s yours.  Or getting a little chance to complete against yourself in the photo department, and win.  In my not so humble opinion, these pictures are worlds better than the old pictures.  Worlds.

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I like making meatballs because your hands get messy and there’s something therapeutic about squishing meat through your hands like GAK.

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And I like this meatball recipe because there’s no junk, just lean meat and veggies.

Bulk Madness

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The bulk section at Central Market is one of my favorite places on earth.  Not only does it have everything you could ever want, but you can get the exact quantity that you need for cheap, cheap, cheap.  And today, it also served as my inspiration for some portable, protein-filled snacks for work this week.

Almonds, macadamia nuts, golden flax seeds, chocolate chunks, rascherries (dried raspberries+cherries=rascherries), oh my!

FoodFash Protein Balls (Take #1) yields 20ish balls

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled

1/2 cup almond slivers

1/2 cup macadamia nuts

1/2 cup golden flax seeds

1 cup rascherries (or another dried fruit)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a food processor, pulse chop almonds and macadamia nuts until they are finely chopped.  In a medium sized bowl, stir together nuts, flax seeds and cooled quinoa.  Place dried fruit in the food processor and process until smooth.  Add the fruit to the other ingredients and use a fork to stir and mash until everything is evenly mixed.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Use a 1 tablespoon measure to scoop mixture, form into balls, and place on a cookie sheet.  Chill for 1 to 2 hours and store in an air-tight container.

Tons of protein, a good dose of fiber, and a pop of sweetness are what these balls are all about.  All of this makes me super excited to bring them to work tomorrow because I just know they’ll save my life around 3 PM when I start to get that sleepy feeling.

Dinosaur Kale & White Bean Stew

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How is it November already?  Better yet, how did November sneak up so quickly yet it takes forever for weekends to arrive?  I suppose we’ll never know the answer to that.  But in the meantime, we can certainly make cozy soup, slurp it slowly, and pretend that the weekend is already here.

Dinosaur Kale & White Bean Stew (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 bunch dinosaur kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped (no need to remove the ribs)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, ends removed and chopped
5 shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup sauvignon blanc
2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups mushroom broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes.  Stir in wine and cook for 10 minutes.  Add beans, broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf.  Add kale and cook for 5 minutes more.

After eating the first bite this soup, it became apparent that tart wine, crunchy greens, a mushroom/tomato base, and soft white beans are an amazing combination.  And then I made it a little more amazing by topping with a few giant shrimp.