Quick - dinner help! Tuesday

[sheryl]

The end of Sept to last week has seen me watching my nutrients more and more.  I use the Lose It app and chart my daily nutrients.  I'm working with a nutritionist and he has been quite helpful.

Well, my annual labs all came back very well but my cholesterol is a little high.  I need to lower or I'll be on a med.

All of that to say - we having a chicken casserole tonight.  Boiled chicken.  I will use quinoa in place of rice.  Add mushrooms and celery. 

BUT, I would normally throw in a can of Campbells broccoli cheese soup.

NEED ALTERNATIVE TO THE SOUP!  IDEAS?  I can't use much animal product as that's one of the culprits for cholesterol.  I will use a scant bit of marscapone or sour cream but only a little bit to serve as a binding agent.  What ideas do you have?

Off to exercise and will check back later.  Thanks to any for ideas.   🙂

[Selkie]

Google "whole food plant based cashew cheese sauce" and you will find many healthy recipes. You can sub white beans (like cannellini) for the cashews, if you prefer.

[Tanaqui]

Just make a quick bechamel using veg oil instead of butter. And, of course, add some broccoli.

[bolt.]

To replace canned "cream" soups, just make a fairly thick basic white sauce, with seasoning additions of your choice. This will give you plenty of 'binding agent' without any need to use animal products for that purpose. Therefore you can use your scant amounts of animal products for flavour instead! Consider a small amount of a very sharp flavourful cheddar.

Can-o-soup thickness white sauce should be approximately:

- 1.5 Tbsp (maybe 2 Tbsp) cooking oil of your choice (olive is nice). Heat it in a small pot or pan.

- Spices and herbs like: onion powder, garlic powder, marjoram, parsley

- 1.5 Tbsp (maybe 2 Tbsp) all purpose flour. Whisk it around in the hot oil until the paste goes a bit off-white or golden.

- 1 cup water, milk, or broth. Add about half the liquid, whisk quickly and well until smooth, then add the other half

- Plenty of salt and pepper (taste it)

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 2 or 3 minutes

Edited October 12, 2021 by bolt.

[Faith-manor]

Salsa, I would put a mild salsa on it. Very tasty.

[sheryl]

1 hour ago, bolt. said:

To replace canned "cream" soups, just make a fairly thick basic white sauce, with seasoning additions of your choice. This will give you plenty of 'binding agent' without any need to use animal products for that purpose. Therefore you can use your scant amounts of animal products for flavour instead! Consider a small amount of a very sharp flavourful cheddar.

Can-o-soup thickness white sauce should be approximately:

- 1.5 Tbsp (maybe 2 Tbsp) cooking oil of your choice (olive is nice). Heat it in a small pot or pan.

- Spices and herbs like: onion powder, garlic powder, marjoram, parsley

- 1.5 Tbsp (maybe 2 Tbsp) all purpose flour. Whisk it around in the hot oil until the paste goes a bit off-white or golden.

- 1 cup water, milk, or broth. Add about half the liquid, whisk quickly and well until smooth, then add the other half

- Plenty of salt and pepper (taste it)

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 2 or 3 minutes

Thank you, Bolt!  Kind of you to write this out.  I'm in a hurry.  After I posted this I exercised and showered and it's already 5 pm.   I have most but lacking marjoram and parsley.  I do have to be careful of how much milk as the whole - no, I just looked and 1 cup is 30 mg.  I'll probably have 5-8 mg  worth of cholesterol from milk found in my serving of the casserole.  I have tons of spices and a few herbs just not the ones you mentioned.   What should I substitute for that?   Again, this dish is quinoa based with added boiled chicken, mushrooms, celery and the sauce mentioned with a bit of shredded cheese, usually cheddar.

[Sneezyone]

It's getting cooler here. We've eaten soups the last two nights. I have at least two more in me, lol.

• Tomato bisque and grilled cheese
• Pho w/brisket and oxtails
• Veggie chili
• Chicken and dumplings

If you need to use up that boiled chicken, try:

• green chili chicken enchiladas
• ginger/scallion shrimp
• lemongrass chicken is always big here b/c a little goes a long way with veg stir-fry
• gyro meat (like meatloaf) with all the veggie and yogurt (tzatziki) fixings w/wo pita

For healthy stuff, my go-tos are summery...

• bruschetta
• portobello pizzas
• big antipasto platters

 

Edited October 12, 2021 by Sneezyone

[sheryl]

UPDATE

I made my casserole and used Bolt's suggested recipe!  Thanks for that.  It was awesome.  Better than I thought (casserole).  The bechamel recipe you gave turned out great.  I did add 1/2 finely shredded cheddar cheese 2% milkfat and a slice of butter (thinness of a dime) to the olive oil.   

I was afraid my husband would not like quinoa but he liked the casserole.  I liked it too.  Before when I attempted to use quinoa (twice) I didn't know you were to rinse it (didn't read directions) so it was bitter tasting.   LOL!  Rinsed it twice tonight and no bitter taste.  So excited to have this new'ish or madeover recipe.  THANKS!

[Tina]

Another 'cream of' soup option is to grind white northern beans and mix with broth, celery seed and poultry seasoning or other spices.  

[KungFuPanda]

Maybe more of a ratatouille dish than a creamy dish?  You get the flavor from lots of veggies and herbs/spices, but you’re not relying on creaminess or fake creaminess to complete the dish. I’d still be tempted to melt a wee bit of feta on top, but maybe that yeast stuff that tastes like Parmesan would be good? 

[PeterPan]

I would have put the chicken on salad and then eaten the quinoa as a warm side. I've done quinoa like spanish rice and Trader Joes sells it in the freezer section as what they call a "melange" with root veges chopped fine, very yummy. You could also stir fry the quinoa. Was it good with a sauce? Seems kind of heavy for such a fine grain. 

https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/113644/colorful-quinoa-salad  This quinoa recipe is the bomb. I make it for company and they always love it. If you have an instant pot, it makes quinoa a snap.

[sheryl]

15 hours ago, Sneezyone said:

It's getting cooler here. We've eaten soups the last two nights. I have at least two more in me, lol.

• Tomato bisque and grilled cheese
• Pho w/brisket and oxtails
• Veggie chili
• Chicken and dumplings

If you need to use up that boiled chicken, try:

• green chili chicken enchiladas
• ginger/scallion shrimp
• lemongrass chicken is always big here b/c a little goes a long way with veg stir-fry
• gyro meat (like meatloaf) with all the veggie and yogurt (tzatziki) fixings w/wo pita

For healthy stuff, my go-tos are summery...

• bruschetta
• portobello pizzas
• big antipasto platters

 

What a lineup!  These look great.  However, I've never considered oxtails.  I'm pleased cooler, soup-weather is here.  We do like soup.   The green chile enchiladas look great.  I just can't eat a lot of cheese/dairy b/c of cholesterol that needs to be reduced. Portobella pizzas look good but dh likes his meat.  I need to try and switch him to some vegetarian meals.     🙂   

[sheryl]

9 hours ago, Tina said:

Another 'cream of' soup option is to grind white northern beans and mix with broth, celery seed and poultry seasoning or other spices.  

Hmm.   That's an interesting one.  You puree the beans and add amendments?  

[sheryl]

17 hours ago, Selkie said:

Google "whole food plant based cashew cheese sauce" and you will find many healthy recipes. You can sub white beans (like cannellini) for the cashews, if you prefer.

Selkie, Interesting you should mention that.  One of my friends once suggested to me use cashew as a sauce in place of cheese.  This was for baked kale.  I don't even remember it all but it sounds similar.  Cashews - it was this she suggested and not the beans for sauce.  OK, 2 more options - cashews and beans.   THANKS!

[sheryl]

8 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Maybe more of a ratatouille dish than a creamy dish?  You get the flavor from lots of veggies and herbs/spices, but you’re not relying on creaminess or fake creaminess to complete the dish. I’d still be tempted to melt a wee bit of feta on top, but maybe that yeast stuff that tastes like Parmesan would be good? 

Thanks Kung Fu, Ratatouille is similar to alot of "bases" I make but for this I'm not certain it would go well.   I've been making this little casserole for years but upon hearing my cholesterol needs to come down have backed way off of deli meats, red meats, cheeses/dairy, etc.  All the while I'm keeping my other nutrients in check and it can be hard to "hit it right" on every single one.  My sodium I keep at a max of 1500 mg/day but that can of soup will add up quickly to my day's allotment when I've already eaten breakfast and lunch by then which no doubt contained some sodium to track.

8 hours ago, PeterPan said:

I would have put the chicken on salad and then eaten the quinoa as a warm side. I've done quinoa like spanish rice and Trader Joes sells it in the freezer section as what they call a "melange" with root veges chopped fine, very yummy. You could also stir fry the quinoa. Was it good with a sauce? Seems kind of heavy for such a fine grain. 

https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/113644/colorful-quinoa-salad  This quinoa recipe is the bomb. I make it for company and they always love it. If you have an instant pot, it makes quinoa a snap.

Thanks PeterPan, I would like your suggestion but dh is not a lettuce entree eater.  Stir fry quinoa - please tell.   Yes, Bolt's suggestion came through fine!  DH said he liked the casserole.  Such a big win!  And, I liked it! No heavier than the soup and actually less so.  The sauce was actually absorbed by the quinoa a bit which dried out the casserole some but that's ok it was good!

[sheryl]

17 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

Just make a quick bechamel using veg oil instead of butter. And, of course, add some broccoli.

Thank you! Giving you credit here also! I used EEVO and it turned out great.  I thought it would be overwhelming but it wasn't.  I did add 1/3 c or so of 2% (reduced fat) cheddar cheese to bechamel and a dime-thin slice of butter.  Still, less cholesterol than the way I used to make it!  THANKS!!!

[Tina]

On 10/13/2021 at 7:19 AM, sheryl said:

Hmm.   That's an interesting one.  You puree the beans and add amendments?  

No.  Literally grind the beans in a coffee grinder or such.  Then add broth and some spices.  Been quite a while since I did it.  May have used my grain mill??