Recipe: Exotic Quinoa Risotto

For those wanting a unique and delicious twist on a classic gourmet dish, quinoa is a great choice. Keep in mind that risotto made with quinoa will not be as creamy as that made with arborio rice; however, it will have a unique and slightly crunchy texture that will have your guests coming back for second helpings! For even more of a "wow" factor, use black or red quinoa for a visually stunning dish.

Exotic Quinoa Risotto
(Serves 6.)

Ingredients:

Shiitake mushrooms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
2 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups arugula, stems removed and arugula chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onions and saute about four minutes until translucent. Add quinoa and garlic; cook an additional minute, stirring occasionally. (Garlic should not be allowed to brown.)
3. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer about twelve minutes until quinoa is  tender but still slightly hard at the center. 
4. Stir in arugula, mushrooms, and carrot, then simmer about two more minutes until quinoa grains become translucent. 
5. Stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately.

Recipe: Crab & Corn Chowder

Dungeness crab is one of the most popular seafoods in the Pacific Northwest - and with good reason! Its tender, flavorful and slightly sweet meat is great in many dishes, including this creamy and delicious corn chowder. This makes a great side dish, or main dish when served with crusty bread and a green salad with a glass of crisp white wine!

Crab & Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 quart chicken broth
1 quart fresh corn kernels (substitute frozen if you can't get fresh)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 lb. cleaned lump crab meat

Directions:

• Add 2 cups chicken broth and corn to food processor; pulse until the mixture is a coarse puree; set aside.
• Put a large soup pot over low heat, add the butter. Once butter has melted, add the onion, stir and cook for 4 or 5 minutes until onion is softened slightly.
• Pour the corn puree from the food processor into the pot, then add the wine, remaining 2 cups broth, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the corn is tender. 
• Add milk and simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through.
• Now add the chives and crab meat, stir, and cover pot. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes or until crab is warmed. 
• Serve warm with crusty bread.

Recipe: Clam Digger Chowder

Littleneck clams are popular in the Northwest, and for good reason: they're delicious!  This tasty Pacific Northwest-style clam chowder will have you coming back for seconds...and thirds! Fresh clams are always best, but you can use canned if you have to - you would need about two 10-oz cans.

Clam Digger Chowder

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup clam juice
1 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3 to 4 cups freshly steamed clams
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2 cups half and half
fresh chopped parsley
warmed sourdough bread

Directions:

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Once oil is hot, add the shallots and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Continue stirring and slowly add the wine and allow to cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the flour and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Now gradually add in the chicken broth. Let the mixture begin to simmer and then add the clam juice. 
• Add the potatoes to the pot, put a lid on it and allow to simmer slowly on low heat for 15 minutes; stirring occasionally. 
• Add the clams, salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Bring mixture to a simmer, then remove from heat and add the half and half, stirring, then cover saucepan and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Put clam chowder into serving bowls, sprinkle with parsley and serve with warmed sourdough bread.

Recipe: Italian Sausage And Bean Soup With Pasta

Quick, easy, simple, and delicious, this recipe is the essence of Italian cooking! It's great for a cold winter night, and easy to tailor to your own tastes - try different pasta shapes, different kinds of beans, add different herbs, etc. to make it your own. Use fresh (or frozen) ripe tomatoes for a fresher, lighter taste. 

Sausage And Bean Soup With Pasta
Ingredients:

1 pound fresh Italian sausage
1 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
28 ounces diced tomatoes (or 4 large fresh tomatoes, diced)
1 cup pasta (shells, penne, ziti, or other sturdy pasta)
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 4 cups fresh or frozen chicken broth or stock)
3 1/2 cups water, hot
18 ounces kidney beans or white beans, cooked (or canned) & drained
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

• Brown the sausage and onion in the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes. 
• Once the sausage and onion have been browned, add the tomatoes with their juice, the pasta, bouillon cubes or broth, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, then add the beans. 
• Make sure soup is just simmering, then cover pot, and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or just until the pasta is al dente.
• Serve hot in bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Low-Carb Recipe: Crockpot Mushroom Soup

This tasty low-carb recipe will cook in your crockpot while you're busy with other things, and it takes hardly any prep time. Makes a great side dish or quick lunch. For more protein, add 2 cups cooked diced chicken or beef (works great with beef stew cubes - just lightly brown them and add with rest of ingredients) - then set and forget!

Crockpot Mushroom Soup
(Serves 2-4.)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp light oil
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1/2 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese optional

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and cook until soft and slightly browned.
2. Add the onion, cooking until transparent.
3. Add the garlic, cooking for 1 more minute. Scrape this mixture from the skillet into your crockpot.
4. Add the chicken broth, stir.
5. Cover crockpot, set heat on LOW, and cook for 5 to 6 hours.
6. Turn heat off, remove cover, stir, and add half-and-half, stir. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
7. Let sit for 5 minutes, then serve in soup mugs.
8. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe: Chunky Quinoa Veggie Stew

Nothing says stew like a cold winter night, and if you're watching your carbs, or avoiding gluten, quinoa can be a great alternative in your comfort-food-seeking menu. This recipe combines a number of healthy vegetables into a hearty and tasty stew packed full of flavor and nutrition. This one can easily work for vegetarians or those looking for a meatless recipe - just substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Enjoy!

Chunky Quinoa Veggie Stew
(Serves 6.)

Ingredients: 
1 finely chopped sweet onion
1 red bell pepper, cut in half-inch pieces
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
6 cups homemade chicken broth or stock
1 pound red potatoes, cut into half-inch pieces
1 cup red or white quinoa, well-rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped coarsely
1 cup frozen (or fresh) peas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 avocado, cut into half-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Combine bell pepper, oil, onion, and pinch of salt in a Dutch oven.
2. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, around eight to ten minutes. 
3. Stir in paprika, coriander, cumin, and garlic. 
4. Stir in potatoes and broth, then bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer ten minutes.
5. Stir in quinoa and continue simmering for an additional eight minutes. 
6. Stir in corn and continue simmering until potatoes and quinoa are just tender, around five to seven minutes. 
7. Stir in tomatoes and peas and cook for an additional two minutes.
8. Remove from heat, then stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper as desired. 
9. Garnish bowls of stew with avocado before serving.

Six Simple Steps To Perfect Turkey Stock

 Making good stock, or broth, is a great skill for any cook to have. It is always easy to buy a package of broth, but why do that when you can easily make your own from leftovers you already have and add only the ingredients you want, and skip all the extra salt and preservatives? Not only does this make perfect sense for the frugal chef, it is also perfect timing for the holidays. Let's take a look at the 6 amazingly easy steps to the perfect turkey stock.

Making stock. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Clean Your Carcass

The first thing you need, in order to make stock, is a carcass. The holidays provide a perfect opportunity for a great carcass. Instead of throwing out the leftover frame and bones from your turkey, it is time to make an amazingly easy stock. The first step in the process is to clean your carcass. This means you need to pick the good meat off of the carcass, put the good meat away, and gather all the skin, fat, and loose bones and put them with the turkey frame into a large soup pot.

2. Chop Your Veggies

After you have cleaned your carcass, it is time to chop the vegetables you want to put in the broth. These vegetables can range from the simple carrots and celery to more unique ingredients such as rhubarb and leeks. When you chop your veggies, chop them into big pieces. You'll be straining these out later so you want them to be big. Put these in the pot with the bones.

3. Add the Water and Seasonings

Now that you have the carcass and vegetables in the pot, it is time to fill up the pot with cold water, enough to cover the bones and veggies.  Add sea salt to get your broth off to the right start.  Then, add whole black peppercorns.  We do this so they strain out instead of leaving the black pepper floating around your clear broth.  You can leave either seasoning out and just season in the end, but it's an easy step to get out of the way.  However, remember the turkey was probably seasoned, so the bones, skin, and fat are seasoned already. The great thing about making your own stock is the ability to taste and season as you wish. I often like to add a bay leaf or two, but depending on what the turkey was seasoned with, feel free to adjust to your own preferences. And for health purposes, you can also add a tablespoon or two of white vinegar. This will help pull some of the nutrients out of the bones into your tasty and healthy broth.

4. Boil then Simmer

Put your pot on a burner on high, leave uncovered, and watch the pot so it doesn't boil too hard.  As soon as the water comes up to a boil, turn the burner down to medium and let it boil gently, not hard, for about 1 hour. Turn the heat down to low, put the cover on, and simmer slowly for 1 to 2 more hours. Make sure you continue to stir your broth once in a while and be sure it doesn't boil hard at any point. You can also add herbs if you like during the slow simmering stage.  Add a bay leaf, thyme, sage, or any seasonings; or none at all.  Remember your broth is most likely going to be used in a recipe that calls for herbs and seasoning, so you want to be light handed.

Broth (Photo credit: beautyredefined)

5. Strain

Now your stock is ready to strain. This is where the larger vegetable pieces make it easier.  Put a large strainer or colander over a second large pot and pour the turkey, vegetables, and stock through to strain.  Let this sit, elevated over the strained broth so the solids drain off all the delicious liquids into the pot.  If desired, you can strain the stock even further by laying a couple layers of cheese cloth or a finer mesh strainer inside a colander and strain the stock through again. The goal is to have the clearest stock you can with as few pieces of seasoning sediments left behind. 

6. Cool and Store

It's important to cool the stock quickly, so as soon as you can handle the stock, pour it out of the big pot and into smaller freezer or refrigerator containers and place them in a bowl or pan of cold water to cool off fast. Once slightly cooled (10 minutes or so), cover containers and move to refrigerator.  Or you can freeze the stock for future use. If you're freezing in bags, stand bag upright inside a bowl, pour in stock and let cool.  Lay out carefully in a baking pan and, while holding opened end up, seal, pushing out the air.  Then lay flat in baking pan and freeze.  You'll have flat packages of broth that way, and you can use in lots of soup or stew recipes throughout the winter.

And there you have it. Six simple steps to a perfect turkey stock made from your leftover holiday turkey carcass. Give it a try this holiday season and you'll be amazed at just how incredibly easy making high quality turkey stock can be. The turkey is one holiday dish that gets multiple chances to take center stage!