Scribbles

Originally from the kitchen of my mom, adapted by yours truly

I've made this recipe a dozen times by now, and it turns out a little differently each time depending on what ingredients I have on hand (or forgot to purchase beforehand).

1-2 cans tomato sauce
1 large can roasted tomatoes (usually come chopped)
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
1/2-1 lb. ground turkey or beef
salt and pepper
1/2-1 T chili flakes
2-3 T chili powder
1 can kidney beans
olive oil

Saute onions, celery, and bell pepper until softened in large sauce pan. Add ground meat and cook until browned (does not need to be cooked through). Add remaining ingredients and bring to simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Optional: Omit ground meat to create a vegetarian version. Equally good, less hearty. Serve with corn bread or my new favorite, grilled polenta.

Enjoy.

Calories: Approximately 200 per cup.

Frozen Pea Soup

From the kitchen of the Barefoot Contessa

2 T olive oil or butter
2 leaks, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 box (32 oz.) chicken stock
5 cups (20 oz.) frozen peas
2/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 teas. salt
pepper
1 can pinto or other white beans
1/2 cup chives, chopped (optional)
Other seasonings as desired

Saute leaks and onions in oil or butter in large saucepan. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add peas and cook 3-5 minutes until peas are tender. Add mint, salt, pepper to taste, and beans. Simmer until heated through, then puree in blender 1 cup at a time or using an emersion blender.

I think I added some dried basil and/or oregano and/or whatever else I found in my cupboard. Like I've said before, I am a seasoning junkie. The more the merrier.

Note: If you really feel like shelling fresh peas then you can rename this recipe "fresh pea soup" as it was intended to be called, but who really wants to shell (or knows how or where to) fresh peas? No one I know.

Calories: Approximately 150 calories for 1 cup.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

I'm not trying to bore you with recipes, really. It's just that if I put them in my blog, then I know they are out there somewhere in the world and next time I want to pull them out, I will know where to look.

Chicken Vegetable Soup
From the kitchen of Rachel Ray, or someone who writes for her

1 lb. plum tomatoes (canned are fine)
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper
Chicken or other grill seasoning
1 ib. boneless chicken breast
2 small onions, chopped
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 lb. yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 box (32 oz.) low sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
1/2 c. flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Roast tomoatoes at 500 degrees with olive oil, salt and pepper on lined baking sheet for about 20 mins (this step is optional).

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and grill seasoning. Cook in olive oil in large saucepan until cook through. Let cool, then shred meat.

Using the same saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, season with salt and cook until soft (5 mins). Add carrots, potatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to simmer and cook for about 5 mins. Add green beans and tomatoes and cook until potatoes are soft (10 mins). Add chicken, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until vegetables reach desired texture.

Calories: Approx 235 for 1 cup.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

White Bean Chicken Chili

Does anyone else out there love the indoors as much as I do? I realize that I live in a town where I can sunbathe through November and the icy-chill involves no actual ice-or chill, but the mere hint of gloomy weather excites me to no end. Why? Because it means I can stay indoors. I can relax in the calm space my home provides (+1 point for being single), catch up on good T.V. and revel in the ridiculous, and simply do whatever it is I do at home. It also means my house tends to be a little cleaner.

So, in light of "winter" as I have come to know it, I've been taking this time to practice my soup making skills. It comes in handy for a GFDF girl who likes food! So here I go with a few [modified] recipes for keeps:

White Chicken Chili
From the kitchen of a mom and dear friend

1 lb chicken, cut in small chunks
1 small onion, chopped
1 box (32 oz.) chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 cans pinto or cannellini beans, drained and rinse
1 or 2 bell peppers, chopped
jalapeno chili peppers to taste (jarred, fresh, canned)
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put everything besides the beans, bell peppers, and jalapenos in a crock pot for 3-5 hrs. 1 hr. before serving add remaining ingredients.

If you do not have a crock pot (moi), sear chicken in olive oil in a large pot, then add and saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Once vegetables are soft, add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer on low heat approx. 1 hr.

Tip: Soup is always better the next day (or 2, 3, 4 days later). I probably added twice the amount of cumin and would have enjoyed more heat from the jalapenos, but then again, I am a spice fiend.

Enjoy

I'm Baaaacckkkkk

I've been on quite the hiatus from this world of blogging lately. Perhaps there has been too much going on. Perhaps I don't know what to write. Or perhaps I simply cannot manage to finish a thought. I've read a lot of those "stream of conscience" blogs in the last few months, and perhaps that's what I should start doing. Why finish a thought when you have plenty to start?

All that to say-I'm back. I'm a month in to 2010 (I guess we all are) and already a lot has changed. Without getting into the details, I can at least say that this year is still lookin' good. I still have hope---and rolling with the punches in the meantime. Year two has already proven my theory that year one sucks. I've pretty much done everything I can do in my job so now is the time for me to do things better and with more efficiency. I love those words. Better. Efficiency. That's more my style. I like my job better--and that is HUGE in my book. Can't say I will love it forever, but I love it for now. Wow, that's a strong word-not sure if I am ready for the "L" word. Well, it is February after all.

As much as I am blessed by others in my job, I can be equally frustrated by them. The one thing I can say though is that I am a little more confident in my decisions. I work hard, I am dedicated, and do the best I can. Sometimes I surprise myself by what I can accomplish. It's those moments that I am reminded I didn't accomplish much of anything-God did. I also have boundaries. I refuse to let my job consume me or my life. I like to think that by setting boundaries of my own I will encourage others to do the same for themselves. (Side note: Boundaries and bailing are not synonymous. Ask any volunteer coordinator).

There is plenty more to be said, I am sure, but in the meantime the couch is calling my name. All-Nighters with [68] 4th & 5th graders can do that to a girl. Even a girl who is still only 23. Only 23.