The weather map seems to be a bit backward lately. It seems like the rest of the US is experiencing rain and mild temperatures and we’re about to set some record highs here in Seattle. Granted our record highs for this time of year are in the mid 80s. But either way, zucchini appears to be abundant at this time and if you are one of those experiencing the dreary days, this zucchini soup is the perfect way to use up the zucchini and keep you warm.

Ryan scoffed at the idea of zucchini soup when I first told him that is what I was making for dinner. But despite the fact that it doesn’t sound hearty, it actually was quite filling and healthy too. While it appears creamy, there is no heavy cream in this soup. I threw in a little bit of sour cream at the end of cooking but the majority of the creamy thickness comes from the addition of potatoes. It’s one of my favorite tricks to give a soup velvety texture without adding cream.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 – 4 medium zucchini, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot add zucchini, garlic and onion. Cook 5 – 7 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
2. Stir in potatoes and chicken broth. Cook until potatoes are fork tender.
3. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. You can also carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend it that way.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix well. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.

Note: I had some extra zucchini so I shredded a bit for a garnish. It’s not necessary but makes for pretty presentation.

Enjoy!

September is here. This means a number of things to me: one, fall is just around the corner. Two, my first child will be born in approximately 2 1/2 months. And three, tomato season is almost over. While the first two make me a very happy lady, the last one makes me quite sad since tomatoes have been a part of my daily menu for the last month. To get the most out of what is left of tomato season, I’m making just about every recipe I can with them, including this panzanella salad.

I believe traditional panzanella has a bit more stuff in it and I originally wanted to throw some capers and red onion in but alas I was out of both of those. However, the marinated artichokes and perfectly sweet ripe tomatoes worked wonders together. Not to mention the sweet basil. And don’t worry about the lack of dressing, the juice from the tomatoes and the marinade from the artichokes make their own dressing as the salad sets.

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups diced (1 inch cubes) day old bread
• 3 tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
• 1 cup chopped marinated artichokes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 5 basil leaves, chopped
• grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread and cook just until toasted, about 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine bread and remaining ingredients. Mix well. Cover and let sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
3. Toss once more, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired and serve.

Enjoy!

While at work the other day, it was only about 10am and I was already thinking of what I wanted to make for dinner. Totally normal right? I thought so. During my thinking, I had decided on these cajun chicken wings but needed the perfect side dish. Then someone said “why not make a potato salad? How good does a potato salad with fried chicken sound right now?” And  the more I thought about it the more I realized that it did sound good. It sounded really good.

If you’re looking for a traditional potato salad with mayo and mustard then this recipe isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a change, let’s say a potato salad with bright herb flavor and a light sour cream dressing then you’ve come to the right place because this salad has just that. First you make a tangy dressing with sour cream, Herbs de Provence, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and then toss it with tender potatoes, yellow onion and chopped kale.

I wasn’t actually planning on putting kale in this salad at first. I simply had no idea if you could actually eat raw kale. To get my answer I took to twitter to ask some friends who I was sure would know. Thankfully Gaby from What’s Gaby Cooking happened to be checking her twitter feed at the moment I asked my question. She told me that you could in fact eat it raw, it was just important to chop it really small. I followed her advice and am thankful I did, it added a nice crunch to the salad.

Serves 6 – 8

You will need:

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, diced. Peeled if desired
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped small
• 1/2 pound Italian kale, ribs removed, chopped small

1. Place potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook just until fork tender. Drain and allow to cool.
2. In a bowl whisk together sour cream, vinegar, Herbs de Provence, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
3. Once potatoes have cooled, place them in a bowl with onion and kale. Pour dressing over the top and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve.

Enjoy!

So Spring started yesterday. Which may beg the question, why am I sharing a soup today? Well for the simple fact that it’s still a tad bit cold here. The wind still has a bit of chill to it and when you spend the weekend working in the yard, a hot bowl of soup really does hit the spot.

When Ryan and I bought our first home last year our inspector told us there were a couple trees that we should consider removing.  So this weekend, Ryan’s parents came up here and that’s what we did. I use the term “we” loosely as I spent the majority of the day hiding in the house with my hands covering my eyes and peeking out nervously as I watched my husband use a chain saw while on a ladder. I’m happy to say it all worked out, the trees are down and everyone still has all their fingers and toes. But it was nerve racking nonetheless. So to sooth my nerves a little and to help warm Ryan up I made thick, velvety split pea soup for dinner.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 3 celery stalks diced
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 1/2 cups green split peas rinsed and picked over
• 4 – 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper

1. In a large pot brown the bacon. Remove from the heat and reserve 1 tablespoon of pan drippings. Set bacon aside.
2. In the same pot with the bacon drippings cook carrots, celery, onions, garlic and rosemary for 3 – 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened slightly. Stir in split peas. Pour in 4 cups chicken broth and water. Bring to a simmer and skim any scum that comes up to the top. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 -  1 1/2 hours or until the peas are tender.
3. Using an immersion blender blend soup until smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender carefully transfer hot soup to a blender and blend in batches until smooth. Add remaining cup of chicken broth if soup is too thick for your tastes.
4. Ladle into soup bowls, top with reserved bacon and serve.

Enjoy!

This is one of those dishes where I set out to make one thing but it turned into something completely different. In this case, I originally wanted to make black bean chili. I had just about everything I needed but then I just started adding stuff. I had a few bell peppers that I needed to use, a onion and some chicken. Once I started cooking everything, it stopped looking like a black bean chili. Instead, it had all the markings of a faijta just in chili form. Thus Fajita Chicken Chili was born.

One of the things about getting off track when you are cooking is that you can accidentally add some ingredients that you didn’t mean to add . For instance, I intended to grab a can of diced tomatoes when making this chili. But I got slightly distracted when in the pantry and didn’t notice that I grabbed a can of tomato sauce until I opened it. I couldn’t just waste it so I said what the heck and threw it in. It turned out to be a tasty mistake. It gave the chili a much smoother consistency than I originally intended but it worked. The chili, albeit not the black bean chili that I set out to make for dinner, turned out to be quite the success, especially when scooped up with some warm flour tortillas.

Serves 6

You will need:

• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)
• 1 1/4 pound chicken breast, diced into bit size pieces
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans drained
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained

1. In a bowl combine 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, chicken breast and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir until the chicken is coated in the spices. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. After the chicken has marinated, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook chicken just until browned. Transfer to a plate.
3. In the same pot that you cooked the chicken in add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cook onions and bell peppers until softened, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to the pan. Pour in tomato sauce, black beans and green chilies. Add in remaining garlic powder, cumin, salt, chili powder and chipotle powder. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Season to taste with salt.
4. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with flour tortillas.

Enjoy !

As I sit here typing it is raining my back yard but not in my front yard. I see blue sky to the south of me and darker than dark clouds to the north. Ahh yes, the lovely, crazy time that is February in Seattle. Is it going to rain today? Is it going to snow? Will I see sunshine? Probably all three, but really who knows. All I know is that my feet are still cold and I have to wear a jacket when I go outside. That is why dishes like this chili verde that warm the tummy are still making their way onto my weekly menus.

Unlike the chili that most of us are used to, chili verde doesn’t use tomato sauce, or tomatoes. Instead, it calls for tomatillos which give it the lovely green color. And while many people may associate them with tomatoes, or think they are simply green tomatoes that is not actually the case. Tomatillos have husks on them and are best when used when they are green. Flavor wise, unlike tomatoes, with their touch of sweetness, tomatillos are a lot more tart. You will be able to find them in the produce section of your local grocery store usually next to the tomatoes.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, diced (optional)
• 1 (8oz) can of diced green chilies

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place tomatillos and garlic on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
2. While the tomatillos are roasting, toss the pork with the salt in pepper. Heat olive oil over medium heat and brown pork in batches.
3. Reserve 1 tablespoon of pan juices. Stir in onion and cumin. Cook 2 minutes. Return pork to the pot. Pour in chicken broth.
4. After the tomatillos have roasted, place the tomatillos, peeled garlic and cilantro into blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into the soup. Add in diced jalapeno and green chilies. Cook uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
5. Serve as is or with rice and beans.

Enjoy!

After the Super Bowl ended, everyone said “What’s next? It should just be summer now”. And as much as I wish it were true. As much as I want to bust out the grill and start planning BBQ’s, we’re still a few months away from summer. The one good thing about this is that it’s still time ladle up a bowl of this soup and curl up on the couch under your favorite blanket for one of the most comforting meals ever.

To be honest, usually when I think comfort food I think of something creamy or buttery or down right bad for me. But this soup is comforting and flat out good for you. One of the biggest reasons that it is good for you is the kale. Kale, honestly is rapidly gaining on spinach as my favorite green. It’s hearty, full of nutrients and holds up really well in soups. If you know you are not a kale fan feel free to substitute spinach in this recipe. However, if you aren’t quite sure if you’re a kale fan, try this soup with kale first .

Serves 4

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
• 1 pound turkey kielbasa or beef kielbasa
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can white beans, drained
• 1 ( 8 – 10 ounce) bunch kale chopped
• salt and pepper

1. In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium heat.  Stir in onions, garlic and crushed red peppers. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in kielbasa. Pour in chicken broth bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
2. Stir in white beans and kale. Cook 20 minutes or until kale is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Enjoy!

I know, I know, I know. It’s winter. Pumpkin recipes are usually best left for fall. But you see, this past fall, I stocked up on canned pumpkin and actually made a lot less pumpkin dishes than I anticipated making. So alas, here it is January and I find myself with a whole lotta pumpkin. So what’s a girl to do? I’ve had my fill of pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins so the next logical thing, in my mind anyway, was to make pumpkin soup. Velvety, luscious, pumpkin soup with a bit of spice from red curry and a touch of sweetness from coconut milk to be more exact.

I actually got this idea from a friend. She tried a curried pumpkin soup at a local restaurant and raved and raved about how good it was. I told her that I would try to make it and put it on the blog. This was a couple months ago, you know, back when pumpkin dishes were all the rage. But not one to go back on my word, I did make this soup and now after I’ve made it I am beginning to wish that I had bought even more pumpkin.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
• salt & pepper
• chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. In a soup pot add butter and olive oil. Cook over medium heat until butter has melted. Add in onions. Cook 3 – 5 minutes or until onions are softened. Stir in curry paste, cook 1 minute. Pour in vegetable broth. Stir in pumpkin and soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Slowly pour in coconut milk. Allow to cook for another 15 – 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into warm soup bowls. Top with cilantro if desired. Serve.

Enjoy!

Allow me to tell you a little story. A couple weeks ago, it was a rainy, cold Sunday and I wanted to make something warm. Something I could let simmer on the stove all day. I decided on chili. A chipotle chili to be exact.  While I was making it I thought well this is a chipotle chili so it should have lots of chilies. So I did what any other crazy person would do and added the whole jar. That’s right. Like 8 chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce. It had promise, I simmered it all day. It smelled amazing. And after about 2 hours I tried it. And then I had Ryan try it. And then… we ordered a pizza.

That might be a weird way to start out a post where I’m sharing the recipe. But you see, it’s not that the chili wasn’t good. The flavor itself was wonderful. It was just so hot. I could handle a spoonful of it but a bowl was pretty much out of the question. Hence the pizza. But not one to be defeated, I decided to give it another shot. This time I did everything pretty much the same except for the fact that I used a little restraint with the peppers. I only used 2. After letting it simmer for 2 hours, I tasted it. And then I had Ryan taste it. And then we ate the entire pot.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 1 pound ground buffalo
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce can) fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce can) chili beans in sauce
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (7 ounce) can mild diced green chilies
• 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate chopped

1. Brown buffalo meat in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Strain. Set aside.
2. To the same pot that you cooked the meat in add the olive oil and onions. Cook 3 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and add in the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.
3. Spoon into bowls and serve hot.

Enjoy!

When someone asked me if I had a recipe for Chicken Tortilla soup a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised that my answer was no. Chicken tortilla is one of my favorite soups. The flavors are warm and the chicken and corn make it hearty. It is perfect for those days in late November when Mother Nature decides to blast you with a blizzard.  Of course a blizzard in Seattle terms means about 2 inches of snow, but that is besides the point.

The week of Thanksgiving, Mother Nature slapped Seattle upside the head. The snow. Would. Not. Stop. It turned our freeway into a parking lot. Hills into a bus driver’s nightmare and sidewalks to ice rinks. It took people hours upon hours to get home. Buses were stranded. By the time that I got home, 2 hours after I had left work,  I was frozen, my nose was cold, my feet were cold. It took Ryan another 1 1/2 hours to get home and he had to walk an extra 10 blocks because his bus couldn’t make it to the stop. Needless to say when it came time for dinner I just wanted to make something quick and something to warm us up.

Soup was the first thing that came to mind. And because someone asked me about chicken tortilla soup I decided to make that. All of the ingredients are staples in my home so it was pretty easy to throw it together. If you have access and aren’t trapped in your house due to 2 inches of snow, make this soup really easy by using one of those roasted chickens you can buy at the grocery store.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 (15 ounce can) fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can tri-bean blend, drained and rinsed (or a can of kidney, black or pinto beans)
• 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 cups shredded chicken
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 4 small corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and jalapenos. Cook 3 – 4 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Cook 1 more minute.
2. Pour in roasted tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low to simmer. Stir in beans, kosher salt, chicken, corn, lime juice and lime zest. Allow to simmer 10 – 15 more minutes. While the soup is simmering prepare your tortilla strips.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the corn tortillas, cut into strips and bake for 5 – 7 minutes or until crispy.
4. Ladle soup into bowls, top with corn tortilla strips and cilantro.

Enjoy!