Homemade “Condensed Cream of Celery” Soup

CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES!!!

This is a condensed soup, intended as a substitution in recipes that call for “canned condensed cream of celery soup.” If you’d like to eat it as a soup, dilute this recipe with an equal amount of milk or water!

Condensed Cream of Celery* Soup Recipe

Makes 4 cups (1 cup = 1 can of store-bought soup)

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup (1 stick) butter                              

1 cup finely diced celery*                           

1 cup unbleached white flour                                                   

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups milk

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

*Check out our Grocery Shopping Guide for our tips on selecting the most additive-free versions of these ingredients.

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.

Add diced celery and sauté until tender (about 15 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add flour, ¼ cup at a time, stirring until combined. (Mixture will have a consistency similar to cookie dough after all of the flour is added.)

Add broth. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until it thickens to a “gravy-like” consistency.

Add milk, salt and pepper. Continue whisking over high heat until “cake batter” consistency is reached (this may take up to 5 more minutes).

Use 1 cup of this soup as a substitute for 1 store-bought can of condensed soup. This soup freezes very well, too, so save time by making more than you need and freezing it in labeled plastic bags or containers in smaller portions for later use.

*This recipe is for cream of celery soup, but you can make condensed cream of mushroom, chicken, potato, etc. by substituting the 1 cup of celery with 1 cup of whatever ingredient you prefer. Just dice the selected ingredient, and sauté it until it is tender. Then follow the instructions here.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie (dairy-free)

Hey, everybody!!!

(It’s me…Christy! The additive-free recipes gal!)

Long time, no see!!!!

Wow! It’s been soooooooo long since I’ve posted here that you’ve probably forgotten who I am! LOL!

Well, it’s been a long and crazy past couple of years…for everyone! Am I right?!?! So I’ve been distracted with a bazillion other things.

Just to catch you up to speed…

Chad and I are still living full-time in our RV, buuuuuuuuuuut…..we are no longer in California! I know…hard to believe, huh?!

We are working at a campground in Arizona right now for the winter, and we are soaking in this amazing warm winter weather here! Yay!

Next, we plan to work at a campground in Colorado for the summer. And, then???? Who knows!

Anywhoooooooooo….It’s 80 degrees here today, so we decided to make this yummy, additive-free smoothie. And I thought I’d share it with all of you here, too! Enjoy! 🙂

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie (dairy-free)

The peanut butter and frozen bananas make this smoothie so smooth that you won’t even miss the dairy!

Makes 16 ounces

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cold water
1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
3 TBSP peanut butter
1 TBSP honey
2 frozen bananas, broken into chunks

*Check out our Grocery Shopping Guide for our tips on selecting the most additive-free versions of these ingredients.

DIRECTIONS:
Add all ingredients, except bananas, to a blender. Blend.
Add bananas, and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Basil Pasta

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This is a great “pesto” substitute if you don’t eat dairy.

The lemon gives the pasta a little “zing” that you’d typically get from the Parmesan cheese in regular pesto.

We skip the pine nuts, too, because I had a really bad experience many years ago where I lost my sense of taste for an entire week after eating some “bad” pine nuts!

Sure, you could add a different nut to make it more like pesto, but we enjoy it just fine like this.

Basil Pasta Recipe

Serves 4 (as an entree) – – or serves 6 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS: 

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed VERY tightly
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp unrefined salt
1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 tsp raw honey
3 medium cloves garlic

16 ounces pasta of your choice (we prefer Trader Joe’s gluten-free rice pasta as shown below)

DIRECTIONS:

Toss everything (except the pasta) into a food processor or blender, and process until combined (stopping to scrape the sides a few times as needed).

Makes 3/4 cup – 1 cup of sauce. This sauce freezes well for later use, too, so feel free to make extra while you’ve got your blender dirty! 🙂

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions; and drain/rinse.

I like to cook the Basil Sauce a bit before tossing it with the pasta. So, while the pasta is in the strainer, add the sauce to the empty pasta pan. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Then, add the pasta and toss to combine.

Enjoy! And be sure to check out our RECIPES PAGE for more delicious recipes!!!!

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Cilantro-Lime Shrimp

Confession…

I’m not a big shrimp fan – – mostly because of the texture

(Actually, I’m not really into seafood, in general, if I’m being totally honest. It’s just so “fishy,” ya know?!)

So the fact that I enjoy this dish, really says something about its appeal. LOL!  

Plus, “score” for Chad because he likes shrimp…but I never cook it because, as I mentioned…not a fan. 

Well, we made this dish last week …and we’re making it again this week, so I guess I’m officially on the “shrimp train” now. (Luckily for Chad! Ha!)

If you like lime and cilantro (and cumin), you’ve got to try this dish! If you like shrimp, that probably helps, too. But, apparently, that’s not necessary! Hee, hee! 

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Recipe 

Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/8 tsp ground cumin
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 lb wild-caught, raw shrimp (peeled, deveined and tails removed)
½ tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste
3 TBSP freshly chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare rice (if using).

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion becomes translucent, about 6 minutes.

Add oregano, cumin and garlic, and saute 1 more minute.

Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are softened.

Add the shrimp, lime juice, sea salt and black pepper. Cook until the shrimp are just opaque. 

Serve over rice (or riced cauliflower).

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Yum!

Enjoy! And be sure to check out our RECIPES PAGE for more delicious recipes!!!!