Vegetable Bean Soup (a.k.a. Challenge Kale)

Last night I made a huge pot of soup.  I’ve had kale before in minestrone soups so I made my own version.  I now have a huge pot of soup in my fridge.  Last night I sprinkled the soup with some parmesan cheese.  Tonight I had a second serving, although the pasta absorbed all the liquid so it’s now more of a pasta dish than a soup.  I decided to go without the cheese tonight.  Still delicious.

Kale is like most other leafy greens in that it wilts down to almost nothing when it cooks.  So the huge bunch of kale takes up much less space once it’s put into a pot for a couple of minutes. 

Overall, this soup was very easy to make and very healthy.  It had a great fresh flavor from all the veggies.  The flavor was great tonight as leftovers too.   This soup will probably feed me for most of the rest of the week – which is a good thing since I don’t have too much time after work to make a big meal. 

Last Night's Soup

Tonight's Pasta Dish

Recipe:

1 zucchini, diced

1 onion, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

3 large carrots, sliced

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can chick peas, drained and rinsed

8 oz. whole wheat rotini

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch (8 oz) kale, woody stems removed, finely chopped

6 cups chicken stock

1 tbs. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flake

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add 1 tbs. olive oil.  Add celery, onion, and carrot, salt and pepper to taste.  Sauté until beginning to soften slightly, 4-5 minutes.

2. Add garlic and zucchini and sauté for 1 minute.  Add diced tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper flake, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.

3. Add kale.  Stir until the kale wilts into the soup.

4. Add beans, chick peas, and pasta.  Cook for approximately 10 minutes until pasta is tender.

5. Adjust seasonings and serve.  Top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Chicken and Spaetzel in Garlic Gravy

Since it’s the weekend I had some extra time to make dinner tonight.  So I decided to make spaetzel.  I’d never done it before but I had a basic recipe... so I went for it. This was a challenge in my small kitchen as I had to juggle the pans on the small stove and make the spaetzel without a colander... I used the lid to one of my spices which had nice large holes.  I pushed the batter through the holes with my fingers (which was a little warm since I had to hold a small lid over the boiling water...).  Not the easiest spaetzel process with the modifications I had to make, but it turned out great.  Next time I make this I’ll try to have the proper tools, which I’m sure will make it much easier.  If you don’t want to take the time to make spaetzel, the chicken and gravy would also be delicious over egg noodles. 

As for the chicken and gravy, it was really simple and tasty.  It was just a matter of searing the chicken and then making a simple gravy by making a roux.  The garlic flavor was amazing as frying it in the oil before making the roux guaranteed that the flavor was all throughout the gravy.  The peas added a nice sweetness and some much needed color to the dish.  Overall a very tasty meal.

This recipe made two servings.  I ate one and the other is in the fridge to feed me sometime this week.  I’m definitely looking forward to that meal.  J  I’ll probably double the recipe when I make it while Jeremy’s around so that we can both eat and have leftovers. 

Recipe: 

1 chicken breast, butterflied

1 c. frozen peas

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/3 c. skim milk

¾ c. chicken stock

1 tbs. flour

¼ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. parsley flakes

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. margarine

1 recipe spaetzel (below)

1. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat.  Add 1 tbs. of olive oil.  Add chicken and sear on both sides until cooked through, approximately 3 minutes per side.  Remove from pan.

2. Turn heat down to medium low and add sliced garlic.  Stir frequently until it is a light golden brown (watch the garlic carefully so that it doesn’t burn... if it burns it turns bitter and won’t be pleasant.) Remove garlic from pan.

3. Add 1 tbs. margarine or butter.  Add flour and stir to combine.  Add milk and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil to thicken the sauce.

4. Add salt, pepper, paprika, and peas to the sauce.  Return chicken and garlic to the sauce.  Stir to combine.  Allow to simmer until peas are heated through. 

5. Add spaetzel to the pan and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

Spaeztel:

1 c. flour

¼ c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients together.  (Batter will be thick and sticky.)

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

3. Press batter through a colander (with large holes preferably) into the boiling water.  Stir periodically so they don’t stick.

4. When the spaetzel floats, drain it and set aside until ready to be added to the gravy.  (As an alternative, spaetzel is also delicious as a side dish when tossed with just a little butter.)

Chicken Cacciatore

Last night I got home from work and was really craving chicken cacciatore.  Not sure why exactly but I blame the cafeteria at work for serving a chicken cacciatore soup – which I didn’t get but which smelled really good.  Regardless, I decided that since I had the ingredients I would make it – without a real recipe... but I knew what flavor I wanted.

This isn’t classic cacciatore... I didn’t have any wine and I don’t like mushrooms, but overall the dish was very tasty so I’m ok with it.

I hadn’t thawed the chicken so the first hour or so was spent trying to get the large package of chicken to thaw (planning ahead would have been a good thing...).  Since I have a sparsely stocked kitchen this summer on Long Island I don’t even have a microwave to thaw things.  I eventually go it thawed to the point that I could break the chicken breasts apart and start butterflying so that’s when I managed to start cooking.

This didn’t take too long to make overall.  Once the chicken was ready to go it came together fairly quickly.  I served this over steamed rice which I made while the chicken cacciatore was simmering (Step 5).  It can certainly be served with pasta depending on your taste.  But I’d eaten pasta (I made mac-and-cheese) the last two nights so I was in the mood for a change.

This recipe made two servings for me – and I’ll probably save the second one for sometime this coming week when I don’t feel like cooking after work.  The recipe can certainly be scaled up to accommodate more people but since I’m alone on Long Island (with Jeremy still in Albany this summer) I’m trying to make meals which don’t leave me with too many leftovers.  I’d get sick of having the same thing before I finished it otherwise.

Overall, this was a delicious meal.  And nice and quick.  I will certainly be making this again.  And when I told Jeremy what I was making he was hoping I’d post the recipe so he could make it too.  Hopefully he lets me know how it turns out.  J

Since I don’t have great internet access my posts will likely be more infrequent this summer but I’ll do what I can.  Challenge kale will likely be coming up next – as soon as I get to the grocery store to get some.  J

1 chicken breast, butterflied into two halves

1 bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. crushed tomatoes

½ c. chicken stock

3/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a medium to large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add 1 tbs. of olive oil.  Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.  Put chicken in pan and sear on both sides, approximately 3 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Remove from pan.

2. Add bell pepper and onion to pan (add more olive oil if necessary), salt and pepper to taste.  Sauté for 4-5 minutes until veggies begin to soften.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flake.  Mix to combine.  Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer.

4. Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Add back to pan and stir to combine.

5. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes until slightly thickened and veggies are tender.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

6. Serve over rice or pasta. 

Chicken and Vegetables with Minty-Lemon Yogurt Sauce (a.k.a. Challenge Mint)

It's been surprising working through a few of these challenges.  People have really given me ingredients I don't use often (or at all) so it's really forcing me to consider how flavors will go together and get creative with my food.  I'm not a huge mint eater (I used to be picky enough that toothpaste flavors were a problem...).  So this really was a challenge.

I didn't want to put the mint into dessert.  Jeremy and I don't eat a lot of dessert so it would be unusual for me to use it that way.  Instead, I made a variation on the Moroccanish couscous I usually make and incorporated mint and lemon flavors.  It was amazing.  Jeremy couldn't believe how yummy it was (especially since he doesn't like yogurt).

This will definitely be a repeat meal in the future.  It was pretty easy to make and didn't take much time at all. Start to finish I was only in the kitchen for about half an hour.  Once the sauce incorporated into the rest of the food it gave the whole dish a really nice creaminess.  But since it was fat-free yogurt it's a lot healthier than most creamy dishes are.  Don't get scared by the ingredients list... it's really simple to make and is a delicious and healthy meal.  We only ate about half of this recipe tonight and the rest is in the fridge for tomorrow.  Yum.  Thanks Ryan for another great challenge.  :)

Recipe:
6 oz plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Juice of half a lemon

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon mint, minced

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

~1 cup baby carrots, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon mint, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

1 c. water
1 c. cous cous
1 tbs. olive oil

1. Heat a large pot over medium high heat.  Add 2 tbs of olive oil.  Add chicken thighs and brown on both sides.

2. Add curry powder, cumin, paprika, tumeric, bay leaves, cayenne, and tomato paste.  Mix to combine.

3. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and carrots.  Stir to coat in the spices. 

4. Add chicken stock.  Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the veggies are tender.  

5. While the pot is simmering, mix the yogurt, 1 tbs. mint, 1 tbs. lemon zest, juice of half a lemon, and 1 tbs. of honey in a small bowl.  Set aside.

6. When the veggies are almost tender, make cous cous.  Bring water and olive oil to a boil.  Add cous cous.  Stir and turn off heat.  Let sit for 4-5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork before serving.

7. When veggies are done, turn off heat.  Add 1 tsp. lemon zest and 1 tbs. minced mint.  Stir to combine.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve chicken and veggies over cous cous, topped with a dollop of yogurt sauce.  

Tofu Stir-fry (a.k.a. Challenge Tofu)

I haven't really eaten a lot of tofu in my life.  But since tofu absorbs pretty much whatever flavor you put it with, I willingly accepted the challenge of cooking something with tofu.  I didn't really go outside the box but it was fun experimenting with a new ingredient nonetheless.  I just picked up some cubed tofu at my local supermarket and made a stir fry like I normally would.

Surprisingly, Jeremy actually enjoyed the stir fry.  He said it didn't make up for the lack of meat but if given the choice between an all-veggie stir fry with tofu or without he'd probably choose tofu about half the time.  Since he usually doesn't want to touch tofu, that's a big development. :)

I'll certainly be using tofu in the future, and I'll try to get a bit more adventurous with it.  But overall this was a really easy stir fry to put together and ended up being very tasty.

The picture isn't very good for this but that's because the lighting in my apartment on Long Island (where I'm living for the summer) isn't the greatest.  I also made this a few days ago but because of lack of internet access, it's only being posted now.  Next up is challenge mint.  I'll be starting that dinner in a few minutes. :)

Recipe:
1 package cubed tofu (or regular tofu cut into 1/2" cubes)
1/4 c. plus 1 tbs. soy sauce
2 tbs., divided, sriracha sauce
2 tsp., divided, sesame oil
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 can cut baby corn
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 red onion, diced

1. Mix 1/4 c. soy sauce, 1 tbs. sriracha, 1 tsp. sesame oil, and 1 tsp. rice vinegar in a medium bowl.  Add cubed tofu and mix to combine.  Allow to marinate for half an hour.  (I used this time to prepare all my veggies... didn't take that much time so I got a break after cutting up the veggies.)
2. Heat a wok over high heat.  Add 1 tbs. vegetable oil.  Add tofu and liquid it marinated in.  Stir frequently, allowing the liquid to boil off.  When the liquid is gone, fry the tofu until golden.  Remove to a plate.
3. Add 1 tbs. vegetable oil.  Add carrots,  bell peppers, and celery and stir fry for 1 minute.  Add onions and baby corn and stir fry for another minute.  Place a lid on the wok to steam the veggies until tender.
4. Add 1 tbs. soy sauce, 1 tbs. sriracha, 1 tsp. sesame oil.  Mix well.
5. Add tofu back to the pan to reheat.
6. Serve with steamed rice.

Andouille and Chicken Gumbo (a.k.a. "Challenge Okra")

A couple weeks ago while visiting friends, I was discussing my blog with my friend, Ryan.  He suggested that I should start taking challenges from people of ingredients to utilize.  I thought it was a really fun thing to try so Ryan gave me my first challenge: okra.  So tonight, despite the 90 degree weather here in Albany, I made a huge pot of gumbo.

It was really simple to make, just took a little longer than a typical weeknight dinner.  But this was delicious!  I served the gumbo with a scoop of steamed rice on top.  This was nice and spicy.

This has plenty of veggies to balance out the 2 pounds of meat in the gumbo.  We'll be eating this for a few meals to use it up before we head to Long Island this weekend.

I look forward to attempting many more challenges... so send them my way and I'll do my best to complete them.

Recipe:
1 lb. andouille sausage
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 oz. fresh okra
2 green bell peppers
1 large white onion
6 stalks celery
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tbs. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 tbs. tomato paste
4 c. chicken stock
1/3 c. AP flour
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. vegetable oil (approximate)

1. Cut chicken and sausage into bite-sized pieces. Dice bell pepper, onion, and celery.  Cut okra into 1/2" slices, discarding the stems.
2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat.  Add 1 tbs. olive oil.  Brown chicken.  Add sausage and brown until edges are slightly crisp and fat has rendered.  Remove meat from pan and measure drippings.
3. Add vegetable oil to drippings to make 1/3 cup.  Return to pan and place over medium low heat.  Add flour and mix thoroughly to make a roux.  Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until color darkens to a reddish-orange (like a new penny) (about 5 minutes).
4. Add veggies (except okra) and salt.  Mix well.  Add tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and diced tomatoes, okra, and chicken stock..  Mix until combined.
5. Bring to a simmer.  Maintain heat, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft (approx. 45 minutes) (put the meat back in after about 30 minutes, continue cooking so flavors combine).
6. Serve with a scoop of rice on top.

Scallops with Asparagus and Red Pepper Penne in a White Wine Sauce

Today is Jeremy's birthday.  We decided to stay in tonight and since it was a special occasion, I made some of Jeremy's favorite foods.  He seemed pleased with the meal. :)

We went out grocery shopping today and were lucky to find some great sea scallops.  I seared them in a scorching hot pan and then just placed them on top of the pasta and veggies.  We started with a small salad to make sure we had enough food.  I have lots of the pasta and veggies left over but we ate all the scallops since they wouldn't keep or reheat very well.  I'm sure the pasta and veggies will be delicious tomorrow.

While this is certainly more expensive than a normal meal for us, it was amazingly inexpensive when compared to what this would likely cost us if we'd gone out to a restaurant for a similar meal.  And with how simple it was to prepare, this was a great dinner for Jeremy's birthday.



Recipe:
1 lb. sea scallops
1 bundle (1 lb.) asparagus
1 large red bell pepper
1/2 large red onion
13.25 oz. (1 box) of whole wheat penne
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 c. white wine
1/3 c. chicken stock
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 tbs. dried parsley flakes
2-3 tbs. parmesan cheese

1. Mince onion. cut bell pepper into 1/4" by 1" strips. Cut asparagus into 1 1/2" pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.  About 3 minutes before pasta is finished, add asparagus.  Drain when pasta and asparagus are cooked.
3. While the water is heating, heat a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add 3 tbs. of olive oil.  Add crushed red pepper flake, salt, garlic, onion, and red pepper. Saute for 8-10 minutes until pepper strips are soft.
4. Add wine, chicken stock, and parsley to the red pepper mixture.  Bring to a boil.
5. Once step four is underway, heat a large frying pan over high heat.  Add enough vegetable oil to fully coat the bottom.  When oil is hot (and it ripples) add scallops, making sure that they don't touch in the pan.  Sear on each side for approximately 90 seconds.  (Don't force the scallops to turn, when they release from the pan they are ready to turn over.)  The scallops should have a dark sear on each side but be just opaque in the middle.
6. While the scallops are searing, mix the wine sauce with the pasta.  Add the parmesan and mix thoroughly.
7. Plate the pasta and top with scallops.  Enjoy!

Chicken, Broccoli, and Water Chestnut Stir Fry

The last three weeks have been filled with travel for Jeremy and me.  After the semester ended, we visited friends and family and moved my things to Long Island in preparation for the start of my summer internship.  With all this travel, I haven't had the chance to cook at all.  We had many delicious meals throughout our travels but it was amazing how delicious and relaxing it was to have my own food tonight.

I had a very bare pantry to come home to and didn't have much to work with.  Luckily I had some frozen chicken and broccoli and canned water chestnuts.  Since the sauce could be made with the ingredients that I always have in the fridge (which were still there since they don't go bad when left for weeks), I turned what I had into a stir fry.  I didn't have any rice around so I cooked up some whole wheat linguine (a very Asian ingredient... I know...) and mixed my stir fry with it.  It was a very tasty combination. :)

I was surprised by how much food this made.  We both ate a very filling dinner and there are two more servings in the fridge which I expect will become a very tasty lunch tomorrow.  

Recipe:

1 large chicken breast (about 1/2 pound)

16 oz. frozen broccoli

1 8 oz. can of whole water chestnuts

8 oz. whole wheat linguine

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 tbs. sriracha sauce

1 tsp. spicy oyster sauce

1 tbs. toasted sesame oil

1 tbs. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. light brown sugar

1/4 c. water

1 tbs. cornstarch 

1 tsp. minced garlic 

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake

approx. 1/2 c. chicken stock

1. Cut chicken breast into 1/4" strips.  Cut water chestnuts into slices. 

2. Mix soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, water, and cornstarch in a bowl.  Set aside.

3. Heat a large pot of water over high heat.  Cook linguine (or any noodle) according to package directions. 

4. Heat a wok or large saute pan with a lid over medium high heat.  Add 2 tbs. vegetable oil. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flake while oil is heating.

5. When garlic begins to sizzle, add chicken breast. Saute for 2-3 minutes 

6. Add broccoli and a 1/2 - 1 tsp. of soy sauce.  Mix well. Place lid on pan and allow to steam for 3-4 minutes.

7. Add water chestnuts and the stir fry sauce from step 2.  Mix well.

8. Add chicken stock as needed to thin the sauce out so that there is enough liquid to coat the pasta.

9. Mix stir fry into the cooked and drained linguine.  Mix until the noodles are coated with the sauce.  Serve immediately.