Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

Recipe from Maria Dowd

Maria followed this recipe: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cozy-autumn-wild-rice-soup/#tasty-recipes-60115

 
Ingredients:
 
6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 cup uncooked 100% wild rice
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (or see cream sauce option below*)
2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
Fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
 
Directions
 
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Method:
 
Combine base ingredients. Combine vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning in the bowl of an Instant Pot pressure cooker.  Stir briefly to combine.
 
Pressure cook. Cover and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.  Let the Instant Pot rest and naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.  Then carefully open the vent and quick release the remaining pressure.  Remove lid and discard the bay leaf.
 
Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined.  Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
 
Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!
 
Stove Top Method:
 
Sauté the veggies. Heat (an extra) 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
 
Add base ingredients. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir to combine.
 
Simmer. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
 
Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!
 
Notes:
 
Alternate cream sauce recipe: In place of the coconut milk, you can either add 1 1/2 cups half and half.  Or you can make a cream sauce by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a (separate) saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking in 1/4 cup flour for one minute, and then whisking in 1 1/2 cups milk until the mixture is smooth.  Let the sauce cook until it nearly reaches a simmer, at which point it will thicken, then remove from heat and add the sauce to the soup once the rice has completely cooked.
 

 

Turkey Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

 Recipe from Amy Comiskey

This makes 16 roll ups.

Ingredients:

1 package lasagna noodles (use the kind you Boil, not the no boil ones)

1 jar tomato sauce (I used Lowes Spicy Arrabbiata sauce)

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 lb ground turkey

1 small container fresh baby spinach

32 oz. Ricotta cheese (I used part skim)

1 egg

~1 tsp Italian seasoning

~1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 package shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1) Boil large pot of water and cook lasagna according to package (suggest cooking in 2 batches so the noodles don't stick)

2) Mix tomato sauce and fire roasted tomatoes together

3) While lasagna is cooking brown ground turkey and drain off any excess liquid/fat then mix with a little bit of sauce

4) When lasagna is cooked, carefully coat with a bit of sauce and then lay out flat to cool for a bit

5) Chiffonade (thin slice) the baby spinach

6) Mix together Ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning and garlic powder to taste

7) when cheese, egg, etc. are well mixed add in spinach and stir well to coat it all and evenly distribute

8) Coat the bottom of a ceramic baking dish with a bit of sauce

9) When lasagna noodles are cool enough to handle lay out one at a time on parchment paper and smear with cheese/spinach mix leaving about 1-2 inches at top of noodle clear, sprinkle with a bit of turkey and shredded mozzarella

10) Starting from bottom roll up the loaded lasagna noodle

11) Place upright in the baking dish, repeat

12) Lightly drizzle top and dish side of noodles with any remaining sauce

13) Cover with tinfoil 

14) Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes 

Orange Chicken with Bulgur Pilaf

 Recipe from Debbie Zrike

Recipe link: https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/orange-chicken-bulgur-pilaf

Ingredients

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 cup bulgur wheat  

6 scallions, sliced

Directions

In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the zest, half the scallions, 2 tablespoons oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

In another bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, 2 tablespoons oil, the remaining scallions and oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add the chicken and cook until golden, 8 to 9 minutes per side. Add the orange juice during the last minute of cooking.

Meanwhile, cook the bulgur according to the package directions. Toss with the tomato mixture; serve with the chicken.

Notes from Debbie: I used Red & White Quinoa in place of the bulgur wheat; purchased at Lowes.