Chicken, Lentil & Kale Slow-Cooker Soup

This soup is delicious, filling, and nutritious. Build this in your slow-cooker and leave it for the 4 hours or longer if preferred. We taste tested after 4 hours.

1. Cover 1 cup green lentils with water and soak over night.
2. Chop 1 small sweet onion, 1 large carrot, and 1 large garlic clove and sauté over medium heat until onion is translucent. Set aside.
3. Chop 1-2 cups of cooked chicken.
4. Roughly chop 4 cups of kale and remove any tough stems.
5. Place drained lentils, sautéed vegetables, chicken, and kale in slow-cooker.
6. Add 6-8 cups of low sodium chicken stock.
7. Add several fresh basil leaves, 2-3 bay leaves, and salt & pepper to taste. 
8. You can set your slow-cooker to low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours depending on what is most convenient.

Enjoy!

Hearty Italian Stew

I have not even tasted it yet, but I can just tell it's going to be delicious by the fabulous aroma, colour and texture (ok, I have been slurping from my tester spoon). Inspired by one of my favourite Italian chefs, David Rocco, I dug through my pantry for complementary ingredients and created this this soup for a cold & wet spring afternoon.

In a dutch oven (or large pot) sauté 1 chopped onion with 3 cloves chopped garlic for 10 minutes, or until tender, on medium-low heat in 3 Tbsp olive oil. Toss in several sprigs of fresh rosemary. Stir in 3 chopped carrots and 3 chopped potatoes and continue to cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes.

Push vegetables to the parameter of the pot and add 2 chopped chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces. Spoon vegetables over raw chicken, cover pot and let cook for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup chopped Calabrese sausage and stir. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through. 

Add 1L of low sodium chicken stock and 2 cups mixed beans (cooked) and stir. Season with salt & pepper (and dried chillies if you enjoy a bit of spice).

Let simmer for 20 minutes or longer, as soup flavours tend to develop over time. Serve with crusty Italian bread. Godere!

Lemongrass Ginger Quinoa

I will admit that I don't love the taste of quinoa without other fresh flavours added. This recipe was created by simply digging through the fridge for potential vegetables to add to the mix. It turned out delicious!

Sauté on medium heat 2 chopped spring onions (the whites and some of the firmer greens) with 2 cloves chopped garlic until soft. Add 1 tsp of minced fresh ginger and 1 tsp lemongrass paste and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup of no salt added chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 cup of quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork and top with remaining chopped green onion. Season with salt & pepper. This recipe served 2 hungry adults with seared yellowfin tuna.

Try it!

Flax Encrusted Chicken Bites

A fun and delicious way to eat chicken. Try this gluten-free recipe with Roasted Brussels Sprouts!

2 Boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup rice flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper
salt & pepper to taste

• Using 3 shallow bowls, prepare one with flour (season with salt & pepper), one with egg, and the third with bread crumb mixture
• For bread crumb mixture combine bread crumbs, flax seed, and crushed pepper 
• Dip each chicken piece in flour (dust off excess), then turn over in egg to cover, followed by a good toss in the bread crumb mixture

• Set covered chicken pieces on T-Fal ActiFry top tray. Alternatively place each piece on a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper
• If using T-Fal ActiFry, cook for 15 minutes
• If baking in conventional oven, bake at 350F degrees for 20 minutes, turning once

Enjoy with a spicy pepper chutney, or a favourite dipping sauce.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts

A quick and delicious side veg...

Trim 2 cups brussels sprouts, half, and toss into a roasting pan or the bowl of the T-fal Actifry. Add 1/8 cup of raw pine nuts and 3-4 sliced fresh garlic cloves then drizzle with 1 Tbsp of olive oil. 

If using the T-fal Actifry, set to 15 minutes and start. Roasting in a medium oven requires up to 45 minutes and plenty of tossing throughout cook time. 

Serve with a few shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano and season with ground pepper and sea salt. Enjoy with CasaJos Flax Crusted Chicken Bites.

Easy Jerk Pork Roast

Slow-cooked for 10 hours, this roast pulls apart with a fork and melts in your mouth...but watch out, it's fiery.

1 kg pork loin centre cut roast
1/2 cup CattleBoyz Original BBQ Sauce
1 generous Tbsp Grace Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
salt & pepper

Instructions:

• In a small bowl stir together BBQ sauce and jerk seasoning
• Pour sauce into the bottom of slow cooker stoneware
• Rub entire roast with salt and pepper
• Place roast into stoneware and coat all sides with sauce
• Place cover on slow cooker and set time for 10 hours, low heat
• Let the roast rest for 20 minutes on warm setting before transferring to a shallow pan (slightly larger than roast). Set aside juices in stoneware.
• Pull the roast apart with a fork and pour juices from stoneware over pork 
• Serve with CasaJos Roasted Spicy Cauliflower with Almonds for a warming wintry day meal

Roasted Spicy Cauliflower with Almonds

I love a new kitchen gadget. The most recent addition taking up counter space is the T-Fal Actifry. Not only does this little gem turn out healthy, delicious crispy chips, it makes fabulous vegetable sides. This dish was prepared to sit alongside a slow-cooked jerk pork roast.

Ingredients:

• 1 small head cauliflower, broken into 1 inch florets
• 1/4 cup unsalted almonds
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp chilli pepper (I used Jamie Oliver's "Hot Chilli Pepper" mill)
• Salt to taste
• 1tbsp olive oil

1. Prepare cauliflower into florets, place in Actifry bowl, add seasoning, and drizzle with oil
2. Set to 15 minutes, press start, and enjoy

Simple Pasta Sauce

What better way to make use of over-ripe tomatoes than with a pasta sauce? This sauce can be enjoyed with or without the turkey. 

serves 4

1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
1 lb lean ground turkey (optional)
4 cups very ripe grape, cherry, or chopped tomato 
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 leaves fresh basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
pinch nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

• saute onion with garlic cloves over medium-low heat until tender
• If you are using turkey, add the ground turkey (thawed or frozen), cover, and simmer. Stir occasionally until done to break up the turkey into manageable chunks
• add grape tomatoes and begin cooking down, covered
• once tomatoes begin to soften, break with the back of a fork (chopping ahead is an option as well but not as much fun)
• stir in tomato paste and cook until bubbling
• add herbs and seasoning, cover, and let simmer for up to an hour
• taste before serving and adjust seasoning as required

Enjoy!