Potato Soup

Fabulous recipe adapted from my friend, Erin in New York.

Potato Soup

4 T butter, melted
1 onion, chopped
4 T rice flour
3-4 C chicken broth
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4- 1/2 C cream or milk
cheddar cheese, grated as garnish
ham, chopped (optional)

Cook butter and onion together until onions are soft, then add flour and cook for one minute. Add broth and cook until it boils. Add potatoes (and ham if you desire) and simmer. Once potatoes are soft add salt, pepper, and cream.

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This is great for lunch, but needs something more to have it as a dinner. Salad or maybe ham steak?

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Clam Chowder

Market Street Clam Chowder (a modified version)

Recipe, post, and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

(Serves 12)

3-4 potatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
2 green peppers, cut into 1/2" dice
2 small onions, 1/2"dice
4 stalks of celery, 1/2" dice3 or 4 leeks, cut into 1/2" dice** (see note)
3, 6.5 oz. cans of chopped clams plus the juice
3/4 Tbsp. fresh coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
6-7 stalks of fresh thyme
3-6 bay leaves
a couple of shakes of Tabasco sauce
4 cups water
1 stick butter
3/4 cup [rice] flour
1 cup heavy cream
about 5-6 cups milk

Add all the vegetables, clams, clam juice, salt and pepper, thyme, bay leaves, Tabasco and water to a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Cook the mixture over a very low heat for about 3 minutes. But be careful that it doesn't brown. Set aside until ready to use.

When the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat and add the butter/flour mixture to the stockpot. Stir well. The soup will get thick like cookie dough. Slowly add the milk and cream while stirring constantly until it reaches the consistency you want. More milk for a thinner broth, less milk for a thicker one. Taste and adjust salt and pepper and Tabasco according to your taste. When ready to serve, put the pot back on the stove and heat to serving temperature. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks before serving.

Serve with [GF] crackers, [GF] bread, or all by itself.

**Make sure you wash the leeks very well. They tend to be very dirty because of the soil they are grown in. I cut them in half vertically and into thin slices, then I wash them well under running water in a colander.

Chicken Noodle Soup

We had a chilly couple of days in the East Bay at the beginning of the week, so I was able to throw my whole chicken into the crock pot and make delicious soup!

GF Chicken Noodle Soup

whole chicken (cooked and shredded) or 4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed

4 cups water (add 2 cups chicken broth if you do not have stock from the crock pot)

4 GF chicken bullion cubes

GF elbow noodles (we only use half of the bag)

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 large carrots, chopped

2 zucchini, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

salt to taste

pepper to taste

parsley would be a nice addition, but I seem to never have that on hand!

Cook whole chicken in crock pot filled with water on low 6-8 hours. Strain the liquid into stock pot and chicken will fall off of the bones for you to easily remove and place into stock pot, cook on medium heat. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil and until noodles are cooked, but not soggy*.

* I prefer to cook and keep the noodles separate so when I store leftovers (alone and dry) they do not fall apart and become as soggy.

Gluten Free Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup

Canned Organic Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

I was utterly astounded when I discovered this in my local grocery store. I checked the label many times, and couldn't find any gluten. To make certain, I emailed the question over. They sent me back an email with a phone number, which I called to ask, just in case it had hidden gluten. The rep from Health Valley assured me that there was no gluten in this product(however they make items in the facility that do contain gluten, but they sterilize before and after everything.) I was sold.

They also make a canned cream of chicken soup that is gluten free. They call them semi-condensed, meaning it doesn't come out of the can in a can-shape like the regular stuff does, but is still pretty thick. I am in heaven. Not having to make my own creamed soups is the best news I've heard this year. Tell your friends. Tell everyone you know so that this product will stay with us. It's 2.49 a can at my store, but you can buy it online here as well for $30.67 a case, however the shipping is rather pricey ($16.87 to get a case delivered to my zip, plus a $2.50 handling fee). I think it is so worth it if a store near you doesn't sell it. To find a store locator, click here, but they don't have this product in the pull down menu. I would just call to find out.

Buy a case or two. I mean it.

Added June 16th

***I just realized that this can is 14.5 oz, while a standard gluten filled is 10.5 oz. I had no trouble with the stroganoff, but a casserole might be different. Either don't use the entire can, or use less liquid elsewhere. Let me know how your recipes work out.

Tortilla Soup

This recipe was passed around friends and came from Marianne, somewhat adapted.



Gluten-Free Tortilla Soup

4 cups chicken broth (Knorr brand bullion cubes are GF)

1 cup green salsa

1 can corn

2 cans cooked chicken

1 can canilla or pink pinto beans

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup green onions

sour cream

corn chips

Cook chicken broth and green salsa until boiling. Add corn, beans, chicken and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Serve topped with corn chips, cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and a dollop of sour cream.

Gluten Free Chili

Quick Yummy Chili

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey

1 package Carroll Shelby's Chili seasoning (it's in a little brown paper sack)

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (8 oz) can filled with water

1 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans

In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Drain fat. Add tomato sauce, water, Rotel, beans, and chili seasonings, except masa and cayenne pepper. Heat and stir. If desired, mix masa with 1/4 cup water and add to chili to thicken. Add the cayenne only if you like your chili very spicy. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and chopped green onions.

I seem to be a fan of seasoning packets, but it's because they are so easy. I love this little package of chili seasonings. It is the way chili was meant to taste. I emailed their rep to make sure of the gluten free status, it is. I find it at the local grocery store, but you can also order it online.

I love adding tomatoes and beans to my chili, and sometimes I also saute peppers and mushrooms with the ground beef. The chunkier, the better.

Soupa de Maize

With toppings and without

Soupa de Maize
(Mexican Corn Chowder)

1 small onion, diced
3 (15 oz) cans corn, drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 cups cooked diced chicken
toppings: sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, avocado

Put onion and 2 cans of corn in food processor, or blender, and pulse for about 10 seconds. Slowly add 1/2 cup chicken broth and pulse until well blended. Pour corn mixture into large saucepan. Add remaining chicken broth, milk, cumin, garlic salt, and corn. Heat over medium until warm. Add chicken and chiles. Heat and stir for 10 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat. Serve topped with sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips and diced avocado.

I recently acquired this recipe from a friend. It is similar in taste to tortilla soup, but less spicy and more hearty. Don't be put off by the food processor, it's really not that hard. Just be careful not to overfill it. I highly recommend the sour cream, as it makes the soup especially creamy.

Cream of Chicken Soup

Gluten Free Cream of Chicken Soup

Recipe from Bette Hagman's "The Gluten Free Gourmet"

Mix:

1 cup rice flour

1 cup dry milk

1/4 cup dried minced onion

Use 1/4 cup of mix and add:

1 Knorr chicken boullion cube

1 1/2 cups water

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat over medium until thickened. Use in place of 1 can cream of chicken soup.

When I discovered this recipe in Bette Hagman's book, it was a giant relief. I used those little cans all the time and was devastated at the thought of not being able to make so many of my favorite recipes. It is literally so easy. In her book, she makes up this mix of flour, milk, and onion and uses 1/4 cup, mixed with 1 1/2 cups water and 1 bouillion cube for 1 can of the condensed cream of chicken soup. I use this often in my casseroles that call for the soup, and you cannot tell a difference. If you find your casseroles are too dry, double up the recipe. I often do.

In case you hadn't noticed, I like this book.

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (4 oz) can green chiles, diced

1 1/2 lbs chicken, cubed*

1 (15 oz) can corn

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 (4 oz) can jalapenoes, diced

30 oz chicken broth, or 4 cups water and 4 bouillon cubes

Tortilla chips, salsa, cheese, sour cream, avocados

In large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onions and peppers and saute until tender. Add chicken and green chiles. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add corn and pinto beans, undrained. Add chicken broth, cumin, and garlic salt. Use jalapenos to taste, as using the whole can will make for a very spicy soup. I like to use about half, but if you're not into spicy you can omit them entirely. Heat soup over medium low, letting flavors blend for about 20-30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with broken tortilla chips, cheese, and salsa. Also try sour cream and avocados, if you have them.

We always multiply this recipe, simply by adding another can of corn and beans and extra chicken broth. It's been one of our staples for 10 years. Can you tell that we like mexican food?

*You can also use cooked shredded chicken instead. Saute the veggies, and then add the rest of the ingredients including the chicken. That's how I did it for the picture.