Southwest Chicken Chile Stew

Accidents happen. Luckily those accidents can sometimes turn out better than original intention. Take, for example, this stew. It was an accident and the direct result of indecisiveness. It is also example of one of the [very] few times that indecisiveness has worked in my favor.  To be fair, the ridiculous sale ($1.50/lb) that Whole Foods had on organic, bone-in chicken breast was also to blame seeing as how I bought enough to feed an army and had virtually no room left in the freezer. I need to make something that used a large amount of chicken and, preferably, something I could eat all week and freeze- most likely in someone else’s freezer -  if there was any remaining. I was torn between making a green chili chicken stew, which I love (also because my mom just passed off a Costco-sized jar of green chilis to me) and making something similar to Red Lentil and Veggie Soup (because it was so damn good the first go round). The result was that many of the same ingredients went into the pan with southwestern spices versus the Asian infusion that made the lentil soup delightful. That said, southwest spices are something to write home about as well so – really – everyone wins. The corn, spinach, and kale additions (and my need to remove stuff from the freezer to accommodate the copious amounts of chicken I had purchased) sort of turned the tide from making green chile chicken. However, I did use a hefty amount of green chilis in a futile attempt to put a dent in the ones given to me.

Note: The reasons I did not use the same beans was because I only had those two cans and some Garbanzo beans on hand. Use whatever beans you like! Personally, I have a thing for kidney beans – but I do not discriminate. I am a bonafide bean freak. Yes I know, we all know about my obsession with beans…

Southwest Chicken Chile Stew

Serves four-six, plus leftovers

One can each Kidney Beans, Cannellini, and Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
One bag frozen corn (or canned)
Four bone in chicken breasts
Two cups frozen or fresh Kale
Three cups frozen or fresh Spinach
Six Carrots, cut into semi-thick slices
Two Onions, diced
Ten cloves garlic, minced
Two Bay leaves
Eight quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
Two tablespoons Ground Cumin (adjust to taste)
Half-tablespoon Cayenne (adjust to taste)
Two tablespoons Ground Coriander
One tablespoon Oregano
Two cups fresh Cilantro
Two cups leftover Spaghetti Squash (optional)
One can Diced Tomatoes with Garlic
One cup (to one and a half) Chopped Green Chilis
Juice of one lemon

Blueberry and Artic Char Tar Tar

Texas summer has officially commenced and as Texans are now virtually either confined to our air conditioned houses or a body of water, preferably Barton Springs or similar temperatures, for the next six to seven months lots of cooking is bound to happen. I am lucky enough to have found my new favorite summer dish. This Tar Tar uses Char, which is quite similar to salmon boasting a nice firm texture and a bit more mild salmon taste. It also generally has a cheaper price than Fresh Wild Coho Salmon. I picked some up because it just looked beautiful and the Coho was a little less stellar that day. I needed to use up some fruit, green onion, and avocado. Given my love of all things raw, it really is not shocking I threw fruit together with fish (particularly since I routinely each salmon with apples and kale). This salad is light, refreshing, healthy, full of antioxidants, and – most importantly – cold. There is nothing worse in Texas summer than eating piping hot steaming food. I served this with Kale Avocado Salad and was a supremely happy and cool girl.

Blueberry and Artic Char Tar Tar

Serves One (or two smaller portions)

Four ounces Fresh Artic Char, skinned and cut into dice
Half cup blueberries
One cup papaya, cut into small dice
One quarter avocado, cut into dice
Two green onions, diced
Two tablespoons Lars Crispy Onions
Two tablespoons Ginger People Ginger Lime Sauce
Juice of One Lime
Pinch of Salt

Faux Porky Pho

Homemade Faux Porky Pho

Faux Porky Pho…”Faux” because I veered from the traditional ingredients and pho making method and also because Faux is the incorrect pronunciation of Pho. “Porky” because I used multiple versions of proky goodness. Many thanks to James and Sus who smoked two pork butts for a housewarming party recently. I have raved about these in my Bacon Wasabi  Slaw post previously so I will spare you a second emphatic accolade – though these fine specimen’s of God’s Meat deserve deserved at least a second mention.  First, I used pork jelly that was reserved after the smoking of a huge pork butt (what can I say, I guess I am a butt girl). I also used shredded pork butt  as my meat versus meatball or shaved beef. I used different toppings than traditional, including  Bacon Wasabi Slaw and combined homemade chicken stock and pork juice with some purchased Beef Pho base (Pacific Kitchen brand) along with the traditional pho seasoning. I also subbed udon noodles for glass or rice vermicelli because I did not feel like soaking them. Fauxness aside, this was DELICIOUS and was very closely akin to pho; it even managed to satiate the perpetual pho craving I cannot seem to kick.  Seriously, there should be pho rehab.  I imagine this soup would be the gateway drug….and I am a full-blown adict.

As with most everything I make, I have no idea how much of what went I threw in, so operate on the usual “guestimate” theory and adjust spices according to your personal preferences.

Faux Porky Pho

Serves 2-3, with leftovers

One and One half Cups Chicken Stock (homemade preferably)
Two Cups Beef Pho Base (substitute chicken or beef stock and add more seasoning)
Half-Cup Pork Jelly (or the gelatin of some other earthly animal)
Ginger
Two cups pulled pork butt
One tablespoon crushed red pepper
One tablespoon fish sauce
Two to Three tablespoons Hoisin sauce
A good pinch cane sugar
Three tablespoons minced ginger
Sriracha to taste
Five cloves
Half-Tablespoon ground coriander
Half-Tablespoon ground turmeric
Buckwheat Soba Noodles, cooked to package instructions

Toppings
Wasabi Bacon Slaw
Thinly Sliced Jalapeno
Chopped Green Onion
Thinly sliced radishes
Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
Lime wedges
Extra Hoisin, Sriracha, and Fish sauce for serving

Mango-Jicama Slaw

Mango-Jicama Slaw

This is just one of many variations of jicama salad and feel free to add whatever you fancy to it to meet your personal tastes. I also like it with carrots, radicchio, or avocado. I went for the simple version on Cinco de Mayo because I already was making guacamole, black bean corn salsa and pico. Clearly, I did not have enough food so I had to add this slaw in (or maybe I just desperately needed to use up some leftover mango and jicama). This is great as a topping for tacos or enchiladas, grilled fish/chicken/meat or simply eaten on its own. Jicama is nice and crunchy and is the perfect compliment to the soft, sweet, juicy mango.

Mango-Jicama Slaw

Serves Four to Six

One to two Mangoes, diced
One half to one whole Jicama, sliced into thin straws or diced
Three tablespoons red onion or shallot, finely shaved or diced
Two cups Cilantro
Lemon Juice (from one lemon)
One-half tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Salt

Combine Mango, Onion, Cilantro and Jicama in a serving bowl. In a small bowl mix together salt, vinegar, and lemon juice. Pour over fruit mixture and stir well to combine.

Kale and Avocado Salad

Kale and Avocado Salad

This salad may be  IS the King Kong of salads. It is quite possibly one of the healthiest and most nutritious meals you can have for lunch, snack or dinner (kale has a ANDI score of 1,000). It meets almost all dietary restrictions (no oil, limited salt, no meat) and gets richness from tangy avocado – a healthy fat. I became mildly addicted to a similar salad that Whole Foods makes in their prepared, raw foods section. Their version had a bit too much lemon for me and I much prefer not paying four bucks every time I crave this. The best part about making this at home is that you can add whatever you like to it. I tend to make a different version each time. Ingredients I have added include: mango; apple; chickpeas; and, zucchini ribbons. It is important not to let your significant other watch you make this preparation might invoke jealousy over the kale getting a massage. In order to break down the fibrous raw kale, you must massage lemon juice and salt (for proper flavoring) into the kale. Really put some elbow grease during this massage; you will not believe that the Kale, properly softened, is not actually cooked.

 Words of caution – if you do not like Kale, you may not like this salad. This is not for those who (quite inexplicably) despise kale. It tastes like kale. It is great for all the kale lovers out there. Which reminds me, D recently bought me a shirt that says KALE on it – it is AWESOME (and indicative of how much kale I eat). It is super soft and comfy and I am pretty sure he stole it even though he makes a gag face when I pull big bundles of kale out of the fridge. Time to sneak some kale into his quinoa…

Note: The pictured version includes mango, radish and apple. Feel free to use one, two or all.

Kale and Avocado Salad

Serves Four

One bunch Green Kale
One large Haas Avocado
One half red onion, very thinly sliced
One red apple, thinly sliced (sub mango or other fruit if desired)
Two teaspoons Kosher Salt
Juice of One lemon

De-stem the kale leaves and wash well. Drain leave and tear roughly. In a large bowl combine the kale, red onion, and avocado. Sprinkle mixture with salt and squeeze lemon juice directly onto the greens. Using both hands, massage the kale while simultaneously mixing the greens. Massage strongly until kale has softened and all elements are incorporated. Add apple and black pepper to taste and mix well.

Serve on its own or with your favorite chicken salad, quinoa, fish or grilled chicken.

Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

This soup is something along the lines of an “East Meets West Minestrone” or maybe  a “world kitchen sink soup;” either way, it is a shining example of fusion food.  The benefit list is long: comforting, healthy, nutritious, restorative, flavorful (with anti-cancer spices as well), easy, a breeze to make from your freezer and pantry, affordable…the list goes on. All with just a twist on the every day garden veggie soup. I created this (and in doing so, greatly elevated my self-esteem) to use up A LOT of leftover food including: chicken; chicken stock; cooked squash; zucchini; and, carrots. Then I just added ingredients from the pantry or freezer that are usually on hand and – VOILA! There is one stipulation: you MUST use homemade broth as it will give the soup depth and richness and also is essential for the restorative factor. Homemade broth, inclusive of the gelatin that is formed, is incredibly restorative for a tired or aching body (and probably has something to do with the “comfort” in comfort food). Omission of homemade broth will lessen the amazeballs quality that this soup has. And, yes, amazeballs is a legitimate adjective in Andiland.

Note: I made this a while back and cannot recall the exact amount of spice that ended up going in. The quantities listed below are more like suggestions. If you are a confident spicer, you will know what to do; however, if you follow a recipe to the “t” you may want to start with a bit less, taste along the way, and add as desired. The curry powder is a blend that is Barons Thai Curry Blend Secret #52 (available at Whole Foods). You can substitute your favorite curry powder in its stead. I think the only difference is the presence of onion and red pepper flakes. If you have a Parmesan rind you would like to throw in, go for it – I did not (though I usually do with broth-based soups) and did not miss it one bit….oh I really have to make more broth so that I can have this again! Please do not be scared of the long ingredient list – this is a cinch and you just throw stuff in!

There are no pictures for this soup unfortunately. I was too busy eating it to snap a picture. Next time…

Curried Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

Serves Six (unless I am around and that number reduces to One)

Two cans Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
About two tablespoons Ground Cumin
One Tablespoon Thai Curry Powder (add additional to taste)
Three teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne (optional)
A good pinch or two of Salt (add one first and taste before adding more)
Juice of one lemon 
One and one-half yellow onions, diced
Eight to ten cloves garlic, minced  
One Box (or can) Chopped tomatoes
Six to Eight cups Homemade Stock
Five carrots, sliced and quartered
Two celery stalks, leaves attached, sliced
One Bay leaf
One tablespoon olive oil
One package Frozen 365 Organics Kale
Two Zucchini, cut into quarters  
Three Cups fresh, frozen or dehydrated Green Peas
Two cups (or more) cooked Spaghetti Squash
Two cups Red Lentils, washed well in cold water
One half cup of chicken stock gelatin
Two cups shredded chicken breasts (I had some leftover, but you can also cook the breasts in the soup if you wish)
Black pepper to taste

In large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, celery and carrots and allow to sweat until onions are glassy. Add the stock and gelatin and bring to a simmer. Add the cumin, curry blend, cayenne, bay leaf, and salt, (which can be pre-mixed in a small bowl) and stir well. Add the lentils, kidney beans, and tomatoes and allow to simmer for about 25 minutes. Check the lentils for doneness (should have about 10 more minutes or so and check the soup for seasoning deficiency (and/or awesomeness). Try to stop testing the soup…it will be hard, but you can do it. Add the chopped zucchini, kale, spaghetti squash, chicken, and a squeeze of lemon (use more or less to taste). After about five minutes add the peas. Serve with whole grain bread or with a salad (or all by its Divine self).

Mexican Quinoa

Mexican quinoa can be thought of as a healthy, and more flavorful, version of Mexican Rice (or Spanish Rice). I made this to go with enchiladas after having some chipotle southwest quinoa from Central Market that had inspired the idea. It was more of an after thought on Cinco de Mayo as I was afraid we might not have enough food – horrific I know. I used what I had leftover from other dishes on the menu which included my enchiladas, black-bean corn salsa, garlicky guacamole, mango-jicama slaw and some watermelon-jalapeno margaritas. It was so delicious that I have made it twice since then. In all honesty, I plan on making it tonight as well!

Quinoa is a much healthier substitute for rice, and the blend that I used included barley further increasing the nutritious benefits of whole grains. The final version of the dish is also much less greasy than traditional Spanish rice (which I have always found to be reminiscent of Japanese fried rice without the flavor). It would be great on its own as a vegan/vegetarian treat or served with grilled fish, chicken, or other meat – thus far I have had it with enchiladas, chicken, and scallops. Best part is the time commitment; you can easily have this whole dish ready to eat in twenty minutes.

Mexican Quinoa

Serves three to four

One dry cup Central Market Red Quinoa and Barley 10-minute mix prepared in two cups chicken or veggie stock
Two tablespoons olive oil, mixed with ground cumin, adobo, tumeric, salt, and paprika/cayenne to taste
One-half red (or white) onion or shallot, minced
Three cloves garlic, minced
One half jalapeno, minced
Two tomatoes, diced
One avocado, Diced
One cup cilantro
Lemon wedge or Half
A cup of Simple Black Bean-Corn Salsa

In a small saucepan, bring two cups of preferred stock (lightly salted) to a boil. Add in one cup of Quinoa of choice, reduce heat and simmer until cooked. Meanwhile, combine olive oil and spices in a bowl and mix well. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Once glassy, turn heat to low and add the tomatoes, avocado, salsa, and cilantro. Give a quick stir, then add cooked quinoa to the pan; mix well. Squeeze the lemon wedge/half and adjust seasoning to taste. Mix well and serve.

Simple Black Bean-Corn Salsa

Simple Black Bean-Corn Salsa

It’s easy. It’s healthy. It’s Tasty. It’s versatile. I always serve some variation of this with enchiladas (as we know from my previous post that includes garlic, avocado and tomato). Lately, my favorite application for this summertime delight is to throw it into Mexican Quinoa (recipe coming soon). It would also be a great topping for a mexicanesque or southwest style soup.

Black Bean-Corn Salsa

Black Beans, one can drained and rinsed
Sweet Corn (feel free to use canned, frozen, or fresh charred corn)
Half-Red onion – small dice
One Half Red Bell Pepper – small dice
Sweet Corn
Lime Juice
One tablespoon Red wine vinegar
Spices (just a pinch each): Ground cumin, cayenne, adobo, salt
Two Cilantro to taste

Combine the red onion, bell pepper, corn, cilantro and black beans in a large bowl. Mix gently and well. In a small bowl combine the red wine vinegar, spices, and lime juice and mix well. Add the liquid mixture to the onion mixture and toss gently until incorporated. Adjust seasoning according to taste and if it is too bitter add a pinch of sugar.

Yep that is pretty much it, you are done. Enjoy!