Whole 30 Chicken and Mushroom Soup

I have been back on W30 for a month. I needed to change my diet after the holidays so Kayte and I decided to go back on the program. If you aren’t familiar with the W30 it is a paleo style eating style that ‘outlaws’ grains (bread, pasta, rice, etc), sugar, dairy (milk, butter, yogurt, cream etc.), legumes (peas, beans, peanuts, chickpeas, etc) in favor of leafy veggies, meat, chicken ghee, etc. It is not hard, as Melissa Hartwig (the ‘inventor’) says but it is a big change if you are used to cheese, yogurt, humus, sandwiches, etc. And I was. 

After a month I was feeling better. My restless legs were under control. And I was sleeping better.

So I have decided to keep going with the style even if I’m not 100%. To that end Kayte and I are trying out some new recipes. LIke this Chicken and Mushroom Soup for Hartwig’s W30 Fast and Easy. (p 189)

Simple ingredients: chicken, sweet potato, ‘shrooms, compliant bacon, onion, garlic, and chicken broth. Seasoned with thyme, red pepper flakes and salt only. I think it needed more salt and maybe a little something else I cannot put my finger on. Maybe more garlic. It lacked ‘umph’!

But it was good. It will be my lunch for this week. 

Kayte made the Chinese Chicken and Bok Choy soup from Hartwig’s The W30 Cookbook. (p 122) which is a NomNom Paleo recipe. Next time we cook ‘together’ (she is in Indiana and I’m in Louisiana) we will switch soups.

 

GFGF: Spinach

Yesterday was Spinach Salad Day. Needless to say, I didn’t quite make it. So what else is new, right?

This was Peggy’s ingredient pick. And since I hadn’t made this salad in a while I decided to make it super simple and go with what I know.

Ingredients: baby spinach, boiled eggs, raw mushrooms, bacon, shredded cheddar, and ranch dressing.

That’s it! Just cut up the eggs, shrooms, and bacon. Toss it with the spinach and cheese and add in some dressing.

See, I told you. SUPER simple.

With the store bottled ranch it is not KETO. But if you make your own….So Good!

More salads?

Kayte

Nancy

Peggy

Ulrike

Donna

Ellen

 

Good Friends, Good Food: Spring/Green Peas

Spring Peas. What a great veggie. A good indication that spring is on it’s way. Warmer weather. Sunny days. (Unless you live in Louisiana lately!) and fresh veggies. While these are not from our garden they are my favorite pea. Frozen sweet peas.

This weeks ingredient was chosen by Ellen. And the theme for the next few months is SALADS! My idea!

So I chose a pea salad. I had never made one before or had one I really liked so I decided to make one for our monthly church supper. They seemed to like it. And so did I, but I would make a few changes if I made it again.

The original recipe is from The Pioneer Woman.

1/3 c. sour cream

1 tbsp. 

mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp. white vinegar

4 c. frozen green peas, almost totally thawed

8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped

1/2 small red onion, halved and sliced very thin

6 oz. cheddar or American cheese, cut into small cubes

3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

I would make twice the dressing because the noted amount was not enough for the amount of peas. It seemed dry.

I would increase the bacon next time. As Ulrike says, everything is better with bacon.

Other than that the salad was tasty.

More peas to come:

Kayte

Peggy

Ellen

 

Good Food Good Friends: Corn

Here I am. Almost two weeks late with my corn recipe. It’s a good thing this is a group of Good Friends or I would be kicked off the island by now. It has just been one of those weeks or so when nothing worked out the way it should. My bad!

This week the ingredient was corn. Peggy’s choice. Sorry it took me so long, Peggy!

It is the last week before a new round of ingredients begins and a new theme.

I needed some thing easy and quick. This fried corn was calling my name.

The recipe is super simple as is the list of ingredients. Corn, bacon, butter, onions, salt and pepper. That’s all. That’s it.

• 4 slices of bacon
• 2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen since the good stuff isn’t available yet!)
• 1/4 cup diced  onions 
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until nice crisp.

Remove the bacon from the skillet leaving the bacon grease in the skillet. Chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces.

Add the onions to the skillet and until translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Stir in the bacon after the corn is completely cooked.

Enjoy!

This was really good for such a simple dish. Definitely a keeper. Even though it is NOT Keto friendly.

More corn recipes from:

Kayte

Peggy

Ulrike

Donna

Next week we are starting with salads. We choose one ingredient and make a salad. Not going to be easy but these good friends can do it!

 

CTBF: Everyday Dorie -Galette

This month’s Everyday Dorie recipe is the Mushroom-Bacon Galette. And it was a great choice.

I only made a small one, about 1/2 size.  It didn’t last long and it was fantastic.  I didn’t know I could make something like that.  And I will make it again.

How can you pass up bacon, mixed mushrooms, with white wine, heavy cream and walnuts covered with Parmesan.

The recipe is on page 51 of Dorie Greenspan’s Everyday Dorie.

See more at Cook The Books Friday.

BTW I have made all but two of the recipes with the group but this is the first one I’ve blogged since the Gougeres.  I have to remedy that.

 

{IHCC} Iozza’s corn and bacon muffins

It’s Potluck Week with I Heart Cooking Clubs. and the second to the last week to cook with Curtis Stone.  And I still have several recipes I really want to make…..

These muffins are made for Curtis by his Mum when he is home.  I can see why he likes them.  Full of bacon, corn, seasonings, and cheese.

Slathered with butter they are perfect for breakfast.  They can be mixed and finished in about 30 minutes.

• 12 ounces hardwood-smoked bacon, coarsely chopped {+ 1/3 cup bacon drippings}
• 2 1/2 cups AP flour {I used 1/2 WWF and 1/2 AP Flour}
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups grated white sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup fresh yellow corn kernels (from 1 cob)
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives {I think they needed more.}

Fry the bacon  over medium heat until nice and crisp.  Reserve about 1/3 cup bacon drippings.

Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder.  Mix together the egg, milk, bacon drippings, corn, chives, and 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Mix the milk mixture into the dry ingredients.  Pour equal amounts into each muffin cup which have been brushed with bacon drippings.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over the muffins.

Bake 18 minutes (mine took 15) or until golden brown.  Cool slightly then run a small knife around the the muffins and remove from the pan.  

Serve with warm butter.    {Recipe makes 12 muffins)   Similar Recipe here.

These were good. Definitely a repeat.

More Pot Luck at I Heart Cooking Clubs.