Hearty Chicken and Rosemary Stew
It may be April here in California but it's still rainy and cold frequently. This stew is the perfect spring comfort food. Not heavy with dairy, but sturdy enough to feed the hungriest teenager. (mental note for ten years from now!) Enjoy this with healthy, homemade drop biscuits and a salad. Challenge yourself to see how many vegetables you can eat in one meal! Using homemade chicken broth is amazing in this recipe, and I don't recommend skimping on the white wine. It really does add a wonderful depth to the stew that is missing if you leave it out. (Ask me how I know?!) I always have fresh rosemary from my garden, so I've never tried using dried, but if you substitute it, remember that dried herbs are more potent, so use less. Enjoy!
Prep 20 min
Cook 1.5- 2 hrs
Yield 8 servings
1 pound of Yukon gold potatoes
1 large onion
3 carrots
8 oz mushrooms
2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs (don't use breasts, will dry out)
1 T fresh Rosemary
3-4 Garlic cloves
1 1/2 teas real salt
1/2 teas pepper
15 ounces chicken broth/stock
1/2 cup (4 oz) chardonnay or other white wine. (If you don't have this you can add more broth, but your flavor will not be as deep)
1/4 cup (2 oz) tomato paste
2 T Cornstarch or 1 T arrowroot powder
Zest of one lemon and 1/2 cup chopped parsley for garnish
Coarsely chop all veggies as well as slice or cube the meat and trim fat. Toss in a large covered baking dish. Add herbs, salt, garlic and pepper and toss with meat and veggies. Whisk cornstarch or arrowroot powder with broth, tomato paste and wine together and pour over top of other ingredients. Mix well, cover and bake for 45 minutes. Stir and bake for another 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Zest lemon and chop parsley and sprinkle on top and let cool.
Stay tuned for a crockpot version of this. Not that cooking something for 1.5 hours makes it more difficult, but setting this at noon to eat around 6 is often times an easier task for a stay and home mom!
Increasing Nutrition Through Recipe Changes
So we are on a quest to eat more nutritionally as a family and yet the task can appear rather daunting. Well, Id like to tell you that you don’t have to change everything in order to create or adapt healthy recipes. Who wants to throw out all your family favorite recipes that have been passed down? Or those favorite comfort foods that make your family feel so satisfied and rejuvenated? I don’t know a mom alive who would spend countless hours in the kitchen reinventing the recipe “Wheel”. A few changes here and there (baby steps people!) will go a long way in the kitchen.
Today, I would like to offer a resource of ideas for helping you adapt your favorite recipes to make them healthier. While some of my recipes are loaded with sugar and say regular ol’ “flour” practically every recipe on this site has been a family favorite for quite some time, and have only been adapted in the past few years to replace the ingredients with more real whole food alternatives. The flavors may have changed slightly, but overall, choosing to use real food ingredients only increases the flavor and intensity of each recipe.
I have provided here for you a simple chart to convert those standard ingredients in your everyday recipes to real, whole food ingredients. Don’t feel overwhelmed by this list. Maybe start with one thing a week, or however fast you feel like working through it. Perhaps many of you will find things on this list you are already doing, such as the use of EVOO, or coconut oil…maybe some of you have been gluten free for some time now, and white flour is already gone from your thought process. Good for you! It’s all about baby steps!
Sweeteners
Learn about these healthy sweeteners here.
White sugar: Replace with equal amounts of rapadura or sucanat (both of which are whole cane unrefined sugars), or 1/3 less of raw honey or pure maple syrup (Vermont or Canadian sources). You can run rapadura/sucanat through the blender to get a less grainy texture, a perfect alternative for powdered sugar.
Brown sugar: Replace with equal amounts of sucanat or rapadura which have an excellent darker texture and tone similar to brown sugar. If you desire that wetter texture of brown sugar, simply add a Tablespoon of blackstrap molasses to the sucanat or rapadura.
Powered Sugar: replace with powdered sucanat/rapadura, or a dash of stevia.
Brown sugar: Replace with equal amounts of sucanat or rapadura which have an excellent darker texture and tone similar to brown sugar. If you desire that wetter texture of brown sugar, simply add a Tablespoon of blackstrap molasses to the sucanat or rapadura.
Powered Sugar: replace with powdered sucanat/rapadura, or a dash of stevia.
Grains
White Rice: While I recently read a post about how white rice is really just fine for us, many of you have already replaced it with brown rice. Basmati brown rice is very similar in texture to white rice. Brown rice takes a longer time to cook so make sure to check the packaging. I usually use 1 cup brown rice to 2 cups water.
White Flour: The Colorado State University Cooperative Extension recommends the following for substituting flour when baking.
1 cup of white, all-purpose flour for baking can be substituted with the following:
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs; (Just make sure they are whole wheat)
• 7/8 to 1 cup corn meal; I’ve never tried this.
• 1/2 cup cornstarch plus 1/2 cup rye, potato or rice flour (sift together 6 times, use with 2 tsp baking powder per cup in quick breads as wheat flour allergy substitute);
• 5/8 cup potato flour;
• 7/8 cup rice flour;
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats;
• 1 1/4 cups rye flour;
• 1 cup minus 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour.
White Flour: The Colorado State University Cooperative Extension recommends the following for substituting flour when baking.
1 cup of white, all-purpose flour for baking can be substituted with the following:
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs; (Just make sure they are whole wheat)
• 7/8 to 1 cup corn meal; I’ve never tried this.
• 1/2 cup cornstarch plus 1/2 cup rye, potato or rice flour (sift together 6 times, use with 2 tsp baking powder per cup in quick breads as wheat flour allergy substitute);
• 5/8 cup potato flour;
• 7/8 cup rice flour;
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats;
• 1 1/4 cups rye flour;
• 1 cup minus 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour.
If you are new to using whole wheat, try using half and half with unbleached white flour (choice unbleached to avoid the dying process), and gradually increase the whole wheat content until you can make it 100% whole wheat. Sourdough options are my favorite for getting a light fluffy texture and delicious results even when using whole wheat.
Bread products: Try to find sprouted whole wheat options (Dave’s Killer Bread, Food for Life or Alvarado Street Bakery are all good sprouted bread companies) & or make sure to check labels that they are made from 100% whole wheat without the addition of high fructose corn syrup or enriched wheat flours.
Pastas: Your best option is brown rice pastas (Trader Joe’s and Tinkyada are great brands), as they are both gluten free and low in phytates. You can get most varieties of pasta in brown rice varieties now.
Lindsey over at Passionate homemaking has a great post about using more variety in your grain choices here.
Dairy
Generally, choose organic whole milk alternatives for any recipe calling for low-fat, non-fat, or skim. Whole milk is essential for getting quality fats from dairy products. Low or non-fat alternatives have been processed and are very difficult for the body to digest. If you have access to raw milk, this is your best option. Otherwise, choose organic whole milk cultured dairy products. Substitute them for equal portions in recipes. Other good alternatives include coconut milk, hemp milk, or organic milk based products.
Margarine: Replace with real butter made from whole milk.
Buttermilk: Replace equally with cultured kefir or yogurt. (Coconut milk kefir is a good choice as well.) You can also make your own milk kefir.
Buttermilk: Replace equally with cultured kefir or yogurt. (Coconut milk kefir is a good choice as well.) You can also make your own milk kefir.
Oils
Your best choices here are olive oil, coconut oil, or butter. Read more about healthy oils from my friends site. Choice cold-pressed unrefined options. I use these three oils exclusively in all my cooking and baking.
Canola/vegetable oil: replace with olive oil for salad dressings, melted coconut oil for baking, and melted butter or coconut oil for sauteeing. Real butter can be used for baking or sauteeing. I recently saw organic canola oil on a shelf at an unnamed healthy foods store, and after researching the processing of canola (ie, rape seed oil) there is no way this product should be considered organic…
Crisco/Shortening: replace with palm oil, coconut oil, or butter in their solid state.
Crisco/Shortening: replace with palm oil, coconut oil, or butter in their solid state.
Meat/Eggs
Look for pastured grass fed varieties for best nutritional value. These are animals raised on pasture that are fed a variety of greens rather than corn products. Wild fish products are preferred to farm raised. Find local sources here. If you are in the Northern California area like I am, go here! It’s the best.
Canned Goods
The main concern with condensed soup is the MSG content. Either just eliminate these recipes altogether or replace with the following options:
Condensed Soup (Mushroom, Chicken, etc): replace with this easy homemade version or with cultured sour cream (as used in my enchilada recipe which originally called for cream of mushroom soup).
To learn what canned food brands do not have BPA in the lining, check out this list. (Although, please read the comments for updates. It’s not totally accurate) Your best bet is to can your own vegetables, and make your own soups. Buy organic frozen of eat seasonally.
Seasonings/Condiments
Table Salt: Replace with sea salt (I recommend RealSalt for its high mineral content). Or replace salt with herbs, either fresh or dried, and other seasonings. Freshly ground pepper and fresh seasonings have so much flavor, you won’t miss the salt.
Thickeners: Replace cornstarch or white flour called for in a recipe to a smaller portion of arrowroot powder (i.e. 1/4 cup flour = 1-2 Tbsp arrowroot powder).
Bouillon cubes: replace with homemade or organic free range chicken/beef broth.(Make sure it’s NO MSG…Not “No added MSG” Usually a recipe will say 1 bouillon cube and 1 cup water, and you can simply replace both with 1 cup homemade broth. You can also freeze homemade stock in ice cube trays to replace the bouillon cubes.
Pancake Syrup: Replace pancake syrup (the fake HFCS sugar syrup) with pure maple syrup (Vermont does not allow formaldehyde in processing or try Canadian sources), honey, or fruit syrup.
Mayonnaise: Make your own homemade mayonnaise or purchase coconut oil mayonnaise or safflower mayonnaise.
Ketchup: Make your own or choice fermented ketchup or an organic variety that does not use HFCS. There are some brands that now advertise no HFCS, and I use so little, that we simply purchase those, but making your own is easy and a great idea if your family consumes a lot.
Bread crumbs/croutons: Make your own from healthy breads or your own that’s a day old.
Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract (not vanilla flavoring or imitation vanilla) or make your own.
Salad Dressings: The best nutritious salad dressing is a simple balsamic vinegar and cold pressed olive oil. But you can also make your own recipes of salad dressings using healthy fats.
Worcestershire Sauce (this often has corn syrup): replace with equal amount of white vinegar.
Baking powder/baking soda: Chose aluminum free varieties (Bob’s Red Mill or Rumford brands).
Thickeners: Replace cornstarch or white flour called for in a recipe to a smaller portion of arrowroot powder (i.e. 1/4 cup flour = 1-2 Tbsp arrowroot powder).
Bouillon cubes: replace with homemade or organic free range chicken/beef broth.(Make sure it’s NO MSG…Not “No added MSG” Usually a recipe will say 1 bouillon cube and 1 cup water, and you can simply replace both with 1 cup homemade broth. You can also freeze homemade stock in ice cube trays to replace the bouillon cubes.
Pancake Syrup: Replace pancake syrup (the fake HFCS sugar syrup) with pure maple syrup (Vermont does not allow formaldehyde in processing or try Canadian sources), honey, or fruit syrup.
Mayonnaise: Make your own homemade mayonnaise or purchase coconut oil mayonnaise or safflower mayonnaise.
Ketchup: Make your own or choice fermented ketchup or an organic variety that does not use HFCS. There are some brands that now advertise no HFCS, and I use so little, that we simply purchase those, but making your own is easy and a great idea if your family consumes a lot.
Bread crumbs/croutons: Make your own from healthy breads or your own that’s a day old.
Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract (not vanilla flavoring or imitation vanilla) or make your own.
Salad Dressings: The best nutritious salad dressing is a simple balsamic vinegar and cold pressed olive oil. But you can also make your own recipes of salad dressings using healthy fats.
Worcestershire Sauce (this often has corn syrup): replace with equal amount of white vinegar.
Baking powder/baking soda: Chose aluminum free varieties (Bob’s Red Mill or Rumford brands).
Did I miss an ingredient? I am sure I did…let me know and I’ll add our source to the above list. Have a favorite recipe that you are just not sure how to adapt? Share below and I’ll try my best to offer some suggestions.
The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen…And No, I’m Not Talkin’ Laundry
I am, however talking about organic versus conventionally raised agriculture. Do you have a hard time juggling the kids, the list and the shopping cart every time you hit the grocery store? I personally have a difficult time doing that, so I thought maybe I would make life just one step simpler when trying to eat a healthier vegetable. Organic is not a hoax…That may be what "Big-Ag" is trying to tell you, but it ain't the truth! Making choices is part of everyday life, choose right and chances are you won't end up a statistic in the largest growing category of "Things that can kill you" AKA, the diet related illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, heart problems, etc. Yes, eating organic can have that effect.
This list comes directly from the Environmental Working Group's website. I'll make it short and sweet.
Foods with the highest pesticide residues (All tested after washing) PLEASE, eat these only organic!
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries (I personally feel this should say all berries)
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/Collard Greens
The Clean 15 (Not free from, but lowest in pesticides)
1. Onions
2. Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocados
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms
Source: Foodnews.org
Happy Shopping!
