Ariba! Spicy Cranberry Turkey

We have been going to an evening service at church for seven years, but we recently moved to a different church to learn more about church planting, and services are in the morning. I don’t recall having a ravenous hunger that overcomes me during mid-morning sermons; however, I have had three children in seven years so my memory isn’t always reliable. The last three weeks I have emerged from church willing and ready to eat anything and everything. With my stomach growling, I have been very thankful for lunch in the slow cooker, and I am now convinced that slow cookers were invented for Sunday afternoons.

Last week I found Kalyn’s Kitchen recipe for cranberry salsa. Knowing I wanted to do something with it, but knowing I would never go for the splenda, I decided to change things up a bit. I remembered an old Weight Watchers recipe my grandma made, and decided to cook a turkey breast in the “salsa.” My version of the salsa ended up incredible and without any added sweeteners!

My stomach rumbled a tad louder (or so it seemed) during church, and I couldn't wait to get home. The meal was definitely worth the wait. My family flipped over this recipe. The end result was sweet and subtly spicy with an array of texture and flavor. I would highly recommend trying this one!

Ariba! Spicy Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 large turkey breast
1 can cranberry jelly
½ green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic
2 jalepenos, seeded & diced
1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Put diced onions, green pepper, garlic, and salt and pepper in bowl

2. Add cranberry jelly and stir well
3. Place raw (can be frozen) turkey breast in slow cooker
4. Spoon cranberry mixture over turkey breast
5. Cook on low for 10 hours
6. Shred turkey breast, and spoon the cranberry sauce over shredded chicken

Cost:

3 lb free-range turkey breast: $9.00
1 can organic cranberry jelly: $1.50
½ organic green pepper: $.75
1 organic onion: $.35
1 jalepeno: $.25
Garlic: $.10

Total: $11.95

(I had about 1 pound of turkey leftover and used it in soup)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken tortilla soup has to be the best comfort food. In one bowl, I have memories of my Irish grandmother's chicken noodle soup joined with my favorite Mexican seasonings. This has been a great recipe for those with diet restrictions, because I can make the soup, and after it is done people can add corn, cheese, or tortillas into their individual bowl.

Turkey legs were on sale last week, so I put a frozen turkey leg in the slow cooker yesterday morning, and by dinner time the meat fell off the bone. You can use bone-in chicken or turkey legs, and they can both be frozen. If you're using frozen poultry make sure to start the slow cooker by late morning. There are so many variations to this recipe - have fun with it!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Makes 10-12 (1) cup servings

Ingredients

1 lb of raw chicken

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, diced

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
2 cups (or 1 can) of chicken broth
1 T cumin*
1 T chili powder*
2 tsp oregano*
1 tsp salt*
1/4 teaspoon black pepper*
1 bay leaf
2 T chopped cilantro

- You can replace all of the ingredients with an (*) with 2 T of my homemade taco seasoning recipe.

Directions

- Place chicken, tomatoes, onion, green chiles, corn (if you are using it) and garlic into slow cooker.
- Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and cilantro.
- Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

- Garnish with diced avocados, cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, chives and/or tortilla strips

* This soup freezes very well! If you have the extra ingredients, double the recipe, cool leftovers in fridge and then freeze.

How to make tortilla strips:

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Oil both sides of the tortillas of your choice.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the tortilla into ½ -1” strips
- Place on baking sheet, and bake 10-15 minutes (depending on type of tortilla you’re using) until crisp.

Cost:

1 lb organic chicken: $2.39

or turkey leg: $1.30

1 can organic diced tomatoes: $.89

1 can green chilis: $.69

Homemade stock: $.53

Organic onion: $.33

Seasonings (including cilantro): $.25 (best guess)

Garnishes: $1.00 (again, a guess)

Total: $6.08 (chicken) or $4.99 (turkey)

How and Why to Make Your Own Meat Stocks

Homemade stocks are beneficial to your budget and your health. The cost of a generic can of chicken or beef broth is usually around $.60-$.75 on sale, and it usually takes at least two cans to make one soup recipe. Another option is organic, free-range chicken broth in a box, and those boxes usually cost anywhere from $2.50-$3. Costco, however, sells 6 boxes of Pacific Coast organic, free-range chicken broth for $10 if you want to skip out on today's lesson. My organic, free-range chicken stock costs $.53 per quart, and my grassfed beef stock costs $.66 per quart!

Saving money isn't the only reason to make your own stock though. If the stocks are prepared the right way they are very nutritious. As you simmer stocks minerals, cartilage and marrow seep from the bones. Stocks are a great source of gelatin. I could go onto explain the benefits of gelatin, but another blogger has done it so well. If you're interested, please check out what The Healthy Home Economist has to say.

For centuries chicken broth has been used to treat illness, known as "Jewish penicillin, and to supplement diets where there is not much meat available. Gelatin has helped in the treatment of anemia, diabetes and other blood diseases. Gelatin is also great for digestion.

Now onto the recipe. My recipes are from Nourishing Traditions (a book I cannot recommend enough), but I am also going to explain how I do it and my costs. My steps/tips are in italics and parenthesis, and the cost of each stock is at the end of each recipe.

4 Quarts of Chicken Stock

1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings*
Gizzards from one chicken (optional)
2-4 chicken feet (optional)
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

*Note: free-range chickens give the best results. Caged/battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels most of the time.

- If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity.
- Cut chicken parts into several pieces. If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces. (Like I mentioned in this post - I save bones!)
- Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot (I use my slow cooker) with cold (VERY IMPORTANT it starts out cold to open the cartilage and bone fibers to open) water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley.
- Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Bring to a boil (or turn to "high" on your slow cooker for two hours), and remove scum that rises to the top.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours.
- The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be.
- About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.
- Let cool in the refrigerator. There is no need to remove the congealed fat from the top.
- Transfer to smaller container and to the freezer for long-term storage. (Once my stock is cooled in the fridge I pour it into quart size baggies. I know many are opposed to baggies, please be gracious - I'm still a work in progress. Once the baggies are sealed I mark the date and keep the stock in the freezer for up to 4 months.)

Cost:

Chicken Bones (Saved from Rosie's Chicken purchased at Sprouts): Free because we are using the chicken in other meals

Organic Onion: $.30

Carrots: $.50

Celery: $.50

Seasonings: $.50

Filtered Water: $.35

Total: $2.15 (4 quarts)

8 Quarts of Beef Stock

about 4 pounds beef marrow and knuckle bones
1 calves foot, cut into pieces (I have yet to add a calves foot)
3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones
4 or more quarts cold filtered water
1/2 c. vinegar
3 onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots coarsely chopped
3 celery stick, coarsely chopped
several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together
1 t. dried green peppercorns, crushed
1 bunch parsley

- Place knuckle and marrow bones and calves foot in a very large pot with vinegar. (I use my slow cooker) Cover with cold (VERY IMPORTANT it starts out cold to open the cartilage and bone fibers to open) water. Let stand for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, place any meaty bones in a roasting pan (I use a Pyrex) and brown at 350 degrees in the oven.
- When the bones are well browned, add to the pot (slow cooker) along with the vegetables.
- Pour the fat out of the roasting pan and add cold water to the pan, set over a high flame/temperature and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen up coagulated juices. (Because I don't have a roasting pan I add boiling water from a kettle) Add this liquid to the pot (slow cooker). Add additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones, but the liquid should come no higher than within 1 inch of the rim of the pot... it will cook over if it is higher.
- Bring to a boil. (Or set on high for two hours in your slow cooker) Remove scum that rises to the top with a spoon. After you have skimmed, reduce heat and add the thyme and crushed peppercorns.
- Simmer the stock for at least 12 and as long as 72 hours. (I put my slow cooker on low for 24 hours)
- Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes. Strain, remove bones with tongs or a slotted spoon.
- Let cool in the frig. Remove the congealed fat from the top.
- Transfer to smaller container and to the freezer for long-term storage. (Once my stock is cooled in the fridge I pour it into quart size baggies. I know many are opposed to baggies, please be gracious - I'm still a work in progress. Once the baggies are sealed I mark the date and keep the stock in the freezer for up to 4 months.)
- You may eat the marrow spread on bread or leave it in the broth.

Cost:

Grassfed Femur Bones (Matador) @ $.50/lb - $2.50

Organic Onions: $1

Carrots: $.50

Celery: $.50

Seasonings: $.50

Filtered Water: $.35

Total: $5.35 (8 Quarts)

*Freezer tip:

if you make sure you lay your broth (or other soups) flat as you freeze them, once they are frozen they "stand up" and take up very little space in your freezer. Almost like they are filed on a shelf.

I hope this post was not confusing. It is not difficult and truly takes very little time. If something wasn't clear please don't hesitate to ask. The next time I make my stocks I will be sure to post my pictures. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

I adore soups, stews and chili. Eating out of bowl gives me a strange sense of joy. Fall rolls into Texas later than what I am used to being from the North, and as soon as the temperature drops under 78 degrees the slow cooker is brought out. On top of the ease and comfort of my bowl full of food, I also enjoy the savings that soup season brings.

Last night I made a wild rice chicken soup that must be shared!

A splash of olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 minced cloves of garlic

4 stalks of chopped celery

2 large diced carrots (or approximately 20 baby carrots - what I had on hand)

3 raw chicken legs (or one cup of diced chicken or turkey)

1 cup wild rice

1 teaspoon pepper

48 ounces of chicken broth (homemade or boxed/canned)

1 teaspoon basil leaves

1 teaspoon tarragon

1 teaspoon parsley

salt to taste

1. Put oil, onions and garlic in a skillet. Cook on medium heat until onions are transparent. Make sure to keep on a lower heat so that the garlic and onions don't burn. (Takes about 5-6 minutes)

2. Put all other ingredients in your slow cooker while the onions and garlic are simmering.

3. Add onions and garlic to slow cooker and turn on low for 6-8 hours or until your carrots are tender and your rice is cooked.

4. Pull out chicken and shred - if it didn't already fall apart in the soup. My chicken legs were very soft, but I did have to shred them.

5. Put chicken back in soup, stir, serve and enjoy!

Note: Save the chicken skin and bones no one ate off of! Break or cut the bones into pieces, and place them in a container in your fridge to cool. Once fully cooled, I add bones to a baggie in my freezer (marked and used within the month) to make chicken broth. Which I will tell you how to do in tomorrow's post.

COST:

3 chicken legs (Rosie's Organic/Free-Range Chicken @ Sprouts. Legs are $1.99/lb) - $1.49

Organic Onion: $.30

Organic Celery: $.50

Organic Baby Carrots: $.50

Organic Wild Rice (Gluten-Free Sale @ Sprouts): $.75

Homemade broth (unsure how to figure cost because I use bones):

Organic Spices (Order Bulk with friends): $.15

Total: $3.69 (And this is why I love soup season)