Simple, Gluten Free, Shrimp and Corn Soup

I wanted a creamy soup that didn't require going out and buying some random flour or starch I didn't already have laying around my kitchen. This is what I came up with...


Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tbs. butter (or rendered bacon fat..yum!)
4 cups corn kernels
28 oz. chicken broth
2 cups plain yogurt (it's what I had. You can also use sour cream, or heavy cream)
5 smallish potatoes, chopped
1 lb. tiny shrimp, peeled
Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste


Instructions:

Melt the butter in a stock pot. Sauté onions, celery and garlic in the butter until translucent. Add yogurt and broth. Stir to combine. Add corn, potatoes and seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer stirring occasionally until the potatoes are cooked through. Spoon 2-3 cups of the soup into a blender (be careful when blending hot liquids!) and blend until smooth. This will serve to thicken the soup. Pour back into pot and check seasonings and texture. If you'd like it a little smoother, blend more of the soup. Simmer until almost ready to serve, then add the shrimp. If you buy already peeled tiny shrimp, you should know that you'll have to pick through them to be sure there aren't any stray shells. (There are always a few!) Serve in a big bowl and prepare for the yummy sounds! My kids prefer it over steamed rice.

Basic Bone Broth

Homemade bone broth is not nearly as tedious and difficult as it sounds!

Ingredients:

2lbs. bones (beef, chicken, fish, etc.)*
water (about a gallon)
1 large onion
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
bay leaf
salt and pepper
2tbs. apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

Place bones in a large stockpot, slow cooker or pressure cooker.

Add water and apple cider vinegar to the pot with the bones.

Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. (This step is supposed to allow the vinegar time to get into the bones and release all of the nutrients. I have seen some recipes where the vinegar is added and cooking is started right away so it's really up to your personal preference.)

Add in veggies and spices (save the salt and pepper until the broth is done and add to taste).

If cooking on the stovetop simmer for at LEAST 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

If you're using a slow cooker put it on low for 8-24 hours.

If you're using a presser cooker process at 15 pounds pressure for at least one hour. I let mine go for 2 hours.

Strain the stock through cheesecloth or a fine strainer and allow it to cool in the refrigerator. (After the straining process I usually move it to glass canning jars to put in the fridge because I don't have the space to put an entire pot.) The fat will rise to the top and harden. You can skim it off or keep it in the broth (whichever you prefer). I take it off and save it to use for sautéing vegetables.


*One of the major benefits of homemade stock is the gelatin that releases from the bones. The stock will be a little 'jiggly' after refrigeration. It will liquify again upon reheating. My beef broth has been jiggly, but I have never had jiggly chicken stock. However, I have been told that you need to add a couple of chicken feet to the cooking process for the extra gelatin. I've never done this though since I haven't had access to chicken feet so I don't know if it's true or not. I have recently found a source though and will be trying it on my next batch of chicken stock!

Almond Flour Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups almond meal

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground chia

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 eggs, beaten

1tsp. vanilla

1 tbs. honey 

3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Instructions:

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until combined. Pour batter onto preheated greased griddle. (We used our electric griddle preheated to 300.) They are ready to flip when bubble appear and pop on the surface and the edges look dry. Don't get in too big a hurry to flip. These are more fragile than wheat pancakes. A wide turner makes flipping easier. Enjoy!

Recipe yields 12 saucer sized pancakes. 

Penne Rosa with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

16 oz. penne
Cooking spray
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 pinch crushed red pepper
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup chunky spaghetti sauce (I used a jarred sauce)
1/3 cup plain, fat free yogurt
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Cook penne according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In large skillet with a lid, heat pan over medium-low heat. Spray pan well with cooking spray. Add garlic and red pepper, cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften. (Don't get in a hurry and have your pan too hot. Garlic burns quite easily!)
Add mushrooms to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to release their water.
Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook for one to two more minutes. Remove from heat, add spinach and cover skillet. Let the spinach wilt for two minutes.
Remove the lid and put the skillet back on low heat. Add penne, greek yogurt and spaghetti sauce to the skillet. Stir until everything is mixed well. Heat until just warmed through. Stir in parmesan cheese. Enjoy!


We got about 10 one cup servings at 203 calories per serving. If you feel you'd like more sauce just add in a little more yogurt and pasta sauce until it's like you like it. Of course that will change the calorie count some. Enjoy!

Chinese Sweet Corn and Crab Velvet Soup (Eating for IBS Cookbook w/ personal modifications in parentheses)

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
2 cans creamed corn
2 tbs. Cooking sherry or mirin
1 tbs. Sugar
1 slice fresh ginger, minced (we used ginger in a tube found in the produce section - 2 tsp.)
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup crab meat (we substituted 2 cups -about 1/2 lb raw 150 count shrimp)
2tbs + 2tsp corn starch
Water
(Dried onion powder, celery salt, salt and pepper to taste)

Instructions:
Mix corn starch with just enough water to make a runny liquid. Set aside. Heat up chicken broth. Add corn, sherry, sugar and ginger. Bring to a boil. Drizzle in egg whites while swirling the soup with a spoon. You want the egg whites to form long strings as they cook. Add crab. If subbing raw shrimp, give them time to cook before proceeding to the next step (maybe 8 minutes). Stir in corn starch mixture. Allow soup to thicken. Add seasonings to taste. Serve over rice.

Mexican Turkey Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 - onion, chopped
2 - large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 - stalks celery, chopped
3 - cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 - mirlitons (chayote squash), chopped
8oz. - cooked leftover chicken or turkey, chopped
8 cups - chicken broth (or water and bouillon)
2 - cans diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. - chili powder (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. - cumin (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. - turmeric (more or less to taste)
cilantro (I use dried)
1/8 c. - lime juice



Instructions:

Saute all veggies in a soup pot until they are just starting to soften. Add chicken, broth, canned tomatoes and chili, cumin and turmeric. Stir, cover and simmer until veggies are tender. Sprinkle cilantro and stir in lime juice. Adjust spices to taste. Enjoy! Sorry my spice measurements are kind of vague. I had a tiny helper in the kitchen and I don't know how much she added before I noticed her helping Mommy!

Chicken, Spinach and White Bean Quesadillas

Yields about 12 half cup servings of filling

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups seasoned, cooked and diced chicken breast meat
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 banana pepper, diced (we used some pickled ones we had on hand)
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 (heaping) tbs all purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken broth (we used water and a boullion cube)
4 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed, coarsely chopped (we used a 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and moisture squeezed out)
1 15.5 oz can of white beans (navy, great northern, cannellini)
Cooking spray
Flour tortillas (burrito size)
Shredded cheese
Diced avocado
Sour cream

Instructions:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add onion, red bell pepper and banana pepper.
Season with crushed red pepper flake and salt and pepper.
Sauté until veggies have softened, about 6-8 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and story to combine.
Cook while stirring for several minutes to cook the raw flavor out of the flour. Whisk in chicken broth and stir until thickened.(when it bubbles that's as thick as it's gonna get)
Add spinach and continue cooking til it's wilted (if using fresh).
Stir in cooked chicken and beans. Remove from heat.

Spray a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray.
Heat over medium-high heat.
Place one tortilla on griddle or pan and spread cheese over tortilla.
Spread chicken bean and spinach mixture over one half of tortilla.
Flip the empty half over the spinach mixture.
Cook until golden and crispy on both sides.
Remove from heat and cut into slices. Top with avocado and sour cream. (Though they don't need toppings!) Enjoy!


Thanks to othersideoffifty.com for this delicious recipe!