Spicy Ginger Chicken Soup

In case all the recently hot weather in Colorado hasn’t completely fooled you, it’s still winter time here. One of my favorite recipes when it’s cold out and I’m feeling run down is my Spicy Chicken Soup. Chicken soup is the ultimate in comfort food and when you make it from scratch, you get all of the nourishing benefits of making your own broth and the satisfaction that you are getting the most out of the meat you’ve purchased. It takes a bit of chopping and a few hours of your time to cook, but after your veggies are chopped and the broth is simmering away, you can let it simmer while you do other things, just be sure to keep an eye on it to be sure it’s not boiling down too fast. It‘s a great recipe to make on a cold, cozy Sunday and makes quite a few servings with inexpensive ingredients. You can add in other veggies of your choosing or adjust quantities to your liking, give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Spicy Ginger Chicken Soup

For the broth:
1 whole organic, free range chicken (3-4 lbs) or 3-4 pounds of bone in skin on chicken parts (any combination of legs, thighs or breasts)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp whole peppercorns
2 whole fresno chilies, no need to chop! (or jalapeno, serranos or other moderately spiced chilies. Use more if you know you like things a little spicier than the average bear)
1” chunk of ginger
3-4 gloves garlic, whole and unpeeled
Stalks of a bunch of cilantro (reserve the leaves for serving)
6-8 cups of filtered water (or tap water if no filter is available)
You can also add the scraps of the veggies listed below that will go into the soup
Optional: a splash of apple cider vinegar to extract more minerals from the bones

For the soup:
2 cups chopped parsnips (save the ends for broth)
1 cup chopped carrots (save the ends and skin for broth)
1 cup chopped celery (save the ends for broth)
1 cup chopped green cabbage (don’t use the scraps for broth, it will make the broth bitter)
1 bunch green onions, chopped (save the green tops and root ends for broth)

For serving:
Sea salt, to taste
Tamari or coconut aminos
Cilantro
Lime

Let’s get started:
1. Quarter the whole chicken (if you’re starting with a whole chicken, that is), place in a large soup pot with the broth ingredients and cover with water. This may take up to 8 cups of water, just be sure the chicken is covered. You may have to re-position the chicken to keep it submerged. If a few pieces want to poke up out of the water, that’s okay, just reposition at some point during the cooking time to ensure the meat cooks evenly.

2. Heat over medium heat until boiling and keep a close eye on the broth until it gets foamy at the top, skim off the foamy stuff that rises to the top and discard the foam.  If you don’t remove the foam, it can boil over and trust me when I tell you that you don’t want that! Lower the heat on the broth to bring to a gentle simmer. Chop the other vegetables while the chicken simmers. If your water has reduced too much (if the chicken is no longer covered), then add more water as needed.  Continue to simmer the broth for 45 minutes or so.  Carefully remove the chicken, continue to let the broth simmer and let the chicken cool a bit. Remove the chicken from the bones and return the bones and cartilage to the pot and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, and remove the broth from the heat. When your chicken has cooled, chop it into bite sized pieces and set aside.

3. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Return the broth to the pot and add the chopped soup veggies (with additional water as needed to cover the veggies) and simmer for another 15 minutes or so, until the veggies are tender. Return the chicken to the pot and heat a few minutes longer until the chicken is warmed through.

4. Adjust the seasonings as needed, and when you’re ready to serve the soup, ladle into bowls and add cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and some tamari or coconut aminos as desired.

Pepperoni Pizza Frittata

“Pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening, pizza at suppertime.” I think I must have had that jingle in my head when I decided to make a pepperoni pizza frittata for breakfast. And now that song is in your head, too. Sorry about that. I find that adding the pepperoni on top makes it more ‘pizza-y’ than if you just mix the pepperoni in with everything else. This recipe is a great make-ahead breakfast, and is truly great for lunch or dinner, is gluten free, dairy free (unless you add the parmesan, but it’s great without it!) and paleo friendly.

Fresh eggs from the backyard hens.  Thanks, girls!

 

Pepperoni Pizza Frittata

8 eggs, whisked with a splash of water added
2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
1 red onion, sliced into thin strips
3-4 stalks of red chard, sliced into thin ribbons Optional substitution: 3-4 stalks of kale, (just remove the stems and slice as you would the chard)or 1 cup of spinach in place of chard if you prefer.
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, your choice of white, baby bella (small portabella mushrooms) or larger portabella mushrooms (sliced into smaller pieces)
1/2 cup olives of your choice, sliced into chunks
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
3-4 ounces of all natural pepperoni (I used Wellshire brand, but Applegate Farms makes a good one, too)
Optional: 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and slice all veggies. In a medium cast iron skillet, or other oven safe skillet, heat 2 tsp of coconut or olive oil over medium heat. When your oil is hot, add the onions to the skillet and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion starts to get soft. Add the red chard and mushrooms to the skillet with a pinch of salt and stir to combine. When the chard starts to wilt and the mushrooms start to get soft, add the remaining spices and allow to cook for 30 seconds.
2. Pour the whisked eggs on top, then sprinkle the cherry tomatoes and olives on top and press lightly into the egg mixture. If you’re using the parmesan cheese, go ahead and sprinkle it on now. Then arrange the pepperoni slices so they are slightly overlapping, smooshing them down into the eggs a bit.
3. Allow the frittata to cook a few minutes on the stovetop, then place in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes, or until set in the center. Allow to cool a little and slice. Serve with fresh tomatoes and a green salad for a complete meal!