Autumn Wild Rice Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 chicken breast diced and cooked (on sauté mode with onion) or omit 
• 6 cups chicken stock or veggie
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice (sometimes I do half brown)
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 4 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small white onion diced 
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (start with 1Tbsp and adjust to spiciness level)
• 1 can lite coconut milk 
• 1/2-1 bunch kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
• Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• *for dairy free skip butter, milk and flour and add 1 can coconut milk 

INSTRUCTIONS

INSTANT POT (PRESSURE COOKER) METHOD:

1. Combine stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning in the bowl of an Instant Pot pressure cooker.  Stir briefly to combine.
2. Cover and set vent to “sealing”.  Cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.  Let the Instant Pot rest there for an extra 10 minutes (natural release).  Then carefully turn the vent to “venting” and release the remaining pressure (quick release).  Remove lid and discard the bay leaf.
3. Meanwhile, during those final 10 minutes of pressure cooking, prepare your cream sauce on the stove.  In a medium saucepan, cook the butter over medium-high heat until melted.  Whisk in the flour until combined, and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually add in the milk, and whisk until combined.  Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture nearly comes to a simmer and has thickened.  (It should be very thick.)
4. Add the cream sauce and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined.  Or just add the can of coconut milk right at the end. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.

Via: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cozy-autumn-wild-rice-soup/

Panda Express Green Bean Chicken

Ingredients

Marinade

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Chicken and Vegetables

• 1-2 boneless chicken cut into strips 
• 1 tablespoon oil 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion 
• 1/2 cup water divided
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 6 ounces green beans trimmed and halved
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced 
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Place cubed chicken in a disposable plastic bag and pour mixture over the top. Toss to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, up to 12 hours.
2. In a medium wok or saute pan (with a lid), heat oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and cook until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Return pan to heat. Deglaze with a couple tablespoons of the water and add onion and garlic. Cook for three minutes, until onion just begins to turn translucent around the edges.
4. Add green beans and bell pepper and cook for another three minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the water, cover, and continue to cook until vegetables reach your desired level of doneness, adding more water as necessary, about 3 to 8 minutes*.
5. Stir in chicken and cook just until chicken is hot. Salt to taste.
6. Serve over rice 

   
   

   
   

   Via:

   https://bakingmischief.com/2017/01/02/panda-express-string-bean-chicken/

Indian Chicken

Not a truly authentic recipe but goes great as a quick meat/ veggie to any Indian dish.

1 large chicken breast diced into bite size pieces
Canola oil for pan
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp tumeric
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 big zucchini quartered
Mix spices and rub into chicken pieces. Heat chicken in a hot skillet with oil. Cook until cooked. Take out of pan to rest. Add some more oil and sauté zucchini until tender.

Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet

Ingredients

• 3 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 cup onion, diced
• ½ cup mozzarella, shredded
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

In a large cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute

and then add ground turkey. Use a wooden spoon to break apart meat and continue cooking

approximately 8 minutes until browned.

Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir well to incorporate.

Add onion and bell pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add diced sweet potato and water. Stir

and cover with a lid for approximately 6-8 minutes until the sweet potatoes soften. Add

additional water during this process if needed to keep the meat from drying out.

Remove lid and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Top with shredded mozzarella and

allow it to melt. Remove skillet from heat and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.

French Bread Rolls

These are sooo yummy! And a great blog post about how to make rolls. It as a new way for me but really tasty.

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/french-bread-rolls/

•  1 1/2 cups warm water 
•  3/4 tablespoon instant yeast (or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast) 
•  2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey 
•  2 tablespoons canola oil, vegetable oil or other neutral-flavored oil (olive oil will work, too) 
•  1 teaspoon salt (add a pinch extra)
•  3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, more or less (see note)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a large bowl by hand, combine the warm water, instant yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour. If you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, let the yeast proof in the warm water and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly before adding the oil, salt and flour.
2. Begin mixing, and continue to add the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl (see the step-by-step tutorial below for a visual). Begin kneading the dough for 4-5 minutes in a stand mixer (7-9 minutes by hand).
3. The dough should be soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch. After a few minutes of kneading, stop the mixer and grab a small piece of dough to test if it needs more flour or not. It might leave a little bit of sticky residue on your fingers, but if you can roll it into a small ball without it sticking all over to your hands, it is good to go. If not, gradually add a bit more flour as needed.
4. Lightly grease a container or large bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and place the kneaded dough in the container.
5. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap or a large tea towel. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (this usually takes about an hour, depending on the warmth of the kitchen).
6. Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop.
7. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 2.75 ounces each, more or less), and form the dough into round balls (video tutorial here right at minute marker 2:20).
8. Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9X13-inch pan or on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or lightly greased. Space the rolls about 1/2- to 1-inch apart.
9. Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap taking care not to pin the plastic wrap under the baking sheet or else the rolls will flatten while rising. Let the plastic wrap gently hang over the sides of the pan to fully cover the rolls but not press them down.
10. Let the rolls rise until very puffy and doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
11. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
12. Immediately out of the oven, brush with butter (optional).

NOTES

As with all yeast doughs, make sure not to over (or under) flour the dough! I've given tips in the recipe (and here's a simple tutorial on yeast). The step-by-step pictures below the recipe are also a great visual.

To get those perfectly shaped round balls of dough, here's a little video tutorial (minute marker 2:20).

If you are looking for a whole wheat version of these rolls, here's the perfect fluffy whole wheat french bread roll recipe. You can also sub part of the all-purpose flour in the recipe below with whole wheat flour, if desired.

Freezable Option: I almost always make a double or triple batch of these rolls. Once they are baked and cooled, I place them in a zipper-lock freezer bag and put them in the freezer. I either take them out a few hours before I need them or I take them out frozen and microwave them for about 2-3 minutes on 70% power.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• 1/4 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
•  _____
•  FOR THE GARNISHES:
•  Diced Avocado
•  Diced Red Onion
•  Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
•  Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
•  Cilantro

 
 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

January 8, 2011 1092

PREP TIME:

10 Minutes

DIFFICULTY:

Easy

COOK TIME:

90 Minutes

SERVINGS:

8 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• 1/4 cup Diced Green Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
•  _____
•  FOR THE GARNISHES:
•  Sour Cream
•  Diced Avocado
•  Diced Red Onion
•  Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
•  Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
•  Cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside. 

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. 

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips. 

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)