Chicken-Quinoa Soup

Makes several cold-remedying bowls.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
2-3 chicken breasts
2 green onions chopped
1 lb frozen leaf spinach
½ lb frozen mixed vegetables
½ cube chicken bullion
4 large fresh garlic cloves crushed
1 pad butter or oil to grease a pan
Dashes of chili powder, sage, and thyme
Fresh ground pepper
1 can chicken soup*
1 can minestrone *

* I buy cans of soup when they’re 50% off and use them as soup base. You can just use more chicken broth and add your own extra veggies, rice, beans or what have you.


Directions:

Prepare quinoa in a microwavable bowl (ie Pyrex) with 1 part quinoa, 2 parts liquid; I used 1 cup quinoa + 2 cups chicken broth. Cook in the microwave for about 20 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

While quinoa cooks, grate/crush garlic and prepare chicken by cutting into small chunks.

Sauté chicken in 1/2 of the garlic on medium heat in a pan with butter or oil.

Add soup base and/or stock, the other ½ of the garlic, and vegetables to a large pot on the stove. Add seasonings. Stir and simmer.

Add chicken and quinoa to the mixture.

Add a cup of water to the chicken pan (to get garlic flavor and juices from the chicken) and add to soup.

Let soup simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Wheat-free, Low-cholesterol Meatballs &/or Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground chicken (or turkey)
3 eggs
4 green onions diced
2 tablespoons Za’atar or 1 tablespoon thyme + 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon onion powder
Dash soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 tablespoons soy flour*
2 tablespoons corn meal or maize flour*

*for soy and/or corn allergies, compensate with soy flour. The baking powder and eggs makes it rise and gives it a spongy texture.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add more soy flour/maize flour/flax seed for thicker consistency, especially for meatballs.

Grease pan.

Bake at 350 for about 30-45 minutes, longer for meatloaf than for meatballs.

Serve with tomato sauce, cheese, butter, gravy or enjoy plain.