Green Pepper Soup

There's a great song from the Mighty Boosh that goes "soup, soup a tasty soup soup..." which always makes me think of this concoction. This recipe come from my Irish relatives through my uncle, Dara and his mother. She made it for me when I visited her ten years ago in Galway. It's easy, sweet and delicious.

Serves 4

3-4 green peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp of olive oil or butter
1 Tbsp of flour (I used rice to make it gluten free)
4 cups of chicken stock (gluten free optional)
1/2 cup of cream or blend

Sautee green peppers and onion in the olive oil/butter for about 10 minutes until they are soft. Sprinkle with flour and stir for a minute.

Add 4 cups of chicken stock and stir to blend the flour into the stock. Cook on medium to medium low for about 45 minutes.  I used an immersion blender and then I ran everything through a regular blender to get it extra smooth. Return the soup to a pot and blend the cream in and reheat.

Enjoy!

Kale Salad with Soy and Sesame

So it turns out that I don't hate vegetables. 2013 is definitely the year of growing up. This recipe comes from my friend, Sarah, and is quite delish as well as being a quick and easy veggie side to any meal.

1 bunch kale, washed and cut into big bite sized pieces
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted.

Steam the kale for about 6-8 minutes. It's important to not undercook or overcook it. Undercooked kale can be quite bitter. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic.

In a sauce pan over low heat, toast the sesame seeds. These can burn easily so keep an eye on the pan, stirring frequently.

Toss the kale with mixed dressing and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Spicy Goat Cheese-stuffed Chicken

This is an old favourite that for unknown reasons
 I have forgotten about. I love chicken because it is so versatile and this recipe brings out all of its best qualities. It's meant to be barbecued but I often do it in the oven in winter months.

Serves 4. Courtesy of Canadian Living with adjustments.

6 oz of plain goat cheese
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 green onion, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix goat cheese, garlic, green onion, thyme, marjoram and cayenne together. Set aside.

Trim any fat from chicken. With knife held horizontally and starting at the thinner side, cut chicken in half almost but not all the way through. I think fancy people call this a butterfly chicken breast. Open chicken like a book. Spread 1 side with one-quarter of the cheese mixture. Fold over and close with toothpicks.

In small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper. Brush all over the chicken breasts.

Place chicken in dish or on lined baking sheets. Cook at 350 for about 35-40 minutes. My oven can be a little off so feel free to check and adjust.

Korean Chicken

I spent years craving the delicious Korean barbecue I had when I visited Seoul known as galbi. It is typically made with beef and you cook it it on a grill at your table when it is ordered. I found this recipe in a great bbq cookbook by Canadian Living and it definitely brings back some mouth-watering memories. I'd recommend serving it with rice or in lettuce wraps.

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup sodium-reduced soy sauce (gluten-free)
2 Tbsp sesame oil
4 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp minced fresh ginger (or jar stuff)
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 green onions, trimmed

Trim any fat from thighs. Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper, pound the chicken to about 1/2 inch/1cm thickness. I use my marble rolling pin to do the trick.

Mix together soy sauce, oil, sugar, ginger, sesame seeds, pepper and garlic; add chicken and onions. Let stand for 15 minutes, turning occasionally to soak up all the awesomeness.

Brush garlic off chicken and onions. Grill chicken, covered on a greased grill over medium-high heat, turning once for 6 minutes. Add onions; grill covered, until juices run clear with chicken is pierced and onions are slightly charred. This takes about 2 minutes. Cut onion into bite-size pieces.

I also sometimes in winter fire this up on my stove with a raised grill pan that does the trick nicely. It takes a little bit longer.

Serves 4

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Butter

Surprise! I found another vegetable that I like. I made this when I was home for the holidays, and it's Dad approved.

1 bunch, freshly trimmed asparagus
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce (gluten free please!)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake asparagus in oven for 12 minutes, or until tender.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. (It says medium high but I get distracted easily so I try to decrease my chances of burning). Remove from heat and add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus and serve.

Sidebar: I heard asparagus makes your pee smell funny but I have yet to notice anything. Apparently you need both the gene to smell it and to make the difference...

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com with some adjustments

Basque-style Chicken

Yes I know it's Pancake Tuesday and alas, I didn't make them for supper tonight. As much as I've loved Shrove Tuesday (which is up for debate) I've never really understood why you would pick pancakes as your last meal before Lent. So tonight, I pulled an old favourite out of the recipe book. This recipe makes a lot of sauce, so I recommend serving it with a hearty pasta or rice.

Serves 6

12 boneless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet green peppers, thinly sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika or chili powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 can (796 ml) whole tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (which I bought but am now realizing I forgot)

Sprinkle chicken with half each of the salt and pepper. In large shallow Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken in batches. Transfer to plate.

Drain any fat from pan. Add onion, garlic, and green peppers; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, this takes about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, thyme and remaining salt and pepper. Add wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom until almost no liquid remains.

Add tomatoes, breaking up with spoon. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan, spooning over top. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer. Stir occasionally, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 25 minutes.

Tex Mex Lasagna Awesome

This recipe according to my mother is officially known as "Brenda's Chicken Lasagna." Now, I don't know who Brenda is but she gets full credit for making something delicious and different. I love this recipe because it's a crowd pleaser and it freezes easily to make great lunches.

1 pkg lasagna noodles (I use gluten free)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion (optional)
1 chopped red or green pepper
350 ml salsa sauce (or more)
375 ml meatless spaghetti sauce (or more)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 cups drained ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 Tbsp jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp chopped coriander
4 cups cubed cooked chicken (the pre-cooked deli chicken at the grocery store makes this quick)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Cook your noodles to the directions on the box! Set oven to 375 deg F.

Fry up garlic, pepper and onion in oil to soften. This takes 3-5 minutes. Stir in salsa, spaghetti sauce, and cumin. (I find that that I like more sauce so I often throw more salsa and spaghetti than it calls for). Bring to a boil and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Set aside.

Mix ricotta cheese, eggs, coriander, jalapeno in bowl. Set aside.

Mix together cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Set aside.

In a 9 x 13 pan place a layer of noodles in the bottom. Layer with 1/2 the tomato sauce mix. Spread in dots 1/2 the ricotta cheese mix and top with half the chicken. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese mix. Repeat!

Cook in oven for 35-40 minutes. Full recipe serves 8.