Asparagus Soup

Tonight I had my first accident in a while. My blender is no longer in working order. The sacrifice might have been worth it as this soup is surprisingly delicious. Asparagus is a great spring vegetable and this is a way to give it new life after you've steamed it to hell. The lemon juice gives it a really nice cut. Recipe is courtesy of my dad, Steve, from somewhere he can't remember as he approaches old age.

Serves probably 4. I lost some in the blender accident. Takes about 40 minutes to cook.

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 1/2 lb of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces
1/4 tsp pepper
1 litre vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic until shallots are tender, about 3 minutes.  Add leek; stirring until soft, about 6 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until asparagus is tender.

Puree in blender; return to saucepan and add cream and lemon juice. Heat and serve.

Homemade mouth-watering salsa

Oh man oh man oh man. It's summer. There are lots of barbecues and social gatherings where food is key. I dug this out of the archives of my email from my good friend, Kathleen. It takes about 5 minutes to make and will impress.

4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp pickled jalapeno peppers, minced
1 lime, zested and juiced (makes about 1/4 cup of juice if you don't have a fresh one)
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil (recipe suggests 2 but the juices from the tomatoes more than make up for it)

Combine the vegetables and liquids. Stir. Serve with tostitos scoops as it is quite juicy.

Amazeballs.

Chicken and Zucchini Skewers

This recipe worked out to be quick and delicious. The perfect weeknight grill meal with vegetables!
As someone who is just trying zucchini voluntarily for the first time, I give it two thumbs up. Courtesy of Everyday Food.

Serves 4.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 2 chicken breasts as that is what was on hand) cut into 1 inch pieces.
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1 inch sections
1/2 small red onion, quartered with layers seperated
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine chicken, zucchini, red onion, oil, oregano and vinegar. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Marinate covered and in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium. On each metal skewer, thread the chicken, red onion and zucchini (3 chicken, 2 each of the vegetables). Grill skewers, turning them occasionally for about 12 minutes.

I served this with tzatziki and quinoa salad.

Spicy Coriander Grilled Chicken

This recipe comes friend approved, by the wonderful Jennie. To be honest, I ran out of propane while attempting to make this (and apparently there is a shortage of refill tanks in my neightbourhood) so we had to bake it in the oven. But I would recommend it on the grill as the recipe suggests. Courtesy of Canadian Living.

3/4  cup plain yogurt
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin (yurm)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 lb (8 pieces) chicken thighs, skinned (the recipe calls for bone in, but I used boneless and just cut the cooking time)
2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

In a large bowl mix together yogurt, garlic, paprika, coriander, oil, cumin, salt and cayenne. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours (I only had time for 3 and it was still delicious).

Reserving marinade, place chicken bone-side down on greased grill over medium heat; brush with the remaining marinade. Throw out any remaining marinade as it's touched raw meat. Close lid and grill, turning once, for about 20 minutes. Chicken juices should run clear when pricked. Serve with sprinkled fresh cilantro (I left this out as I didn't have any on hand)

Serves 4. I served it with the Quinoa Greek Salad from last week.

Quinoa Salad

I was introduced to quinoa last year because I was desperately seeking a substitute to couscous (which is a pasta, go figure). I found this today and it is delicious! Courtesy of the Skinny Taste blog.

Serves a whole bunch. Probably 6.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cube of chicken broth
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/4 cup of olives, pitted and sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups cucumber, peeled and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup crumbled feta
salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse the quinoa in a strainer for about 2 minutes. Fill a medium pot with the water and add the chicken broth/stock. Add the quinoa. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes with lid on. Remove from heat and keep covered for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

While the quinoa is cooking/cooling, dice the vegetables. Add the red onion, cucumber, tomato and olives to the cooled quinoa. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over it.

Add the olive oil to the salad and mix. Add the feta, as well as the salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!