Southwestern Chicken Soup

I sat down and made a list of everything that I have cooked recently that I haven’t shared. I was a little shocked at the amount of recipes that I let slip past me. Life has been very busy at home but we’ve been enjoying everything that comes our way. Husband has achieved a personal goal that was two years in the making. I’ve seen a project I’ve been working on at work since last October finally come to fruition this week. Little one has started to crawl and eat solid foods. We are all extremely proud of our accomplishments but also very tired at the end of each day.

Since it’s been so busy at home many of our meals have been quick and easy, but definitely still delicious. Having the leftovers at lunch has been fantastic and I’ve been able to freeze a few of the leftovers for dinners later down the road. This recipe has been on our favorites list for quite some time.

Usually the salsa I purchase comes in a 16oz jar. I just throw the remaining 4 oz of salsa into the soup. I see it as adding extra veggies. You can always add more broth if you choose to do this as well. Great northern beans work just as well and are usually cheaper. I do not top the soup with green onions, sour cream or chips. In my world, not adding the cumin is NOT an option.

When I whipped this up for dinner I realized that I didn’t have enough leftover chicken. I could have added another can of beans (kidney or black) but I decided to throw caution to the wind and add about 7oz of andouille sausage that I had in the freezer. I was also low on Magi (chicken broth) so I used one cup of beef broth and two cups of Magi. The result was a very rich soup. I won’t change the recipe every time I make it because I really do enjoy the original, but I’m happy to see a little versatility in a recipe.

1 12-ounce jar salsa verde

3 cups cooked chicken pieces (1 small deli-counter rotisserie chicken or leftovers)

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

tortilla chips (optional)

Empty the salsa into a large saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, then add the chicken, beans, broth, and cumin (if desired). Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Top each bowl with a sprinkling of onions, a dollop of sour cream, and some tortilla chips (if desired). For a soupier dish, use 4 cups of broth. 

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/southwestern-chicken-soup-10000000780308/index.html

Smarter Fettucini Alfredo

Husband really likes Fettuccini Alfredo but I usually avoid it. I’ve never been really found of it and I’m a little concerned about the fat content. Considering the high fat content in some of my favorite dishes that’s a lame excuse and I know it.

This recipe has become the perfect compromise. Husband gets the meal he loves and I feel better about not using gallons of butter and cream. I usually double this recipe so that we have plenty of leftovers. Believe it or not, I don’t make any changes to this recipe! I do omit the parsley though.

1/2 lb. fettuccine, uncooked

1 1/4 cups  chicken broth

4 tsp. flour

1/3 cup  low fat cream cheese

3 Tbsp. parmesan, divided

1/4 tsp.  nutmeg

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp.  chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.

Mix broth and flour in medium saucepan with whisk until well blended. Add cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, nutmeg and pepper. Cook 2 min. or until mixture comes to boil and thickens, stirring constantly.

Drain pasta amd return to pan. Add sauce; toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and parsley.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/smarter-fettuccine-alfredo-91370.aspx

Mexican Pizza

I’ve been doing a lot of quick cooking lately. We’ve been so busy at home that it feels like there really isn’t time to make a meal that takes all day to make. I do enjoy meals that need to cook all day and need my attention at regular intervals but this just wasn’t the weekend for that.

I like to make this recipe when we are in a rush. It’s very quick so we avoid heading to a fast food restaurant but filling enough that we’re not too hungry later. I usually have everything I need to whip this up so even if I don’t make this recipe part of my menu for the week I can usually find what I need in the pantry. 

I like to add a little extra cumin. I’m a big cumin fan. Instead of using the tomatoes, peppers and cilantro, I normally just use salsa. My dad cans salsa every summer so we never have a shortage of salsa in the house.

¾ cup canned no salt added black bean, rinsed if desired, drained

¼ tsp. cumin

4 6-inch corn tortillas

2/3 cup shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack, mozzarella or sharp cheddar cheese

2 medium Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about ½ cup)

1 medium poblano or Anaheim pepper or ½ large green bell pepper, chopped

2 T. snipped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 475.

In a small bowl, stir together the beans and cumin.

To assemble, put the tortillas on a baking sheet. Top each tortilla with cheese, tomatoes, eppers and bean mixture.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with cilantro.

American Heart Association Low Cal Cookbook

Tuna and Tomato Sauce

The weather was amazingly beautiful yesterday. We’ve had such a cold and damp spring this year. Within the last week the weather has been warm and the few rain showers we get are in the evening. After getting off work I wanted to pull together a quick meal so that our family could spend time outside planting our new plants we purchased on Mother’s Day. Little one is starting to crawl so he really makes hanging out on the lawn interesting. I wish he didn’t find grass such a yummy treat!

The first time I tried this recipe I was very skeptical. Tuna and tomatoes just didn’t sound like they went together for me. Honestly, it’s delicious. The lemon zest makes these two flavors work together beautifully. I like to add extra zest because I enjoy it so much. Sometimes I leave out the capers. I really have to be in the mood for capers.

Giada recommends using the marinara sauce she has in her book. I agree, it’s yummy. But since I was going for a quick meal the jarred stuff works just fine. I used some tuna that my mother in law sent home with us after a recent visit. It’s Ecuadorian tuna and it’s so very very yummy. I did omit the parsley – big surprise.

3 cups marinara

12 oz albacore tuna packed in oil, drained

1 T. drained capers

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from ½ lemon)

1 T. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

½ tsp salt, plus more to taste,

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 lb of pasta – I used bow tie

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the tomato sauce, tuna, capers, and lemon peel in a heavy large skillet. Using a fork, break the tuna into chunks. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Everyday Italian – Giada DeLaurentiis

Black Beans and Rice

It would be safe to say that I make this dish once a month. It’s easy, it’s tasty, and it’s not expensive at all. Husband called this dish Moors and Christians growing up. In uber-PC America, I don’t think you will find many people using that name, but I like it. It makes me think that people have been cooking this dish for hundreds of years and that there is a historical tie to this dish.

It’s a rare day that a recipe calls for a whole bell pepper so when only half is needed I chop up the other half and put it in the freezer. I have a small bag of chopped up bell peppers that is perfect for times like this. The recipe calls for undrained cans of black beans. I’ve made the mistake of draining the beans in the past and the dish still ended up yummy. Try to buy the low sodium beans if you can. It’s shocking how much sodium can be found in a little can of beans.

I use a rice cooker instead of cooking the rice on the stove top. Since I have a gas stove, cooking lots of things on the stove top can get a little warm in the kitchen. I still add the salt and the oil to rice cooker. I also add a few tablespoons of either wheat germ or ground flax. These really don’t affect the flavor but add some nutritional value to white rice. There isn’t any reason that you couldn’t serve these black beans over brown rice or barley.

A note on my original recipe says that you can easily turn this into black bean soup by placing everything in a blender (minus the bay leaves). I haven’t tried this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Add extra chicken broth if the soup ends up to thick.

kosher salt

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups long-grain rice

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 large green or red pepper, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)

2 15-ounce cans black beans, undrained

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup sliced scallions (optional)

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with 1 teaspoon salt and 1½ teaspoons of the oil. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, green pepper, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the beans, broth, vinegar, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Spoon the beans over the rice and sprinkle with the scallions (if desired). Serve warm.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/black-beans-rice-10000001031604/index.html

Parker's Beef Stew

Not one who is entirely in love with keeping up with pop culture (Minnesota Public Radio and South Dakota Public Broadcasting are #1 and #2 on my car radio with Minnesota Classical living at #5) I am very happy to raise my glass in a toast to the royal wedding. Prince William is ten months younger than I am so as I grew up I always heard about him and what he was doing. I have several friends who are getting married this year so I kind of lumped him into yet another friend’s wedding in 2011. While I will never know for sure, Will and Kate seem like the type of couple that Husband and I could have over for dinner and have a wonderful evening of food, wine and conversation. To celebrate their beginning of a (hopefully) long and happy marriage, I decided to make some tasty English food for dinner. 

Even though braised oxtail and Beef Wellington sound super yummy I sadly do not have the time or the butcher (for the ox) to make these dishes. You may be asking “G, have you ever actually eaten ox?” Yes, yes I have. And I liked it! A few years ago I met Husband in Helsinki to celebrate Thanksgiving while he was on a business trip. I wanted to eat as much traditional food as possible during my three day stay in Finland. I enjoyed Baltic herring, reindeer, lots of pickled yumminess, currant wine, and other goodies. We took a day trip across the Baltic to Estonia and it is there in a cute restaurant in Tallinn that I tried ox. So good, so very very good. Husband was envious of my meal and we still talk about it years later. Enough with the talk of ox since I’m not even cooking it!

I haven’t dabbled too much in English cuisine. I’ve made fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, cottage pie and beef stew. I do want to explore bubble and squeak, toad in the hole, Yorkshire pudding and such but for the time being I will stick with beef stew to celebrate. I watched Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) make this one day before we said goodbye to DirecTV. I printed the recipe of and added it to my menu for the next week. After the first bite I was in LOVE! This is what beef stew should taste like.

READ THE RECIPE – MARINATE YOUR BEEF OVERNIGHT! TRUST ME! I use 1 cup of flour, 1 ½ tsp. salt and 1 ½ tsp. of pepper to dredge the beef. I can always add more if needed. I had one huge onion so I used that instead of two smaller ones. I used the whole pound of mushrooms because I love mushrooms. I had to use dried rosemary – about half a tsp. I did not use sun dried tomatoes or the peas as I am not a fan of either. I did chop up a few stalks of celery. I cooked the celery right along with the other vegetables.

• 2 1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine
• 3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Good olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems discarded and cut in 1/2
• 1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 cups or 1 (14 1/2-ounce can) chicken stock or broth
• 1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you'll need more oil.) Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.

Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil to the large pot and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over the beef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275 degrees F.

Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parkers-beef-stew-recipe/index.html