Chicken and Black Bean Soup

My brother, bless his heart, sometimes needs help in the gift giving department. Usually, if there is a girlfriend in the picture around Christmas and birthday months, things go pretty smoothly.  And there are other times when, left to his own devices, things turn out less so.  I don't want too sound ungrateful here, but I must say that there was a Christmas where gifts were wrapped in brown paper and duct tape.  I realize that is almost too prime-time-sitcom to believe, but it is the truth.  

I had been craving a Crock Pot ever since I had moved out on my own.  It seemed too perfect not to own one, yummy meals ready upon your arrival home.  After a few years of being on my Christmas list, I was lucky enough to have one show up on my doorstep a few days before the big holiday, courtesy of my brother.  Excited, I opened it up immediately. However, within seconds afterwards, I was on the phone with my mother upset.  He had bought me a refurbished crock pot.  I didn't even know you could buy refurbished crock pots, but somehow he had managed it.  I sat there, cross legged on my shag brown carpet, on the phone with my mother, upset and sadly rocking the lid back and forth on my refurbished crock pot.  It wasn't supposed to rock that much.

After a few failed attempts and a good amount of phone-bitching to Ben, he has just about convinced me to send the crock pot to Goodwill and simply buy a new one, when the lucky boy proposed.  I then promptly talked myself out of Goodwill/buy a new one plan, content to wait for the glorious days of wedding registry and gifts.  However, that left me with several months without one.  And I'm not about to give up on yummy, convenience dreams.  Enter, tinfoil, stage right.  A few extra minutes in the morning, along with a few choice words, and I have a somewhat tight seal on my crock pot.  Those few strips of tinfoil is what I plan on getting me through the next months.  Not that that will spare poor Ben from a few annoyed phone calls, but hey, he knew what he was getting into.

PS - My brother does now have a wonderful girlfriend who he is living with, whom we all adore.  Basically, we're waiting for her to officially join the family, hint, hint, wink, wink...

Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Adapted from: A Year of Slow Cooking

As is the theme as of late, this was a quick and easy dinner (inherent to crock pot meals).  Simple, yummy and it makes great left overs.  Extras go great in the freezer and make for some additional quick and easy lunches later on (tried and true).

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

4 c. chicken broth

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1 c. frozen corn

1 jar (16 oz) prepared salsa (I used Pace Medium)

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

Toppings: 

Plain Greek Yogurt

Cheese (sharp cheddar or pepper jack)

Cooked quinoa

Layer black beans in the bottom of the crock pot.  Lay chicken breasts on top.  Pour remaining ingredients over top, making sure chicken is submerged in liquid.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

Once done, remove chicken from soup.  Shred chicken into bite size pieces.  Using immersion blender, blend soup into desired thickness.  Return shredded chicken back to soup.

I found the best way to serve this was to place some cooked quinoa in the bottom of a bowl and ladle a good amount of soup over top.  Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cheese.  Enjoy!

Southwestern Quinoa Chili

Last night, I made quinoa again.  And beyond all my reasonable assumptions, my actual enjoyment of quinoa still remains.  I really liked my quinoa chili (even if it was supposed to be a salad...).  And now I am truly stumped.  I was sure that the first time I liked quinoa, it was a fluke.  You see, my two previous attempts of liking quinoa (pre-blog) failed miserably.  I'm talking end-up-in-the-trashcan-and-don't-even-get-me-started-on-how-much-I-hate-throwing-good-food-away kinds of fail.  But I had a 27 lb CostCo bag of quinoa that prompted me to get back on the horse not only once, but twice!  And like any good magic charm #3, I liked it.  It didn't make sense, so I consequently deemed it a fluke.

But now I don't know what to think.  On one hand there are things like my tastebuds and common sense telling me that "Qunioa? Eh, it's not so bad".  And on the other hand?  That's where my inner fat girl hangs out.  The one that distrusts things that come from far away lands, things with funny names, things sworn to be superman healthy.  She's not feeling it.  She is very much "I don't even know what quinoa is".

This is the stuff that epic battles songs are written about.  Why is there never a bard around when you need one?

Angel/Demon shoulder fights aside, I suppose this is a lesson to be taken from all of this.  Don't eat quinoa alone.  Learn from my mistakes.  If you think that cooking it up in some chicken stock with a spice or two will be enough, you are setting yourself up to fail.  Throw something in there: sauteed onions, dried cranberries, fresh corn.  Top it with a dressing, or cheese, or fresh herbs.  Then eat it up, cause really, quinoa?  It's not so bad.

Southwestern Quinoa Chili
Inspried by Pixelated Crumb

This recipe was supposed to be a quinoa salad.  For starters, my patience got the better of me.  I didn't completely drain my beans and tomatoes.  I didn't wait for the quinoa to cool.  I threw it all together in about 20 minutes (plus unloaded my dishwasher!) and enjoyed it even faster.  For the spice blend, there is no need to go one a spicy spice shopping spree if you don't have the ones listed.  Sub in chili powder and cumin as needed for whatever you don't have.  Also, I used chipotle pepper flakes because I have a large jar of them that I never use.  Good old regular red pepper flakes will work just as well!

1 c. quinoa, uncooked
2 c. chicken stock
1 can black beans, drained
1 can green chiles
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
1 can diced tomatoes

Dressing:
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. chipotle pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cumin, heaping
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano

Thoroughly rinse quinoa in a strainer.  Transfer to large sauce pan over medium heat.  Toast quinoa 2-3 minutes, until a darker tan in color and toasted in smell.  Add chicken broth and bring mixture to a rapid boil.  Cover, reduce heat and let quinoa simmer for 15 minutes, until quinoa "tails" start spiraling away from the grain. If liquid remains, drain (doesn't need to be drained completely) and fluff quinoa with a fork.

In large skillet, heat grapeseed oil (or canola, grapeseed is my new workhorse though).  Sautee garlic and onion for 2 minutes, until fragrant and onions are translucent.  Add beans and green chilies.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine dressing ingredients in small bowl and whisk well.

Combine cooked bean mixture, tomatoes, peas and quinoa.  Pour dressing over top and toss to combine.  Serve in bowls topped with queso fresco (or feta) and some crusty bread if you have it.

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Green Apple Salsa

I am moving a little slow today.  It's not that I didn't like the dish or that I feel bad I don't have anything better to share with you.  No, that's not the case at all.  Actually, this should be like the poster child recipe of what I wanted this blog to be.  I have been looking for an excuse to make this ever since I got my January (January!) Bon Appetit, but something always came up.  Ben wanted fish, or I didn't want to cook and wanted Chinese instead.  And when I finally made it last Wednesday, we both fell in love with it.  It was one of those dinners where I was continually saying in between large, unlady-like mouthfuls (sorry Mom), "This is good, this is like really good, don't you think this is good??"  Heck, I even got some half decent pictures, although natural light is something I won't see on a weekday night for another few months.  It is without a doubt going into the big green cookbook.  So why am I not chomping at the bit to share this deliciousness with you?  Because I'm just feeling a little sluggish when it comes to blogging today.  Sorry.

So of course, the only thing that I am really worried about is that this will deter you from trying this.  If that is the case, I'm going to feel guilty.  This is a fantastic, everything there kind of meal.  It is delicious and smoky, mysterious (with cumin seeds...), and then there is this incredibly brightness and crunch from the apple salsa.  Whatever you do, don't skimp on the salsa, and if no other changes, I would make extra of the green apple salsa.  It is what ties the chicken, beans and rice all together.  And with the quick squeeze of a lime wedge over it all before you dive in?  Really, it is dinner perfection.  Filling and comforting, it is rice and beans, for crying out loud and please, please, just make this?  Ignore my ho-hum mood and make this.  Don't wait two months like I did either, because this is the perfect February-and-I'm-still-freezing-my-ass-off, stick to your ribs kind of dinner.  So, go, make, and be happy.

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Green Apple Salsa
Adapted hardly from Bon Appetit's January 2012 issue

If you can get your hands on a good rotisserie chicken, this is the time and place for it.  I had a few chicken breasts in the freezer, so I baked them up in the oven and used them instead.  Ben and I both agreed though, rotisserie would be the way to go.  Make sure to rinse your beans before you add them too, you get rid of a lot of the added sodium that way.  And go heavy on the apple salsa, it's delicious.

Oh, also.  I was able to get the salsa made while the beans were simmering away.  It was only hectic one or two times.  If you have the time, prep it before so you can pay attention and not have any "oh shit" moments.  But to save time, you can make during without too much trouble.

1 medium Granny Smith apple

1/3 c. cilantro
1/3-1/2 c. very diced red onion, divided
1-2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 of medium bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. Canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cumin seeds
3 c. low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Kosher salt and pepper
Cooked brown or white rice
Shredded rotisserie chicken
Lime wedges

Over medium heat, heat oil in large skillet.  Once hot, add bell pepper and onion, reserving 2 tablespoons of onion for the salsa.  Cook until completely soft, about 7 minutes, stirring often.  Once soft, add garlic, chili powder, coriander and cumin seeds to pan.  "Toast" spices until fragrant about 2 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning.  Pour in broth and beans, scrapping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Turn heat to medium high and bring mixture to boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer beans briskly for 8-10 minutes.  Stir often and smash some beans with the back of the spoon to help thicken sauce.

Meanwhile, chop apple and cilantro.  In small bowl, combine apple, cilantro and reserved red onions, pouring lime juice over top.  Toss to coat and add more lime juice as needed.  Set aside.

Once beans have thickened (beans will have some liquid still, which helps make the rice even better), season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice, if desired. 

To serve, mound rice and beans next to each other on the plate, just extra liquid from the beans to moisten the rice.  Top with shredded chicken and a generous helping of apple salsa.  Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro (optional).  Enjoy!

Jalapeno Black Bean Hummus

Today was day number four at my new job.  Today was also day number four without air conditioning at my new job.  When you are sitting on a shop floor of a giant metal roofed building with furnances, drills and grit blasters going nonstop and there is no AC, you get a little sweaty.  When the actual temperature outside is 94 with a heat index of 110,  you're lucky if you don't get pit stains.  And after a day of this, there was no way that the fried eggs I imagined having for dinner this morning were going to happen.  I needed something lighter, cooler.  So after work, my pit-stained self got the fixings for a spicy black bean hummus.

I came home and immediately ditched the jeans and work polo for cooler attire.  After having a nice, cold glass of water, I went after the hummus.  It came together so fast, the hardest part was unpacking my food processor.  And can I just tell you how amazingly this hit the spot?  The cool cucumber was crunchy and refreshing and the hummus was smooth and so barely spicy.  And then I had it on some baby carrots and I got even more excited.  This stuff is good.  This stuff is going in my pretty, big green cookbook, just as soon as I find a printer...

For those of you in similar sticky, hot situations, this is the way to cool off and  have a nice light (and healthy!) dinner.  And if any of you have boxes and boxes to unpack in this heat like some lazy bloggers do... it just might give you the strength to knock those out.  Well, at least knock out a few, it's not a miracle food after all.

Jalapeno Black Bean Hummus

Adapted, not really, from http://knucklesalad.com/hummus-for-dinner-jalapeno-black-bean-hummus/

This was actually the most recent addition to my Recipes to Try list, and therefore also wins the title of shortest time spent on my kitchen to make list.  And it came together, sans dipping vegetables, for just under $2.  It's that perfect summer dinner that can't be beat. 

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and liquid reserved

2 cloves garlic

1/2 jalapeno (could take some more heat, if you wanted)

1 Tbsp. lime juice

Rough chop garlic cloves and jalapeno and put in food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Add black beans, 2 Tbsp. reserved liquid and lime juice.  Process until smooth.  If mixture is too thick, add reserved liquid a little at a time until desired texture is achieved. 

Chill 30 minutes before serving.  Or if you are like me, eat immediately with chopped veggies straight from the food processor.