Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Salsa Verde Chicken Soup

There are so many fantastic recipes I come across on the internet but I find that the ones I actually make and repeat are the ones that are user friendly and quick and easy to make. I usually try to do as much prepping for my recipes over the weekend and so having something that doesn't take too long to make after I come home from a long day of work is a definite plus! These dishes may not have the beautiful nuanced layers of flavors that longer and more complicated dishes may have, but they pack a tasty punch for the amount of time and effort I put into them. This is one of those dishes! A great weeknight soup that you can eat with some extra tortilla chips. There's something wonderful about a dinner where you just throw everything into one pot. Especially if you're as bad at cleaning up all your dishes afterwards as I am.

Servings: 4 (so that means 2 for me)

Ingredients:
12-oz jar salsa verde
15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
4-5 cups chicken broth
1 cup corn
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon jalapeno, chopped (optional)
Shredded cheese (optional for topping)
Lime wedges (optional for topping)
Sour cream (optional for topping)
Green onions, chopped (optional for topping)
Tortilla chips, crumbled (optional for topping)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  • Heat 12 oz salsa verde in a pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups shredded chicken, 1 can of cannellini beans, 1 can of black beans, 4-5 cups of chicken broth, 1 tsp cumin, 1 cup corn, 1 tbsp chopped jalapeno (optional). Bring to a boil, and then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • For serving, top each bowl with salt and pepper to taste, shredded cheese, squirt of lime juice, dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of green onions, and/or crumbled tortilla chips. I added all of the above and it was delicious!
And now pictures!

Oops excuse the stray flip flops in the corner. Didn't see those before! I don't even know why they're out since it's crazy freezing here lately. Clearly, I'm as good at cleaning my stuff as I am at washing dishes right after eating. 
It was a race to take enough photos before the sour cream dollop melted!
Ack the lighting in today's photos wasn't the best.
Lip smacking good! Don't feel too bad for Sunny and Rosy. They didn't get any soup but they may have gotten a little bit of extra shredded cheese!

Adapted from My Recipes.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale

Snow day, snow day! Yippee!

I'm always torn between wanting a lot of pretty snow with a day off from work and having to battle dog walks with two stubborn pugs. Well for now I'm happy to have spent an extra day with my lazy girls lazing on the couch, catching up on household chores, and making this yummy Dijon chicken stew! A cold, snowy day always calls for a hot and hearty dish for dinner to eat as you watch the snow blowing by your window.

Servings: 6 servings (for me this is 2-3 meals)

Ingredients:
2 cups sweet onions (or leeks), sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
12-16 oz chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
5 ounces chopped kale, swiss chard or collard greens (stems removed)
10 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth, divided
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon flour, divided
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 medium/large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Olive oil or cooking spray
Extra salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Pour 1 tsp of olive oil in a Dutch oven or use a cooking spray/oil diffuser and heat over medium-high heat. 
  • Add 2 cups chopped sweet onions and 10 oz sliced mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl and set aside.
  • Place 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper into a shallow bowl. Dunk the 12-16 oz chopped chicken pieces (I used chicken breasts, but you can use dark meat if that's your preference) in the flour and shake off any excess.
  • Heat another tsp of olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes, browning it on all sides. To help the browning, it's best to cook this in two batches. Set aside the cooked chicken with the onions and mushrooms.
  • Add 1 cup white wine to the Dutch oven and scrape up the browned bits. Continue until the wine has reduced by about half.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup chicken broth with 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Add this to the Dutch oven, along with 3 cups of chicken broth, and 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Bring to a boil.
  • Add back in the chicken, mushrooms, and onions, and add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp thyme. Stir everything together and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Add 2 chopped potatoes and 5 oz kale. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Season to taste your bowl with additional salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (I like mine spicy!).
Ok enough with all the words. Now the pictures!

My messy stew. I kinda ruined my Dutch oven with this recipe as I wasn't paying close attention to the onions at first and then I compounded that with the browning of the chicken. That's ok, I'm letting it soak now in some hot water and baking soda.
The girls were relaxing on the couch but as soon as I started spooning the stew into my bowl they jumped down and ran to the kitchen. They know they get a little treat if they pose nicely for photos!
As you can tell I like to add lots of black pepper and crushed red pepper to my bowls! My brother-in-law thinks me and my sisters have completely warped our taste buds because we're all heavy pepper users.
Sniff test!
Rosy knows by know that she never gets what's in the bowl so she doesn't even try to eat what's inside (unless it's something she really loves, like cheese) and just waits for me to give her the doggy-safe treat.
Spot the pug below?
Adapted from My Recipes.