Turkey Orzo Soup

Here's an easy to make, and easy to eat, soup that hits all the right notes. It's filling, tasty, and healthy, too. This has that Italian MOP combo, you know - mushrooms, onions, and peppers, as its base, along with turkey, then adds orzo as the grain. If you don't eat gluten, see the notes below. There are some great gluten free options available. 

Ingredients: 

1 tsp olive oil

8 oz ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 can tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup orzo or gluten free orzo

2 cups chopped spinach

salt and pepper to taste

fresh basil or parsley as garnish

Directions: 

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot. Add the ground turkey and cook for several minutes until no longer pink. Add the onion, pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and spices and cook several more minutes until the onions turn translucent and the mushrooms begin to give off their liquid. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo and cook until the orzo is al dente, about 5 minutes for wheat orzo and up to 14 minutes for gluten free casava orzo. Add the spinach and simmer another minute until the spinach wilts. Taste the soup, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnishing with fresh herbs. 

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: My favorite gluten free orzo is by Jovial and is made from casava flour. It cooks up and tastes much like wheat-based orzo. However, there is one way it doesn't act like orzo containing gluten. Gluten based orzo holds up well overnight, with flavors melding beautifully. However, Jovial orzo tends to break down when it sits overnight. The flavors still meld, resulting in a deeper, more complex flavor, but the orzo breaks apart into small rice like pieces.  This makes the soup much thicker. Just add some water to make your leftovers soup like ... or enjoy it as a tasty stew!

Pineapple Coleslaw

What to do with a fresh pineapple? Hawaiian pizza one night, grilled pineapple with chicken another night, tonight it's pineapple coleslaw - for a crowd! Gotta love it. 

Ingredients: 

for the dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup plain yogurt or dairy free yogurt

2 Tbs lemon or pineapple juice

1 Tbs rice vinegar

2 tsp turbinado sugar

for the coleslaw:

1 cup diced pineapple

2 cups finely sliced, then chopped cabbage

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 cup shredded carrot

2 Tbs thinly sliced chives (optional)

Directions: 

Make the dressing by mixing the mayo through the sugar in a medium size bowl. Add the pineapple through the carrots into the same bowl, then mix everything together. Serve immediately or refrigerate several hours or overnight to meld the flavors. Top with chives immediately before serving. 

Serves 8

Stealthy Cooking Tip: The sweetness of the pineapple means there's less sugar needed in the dressing. Using yogurt to replace some of the usual mayonnaise increases the nutritional value while reducing fat and cholesterol.