It's That Time! Soup Time!

This is a bit of a twist on the traditional chicken soup and is very healthy but most of all TASTY! Always on the hunt for meals that are good for you and taste good, because of the health problems of my parents, I tried this and it was a direct hit. Make it and let me know what you and your family think.

Italian Chicken Soup

4 chicken breast halves (bone in), skinned
1 large onion, halved
1 large carrot, quartered
3 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 teaspoons low-sodium chicken bouillon granules
2 bay leaves
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cans (15 1/2 oz each) light red kidney beans
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

In a 5 qt Dutch oven or large pot, combine the first eight ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; leaving cover ajar, simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken; strain and reserve broth. Discard vegetables and bay leaves. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove bones; discard. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces; set aside. Return broth to pot; add tomatoes, onions, parsley, ketchup, rosemary, basil, garlic and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Add beans, cheese and chicken; heat through.

Yield: 14 - 1 cup servings (3 1/2 quarts)

Calories: 125
Total fat: 1 gm
Calories from Fat: 8%
Saturated Fat: trace
Cholesterol: 12 mg
Carbohydrate: 19 gm
Protein: 11 gm

Stop Ducking the Zukes

This morning, I came across a wonderful sounding recipe from DDaisy, someone I follow on Twitter. The recipe is for Chocolate Zucchini Bread and is on her blog: Compost Happens. This prompted a small exchange with cityslipper about zucchini being the butt of many gardeners jokes. Btw if you are a Twit, or should that be Twitterer (?), you really need to follow cityslipper, too and check out his blog.

At any rate, I felt sorrow for the oft neglected and much aligned garden outcast, aka zucchini. So, I am here to stand up for "zuke" and shout it's merits to the world! Below is a recipe using this diehard (and yes, it isn't easy to make this plant die, it is quite prolific!) squash. If you do not tell the person eating it that it contains "zuke", they will not know.

The next time you see someone headed your way with this treasure, don't run, don't duck! Hold your hands!

So, go bake this up, let it cool, then sit down with a large piece and a glass of ice-cold milk. Chocolately and moist and cake-like, it is utterly delicious! Before you finish the last bite, you too will be a fan of this step-child of the garden! Stay-tuned for more recipes using zuke! You won't be sooooorry!

Brownies

2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup oil

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups grated, unpeeled zucchini (important! grate it into very fine shreds, i.e. NOT like a carrot)

Combine dry ingredients. Mix oil and egg. Stir into dry ingredients. Add vanilla and zucchini. Mix well. Spread into greased jellyroll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until done (the old toothpick test).

Icing

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup margarine

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together except chocolate chips in a sauce pan. Cook for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate chips. Beat well until chips are melted and then spread quickly on brownies.

I was going to recommend you cover the leftovers after you eat some but at my house they don't last that long! :-)