Menu Monday for 03/13/17

Thursday I weighed in at Jenny Craig. The bad news is I didn't lose any weight. The good news is that I didn't gain any weight, and I am at my lowest weight since before my last pregnancy (in 1999). I'm good with that for this week!

Here are my plans for dinners for this week, with one recipe below:

Saturday (3/11):  leftovers

Sunday (3/12):  Rotisserie Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans

Monday (3/13) (Boy Scouts):  
Vegan Minnesota Wild Rice Soup, salad, rolls

Tuesday (3/7) (Sr. CAP Mtg.): beef stew, rolls (salad) 

Wednesday (3/8): dump teriyaki chicken, rice, broccoli

Thursday (3/9)(CAP)(Cub Scouts Blue and Gold): baked ziti, salad, TX toast

Friday (3/10):  out or leftovers


Vegan Minnesota Wild Rice Soup
 Adapted from Byerlys

Ingredients

• 1 C wild rice, uncooked
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 1 1/2 ribs celery, sliced
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 C white whole wheat flour, generous
• 8 C hot vegetable stock
• 1 C almond milk
• 1 T dry cooking sherry {optional}
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions
Begin by preparing the wild rice.  To do so, measure out the rice in a dry measuring cup, you’ll need about 1 C.  Place the required water into a medium saucepan.  Then, add the rice. 

Cover and cook according to package directions – this usually involves bringing the rice to a boil and then reducing the heat to simmer for about 45 minutes.  

Heat your 8 C of vegetable broth/stock in a saucepan or microwave it until warmed; once warmed through, continue to leave over the heat so that it is hot when you are ready to add it to the soup.  

In the bottom of a large stockpot, saute the onion, celery, mushrooms and carrots in water or vegetable stock for about 3 minutes, or until veggies are starting to get soft.  

Sprinkle in the generous 1/2 C flour, stirring until the veggies are coated in the the flour.  Be careful not to burn the flour.   

Next, add in the vegetable stock, slowly, stirring as you add the hot stock. 

Continue stirring and adding the stock slowly, until the butter, flour veggie mixture is well blended.   

Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, until carrots are tender.

Then, add in the wild rice.  Season with salt and pepper and continue simmering for 10-15 minutes.   

Separate half of soup out into second pot so one can be vegan and one can have meat. 

Add in 1-2 cups cooked, diced ham and cooked chicken.  Simmer for 10 more minutes.  

Finally, add in the 1 C almond milk (1/2 in each pot), along with the dry sherry, if desired.  
Heat the soup gently for an additional 10-15 minutes, but do not allow the soup to come to a boil.