Chicken and Bean Soup

I made this for dinner tonight and there were no left overs. This is a very healthy soup - and great tasting too.


Chicken and Bean Soup

½ cup dry garbanzo beans
½ cup dry black beans
1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite size pieces
1 ½ cups fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into ¼ inch slices
2 ½ cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped or shredded

1. Rinse the beans; place in a saucepan and add enough water to cover the beans by about two inches. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for one hour. Drain and rinse beans.
2. Put all ingredients except fresh herbs and spinach in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Add fresh herbs and spinach. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
4 servings

Sesame Ginger Baby Bok Choy

This recipe comes from Rebecca Katz, author, One Bite at a Time, (Celestial Arts, 2004)

The first time I made it I made it exactly as she had written, but as I have made it more and more I have changed it a little - my changes are in ( )s. I also put the weights in so you know what amounts I used to come up with the nutrtional analysis.

I have to tell you that I had never had Bok Choy in my life before I started at Hawthorn and making this recipe was part of an assignment. I wasn't even sure what I was buying when I was in the store looking for it. I have since joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) since I don't have enough space to grow all the veggies my family can eat and I have been getting Bok Choy in my box from them every single week. I am so glad to have this recipe. I have tried a few other ways to cook Bok Choy but none are as tasty as this one.

Sesame Ginger Baby Bok Choy
4 heads of small baby bok choy (3 to 4 oz each) [I used 19.3 oz of regular bok choy]
1 Tablespoon Lemon or Lime (I used lemon)
1 Tablespoon Tamari
1 Tablespoon Mirin
2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
½ teaspoon Maple Syrup
1 ½ Tablespoon Sesame Oil (I used Toasted Sesame Oil again)
1 Teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (as garnish) [I forgot these]
Pinch of red chili pepper flakes
3 Medium Garlic Cloves, minced (Mine came to .4 oz)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Root, minced (Mine came to .55 oz)
2 Medium Scallions, sliced thin on the bias (I used 4.45 oz of onions)
Squeeze of a lime (I forgot this)

1. Cut the baby bok choy into chunks. Separate the bulb and the tops.
2. Combine the lime, tamari, mirin, sesame oil, and maple syrup in a bowl. Reserve
3. Heat a skillet. Add 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil. Add ½ Tablespoon of sesame oil, add red chili flakes, ginger, garlic and scallions. Stir fry until fragrant, until 30 seconds. Add the boy choy stems and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the sauce mixture and simmer just until thickened, another 30 seconds.
4. Add the bok choy greens. Cook another 15 seconds. Squeeze the lime and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the boy choy and serve immediately.


Here is what it looked like - so yummy!


And here is the Nutrition Facts as I made it.

Yummy Homemade Salsa from my Garden

Fresh produce from my garden this morning! The tomatoes are Opalka and Grape.


Here is the finished product.

Usually when I make salsa I just throw things together and taste as I go - but since I wanted to enter the recipe into my new software, I measured everything out - so here is the recipe.

Salsa
1 lb. 4.45 oz tomatoes, chopped
5.7 oz chopped onions
.65 oz green chili pepper
.25 oz garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
.05 oz. fresh oregano
2 tablespoons lemon juice

And here is what my new software can do: