Slow Cooker Lentil Split Pea Soup

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 6 (This recipe can be doubled.)

Here’s another good-for-you soup that will fill you up on cold winter nights.  This soup is full of protein and fiber.  I halved the original recipe because there are just two of us and there was plenty for us for dinner and a couple of lunches later. The original recipe called for adding 1 cup of fresh parsley and ½ cup of olive oil before blending. I had no parsley when I made this and I didn’t think the soup needed the olive oil, however, feel free to add them if you like.

Ingredients

1 cup butternut squash (peeled and cubed) or sweet potatoes

1 cup carrots (peeled and sliced)

1 cup potatoes (chopped)

½ cup dry green or brown lentils (rinsed and drained)

½ cup dry yellow split peas (rinsed and drained) (you can substitute with more lentils)

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cups water*

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

½ teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

2 cups kale (stems removed and leaves chopped or use 2 cups frozen chopped kale)

1-2 Tablespoons dry sherry (not cooking sherry) or fresh lemon juice

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (if desired)

Place the ingredients except the kale and sherry in a slow cooker.  Stir a bit to mix.  Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 7 hours. 

*Add a bit more water if the soup seems too thick after cooking.

Place 2 cups of the soup in a blender and blend.  Return to the slow cooker.  Add the kale and sherry.  Cover and cook for another 15 minutes or so until everything is cooked through and hot.

Colorful and fresh ingredients make for a healthful dinner!

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Tyler's Ultimate Roast Chicken

Serves 4-6

Recipe by Tyler Florence

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was wonderful!  I roasted two chickens (doubled the recipe.) The ingredients I couldn’t fit in the cavity, I put around the chickens.  I used tongs to squeeze the orange wedges into the drippings.

1 (5½ pound) free-range chicken
½ bunch each fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley
¼ pound unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, halved
½ head garlic
1 medium white onion, halved, plus 1 onion
6 strips smoked bacon
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herbed butter under the skin, as well as all over the outside of the chicken. Season the bird all over with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, garlic, 1 onion, and the remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Lay the strips of bacon across the breast of the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.
Remove the bacon and baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.
Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. Tilt the pan so the drippings collect in 1 corner, skimming off as much fat as possible, and leaving the drippings. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat and take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the drippings to make a roux-like paste. Pour in the chicken broth in stages; continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly to prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, carve the chicken tableside and squeeze the oranges from the cavity over the meat.

Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash

The ingredients for this delicious meatless meal are all
prepped and ready to go.

Serves 4 to 8

Recipe from Food.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is a long list of ingredients, BUT the prep goes pretty fast if you have a sturdy chef knife and this tastes sensational!  This would make a great side dish for 8 people for the holidays or a tasty meatless dish for four.  When I made this, I had extra stuffing, which I used with another meal. 

2 acorn squashes

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

½ cup sliced mushrooms

1/8 cup dry sherry or white wine (Do not use cooking sherry.)

2 cups whole-wheat Panko bread

½ cup raisins (I used golden raisins because that’s what I had on hand.)

¼ cup sun-dried tomato, chopped

¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

½ cup to 1 cup vegetable broth (or more depending upon your preference)

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded (Optional)

Cut squashes in half and remove seeds.  With a sharp knife, make a small slice on the skin side of each half so that the squash will stand on the baking sheet without tipping over.  Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the flesh side of the squashes. Sprinkle the squashes with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Flip them over and bake, cut side down, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions, celery, and carrot in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms, and continue cooking until they are soft and have released their juices. Add sherry (or white wine) to "deglaze" the pan, and then simmer briefly.

Add Panko breadcrumbs, raisins, sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, and walnuts, stirring to combine. Add the poultry seasoning and Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Add ½ cup of vegetable broth to the mix and then add up to another ½ cup more until the mixture is softened and moist. (You can add more broth if it seems dry.  I usually do because I like my stuffing moist.)  Remove from heat.  Once cooled slightly, stir in shredded cheese, if using.

Remove the baked squash from the oven.  Flip them over and then add the stuffing mixture to interior of squash, mounding as needed, and bake covered (with foil) another 20-30 minutes. For a crunchier top, remove cover for the last 10 minutes.