Crap What's for Dinner? {Kitchen Sink Chicken Soup Paleo Style}

Bike Week at Iron Horse

It's been one of those weeks.

It's Bike Week here in Daytona/Ormond and that means everything is a chore, the congestion is just crazy.  Add a half a Million bikers to a relatively small town and BOOM!  We all try to put our best smiles on and deal but 10 days is a long time to have a big party happening in your world.... a world that still has work, soccer practice, basketball practice, dentist appointments..... you get the idea. 

But the reason we smile is it is a huge influx into our local economy on all levels.... even our little scouts make a piece of that pie.  Yup, my eleven year old gets an eyeful every night I'm sure as his Troop runs a bike parking lot next to the world famous Iron Horse Saloon. 
Sounds like a weird thing for them to do but they make enough money to support every scout going to summer camp[s] and then some.  It's a very generous thing that the Kangaroo Gas Station allows them to use their property.  And so my little man is a bike parking lot attendant.  Which means his Dad is with him.  Which means our entire house is upside down trying to stay on a diet, get everyone where they need to be....

I know, I know, SUCK IT UP.



Kitchen Sink Chicken Soup Paleo Style

& I generally do....
because from chaos
comes great things....
like this recipe for Paleo
Kitchen Sink Chicken Soup...

Note: this recipe made a vat... dinner for 6, plus a bowl delivered to a sick friend Plus leftovers for lunch for at least 5 servings.  Cut in half for a family of 4.

The only "required" ingredients:
3- 48 ounce Chicken Broth
1 & 1/2 TBSP Herbs de Provence
2 stalks of celery whole
1/2 medium onion chopped
kosher salt to taste [I used 1 tsp]

Add-ins:
4 chicken breasts
12 turkey mini-meatballs, quartered
4-5 mushrooms sliced
big handful green beans ends trimmed, cut in half
big handful wax beans ends trimmed, cut in half
3 carrots chopped
1 red pepper chopped
2 big handfuls spinach, stem and all
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

What you Do:
Bring broth to a boil with breasts in it and reduce to low and simmer 20 minutes.  Remove breasts to a cutting board to cool slightly. Skim the pot to remove the chicken gunk.... lol, not sure what the term is for that white stuff that remains once you boil chicken.  I actually use a mesh strainer to clear the broth instead of just a spoon.  Works really well.

Add everything else to the pot and resume a boil, boil for a couple minutes before returning to a simmer.  Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to pot.  Allow to simmer while you take a 1.69 mile brisk walk or 45 minutes.... whichever you prefer :)

Remove the celery stalks and discard and enjoy!

Note:  I think the celery is very important to the chicken soup taste but my family doesn't really like to eat the cooked celery so leaving it whole makes it easy to fish out, we get the awesome sweet flavor it gives the broth without eating braised celery.... you could chop and leave in :)

Remember LOOK TWICE! [sorry, a  Bike Week thing]

 

Did Someone Say Risotto? {Chicken Risotto with Spring Vegetables}

Chicken Risotto with Spring Vegetables

Did someone say Risotto?

Oh, it was me talking to myself?

I'm thinking about changing my name to Gordon and speaking only of Risotto going forward. I'll be The Risotto Blog. Young Risotto.

I do love it so. 





And all these great spring veggies, who can stand it?  They deserve a Risotto.  YOU deserve a Risotto.

So, yes, I have a new Risotto for you.... and no, it's not the Mojito Risotto.  At least not yet.

The Quick Fix {Provençal Pork chops with Vegetable Saute}

Tuesday evening and just like most of you, the Webbs are going every which way.... and somewhere in there it's really important to me that we converge at the dining room table, even if its briefly, for a meal... and I want it to be yummy AND healthy.... I won't make a big deal about the diet we are trying to be on but you MIGHT notice a FEW healthier posts.... but I won't completely leave the dark side, fret not.
So, these chops are a good healthy quick fix.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:
for the chops:
4 boneless pork chops
1 tsp {just a drizzle} olive oil {I used garlic flavored}
2 cups diced tomatoes in juice {I used Pomi}
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 tsp Herbes de Provence