Author: Northerly Nosh

I’m a married mother of 3. Who loves living in Minnesota, prep ahead cooking, and couldn’t live without them now. No more worries about the age old question “What’s for Dinner?”. I am also transitioning my family into the slow food and clean eating movement. I believe it’s best if we can eat food in it’s most natural state. I love to share the information I have been gaining through this whole experience. I’m also a trained personal chef. Cooking is a passion and hobby of mine. Hope your are enjoying the content of my blog.

Taste Test

Taste Test: Chicken Broth and Stocks

Posted on September 13, 2012July 26, 2012 by Northerly Nosh

I have boughten and tested a wide selection of supermarket kinds of chicken stocks through the years. I finally have picked my three favorites and have become very loyal to them. The brands that have tested are Rachel Ray’s Chicken Stock, Wolfgang Puck’s Roasted Chicken Stock, Pacific Free Range Chicken Stock, Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth, different kinds of store brand chicken broths, Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken Broth, Emerill’s Chicken Stock, Swanson’s Chicken Broth, Glace de Poulet Gold, Swanson’s Chicken Cooking Stock, and Kitchen Basics Natural Chicken Stock.

My criteria for figuring out winner is flavor, salt content, and body. The stock should be a clean taste and have aromatic flavor. When it comes to chicken stock, you shouldn’t be able to taste the salt, because you will most likely be adding fresh herbs to it. The gelatin gives it body, leaves a rich flavor in your mouth and gets even richer as it reduces.

Best Overall:

Swanson’s Chicken Cooking Stock – It has a wonderful chicken flavor with a nice aroma and is well seasoned.

Kitchen Basics Natural Chicken Stock – It has a natural clean flavor and wonderful aroma. You can taste a hint of black pepper, bay and thyme.

Best for Sauces: Glace de Poulet Gold – The gelatinized disk of chicken essence is dissolved in water to make 2 pints of stock. It is well-seasoned, with a rich chicken flavor. The added gelatin gives it the perfect amount of body, making this the top contender for sauce making.

The other brands lost of because they were too salty for my taste.

Only 17% of poll respondents told Food and Wine Magazine in 2003 they wish they had time to make chicken stock from scratch, which suggests most people are happy to use boxed broth or stock instead.

How about trying to make your own? It very simple and you get exactly the right amount of flavor, salt, and body. Here are two methods from http://www.simplyrecipes.com …

Method 1: Leftover Chicken Bones

Leftover bones and skin from a cooked or raw chicken carcass
Celery
Onions
Carrot
Parsley
Salt
Pepper

1) Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add veggies like celery, onion, carrots, parsley. Add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper.

2) Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer. Simmer uncovered at least 4 hours, occassionally skimming off the foam that comes to the surface.

3) Remove the bones and strain the stock.

4) If making stock for future use in soup you may want to reduce the stock by simmering a few hours longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.

Method 2: Chicken backs, wings, and legs

4 lbs of chicken backs, wings, and/or legs that have been hacked with a cleaver into 2-inch pieces. (You can ask your butcher to prepare the chicken pieces this way.)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 quarts of boiling water
2 teaspoons of salt
2 bay leaves

1) Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add one chopped onion. Sauté until softened and slightly colored – 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

2) Add half of the chicken pieces to the pot. Sauté until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to bowl with onions. Sauté the rest of the chicken the same way. Return onion and chicken pieces to the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes.

3) While the chicken pieces are cooking, fill a large tea kettle with 2 quarts of water, bring to a boil.

4) After the chicken pieces have been cooking for 20 minutes, raise the heat level to high, add the 2 quarts of boiling water, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 bay leaves. Return to a low simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then cover and barely simmer for about 20 minutes.

5) Strain stock through cheesecloth or paper towel-lined large sieve, and discard solids. (It helps to remove the big pieces of bone with a slotted spoon first.)

To Store: Pour into freezable jars and let cool, before putting into the refrigerator. Stock will last a week or so in the refrigerator or frozen for several months.

Makes about 2 quarts of stock

- 2012 Swap Recipes, - Pork, - Poultry, - Red Meat, Meal Swap Recipes

Meal Swap: Sept. 2012 Menu and Recipes

Posted on September 12, 2012March 27, 2013 by Northerly Nosh

Sept. 2012 Menu and Recipes

***All our recipes serve 6***

Nicole – Orange Beef Stir Fry with Brown Rice

Sauce:
2 cup Florida’s Natural® Brand orange juice (I blended with white grape juice)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. chopped ginger (used ground ginger)
2 tsp. garlic paste

Brown rice

1 lb of cut sirloin

You add vegetables and 1 tbsp of cornstarch to sauce if needed.

Prep Day Directions: Made brown rice in rice cooker, put 6 cups in quart bag (6 cups per family). Mix up sauce ingredients. Made 2 cups of sauce per family. Put 1/2 cup sauce in a quart bag with the meat. Put rest of sauce in a separate bag.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw all three bags.Heat oil in pan. Cook meat, add sauce and desired vegetables.

Note: I may not have added enough corn starch. Please add another tablespoon if desired.

Ashley – Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry with Noodles

Following recipe will make 4 meals

4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 c. Apricot Preserves
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
6 Tbsp. ginger, grated
2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
16 med. carrots cut in very thin strips
8 c. snow peas, halved diagnally lengthwise
4 c. frozen broccoli

Prep Day Directions: Mix preserves, vinegar, ginger, pepper and 1 Tbsp. water. Place mix into a snack sized or quart sized Ziploc bag labeled “Stir Fry Sauce”. Cut chicken into cubes. Put into a quart sized bag labeled “Chicken”. Place veggies into gallon sized bag and add other 2 bags and seal.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw bag in fridge. Cook Chicken in oil til no longer pink. Transfer to a plate. Add veggies to oil, tossing, about 2 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, add stir fry sauce. Cook 2-3 minutes more. Serve with cooked Lo Mein noodles, provided.

Kristine – Southwestern Slow Cooker Lasagna

Adapted from groceryshrink.com

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 15oz can black beans, drained
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb shredded Colby-Jack cheese
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 jar (24 oz) salsa
1 cup (8 oz) plain yogurt

(I also added garlic and onions while browning the beef.)

3/4 cup water *you provide

Prep Day: Brown beef. Combine beef, beans, salsa and spices. Bag it. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt and cheese. Bag it. Label bags and box of noodles.

Serving Day: Thaw all bags. Put beef mixture into a bowl and stir in 3/4 cup water. Place a small amount of beef mixture in the bottom of a greased slow cooker. Top with three lasagna noodles, breaking if necessary. Continue the layers with cheese, sauce, noodles until you have three layers. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours on on high for 3-4 hours. (I did low for 6 hours and it was perfect!)

Serve with tortilla chips, corn bread or garlic bread!

Kellie – Chicken Tamale Pie

1-9oz diced cooked chicken
1-4.5oz chopped green chilies, drained
2 tsp. taco seasoning
1 cup mexican blend cheese (4oz)
1-11oz. whole kernel corn w/ green and red peppers
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup bisquick mix
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Optional: Lettuce, Sour Cream, Salsa

Prep Day Directions: In a medium bowl, mix chicken, chilies, and taco seasoning together and put in a quart sized bag; set aside. In medium bowl, stir together Bisquick mix, cornmeal, milk, egg, and mexicorn until blended and pour in gallon size bag. Put cup of cheese into small baggie. But all 3 baggies together and freeze.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw in refridgerator over night. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray 9 inch pie plate with non-stick spray. Pour chicken mixture into pie plate and sprinkle with cheese. Pour corn mixture over the chicken and cheese mixture and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Cut into wedges and serve with mexican rice.

Erin – Turkey Burgers

Serves 8

2 lbs. ground turkey
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh ginger (minced)
2 fresh green chiles, diced (omitted this time)
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp black pepper
3 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp ground dry mustard
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 dash Worcestershire sauce

Optional: cheese, lettuce, and/or tomatoes if your heart desires.

Prep Day Directions: Combine ingredients and form into patties. Flash freeze on a cookie sheet. Place 6 patties into labled freezer bags.

*This recipe makes 8 patties. I made 7 batches, and gave each family 6 burgers.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw burgers.

Grill: Moisten paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill uncovered over medium heat 8 – 10 minutes per side or until internal temp is 165.

Broil: 4 inches from heat 8 – 10 minutes per side or until internal temp is 165.

Skillet: cook over medium-high heat 5 – 6 minutes per side or until juices run clear and temp is 165.

Andi – French Dip

1 medium yellow onion
3/4 c beef broth
1/4 c soy sauce
1/2 c water
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 lb chuck roast
6-8 sandwich rolls, split
6-8 slices provolone or Swiss cheese

Prep Day: Slice onion into 1/4-inch rounds, place in freezer bag. Add broth, soy sauce, water, Worcestershire, mustard, and garlic. In large freezer bag: roast, bag of au jus,
cheese. Freeze.

Serve Day: Pour onions and au jus into bottom of slow cooker. Salt and pepper both sides of roast, place on top of onions. Cook on low 6 – 7 hours until beef is fall apart tender. Transfer roast to cutting board and shred using 2 forks. Remove onions and set aside. Strain juice and remove oil that collects on top with spoon. Return roast, au jus and onions to slow cooker on “keep warm”. Heat broiler. Place split rolls on lined baking sheet and toast 1 minute or until bread begins to brown. Remove roll tops, set aside. Scoop beef onto roll bottoms and top with cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted. Top with onions and roll tops. Serve with small bowl of au jus.

Kirsten – Italian Sausage Baked Ziti

Serving Size: 8-10

1 lb. Everett’s Ground Italian Sausage
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 jar spaghetti sauce
18 oz. ziti, cooked and drained
2 tsp parmesan
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Prep Day Directions: Chop onion and put in a large pan, add garlic, salt, pepper and italian sausage. Brown until no longer pink. Add tomato, jar of sauce and oregano; simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring regularly. Cook pasta and drain. Mix all ingredients together in a large tin pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Put parmesan and mozzarella cheeses in a small freezer bag and freeze.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Take off plastic wrap and cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (until hot throughout). Top with cheeses and bake an additional 5 minutes until cheeses melt.

Bridget – Savory Chicken Packets

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 package cream cheese
1 Tablespoon chopped chives (OR use chive flavored cream cheese!)
Pinches of shredded sharp cheddar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon onion powder
any additional seasonings to taste
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

**online reviews said alone, this recipe can be bland. Therefore, I heavily seasoned

You provide: 1/4 cup melted butter (or cooking spray)

**OPTIONAL**
Sauce for packets:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
a little milk
Mushrooms (sliced)
chopped green pepper and pimientos (optional)
Just heat up and pour over packets.

Prep Day Directions: Mix chicken, cream cheese, cheddar, seasonings and milk in a bowl (mixing with hands works best) to make filling, and store in a 1 qt freezer bag. Put breadcrumbs in another 1 qt bag, attach it to bag of chicken filling, and freeze. Refrigerate crescent rolls.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw chicken mixture. Preheat oven to 350°F. Unroll crescent rolls. Each tube will contain 4 rectangles of dough with a diagonal perforation. Press dough along each perforation so the rectangle halves will not separate. Place about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle. Fold dough over the filling, and pinch the edges to seal tightly. Dip each packet in melted margarine (or spray with cooking spray) and coat with breadcrumbs. Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Packets are good either hot or cold

Lisa – Italian Beef Sandwiches

Ground Beef mixture:
1 medium onion
1 pound ground beef or turkey
2 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning mix
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 each green and red bell pepper, sliced
1 pkt. (1 oz.) onion soup mix

6 Hoagie rolls
6 slices Provolone Cheese

Prep Day Directions: Slice and Place onions, beef and pressed garlic into a 12″ skillet. Cook over med-high heat 15-18 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Add water, Italian Seasoning mix, red wine vinegar. And freeze in freezer bag.

Pepper Mixture: Prepare and freeze in freezer bag. 1 each green and red bell pepper, sliced 1 pkt. (1 oz.) onion soup mix

6 slices Provolone Cheese

Place Beef, Peppers and Cheese in Bag labled #1.

6 Hoagie rolls, Place in Freezer bag labeled #2.

Serve Day Directions: Thaw kit in fridge. Place peppers and onion soup mixture in 10″ skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat until tender. Add meat to pepper mixture to reheat. Place 1 slice of Provolone Cheese into each warm hoagie rolls. Top with Heated Peppers and Meat mixture.

Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating: Nutritional Facts on Bell Peppers

Posted on September 11, 2012July 16, 2012 by Northerly Nosh

Regardless of how you feel about peppers in general and bell peppers specifically, there are plenty of reasons to introduce them to your weight loss regimen.

These peppers are more than colorful, colorful and tasty; they are also packed with nutrients that provide you with many health benefits. Keep reading to find out what it is about bell pepper nutrition facts that has the whole world falling in love.

About Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are vegetables with a shiny, waxy outer skin that come in a wide variety of colors. Although the most common bell pepper is the green bell pepper, bell peppers can be found in orange, red, yellow, purple, brown and even black.

These bright colors are part of why bell pepper nutrition facts are so compelling for dieters.

When looking at bell pepper nutrition facts one thing stands out clearly—they are packed with vitamins A and C, with significant amounts of folate and vitamin B6. These vitamins provide tremendous health benefits for both fat burning and overall good health.

Bell peppers are quite low in calories, with as few as 24 calories per medium green bell pepper and as many as 50 in a large yellow bell pepper. Unless you plan to eat bell peppers like candy, calorie count should not be an issue. What is also good about bell pepper nutrition facts is that there’s virtually no fat, no sodium or cholesterol.

Bell peppers are considered a fat burning food because with 10% fiber, your body will have to work harder to digest it. Although bell peppers do not contain a significant quantity of protein, that shouldn’t persuade you against taking advantage of the health benefits of bell peppers.

Health Benefits of Bell Peppers
The health benefits of bell peppers start with vitamins A & C, which are responsible for the antioxidant fighting beta-carotene that gives peppers their awesome hues. By fighting these antioxidants, bell peppers can reduce swelling in the arteries that lead to heart disease, diabetes and cholesterol build up.

The folate and vitamin B6 contained in bell peppers also help fight against heart disease, while the fiber in bell peppers help reduce high cholesterol and stave off strokes and heart attacks. This is important especially for those of us looking for fat burning foods, as excess fat contributes to these diseases.

Get the most of bell pepper health benefits by purchasing organic peppers and eating them as fresh as possible. Pesticides can mask the flavor in bell peppers, which may affect how you view the taste.

Bell peppers also contain 110 grams of water, another essential for fat burning success!

Now, let’s explore some anutritious way to add bell peppers to your diet to improve fat burning.

Italian Stuffed Peppers

Serves 6

6 large sweet red peppers
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups shredded low-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cups chopped onions
3/4 cups frozen peas
3/4 cups shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese
1/3 cups and 1/4 tablespoons low-fat ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons frozen defatted chicken stock, thawed
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Prep Day: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the tops off the peppers and set aside. Remove the seeds and membranes. Place the peppers, cut side up, in a 8″ x 8″ baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Cheddar, onions, peas, mozzarella, ricotta, stock, garlic, and basil. Mix well. Spoon into the peppers. Top with the Parmesan. Cover with the pepper tops and bake for 20 minutes, or until the peppers are soft. Remove the pepper tops and discard. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.

To Freeze: Pack the cooled cooked peppers in a single layer in a freezer-quality plastic container.

Serve Day: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Microwave on high power for 7 to 8 minutes, or until hot.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS PER SERVING
CALORIES 194.9 CAL
FAT 4.3 G
SATURATED FAT 2.2 G
SODIUM 448.6 MG
CARBOHYDRATES 22.8 G
TOTAL SUGARS 10.1 G
DIETARY FIBER 5.1 G
PROTEIN 17.5 G

Remember to be creative in your recipes to reap the most health benefits from bell peppers.

References:
*eatingwell.com
*Bell Pepper Nutrition Facts – Unusual Health Benefits of Bell Peppers article BY ROB POULOS

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