Super Awesome Chicken Tortilla Soup

I started making this several years ago from a combo of recipes, and I absolutely love it!  It's packed with both smoky and fresh flavors, along with a good amount of optional spice.  It's probably never been the same twice because I tend to use a variety of ingredients, mostly peppers, depending on what I have and how much time I have.  So for the peppers, choose your favorites and spice level.

Ingredients:
1-2 chicken breasts (I use 1, Sadie uses 2)
1-2 limes, juiced
1 onion, diced
2 poblano chili peppers (or 1 large bell pepper of any color)
2 jalapeños, diced small (optional)
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, diced (more for more smoky/spicy)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans (optional)
4-6 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium)
cilantro bunch, chopped
shredded cheese (I use colby jack)
corn tortillas
avocado (optional)
extra virgin olive oil
chili powder
cumin
smoked paprika
salt, pepper

If I'm using poblano peppers, I generally roast them first.  Coat with olive oil and broil until starting to char, then peel them and chop up.  Set oven to 350, cover chicken breast with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until cooked through.

While chicken breast is baking, heat soup pot, add olive oil, and sauté onions.  If not roasting the peppers, add diced peppers to onions and continue to sauté.  Then add diced chipotles in adobo until heated through.  Add beans (if using), then tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes.  Add chicken broth, stir well, and bring to a simmer.

Once chicken breast is removed from oven, let cool at least 5 minutes, then dice and add to simmering soup.

Also while soup is simmering, cut several corn tortillas into strips.  Then either fry them in oil on the stove or spray them with cooking spray and bake until crispy and slightly tan colored.

Season soup liberally with cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, some pepper, and any other favorites.  Stir and taste, adding any additional spices if needed.  Add lime juice, stir, and take off heat.  Ladle into bowls, top with shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, and tortilla strips.

Party in Your Mouth Summer Salad

This salad has a wonderful mix of fresh flavors!  It could even be made into a chunky fresh salsa everything is chopped into mini pieces.  I originally found the description in a NY Times article maybe about 5 years ago.  The amounts of ingredients just depends on how much you want, I'll list what I used last night.

2 peaches or nectarines, not overly ripe
Similar amount of good tomatoes
Small handful of thin slivers of red onion (I used the white part of spring onions last night)
Juice of 1/2 - 1 lime (+ zest if you want)
Spice to taste- usually red pepper flakes, but have also used slivers of serrano chilis, and fresh chili paste
Olive oil
Large handful of chopped fresh cilantro

(Didn't get a picture of just the salad, but it paired well with tuna poke and coconut brown rice.)

Dice peaches or nectarines into bite size pieces and add to medium bowl.

Add slivers of red or other onion.

Zest some lime over peaches, then squeeze juice and set aside

Add spice, typically a couple dashes of red pepper flakes.  (Last night I used 2 tsp of the chili paste, which added a lovely bit of spice.)

Add cilantro and good swirl of olive oil.  Mix everything together.

Add tomatoes and sprinkle of lime juice.  Stir and taste.  Add lime juice and spice to taste.

And voila, you have a salad that has a party of flavors!

Healthy Homemade Ranch

1 large clove garlic
1/3 Cup fresh parsley
2 Green onions
1 Cup Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp Mayonaisse
Worcestershire to taste
Apple Cider Vinegar to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Dried oregano to taste
Paprika to taste

1. Chop garlic, parsley, and onions. I used my fancy food processor :) I have also used cilantro instead of the parsley when I didn't have it. This recipe is very flexible.

2. Mix all ingredients together. Keep refrigerated. Additional ingredient options: dill, hot sauce.

Fantastic French Onion Soup

I've been making this for years, it is a slightly modified Food Network recipe.  I always make a big pot of soup and keep a baggie of shredded Swiss cheese so whenever I want a bowl I can just reheat the soup, make a fresh piece of toast, sprinkle with cheese, and pop in broiler for a couple minutes.  And it is better than almost all I've had from restaurants.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter
Olive oil
About 6 onions, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
1/2 cup cooking sherry (old recipe called for brandy, which I never have)
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
6 cups beef broth
Salt & pepper
Bread slices of your choice, I use white, toasted and cubed
Shredded Swiss cheese

Heat (medium) butter and swirl of olive oil in a soup pot, add onions and cook 30-40 minutes until caramelized, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as necessary.  Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.  Add cooking sherry, stir and cook until some evaporates.  Sprinkle flour over onions, stir and cook 3 minutes.  Then stir in beef broth, bring to boil, then lower heat and cover, simmer for about 20 minutes.  Season with salt and cracked pepper to your liking.

This is a good time to make a slice of toast for each serving bowl, cut into cubes and shred cheese.

Ladle soup into oven/broiler safe bowl, top with toast cubes, then shredded cheese.  Heat under broiler (I use 450 degrees) until cheese reaches the toastiness of your liking.  Be VERY careful getting the hot bowl out of the oven.  Let cool a few minutes and serve.  Yummo!!  Note:  If you don't have a bowl that you know is safe, lower the broiler temperature significantly and heat until cheese is melted.  Or put just the shredded cheese on oven dish or aluminum foil, toast it and transfer it to the bowl afterwards.

 

Quinoa Salad

I made a quinoa side dish for a cookout yesterday, and it was so zesty and delicious that I figured I needed to document it.  I didn't take any pictures because I didn't predict how much I would love it, but it is quite colorful!

1 recipe quinoa, made per package instructions (I tend to go with 1 cup quinoa, 1 2/3 cup water)
1/2-3/4 lb asparagus, roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cut into 1" pieces
1 red pepper, diced
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half (I ate at least a handful of the pint)
1 small cucumber, seeded and diced
1 small shallot, diced small
2 handfuls fresh parsley, cut
salt, fresh cracked pepper, red pepper flakes, dill
juice of a lemon
red wine vinegar
olive oil

As soon as the quinoa is finished cooking, dump in a large bowl (big enough to mix everything) and mix in asparagus, shallot, and parsley.  I put those in first so that the quinoa heats up the shallot and parsley and draws the flavors out.

Then add some salt, cracked pepper, red pepper flakes (to your liking, because I like it spicy), and dill.

Once cooled a little more, mix in red pepper and cucumber.  Drizzle in the olive oil, a couple splashes of red wine vinegar, and lemon juice.  I had a large, juicy lemon, so I didn't use all of it.  Stir and taste as you go, if it is bland, add more spice, salt, or acid, or all 3.

Stir tomatoes in last.  Yummy!  Of course all the ingredient amounts can be changed to your liking, like I made sure there was less cucumber than red pepper.  And to get the flavor I wanted, I used a lot of dill and a couple random dashed of other stuff, probably garlic powder.  Enjoy!

Chickn Gyros and Quinoa Tabbouleh

Let's get our Greek on. Mediterranean diet is supposed to be the thing, right? Plus this is amazingly delicious.

Chicken Gyros:

    Greek Yogurt Sauce:

    2 cloves garlic, halved

    1/2 cucumber, chopped into 1 inch pieces

    3/4 cup Greek yogurt

    1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 

    2 teaspoon lemon juice

    1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

    salt and ground black pepper to taste

Mince garlic in food processor. I add extra for the chicken marinade below and remove extra before moving on. Add cucumbers and pulse until finely diced. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Refrigerate until ready for use.

    Chicken Breast:

    4 cloves garlic, minced

    1 lemon, juiced

    2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    1 tablespoon dried oregano

    1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips

Combine all ingredients except chicken in mixing bowl. Add chicken and stir until well coated. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more before cooking.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade and add to heated pan. Stir occasionally until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 10-15 minutes. 

    Gyros:

    Flatbread (see Easy Flatbread for recipe)

    1 tomato, diced

    1 red onion, thinly sliced

    1/2 head lettuce, chopped

Warm the flatbread in toaster oven or microwave. Top with cooked chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and Greek sauce.  

Quinoa Tabbouleh 

    2 cups water

    1 cup quinoa

    1 pinch salt

    1/4 cup olive oil

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/4 cup lemon juice

    1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced

    1 cucumber, diced

    2 bunches green onions, diced

    1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until cooked and water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, and parsley. Stir in quinoa. Refrigerate until cooled and ready to use.

Sadie's Flatbread Trucks

Off the bat, I have to say the idea for these is not original. The Flatbread Truck is a famous appetizer at my favorite restaurant, Black Bear. This is the "hooked up" version I used to get as an employee. Homemade by this girl and T.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 package extra firm tofu, pressed if desired
2 pieces of flatbread (see Easy Flatbread for recipe)
1 cup hummus (see Best.Hummus.Ever. for recipe)
1/2 cucumber, halved and sliced
8 oz crumbled feta cheese

Optional Garnishes:
Parsley
Green Onion
Bean Sprouts





Heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Dice tofu into small, bite size cubes. Added to hot oil. Saute on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tofu is brown and crisped on most sides. Remove from pan and place on paper towels or newspaper to soak up excess oil.

Take out 1 piece of flatbread and warm in toaster over or microwave. Liberally smear with hummus. Top with tofu, cucumber, and feta crumbles. Do the same with other flatbread. Garnish with parsley, bean sprouts, or green onion if desired. One Flatbread Truck is usually enough for 1 person (depending on how "loaded" it is). The Black Bear version is hummus, feta, and bean sprouts, which is great for an appetizer.

Best.Hummus.Ever

I have found the secret ingredient to make the Best.Hummus.Ever. I don't even like hummus that much, but this stuff is different, and amazing. The key is: Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. I'm not going to talk more about how good it is...you just have to try it.

2 cloves garlic, halved  

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained

2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Add garlic to the food processor and pulse until partially minced. Add garbanzo beans, chipotle peppers (with a little of the sauce, Yum), tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse until smooth, or of desired texture.

Options for Garnishes:

Drizzle of olive oil  

Pinch of paprika

Minced fresh parsley

Drizzle of adobo sauce

Drizzle of Sriracha

Pinch of Chili Powder

Enjoy!

(See also Flatbread Trucks, combining this hummus and Easy Flatbread for a delicious, healthy, Black Bear-imitator, meal.)

Easy Flatbread

I use this recipe for many things...including pizza on the grill in the summer. Yum! I'm hoping to post a couple things I make with it soon.

Whole wheat on bottom and all purpose on top

1 package active yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup warm water (might need more)
1 teaspoon oil

 I start by priming the yeast. Put it in the 3/4 cup warm watter with the sugar, and let it sit until foamy, about 10 min. 
Next, in my (awesome) food processor, I mix the flour and salt. You can mix in up to 50% whole wheat flour if you want a little more healthy bread. Pour in the water/yeast mixture while pulsing (or stirring if not using a food processor). When dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, knead until it is elastic and smooth. Place dough in bowl coated with oil, and let rise until double in size, about 1 hr to 1.5 hrs. 

Dough before rising

Preheat a grill or pan on the stove to medium-high heat. I use my non stick pan. I have used the cast iron as well and just put a little oil in the first time to get a coating. You shouldn't need to oil it up with each piece. 
 Punch the dough down and tear off a ball a little larger than a golf ball (smaller than a tennis ball). Place on flour surface and roll out as thin as possible. Put in pan and cook on one side until bubbly, then flip and cook another couple minutes until nicely browned. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
 This recipe makes 5-6 average sized flatbread pieces for me. I use them for pizzas, gyros, "flatbread trucks", and just dipping in hummus. Sometimes I even just heat in the morning and put a little honey and cream cheese on them. Enjoy!