Chicken Soup for the SOUL!

I was sick this weekend and decided I was going to try my hand at chicken soup. There are a million recipes for it so I read a few and thought to myself,,, I can do this! So I did!

I made a looooooooooooooot! FYI! A big ole stock pot full! yummay!

Chicken Soup for the SOUL!

Ingredients
2 white onions
1 bag of whole carrots
1 pack of  fresh (not canned) sliced mushrooms
1 bag of celery hearts (the celery at the Shoppers looked so unappealling that I did without it)
4 cups chicken stock
4-6 chicken thighs (skinless if you don't want a lil fat on the top)
4 cups of water
5-6 bay leaves

Seasonings to taste:
cumin
tarragon
oregano
sea salt
cracked pepper
granulated garlic

Equipment:
8-12 qt stock pot
fat skimmer (optional)
1 knife
1 cutting board
1 ladle
1 tasting spoon

What to do:

1. Add 2 carrots & one whole onion with outer layer removed to the stock pot. Add water & chicken stock. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. (Use the ladle to pour stock into the tasting spoon to taste for salt level and add more if necessary) Add 2 tablespoons cumin. Add large pinches of tarragon and oregano. Add granulated garlic to taste.
2. Turn the stock pot on medium high heat, add chicken thighs. Cover and let it come to a simmer.
3. While the soup is simmering, chop the onions, carrots and celery in 1 inch pieces. Cover & set aside.
4. Once it starts to simmer. turn heat to low and let cook until the carrots and onion JUST begin to soften. Remove bay leave carrots and onion and discard. Remove chicken, cover and set aside to let cool.
5. Add carrots, onions and celery. And let cook another hour. (Use the ladle to spoon to check salt levels of the broth).
6. Remove skin & bones and add chicken back to the pot. Add the mushrooms. Turn soup up to medium heat and let cook another 30 minutes. (check salt levels) Add cracked pepper to taste.

Ladle that joint in a bowl & EAT IT!

No pics, I was sick... sorry!

Feta-Crusted Lamb

Last night I daydreamed of a grilled lamb burger with lots of spices and green onions inside and a mint & cucumber tzatziki sauce on top! After much debate I got up off the couch & headed to the grocery store where I was so super sad to find out there was no ground lamb... I just about faded away! so  upon seeing that herbed feta was on sale, I revamped my plan.

Feta Crusted Lamb

Ingredients:
1 grass-fed lamb shoulder chop (it's a less expensive cut of meat, but still delicious)
1 full slice of red onion
crumbled herb feta

Seasonings to taste:
cumin
coriander
garlic powder
onion powder
oregano
Montana steak seasoning (someone bought this for me from an amish market but Montreal steak seasoning should do)
fresh ground black pepper

Equipment: 
1 small metal oven safe pan
aluminum foil
tongs
1 knife
1 cutting board

What to do:

1. Slice one medium thick slice from the red onion and set aside.
2. Turn oven to Broil- Lo. 
3. Line the metal dish with aluminum foil and place the lamb in the pan. Sprinkle each side with the seasonings, flipping the lamb with the tongs. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven.
4. You will  be cooking the lamb on lo broil for 5 minutes on each side. During the first five minutes, you may want to begin to prep your salad and wash your tongs so as not to cross-contaminate. 
5. After cooking the lamb on both sides for 5 minutes on lo broil, turn the broiler to high & cook on each side for five minutes each. This time, add the outer rings of the onions. I chopped the inner portion of the onion & used it on top of my salad.
6. Cook on each side a final time. During the last turn, sprinkle the top of the lamb liberally with the crumbled herb feta and let it broil until the cheese bubbles & browns..
7. Remove for oven, let cool.
8. PLATE IT & EAT IT!

I was so ready to eat I didn't even bother plating it pretty!

Cabbage, Sausage & Peppers in the Crockpot

I don't have any pictures of this because I was working on it on a whim.

Ingredients:
1 medium/large head of cabbage (it can be large-ISH depending on the size of your crock pot)
1 large sweet onion
6 small sweet peppers
1 package of smoked sausage or kielbasa (with the casing ON- it's important... I used turkey smoked sausage)
1 package of sweet italian sausage ( casing doesn't matter because you're going to cut  it off anyway! I used Premio)
*you can also add red potatoes, but I am trying to cut back on those delicious things*
1/2 cup of water
olive oil

Seasonings to taste:
cumin
crushed garlic
sea salt or rock salt
fresh ground pepper
caraway (optional)
coriander (optional)
turmeric (optional)

Equipment:
2 knives
2 cutting boards
1 saute pan
1 crockpot

What to do:

1. Remove the outer layers of the cabbage, then cut the cabbage into 2 1/2 inch wide pieces. Add half to the crock pot set other half aside. If using potatoes cube & add them now.
2. Slice the peppers into medium width strips and place in the crock pot.
3. Cut onions into 2 inch pieces and set aside.
4. put a SPLASH of oil in the sautee pan and  turn the stove on medium heat. Cut the Italian sausage out of the casing and crumble into the pan. 
5. While that browns, cut the smoked sausage or kielbasa into 1 inch pieces and set aside.
6. Stir the italian sausage making sure it is cooked through. Add JUST the meat to the crock pot leaving the grease in the pan.
7. Add the onions and smoked sausage to the pan along with the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, caraway, coriander & turmeric (it adds a little UMPF & gives the onions a yellow hue).
8. Once the sausage is seared and the onions are just a little limp and add to the crock pot.
9. Add the rest of the cabbage and just a dash or 3 of the seasonings you added to the onions. Pour in the half cup of water.
10. Set the crock pot on high for 2 hours or low for 4. In an hour, try to stir everything up to make sure the cabbage on top is not CROUNCHY! (yes CROUNCHY!)

Shrimp, Mango, Avocado salad

I made a vinaigrette to go along with this, but it was so good on it's own I didn't use it.

Ingredients:
15-20 large or extra large shrimp
2 ripe avocado
2 fresh mango or a small bag of defrosted frozen (drained)
1 container of small tomatoes
1 bunch of green onion
3 small sweet peppers (I used yellow & red)
juice from half a lemon
juice from half a lime

Seasonings to taste:
handful of fresh cilantro
handful of fresh mint
sea salt or rock salt (I used an AMAZING smoked salt my friend brought back from Africa for me)
white pepper (or a little fresh black pepper)
CUMIN!!!!!!!

Equipment:
1 knife
1 cutting board
1 large bowl
sautee pan

What to do:

1. Sautee the shrimp in a little olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin. place in a container & set aside. (I put mine in the freezer because I was hungry &  already ready to EAT!
2. Cube the avocado and tomatoes and add to bowl. Dice the sweet peppers and add to bowl.
3. Chop mint, cilantro & green onions and add to bowl. add lemon and lime juice. Add shrimp & Toss together.
4. Add salt, pepper, cumin. Toss together and taste. Add what you think is missing.
5. Serve on a bed of lettuce or over multi-grain chips. (I had some falafel chips on hand)

Not the best picture, but SO GOOD!

Chicken & Eggplant Bake

This dish was so delicious, I based it on another recipe I read on the interwebs....

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (or about 10 mini eggplants)

1 large white onions

1 lb of chicken breast

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (I prefer fire roasted)

grated asiago cheese

parmesan or romano cheese or similar

Seasonings to taste:

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

dried basil

balsamic vinegar

brown sugar

crushed garlic

Equipment:

2 knives

2 cutting boards

1 oven safe dish with a  cover

1 small bowl

What you do:

1. preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
2. empty can of tomatoes into bowl. Add salt, pepper and basil. A teaspoon or more of brown sugar and about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Stir it, taste it, add more of what you think is missing... then set it aside.
3. Cube the eggplant and add to dish. Slice the onion in thick slices and add to the dish. Coat lightly with olive oil. Add salt, pepper, dried basil & garlic. Toss together.
4. Switch the knife & the cutting board. Cube the chicken, add salt pepper & basil. Add to the dish ina single layer.
5. Pour the tomatoes over the chicken, cover and place in the oven for 40 minutes.
6. Uncover, sprinkle with asiago and parmesan bake for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove, let cool, enjoy...

This is Your Season!

This is my first official food blog. Some people may know me as Bri Cooley, some may not know me at all. But I love food. I try to eat as healthy and organic as I can, but time & money sometimes say otherwise. When something like that happens I just try to use the freshest closely grown foods possible. And sometimes I use a box, can, bag, or jar and add fresh organic things to it. I'm realistic about what I am trying to accomplish here... eating BETTER food!

This blog will be about foooooooood! Cooking it! Eating it! Buying it! Snacks! main Courses! Sides! Desserts! I'm here for all of these things and more. The name "Season to Taste" came from how I cook- I don't measure things (unless I'm baking)- otherwise, I dump it in, sprinkle it on, and make it work! But it's also from my love for farmer's market veggies and getting what's in season to optimize my noms! (that's what I call my great food).

I'm in school & working on a few other projects so this won't be daily or weekly, but it will be worth it!