Summer Brunswick Stew

Whew. I don't know about you, but our summer here in Georgia has been absolutely brutal. It's HOT! I'm so ready for fall (ok, I'm always ready for fall). Don't get me wrong; I like the sun, I love the pool, and I enjoy the carefree atmosphere that summer tends to bring, but I'm just not feeling this heat. 

That said, I'm sure you're probably wondering why I'd offer you a soup recipe when it's a million degrees outside. And ok, I get it. It is a little odd to complain about the heat and then make a dinner that only makes things worse. BUT.

I am ready for fall. And I'm ready for soups and sweaters and yes, pumpkin EVERYTHING. So, soup in the summer? I'm making it work, and so can you.

I'm typically a Cooking Light girl, but the basic recipe for this recipe comes from Southern Living's June 2016 edition. Looks like SL is on board for summer soup, too. Hooray!

Summer Brunswick Stew

Adapted from Southern Living, June 2016

1 large vidalia onion, sliced

2 T olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

12 oz frozen lima beans

12 oz frozen corn

1 lb cooked pulled pork (without sauce)

1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup BBQ sauce of your choice

1 can peeled, diced tomatoes (no salt added)

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat, add oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and lima beans. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Stir in pork, corn, potatoes and BBQ sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add tomatoes and simmer until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grab a side of cornbread (whether homemade or store bought) and you've got a great summer meal!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Chicken & Avocado Taco Salad

In the last year or so, I became a huge fan of entrée salads. Since most of them are simple, quick and require little to no actual cooking, they are the perfect solution for weeknight dinners. This recipe is great for either lunch or dinner, and you can spice it up by adding some sliced jalapenos if you'd like.

Chicken & Avocado Taco Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2016

1 cup pico de gallo

4 tsp EVOO

1 bag pre-washed leafy romaine

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast

2 avocados, peeled and cubed

Tortilla strips (for salads, such as Fresh Gourmet)

1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)

 

Mix 1/2 cup pico de gallo and EVOO in a mini food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth and set aside.

 

To serve, divide lettuce over plates. Top with chicken and avocado, then drizzle pureed pico de gallo over salad. Top with remaining pico, jalapenos (if using) and tortilla strips. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Until next time...

 

Cheers!



White Bean, Kale and Egg Stack

I have to say, the Jan/Feb 2016 edition of Cooking Light is quite possibly the best collection of new recipes I've seen in the 5 years or so that I've been a subscriber. I always get excited when it arrives in the mail, but I'm just not sure that the March edition will be able to top this one. It and the recipes it included are just that good. You may have noticed that many of the recipes I've shared with you lately have been adaptations of recipes from this edition in particular; today is no exception. I can't take any credit for the ideas behind these meals; rather, I'm simply sharing them with you because I've tried them and loved them, and I think you'll love them, too.

This dinner isn't one that I'd traditionally make for my family. I wasn't sure at all that my husband would like it (he did!), or that I'd ever make it again (I will!). However, as I said in a previous post, 2016 is all about adventure in the kitchen for me. So, with that in mind, I decided to give this one a try.

I can't lie; I was intimidated by the idea of poaching an egg. Silly, maybe, but I'd never done it before and honestly, I had no back-up plan. So I prayed it would work - and luckily, it did! The dish was delicious and different, and easy enough that I'm excited to make it again for my family.

Peppered White Bean, Kale and Egg Stack

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2016 (original recipe here)

1 can unsalted Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken stock

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp olive oil

5 cups chopped kale

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tbs white vinegar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp finely chopped cilantro

1 tsp finely chopped parsley

1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

Combine 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, chopped onion, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, tomato and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well. Set aside.

Fill a large pot two-thirds of the way with water and bring to a boil.

While water is coming to a boil, add beans and chicken stock to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook 4 minutes and remove from heat. Add lemon zest, 1/2 tsp black pepper and Parmesan cheese, stirring well to combine. With a potato masher or a fork, coarsely mash bean mixture.

 

Once water in large pot is boiling, reduce heat to simmer and add white vinegar. Break each egg into an individual coffee mug, custard cup or small bowl. Carefully pour each egg into the water/vinegar mixture. Cook 3 1/2 minutes. Gently remove eggs and place on paper-towel lined plate.

Drain water/vinegar mixture from large pot and wipe clean with a paper towel. Heat pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the kale and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until kale wilts. Remove from pan and set aside.

To serve, plate beans first, topped by the kale and egg. Spoon onion & tomato mixture over the stack.

Until next time...

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 





Thai Steak Noodle Bowl

I mentioned in my blog the other day that I'm kind of on a "try new things in the kitchen" kick for 2016. I feel like I manage to incorporate a good variety into the meals I offer my family, but I can always do more. I love learning about new ingredients and new cooking techniques (and how to use them), and I really want to learn more about balance and nutrition in general. I'm looking forward to doing that this year.

Today's recipe includes an ingredient I'd never used before: red curry paste. I'm so glad I tried it! It smells SO good, for one, not to mention the vibrant color it added to this dish. Since the recipe doesn't call for a TON of the stuff, the overall flavor is mild (slightly, pleasantly spicy to me, while not spicy at all to my husband who loves ridiculously hot stuff and therefore thinks anything less than a ghost pepper carries no heat). You can find red curry paste on the international foods aisle, along with the coconut milk that's also called for in the recipe.

Thai Steak Noodle Bowl

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2016

2 cups baby arugula

1 tbs lime juice

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

8 oz pad thai noodles (uncooked)

12 oz sirloin steak, sliced thinly

1 1/2 tsp canola oil

1/2 cup water

2 tbs red curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk

 

Mix arugula, 1 tsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp sugr and 1/2 tsp salt and toss well to coat. Set aside.

 

Prepare rice noodles as instructed on package. Set aside.

 

Sprinkle steak with 1/2 tsp sugar. Heat skillet over high heat and add oil, swirling to coat. Add steak and cook 2 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 30 seconds or until browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.

 

Add 1/2 cup water, curry paste and coconut milk, stirring well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt.

 

To plate, divide noodles into four bowls, then add steak to each dish. Ladle broth over each serving and top with arugula. Sprinkle remaining salt over each bowl.

 

Until next time...

 

Cheers!

 





Mushroom & Chicken Marsala Bowls

So far in 2016, I've made it a point to try some new things in the kitchen. The other day, for example, I poached eggs for the very first time (they were perfect - I'm sure I won't be able to replicate that experience the next time I try, lol). Today's recipe includes an ingredient I've never tried before. That ingredient? Chicken thighs.

I've never made them myself, and I can't even be 100% confident that I've actually eaten them before, either. Perhaps unknowingly? Unintentionally? I just don't know. I do know, however, that my husband is extremely picky when it comes to chicken, and, because of that, I've always steered clear of recipes that call for chicken thighs in the past (or I made them anyway and simply subbed chicken breasts). Not this time, though. This time I figured, heck, why not try it? This recipe seemed like the perfect one to use as an experiment, seeing as how it calls for more mushrooms than it does chicken (and my husband loves mushrooms). I'm so glad we tried it. Not only was it good the first night I made it, it was also successful as leftovers, believe it or not. We'll definitely be making it again!

 

Mushroom & Chicken Marsala Bowls

Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2016

 

2 1/2 tbs butter

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup chicken stock

1 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tbs canola oil

1 package fresh baby spinach

8 oz sliced white mushrooms

8 oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 1/2 tbs chopped fresh thyme

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 black pepper

 

Melt 1 1/2 tsp butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa to pan and saute 3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 tsp salt.

 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add spinach and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or just until wilted. Remove and set aside.

 

Melt 1 1/2 tsp butter in pan and add 1 1/2 tsp oil. Swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes, stirring to brown on all sides. Remove mushrooms and set aside.

 

Add remaining oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add chicken and saute 4 minutes, stirring to brown on all sides. Add shallots, thyme and garlic and saute for 1 1/2 minutes. Add wine and remaining chicken stock. Cook until liquid is reduced and becomes slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining butter, mustard, pepper and salt. Stir constantly until butter melts, then stir in mushrooms and spinach. Serve over quinoa.

 

Until next time...

 

Cheers!



Ginger Chicken, Shiitake and Scallion Soup

After a mild December, it's finally gotten cold here in Georgia. In fact, as I write this, it's sleeting outside. Yuck.

There's nothing I like more in the winter months - both to make and to eat - than a good homemade soup. Today's recipe is light, flavorful and super aromatic - my house smelled SO good as it was cooking!

As a tip - I'd never used star anise pods before, and I wasn't exactly sure where to find them. I eventually located them on the international foods aisle (which is also where you can find dark sesame oil and brown rice noodles). I removed them from the soup before serving.

Ginger Chicken, Shiitake and Scallion Soup

Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2016

 

6 green onions

2 tsp dark sesame oil

4 oz shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced

4 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 star anise pods

1/4 tsp ground ginger

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 oz brown rice noodles (pad thai)

Dash kosher salt

Dash black pepper

 

Cut white parts of onions into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add white parts of green onions and half of the sliced mushrooms. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock, garlic, anise and ginger to the pan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes.

 

Add chicken to pan and reduce heat; simmer for 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat.

 

Prepare noodles according to directions. Cut green parts of onions into 2-inch sections. Add onions, cooked noodles, salt, pepper and remaining 2 oz mushroom caps to the soup. Remove star anise pods and ladle into bowls.

 

Until next time...

 

Cheers!



Grapefruit, Avocado and Prosciutto Salad

Prosciutto is one of my all-time favorite foods. I love it in salads, on sandwiches, wrapped up with some melon (if you haven't tried that combo, do it - do it now), as part of a cheese plate or simply on its own. My husband loves it, too. It's not exactly cheap, so we don't buy all the time. We do, however, splurge every now and then.

Recently, my store had prosciutto on sale, so I eagerly grabbed some. I used it in several different recipes, including the one I'm giving you today. This salad will definitely go into my lunch rotation - it's SO yummy. It takes hardly any time at all to throw together, which is perfect when I'm juggling feeding, naps, snacks and playtime with my little ones!

Grapefruit, Avocado and Prosciutto Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2016

1 small grapefruit

1 tsp dark sesame oil

Dash of black pepper

Dash of kosher salt

1 cup baby arugula

1/2 peeled and sliced avocado

1 slice prosciutto

 

Peel grapefruit and cut sections over a medium bowl. Gently squeeze membranes to yield about 1/2 tbs juice. Set sections aside and add oil, pepper and salt to the juice. Stir gently with whisk until mixed.

 

Add greens to the juice mixture and toss to coat. Add to plate and top with grapefruit sections, avocado and prosciutto.

 

Until next time...

 

Cheers!