Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup with Sweet Potato

Hooray for December and all of the wonderful things that come along with it!  

The excitement of Christmas is alive in our house and 

I'm so thankful that so far

 (I know, it is still early!)

I am able to fend off being overwhelmed and just take a deep breath, 

add another item to my to do list and 

savor the joy that comes with each holiday activity.  

As we bounce from the tree to the lights, 

from the cookies to the decorations,

from the cards to the gifts…

there isn't much time left for cooking, 

so I'll try to help you out and

keep the meal ideas coming!  

This hearty, creamy chicken soup was a huge hit, 

the contrasting flavors and textures of the rice and sweet potatoes,

really hit the spot!  

It was even requested for deer camp, 

so I guess that means it is man-approved.  

First things first…

1# of chicken was cut into cubes, 

seasoned with 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning and

sautéed over medium heat in 1-2 tbsp of olive oil.

When the chicken was cooked thoroughly,

1 cup of white n wild rice blend

along with 1-2 cups of cubed sweet potatoes 

were added to the stock pot.  

Four cups of chicken broth 

were added and brought to a boil,

simmered for about 20 minutes

while the rice and potatoes softened.  

To be honest, 

you could stop right here and you would have a fabulous soup

in about 30 minutes. 

My family doesn't get creamy stuff very often, 

so when I offered to thicken this up, 

they didn't think twice. 

So, to make the roux, 

2 tbsp of butter were melted 

and 1/4 cup of flour was whisked together.

(I used soy, but you can use all-purpose, if you prefer)

One half cup of milk is also added. 

Whisk continuously over medium-low heat

until the protein in the soy flour is denatured, or cooked, 

and thickens to nearly a paste.

Add it to the stock pot,

when the rice and sweet potatoes are cooked.

Stir it all up and

there you have a nice creamy base for your soup. 

RECIPE:

Cook Time : 45 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1# of chicken 

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

1 cup of White n Wild rice blend (any kind of rice will work just fine!)

1-2 cups of cubed sweet potatoes 

4 cups of chicken broth 

2 tbsp of butter 

1/4 cup of flour (I used soy, but all-purpose would work too!)

1/2 cup of milk

Directions:

• Heat 1-2 tbsp of cooking oil over medium heat. 
• Add cubed chicken and cook until no more pink. 
• Add rice, sweet potatoes and chicken broth. 
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. 
• To make the roux, melt butter and whisk in flour. 
• Then add milk and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens to a paste. 
• Add the roux to the soup. 
• Stir and serve! 

Swiss Sweet Potato and Ham Bake

With kudos to my husband, I have a very tasty dinner recipe to share with you….Swiss Sweet Potato and Ham Bake

Whenever I need some help with meal ideas to get me out of a rut of serving my beloved chicken, Jerry is fabulous at throwing out all sorts of great suggestions for me to work with. Some times they are a bit off the wall (see succotash), but I am always grateful nonetheless.

Last week he suggested ham and sweet potato pie...wasn't quite sure what to think of that, but I'm always up for anything, at least once, and certainly want to take his suggestions to heart, to keep them coming.

Thankfully, this dish turned out better than either of us would have guessed.

I likened it to the scalloped potatoes that my mom used to make, but healthier with sweet potatoes…smokey, creamy, cheesy and sweet!  Pretty good combination, if I do say so myself!

Can't complain, while the kids didn't go back for seconds, like Jerry and I, they did eat what was served without much fuss.

Perhaps it was because we were eating it during our family football draft, regardless, made something a little different and was enjoyed by all.

Just started with three sweet potatoes, pierced with a fork before microwaving for 10 minutes to cook.  

While the sweet potatoes were cooking, 1/2 stick butter was melted in a sauce pan and half of an onion, chopped, was added to soften a bit.  

For seasoning, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp crushed basil, 1/2 tsp ground mustard and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper were added to the pan.  

In order to keep this recipe gluten free, 1/3 cup soy flour was used instead of wheat flour 

as a thickening agent.  

One and one quarter cups skim milk were added and the sauce was simmered a bit over medium heat until desired consistency. 

Finally, two cups of cubed ham and one cup of shredded swiss 

were added to complete the ham and cheese sauce.  

Mmmmm!

Once the sweet potatoes were cooled, they were cubed as well. 

If you don't like the skin, you can surely remove it.

I'm kinda a big fan…

lots of vitamins there!

And, honestly, once you add all that smokey, creamy cheesiness, I never even noticed the skin. 

Two cups of the ham and cheese sauce were spooned in over the first sweet potato. 

Another sweet potato was added. 

Then, the rest of the sauce. 

And, finally the last potato.

The dish was covered and baked at 325 F for about 20 minutes. 

Sprinkled with the last 1/2 cup of swiss cheese and some additional basil, 

if you like, for visual appeal.  

Scoop, serve and enjoy! 

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes

1/2 stick butter

1/2 onion - chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed basil

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/3 cup soy flour

1 1/4 cups skim milk

2 cups of cubed ham 

1 1/2 cup of shredded swiss (divided)

Directions:

Pierce sweet potatoes and microwave for 10 minutes. Upon cooling, cut into cubes. 

Melt butter in sauce pan, add onions to soften. 

Season with salt, basil, mustard and pepper. 

Add soy flour and milk, simmer for a couple minutes. 

Add ham and 1 cup of swiss cheese. 

Add 1 cubed sweet potato to bottom of quart baking dish. 

Cover with 2 cups of ham and cheese sauce. 

Add another cubed sweet potato. 

Cover with remaining ham and cheese sauce.

Add last sweet potato. 

Cover and bake at 325F for 20 minutes. 

Top with 1/2 cup shredded cheese and additional basil (optional)

Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers

How do you define a burger?

This was called into question tonight when I announced what was on the menu for dinner.

I got at least two questions wondering whether or not there was meat in those burgers. And, the muffled responses were less than thrilled.  Even from my husband, who knows that my meal failures are few and far between.

This debate took me to the Merriam Webster on-line dictionary where their definition of burger is a food that is like a hamburger but is not made from beef.

Ahhh, I felt vindicated.  I wasn't lying or trying to trick my family.  I just wanted to try something different.

There are lots of different kinds of burgers...hamburgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, which is the avenue I took for tonight's dinner.

All of these doubts, before I even started the meal, made the process even more daunting, causing procrastination to set in.  But, finally dinner was started, served and ENJOYED!

Alayna's response after her first bite was "This is amazing!"

And, Jerry was reluctant to admit that it was really good and he did go back for seconds.

So, let me share how we got this party started.

One cup of dried quinoa was cooked in water, but broth or bouillon is always an option. (I always buy the pre-soaked quinoa to save on my prep time).

While the quinoa was cooking, the mini food processor was put to work.  Not to mention that this mini food processor is 14 years old and, did I mention mini?  A new food processor is definitely on the list as a future investment.

The mini-factor made this process a little more tedious as I had to work in small batches, but the same deliciousness resulted.

Two cans of black beans, rinsed with a half cup set aside, one medium sweet potato (with skin-on cooked in the microwave), 2 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 onion, chopped, one half cup of jarred roasted red peppers, one half tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of salt and a pinch of pepper were all puréed in the processor and poured into a mixing bowl.

Then, then quinoa and reserved black beans were added to the vegetable purée and stirred well before forming into patties, using about a 1/2 cup of the mix yielded 7 patties.

These patties were baked for 20 minutes at 400 F before topping with shredded cheese, Libby's Chunky Guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

In an effort to reward my family for being good sports on this adventurous meal, I also served their favorite fruits and veggies…edamame (cooked, I might add!) and strawberries.

When I revisit this adventure, I might opt for some more sweet potatoes, could hard tell they were in there other than an occasional piece of skin and, I think I'd add some corn, for texture and visual appeal. 

Overall, it was a hit, but more importantly, I just can't say enough about how much it means to have my whole family around the dinner table, talking about our day and sharing a meal.  I'm sure it won't last forever, as the kids schedules get busier, but I will certainly cherish it while it lasts.


 RECIPE

Ingredients
One cup of dried quinoa
Two cans of black beans, rinsed with 1/2 cup set aside, 
One medium sweet potato (with skin on cooked in the microwave)
2 tbsp of minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 half cup of jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of salt
a pinch of pepper 

For topping
Shredded cheddar cheese
Libby's Chunky Guacamole
Salsa
Sour cream

Directions
Cook quinoa according to directions.
Puree together beans, sweet potato, garlic, onion, red peppers, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Add the cooked quinoa and reserved black beans.
Stir until mixed well.
1/2 cup of the veggie mix makes 7 burgers.
Baked at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Top with cheese, guac, salsa and sour cream as you please and enjoy!