Guinness Beef Stew for St. Patty's Day

Surely you will see countless Guinness recipes on this St. Patty's Day.  However, I must tell you that this one is special!  As I (attempted to) reorganize my tags in a fit of boredom and bad TV, I noticed how very few 'beef' recipes I've posted on the site.  Truth is, of all the things I love in this world, I just don't love beef.  I know, I know...I've come around on a lot of foods, and perhaps this just may be one of them.



Though I put on my best show - cringing and making faces while cooking the stew, once I dug in I had to sheepishly admit that damn, this stuff is pretty good! This stew is chock full of flavor, hearty veggies and of course, hunks of beef.

Speaking of hearty veggies, I had never cooked with parsnips or really knew what they looked liked.  Luckily the friendly guy working produce at Henry's was so kind as to not only show me what they were, but also pull some fresh ones from the back.  Have I mentioned that I love Henry's?



Apparently I am the last person in the world to enjoy parsnips as I received not two but three comments on my purchase from other customers inquiring what I was making and mentioning the deliciousness of parsnips. For those in the dark like me, don't let the odd paint smell of parsnips turn you off! They're like carrots, only tastier :)  The original recipe called for turnips, but I just couldn't add one more oddity to my meal.  Instead, I added good old standbys:  Yukon Gold potatoes (a definite must add) and celery.

Hope you enjoy St. Patrick's Day. What are your plans? Green beer and Guinness Stew, I hope! :) 

Guinness Beef Stew
Adapted from Cooking Light March '10

Canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
salt & pepper for seasoning beef
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into cubes (don't use lean stew meat as it will get tough with the slow cooking)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
5 cups chopped onion (about 3)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups beef broth
1 (11.2 oz) bottle Guinness Draught
1 tablespoon raisins
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium-large Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into chunks
1 1/2 cups diagonally sliced carrots (peeled)
1 1/2 cups diagonally sliced parsnips (peeled)
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1. Heat several rounds of oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan.

2. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan and cook 5 minutes, until browned but not cooked through. Remove beef and repeat procedure with remaining beef.

3. Add onion to pan and cook about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, beer, scraping bottom of pan to loosen brown bits. Return meat to pot; stir in 1 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Uncover and bring back to a slow boil. Cook uncovered for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, celery and potatoes. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Uncover and bring back to boil, cook 10 minutes or until veggies are cooked and tender. Remove bay leaf & sprinkle with parsley.

Rainy California Style Italian Wedding Soup

Despite the famous song,"It Never Rains in Southern California" it's honest to God actually raining in Southern California. Having spent about 95% of my life in the finicky weather of the Midwest, I never thought I'd get caught up in the hysteria of a pending storm. I mean, its just rain, right?! Well, I suppose not really as the flooding roads are clearly ill equipped to handle rain and so are the drivers!


After driving through rivers that were once roads and barely escaping panicked drivers, I returned home to the realization that I had never anticipated the difficulty of taking care of a dog when it rains. If you live in Seattle or some other rainy clime, please do enlighten me! A simple walk around the block turned into a muddy adventure and a smelly wet dog, followed by some fun wrestling as I tried in vain to clean up said odorous dog.


Well after getting myself slimed by my once cute, but now stinky mutt, I settled in for some nice warm and cozy leftover soup last night. I spotted this recipe on Allrecipes.com and doctored it up with some garlic, veggies and spices and used ground turkey instead of beef. This is even tastier the next day as the flavors have a chance to meld. While I loved the combo of orzo, meatballs and veggies, I may experiment with adding some lemon juice for a little extra flavor in the broth.

Hope you had a good weekend and stay warm out there!

California Italian Wedding Soup

1/2 pound lean ground turkey (or beef)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 large carrots, sliced
1 large celery stalk, diced
6 cups chicken broth
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup orzo, uncooked
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 cups finely sliced spinach
grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1.In a large bowl, mix together the meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil, parsley, green onions, salt & pepper; shape into 3/4 inch balls.

2.In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add in carrots and garlic. Stir for about 2 minutes and add celery. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

3. Add in broth and increase heat to high. When boiling, drop in meatballs. Stir lemon zest and orzo. Season with a dash of salt and pepper, and the oregano. Return to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook at a slow boil for 10 minutes or until orzo is tender, stirring frequently. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

Ellie's Lemony Lentil Soup with Greens

For all you go-getter-New Years-resolution-people who happened to be clogging up the gym tonight at 6pm, here's an uber healthy meal that I made not while trying to be healthy, but because I was cold.

Alas! Lucky me, it also happened to be quite a hearty meal and left me with a bead of sweat on my nose when dinner was finished. Chock full of goodies, this soup packs 30g of protein per 2 cup serving and gobs of iron from the lentils. Add in some carrots, kale and celery and you've got yourself a vitamin packed power meal.

I was initially skeptical of this recipe because I gravitate towards thick soups, not broth based soups, and let me tell you this guy uses a lot of broth - 12 cups to be exact! However, the hint of lemon gives the soup a lift and brings out a good flavor. Tastes are sometimes hard to change though, and I think next time I'll experiment with smashing some beans or lentil to make the soup a little thicker. All in all this was a good soup that I'll make again.


Lemony Lentil Soup with Greens
adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week
(definitely one of my new favorite cookbooks!)
2 tsp canola or olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz green lentils
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
8 cups chopped kale leaves (about 6 oz)
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1. Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium- high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until the carrots are softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add 12 cups of the broth, the lentils, basil, thyme, garlic salt and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the kale, and cook until the lentils are tender, 30 to 35 minutes, adding more broth if necessary. Stir occasionally while simmering. When finished, stir in the lemon juice and zest and serve.

Dr Tyler's Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Soup

Most of the country has probably phased out of "soup season," but here in San Diego we have a pesky little phenomenon called June Gloom. Though not too chilly, many of the June days in this otherwise eternally sunny city are spent overcast and gray. I am quite positive that those of you who've just emerged from months of tundra-like conditions do not have much sympathy!


Last week, we experienced a few of these gloomy days which coincided with hubby getting a bad cough. I happened to be flipping through Tyler Florence's Dinner at My Place and saw a recipe for Dr. Tyler's Chicken soup that Tyler claims can pull him from the depths of a miserable cold.

Tyler Florence is a magical kind of man, but now he can cure illnesses too? Amazing! His soup healing soup claim piggybacks on the belief of many, including scientists, that chicken soup can cure the common cold.


Whether it cured hubby or not, we decided that Dr. Tyler certainly did something right: this was one of our favorite soups we've made! We loved it so much that we made it for the second week in a row. Tonight's version shown above (used smaller tortellini and more carrots this time around).

A combination of apple chicken meatballs, tortellini, carrots, celery and a delicious herb broth make for a very tasty soup. For those of you not already in the thick of summer, I highly suggest trying this hearty and filling soup.

**If you haven't already, check out my giveaway post! You have until midnight on Thursday to win some tasty salsa!**

Dr. Tyler's Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Soup
Adapted lightly from Tyler's Dinner at My Place

Chicken Meatballs
4 links chicken apple sausage (uncooked) We ours from Henry's and they are BIG so if you have small ones, consider using a little more
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (about 2 slices bread)
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus 2 extra tbsp for sprinkling

Soup
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 large carrots, cut in circles
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
1 small zucchini, chopped
Kosher salt
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound refrigerated tortellini

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 black peppercorns

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare meatballs by combining chicken meat (discard casings), bread crumbs,milk, egg, parsley & 1/4 c. Parmesan in a large bowl. Mix well with hands. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roll meatballs and place on cooking sheet or roasting pan. Drizzle lightly with oil and sprinkle with 2 tbsp Parmesan. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

While meatballs are cooking, prepare the soup by heating a large stockpot over medium heat. Add a few rounds of olive oil to the pan, garlic, and thyme. Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onion, carrot and celery. Continue to saute for about 4 minutes. Add zucchini and saute for another 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and peppercorns. Add bay leaf and parsley to the soup. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Once meatballs are cooked, drop them into the soup and add the tortellini. Allow soup to return to a boil and boil for several minutes or until tortellini are cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste & sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Fish Minestrone topped with Parsley Herb Pesto

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! We don't have any family in town, so we tried to enjoy the day by taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine and plan on having a nice dinner at home. Lately, I have been cooking quite a bit from my favorite big headed beauty's new cookbook, Giada's Kitchen.


I love her new collection that focuses on fresh ingredients and a bit of a California spin on recipes like this Fish Minestrone Soup. Aside from the great food, the cookbook also seems to offer uh, a little bit of candy for the eyes. Giada's stylist has an uncanny knack for picking out tops that accentuate her big...smile. I mean, is this cookbook G-rated? The Giada montages are something else!

Well, if anything, Giada's latest seems to have gotten hubby more interested in picking out dishes for dinner so I suppose that's a plus.

I had a few initial doubts about this soup as the actual broth isn't seasoned with anything more than salt and pepper. The mixologist in me felt inclined to run to the spice rack, but I resisted and just followed the recipe for once.

The fish seasons the broth nicely and a mixture of oregano, fresh Italian parsley and olive oil tops the soup and really kicks up the flavor. Giada calls it an herb sauce, but as you can see from the photos it's a little bit more of a pesto consistency so I've taken the liberty to rename.


Contrary to my assumption, the minestrone was full of flavor and quite hearty. Zucchini, carrots, onions, garbanzo beans and cannelini beans round out the soup nicely and are certainly a nice change from the typical Italian tomato based minestrone.

I highly recommend checking out Giada's Kitchen (for both the recipes and your husband's entertainment) and plan on making the Grilled Shrimp with Tomato Artichoke Broth tonight!

Fish Minestrone with Herb Pesto
adapted from Giada's Kitchen

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup fresh green beans, cut into bite size pieces
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 lb red snapper filets
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Herb Pesto Topping
2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, zucchini and green beans. Stir to combine and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the beans and the broth. Cook until the broth simmers, about 5 minutes.

Season both sides of the fish fillets with kosher salt and pepper and add them to the soup. Simmer until the fish is cooked through. Season the broth with salt & pepper.

For the herb topping:
While the fish cooks, combine the parsley, oregano, garlic & white wine vinegar in the food processor. Pulse the machine until it forms a paste. Add olive oil in a steady stream while the food processor runs. Add salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with the herb pesto as desired.

Broccoli Cheese Chicken Noodle Soup

Though it's only been about a week, it seems like forever since I've posted anything or even cooked a meal! We're back from vacation and though it was fun and relaxing, I'm worn out. Hiking in the Yosemite snow followed by a few days of wine tasting in Sonoma with some of your favorite people in the world will do that to you!


While I made valiant efforts to keep up with work on my Blackberry, I'm still crawling out of a virtually endless email black hole. How do really important people ever take vacations when lowly little me has so much trouble catching up?! :)


Luckily, I found this recipe in my archives that is super easy to throw together. When I whipped this up for the first time, hubby proclaimed it was one of his favorite meals ever. He often says that not only to flatter me, but to keep me cooking in the kitchen. Sneaky guy. Well, this time I believed him because I agreed!

So, the recipe does contain America's finest processed cheese food (aka Velveeta), but I swear that some days nothing can make things as creamy and nicely orange as a good hunk of Velveeta.


Because I'm tired and lazy, I'm just posting the link to this recipe found in March's Cooking Light. I made the following substitutions:

- 2 tablespoons of butter instead of 3 tablespoons
- spaghetti instead of vermicelli
- fat free half and half
- pinch of garlic salt

This is a great recipe for those of you in the country who are suffering from the it's spring-but-feels-like-winter doldrums. Just thinking about that snowy hike in Yosemite makes me want another hot bowl of soup!

Shrimp and Corn Chowder...yes, another shrimp recipe

This post will have to be short and sweet since I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow and haven't started packing! It's times like this when a fun adventure morphs into a stressful event. Moral of the story: don't procrastinate!


We made this shrimp & corn chowder last night and just enjoyed two more heaping bowls of leftovers. It's hearty and great for these still chilly spring nights. Per usual, we served this with a huge hunk of warm, crusty bread. I also added a hint of sugar to create a nice sweet & spicy taste that aids our wimpy taste-buds.


I know there are quite a few of you shrimp-haters out there, so for you anti-shrimp people, I think this soup would be equally as tasty with some chicken or turkey!


Well, I'm off to go relax pack, workout, & finish work and will hopefully have lots of pictures to share! Have a great week.

Shrimp & Corn Chowder
adapted from Cooking Light

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 1/2 cups diced frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 4.5oz can chopped fire-roasted green chiles, undrained
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups broth
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can whole-kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained (Mexicorn)
1 pound peeled and deveined small shrimp
pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
nonstick spray

1. Spray a large soup pot or Dutch oven with nonstick spray. Over medium high heat, melt butter. Add sweet onions and diced potatoes. Saute until potatoes begin to brown slightly. Add bell pepper, and green onions to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

2. Add canned green chiles to pan; cook 1 minute. Add flour to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, broth, salt, cumin, pepper and corn; bring to a boil. Add in a dash of sugar. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in shrimp; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are pink. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.

Man Food Mondays: Shrimp, Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Have you seen those silly NutriSystem commercials touting "MAN Food?" Says big beefy man (I think Dan Marino): “Hey guys, let’s be honest. A man wants to eat real food – hot dogs, burgers, pizza and lasagna. You know, man food, big taste, hearty portions.”


I'm not sure if this is a prime example of the Marketing group gone crazy, but these commercials truly make me laugh. I somehow cannot locate a clip on YouTube so for those of you in the dark, you just need to watch more bad TV.

Well, in our household we've created our own Man Food Mondays, though it has nothing to do with losing weight, and everything to do with hubby in the kitchen. WoooHoo! You see, since we've been married, hubby has gotten uh, a little lazy in the kitchen while I've taken over the reins of housewife. Oh, but only if I were actually a housewife!

So, to maintain our egalitarian household, every Monday hubby will be cooking up a treat for us and you all get to revel in some good ol' Man Food!


This gumbo is chock full of goodies: sausage, shrimp, chicken, tomatoes, and okra. Okra...does it go in anything besides gumbo? In any case, this did stand up to be quite a hearty meal as we served it over rice and with a side of cornbread. The sauce is thick and tasty, though it didn't have quite the kick I'm used to with gumbo. I'd suggest adding a pinch or two of cayenne if you're looking for that spice. Otherwise, this is a tasty dish perfect for that man of yours who needs to feel like a man when he eats ;)

Man Food Gumbo
Adapted from Paula Deen

1-2 large boneless skinless chicken breast(s)
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 link sweet Italian Sausage, cut into 1/4in pieces
1 link hot Italian Sausage, cut into 1/4in pieces (total of about 1lb sausage)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste)
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
4 cups beef or chicken broth (we ran out and used 2.5 cups broth, 1.5 cups water)
1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra
green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.

2. Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley.

3. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add broth, whisking constantly. Return the chicken and sausage to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.

4. Remove the chicken and allow to cool slightly. Shred with hands or two forks. Return chicken to pot.

5. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley. Allow to simmer until shrimp are cooked, about 2 minutes.

Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup

Though I claimed it could never happen, I think I'm finally burnt out on Thanksgiving turkey. We've had turkey in just about every shape and form last week from sandwiches and paninis to turkey enchiladas to this delicious Mexican Turkey Soup. Hmm, I'm still eating the soup for lunch, so I suppose I haven't banished turkey from my diet quite yet!


I sometimes have to ask myself what I'd do without my fellow bloggers. For one, I didn't realize I was paying such exorbitant prices for my TP. Thank you, my friends for alerting me to the fact that I may be the only sucker in the country buying those $15 six roll multipacks. I'm usually a better bargain hunter, I swear.

Secondly, I'd probably be serving us plates of boring leftover turkey night after night if I hadn't seen all of your inventive uses. Take for example, Lori's Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup chock full of corn, green chilies, carrots and cilantro. See how creamy it is? There's no cream in the soup! I give Lori (the Recipe Girl) all the credit - she's a genius!

This soup is nicely spiced, filling and easy to throw together. I can't wait to make the soup again though I may try with chicken and perhaps add some rice.

Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup
Courtesy of The Recipe Girl

1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (I omitted)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken or turkey stock or broth
1 can diced green chilies, drained
2 cups milk
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
2 cups shredded turkey
¾ cup corn, fresh or frozen
3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (only used 1/4 cup b/c that's all I had left!)

1. In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Add chiles.

2. In a bowl, whisk together milk, flour, salt, chili powder and cumin. Increase heat to high and whisk milk mixture into soup. Stir until thick and bubbly, about five minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add turkey, corn, cilantro and cheese; stir until cheese is melted and soup is hot, 5 to 10 minutes.

Back from Vacation with Coconut Curry Soup

Do you remember me? The girl who likes to cook and eat a lot of desserts?

Hubby & I just returned from our glorious road trip around the nation's Southwest. I haven't posted in a week, but it seems like ages now! I have been catching up on all of my emails and comments, so thanks for stopping by while I was gone. There were a few requests for the Coconut Curry dish I made last week, so I posted the recipe & photos following the cheesy vacation pics.

We started off our trek with a long drive out to the Grand Canyon for some hiking & camping. The views are simply breathtaking and it's quite peaceful if you can drown out all the tourists.

The picture below is the view from the top. See the green area to the left of me? The one with the line going right through it? Oh, little did I know I'd be standing there the next day after hours of hiking. My smile wasn't so big, then :)

After checking out the sights, we settled into our campground for the night to fuel up and rest for our big hike the next day. Saigon Noodles with Sweet Chili Sauce: the meal of champions. No recipe here, folks. This is camping's finest freeze dried food.

The view from below isn't too shabby either, though the outdoor thermometer read 111 degrees. Not sure how we made it out of there alive.

The next day we headed to Zion National Park in Utah. I have seen a lot of amazing things in life, but few places are as beautiful and breathaking as Zion. We hiked both the Angel's Landing and Observation Point trails, providing stunning views of the sandstone cliffs and a little bit of an adrenaline rush.

After all this healthy living, we headed to Vegas to reward ourselves with hotel rooms and showers. Oh, and some Vegas fun, of course. The vacation pictures end here! :) Throughout the duration of the trip, we had minimal cell phone service and no access to emails or a Blackberry. I think it's the longest I've gone "unplugged" and I highly recommend it for a stress-free getaway.

Now, on to the good stuff. If you're still with me, this Coconut Curry Shrimp & Chicken Soup is simply divine. Hubby proclaimed it one of the best things I've made and I had to agree. Best of all, it's pretty simple to make and you can vary it by adding a starch to soak up the broth such as glass vermicelli noodles. Next time, we're going to try coconut rice! I couldn't get a decent photo because we were too hungry to wait and of course, no leftovers. I found this in O, The Oprah Magazine Cookbook.

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken & Shrimp Soup

(adapted from Oprah's Cookbook)

4 cups chicken stock
5 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into chunks
½ tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp. Thai green curry paste
2 tsp whole coriander seeds (I used ½ tsp ground coriander)
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
¾ c loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems, plus additional ½ cup for garnish, chopped
2 rounds vermicelli glass noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup chopped green onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch strips
½ lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla)
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp chili and garlic sauce

1. In a large pot over high heat, combine chicken stock, garlic, ginger, curry paste, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, and cilantro. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Strain broth through a fine sieve over a bowl and discard solids. Return broth to pot and add coconut milk, ¼ cup of green onions, mushrooms, and chicken.
3. Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Add shrimp and allow to simmer until no longer pink.
4. In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and chili sauce. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add to soup. Garnish with remaining cilantro & green onion. Serve with glass noodles & allow guests to add noodles to soup as desired.

Turkey Adobo Quinoa Chili

Not to be confused with Summer Quinoa Black Bean Salad, today's chili has many of the same ingredients but is in chili form. Chili's perfect for these sweltering summer days, don't ya think? :)

Now that I've overcome my trepidation of cooking with quinoa, I wanted to try the protein powerhouse in something other than a salad or at a cold temperature. I browsed the web for awhile, and of course, remembered that Kevin of Closet Cooking had posted some tasty recipes using quinoa. If you haven't visited Closet Cooking yet, first you're a little crazy and second, you certainly should as Kevin posts tempting & creative recipes nearly everyday. Using his Black Bean and Quinoa Chili as an inspiration, I embarked on creating my first quinoa chili.

Trying to make Kevin's recipe by heart, I knew I would forget some essential ingredients, but I tend to like cooking soups/chili on the go. Well, I erroneously thought Kevin hadn't included water in his recipe. While mixing the ingredients, I couldn't get over how thick it was. Though he used 2 cups of water, I only used 3/4 cup so mine's pretty thick in comparison. I tend to like it a little thick so feel free to add water if you're more of a soup gal/guy. I also added in some extra ground turkey I had on hand and liked the heartiness it adds. If you omit the turkey, you have an easy vegetarian meal on your hands!

Hope you all have a great weekend! It's been a tough week for me in between work issues & condo flooding so I'm glad some rest is finally on the way!

Turkey Adobo Quinoa Chili
Adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (rinsed thoroughly) + 2 cups water for boiling
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cups water
2 19 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped with 1 tbsp of sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
1 handful cilantro (chopped)

Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine sieve until water runs clear. Toast the quinoa in a dry skillet for approximately 2 minutes. Combine quinoa and and 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large wok. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and ground turkey. Continue to saute until turkey is no longer pink, but not cooked through completely.
3. Add cinnamon, chili powder, cumin and continue to saute an additional 4 minutes.
4. Add 3/4 cup water, tomatoes, black beans, peppers, zucchini, chipotle chili & sauce, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add the quinoa and corn and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

White Bean Chicken Chili for the Spring

First off, thanks to everyone for all the nice messages about the race. My legs are finally starting to feel normal again! Now, on to the good stuff...

Though spring is here, the sun is out and the birds are chirping away, the SD nights are still cool enough that I have been craving a warm, tasty bowl of comforting chili. White Bean Chicken Chili is a wonderful transition soup: lighter than traditional chili, but still hearty and full of goodies. This recipe from the Dine and Dish blog starts with onions, garlic and chicken sauteed in a little olive oil. Adding water while the chicken is still cooking creates a flavorful broth. Half of the beans are then pureed with chicken broth, and added to thicken the soup along with more beans, extra sweet corn, and spices. I used fire-roasted green chilies (mild) to add depth, but not too much heat. Finally, I of course forgot that I had run out of chili powder so I quickly searched the web and found this recipe for homemade chili powder. (What did I used to do without google?!) . I let this baby simmer on low for a little longer than called for in the recipe to let the flavors meld. When finished (or when we were too hungry to wait any longer), I garnished the soup with fresh cilantro and served with a side of my favorite Trader Joe's Mediterranean bread. I'm glad it turned out well since we have enough chili to last us through the next two seasons :)

Kitchen notes: Be sure to use a big soup pot or Dutch oven. The soup filled my large Calphalon pot to the brim! Use a handheld immersion blender to pureé the beans and broth, if desired. I don't have one so I used my food processor and it got a tad messy. This soup is definitely better the next day as it has a chance to thicken up and the flavors have a chance to come out.

White Bean Chicken Chili

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces (I used about 1lb of chicken tenders)

3 cups water (I used 2.5 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini or great Northern beans, rinsed, drained, and divided

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

1 (16-ounce) package frozen extra sweet white corn

2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped fire-roasted green chiles

3 tablespoons lime juice

Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs

Sauté chopped onion in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 7 minutes; add garlic, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in chicken pieces, and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is lightly browned. Stir in 3 cups water and next 5 ingredients; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
Place 2 cans of beans in a blender; add broth, and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.
Stir bean pureé, remaining 2 cans of beans, corn, and chiles into chicken mixture in Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in lime juice just before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Back to the Basics....Chicken Noodle Soup

When making soup, I typically stick to thick, hearty stews or chili, but poor hubby has been quite sick the past few days. Though we have a ton of fancy leftovers (anyone want crab cakes or Mongolian beef with sticky rice?), he doesn't have much of an appetite so I thought some good 'ol chicken soup would be perfect. To be honest, chicken noodle soup has always brought back memories of the Campbell's version with the scary chicken chunks so I've never been a huge fan. I thought I should give this American favorite-food-for-the-sick a second shot. Everything homemade is better, right?

Many of the recipes I found used a lot of spices or were too complex for what we're looking for. This recipe (courtesy of my neighbor who has to hear hubby cough all day) is simple, but delicious. Sauteed sweet onions, garlic, carrots and celery are accompanied by poached chicken to make a flavorful broth. I used leftover Asian noodles from the e-fu recipe in a previous post, but you can use regular dried egg noodles found in the supermarket.
For any of you out there that are feeling under the weather, this one's for you!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
1 cup egg noodles, cooked per package directions and drained

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

4 (14.5 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth (or use homemade broth)

1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup

1 pound chicken breasts or tenders

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot over medium high heat, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and continue to saute until vegetables are crisp tender, about 4 additional minutes. Add the broth, cream of mushroom soup, chicken, bay leaves and spices. Mix well and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove chicken from soup with a slotted spoon or tongs. Place on a plate and shred with a fork and a knife. Stir chicken and egg noodles into soup. Simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until noodles are heated through. Remove bay leaves, season with salt and pepper to taste & enjoy!