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I don't really have a story for this one...its sooper easy, healthy, light and delicious.
Yield: 6-8 entree servings
Cook Time: 30-60 minutes, depending on your chop speed.
Ingredients:
2 T vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, small dice
2 ribs celery, small dice
1 poblano pepper, very small dice
1 banana pepper, very small dice
1 pepper in adobo (canned, in with the latin foods), minced with sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T oregano
2 t good quality chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1 t red pepper flakes if you still want more heat
8 oz (or the whole can, who cares?) fire roasted chopped tomatoes and liquid
1-2 boxes low sodium chicken stock
1 bay leaf
several dashes smoked Tabasco
1 cup black beans, cooked
1-2 cups, grilled chicken thighs, chopped
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 lime, juice and zest
Garnish:
broken corn chips
shredded cheddar
chopped scallions
Method:
- Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat until rippling. Add onions, celery and peppers. Sweat over medium about 10 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add a small amount of salt and the garlic, stir and continue cooking 1-3 minutes, careful not to scorch the garlic.
- Add dry herbs and spices, toast all together for a couple of minutes, then add tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add tabasco. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes and adjust seasonings.
- Add chicken and beans, warm through, about 8 minutes. Add corn and cook until just heated through.
- Finish soup with lime juice and zest, adjust salt, pepper and other seasonings to taste.
- Ladle soup into warm bowls, top with a raft of chips and sprinkle with cheese and scallions. Plunk a couple of black beans and corn on top for prettiness.
Drink:
Dos Equis Amber or
Aged Tequilla with a splash of soda and a wedge of lime.
Hey Gang - sorry no posts lately, but we had a little fast going on, so there was zero kitchen creativity happening. Tonight was my first night back at the plate. I was running really late from work, so I decided to keep it simple, with grilled chicken thigh quarters, roasted poblano spiked red quinoa, and a quick tomato and avocado salad.
Part of coming off a fast involves a few days of broths, raw foods and pureed soups. I picked up a 'carton' of Imagine Bistro Organic Cuban Black Bean Bisque as part of my pureed food effort. I didn't get around to eating it during re-entry, so I decided to reduce it a little and use it as a sauce for our chicken tonight...and let me tell you what...
Imagine Bistro Organic Cuban Black Bean Bisque is the best damned black bean ANYTHING I've ever tried. It organic, its vegan, and I think its gluten free (but I'm looking into that, hun!). I can't sing its praises enough, so you have to go out and get yourself a carton and give it a try.
Have it as a soup, thicken it and use it as a sauce. Reduce it in the oven and use it as a dip. Mix it up with some rice and cheese and call it comfort food. Throw it in a slow cooker with some pork or chicken and created a "pulled" sandwich, enchilada, or burrito. Thin it out with broth, whisk with a little oil and make a salad dressing with it. Maybe even chipotle chicken wing dipping sauce....really the possibilities are endless.
Give it a try - it is now officially a pantry staple in our house, I bet you'll keep a carton on hand too.
Cheers - and more cooking to come next week. Might actually involve meat, if you can believe that.
Hey gang - its been a MONTH since my last post, so tonight I give you three light, easy, springy treats to try out. I hope you enjoy - and please check back soon for my "spring cassoulet" that's in development right now!
I got the plan for this dish from a seasonal cookbook, did some tweaking and loved the result. Fresh crisp asparagus, nutty wholesome whole wheat pasta, lemon, eggs, herbs....how can you go wrong? Best of all it was super easy and ready in about 20 minutes. My first pass looked a little funky but tasted heavenly, so check back later, I may revise this one a bit.
Lemony Asparagus with Creamy Pasta
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb pasta, whole wheat spaghetti works great, but its really up to you
1 bunch fresh asparagus, rinsed and bottoms trimmed, cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces
1/2 lemon, juiced and peeled, peel reserved
1 clove garlic, minced
3 scallions, rinsed and sliced on the bias
2 T. butter
3/4 c. milk
2 large eggs, whisked into the milk
1 t. tarragon, dried or 1 T. fresh, rinsed and minced.
S&P
Nutmeg, ground to taste
Method:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt
- Add pasta and cook until about 2 minutes from al dente, add asparagus and cook until tender crisp. Drain.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat
- Add scallions and lemon peel, saute until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add lemon juice and tarragon, cook until almost evaporated, remove from heat.
- Once pasta and asparagus are cooked and drained, return butter mixture to medium heat
- Add pasta, asparagus and egg mixture to the pan, season lightly with S&P
- Gently stir until egg is cooked and liquid is mostly evaporated. Do not allow to boil.
- Plate pasta and top with a small amount of freshly grated nutmeg.
This dish is light, creamy, satisfying and really rather good for you. Tasty adds would be sun-dried tomatoes, goat or parm cheese, ham or proscuitto, grilled shrimp or chicken, artichoke hearts or toasted pine nuts, dark greens or shredded radiccio for color and contrast.
As with any salad, the variations on this one are endless. Any way you make it, its a fantastic brunch or lunch and can make a super fast dinner if you double up the eggs and add a hunk of some fantastic bread. This is a favorite in our house on warm spring nights when we're in a rush. Because the yolks are runny, there's no need for a dressing at all, but a drizzle your favorite light and sweet vinaigrette would be great.
Spring Salad with Poached Egg
Yield: 4 lunch servings
Prep Time: 30-40 minutes (depending on your egg poaching ability)
Ingredients:
8 c. salad greens, spring mix, green/red leaf, boston bib, arugula, watercress etc
2 scallions, sliced on the bias
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
1 c. steamed & shocked green veggie, asparagus tips, sugar snaps, sweet peas, edamame etc, cut in 1 inch pieces
3/4 c. crumbled goat or blue cheese
4 eggs, cracked into cups, yolks unbroken
2 T. lemon juice or vinegar for 'free form poaching' or use your preferred method
S&P
Equipment:
Medium sauce pan
Slotted spoon
Small bowl for holding cooked eggs
Dish towel
Method:
- Bring a medium sized sauce pan of water to a boil, leave enough room to swirl the water and create a "whirl pool"
- Wash greens, prep veggies, build and plate salads
- Crack 1 egg into a small bowl or coffee cup to ensure that you have an egg with a whole unbroken yolk.
- Add lemon or vinegar to the water to 'acidulate' the water. The acid in the water will prevent the egg white from spreading out too much when you pour it into the water.
- Stir the water in the pot to form a whirl pool...gently pour egg into the center of the vortex and then don't touch anything. Let the egg do its thing. Reduce the water to a light simmer and allow the egg to cook. Swish the water occasionally to make sure that its not sticking to the bottom. After 3-4 minutes, scoop the egg out with a slotted spoon and place in a clean bowl to wait for the other eggs. The egg should be a little under cooked at this point, you'll add everyone back to the pot at the end to warm through.
- Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- On the last egg, add the 3 preceding eggs back to the simmering water (once the last egg is almost done) for 1 minute to warm through. Gently scoop each one out, drain a little with the dish towel while the egg is still in the spoon.
- Top each salad with one lovely egg. Sprinkle with S&P, spritz with a little lemon or drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy the simplicity of it!
This salad can be beefed up with some prosciutto, grilled shrimp, toasted pine nuts, buttery croutons or anything else that you like to eat with egg.
This one might be a "no-brainer" for all of you, but this method just dawned on me on Easter Sunday. Divine intervention? I'm guessing no, but it is easy and delicious.
Steamed Spring Veggies with Lemon and Herbs
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus, rinsed and bottoms trimmed
1 c. broccoli florets, rinsed
1 c. sugar snap peas, rinsed and trimmed
1/4 lemon, juiced and zested a bit
1/2 t. dried (or 1.5 t fresh, rinsed and minced) herbs that you like 1 t. olive oil S&P
Method:
- Throw all ingredients into a microwave safe dish (preferably pyrex or glass) and cover tightly
- Microwave on high for 90 seconds, re-arrange veggies to get even cooking. Nuke in 45 second increments until tender crisp. Serve immediately or chill and add to green or pasta salads.
You can also do this in a traditional stove top steamer, just throw everything but the veggies in a pot and bring to a simmer. Add steamer basket and veggies, cover tightly and steam until tender crisp.
