Garlic Chicken Vegetable Soup

I am sorry to admit that I have been neglecting my blog! With the upcoming move, craziness at work, and loads of travel, I am a bit behind on sharing my recipes. Before I fully shift into Spring gear, I need to share a few leftover recipes that I have enjoyed over the past few weeks. Soup has been a regular part of my weekly routine for the past few months, and this great take on chicken soup was a perfect breakfast (yes, breakfast) a couple of weeks ago. I sadly missed the farmers market due to travel, so I stopped into Foodies, grabbed every veggie that looked good, and threw them together to make soup. As I prepare for life back in the office, I am going to be doing a lot of meal planning and cooking ahead like this!

On another note, I am thrilled to announce that I am officially pre-certified as a health coach and can start seeing clients. I am really looking forward to working with people on adding balance and happiness to their lives by adopting healthy and holistic lifestyles. It is a busy time for sure, but it feels great to know that I am working on something that is making a difference in the world. Anyone interested in a free consultation should fee free to reach out. I look forward to hearing from all of you!

Garlic Chicken Vegetable Soup: Serves 8, Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 70 min

Ingredients:
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 large sweet onions, chopped
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 head of garlic, diced
- 1 bag baby carrots, chopped
- 1 bag celery hearts, chopped
- 2 turnips, peeled & chopped
- 16 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 2 lbs. chicken breast
- 2 quarts organic, no-sugar-added vegetable or chicken broth/stock
- 1 large bunch of kale, stems removed & chopped
- salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat
2. Add onions, leek,and garlic and cook for 10 minutes until soft
3. Add carrots, celery, turnips, and mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes

4. Lay raw chicken breasts on top of the veggies, and then add the broth/stock

5. Bring the pot to a boil, then cover the pot and let simmer on low for 45 minutes

6. Add the kale and let cook on low for another 5 minutes

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve!

      

Mushroom Mish Mosh Soup

So much news, I don't even know where to start! Thank you for your patience as I spent the week relaxing and rejuvenating at Canyon Ranch. I soaked up every minute of the trip, and it was fantastic. I will share some highlights over the next week along with some great new recipes. 

These two pictures are my two of my favorite spots at the ranch - on a cozy couch in front of the fire where I did some quality reading (and napping) and the indoor track above the spa where I walked about 20 miles over the course of the week. It was very warm up on the track, so I almost always had it to myself which allowed for some good meditation, singing, and random gymnastics moves as I circled the track over 250 times. 

When I got home this afternoon, I decided it was time to go for a walk to get inspired for a new soup recipe. Instead of brainstorming soups I just walked in circles around my neighborhood while I talked to Mal. I don't think I convinced her to meet with a psychic, energy healer, and acupuncturist, but I think she at least appreciated the stories! When I got to the store, I saw that they had an amazing variety of mushrooms (button, portobello, oyster, crimini, and shitake). I bought all of them and decided on a mushroom soup. I added the head of cabbage and celery to bulk it up a bit, but I would definitely try it again omitting those two ingredients so the mushroom flavor is stronger. The most exciting part of this recipe was when I had to peel the garlic. One of my many wonderful Christmas gifts from Ryan was this silicone garlic peeler. If you haven't tried one, it really works like magic. You put a clove in the silicone sleeve, press down on it, roll it back and forth for a second or two, and then it just falls out of the sleeve fully peeled! A wonderful invention worth trying out...

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 large leek, chopped (whites & greens)

- 1 shallot, chopped- 1 head garlic, peeled & chopped
- 1 bunch of celery, chopped
- 1 small head cabbage, chopped

- 1 lb. white button mushrooms, chopped

- 10 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, chopped

- 6 oz. crimini mushrooms, chopped

- 6 oz. oyster mushrooms, chopped

- 6 oz. shitake mushrooms, chopped- 1 bunch of fresh organic herbs (I used thyme, rosemary, and sage)
- 2 quarts of organic vegetable stock
- pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. You know what to do... chop it all (preferably while watching the season premiere of the Bachelor on DVR like I did...)
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Add onions, leek, shallot, and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes until soft
4. Add all other veggies and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes
5. Add herbs and broth and bring to a boil
6. Cover pot, turn heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes until everything is soft
7. Remove herbs from pot and then puree soup with your immersion blender

  

  

Chunky Hunky Man Soup

Does your hunky man hate soup? If so, I have created the perfect recipe that will make you both happy! To me, a fresh soup every week is the best part of winter, and it is even better if you can share it with others. I even eat soup for breakfast these days as an alternative to my old favorite oatmeal. Some of the soup haters out there think that it doesn't count as a real meal and is too watery, so I created this recipe that is chunky, full of flavor, and guaranteed to please your biggest critics. 

I made this soup on New Years Day for my own special hunk and our friends. It was the perfect mix of sweet and savory, and it was a wonderful way to start out 2013!

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 large leek, chopped (whites & greens)
- 2+ Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch of celery, chopped
- 5-7 large carrots, peeled & chopped
- 12 mushrooms, chopped
- 6 parsnips, peeled & chopped
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
- 2 cups of chopped steak (I used leftovers from a garlic roasted bottom round roast)
- 3 sprigs of fresh, organic rosemary
- 2 quarts of organic chicken (or beef) broth/stock (no sugar or preservatives added)
- pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. CHOP EVERYTHING! (I've warned you about this before.. it takes a while but is totally worth it!)
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Add onions, leek, and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes until soft
4. Add all other veggies and cook for another 10 minutes
5. Add steak, rosemary, and broth and bring to a boil
6. Cover pot, turn heat to low, and cook for 45-60 minutes until everything is soft
7. Eat this soup with your hunky man - mine likes his grains, so I threw some farro in there for a little extra chunk

  

Purple Soup!

Hello from Florida! When I arrived in Naples, Mom took me to Trader Joes and Whole Foods to stock up so I would have all of my paleo staples. While it was 80 degrees when I arrived, I still thought it would be a great idea to make a big pot of soup so there would always be a good serving of veggies on hand. If you haven't noticed yet, I care about the colors of my food almost as much as the taste! A colorful plate tends to be a healthier plate, so I decided we needed to make purple soup. The purple cauliflower (which I've never had before) looked awesome, so we grabbed two heads of it and a bunch of other white or lightly colored veggies so we could keep the color going. The soup came out great, and it was beautiful to watch! Try to eat a different color fruit and vegetable every day of the week - you will nourish your body and enjoy the view along the way. 

Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 2-3 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 bunch celery, chopped
- 2 yellow squash, chopped
- 1 bunch white asparagus, chopped
- 2 heads purple cauliflower, chopped 
- 2 quarts organic, gluten-free chicken stock (or veggie broth)
- Black pepper & fresh rosemary

Instructions:
1. Chop all of your veggies! You can use a food processor to save time if you want - roughly chopped is fine since we will be blending this soup.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat
3. Saute the garlic, onion, and leek about 10 minutes until soft
4. Add celery, squash, and asparagus and cook another 5 minutes
5. Add the purple cauliflower and the chicken stock and bring to a boil
6. When soup boils, cover the pot, turn heat down to low, and cook for 40 minutes
7. Let soup cool for a few minutes and then puree with the immersion blender until smooth
8. Serve with black pepper and fresh rosemary

  

Holiday Detox Soup

Happy Friday, and happy birthday to my brother Evan! Day 2 with the standing desk was mostly a success. I am definitely sore/tired from ungodly amounts of standing, but I am enjoying the benefits of my new workstation. I absolutely feel more alert standing, and I am constantly aware of my posture and my core. I expect to have superhero health status by the end of next year after 12+ months of paleo, crossfit, and standing while working.  

Today's recipe inspiration comes from my mom. We were talking about recipes, weight loss, and weird fad diets, and she asked me if I had ever heard about the Cabbage Soup diet. I had never heard about this, so I read up on the 7-day meal plan here http://www.cabbage-soup-diet.com/eating-plan/. I definitely have no interest in eating eight bananas with a gallon of milk one day and then 20 oz of beef with 6 tomatoes the next, but the recipe for the "magic" soup looked pretty good. I had never made soup with cabbage, so I figured I would give it a solid try. I tweaked a few things, made it paleo-friendly, and here we are. The soup tastes incredibly fresh and healthy, and it is a perfect addition to my paleo eating plan. I am not expecting to lose 10 pounds in 7 days from this soup, but I will be sure to let you know if it happens!

Ingredients:
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 6 green onions (scallions), chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1-2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 2 green peppers, chopped
- 5 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 head of celery, chopped (about 6 stalks)
- 10 oz. of mushrooms, chopped
- 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
- Two 14.5 oz cans of organic diced tomatoes (no junk added)
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
- Black pepper (and any other herbs/spices you want)
- 8 cups organic, low sodium vegetable broth (or homemade stock if you have)

Instructions:
1. Make sure everything is chopped and prepped! Chopping this many veggies can take longer than you may expect, so it is much easier to make this soup if everything is ready to go.
2. Heat the olive oil in your biggest soup pot over medium heat.
3. Add onion, scallions, leek, and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes until soft
4. Add peppers, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and cabbage. Cook another 10 minutes, stirring often.
5. Add the broth, your cans of diced tomatoes, and the black pepper and any other spices or herbs.
6. Bring the soup to a boil and then cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours.
7. Forget about weight loss, and just enjoy the soup!

Note: This makes a LOT of soup. Be prepared.

  

Green Power Soup w/ Kale & Cauliflower

It has been a few days (sorry), and I am back in action. I was in NYC for the weekend walking the 40-mile Avon walk for breast cancer with my mom, my aunt, and the rest of our "flock". We had an awesome weekend walking everywhere from the Intrepid, Harlem, Brooklyn, Randall's Island, and everywhere in between. Highs of the weekend were:

1. Signing the dedication banner at opening ceremonies (see below) to remind myself why I walk
2. Spending the weekend chatting and laughing with two of my favorite people with great visits along the way from friends and family
3. Saying "Helloooo Newman" when we ran into the real Newman from Seinfeld on the street
4. Taking a hot shower in a truck and wearing my headlamp around the tent
5. Maintaining 100% paleo throughout the weekend (special thanks to Steve's Original!) even though I ate a can of wild salmon and cashews when everyone else was eating warm oatmeal and hot chocolate for breakfast
6. Realizing that no amount of blisters, armpit chafing (gross, I know), or sore legs will stop me from continuing to support such an important cause - I am already signed up for 2013!
7. Finding an amazing hot pink barbell at the campsite so I could get in a few crossfit moves before curling up in my sleeping bag 

   

Even though I was able to eat 100% paleo over the past five days while I was gone, I was dying to get back to my kitchen to cook some fresh, homemade meals. I will be posting all week to make up for lost time, but today's first concoction was a souper healthy dish full of vitamins and nutrients (that joke is for you, Uncle Bill!). I was feeling rundown from the travel and exhaustion, so I wanted a green power soup to bring me back to basics. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 2 leeks, chopped (I ditch about an inch from the top and bottom first)
- 16 oz. portobello mushrooms, chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped
- 2 bunches kale, stems removed
- 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp. dried parsley (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. dried basil (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large soup pot
2. Add onion, shallot, and, garlic, and heat until soft (5-10 minutes)
3. Add leeks and mushrooms and cook another 5-10 minutes
4. Add cauliflower, kale, broth, dried herbs if using, salt, and pepper
5. Bring the pot to a boil, and when boiled, lower heat to medium-low (I did 3), cover, and cook for 30 minutes
6. Check to make sure the cauliflower is soft. If so, turn off heat, and let soup slightly cool for 10 minutes
7. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot. If you don't have an immersion blender, buy one! If you don't want to buy one, you can work this into your blender or food processor in batches to blend.
8. Season with any additional salt, pepper, and/or herbs as needed