Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Oh, this looks so good that I have to try it! Crisp-tender chicken baked to perfection, smothered in creamy mushroom sauce that is easily made from scratch! From damndelicious.net.

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (if tolerated)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

For the mushroom sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups half and half*
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (if tolerated)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (if tolerated)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

4. Place chicken, skin-side up, in a single layer into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Drain excess fat.

5. To make the mushroom sauce, melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 5-6 minutes.

6. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in half and half, thyme, basil and crushed red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.

7. Serve chicken immediately with mushroom sauce, garnished with parsley, if desired.

*Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.

Potato Soup

An old family recipe that was adapted to be IC friendly. From nikicooks.blogspot.com.

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 32 oz bag southern style frozen hash browns
3 cups chicken broth (without problem ingredients)
1/3 chopped medium onion (if tolerated)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 Cream Soup Substitute (2 for soupier)
Any friendly cheese for garnish (if desired)


Directions:

In a large pot combine all ingredients. Bring to a simmer and then cook about 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Garnish with IC friendly cheese if desired.

Crab Chowder

This recipe calls for white wine (which many with IC cannot tolerate), but you might want to try pear juice instead. Or just omit. From icdietproject.com.

Ingredients:

1-3/4 c. frozen corn kernels
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 c. boiling potatoes, peeled and chopped into half-inch pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 c. chicken broth (MSG-free and without problem ingredients)
1/2 c. crabmeat, cooked and cut in bite-sized pieces
1-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried chives
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon white wine (optional) or try pear juice (without problem ingredients)
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whipping cream
salt and pepper, to taste (if tolerated)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Thaw the frozen corn under running water in a colander. Turn out on paper towels and pat dry. Empty into a bowl and add chopped bell peppers, potatoes, and oil, tossing to coat. Spread the vegetables evenly on a large rimmed non-stick cookie sheet or baking pan (line with foil if not non-stick). Roast vegetables in oven about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice. They will start to brown a bit.

While vegetables roast, place broth in a soup pot and bring to a boil. When vegetables are done, remove from oven and add to the broth. Add crab meat, onion powder, chives, and thyme. Add wine if desired. (Alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water and will evaporate). Reduce heat to simmer. Place flour in a small dish and stir in a tablespoon or so of the hot broth to make a paste. Gradually add about 1/4 cup more of the soup broth to the paste. Pour back into the soup and simmer and stir until the soup is slightly thickened. Stir in the cream, add salt to taste, then ladle into serving bowls.

White Chicken Chili

Chili... in a healthy and IC friendly form. YES!!! From nikicooks.blogspot.com.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken
2 cans white cannelloni beans (one regular, one mashed for thickness)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (if tolerated)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 chopped yellow bell pepper
2 cups chicken stock (without problem ingredients)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste (if tolerated)
*Garnish with friendly cheese (Mezzo or mild cheddar) and sour cream if you can handle.


Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat warm the oil. Add chopped veggies and sauté for 5 min. Add chicken and cook through (at least 5 minutes). Add the garlic, flour, cumin and oregano. Cook, stirring over low heat 2 minutes. Add the broth while stirring. Increase heat and bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to simmering and cook 10 minutes longer. Add the beans. Season with salt and pepper. Add garnishes if you wish.

Slow-Cooked Beef Soup

So many soup recipes have hidden problem ingredients, but this recipe does not have onions or paprika, and common soup/stew ingredients that may be problematic for IC bladders. This hardy soup is great on a cold night with French bread. From icdietproject.com.

Slow-Cooked Beef Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef stew meat, cut in bite sized chunks
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 14-oz can beef broth (see note below)
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups baby carrots, cut in half
2 large boiling potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
1 cup frozen peas
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1 pinch ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. orange extract (optional)
1/4 cup cold water

Directions:

In a brown paper bag or plastic food storage bag, shake beef chunks with the 2 tablespoons of flour to coat. In a large skillet, brown the beef in olive oil. Remove beef to the slow cooker. Add beef broth and 1 cup of water to the hot skillet, scraping up the browned bits. Pour into the slow cooker. Add carrots, potatoes, peas, garlic, and bay leaf to the slow cooker

In a small bowl or a cup combine the tablespoon of flour, the brown sugar, salt, allspice and ground cardamom. Gradually stir in the cold water and orange extract to make a smooth mixture. Pour over the meat and vegetables. Put the lid on and cook until meat is tender, usually about four hours if set on high. (Time may vary. Check the instructions for your slow-cooker and use the time recommended for soups or stews.)

Note: The kind of beef broth you use is very important– it needs to be free of monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG is a common ingredient of most beef bouillon cubes and canned beef broth. Health Valley makes an excellent fat-free canned beef broth. The only drawback to the brand is that it contains a smidgen of white pepper. White pepper is milder than black pepper and the tiny amount in this soup is generally not a problem for most IC bladders. Those with oxalate sensitive vulvodynia may want to check it out carefully though.

Cream Soup Substitute

This recipe is labeled as a soup, but is suggested to be used as a base in casseroles, soups, as a pizza sauce, etc. You can use this in lieu of canned soups in recipes too.
From nikicooks.blogspot.com.

Cream Soup Substitute

Ingredients:

2 T butter
2 T flour
12 ounce can of skim evaporated milk
1/2 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder (you can use minced garlic)
3/4 T chopped dried chives (or onion if you can tolerate)
1/8 t pepper (if tolerated)


Directions:

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour blending with whisk until sooth. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until mixture thickens, remove from heat. Blend in seasonings.

Homestyle Chicken Soup

Nothing is better than chicken soup on a cold, winter day. Here is a recipe that grandmothers will swear treats colds and flus from icdietproject.com.

Homestyle Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

3-3/4 cups water
2 cups chicken broth (preservative-free & msg-free)
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped (if tolerated)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper (optional and if tolerated)
1 pinch of turmeric


Directions:

Bring water and broth to a boil in a 2-3 quart pot. Add chicken and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 6-7 minutes. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for 15 minutes. Remove chicken breasts to a plate to cool. Reserve liquid that the chicken cooked in.

While chicken breasts cool, cook the onion* in oil in a large skillet. When onion is soft but not browned, (about 5 minutes), add garlic. Continue to cook, stirring about a minute more.

Pour the liquid from the chicken through a strainer, into another container, then pour the strained liquid back into the pot. Add the onions and garlic to the pot. Add the other chopped vegetables. Cover and simmer on low.

Meanwhile, cut up the cooked chicken into bite-sized. Add chicken and parsley* to the soup along with salt, pepper and turmeric. Simmer covered about 30 minutes more. Ladle into bowls and serve with warm crusty bread.

*Note: Frying the onion destroys sulfur compounds in the raw onion that might irritate sensitive IC bladders. Boiling doesn’t get the onion hot enough to do that. For those with oxalate-sensitive vulvodynia: if parsley is a problem, try chervil instead. You can also add one of these for variety: ¼ cup of rice, ½ cup of pasta shells, or ½ cup of diced boiling potatoes.