Recipes

Showing posts with label soup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soup. Show all posts

Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Chicken (tortilla soup) Dance

I really don’t know why I try these “creative” titles…

First off, I want to thank everyone for their great tips about packing lunch for work!!

My thoughts:

  • Most of you mentioned packing things up the night before.  For some reason that has ALWAYS been a struggle for me.  Between commuting, working out, any other after-work activities, eating dinner, blogging…sometimes the last thing I want to do it thing about my food for the next day.  However I agree it’s the ideal solution…so I’m working on it ;) 
    • If it’s dinner leftovers I always pack it up for the next day, but otherwise I leave it til the morning.  Goal #1!
  • Brining in extra food to keep at the office!  I may start doing this more now.  I used to at my old job, but when I started the new one the fridge was PACKED and GROSS!!  I seriously wonder how adults can let a fridge go for so long without cleaning it!  However, a few weeks ago our network was down one morning so 4 of us decided to tackle it…nasty, but SO much better now. 
    • I especially liked the suggestion about bringing in some Trader Joes food.  I love their frozen foods for quick dinners, why not quick lunches!?
  • Another goal is to limit lunch out once a week, for me this will most likely be Fridays :)
  • A lot of people mention cooking lots of food for the week on Sundays.  I agree, and love doing this WHEN I HAVE TIME, but so many weekend it’s just go-go-go until Sunday night and I’m exhausted.  Some days I really do wish it was 50 years ago when NOTHING was open on Sunday’s…then I’d have to stay home ;)
    • Still I need to work on whipping up some quick bulky meals to have for lunches. 
  • Um, Yelena works 5 min from the Ferry Building in SF…talk about will power!!  Fun fact: we got married on the same day!

What’s the key to having leftovers for lunch the next day…actually making dinner!

I’ve been wanting to make Chicken Tortilla Soup for a long time now.  It was one of those soups that I’d heard of but never actually had until earlier this spring at a cafe near my old office…I was hooked.

I found a couple s(o)uper easy recipes online, and was excited to use the Crockpot for it.  That is until it got to be Tuesday night and we still hadn’t made the soup.

Luckily this soup is so easy it can be made in the Crockpot or just regular stovetop.IMG_2262

Chicken Tortilla Soup (slow cooker or not!)
adapted from here and here

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular)
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2.5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 10oz can enchilada sauce
  • 1 4oz can green chili peppers
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 cup white hominy (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, (cooked or raw if using slow cooker)
  • Garnishes:
    • chopped fresh cilantro
    • avocado
    • sour cream
    • shredded cheese
    • crushed tortilla chips

If you need to cook the chicken, cut the breasts into 4 pieces and season with salt, pepper, and any other spices of your choice (I used garlic powder, cumin, and paprika).  Sauté in some olive oil spray for about 4 min per side until cooked through.  Set aside and chop or shred for the soup. 

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, and bell peppers and sauté for 5-6 minutes. 

Add spices, broth, and tomatoes.  Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add enchilada sauce and green chilies.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Add hominy, corn, beans and chicken.  Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Slow Cooker Method: My original plan was to just combine all ingredients (including raw chicken) in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred chicken with forks before serving. 

Serve with toppings of your choice!

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This was my first time cooking with hominy, and actually first time knowingly eating it! 

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This soup was SO flavorful!  Loved it, and made for a great lunch the next day!

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Wondering why I had “Dance” in the title??

Someone FINALLY uploaded some pieces from the show I was in back in September!!   

Now I’m by no means a professional dancer, but this was an awesome chance for me to dance in a real “company” show!  My friend was the artistic director and she just has one of the most creative minds I’ve ever encountered.  I’d call it modern/contemporary…and it was really my first time dancing this style.  I’ve always been used to jazz and dance team styles. 

The show was called White Earth and the general theme started with “Resource Depletion” (the first piece) with the plastic eating away at the earth.

I was a “Plastic” (one of the ones in red)…it’s a long piece but it’s fast paced and keeps your attention.  Of course I notice mistakes but I still want to share!

The next one I have is called “Scraps”.  The theme here was that we were picking up the “scraps” of the former earth.  I really loved this one and it was so fun dancing with the “scraps” (shredded paper)

In the beginning I’m second from the right (as you see it) in the orange top.

The last one here was the final number called “Stripped to Love”.  The “couple” in this piece is my friend (the director) and her professional dancer friend from California…he is amazing.  So they represent love and the rest of us don’t like it :)

Unfortunately the lighting in the beginning is dark on the video but it’s only for the first minute…unfortunate too since the beginning is pretty cool.  Not that you can find me easily but I’m one of the ones wearing a black shiny one shoulder dress.

Well hope you enjoyed them :)  I promised to shared them!

It’s most definitely bed time and I’m thrilled that tomorrow is Friday!!  Also have a fun blog event after work :)

Sweet Dreams!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Wine Country Potato Leek Soup

I’m baaaaack!

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(the squirrels made a snack of our old rotted pumpkin while we were away)

Actually I got back Friday morning after a red eye from San Francisco, but we’ve had a lot of do once we got home, and I even had a blogger trip to Portsmouth yesterday!

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The past couple months Emily, Megan, Daisy and I have been talking about planning a day trip up to Portsmouth since we all love it there so much!  We finally picked a date, and gathered a group of 10 Boston-area bloggers for a fun and food filled day!

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Elina, Elizabeth, Megan, Meghan, Daisy, Michelle, Bianca, Emily, Jen, and I met up at Redhook Brewery for some lunch and beer!

I’ve been here many times, especially during college and right after college, as I went to UNH which is close by.  Even had my 21st b-day dinner here! 

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I was a little tourist-ed out after my trip, and since it wasn’t a new city to me I wasn’t taking as many pictures but I’m sure the other ladies will have some great recaps!  I was just excited to see all the girls :)

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I know I have so much to share from my trip!!  So I think I’ll start with a recipe.

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One of the highlights of the trip was the Sunday we left San Francisco and drove north to northern Sonoma county for The Wine Road’s Food and Wine affair!  I would never have known about this event if it wasn’t for some great advice from Meghan

This event went on Saturday and Sunday (Nov 5 & 6), and basically a ton of the wineries in the area would be serving a food pairing with one or some of their wines, and with your wristband you could visit as many as you’d like during the weekend.  We only did Sunday, but we managed to hit quite a few and tasted some AWESOME food.  The wine was good to ;) 

IMG_1751 IMG_1730 IMG_1731 IMG_1734 IMG_1740 IMG_1743Don’t worry we had our fair share of amazing wine this past week, but I think both Brian and I were more focused on the food this particular day.

The best part is that with your ticket you receive a gorgeous cookbook with all the recipes that were served at all the wineries!


(source)

There are SO many recipes that I can’t wait to make and share with you guys!!

I wasted no time either, as I just made one for dinner tonight!

We had this soup at our very first stop of the day that Sunday, at Sheldon.  It was amazing.  I ate my sample and finished Brian’s :)

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I picked up my ingredients Friday when we got home, and re-created this delicious soup tonight.

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IMG_2108 Luckily I also picked up some of this while in San Francisco…

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Now you don’t need the truffle oil per se, but it adds so much and just takes this simple soup to the next level!

I’m so glad I am able to share recipes from this cookbook on the blog.  I did however make a couple very minor adjustments so I will give the recipe I made.

Potato Leek Soup with truffle oil
adapted from chef Dylan Sheldon in the “Tasting Along the Wine Road” cookbook

  Serves 4-6

  • 3 medium leeks, washed and minced (only the white and first inch of the light green parts)
  • 1 med onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2T unsalted butter
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 4 med/large Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and diced
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 3 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1.5 tsp sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground fennel (optional, I couldn’t find this ingredient so I smashed up some fennel seeds)
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • white truffle oil
  1. In a large heavy bottom stock pot over med-low heat, melt the butter with the onions, garlic, leeks, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf.  Leave the sprigs of herbs whole as you will remove them later.  Sauté on med-low/low for about 5 min until the vegetables are soft.
  2. Add potatoes, broth, and wine.  Turn up heat to med-high and bring to a simmer.  Cover, and simmer over low heat until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 min. 
  3. Remove bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary.  Then puree the soup with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender then puree until smooth and creamy. Personally I HATE transferring soups, so I always use my handheld immersion blender…get one, they are not expensive!!
  4. Serve in bowls and garnish with a few drops (or more!!) of white truffle oil, and a cheesy toast…

Cheesy toast: melt some freshly grated gruyere (or your favorite aged sharp cheese) on a thin slice of baguette and toast in the oven or toaster oven. 

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Creamy, comforting and makes for a great meal.  We were filled up with 1 bowl of soup and two cheesy toasts!

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Sweat and Stew

Being sick last week really put a damper on my exercise schedule, but there’s really no sense in pushing yourself only to make yourself feel worse…I’ve learned over the years. 

Finally, after more than a week, I had my energy back on full blast and I wanted to break a sweat!  What better than hot yoga?  Tuesday night I hit up my nearby Prana Power Yoga for a nice sweaty 90 minutes and I felt stronger than usual!  Must of been all that rest ;)

Then tonight I was able to do a nice 2mile run outside before getting back to Body Pump.  Oh how I missed Pump :)  Once again the run felt great, I really needed that…although I was a bit shaky at Pump, esp. on the squats!

This weekend goals:

  • Longer run (5-6mi)
  • Body Pump on Sunday

Love being back on schedule :)

I received a lot of great soup and stew recipes last week (thank you!), and I can’t wait to dive into them as the temperature drops here in New England. 

Here is another one that is sure to make a re-appearance, this comes from the lovely Giada!

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

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I remember flagging this one in my cookbook a long time ago, and it came to me as I was staring at the beef in Trader Joes!

I already had a butternut squash at home and I love the flavor of fresh thyme in wintery dishes. 

This one had fresh thyme and rosemary…both of which are still thriving in our garden!

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Giada’s Italian element comes through with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes.

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This dish comes together quite simply, and leaves a lot of room for your own additions.  I followed the recipe this time, but in the future I’d like to add more veggies…maybe some carrots, and other root vegetables! 

I also read some of the comments others made on the recipe and a few people used a crock pot, another great idea.

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The sauce wasn’t very thick, but a big chunk of fresh bread would take care of that.

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I completed my Autumn dinner with a pumpkin beer in a glass with a cinnamon sugar rim :)

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Anyone have a great costume for this weekend?  This is actually the FIRST time I am not dressing up or doing anything!  I’m actually kind of happy about it :)  I do love to get dressed up, but I hate thinking of and then buying a costume.  I swear no matter how cheap I try to make it, there goes $40-$50 for a one-night ensemble. 

I am looking forward to trick-or-treaters though!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Real Simple to the Rescue

Such a blog-slacker lately!?  Sorry! 

Not that he’s to blame, but this guy is taking up a bit of the already-sparse free time around here…

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But seriously, who could resist that face?!  Esp after being freshly groomed :) 

Bromley and auntie Jocy

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And while I feel like I never have enough time to do all the baking and cooking that I would like, at least there are still some great recipes out there that don’t take much time at all!

I have to thank Tina for this one.  I’ve seen it on her blog many times and have been wanting to make it for ages…FINALLY I did.

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Real Simple’s Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower

This is delicious.  Not your typical super melty-gooey cheesy pasta dish, but there is some serious flavor going on between the sharp cheddar, sour cream, onion, and Dijon mustard.  They all blend together beautifully and it tastes much more decadent that it really is :)

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Brian LOVED this as well…luckily he is a big fan of cauliflower as well.

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Make it.

Another dinner that came from my latest Real Simple, was a soup!

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Parsnip and Fennel Soup with Dill

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I love soup, and am always trying to find new ones to cook aside from the usual chowders or chilies (not that there’s anything wrong with those…CLEARLY)

I’m a big fan of leeks, and potatoes, and dill, and parsnips and fennel and pretty tasty too…so why not!?

Once everything is chopped, this soup comes together pretty quick.

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I opted to use my stick blender instead of pouring some into a regular blender…the stick blended is so much easier.  I just blend until it’s the desired consistency…thickened up, but still some chunks of veggies inside.

IMG_5852    (please PLEASE ignore the disaster that is my kitchen in this one, I was trying to cook around the aftermath of Brian’s latest beer brewing adventure)

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For an accompaniment, the recipe called for sliced baguette with gruyere cheese broiled on top.

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Warm Bread + Melted Cheese = ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA!

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The soup was good…not amazing, but good.  It definitely had a nice fresh taste from the veggies.  I think it needs a little somethin’ to kick up the flavor, and a bit more salt. 

I added a dollop of sour cream to the leftovers and that was a nice pairing as well.  Maybe some more herbs next time.

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Regardless, it made a nice quick warm dinner.

On a cuter note.  I just have to share the cake from my friend’s Baby Shower this past Sunday…

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How adorable is that!!!?

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Look at the little bunnies!  All made from marzipan!  The cake was made by our other friend’s bakery…The Danish Pastry House.  Hence the marzipan.  The cake is covered in marzipan as opposed to fondant, which I think is just genius :)  I mean I’ll take deliciously almond marzipan over fondant any day!

Mommy-to-be and Me!  Doesn’t she look amazing!

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I need some more soups to make…suggestions???