Easy Corn Chowder
Makes 6-8 servings, great for a potluck.
(Adapted from Nigella)
Nouns-
20 oz frozen sweet corn (2 bags)
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
6 scallions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
23 oz (one carton) vegetable stock
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cilantro.
Verbs-
Saute the scallions, garlic and jalapenos in the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until fragrant and beginning to caramelize. Add in the other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the mixture off the heat. If you don't have an immersion blender, then very carefully pour the mixture into a blender and puree in small batches. Return to the stove top over low heat and serve with tortilla chips, chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.
Tips and Tricks- frozen fruit edition
I haven't done a helpful hints type post in a while, so here are a few tips from my kitchen.
Freezing Bananas
For years I have taken bananas going a bit too ripe and popped them in the freezer for banana bread, where they'd freeze solid and turn all black and be so unappetizing that I rarely got around to making banana bread out of them. Boo. Thanks to an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats, though, I realized there is a much better way. Now, the Husband and I buy large bunches of bananas on sale, and when they are getting too ripe to finish off before they go bad, we cup them into 1-inch slices to freeze. We've found that laying them out on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours and then popping them in a zip-top bag makes them not stick together, so you easily have as much or as little banana as you need for a particular recipe.
Day-ahead Smoothie Prep
The Husband and I are both really into smoothies right now, and so we have been experimenting with our favorite ingredients and techniques. We both use a mixture of frozen/fresh ingredients, but we've found with the addition of the frozen banana chunks from the above tip that they can be a bit of a chore to actually Blend in the morning. So, the easy solution is to put all your smoothie ingredients, fresh, frozen and liquid, into the blender carafe the night before and pop the whole thing in the fridge. That gives the frozen stuff enough time to defrost a bit so that you can just pop the whole thing on the blender base and whip it up no problem in the morning. If, however, your carafe doesn't fit in your fridge, like ours doesn't, you can put all your ingredients in your smoothie travel cup, pop that in the fridge, then in the morning pour that into the blender to blend and back into the cup to take with you... no extra dirty dishes that way.
Cocktail Garnishes
A few weeks ago, for a party, I made a TON of lemon twists and brought them to the party to garnish the cocktails with. However, we didn't use them all, and I feared I'd wasted all that work. On a whim, I popped them in the freezer. And... voila! Not quite as good as fresh, but it's fantastic to grab a bottle of vodka or gin from the freezer, shake up a cocktail, and have a twist ready without busting out the peeler.
Freezing Bananas
For years I have taken bananas going a bit too ripe and popped them in the freezer for banana bread, where they'd freeze solid and turn all black and be so unappetizing that I rarely got around to making banana bread out of them. Boo. Thanks to an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats, though, I realized there is a much better way. Now, the Husband and I buy large bunches of bananas on sale, and when they are getting too ripe to finish off before they go bad, we cup them into 1-inch slices to freeze. We've found that laying them out on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours and then popping them in a zip-top bag makes them not stick together, so you easily have as much or as little banana as you need for a particular recipe.
Day-ahead Smoothie Prep
The Husband and I are both really into smoothies right now, and so we have been experimenting with our favorite ingredients and techniques. We both use a mixture of frozen/fresh ingredients, but we've found with the addition of the frozen banana chunks from the above tip that they can be a bit of a chore to actually Blend in the morning. So, the easy solution is to put all your smoothie ingredients, fresh, frozen and liquid, into the blender carafe the night before and pop the whole thing in the fridge. That gives the frozen stuff enough time to defrost a bit so that you can just pop the whole thing on the blender base and whip it up no problem in the morning. If, however, your carafe doesn't fit in your fridge, like ours doesn't, you can put all your ingredients in your smoothie travel cup, pop that in the fridge, then in the morning pour that into the blender to blend and back into the cup to take with you... no extra dirty dishes that way.
Cocktail Garnishes
A few weeks ago, for a party, I made a TON of lemon twists and brought them to the party to garnish the cocktails with. However, we didn't use them all, and I feared I'd wasted all that work. On a whim, I popped them in the freezer. And... voila! Not quite as good as fresh, but it's fantastic to grab a bottle of vodka or gin from the freezer, shake up a cocktail, and have a twist ready without busting out the peeler.
BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes
I made this in the crock this week, and it was delicious and easy. It would also be rather adaptable to variety of flavor combinations if you want to get creative!
Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes
Nouns-
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cups of BBQ sauce (I used a this one, which is AWESOME)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-4 tbsp stock or water
tin foil
2-3 baker potatoes
Optional Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chives, bacon bits, etc.
Verbs-
Fill the bottom of your crockpot with the chicken, sauce, onions and liquid, flipping the chicken a few times to be sure it's all coated and submerged in the sauce. Then, cover that mixture with a sheet of tinfoil and gently nestle your potatoes on top so that they are not touching the sauce. You can wrap your potatoes in foil, too, if you like. If you discover at the last minute, like I did, that you are out of foil, you can construct potato stilts out of chopsticks to prop your potatoes out of the sauce, and your husband will think you are crazy or a genius depending on your husband. Cook this on low for 6-8 hours. I cooked mine longer because of my commute, and it was just fine, though the sauce got a little more browned than it needed to. Remove the potatoes and foil from the crock and shred the chicken with two forks, until you have a saucy, delicious shredded BBQ chicken mixture. Serve each potato split open with a generous scoop of BBQ chicken on it, and other toppings as desired. Quick, easy, delicious.
Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes
Nouns-
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cups of BBQ sauce (I used a this one, which is AWESOME)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-4 tbsp stock or water
tin foil
2-3 baker potatoes
Optional Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chives, bacon bits, etc.
Verbs-
Fill the bottom of your crockpot with the chicken, sauce, onions and liquid, flipping the chicken a few times to be sure it's all coated and submerged in the sauce. Then, cover that mixture with a sheet of tinfoil and gently nestle your potatoes on top so that they are not touching the sauce. You can wrap your potatoes in foil, too, if you like. If you discover at the last minute, like I did, that you are out of foil, you can construct potato stilts out of chopsticks to prop your potatoes out of the sauce, and your husband will think you are crazy or a genius depending on your husband. Cook this on low for 6-8 hours. I cooked mine longer because of my commute, and it was just fine, though the sauce got a little more browned than it needed to. Remove the potatoes and foil from the crock and shred the chicken with two forks, until you have a saucy, delicious shredded BBQ chicken mixture. Serve each potato split open with a generous scoop of BBQ chicken on it, and other toppings as desired. Quick, easy, delicious.
Tengo Mocos!
I rarely get sick, but I have been fighting a cold all week, and this morning it finally got me. I woke up with a sore throat and some stuffiness, and so I had a quiet work from home day with my usual home cold remedies.
First, I am a big believer in liquids. I don't know if there's any medical evidence that drinking fluids all day helps you get well faster, but I do it anyway because that's what my mom always said to do, and then I can punctuate my dull sick day with lots of trips to the bathroom. Neat! I also try to get lots of vitamin C, but since I'm less enthused about most vitamin tablets these days, I try to get it from food sources.
A frozen smoothie was a great solution for both the sore throat and Vitamin C needs, so I blended up a bunch of frozen mango, frozen banana and tangerine juice. Plenty of C and other goodies, and the cold felt great on my throat.
After that I went with a series of crunchy hippie home remedies that might do nothing but soothe my symptoms, but they sure do soothe! First, for the throat, I went with a licorice root tea. Lots of brands sell a variety of "throat coat" teas, and I generally use one of those rather than going to the herb store and buying licorice root and blending my own. I also made a few of my favorite feel-better toddies: a cup of chamomile tea with a tsp of honey, a tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a splash of apple-cider vinegar. There are people out there who believe that you can cure anything from pneumonia to cancer with apple cider vinegar, and while I do not have quite that much faith in it, I do find that it opens up my congestion and makes me feel very good in this toddy. Yay!
I also drank my body weight in seltzer water, not because I think it helps cure colds, but because I love that stuff and I use our soda maker to fizz up a bottle every few hours when I am home.
Also, totally unrelated anecdote: one of my favorite Spanish phrases is the one used to say that you are congested: Tengo mocos! Literally translated, it means "I have mucus" and for some reason that has always tickled my fancy. My sister and I both like to say in whiny voices "Tengo mocos! Tengo mocos!" when we are sick. Yes, we are super duper weird. But kind of cute in a mucus-y way.
Perhaps I should go to bed now.
First, I am a big believer in liquids. I don't know if there's any medical evidence that drinking fluids all day helps you get well faster, but I do it anyway because that's what my mom always said to do, and then I can punctuate my dull sick day with lots of trips to the bathroom. Neat! I also try to get lots of vitamin C, but since I'm less enthused about most vitamin tablets these days, I try to get it from food sources.
A frozen smoothie was a great solution for both the sore throat and Vitamin C needs, so I blended up a bunch of frozen mango, frozen banana and tangerine juice. Plenty of C and other goodies, and the cold felt great on my throat.
After that I went with a series of crunchy hippie home remedies that might do nothing but soothe my symptoms, but they sure do soothe! First, for the throat, I went with a licorice root tea. Lots of brands sell a variety of "throat coat" teas, and I generally use one of those rather than going to the herb store and buying licorice root and blending my own. I also made a few of my favorite feel-better toddies: a cup of chamomile tea with a tsp of honey, a tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a splash of apple-cider vinegar. There are people out there who believe that you can cure anything from pneumonia to cancer with apple cider vinegar, and while I do not have quite that much faith in it, I do find that it opens up my congestion and makes me feel very good in this toddy. Yay!
I also drank my body weight in seltzer water, not because I think it helps cure colds, but because I love that stuff and I use our soda maker to fizz up a bottle every few hours when I am home.
Also, totally unrelated anecdote: one of my favorite Spanish phrases is the one used to say that you are congested: Tengo mocos! Literally translated, it means "I have mucus" and for some reason that has always tickled my fancy. My sister and I both like to say in whiny voices "Tengo mocos! Tengo mocos!" when we are sick. Yes, we are super duper weird. But kind of cute in a mucus-y way.
Perhaps I should go to bed now.
This week's meal plan:
Buttermilk Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes and Salad
Chard and White Bean Stew
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Beet Salad
Mac and Cheese!
Buttermilk Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes and Salad
Chard and White Bean Stew
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Beet Salad
Mac and Cheese!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
I just realized when I posted this week's meal plan that I haven't ever put this recipe up. The Husband really loves this, and it makes a great potluck dish or quick weeknight dinner. I love quinoa salads because they have such a lovely texture and can take a variety of flavors. I do a curried quinoa salad with apples, dried fruits and nuts in it sometimes, and it is equally versatile and delicious.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Nouns-
For the Salad
2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed and prepared according to package directions
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and a diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (reserve 1 tbsp of the brine)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 red onion, diced
For the Vinaigrette
Feel free to use a bottled vinaigrette, but I really like a homemade lemony one for this!
Juice and zest of one small lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp artichoke brine
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Verbs-
Chill the prepared quinoa until room temperature or colder. If serving immediately, I usually put it in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for a minute or two, rather than refrigerating it. This is faster and helps it not stick together. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, tomatoes, onions, artichokes and cucumbers. In a small jar, add together all the dressing ingredients and screw the lid on tightly. Shake it vigorously. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumbled feta over the top and serve.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Nouns-
For the Salad
2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed and prepared according to package directions
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and a diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (reserve 1 tbsp of the brine)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 red onion, diced
For the Vinaigrette
Feel free to use a bottled vinaigrette, but I really like a homemade lemony one for this!
Juice and zest of one small lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp artichoke brine
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Verbs-
Chill the prepared quinoa until room temperature or colder. If serving immediately, I usually put it in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for a minute or two, rather than refrigerating it. This is faster and helps it not stick together. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, tomatoes, onions, artichokes and cucumbers. In a small jar, add together all the dressing ingredients and screw the lid on tightly. Shake it vigorously. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumbled feta over the top and serve.
Meal Plan
Here's the plan!
For the Soup-er Bowl Party we are attending tomorrow: Sweet Corn Chowder
For the rest of the week:
Baked Potatoes Topped with Shredded BBQ Chicken
Yum!
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