Creamy Curry 'Leftover' Turkey Soup

You probably made your way through the Thanksgiving leftovers already, so this recipe may be coming a bit too late for you, but maybe you stuck some of that leftover turkey in the freezer or you are still planning on roasting that turkey this coming month. This recipe I have been putting together the week after Thanksgiving the past few years. Turkey soup with a touch of some new flavors, is just the excitement you need after a week of prepping for the big feast. Soup is the easy recovery meal that lasts and nourishes without all the kitchen clean-up. Which then nourishes you in more ways than one when you are needing a little space and time away from the kitchen to rest :)

I think my most favorite meals to make are the one-pot-meals. Ones that have all the veggies, proteins, grains and whatever nourishing roots and vitamins your body craves in one simple pot. It all comes together and to me represents love, family, togetherness. It fills me up in so many ways!

Creamy Curry 'Leftover' Turkey Soup Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, nut, seed, soy and refined-sugar-free}

2-3 TB of avocado or olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves finely minced
1 TB of fresh grated turmeric
2 cups of finely chopped celery
hearty sprinkle of sea salt
sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper
2-3 cups of chopped carrots
1-2 cups of chopped parsnips
1 TB of Italian spice blend (rosemary, oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme)
Or use fresh herbs if you got them!
1 TB of curry powder

8 cups of turkey stock (or a chicken or vegetable works too!)
1 can of full fat coconut milk

2-3 cups of your leftover turkey (white and dark meat together make the best combo!)
make sure you cut into bite-sized pieces before adding in

1 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley

add in 1 cup of dry small rice pasta or already cooked rice for another added texture
add more sea salt or pepper to your taste
add in a little more water or broth if you want more of a brothy soup

In a large 10 quart pot, saute your onion, garlic, turmeric, celery in the oil for a few minutes. I usually salt and pepper here so to sweat out and cook down the flavors perfectly. Then after 5 ninutes or so when everything softens up I add in the carrots and parsnips and continue to cook for a few more minyes. Then when everything is looking a little softer and smells fabulous- I add in the spices, herbs and liquids. I first cook in the spices the curry and the dried herbs and you can instantly smell them as they are add in and start cooking. Then I add in the stock, coconut milk cream and leftover turkey. This will slow everything down with cooking, but keep the heat the same and let it come up to a boil. After cooking for 20-30 minutes and the veggies are extra soft, add in the fresh parsley and dry pasta. Or if you prefer to add in already cooked rice, that works too! Cook for another 10 minutes and the noodles will be aldente and ready to eat. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and with a side of bread or biscuits!

Creamy, full of flavor, comforting and nourishing. That is this soup. A bowl of goodness. A bowl of love and gratitude. So much to be thankful for this season, and one way I show my gratitude is cooking nourishing food for my family and sharing it with others. It is a gift that keeps on giving. Happy cooking and resting, friends xoxo

Fresh Ginger Snap Cookies

I've had a serious obsession with fresh ginger over the last year and it hasn't worn off yet. I want to eat it every day and it only intensifies when the winds start blowing and the temperatures and weather is fickle. Today we can hear the wind howling and it also can make one feel a little uneasy or unstable as the seasons shift over the next few weeks. There has already been so much change throughout the past months with autumn, but now as we settle into the darker colder winter months- it is ginger and other roots that I turn to for grounding support and strength. A Fresh Golden Ginger Milk Latte is a good place to start. And these cookies should follow ;) If you haven't tried the Cranberry Ginger Pear Warm Smoothie- then you must soon! But if you have pounds of fresh grated ginger like me ready to use- then these little cookies will be calling your name. I hope you nestle in and enjoy these sweet little treats. Much love and happy baking, xoxo

Fresh Ginger Snap Cookie Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut and seed-free}

1/3 cup of sorghum flour
1/3 cup of millet flour
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
1/3 cup of potato starch
1/2 cup of rice flour
1/2 cup of ground GF oat flour
2/3 cup of coconut palm sugar
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
1/2 ts. of baking powder

1/3 cup of avocado oil (or if you prefer a softened coconut oil that works too)
1/3 cup of molasses
1/3 cup of date puree paste (applesauce is a good sub here)
1/4 cup of maple syrup

1-2 TB of finely grated fresh ginger

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix well together. Then add in the wet ingredients and it will be a sticky batter. A little different than other cookie batters- it is meant to be a bit stickier and you can even put in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking to help it firm up just a bit. Then use a TB-spoon to scoop out the batter and drop on a parchment papered baking sheet. I can fit 12-15 cookies on a sheet and this recipe will make about 2 dozen to 30 cookies. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes depending on if you like a chewy cookie, or if you want it a bit more crunchy and a "snap" to the cookie bake until it is darker brown and about 18 minutes. Pull from the oven and let it cool and crisp up on the baking sheet. If you move too quickly they will be too hot and crumble. Then ENJOY!

Balsamic Butternut Squash with Sage & Thyme

Another SUPER SIMPLE,  4-ingredient, vegetable, colorful, tasty, savory and sweet, side to add to the list of Thanksgiving side dish ideas. This one is so simple it doesn't really need a recipe, and maybe you have tried this combo before, so this is just rocket science to me...BUT it deserves a recipe post of it's own! 

I love every part of this one. The easy prep, roast and serve part, but also the very fresh herb, sweet and savory part too. It checks off all the boxes for a side that many people will love and ask, what did you do?!? And then you mention to your allergy- or healthy friends and family that NO BUTTER or dairy, or sugar was involved??? WHAT!? Yes, ma'am it's true!

Don't be afraid of taking all the credit for the chopping and the roasting ;) This is a delicacy-dish! Don't reveal the secrets of how crazy simple and wonderful it is, well, until you can't help it and you love to share like I do :) You can't go wrong with squash and herbs in this season and when you are looking to add some to the feast... THIS. IS. IT!

Balsamic Butternut Squash with Fresh Sage and Thyme
{gluten, dairy, egg, seed, nut, soy and sugar-free}

1 large butternut squash peeled, and cubed into bite-sized pieces
(about 4 cups worth of cubed squash)
1/4 cup of avocado oil*
1/4 cup of NAPA VALLEY Raspberry Balsamic**
1/2 cup of FRESH finely chopped fresh herbs: sage and thyme
pinch of sea salt and sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper

*You can find the CHOSEN brand Avocado oil 32 ounce at Costco right now for under $10! A steal!

**You can use a regular balsamic as well, but Napa Valley has the BEST balsamic around and when it is infused with raspberry, fig or pomegranate it has the best results in salad dressings, or in this case, roasting butternut squash ;)

Toss all of the above together in a mixing bowl. Then spread out in a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish to bake, or use a 12x15 parchment covered baking sheet to get a more crispier results. Bake in a 375-400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. And toss with a spoon and serve warm. You can easily DOUBLE and TRIPLE this recipe if you are cooking for a crowd too!

This is a melt-in-your-mouth kinda deliciousness! Try it out and you will want to have this more in your life than just for a Thanksgiving Feast :)

I hope you give this a try and ENJOY!

Much love and happy cooking xoxo

Caramelized Onion and Brussel Sprout Qunioa

This one is my newest favorite combo of fall herbs, vegetables, greens and quinoa. I add in the Dijon mustard and maple syrup for the perfect kind of sweet and tangy and it's just about perfect as a side dish to any side of roast, or make it the main event and add in a few other sides of vegetables or plant proteins and it's a feast better than the any epic feast from the history books. 

I just recently had this discussion with my first grader. He was informing me of all the foods they had at the first thanksgiving feast. And he saw a video about it at school- so he says- so he really knows what he is talking about over here! LOL So I guess according to him a feast should involve popcorn, turkey from a can, and pie with whipped cream?!? I'M SO CONFUSED!!!

Well, I am not sure of whatever they had at 'the first feast'. But I do know what I love to have this time of year to celebrate family time together...a warm, comforting, nourishing, from-the-earth (or backyard or farmer's market) kind of feast. And brussel sprouts and kale are the first on my lists of things to enjoy and have a part of an epic feast :) I'm going to share a few of my favorite VERY SIMPLE sides (or main dishes ;) in my next few recipe posts. It may be too late to add into the Thanksgiving planning but hopefully something to enjoy this time of year as we gather and give thanks and gratitude for all the gifts in our lives.

 Caramelized Onion and Brussel Sprout Quinoa Dish Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, nut, seed, soy, and refined-sugars-free}

Veggie Part
1 large stalk of fresh brussel sprouts, trimmed and cleaned from the stalk
(or use 16 ounces of fresh, washed, cut and cleaned brussel sprouts)

1 medium halved onion thinly sliced, not chopped (about 1/2 cups worth)

2 cups of finely chopped lacinato kale that has already been washed and dried

2-3 fresh garlic cloves, finely minced or use 1-2 ts. of ground garlic powder

1/3 cup of avocado oil
1/3 cup of Dijon mustard
1/3 cup of maple syrup

1/2 cup of fresh cut herb combo: thyme, sage, rosemary
healthy pinch of sea salt and black pepper

On a large 15x20 baking sheet, cover with parchment and spread out the kale, sprouts, and onion all over. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, mustard, and maple syrup, and when all combined, drizzle over the whole tray of veggies. Spread all over and then sprinkle over the fresh herbs, and salt and pepper. Then use a spoon combo or just use your hands and rub and mix the dressing into the veggies. It should soak in and spread out all evenly! Then cook in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes until everything is crispy, bubbling and caramlized. In the meantime while waiting for it to cook make the following quinoa part...

Quinoa Part
2 TB of avocado or olive oil
1/2 cup of red onion
1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
1/2 ts. of sea salt

2 cups of dry quinoa
4 cups of water

In a medium pot, saute the onion in the oil and sugar until it gets all caramelly. Then add in the dry quinoa without the water and let it soak up the oil and juices. Then, add in the water and let it come up to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and cook on low until the water is gone and the quinoa starts to poof. Then turn off the heat completely and cover with a secure lid and let it cook the rest of it's time until its ready to fluff and mix with the roasted green part. 

Lastly, In a large bowl add in the cooked quinoa and the roasted veggies and mix together well. Add in a pinch more of salt and pepper and some fresh plucked thyme in the finished product. Serve warm, cooled, or even it is better the next day as leftovers. Isn't the the truth for all thanksgiving sides ;) 

My hope for you is that you find a few simple ways this season to enjoy the fruits and plants from the ground, let it nourish and center you into what matters most. May you be surrounded by those you love most and may you find ways to share and be kind with all of those around you!

Much love and ENJOY! xoxo