jacky tabascky chicken soup

jacky tabascky is a flavor i like to use often, it is equal parts jack daniels and tabasco sauce.  its quite versatile.... 

this is a quick easy chicken soup, great to clear out your sinuses.  this is for a whole big pot, but if you just want enough for yourself or for two, then don't use a whole chicken, just use a cubed breast, and use less of everything :D


1 onion, diced
3-4 celery stalks, sliced
3-4 carrots, sliced
1-2 potatoes, cubed
4-6 garlic cloves, diced
2-3 T olive oil
1-2 T jack daniels
1-2 T tabasco sauce (equal parts to the jack daniels)
1 whole chicken, cleaned out (you can add the inside parts if you like them)
 salt and pepper to taste

in your very large soup pot, add oil, jack daniels, tobasco, onion and garlic, let fry and get hot on a high heat.  add celery, carrots and potato after a minute or so.  leave those in for another minute or so and then add your chicken, turning until the skin is slightly browned.  salt and pepper as you like.  add water to top of pot, bring to a boil, cover and then reduce heat to simmer.  let this cook for a few hours.

its the bones of the chicken, the marrow, that give a lot of what heals you if you have a flu or a cold or anything; the longer you cook the chicken the more marrow you get from the bones.  you can keep eating the soup and adding water and continuing to simmer for a whole day.  enjoy and be well!

fig ginger stuffing

i have a recipe up for a stuffed chicken already, just use this stuffing instead and truss it up.

4-5 dried figs
2-3 T fresh minced ginger
2-3 minced shallots
1-2 sourdough bread rolls, torn to bits

mix ingredients and stuff the chicken with it. 

this stuffing is soooo delicious, you will love it!

garlic mash

this is a big holiday favorite.  i've had requests to put this on the blog.  sooo easy, and always delicious! 

for this recipe i refer to mixed mashables.  that means any kind of potato, yam or other root you may want to use to mash up.  i have been considering adding carrots to the mash.  i like using tj's mix of white, red and purple potatoes, and of course if you have a favorite you can use just that kind! PLEASE! DON'T PEEL YOUR MASHABLES!  much of the nutrient and flavor is in the peel, just wash them extra well for this recipe.

1 full flower of garlic cleaned, or about 2/3 cup prepared garlic cloves
4 cups mixed mashables chopped to 1" pieces
1 tub organic sour cream
1/3 to 1/2 tub earth balance or other non-hydrogenated oil margerine (or real butter if you prefer)

put mashables and garlic in a pot with water covering them.  boil until all pieces are falling apart and the peel of the potato is falling apart.  strain, add sour cream and earth balance, mix vigorously until it starts to feel pasty and there are no distinguishable pieces left, just a nice lovely mash.  salt and pepper to taste, enjoy!

winter orange and green soup

this is a super yummy soup and has already been very popular this winter.  it is very easy and surprisingly fast.

serves 4

5-6 yams, chopped smallish
8-12 cloves garlic, diced
1 T olive oil
1-3 cups stock and/or soy milk, to your taste
1-2 cans coconut milk
2 T ginger, crushed or diced
2-3 green onions, sliced
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped to strips
salt and pepper to taste

sautee the yams and the garlic in the olive oil.  after a bit add the ginger, coconut milk and stock/soy milk and low boil.  when the yams are falling apart and are basically mush add the green onion and the swiss chard and cook another 5 minutes.  salt and pepper to taste, enjoy!

ginger carrot cake with vanilla lime icing

ginger carrot cake-

4-5 cups grated organic carrots
30 ounces pineapple, crushed or tiny peices
1 cup peanut oil
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1-2 Tbs ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1-2 Tbs fresh chopped ginger

combine wet and dry ingredients separately, then mix slowly.  bake at 375 in large prepared dish until cooked through, about an hour.  let cool and remove or ice in the pan using vanilla lime icing.


vanilla lime icing-

2  250g pkgs whipped organic cream cheese
1/4 cup butter or non hydrogenated margarine, melted
2 cups powdered sugar

1 lime, juiced and use half its peel's zest

combine cream cheese and butter first, then add sugar and lime juice slowly in bits, beating well to avoid clumps.  add zest and let stay overnight to increase lime flavor.

garrnachos

please roll your rr!  ;)  this is a modification of a belizian recipe, garrnaches, i had the great fortune to learn from a lovely family i visited one christmas.

chips
2 cans veg refried beans
1 can coconut milk
1 small cabbage, cored and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 pkg whole milk cheese (white mexican cheese)

heat beans with coconut milk until it thickens to your taste.  mix onion and cabbage.  make nacho plates with some chips, then beans, then veg, then cheese.  enjoy!!! 

ginger lemon basil chicken

this is a good way to use up that big bunch of basil you have lying around and those extra limes or lemons as well.  items like that often come in large doses so its nice to have something easy and delicious to do with them :D

1 free range organic chicken
1 large handfull of basil leaves
2-3 lemons or 3-5 limes, halved
1/2 onion, quartered
2 large bulbs of ginger, sliced
2 Tbls olive oil
salt and pepper

stuff limes, onion and basil into chicken and truss.  rub chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper.  place slices of ginger on top of breasts and in with the drumsticks and wings.  bake at 385 degrees to 170 degrees and reduce to 365 degrees for last 10 degrees.  this will ensure your chicken will be moist and delicious!