Osso Buco is Italian for bone with a hole. The bone marrow is cross cut and is typically made with veal. Originating in Milan and the Lombardy Region of Italy, osso buco showcases their culinary genius, transforming modest cuts of meat into long-standing recipes.

In its earliest version, osso buco was made with butter, onion, white wine and broth, using very typical ingredients found in many northern Italian dishes. Tomatoes are now part of a more modern recipe, and I think adds to its heartiness.

What is Osso Buco?

Basically ossobuco is a meat shank (usually veal) which used to be a very inexpensive cut with the bone marrow cut crosswise (thus, bone with a hole).

Osso buco requires a long braise in a tomato broth with vegetables. In this recipe, I served it with creamy white beans (it was New Year’s Day), but it’s most often served with risotto ala Milanese and topped with gremolata to cut through the richness.

Eat the Marrow

The marrow is considered a delicacy and is especially good with bread or eaten on a spoon. I recommend crusty bread like my sourdough to enjoy every bit of the sauce and marrow.

Why This Dish is Represents Italian Values

• Italians are known to take modest, humble cuts of meat to create spectacular gourmet recipes. Peasant food achieves elevation and Osso buco is now a proudly recognized Italian National Dish.
• Italians are known to respect the whole animal, wasting nothing, even bone marrow.
• Italians not only embrace slow food, Italians embrace eating ingredients which can be locally sourced, which is why the menu changes often radically in each region of Italy.

The History

The first mention of osso buco found its way in cookbooks in the mid to late 1800’s, particularly Pellegrino Artusi (1891) which helped it become a national Italian dish.

What Kind of Meat is Used in Osso Buco?

Veal is most often used, but other choices could include beef or pork shanks. This time, I served with cannellini beans, put in the pot at the last twenty minutes.

Top with Gremolata

Gremolata is a mixture of chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest and salt. It brightens up the dish and cuts through the richness.

Other Hearty Italian Dishes You May Like

• What is Bolognese? Answers to all your questions.
• Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
• Italian Meatball Soup
• Braciole – Italian Rolled Steak
• Beef Stock and Roasted Bones
• Beef and Veal Stew Shepherds Pie

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Osso Buco

Osso Buco, the quintessential veal dish from the Lombardy region of Northern Italy.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup onion
• 2/3 cup carrot finely chopped
• 2/3 cup celery finely chopped
• 4 T butter
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 4 veal shanks
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup meat broth
• 1 large can San Marzano tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• several sprigs fresh thyme
• several sprigs parsley
• freshly ground pepper
• sea salt

Gremolata

• 1 handful parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon garlic clove
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, for two to three hours of braising
• Pat Veal shanks dry. Season with salt and pepper. Coat veal in flour, and when pan is hot, brown veal on both sides in separate frying pan.
• Choose heavy pot (dutch oven with lid) to cook vegetables, which can be put in oven.
• Heat butter in dutch oven. Saute onion, carrot, lemon zest, celery on medium heat, 8-10 minutes. Then add garlic and cook a few more minutes.
• Once vegetables are done, stir in white wine and cup of broth. Cook on low for ten minutes to cook off alcohol.
• Add in tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. You want the veal to be covered 2/3 in broth.
• Add in veal shanks. Cover and braise for 2-3 hours, until fork tender.
• Serve with a garnish of gremolata.

Gremolata

• Chop together, parsley, garlic, lemon zest and add in sea salt.

The post Osso Buco Recipe with White Beans appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you want to skip the potatoes and go for a lower-carb version you can check out my paleo beef stew here which uses turnips instead of potatoes.

This old fashioned beef stew has all the great feels of a meat and potato dish. It’s different from my Irish Stew which is very brothy, as it’s nestled in a nice brown gravy.

Good Stew Meat is Important

I did this recipe with two different stew meats. The first time I made it, I used the chuck roast stew meat from Whole Foods, and it was so gristly and fatty. The second time I used lean stew meat from a local butcher who sells at the Nolensville Farmer’s Market and it was outstanding. Whatever meat you decide to use, please trim most of the fat and all of the gristle.

Important: Brown the meat first. This is always important to seal the meat and to enhance the flavor.

Vegetables

Vegetables – There will be two kinds of chopped vegetables.

• Course Chop -Carrots, Onion, Celery to aid flavor while meat is braising.
• Finer Dice – Carrots, Onion, Celery to add to the stew in the last 30 minutes
• Potatoes will have a large dice (or whatever you desire) I used a good amount of potatoes because this was lunch for mountain bikers, riding 50 miles a day for practice.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew – Gluten Free

Old Fashioned Beef Stew is nestled in a rich brown gravy, which requires a thickening agent.

Gluten Free Thickening Agents

• Tapioca flour used in browning beef cubes.
• xanthan gum gel (recipe here) (There is very small amount of actual xanthan gum used, but it works well).

Beef Broth

I use organic beef broth and a cup of passata (a bottled tomato puree), and a cup of white wine. You could also use red wine or even a cup of beer. If you want to skip the alcohol, that’s okay too.

This is a perfect broth to turn into gravy. If you’re unfamiliar with passata, look for skinny bottles of passata where the cans of tomatoes are.

Timing for Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Give yourself a three hour window. Thirty minutes to put it all together and 2 1/2 hours for braising. Final fine dice of vegetables and potatoes will go in at the last 30-40 minutes to avoid mushy potatoes.

More Similar Recipes You Might Like

• Irish Stew
• Beef Vegetable Soup (Paleo)
• Beef and Veal Shepherd’s Pie
• Veal Stew with Onion Sauce
• Beef Stock
• Short Ribs in Wine
• Beef Ragu

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Gluten Free Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Old Fashioned Beef Stew, Gluten Free, the all in one meat and potatoes dish.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean beef cubes
• 4 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 4 carrots divided
• 2 celery stick divided
• 1 onion divided
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 large cans San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 quart beef broth
• 1 teaspoon umami seasoning or worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup white wine optional
• 6 medium sized golden potatoes peeled, large cube
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 handfuls parsley divided
• fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons xanthan gum gel see notes

Instructions

• Cut vegetables. First prepare the large chop to go into broth with the meat in initial braising to be removed later.

  Second: Cut celery and carrots into bite sized dice. Set aside. Peel and cut potatoes into large dice for stew in final stages. Put potatoes in cold water, until needed. These steps can be a day in advance.
• Dry meat with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in tapioca flour. You don't need to use too much.
• Brown meat in large dutch oven or frying pan.
• Remove meat, set aside on a plate.
• Deglaze pan by adding in 1/2 cup of white wine. You can use a red wine if you choose. This is optional or if you don't have any wine add a cup of beer. Add one cup beef broth.
• Cook down for about ten minutes, cooking off alcohol.
• Add beef back in. Add in handful parsley, reserving some for garnish, bay leaves, fresh thyme.
• Add remaining beef broth and umami seasoning (or worcestershire sauce).
• Add in the rough cut vegetables (onion, celery, carrot).
• Cook on top of the stove on very low simmer for 2 1/2 to three hours, stirring frequently. Add extra beef broth or water a little at a time, if needed. Broth should cover the beef.

  Crockpot: Cook on high for 4 hours. Add in potatoes and final vegetables in last hour.
• In last 30-40 minutes, add in small dice of remaining celery, carrot and potato.
• Add a cup of frozen peas at last 30 minutes.
• Season again with salt and pepper, fresh chopped parsley. Taste first.
• In last ten minutes, add in the xanthan gum gel and stir to make sure it gets incorporated. This will thicken the stew.
• Do a final tasting for salt and pepper seasoning.

Notes

xanthan gel:  

The post Old Fashioned Beef Stew (Gluten Free) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I feel confident calling this the best ever chicken salad because I brought it to a party, and everyone who tried it commented on it.  It was perfect combination of textures. Pomegranates, pecans, celery, apples, white meat chicken. I used the Best Body Mayonnaise  (Amazon) as it is 100% avocado oil.

You can make this a keto friendly recipe by eliminating the apple, but do keep the pomegranate.

Use a Good Rotisserie Chicken for Chicken Salad

It all started when a friend dropped off two rotisserie chickens from Whole Foods to keep us covered for dinners, after my mother passed away. I cut off all of the white meat, discarding any skin or bones, and froze the dark meat for another time.

You can roast your own chicken, using my easy one hour oven roasted chicken recipe. 

I was shocked at how much chicken I ended up having and would say one chicken is probably all you need for several servings.  The day before my mother died, I stopped at Whole Foods with the intention of making soup and had organic celery on hand. I had made her this roasted pumpkin which was her last dinner with us and still had pomegranate arils left. I also had a few very crisp gala apples, and fresh parsley (for the soup I never made). I always have pecans on hands, and chose to roast them for just about 3 minutes.

What is the Key to the Great Chicken Salad?

As easy as chicken salad is to make, there are important components to making it the best.

• The chicken has to be pulled, not cubed. Use a food Processor.
• The mayonnaise has to be healthy. I use Better Body Foods because it doesn’t have canola oil.
• There has to be some crunch, either from celery or apples or both. (I know some people hate celery).
• There needs to be a little bit of sweet, which is where my pomegranate comes in. It’s a better choice than using dried cranberries if you’re looking for a lower sugar option.
• It needs nuts, and I prefer roasted, chopped pecans.
• Don’t forget the salt and pepper, and a smattering of parsley.
• Add a little honey if your mayonnaise doesn’t have flavor.
• Add fresh herbs. I added rosemary for a holiday feel.

My Favorite Food Processors (My Amazon Picks)

Braun 12 Cup Food Processor that does everything. I use this for shredding carrots, squeezing lemons, chopping nuts and processing my chicken. This is the processor for life.

Kitchen Aid 5 Cup Food Processor – great for the small jobs. You can use this for the chicken salad, but you might have to do it in batches.

I know this can be used to make the best chicken salad sandwich, but I like to serve it in a pretty bowl, topped with chopped pecans, pomegranates, and a smattering of parsley and rosemary. It’s so perfect for Christmas parties and Christmas brunches.

You can use this same recipe to make the best ever turkey salad.

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Pomegranate Spells Holiday Time

The pomegranate arils perfected this chicken salad, adding a touch of tart and sweet with some texture. I wouldn’t leave these out. I get so excited when pomegranates hit the grocery in winter as I throw them into almost every salad and some hot dishes like last week’s roasted pumpkin. Just a tablespoon or two makes a difference.

How to Crack Open a Pomegranate

Score the six ridges of the pomegranate and break at the ridges over a bowl of water. The frustrating part can be the pulp mixing with the pomegranate arils. Break over a bowl of cold water. The arils will sink to the bottom and you can use a slotted spoon to remove the pulp from the top. Then drain the arils.

Nutrition Value for Best Chicken Salad

If you want this to be a keto friendly (zero net carb) recipe,  take out the apple. It was as if everything was pre-planned to make the best ever chicken salad. This low carb and a paleo recipe, full of healthy fat, protein and fruits and around 4 net carbs per serving.  If you remove the apple, it’s zero net carbs and keto friendly.

More Party Foods from Spinach Tiger

• Pimento Cheese Egg Salad
• Loaded Deviled Eggs
• Party Caprese Salad
• Keto Texas Sheet Cake
• Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
• Italian Sausage Balls
• Sourdough Camembert Wreath
• Feta Olives Salad
• Ricotta, Peas, Pesto Appetizer
• Cowboy Caviar
• How to Make a Cheeseboard

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Holiday Chicken Salad

Pulled chicken, with pomegranates, rosemary, and pecans make a very festive chicken salad made with Rotisserie chicken.

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound white meat chicken Pulled from rotisserie chicken or poached
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 cup mayonnaise Better Body Foods
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate arils
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• 1 small gala apple with skin diced
• 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to taste or to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon honey optinal

Instructions

• Pull chicken off bone. Don't use any skin. I find using a food processor makes the texture I like for chicken salad.
• Add diced celery, diced apple to chicken.
• Add mayonnaise according to need. I used quite a bit. Add optional honey if desired. It does add an extra something.
• Toasting pecans is optional. No more than 3 minutes. Chop somewhere between fine and course, keeping in mind how that will be for eating. Add in, but save some for topping.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add in rosemary and parsley, but also save a little for the top.

Prepare Pomegranate

• Score the six ridges of a pomegranate.
• Break open over a bowl of cold water. The pomegranate arils will sink to bottom.
• Add two tablespoons of arils, and save a little for the top.

Poached Chicken Breasts Option

• Add about 2 inches cold water over the chicken breasts and bring to boil. Once the water is boiling, skim off the scum off the top, and turn down the heat. Take out of the water as soon as the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. in the middle. Cool completely before making the chicken salad.

The post Best Ever Holiday Chicken Salad with Rosemary and Pomegranates appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

We absolutely love bolognese, an Italian meat sauce that is cooked very slow on low heat for several hours.

Served with tagliatelle or paparadelle, (wide flat egg noodles), it is the comfort food of all comfort foods. In our house, it disappears fast, and this particular pot of bolognese got rave reviews from the twins who ate bolognese all over Italy. My Homemade Pasta recipe is here.

This is almost the same recipe as this authentic bolognese recipe from Marcella Hazan. It’s still begins with carrots, onion and celery, but we really caramelize the soffrito in this recipe. It still contains milk and white wine, (not red), but everything is added in a different order.

Pancetta is an important ingredient. It isn’t something I can always easily find in my area, and I decided to add my own twist by adding peppered uncured salami from Boar’s Head. This might seem odd, but once chopped very find, and fried, it nearly disappears into the sauce, but not without leaving an added layer of flavor. Did I lose you? I hope not.

Another thing I added to this was chicken stock. You could also use beef stock. The stock helps to thin the bolognese out when it gets too thick, keeping in mind that it has a small amount of tomato sauce and can dry out.

Bolognese can be used for other recipes such as lasagna, crepes, polenta or risotto.

What is Bolognese?

Bolognese is a meat sauce, simmered for hours, made with, soffritto, ground meat, milk, wine and and little bit of tomato. My new recipe adds chicken broth. Additionally you can add pancetta and a dash of nutmeg.

What Kind of Pot Should I Cook Bolognese?

A heavy pot that retains heat, like an enameled cast iron. My favorite is this pot from Le Creuset.

What Meat Should I Use for Bolognese?

You have options here. The best cut of beef is ground chuck, but you can certainly mix ground pork and beef or veal and beef. If you use pork, use 2 parts beef, 1 part pork and make it a fatty pork. All of these combinations work. I would not use ground turkey or ground chicken.

How Long Should I Cook Bolognese?

Cook bolognese on the lowest heat for a long time, no less than 3 hours, making sure it does not dry out. You can use broth or a little water as needed.

Can You Make Bolognese in a Slow Cooker?

Yes, but first you must cook the ingredients on top of the stove. Once you are at the final step and ready to simmer for hours, you can transport your bolognese to a slow cooker. Cook on very low for as long as 6-8 hours if you have the time.

Do You Need to Use Wine in Bolognese?

Wine is one of the main components to push flavor in bolognese. Keep in mind that the alcohol will burn off. If you want to skip the wine, add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the sauce, once you are ready to simmer, and replace the amount of liquid with more broth. Use white wine not red wine which brings a brightness to the dish.

Is Milk Necessary in Bolognese?

Milk is one of the main ingredients of bolognese as it breaks down the connective tissues of the ground beef and acts as a tenderizer. If you do skip, use a very fatty ground beef, or a combination of beef and veal. If you are using veal, use less milk.

Can I Make Bolognese without Tomatoes?

Yes, it’s actually called White Bolognese. We had white bolognese in Montepulciano. The recipe will include the soffritto (carrots, onion, celery) white wine, chicken stock, butter and heavy cream. I plan on making a recipe soon.

What Pasta Goes Best with Bolognese?

The typical pasta for bolognese is tagliatelle, or paparadelle. Make sure you use a bronze cut pasta if store-bought. You can also use a rigatoni macaroni.

What Wine Pairs well with Bolognese?

Although, I use only white wine in the sauce, we drink red wine with the meal. We like a good rich red like Chianti Classico or Sangiovese. Cabernet works well too.

Should Cheese Be Added?

There are no shoulds when it comes to grated cheese, except that either pecorino romano or parmesan should be freshly grated at the table. We like Pecorino best; it’s tangy and salty.

Can You Freeze Bolognese?

Yes, so make a double batch and freeze up to three months.

Is Bolognese Really Italian?

Bolognese comes from Bologna and is served throughout Italy. We ate bolognese in Rome, Lucca and White Bolognese in Montepulciano.

What’s the Difference between Bolognese and Ragu?

Some will say no difference. I differentiate ragu from bolognese in my recipes from the time it takes to cook. For example, my sausage ragû is a meat sauce that I make quickly.

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Variations on Bolognese

• Peach and Pork Bolognese
• Spaghetti Bolognese with Pork
• Italinan Sloppy Joe’s Bolognese
• Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese

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New Red Bolognese Recipe

Bolognese Recipe with All Your Bolognese Questions Answered

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Bolognese

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons butter plus 2 T for tossing pasta
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 2 pounds ground beef chuck mixed with salt and pepper before cooking
• 8 ounces pancetta See notes
• black pepper freshly ground
• salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
• 2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes with juice chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock more as needed
• freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese at the table

Instructions

• On medium heat, add oil, butter, onion, until translucent.
• Add celery, carrots and cook on low until all is caramelized. This will add a lot of flavor. Once cooked, remove to a bowl. Set aside.
• In the pot you will be making the bolognese, cook meat. Sautè chopped pancetta or peppered salami. Salt meat. Add ground meat and satue Sautè meat separately until cooked completely.
• Add milk until cooked through on low about 10 minutes.
• Add nutmeg.
• Add the vegetables and mix through.
• Add the white wine and cook for about 10 minutes until alcohol is cooked off.
• Add the tomatoes, crushed with your hands.
• Add chicken stock. Cook on low for 3 hours and add more stock as necessary.
  

Notes

This recipe is a double batch, which I recommend, as you will eat it all. You can freeze, or make other dishes with it, such as bolognese sliders.

I sometimes substitute Boar’s Head peppered salami (about 4 ounces) instead of pancetta. 

The post What is Bolognese? All Your Questions Answered and a New Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Made with my own roasted chicken (for an amazing texture), fresh vegetables, boxed organic broth and a little bit of heavy cream that brings it home and adds that little bit of extra gut-sticking satisfaction. You could also make your own chicken stock and I have a great recipe here with ten tips.

As I was making the filling, I kept tasting and thinking with a little more broth and a few tweaks, this could be an amazing chicken vegetable soup.

I purchased these soup crocks for my recent French onion soup recipe and we’ve used them for all kinds of things. I highly recommend them.

I swapped out the rutabagas for cauliflower which ended up being a great choice. I skipped the wine and cut back on the heavy cream. If you’re watching your carbs, you could also limit the carrots but I think a couple of carrots in a soup does make a difference.

Ingredients for Recipe for Chicken Vegetable Soup

• Chicken Breasts, Shredded
• Cauliflower
• Onions
• Celery
• Carrots
• Boxed Organic Chicken Broth
• Peas
• Herbs, Bay Leaf
• Heavy Cream (this is an option I like for a creamier soup)

More Chicken Soups from Spinach Tiger

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Chicken Vegetable Soup

Homemade chicken vegetable soup made with leeks, white wine.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken pot pie, pie crust

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

Chicken Vegetable Soup

• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 3 carrots peeled, diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon umami seasoning Trader Joe's (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (4 sprigs)
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream Optional for a creamier soup
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded See Recipe below

Baked Chicken Breasts on Bone (Method 1)

• 2 chicken breasts on bone with skin
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Baked Chicken Breasts

• Salt chicken breasts. Roast in oven at 400 degrees F. until chicken reaches 165 F. Don't over bake. I like the texture of baked chicken. See blog notes for more ideas. You CAN roast a whole chicken as I did.

Make Chicken Vegetable Soup

• Trim leek and wash, using only white part.
• Peel and dice celery and carrots.
• Cut cauliflower into bite sized florets.
• Melt butter and oil in dutch oven or pot of your choice.
• Add vegetables (except peas) to pan. Cook about five minutes. Add sprigs of thyme (to be removed later).
• Add fresh herbs of choice. Add bay leaf.
• Season with salt, pepper, umami seasoning (if you have it).
• Stir in chicken broth.
• Once chicken broth is warmed through about twenty minutes, add in optional heavy cream. It's okay to skip.
• Add in chicken, frozen peas.
• Season as needed with salt and pepper. Serve once peas are cooked through.

Notes

You can add in other vegetables such as green beans or broccoli florets

Umami Seasoning (I  use the one from Trader Joe’s). You can substitute with poultry seasoning, or your seasoning of choice). 

Cauliflower: You can sub with potato, rutabega.

 

 

The post Recipe for Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Chicken and white bean soup has all the feels and flavors. Made Italian style with carrots, onion, celery, Italian parsley, garlic, white cannellini beans, the soup is finished with pecorino or parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. 

This recipe uses canned white cannellini beans, and left over chicken or rotisserie chicken and boxed broth. You can make your own chicken stock and cook beans from scratch. While that might be considered ideal, it isn’t necessary for a delicious soup. 

Are Canned Beans Okay for Chicken and White Bean Soup?

Some years ago,  I had the pleasure to interview Guiliano Hazan, son of famous Italian cookbook author, Marcella Hazan, and he explains “Italian” cuisine as a dish in which you can taste each ingredient separately and not as one flavor. No ingredient should be placed in the dish to fight with another.  I asked him if his legendary mother and he differed in anything. He told me she favors “fresh beans” and perhaps dried beans, but he will use canned beans. But they agree that flavors would end up in the same place.

I liked that culinary confidence, and if anyone knows what tastes good, it would be Giuliano Hazan who has been eating from the hands of an Italian cooking legend since birth.

If you like the bread in the picture, that’s my homemade sourdough.

Ingredients for Chicken and White Bean Soup

• Chicken
• Cannellini Beans
• Boxed Organic Chicken Broth
• Onion, Carrots, Celery
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Parsley
• Fresh or dried thyme, rosemary
• Bay Leaf
• Fennel powder or fennel seed or fresh fennel
• Pecorinio or Parmesan

If you don’t like fennel, skip it, but I think it adds that extra aromatic.

Play Around

• Add baby spinach to bowl when serving.
• Add chopped kale in last ten minutes.
• Add cooked rice or cooked macaroni.

More Soups from Spinach Tiger

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Chicken and White Bean Soup

White beans, left over chicken, boxed broth makes an easy, healthy soup.

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bean soup, beansoup, chicken soup, soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 10 hours hours

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken, diced or shredded
• 4 cans cannellini beans
• 4-6 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium white onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 2 carrots diced
• few fresh thyme sprigs can use rosemary also
• 1 handful Italian parsley chopped
• olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed or 1 cup chopped fennel
• pinch red pepper flakes
• Pecorino or Parmesan for serving

Instructions

• Rinse beans with water. Reserve 1 can of beans to emulsify later.
• Add butter and olive oil to heavy bottomed pan.
• Add in onion, carrot, celery (and fennel if using fresh) and cook until nearly soft.
• Add in garlic, cook a minutes, but not browning.
• Add in chicken broth. Add in beans that are rinsed and drained.
• Add In spices, and shredded chicken.
• Blend reserved can of beans until pureed. Add to soup.
• Cook until carrots are soft.
• Serve with Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

The post Chicken and White Bean Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

My husband had bought them hoping they could be the affordable lobster like seafood for lobster roll. I made a langostino lobster salad, with a mayonnaise based dressing that would be perfect for either salad or lobster roll.

Technically langostine are not lobster, but there is a very similar taste and texture without the price tag.

This is perfect for lunch, parties, lobster rolls, lettuce wraps, or starters. It tastes like a lobster salad, but is much more affordable.

Langostino Vs. Lobster

Langostine (plural for langostino) are not lobster. A different crustacean, they are much smaller in size, but are similar in taste. Often referred to as squat lobster or langostino lobster, as the FDA will not allow langostine to be labeled simply “lobster.”

However, don’t let that stop you from trying langostine in place of your favorite seafood dish. You can often find them for under $12 a pound at either Trader Joe’s or Aldi’s.

Mayonnaise Dressing for Langostino Lobster Salad

• Mayonnaise
• Lemon Juice
• Worcestershire
• Garlic Powder
• Parsley (can use dill if desired)

The other two ingredients are langostine and celery. Celery is an important part of what makes this so good, adding in crunch and color.

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More Seafood Salads from Spinach Tiger

• Shrimp Avocado Tomato
• Crab Louis
• Fresh Tuna Nicoise
• Greek Salmon Salad

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Langostino Lobster Salad

Langostino Lobster Salad which can be also be used for Lobster Roll

Course Sauce

Cuisine American, French

Keyword mayonnaise, remoulade

Ingredients

• 1 pound langostine
• 2 stalks Celery chopped

Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or one minced fresh clove
• 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients for dressing together.
• Add langostine, celery.
• Refrigerate minimum one hour to meld flavors.

The post Langostino Lobster Salad appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I was growing up, the stuffing was actually stuffed into the bird and that was my favorite part. I liked it soft and moist, as opposed to crispy edges.

More recently, I’ve changed my tastes, as at some point stuffing the bird became unsafe, and the only bread stuffing available had those crispy edges I grew to love, as long as there was gravy.

When I moved to the south, I discovered there was no stuffing. There was dressing, made with cornbread and on the sweeter side, although it still included the basic ingredients of celery, onion and sage.

After you get the basics down, the fun begins, because you can add in your favorite flavor/texture additions.

All of these are easy stuffing recipes, that can be adapted.

Grain Free Stuffing. This is my personal favorite. Grain Free Stuffing made with these grain free biscuits.  Recipe Here.

Apple Sausage Sage Stuffing. We love sausage, or sausage with apples. This stuffing has all the Fall flavors and is a mix of crispy top and very moist underneath.  You can skip the sausage and just do apples or add in pecans. Recipe Here.

Cornbread Dressing with Homemade Corn Bread. Recipe Here. 

Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Pecans. Recipe here.

Grain Free Stuffing that tastes like dressing, although there is no corn. My secret is using these grain free sweet potato biscuits and following this stuffing recipe.

Gluten Free Cornbread Biscuit Stuffing Recipe Here

Making Easy Stuffing Recipes and Dressing for Special Dietary Needs

Most of these recipes can be adapted to special needs.

• Dairy Free: All of these stuffing recipes start with butter, but you can make stuffing with olive oil or avocado oil.
• Vegan: You can exchange chicken broth for vegetable broth and leave out any meats.
• Keto: There is a fabulous grain-free stuffing that has become a tradition in our home.
• Paleo: We add little sweet potato to the biscuits that make the grain free stuffing, which it taste similar to a corn bread dressing. This can be made with sausage or pecans.

Use Easy Stuffing Recipes for Amazing Leftovers

This is the grain free stuffing stir fried with left over turkey. Stuffing Hash. Recipe Here.

Turkey Pie Reinvented, using stuffing and more. Recipe Here. To make this keto/paleo, you can use the dough from the chicken pot pie recipe.

Roast Turkey with Video. If you love stuffing, you’ll love this no baste cheesecloth turkey. Recipe Here.

Best 50 Thanksgiving Recipes Here

The post Six Easy Stuffing Recipes for Every Preference (Gluten free, Grain Free Options) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I think peas and carrots are a must for chicken pot pie and the overall carb count is fairly low. You can choose how much of these you want to use or to leave them out.

What Chicken to Use for Low Carb Creamy Chicken Pot Pie

Any of these work. What you want is 4 cups of cubed cooked white meat chicken.

• Roast Chicken (Spatchcock, cutting out back for soup at a later date). Cutting out the thigh/leg portions and freezing for a later recipe. This way you are roasting all white meat (keep the wings on).
• Rotisserie chicken you buy at the store.
• Left over chicken or left over turkey.
• Boneless chicken breast, cut into pieces and cooked on top of stove.

Affordable Tip: If you can find a small chicken like the Greenwise at Publix for under $7, you will be able to make two different dinners. After roasting use the white meat only and freeze the chicken thighs and legs for another meal. Eat the wings as a snack. I did that. Other times I just use left over chicken or left over turkey.

Low Carb Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Filling Ingredients

You can alter this to your liking, skipping celery or carrots or even leaving out the peas. I happen to like all three. I used chopped cauliflower in place of potatoes, and the twins ate it up, so it works. I also added white wine, which you can also skip, but know that it adds an incredible layer of flavor. Only use white wine you would drink. Do not use cooking wine ever for anything.

Freezing does two things. It makes it easy to handle and place on top and it doesn’t get too browned right away, which almond flour can tend to do.

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You can save this recipe and use with your left over turkey too.

More Low Carb Comforting Foods from Spinach Tiger

Print

Grain Free Creamy Chicken Pot Pie

Grain Free Low Carb Pie Crust atop Creamy Chicken Pot Pie. Paleo, Keto Friendly. Gluten Free.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken pot pie, grain free pot pie, keto pie crust

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Pot Pie Filling Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

Pie Dough

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum optional
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Pot Pie Filling

• 4 cups white meat chicken cubed, cooked
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion small dice
• 2 carrots small dice
• 2 celery stalks small dice
• 2 cups chopped raw cauliflower bite sized
• 3 tablespoons xanthan gum gel see notes
• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (see notes) replacement for xanthan gum
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

Pie Crust

• Mix together both flours, baking powder, salt.
• Cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or with your hands. I find using a kitchen aid type mixer best for mixing this dough, but you can use your hands to mix.
• Add egg until thoroughly mixed. Chill for 15 minutes.
• Roll out dough between two pieces of plastic wrap on a tray you can place in freezer. Proceed with making pot pie filling while dough freezes.

Rotisserie Chicken or Roasted Chicken

• If Roasting small chicken roast for one hour on 450 degrees F. Use white meat and reserve rest for another meal. The breasts of one chicken will give you enough for this recipe. If using rotisserie chicken, use the white meat and cut into bite sized pieces.

Using Boneless Chicken Breast

• If using boneless chicken breast, cut Into bite sized pieces. Fry in butter until cooked through.

Pot Pie Filling

• Melt butter in large frying pan or dutch oven. Cook carrots, celery, onion until carrots are softened and onion is translucent about five minutes. Add cauliflower. Cook for about five minutes.
• If using unflavored gelatin, sprinkle it over cold chicken broth, until It blooms, about five minutes. This will help to thicken pot pie.
• Add broth to vegetables and cook about 10 minutes until broth Is warm.
• Add white wine, simmer for ten minutes.
• If using xanthan gum gel (and not using gelatin) stir that in now.
• Add frozen peas. You can them in frozen.
• Add heavy cream. Continue to cook on low simmer uncovered about five minutes.

Bake Pot Pie in Oven

• Take out dough. You can also cut out circles of dough. If you cut them ahead of time, keep them frozen before placing on pot pie. You will want to bake them frozen. Cutting dough into various round shapes with biscuit cutter makes it much easier to deal with and you can any size vessel to bake.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 180 C.
• Put pot pie filling Into pie pan or individual pie pans.
• Bake about 20-30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes until the pie crust is lightly golden. Time will vary depending on size of baking vessel. The inside is already cooked. You are baking to cook the crust.

Notes

To thicken Pot Pie:

1. Use xanthan gum gel. 
2. Use Unflavored gelatin powder which will be mixed into cold broth first. 

The post Low Carb Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

As an Italian I grew up with a lot of soup and there were always two things on the table. Freshly grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino) and extra virgin olive oil. We couldn’t imagine not having a drizzle of olive oil.

When I first posted this, I wrote about Spectrum® Cayenne Pepper Olive Oil to spice up the soup, loaded with vegetables and give it a memorable kick. 

That drizzle at the end made my husband swoon, but it’s also part of the recipe itself. I’m not sure that cayenne oil is available any longer, but there are a few ways to spice up soup.

How to Spice up the Soup

There is another way to bring spice to soup and that’s with bomba sauce. I’m not sure if that’s easy to find anymore, but another option is to drizzle their extra virgin olive oil at the end and spice up the soup with the bomba sauce, which is fermented Calabrian chilis.

I’ve talked about bomba sauce before, which I purchase at Trader Joe’s, as it has that just right kind of heat.   If you don’t have bomba sauce or cayenne infused olive oil, you can add heat with crushed red pepper.

Olive oil can be drizzled into each bowl upon serving, adjusted for each person’s taste and accompanied with a good helping of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

The Soup

This is the time of year that we are between summer and winter. We have the pick of the best vegetables from both seasons, including cabbage, tomatoes, and butternut squash.

You can make this soup fast or you can make this soup slow. You can make this in a slow cooker all night or all day, or on top of the stove in a dutch oven.

You can cut up every veggie yourself or you can use a selection of frozen. You can use a homemade bone broth like I did, or you can buy a nice organic boxed broth.

Add Seasonal Vegetables to Italian Soup with Sausage

You have options with vegetables. While the important ingredients of this soup include celery, onions, tomatoes, carrots and cabbage, feel free to add or subtract various vegetables you may have on hand. I’ve made this soup with broccoli and zucchini the first time and cubed butternut squash the second time.

If you happen to have some freshly picked seasonal vegetables, add them in. In the summer that would include yellow and green zucchini. In the winter, you might add in broccoli, cauliflower or butternut squash.

I like to sauté my carrots, onion, celery and cabbage for just a few minutes to drive flavor. The sausage is loose Italian sausage that is browned before adding to the soup.

Use Homemade or Organic Store Bought Broth for Italian Soup with Sausage

I always start with a good homemade bone broth and it works well with either my beef broth or chicken broth.  If time is short, I use an organic store bought broth.

My Favorite Italian Sausage

Our favorite Italian sausage comes from Butcher Box, a meat subscription service. I loved it so much, I became an affiliate.  We choose a custom box every month, and are so pleased knowing we are purchasing quality meat, humanely raised.

Easy Prep for Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage 

Let me assure you, once you take the twenty minutes to prep this soup, you can leave it. You will have enough for a few dinners, as it freezes well. 

More Spinach Tiger Soups that Love a Drizzle of Olive Oil

Homemade Beef Vegetable Soup

Italian Eggplant Soup with Sausage 

Italian Wedding Soup

30 Low Carb Vegetables with over 100 Recipes 

More Spinach Tiger Recipes with Italian Sausage

Italian Sausage Crusted Pizza

Italian Sausage with Creamy Spaghetti Squash

Italian Sausage Frittata

Print

Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage

Italian Soup with Sausage

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 4 quarts broth beef broth or chicken broth See Notes
• 1 large can San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil to cook sausage
• 1 pound loose Italian sausage
• 1 large onion diced
• 4 carrots diced
• 4 celery stalks diced
• 2 turnips peeled
• 1 small head cabbage
• 1 can red beans
• 1 can white beans or chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon sea salt up to, taste as you go
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• handful parsley leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon bomba sauce see notes
• 1 to 2 cups chopped kale
• 1 handful parsley
• olive oil for drizzling
• Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese for Serving

Instructions

• Bone broth can be made in advance and frozen or started 24 hours in advance. Another option is to use 4 quarts store bought organic broth.
• Add broth to slow cooker. Turn cooker on to time you desire. I used the six hour time.
• Chop tomatoes, and add to broth along with the juices.
• Brown Sausage in large frying pan with oil.
• Remove sausage to a dish, and add celery, carrots, onion, cabbage to pan.
• Sauté lightly for just a few minutes to open up flavors. You are not fully cooking.
• Add sausage, and vegetables,(except for kale) to broth.
• Rinse beans with cold water. Drain. Add to broth.
• Add 2 tablespoons Spectrum Cayenne® Pepper Olive Oil
• Add in a handful of parsley, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper.
• Cook in slow cooker for 4 to six hours. I chose six hours.
• Stovetop Option: Cook on low for at least 2 hours making sure cabbage is cooked through.
• Remove ribs from kale. Chop. Add to soup about twenty minutes prior to serving., so that kale is not overcooked.
• Taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper as needed.
• Garnish with chopped parsley.
• Serve with Spectrum® Cayenne Pepper Olive Oil and grated cheese.

Notes

Regarding broth, use either chicken or beef.

Instead of cayenne olive oil, use olive oil and add in red chili flakes according to the heat you prefer.

 

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The post Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.