Tortilla Soup

For my last contribution to your tummy, here's a very quick and easy recipe that makes great leftovers (read: cook only once for 4 meals)! We eat this very often because it's so quick, really good, filling, and healthy. You're basically just throwing all the ingredients into a big pot. No other cooking, grilling, baking necessary. Ready in 15 minutes!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts thawed and cut into small chunks
• 1 can of whole kernel corn (15.25 oz) (not drained)
• One 12-ounce jar salsa or pico de gallo (Annie prefers jarred salsa over pico de gallo... medium spice)
• 1 can black beans (not drained)
• 1 large carton chicken broth (32 oz). Use full fat for thicker base (as opposed to reduced fat)
• Right before eating: 3-4 oz tortilla chips, crumbled in individual bowl (don't add these to the pot as they get gross after a while...esp if you end up with leftovers)...our favorite is the cheapest corn chips (Santitas brand), but any will do. Tostitos with line are excellent. 


• Additional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and cheese.

• Directions

  Add all ingredients to a big pot and bring to a boil
  Pour into individual bowl.
  Sprinkle crumbled chips and other desired condiments on soup (avocado, cilantro, sour cream, cheese)
  Eat!

Potato in the Microwave!

I was so excited to learn you can cook a potato in the mic!

Ingredients

• 1 large russet potato (the regular brown ones)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 teaspoons sour cream

Directions

1. Scrub the potato, and prick several time with the tines of a fork. Place on a plate.

2. Cook on full power in the microwave for 5 minutes. Turn over, and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. When the potato is soft, remove from the microwave, and cut in half lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper, and mash up the inside a little using a fork. Top the open sides with butter and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Return to the microwave, and cook for about 1 minute to melt the cheese.

3. Top with remaining cheese and sour cream, and serve.

Super Easy Asparagus

Peter, don't hate me because I chose to share a veggie recipe with you that does not involve meat. But it's so easy and super delicious. Treat yourself to this on those special Pooh-outfit days!

Ingredients

• Cook time: 10 minutes
• INGREDIENTS
• 1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
• 2 Tbsp of either vegetable or olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (my favorite is shredded but use the powdered/granulated Parmesan you use on spaghetti if you don't have shredded)
• Use one of the following that you have: lemon zest (just use a cheese shredder on a lemon peel...about a teaspoon) OR lemon pepper (our favorite) OR 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 
  
• INSTRUCTIONS
• 1 Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1- to 2-inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal slant. 
• 2 Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Boil the asparagus in the water for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the oil, Parmesan, and lemon zest/lemon juice/lemon pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.
• Yield: Serves 4.

Eleanor's Lemon Yogurt Bread

Eleanor sent the recipe. the smartass commentary is Betsy ....

Lemon Yogurt Bread (good for breakfast, side dish, dessert, or gift and a great way to get rid of yogurt that may soon go bad!) 

pre-heat to 350 degrees

 sift dry ingredients (if you don't have a sifter ... which, let's be honest, you don't ... you can use a wire / mesh strainer. If you don't have one of those, just mix everything together with a fork. It's all good.

•  ¾ tsp kosher salt 
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• 1 ½ cups flour 
• 1 cup sugar and

add

•  1 tsp lemon zest (that's the yellow skin on a lemon. You get the zest by grating a lemon, just a little on a cheese grater. You don't want to get down the white part, because that part's bitter.) 
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt 
• ½ cup veg oil 
• 2 large eggs 
• ½ tsp vanilla 

Pour it all in a bread loaf pan, or even in a small glass baking dish would work too.

bake for 50-55 min Also, if food ever becomes a problem just call my parents at (708) 771-6091 and they will feed you!

Tacos. Yummy.

Everyone likes tacos.  And they feed a crowd.  Here's an easy, healthy-ish version that I make all the time.

Ingredients:

• A tablespoon or so of oil - I like olive oil or that fancy garlicky kind Mike made you would be great!  But veg. oil is fine too.   
• 1 package of ground turkey.  There's one kind that's 90% lean.  That's good enough.  The 98% lean kind tastes like cardboard.  It comes in packages of about 20 oz.  That's good for 6 people or so.    
• I greed bell pepper (diced into little pieces - like how I described in the salad recipe).
• 1 big yellow or white onion (diced into little pieces.  Like how they do it here.  Note:  You need a good knife to do this.  
• seasonings:  You  can buy packaged "taco" seasonings, and that's fine.  But really, you should have ground cumin, chili powder and garlic on hand all the time.  A jar of "minced garlic" is a totally reasonable alternative to having to cut up fresh garlic and make your hands smell stinky.  
• tomato paste:  I really recommend investing in a "tube" of tomato paste.  Usually, you only want a tablespoon or two, and the cans are way too much.  I don't know why they sell it in cans!
• A small (12 oz) can of tomato sauce.  Not spaghetti sauce ... CANNED tomato sauce!
• 1 avocado diced  (I already described how to do this in my salad recipe ...)  Here's a good video of how to dice an avocado
• soft tortillas - the smaller ones are best
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes diced (I already described how to do this in my salad recipe ...)  
• Some people like sour cream.  I think it's gross.  
• Cheese - shredded Monterrey jack is good.  You can buy a block and shred it, or buy it in a bag.  
• Some salsa - from a jar is fine.  

DIRECTIONS

• Dice your onion.  
• Heat a skillet on medium high with about a tablespoon of oil. 
• After about a minute, toss in a small spoonfull of minced garlic.  Stir it around with a wooden spoon for a minute or so, until it smells awesome.  
• Then toss in your diced onion.  Stir it around for 2 minutes.  Add your diced green pepper.  
• Then add a tablespoon of ground cumin and slightly less chili powder.  Or a packet of taco seasoning.  Stir it around for 2 minutes.  
• Then add a Tablespoon of tomato paste (one good squirt from a tube!)  Stir that around for a minute.  Doesn't it smell AWESOME?
• Now dump in your package of ground turkey.  You'll need to break it up a lot with your wooden spoon.  Try to incorporate the veggies with the meat.  Let it go on medium high for about 5 minutes until the meat looks less pink.  
• Sometimes the meat lets off a lot of liquid (fat.)  Ewww.  If it does, gently pour the fat off into a can (or down the drain if your landlord's not looking) holding a spoon against the good stuff to prevent it from falling into the sink.   
• Now add your can of tomato sauce.  If your pan has a cover, put it on and leave it alone on low after stirring it all up.  If not, stir it up and leave it alone on lower heat.  Let it all simmer together for 15 minutes or so.  
• Taste it!  You might want to add salt, or to make it more spicy, add more chili powder.  My secret spicy recipe is jarred chipotle salsa that you can find in the Latin foods aisle.  It's wicket strong, so a spoonfull will do!  I add it with the tomato paste in the beginning

SERVE

• Here's what's cool:  If you have a gas stove, you can heat tortillas directly over the flame!  It's awesome - but a little dangerous!  if you're going to do it, PAY ATTENTION!  Do them one at a time.  Turn on the flame.  Place the tortilla directly on the flame.  After about thirty seconds, flip it over.  Tongs are a MUST.  You'll see little bubbles forming, that's when it's time to flip!  It should get a little singed on the edges.  If you can - disarming smoke detectors is a good idea!  
• if you can't - you can heat tortialls in the microwave too!
• Put your diced avocado, diced tomato, salsa, cheese and sour cream in separate bowls.    
• Serve the taco meat from the stove or in a big bowl and let everyone assemble their own!

A salad that will impress people and not leave you hungry

Everyone knows that Peter doesn't like Salad. but sometimes vegetables are required. Here's one that will make you feel full-ish and will impress your friends.

 Ingredients:

• a small bag of baby spinach
• 1 avocado.  when shopping for avocados, firmness matters.  If you're procrastinating - which you probably are - make sure it feels a little squishy.  If it feels super hard, it will need a day or two to ripen enough to cut and taste good.  Put avocados in paper bags to encourage more speedy ripening.  
• 1 red bell pepper.  Or orange.  Or green.  Whatever you think looks pretty.  
• 2 small "roma" tomatoes (also called "plum" tomatoes .... they're small-ish!)
• a few handfulls of dried cherries (There's a brand called "marino" that makes really tasty dried cherries.  Sometimes they're in the deli area, sometimes they're near the salad dressing.
• Some kind of cheese - i always recommend shredded Parmesian on salads because it's so salty and delicious.  Sometimes it's called "parmaggiano" or "reggiano."  You can buy it hard, and grate it yourself, or buy it shredded / grated.  Either one is fine.  
• Some kind of nuts - provided your guests aren't allergic.  It would suck to kill them.  I like cashews or pecans.  I buy them whole and break them up into smaller pieces with my hands.
• Some kind of dressing:  balsamic vinegarette is a staple that should be in your fridge.  You can make dressing yourself too .... but that's another post for another day.  

Directions:

• Honestly, if you buy "ready to serve" spinach, you don't even have to wash it.  Read the label.  If you have to wash it, I recommend a salad spinner.  They're awesome.  If not, a strainer and some paper towel will do.  But whatever, no one ever died from eating spinach.  Oh wait ... yes they did ...
• throw a bunch of "clean" spinach in a big bowl
• Dice the red pepper:  Cut them in half and pull out all the white stuff and seeds.  Sometimes you need to slice off the white stuff.  Cut each half into strips, then cut the strips into thirds.  
• to cut the avocado:  Cut it in half around the big ugly pit.  Once you've split it in half, remove the pit.  You can do this by nailing it with a serious knife.  Of if not, just cut around it and remove it with your fingers.  It's messy.  Don't worry.  Then, with the scaly skin still on, use a knife to cut strips into the fleshy side of the avocado.  Then cut across the strips to make little cubes.  Cut down into the skin, but not through it.  Or your hand will bleed.  Then take a big spoon and scoop out the little squares.  Do the same with the other half.  NOTE:  Avocados have this nasty habit of turning brown after a few hours.  Don't prep the avocado until an hour before you serve it.  
• Dice the tomatoes:  Cut them in quarters. Then take a knife and scrape out the fleshy / juicy / seedy parts.  Then cut each quarter into strips, and then cut across the strips into little squares.  
• Throw it all in a bowl.  
• Throw on the cherries, cheese, and nuts.  
• Don't put the dressing on until right before you serve it.  Or leave on the table and let your guests serve themselves.  

Note - there's no wrong way to make a salad.  Put in whatever you like, or whatever's fresh, or whatever looks pretty at the supermarket.  You can even use iceberg lettuce if spinach is too scary.  Just know that iceberg lettuce has NO nutritional value ...