Duck Soup

Duck Soup

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free
** Does contain gluten-free soy sauce

This very robust soup has a lot of wonderful flavour (many of the same spices used in the duck patties), but it is not a hearty (thick) soup. It can be used as an appetizer, or paired with gluten-free bread and a salad to make a complete meal.

This recipe is best made over two days. The first day, make the broth and cook the duck meat. The second day, skim the fat off of the broth (and discard), and continue to prepare the soup. This is a great recipe to make to use up all the left over duck parts after making duck patties (if you start with a whole duck).

Ingredients

1 duck, uncooked (or the leftover, uncooked parts from making duck patties will do)

Seasonings

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped up

1/4 tsp peppercorns, whole

1+1/2 tsps sea salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp cloves, ground

2" x 2" piece of fresh ginger, chopped into small pieces

1 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Add near the end of cooking

1+1/2 tsp fennel seed, finely chopped or crushed (also called anise)

2 fresh plums, peeled and cut into thin slices

Duck meat

Just before serving add...

3 cups cooked rice (white or wild)

Method

Day 1. Cover the fresh (uncooked) duck meat with water in small stock part or large dutch oven. Bring the water to a slow boil over medium-high heat, skimming the foam off from time to time. When the water has boiled, turn down the heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer for 1 + 1/2 hours. The meat should be cooked through. Do not add sea salt to the water while simmering.

Cool the broth, strain the meat and bones out of it using a colander over top of a large bowl, and refrigerate overnight. Cool the duck meat and refrigerate overnight discarding any large bones and large pieces of skin/fat.

Day 2. Skim the cold, congealed fat off the broth and discard (unless you have another use for it). return it to a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, and all the other seasonings to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. Strain the seasonings from the soup (using a colander and large bowl) and return it to the soup pot again.

While the broth is simmering, strip any usable duck meat from the bones, cut into bite sized pieces and reserve.

Add the reserved duck meat, plum slices and crushed fennel seed to the strained soup and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

Just before serving, add the rice to the pot. If you think you will have leftover soup, do not add the rice to the pot, place a little in each bowl before serving. The rice will soak up any leftover broth if left in it long enough (like overnight).

Jody's Summer Salad

Jody's Summer Salad
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Corn-Free, Soy-Free, Peanut-Free

The fresh mint, garden vegetables and light dressing make this a great summer salad, perfect for BBQs. It's OK to change the combination of vegetables, as long as there is variety and colour. No need to tell anyone it is actually healthy too!

Ingredients
Salad
1 28 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup red sweet pepper, diced
1/3 cup orange sweet pepper, diced
1/3 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup cucumber (or zucchini), diced
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, shelled (pepitas)
1/4 cup fresh peas (if not in season, you can use frozen but thaw first )
1/4 cup spinach, very finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Dressing
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp dry mustard
1 tbsp honey (or to taste)
1 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)

Garnish (optional)
Romain lettuce leaves
Fresh avocado
cherry tomatoes
sliced boiled eggs

Method
In a medium sized bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad.

In a covered jar, mix all the ingredients for the salad dressing and shake to emulsify.

Moisten the salad ingredients well with the dressing, but don't soak it. Cover the salad and cool in the refrigerator for 2 or more hours before serving. Stir the salad a few times while it is cooling to redistribute the dressing.

To serve, line the bottom of a platter with romaine lettuce leaves. Transfer the salad to the platter and garnish with fresh avocado slices, cherry tomatoes and boiled egg slices.

Cream of Celery Soup

Cream of Celery Soup
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

This soup has a wonderful, comfort-food flavour. In addition to the fresh celery taste, the sweet potato gives it body.

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 tbsp tapioca flour
5 cups gluten and corn-free chicken broth or vegetable broth
4 cups celery, chopped
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 small yellow potato, peeled and chopped

1 cup rice milk
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Method
In a large, heavy saucepan, over medium heat, heat the olive olive. Add the onions and garlic and cook until tender (about 4 minutes). Stir in the tapioca flour and continue stirring until it is fully absorbed. Add the broth, a little at a time stirring constantly. Add the chopped celery, sweet potato and yellow potato, and bring the pot just to boiling. Reduce the temperature and simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 25-30 minutes).

When the vegetables are tender, cool the soup enough to be able to use a hand blender to puree it. Alternatively blend the soup in batches using a regular tabletop blender (take care if doing this that the liquid is not too hot). After the soup is pureed, stir in the rice milk and heat until the soup is hot enough to serve. Do not boil the soup.

Season the soup with sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste) and serve warm.

Potato and Califlower Soup

Potato and Cauliflower Soup

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free, Soy-Free

Ingredients

Base

1+1/2 cups potato, peeled and diced (I used Yukon gold)

2 celery stalks (small), finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 +1/2 cups water

2 tsp sea salt

1 +1/2 cups cauliflower, chopped and steamed until tender

White Sauce

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp arrowroot powder

1 +1/2 cups rice milk

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

Optional: Garnish with parsley and freshly ground pepper

Method

In a large cooking pot, add all the ingredients for the soup base. Simmer until tender, then add the cauliflower. Blend it all together with a hand blender right in the pot.

To make the white sauce, in a medium sized sauce pan, mix the oil and arrowroot powder over medium heat. Once the arrowroot powder has been absorbed fully (no lumps), add the rice milk and crushed fennel seeds. Stir continuously until the mixture boils and thickens.

Add the white sauce to the soup base and gently blend.

Serve with parsley and freshly ground pepper.

Chicken Mango Salad

Chicken Mango Salad
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free, Vinegar Free

Ingredients

Salad

2 grilled chicken breasts, cut up into bite sized pieces
3-4 celery sticks, chopped
1 medium apple, cored and chopped
1-2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 a sweet onion, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Dressing

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tbsp olive oil

Apple juice (approx 1/2 cup)

2 tsp sugar

Romain lettuce (about 6-8 leaves) washed and chopped, as a bed for the salad.

Method

Salad

Mix all the salad ingredients (except the romain lettuce) together in a large bowl.

Dressing

In an 8 oz measuring cup, add the lime juice and olive oil. Fill with enough apple juice to make 3/4 cup of dressing. Add 2 tsps of sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved and all the ingredients are well mixed.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Chill the salad for about an hour, and serve over a bed of romaine lettuce.

Serves 4

Options: Replace the mango fruit with well drained cans of mandarin oranges

Chicken, Spinach, and Pesto Soup

Chicken, Spinach, and Pesto Soup
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

This soup has a lot of flavour. It works great as a substantial appetizer, or serve as a main with Joel's Dinner Rolls and a salad.
Makes 5 servings of about 1 and 1/2 cups

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cut into strips
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 cups gluten and corn-free chicken broth
1 + 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
6 ounces baby spinach, washed and coarsely chopped
1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp prepared gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free pesto sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Method
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add red bell pepper and chicken. Brown the chicken on each side and stir the pepper frequently (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add garlic and stir for 1 more minute.

Stir in the chicken broth and marjoram and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes).

Remove the chicken strips and cut them into bite sized pieces when cool.
In the meanwhile, add the fresh spinach, basil and chick peas to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Stir the chicken and pesto sauce into the pot. Season with pepper and simmer until hot.

Gluten-Free Matzah Balls (for soup)

Matzah Balls, Gluten-Free (for soup)
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Peanut-Free

Ingredients
4 Eggs
2 teasppons sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups almond flour/meal (sifted)

Method
In a medium bowl, beat eggs, 1 tsp salt, and pepper for 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in the almond flour. When thoroughly combined, refridgerate for 2-4 hours.

When the thick batter is completely chilled, and the moisture is absorbed, remove from the refridgerator and roll it into 1 inch balls.

Drop the balls into a large pot of boiling water (containing 1 tsp salt). Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the balls for 20 minutes. They turn fairly white when they are cooked.

Remove the cooked matzah balls from the boiling water, using a slotted spoon, and add them immediately to chicken soup/stock and serve, or store them in a tightly covered container and refridgerate untill needed.

To re-heat refridgerated matzah balls, simply drop them into hot chicken soup/stock for a few minutes, then serve.

Interesting texture, but pretty good.