Vegetables are such an important part of our diet and most people don’t eat nearly enough. Vegetables are loaded with important vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, phytochemicals, and fiber. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable and it is especially beneficial—like medicine. Making cruciferous vegetables a regular part of …

I love getting the wonton soup that comes with my dinner at Chinese restaurants. It qualifies as comfort food. If we are honest with ourselves, some wonton soups are better than others. Who knows what’s in the soup from restaurant to restaurant. Does it have …

Leaving behind processed foods and embracing a more whole and real food diet can sometimes be a shock to the wallet. Why is it that food not good for us costs less? Why does eating healthy cost more? Hmm. I’ll have to save that for …

I have been making homemade chicken stock for years. I started making stock from scratch because I wanted to know exactly what I was eating, and I thought it would taste better. It does taste better! A lot better as a matter of fact. Years …

I love making a big pot of chili for dinner. I have made chili with ground beef, chili with ground turkey, and chili with leftover roasted turkey. All of these variations are delicious. I crave them all from time to time. I couldn’t help but …

Instead of opening several cans of “Baked Beans,”pouring them into a slow cooker and reheating them, (which I’ve done before for pot-luck parties) I wanted to make something from scratch. I was looking for bean recipe that was more savory than sweet, rich with the …

After making Homemade Beef Stock I ended up with some leftover beef that was perfect for soup. I love it when my cravings go with what I have in the pantry: pearl barley, carrots, celery, onions, diced tomatoes, and homemade beef stock. Soup’s on! One …

Friends recently came over with a large pot of gumbo in hand. I loved it, and after a brief interview, I began forming this recipe in my mind. My friend used different proteins, but shrimp and sausage gumbo sounded so good to me. However, I …

Turkey Chili—Texas Style is Made with leftover Roaster Turkey. The day after Thanksgiving means that people are out shopping, putting up Christmas decorations, working on Christmas cards, looking for leftover turkey recipes, or all of the above.  I typically make soup with my leftovers, like …

Writing about this recipe is a little surreal because I didn’t know this Grandma. I never met her. I think she died before I was even born. You see, my dad is the youngest of ten kids and he loved this meal so much that …

What should you do when you are craving a hearty chicken soup, but don’t want any grains or higher-carb vegetables involved? That’s how this “Chinese Chicken Soup” recipe was born. I starting thinking about all my favorite chicken soups. When I thought about “wonton” soup, …

Recently, my husband and I entertained another family for dinner. Our guests were unexpectedly surprised with a menu that was Thanksgiving part II. We did the whole thing all over again: roaster turkey, crock pot mashed potatoes, classic turkey stuffing, etc. We were all happily …

I wanted to have another chicken-based soup in my repertoire with more fiber than my traditional chicken noodle soup recipe. After several experiments, I settled on using a gourmet blend of brown rice, plus zucchini and spinach as my added vegetables. I’ve been reading about …

How many times are you inspired to make a recipe because you flip through a cooking magazine or see the cover of one while waiting to check out at the grocery store. I decided to make this family-style chicken pot pie for just such a …

When I lived near a Trader Joe’s, I would sometimes buy a carton of spicy Cuban black bean soup that they carried. I thought it was reasonably healthy for being so convenient. The only listed ingredient that bothered me was cane juice. The soup didn’t …

I have made this recipe a several times now. I usually triple or quadruple the recipe, put it in my crock pot and then chili is waiting for us when we come home with guests.  What makes this special is all the optional fixings.  It …

Our new winter favorite—Turkey Dumpling Soup. Our Christmas dinner is usually Thanksgiving dinner part II. What can I say? My husband loves my Roaster Turkey, Classic Turkey Stuffing, and Mashed potatoes. Therefore, I had plenty turkey bones to make a batch of homemade turkey stock. …

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup—no matter what time of year, there is something soothing about having a pot of soup simmering and emanating a delicious aroma throughout the home. I just love it when my husband walks in and says “mmm, something smells good.” Chicken noodle …

Have you noticed a spice in your local grocery store called “ground chipotle chili pepper?” I bought some thinking this might be the trick to spicing up my plain white-chili recipe. I really liked the results, because the chipotle chili pepper imparts a smokey, earthy …

Ratatouille is a classic french vegetable stew cooked low and slow for 2 hours. This version uses canned tomatoes making prep easier. I made this stew for the first time after reading the book French Women Don’t Get Fat.  By the way, after I read …