Santa Fe Chicken and Rice Soup

Here is another copycat soup. I was inspired yet again from a can of Progresso soup. This soup is sort of like a light version of taco soup. Or maybe the soup version of Santa Fe Rice and Beans. It is all the yummy ingredients of tex mex in a savory broth. I love the snap of the corn and the creamy black beans. The tomatoes and chilies really add great flavor to the broth too. I made this soup twice once with can tomatoes and hatch chilies I roasted myself. It was good and spicy. The next time I used a can of tomatoes with green chilies and it had a milder heat. So you can choose your perfect spice level. Both are delicious. Now I had no intention of adding cheese to this soup, but dear sister did. It is totally optional but really good. It taste even more like Santa Fe Rice and Beans with the cheesy garnish. Now let me tell you the best part about this soup. The leftovers! There is something about that time in the frig that makes the broth addictive. I would definitely consider making it ahead of time if you can wait that long.

Santa Fe Chicken and Rice Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. chicken fat, olive oil or butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

6 cups unsalted chicken stock

15 oz. diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained*

15 oz. no salt added corn, undrained

15 oz. low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

2- 2-1/2 cups cooked chicken diced

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/2 cup instant rice

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste
Mexican blend cheese, shredded (optional)

Directions

Place 3-1/2 quart soup pot on medium high heat, add olive oil and onion. Saute until onion is translucent and begins to brown. Add garlic, salt and pepper saute 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients except rice; bring to a boil. Add rice lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until rice is cooked. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary. Serve garnished with cheese (optional).

*Note: For a low sodium or spicier version; substitute 15 oz. no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained and 2 roasted hatch chilies, deseeded and chopped for the can tomatoes with green chilies.

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky

Piri Piri Seasoning

I have told you how much I enjoy Piri Piri Sauce. But did you know that there is also a dry Piri Piri Seasoning? Now that I have visited Boneheads I have got a taste for Piri Piri Seasoning too. They use it to season fish, chicken, shrimp, vegetables and even fries. It is really really good! Several people I know including myself are thrilled that Boneheads has come to Shreveport. They serve such tasty healthy meals. Love it! Well you know me, I love spice blends and re-creating restaurant meals at home. I just had to try making my own Piri Piri Seasoning. I did some research and it appears that there are many different recipes out there. I chose to start with the common ingredients in all blends; paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, sea salt, lemon, pepper and oregano. I left out spices like cumin, ginger and cardamon. I felt like they were more common in Mexican and Indian food. I have no idea if this is authentic. But it sure is good. I have used it on shrimp, chicken, zucchini and in Microwave Spiced Rice. So far it is awesome on everything. The lemon pepper adds some brightness to the smoked paprika and the cayenne some heat. I see using this seasoning often. I can't wait to try it on some fish real soon.

Piri Piri Seasoning

Makes about 1/4 cup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp cayenne powder

1 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

Directions

Add everything to a small bowl, pour through a funnel into a jar, seal tightly and shake well.

Note: If you are looking for a salt free option, try omitting the salt and using Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning instead of lemon pepper. It is delicious!

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Reasons To Skip The Housework: Skip The Housework Link Party
Memories By The Mile: Treasure Box Tuesday
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Anyonita Nibbles: #tastytuesdays
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
The Diary of a Real Housewife: Friday Favorites

Recipe Review: Tahini Salad

Recently I discovered Tahini Salad. I had it as a side at Pita De' Novo. It was so good! It is very similar to Shepherd's Salad but instead of feta it is dressed with a tahini dressing. I really like the nutty, creamy dressing with the fresh cucumber, tomato and herbs. Well after having this new experience I started looking for recipes. I found one at Ziyad Brothers. I followed this recipe as close as possible. I did have to use garlic powder because I had used all my fresh in another recipe. I was a little skeptical about adding warm water to the dressing, so I waited to add it last. I just knew it would water down the tahini. Well let me tell you when I put the tahini into the lemon juice it was like a science experiment went off. It got really thick and almost fluffy as I stirred. So weird? But when you add the warm water it was the consistency of dressing. I searched to see if this was normal and yes others report the reaction too. So don't be surprised. You can use it as a party trick on your friends. Tahini Salad is not only delicious but entertaining as well. I hope your give it a try.

Tahini Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 English cucumbers, diced

4 tomatoes, diced

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/3 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 cup Tahini sauce

1/2 cup Lemon juice

1/2 cup water, warm

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 bunch Parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

Directions

Dice cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions and mix together in bowl. In a small bowl, mix together garlic powder, Tahini sauce, lemon juice, warm water and olive oil. Pour over cucumber mixture and mix well. Sprinkle with mint leaves and parsley, stir well. Serve chilled.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
My Pinterventures: Summer Salads Party

Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This soup is a modification to the Chicken Tortilla Soup I have already posted. Years ago I was looking for a way to reduce carbs and fat in the recipe. So I altered my original recipe to resemble a restaurant soup I had somewhere. The exact restaurant escapes me now. Oh well... It did inspire one great soup. This taste of the southwest is spicy and loaded with veggies. The zucchini and squash breaks down a little in the soup and makes a slightly thick broth. So good! The brown rice makes this soup a meal and also adds a great chewy texture. This pot of soup is made with all low/no sodium ingredients. I roasted my own chilies and added them to the can tomatoes to simulate rotel tomatoes. But if you are looking for a short-cut? Well I have great news. I have made it many times with one can rotel original tomatoes with green chilies and one can diced tomatoes. You can do the same just omit the roasted chilies and substitute a can of rotel for one of the cans diced tomatoes. More good news I have found no salt added rotel at Wal-mart this week. So you can have both convenience and low sodium. If you want to get this soup on the table fast use leftover chicken or chicken from a store bought rotisserie chicken. I have made all these substitutions and it always turns out delicious. I hope you will think so too.

Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup 

Servings:  12

Ingredients

1 or 2 Hatch or Anaheim (California) green chilies

1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast 
Olive oil spray

1 med. red onion, quartered and sliced

1 lg. or 2 sm. zucchini, halved and sliced 

1 lg. or 2 sm. summer squash, halved and sliced 

2 (14.5 oz.) cans no salted added diced tomatoes, with liquid  

6 cups fat-free, unsalted chicken broth 

1/4 tsp ground cumin 

3/4 tsp Seasoned Pepper 

1 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic Seasoning 

Kosher salt to taste (omit for a low sodium diet)

1/2 cup instant brown rice 

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 

Directions

Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

To grill the chilies: Place chilies on the grill. Grill for five minutes on each side on medium high heat. Remove chilies and cover with plastic wrap. When chilies are cool enough to touch, peel off the skin of the chilies. Cut chilies in half from stem to tip, remove seeds, stem and veins. Chop into small dice.

Place chicken in a 3-1/2 quart pot, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. At the first sign of bubbles lower to temperature to low. Poach chicken for 30 minutes. Discard cooking liquid and shred chicken. Set chicken aside. Rinse pot and return to heat. (You may use leftover chicken or pull chicken from a store bought rotisserie chicken.)

Sauté onion in olive oil spray until they start to get transparent. Add the squash and zucchini. Sauté until they begin to soften. Add tomatoes, chilies, broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add chicken, rice and cilantro. Simmer until rice is cooked. 

Serve garnished with more cilantro, sour cream or sliced avocado.

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Back to the Basics: Tuesdays with a Twist
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Friday with All My Bloggy Friends
My Pinterventures: Souper Bowl 2015 Party

Low Sodium Ramen Noodle Salad

When I originally posted my recipe for Oriental Ramen Noodle Salad I had no idea how popular it would be. I mean I thought everyone had their recipe for this simple salad. You know it still remains the most viewed recipe on my blog. Of the two years I have been blogging nothing has been able to de-throne it. 

Well get ready to toss that high sodium flavor packet. I have developed a low sodium version of this popular salad. I have substituted a sodium free bouillon packet and my own spices for the little packet that comes with the ramen. It worked so well. I did add a little more vinegar too. As I mention before vinegar is a great way to add brightness to a dish like salt would. I left out the sunflower seeds and doubled up on the almonds. It can be hard to find unsalted sunflower seeds. Honestly ... I forgot to even look when I was at the store. I did not miss them, the almonds have great crunch too. The fact that I left out the seeds did inspire the sesame garnish. They really add a finishing touch to this salad. I was really pleased with this low sodium make-over. Dear sister even said she did not miss the salt in this one. Well there you go a salt shaker stamp of approval. It is definitely worth a try real soon. Don't you think?

Low Sodium Ramen Noodle Salad

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 pkg Ramen noodles any flavor

1 large package Coleslaw mix

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1/2 cup silvered almonds
Black and white sesame seeds, to garnish

Dressing:

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 packet sodium free chicken bouillon granules

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1/8 tsp. dried chives

1/8 tsp. five spice powder

Directions

Toss or save ramen flavor packet for another use. Break noodles into pieces and mix with coleslaw mix, onions, and almonds in a large bowl. Combine ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake vigorously. Pour over salad, toss and chill for several hours. When ready to eat, toss again to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Chicken Chick: Clever Chicks Blog Hop
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Memories By The Mile: Treasure Box Tuesday
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Picnic Food

Low Sodium Italian Sausage Soup

Here is another experiment in eliminating sodium from a tried and true soup recipe. I borrowed the spice mix from my Low Sodium Italian Sausage recipe and used it to make turkey Italian sausage. It works perfectly and reduced the sodium in this favorite Italian Sausage Soup. I also used unsalted chicken stock and no salt tomatoes. But I kept the Parmesan for a garnish. It was really really good! Maybe a little spicier than the original, but I liked it. Definitely a soup that adapts well to a low sodium diet.

Low Sodium Italian Sausage Soup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tsp. olive oil

19.2 oz. 93% lean ground turkey

1 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 Tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed

3/4 tsp. black pepper

3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. paprika
4 cups unsalted chicken broth
2 (14.5-oz) cans no salt added diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 cup uncooked small shell pasta
4 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Directions

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, turkey, garlic and seasonings to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.

Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil. 

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday

Creative K Kids: Tasty Tuesdays
Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
My Pinterventures: Souper Bowl 2015 Party

Asian Style Vegetable Soup

In the pursuit of low sodium recipes for my family I have found soups a little difficult. Of the five recipes I tried, two were a disaster and three were great. This one falls in the great category. It is a little dark in color for my taste but so delicious who cares what it looks like. I may try chicken stock next time? Or make my own veggie stock. We will see? This soup has a wonderful sweet flavor. But my absolute favorite thing about it is the sesame oil. It is so different and rich tasting. I tried it with added salt, some low sodium soy sauce and even Sriracha. But honestly it is great as is. No need for those extras, but they are delicious too if you just need variety. This is truly a delicious healthy soup.

Asian Style Vegetable Soup
Serves 12; generous 1 cup serving

Ingredients

14 dried shiitake mushrooms (or substitute fresh shiitake mushrooms)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1” ginger, peeled and minced
6 green onions, divided and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
6 cups Napa or Savoy cabbage, chopped
8 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1/4 tsp white pepper, or to taste
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. Sherry vinegar

Optional garnishes:
Sriracha

Directions

If using dried mushrooms, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and reserve soaking liquid. Cut or discard the stems from the shiitake mushrooms. Thinly slice the mushroom caps and add to a soup pot. Add garlic, ginger, 4 green onions, carrots, corn and cabbage. Cover vegetables with vegetable stock and mushroom soaking liquid. Be careful not to add the sediment at the bottom of the mushroom liquid. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Turn off heat add spinach, sesame oil and sherry vinegar. Serve garnished with remaining green onion.

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist

Low Sodium Chili

Boy it has been awhile hasn't it? I am still here. I took a trip for the long labor day weekend, I have a furniture installation in progress at a fire station and well just more work than usual. A blessing but it is cutting into blogging. I am still cooking and taking photos but really behind in posting. I hope this weekend I will catch up a bit.

This is another experiment in eliminating sodium from a tried and true recipe. I tried making my Wendy's Chili recipe with all no or low sodium ingredients. It was a hit with the family, deliciously spicy. I think using fresh hatch chilies instead of a can of green chilies is what did it. I really enjoyed it. But if spicy foods is not your thing add the hatch chilies in the last 10 minutes of cook time. This was a successful experiment. Just cutting out some of the sodium is a healthy option for my family.

Low Sodium Chili

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Hatch or Anaheim (California) green chilies

1 lb. 93% lean ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 rib celery, chopped

15 oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes (liquid included)

15 oz. can no salt added red kidney beans (liquid drained)

15 oz. can no salt added pinto beans (liquid drained)

8 oz. can no salt added tomato sauce

1 cup water

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

To grill the chilies: Place chilies on the grill. Grill for five minutes on each side on medium high heat. Remove chilies and cover with plastic wrap. When chilies are cool enough to touch, peel off the skin of the chilies. Cut chilies in half from stem to tip, remove seeds, stem and veins. Chop into small dice.

Heat a Dutch oven to medium high heat. Brown beef over medium heat breaking into small pieces with a spoon. When beef is brown, add the remaining ingredients stirring to combine thoroughly. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, and continue simmering covered 50−60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve and enjoy!

Linking to:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Texas Star Chili Cook Off 2014

Creamy Tomato Soup with Spinach and Sausage

The first time I made this soup it was nothing more than a raid of the pantry and frig. I had 3 turkey Italian sausage links and some spinach in the freezer. There was garden vegetable pasta sauce, chicken stock and egg noodles in the pantry. I had a little half and half about to expire. And what goes great with spinach and cream? Nutmeg! It all came together so easy and was amazingly delicious. Right away I knew I wanted to use bow-tie pasta the next time. But I really loved the garden vegetable pasta sauce. It has little pieces of veggie like onion, carrot and zucchini. Call them bonus veggies you don't have to chop. It was so good I knew I wanted to try to make it low sodium. There was so much flavor in this recipe we could lose a little salt. So by all means if you or family do not need to watch your sodium intake use your favorite brands. But if you would like to limit the sodium in your diet this post is for you. 

First things first I made my own Low Sodium Italian Sausage. I found unsalted chicken stock and low sodium marinara sauce. That is it! Very simple. If you have the sausage pre-made. This soup can be on the table in 30 minutes. It was delicious even without the added sodium. What I did miss was the little pieces of bonus veggies. I thought about adding some but I like the simplicity of the recipe. I love the nutmeg and red pepper flakes. Dear sister did not pick out the nutmeg she said it was well balanced. She had more questions about the Italian sausage meatballs. So be sure to check out that recipe too. I made a double batch tonight. I have some put away for my sodium restricted family member. I can't wait to see what they think.

Creamy Tomato Soup with Sausage and Spinach
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray
12 oz. Low Sodium Italian Sausage (click here for recipe)
4 cups unsalted fat free chicken stock
25 oz. jar low sodium marinara sauce
10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
Pinch (1/16 tsp.) ground nutmeg
Pinch (1/16 tsp.) red pepper flakes
1-1/2 cups bow-tie pasta, dry
1/2 cup half and half (fat free)

Directions

Using a tablespoon measure, scoop sausage into small meatballs. Spray a 4 qt. soup pot or Dutch oven with olive oil cooking spray; add sausage and brown over medium high heat. Add chicken stock; deglazing pot, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any brown bits. Add marinara sauce, spinach, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Add pasta, reduce to a simmer and continue to simmer 12 minutes until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat, stir in half and half and serve.

Nutrition information per serving*: (calculated on 5 servings) Calories 310.1, Total Fat 10.5 g, Saturated Fat 3.1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2.7 g, Cholesterol 48.4 mg, Sodium 338.6 mg, Potassium 412.5 mg, Total Carbohydrate 30.4 g, Dietary Fiber 2.5 g, Sugars 7.6 g, Protein 22.7 g.
WW P+ 8

*Information from the Sparkrecipes calculator. NI may vary depending on the brand or size of the ingredients used to prepare it.

Linking to:
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Kneaded Creations: Tuesdays With A Twist
My Pinterventures: Souper Bowl 2015 Party

Low Sodium Italian Sausage

UGH! This post almost did not happen tonight. You may want to skip down a bit I am about to rant a little. I started preparing this sausage recipe and when I went to get the fennel seeds I realized I only had a teaspoon. Woops! I should have taken inventory I guess. So I rushed out looking "comfortable" to a store where no one would recognize me, running one yellow light as I go. But they did not have any fennel on the shelf. Back to the car. Oh no! I need gas. Stop at the gas station choosing the slowest pump there. Back in the car, run yellow light number two. Driving to second store thinking to myself calm down, this is no big deal. Wait another yellow light. Stop it Denise! Calm down. Oh! A nice parking spot right up front at Wal-mart things are looking up. Look two bottles of fennel seed left get them all just in case. Okay... Well that was interesting? But it is done now, your almost home. Last yellow light really? Yes really! So if you were counting that is 4 yellow lights, 2 stores, 1 gas station, 1 great parking spot and all the fennel I could find. DONE!

The first time I made this sausage it was to stuff mini peppers. I wanted to develop a no salt added sausage so I could make the Grilled Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers for my family. I used all turkey the first time and it was delicious. This time I decided to use both lean turkey and pork. I used most of it right away in a soup (click here for recipe) but stored some as links in the freezer. It really turned out delicious. The pork adds just the right amount of fat. The meatballs I made browned well and there was little fat left behind. Dear sister asked if there was Parmesan, egg or bread crumb in them. But nope just a few simple spices and a little water to help incorporate them. I think it also helps make the sausage moist too. I will definitely keep making this recipe. It would be great for lasagna or sandwiches with peppers and onions. There is tons of low sodium potential in this recipe.

Low Sodium Italian Sausage

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground pork
19.2 oz. 93% lean ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. fennel seeds
1-1/2 tsp. black pepper
1-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. paprika

Directions

Crumble pork and turkey alternating as you go into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with minced garlic and gently combine. Poke holes into surface of pork and turkey mixture. Place fennel in a mortar and pestle and crush. Add remaining spices crushing again to combine. Add cold water to seasoning mixture to create a slurry. Pour half into the holes in meat mixture and gently combine. Poke holes into surface of pork and turkey mixture again. Repeat process with the remaining slurry and gently combine. Form into 4 oz. links, patties for burgers, meatballs or store in bulk for future use. Freezes well.

 

Use old style sandwich bags to wrap individual links 

and store in a zipper top bag in the freezer. It will stop the links 

from freezing together and you can take out just what you need.

Use a tablespoon measure to help form 

meatballs for soup or pasta sauces.

Linking to:
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday: Sausages