Belizean Stew Chicken ~ Instant Pot

We have visited Belize a number of times, but always quickly as one of many port stops on a cruise. Because of the quick visits, sadly we have rarely enjoyed the cuisine of the island.   On one of our visits though we did explore and had the opportunity to enjoy some traditional Belizean food, including the Stew Chicken.  Well, when we love something, and trust me, we adored the Stew Chicken, we have to come home and try and re-create it, and do it in our Instant Pot.  When in Belize we enjoyed the Stew Chicken with rice & beans with a side of potato salad.  While we adored the sides with the chicken,  they are a bit too carb heavy for our current diet, so we paired this almost dead-on-knock-off Belizean Stew Chicken with our favorite Toasted Cauli-rice.   This Stew Chicken with the Toasted Cauli-rice gave us all the deliciousness of being in Belize while helping to keep us fitting into our bathing suits for the next time we visit.

Belizean Stew Chicken ~ Instant Pot

• 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (or chicken pieces of your choice)
• 2 med. onions, sliced
• 1 TBS. coconut oil
• 2 TBS. Recado rojo
• 2 TBS. white vinegar
• 3 TBS. Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce)
• 5 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
• 2 TBS. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Medjool date, pitted and minced
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves

In a large bowl, mix together the Recado rojo, vinegar, coconut aminos, garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, black pepper and Medjool date.  Stir to mix well.  Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat all the chicken completly with the sauce.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or over night.  When ready to make, press the saute button and add the coconut oil to the liner of the Instant Pot.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until they are golden.  Remove the onions from the pot and add the chicken pieces.  Place the pieces so that they are skin side up.  Add the onions back on top of the chicken along with any sauce remaining in the bowl.  Add the chicken stock and bay leaves.  Turn off saute by pressing the Keep Warm/Cancel button.  Secure the lid and set the steam release valve to closed.  Press either the Poultry button or use the manuel button, setting time for 15 minutes.  Once the 15 minute cook time is finished, quick release the steam by opening the steam valve.  Carefully remove the chicken pieces and place them skin side up on a foil lined baking sheet.  Place the chicken under a hot broiler to crisp and toast the skin.  Serve hot, with sauce ladled on top.  Enjoy with Toasted Cauli-rice or more traditionally, with rice & beans and potato salad.  

Enjoy!!

Crispy Baked Parmesan Garlic Wings

Here in the Cook Lisa Cook home, we adore wings. Some of the wings we've blogged about were our Baked Buffalo Wings, Baked Teriyaki Wings, Baked Tandoori Wings, and Baked Chinese Five-Spice Wings.  One thing you'll notice about all the wings which we make is, every-single-one is baked.  We bake them hot and fast so they remain juicy and moist inside and even without frying, they have a wonderful golden & crispy skin.  We each have our favorite but honestly, lately, I feel like we've been in a wing rut and in need of a new flavor.  Enter, Crispy Baked Parmesan Garlic Wings.  What made me think to make these was, I was making for Maisie, the gluten-free version of one of my favorite childhood dishes, noodles with butter, parmesan & garlic and thought, wouldn't that be wonderful on some wings.  Seeing as we had just purchased wings and we were going to do the same-old-same-old, we just went with the new idea and winged it...get it? Winged it... ;)  The new wing recipe was a hit!  Buttery, garlicy and cheesy all on a perfectly cooked and crispy skinned wing. Perfection and delighted to have a new flavor in our wing line-up!

Crispy Baked Parmesan Garlic Wings

• 4 lbs. wing pieces, flaps and drumettes
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup Ghee (or butter,) melted
• 1 TBS. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 TBS. fresh parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Line a baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack on top. Using a paper towel, dry the wings off as well as possible. Place the wings in a large bowl and sprinkle with the baking powder, salt, pepper and 1 tsp of the garlic powder. Using your hands, toss to coat well. Place the wings, skin side up, so that they are close but not touching one another, on the rack. Allow the wings to dry with the mixture on them for about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 500F. Bake wings for 20 minutes, until golden brown. If at the 15 minute mark, you notice that they are not browning nicely, place the wings under the broiler for the remaining 5 minutes. (I have a convection oven and use the roast setting so our wings are cooked from top and bottom.) During the last 5 minutes of cook time, melt the ghee or butter and add to a large bowl. Stir in the 1 TBS. garlic powder & 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan. Once the wings are fully baked, using tongs, add them to the bowl of buttery garlic cheese and toss to coat. Add the parsley and give a final toss. Place wings on serving plate and sprinkle with the shredded Parmesan and remaining 1/8 cup grated Parmesan.  Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup ~ Instant Pot

For over two years, we have been enjoying our adaptation of Melissa Joulwan’s Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup.  You'd think that by now we'd be tired of it and would have moved on to a different favorite soup, but truth be told, I can still eat this soup every.single.day, especially for breakfast.  It's a great way to get in some healthy bone both and it's always warm and satisifying.  It's perfectly labled by Melissa as “a healthy hug in a bowl.”  Though a simple recipe to make on the stove, it's now even easier and quicker using our Instant Pot.  Though we have the 8-qt. Instant Pot, it still holds less than our big stock pot, so I've adjusted the amounts from the stovetop recipe.  This recipe will work in either a 6-qt. or 8-qt. Instant Pot. Remember, if you do freeze the soup, you’ll need to puree it again once thawed, either by placing it in the blender or using an immersion blender.  So, if you have an abundance of zucchini or need a warm hug, make this soup!!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup ~ Instant Pot (adapted from here)

• 1 TBS. beef tallow or coconut oil
• 1 med. onion, diced
• 5 large fresh garlic cloves
• 1 TBS. ground ginger
• 1 TBS. ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 3 lbs. zucchini, cut in 1/2 moons or leftover pieces
• 6 cups beef bone broth, (can also use chicken bone broth or Cheaters Chicken Soup,vegetable stock, or any mix of broth you choose)

Turn on saute mode and heat the beef tallow or coconut oil in the liner of the Instant Pot.  Add the onions and sauté until caramelized.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, salt & pepper.  Cook stirring continuously until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the bone broth and zucchini. Press Keep warm/Cancel button to stop the sauté.  Secure the lid and move the vent to closed.  Press Manuel and using the -/+ buttons, adjust the time to 10 minutes.  Once the 10 minutes are finished, allow for NPR (natural pressure release).  Once the pressure has dropped and the pin falls, remove the lid.   Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or use a blender to carefully puree (use a towel to hold the lid on the blender on whilst pureeing.) Adjust salt and pepper seasoning. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Yucatan Green Chile Saute ~ Instant Pot

Chile is often on the menu at our home and this Yucatan Green Chili Saute from Melissa Joulwan's book Well Fed Weekends, has become a favorite!  We love that this is a quick onepot meal which includes protein and vegetables.  Even better, it's delicious freshly made or as leftovers.  Of course in our home, no good recipe can be left as found so we tweaked this one to our taste by mostly amping up the heat.  We also made this in the Instant Pot instead of on the stovetop.  Both are easy but we're in love with our Instant Pot and use is whenever possible. Great thing about chili, it's easily tweaked to your individual taste.  Check out both Melissa's original recipe and our adaption and make one or both, you won't be disappointed.

Yucatan Green Chile Saute ~ Instant Pot (Adapted from Well Fed Weekends)

• 1/2 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/4 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
• 2/3 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 2 TBS. red wine vinegar
• 1/3 c. raisins
• 1 head cauliflower, shredded or riced
• 8 oz. roasted hatch chilies (We use fresh but can use canned.  Can also use diced green chilies)
• 1/4 c. dry roasted pumpkin seeds (shelled) when serving

Cumin - lime sauce  (have all ingredients at room temperature)

• 1 egg yolk 
• 3 TBS. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 1/3 cup avacado oil or light tasting olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
• 1-2 small fresh jalapenos, (seeds and ribs removed if you want less heat)

Set the Instant Pot to saute and add the olive oil, heat until warmed.  Add the onion and saute until golden.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add the ground beef, salt, cumin, paprkika, pepper and oregano and brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks.  Once browned, add the tomato paste and red wine, mix well.  Add the raisins, cauliflower and chilies.  Mix well. Lock the lid on the Instant Pot, close valve and set high pressure for 10 minutes.  Use natural pressure release.

While the chili is cooking, prepare the cumin-lime sauce.  

Place all the ingredients in a flask, and using an immersion blender, blend until thick and creamy.  Or, place all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth and thick.

Serve the chili with a drizzle of the cumin-lime sauce and sprinke on some pumpkin seeds for a little crunch.

Enjoy~~

Jalapeño Popper Soup Re-visited

We have been sick with the crud this month so soup and scrambled eggs have made up the bulk of our diet.  We made some super-easy Cheaters Chicken Soup and then turned around, once we got a bit of our energy back, and turned some of the stock into this delicious, creamy, spicy, hearty, filling soup as it’s a great way to use up the leftover chicken.  We enjoy the soup quite hot and spicy but you can mellow it out some by either removing the seeds from the jalapenos or using less of them.  Also, we use white meat in the soup but if you have a preference for dark meat, go for it!

Jalapeño Popper Soup

• 2 chicken breast halves, roasted, skin & bones removed, shredded
• 1 lb bacon, cut crosswise in 1/8-in strips
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4-6 whole jalapenos, stems removed, sliced in thin 1/2 rounds
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups cheaters chicken soup, or chicken stock of your choice
• 6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. block of cream cheese, cut in chunks
• salt & pepper to taste

In a soup pot, slowly cook the bacon pieces until crispy.  Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside, leaving the fat behind.  To the fat add the onion and sauté until golden.  Add the jalapenos and garlic and sauté until the jalapenos and garlic are fragrant and softened.  Remove half of the onion/jalapeno mix and set aside with the reserved bacon.  Add the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the cheddar cheese and while stirring, allow it to melt.  Add the cream cheese and using a hand blender, blend until fully mixed and creamy.  Return the soup to a simmer and add in the shredded chicken and reserved bacon and onion/jalapenos.  Allow to simmer for a few minutes and season to taste with salt & pepper.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup

We adore stuffed cabbage but making it can be awfully time consuming. Enter Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup, tastes just as delicious and takes just a fraction of the work and time to make.  We make this for a quick hearty meal in the pressure cooker which cuts the time even more, but it’s just as easily made in a pot on the stovetop.
Sweet & Sour Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup 

• olive oil
• 1/2 lb chuck steak, 1/2-inch dice, seasoned with salt & pepper
• 1 lg onion, diced
• 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 medjool dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp. sour salt
• 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 c. chicken or beef stock
• 1 small head green cabbage, roughly chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

(I make this in a pressure cooker but you can use a soup pot.)
Heat the olive oil and then sear the chuck steak cubes on all sides until browned. Remove the steak from the pot and set aside.  To the same pot add the onions and sauté until they begin to caramelize.  Add the garlic and ground beef and cook until the beef is browned.  Return the steak to the pot and add all the remaining ingredients.  Cook until the cabbage is tender. (I use a pressure cooker, 15 minutes at high pressure and then I let it cool to reduce the pressure instead of just releasing the valve)  Salt and pepper to to taste.  This is good the first day but gets better after it sits a day or two.
Enjoy!

Baked Eggplant with Cumin

Delicious, spicy eggplant, ready to enjoy!  We adore eggplant and this recipe is super simple and just a bit different, one of our favorites.
Steamed eggplant dusted with spice, ready for the oven.
Baked Eggplant with Cumin

• 2 lbs. medium eggplants
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 heaping tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450F.  Wash and dry the eggplant.  Slit the skin in several places to prevent bursting then steam in a steamer until tender, about 35 minutes.  Allow the eggplant to cool and then cut lengthwise in quarters.  Add the oil to an oven proof baking pan and lay the eggplant slices skin side down.  Sprinkle the eggplant with the paprika, cumin, cayenne,salt, pepper and garlic.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant is soft and slightly toasted.
Enjoy!

Doro Wat ~ Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew

We adore spicy food here in the Cook Lisa Cook house so when we spied this recipe for Doro Wat on Nom Nom Paleo’s site, we just knew it had to be made. 

The original recipe called for a tablespoon of the spice berbere but Michelle said that they used 1½ tablespoons because they’re masochists, so we figured what the heck, if they can do it, we’ll be masochists too, so we went for the larger amount.

The berbere gave the dish a wonderful flavor and it was hot…but not spitting fire hot so it was perfect for us…well not Maisie.

The chicken was absolutely delicious, the flavors were just amazing.  The eggs in the dish were…well…interesting but we felt they just weren’t quite needed.  Maybe if the eggs had been simmered in the sauce, I don’t know.  I know that we’ll make and enjoy this dish again but probably sans eggs. 

Doro Wat ~ Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew (adapted from here) 

• 3 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 10 drumsticks), skin on or off
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup ghee
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (about 1 TBS.)
• 1 1/2 TBS. berbere seasoning (more or less to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom 
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper   
• 2 cups chicken stock  
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered into wedges
• Juice from 1 lime (optional)

Thoroughly season the drumsticks with salt, and set aside. Heat the ghee in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, and let them cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes. Season liberally with salt, and gently turn over the pile of onions every 3 to 4 minutes to ensure even cooking. Once the onions have softened and significantly reduced in volume, about 15 minutes, turn the heat to medium-low.  Continue cooking, turning over the onion pile every 10 minutes or so, for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and nicely caramelized, tender and sweet.

Stir the garlic and ginger into the caramelized onions, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the berbere, cardamom, and black pepper. Next, pour in the chicken stock and stir to mix well. Nestle the drumsticks into the liquid, and bring the contents of the pot to a low simmer. Cover and cook, turning the drumsticks occasionally, about 45 minutes or until the meat is tender and cooked through.

Once the chicken’s done, remove the lid of the Dutch oven and turn the heat up to medium-high.  Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by approximately one-third.  Add lime juice, do it now. The citrusy zing adds a nice, zesty brightness to this long-simmered dish. Transfer the chicken drumsticks to a serving platter, garnish with the egg wedges, and ladle the spicy sauce on top.

Enjoy!

Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms

Summer is here and there’s nothing better than sitting out on our dock on a warm evening, enjoying an adult beverage and a few appetizers.  Honestly we sometimes make appetizers our meal during the summer as it’s laid back, easy and seriously, who wants to spend time in the kitchen over the stove or have the oven running for hours.  Fun-finger-food followed by marshmallow kabobs (roasted marshmallows) for dessert sure sounds perfect in our minds.  Yes, just call me Mrs. Flax.

So with summer here, our search this month for our Secret Recipe Club had us looking for appetizers.  Our blog assignment this month was Andrea’s Adventures in all Things Food.  A few of her recipes caught our attention, including her Lamb Stew 'en Papillote', also delicious looking was her Thai inspired Chicken Patties with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce, and her Fast and Flavorful Pineapple Mango salsa, which probably will be making an appearance on our table this summer, but as I said, we really wanted an appetizer.  In the end it was her Chipotle stuffed mushrooms we chose to make and enjoy.

Andrea’s blog shows her life with her children, there are lots of home and craft ideas and books, as she really seems to love reading.  Of course there are lots of recipes too and along with those recipes she does a lot of product reviews, endorsements and giveaways.  In this recipe she used Chipotle flavored Tabasco sauce.  We didn’t have the sauce and chose not to purchase it just for this recipe, so instead we used chipotle powder to get that nice spicy, smoky kick which was a wonderful contrast to the creaminess of the cream cheese.  The other change we made to the recipe was we chose to leave out the panko, to make the recipe lower in carbs and we also left out the egg yolk because in truth, we just forgot to put it in…oops!  All-in-all, the mushrooms were wonderful and they held together well and will be made again and again as we enjoy our summer appetizer meals. 

Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms (Adapted from here)

• 1 TBS. olive oil 
• 1 yellow onion, diced finely
• 48 oz. of button mushrooms, stems removed and chopped finely 
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 oz. natural pork sausage
• 3/4 tsp. Chipotle powder
• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened  
• 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded (NOT the powdered dry grated)
• extra shredded Parmesan for topping

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
Heat 1 TBS. olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion until golden, add the chopped mushroom stems and sauté until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up until no pink remains..  Add the chipotle powder and stir to combine, cook for a bout 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream cheese and stir to combine.  Add the Parmesan and stir to combine.   Cool slightly.  Fill each mushroom cap with filling and top with a little more Parmesan cheese.  Place the filled mushroom caps on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened and the filling has turned golden brown. 
Plate and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Sriracha Deviled Eggs
Grilled Pizza Sandwich
Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Mascarpone Soup 
Hearty Bacon, Turkey & Vegetable Frittata
Chicken Satay with Sunbutter “Peanut” Sauce
Asian Pork Chops
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries
Zesty Zucchini Skillet
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry
Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Mascarpone Soup

We truly can’t believe that it’s March already but on the other hand, we’re happy that spring is right around the corner as it’s been a cold winter for us southerners.  And on these cold winter nights there’s nothing more wonderful than a bowl of hot, creamy and comforting soup.  It was just one of those cold days when we perused Leigh’s blog, Chit Chat… Chomp, this month’s Secret Recipe Club assignment.  Leigh’s food choices are very similar to ours in that she leans towards fresh, gluten free, organic, fructose-free, healthy foods so when reading through her blog, we found so many offerings that fit in with our diets which we were tempted to make.  Her gorgeous photography skills had us wanting to jump right into the screen and devour every item she displayed.  In the end though, because it was a freezing cold day, we were tempted by the comfort of soup.  We actually debated between two soups, her Mushroom & Cashew Soup and her Roasted Tomato Mascarpone Soup and the tomato soup won out only because we had all the ingredients in the house.  I mean seriously, who wants to trek out to the store when it’s freezing outside!  We thought about also making her Zucchini Quiche to enjoy with the soup but that would have entailed a trip to the grocery, so that was going to be left for another day!  Can you tell that we don’t particularly care for freezing cold weather?  Thinking about it, while we’re here freezing, Leigh is on the other side of the world in Melbourne enjoying summer…maybe we should go visit her!  Hey Leigh, want some visitors????

Anyhow, back to the soup.  The soup was oh-so simple to make and the flavors were divine.  The soup wasn’t overly creamy, just enough to balance out the acidity of the tomato.  We changed the recipe only slightly, adding an extra red bell pepper and we chose to leave out the brown sugar.  When the soup was served, some of us chose to add an extra dollop of mascarpone and a sprinkle of chives which topped off the soup perfectly.  It’s still cold out there so make some delicious soup, our version or Leigh’s and while you’re enjoying your soup, check out Leigh’s blog, all her recipes, gorgeous photography and all of her travels to France, oh-so interesting to read.

  Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Mascarpone Soup  (adapted from here)

• 2 1/4 lbs. plum tomatoes, halved
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled & quartered
• 2 large red bell peppers, deseeded & quartered
• 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled 
• Himalayan salt 
• fresh ground pepper
• olive oil
• 1 TBS. mascarpone cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and add a drizzle of olive oil.  Place the tomatoes, onion, bell peppers & garlic onto the pan and stir to coat everything with with oil.  Season with a little salt & pepper.  Roast for 45-60 minutes, until the the vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelize slightly.  Remove from the oven and carefully add all the contents of the pan, juices too, to a blender.  Secure the lid and hold it down with a towel as you process the ingredients until smooth.  Once smooth, add the tablespoon of mascarpone and blend until incorporated.  Serve immediately, adding an extra little drizzle of olive oil to each portion and if desired, a nice dollop of mascarpone.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Hearty Bacon, Turkey & Vegetable Frittata 
Chicken Satay with Sunbutter “Peanut” Sauce 
Asian Pork Chops 
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing 
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup

We could eat this soup every.single.day and sometimes we go for weeks at a time doing just that!  Such a simple, healthy soup and it’s beyond delicious!  We found the recipe originally on Melissa Joulwan’s blog, The Clothes Make the Girl and in her cookbook, Well Fed 2.  Melissa labels this soup as “a healthy hug in a bowl” which is such a fitting description for this soup.  We make this soup when we gather up enough leftover pieces of zucchini after spiralizing it when making another of Melissa’s recipes, Zucchini Noodles Aglio et Olio (freeze the extra pieces until you have enough.)  We also make this soup when we have an abundance of fresh zucchini.  When we have an abundance of zucchini, we make a huge pot and freeze the soup in 4-6 cup containers.  If you do freeze the soup, you’ll need to puree it again once thawed, either by placing it in the blender or using an immersion blender.  So, if you have an abundance of zucchini or need a warm hug, make this soup!!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup (adapted from here)

• 2 TBS. coconut oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 10 large fresh garlic cloves
• 2 TBS. ground ginger
• 2 TBS. ground coriander
• 1 TBS. Himalayan salt
• 1 TBS. fresh ground pepper
• 6 lbs. zucchini, cut in 1/2 moons or leftover pieces
• 12 cups chicken bone broth or Cheaters Chicken Soup (can also use beef,vegetable or any mix of broth you choose)

Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot.  Add the onions and sauté low and slow, until caramelized.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, salt & pepper.  Cook stirring continuously until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and zucchini.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Allow the soup to cook for 45-60 minutes, until the zucchini is very soft.  Once the zucchini is soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or use a blender to carefully puree (use a towel to hold the lid on the blender on whilst pureeing.)  Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Hearty Bacon, Turkey & Vegetable Frittata

It’s difficult to believe that our previous time participating in The Secret Recipe Club was way back in November!!  In some ways it feels like a long time ago, but with the holidays and all that they entail, the time passed quickly.  It’s really good to be back and participating again.  This month we were assigned Mellissa’s blog, A Fit & Spicy Life.  Mellissa is a healthy, wine-loving, dog-loving, recipe-loving gal and reading her blog allows a glimpse into her fun-loving life.

It was a cold, gray, rainy night the evening we perused Mellissa’s blog and the idea of something warm, comforting & easy was what made us stop and drool when we spotted her Bacon & Vegetable Frittata.  Seriously, there’s nothing easier, more comforting or delicious than a hearty breakfast for dinner so that’s exactly when and what we enjoyed, using Mellissa’s Bacon & Vegetable Frittata as the inspiration and guide for our meal.  Mellissa mentioned in her post, that a frittata “can be the best dish to use up all those veggies that are about to go bad” so we raided our veggie drawer and used what we had.  Also, to make it a bit heartier and because we had it already defrosted and it needed to be used, we added ground turkey to the mix.  In the end, with the inspiration of Mellissa’s recipe as our guide, we enjoyed a perfectly hearty breakfast for dinner frittata…and it reheated beautifully for meals later in the week.  Check out Mellissa’s Bacon & Vegetable Frittata and all her other recipes on A Fit & Spicy Life.

Hearty Bacon, Turkey & Vegetable Frittata (adapted from here)

• 8 Eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper 
• 6 slices bacon, divided
• 2 cups fresh chopped (chunky) broccoli
• 1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup oven roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese

Heat oven to 325F.  In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy whipping cream, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. salt & 1/2 tsp. pepper, and set aside.  In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.  Pour off all but 2 TBS. of the bacon fat and return the pan to the heat.  Add the broccoli and cook until tender and golden in spots.  Remove the broccoli from the pan and set aside.  Add the ground turkey & minced garlic to the pan and season with salt & pepper.  Cook the turkey until no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks.  Add the roasted tomatoes just as the turkey finishes cooking.  Remove the pan from the heat and add back in the cooked broccoli.  Dice three of the bacon strips and add those to the pan along with the grated cheese, stir to combine.  Pour the contents of the pan into a 10-inch silicon cake pan which has been placed on a baking sheet, or if your pan is oven-proof, just keep the ingredients in the pan and continue.  Pour the egg mixture over the turkey/broccoli mix and top with the remaining three strips of bacon (each cut in half.)  Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbly delicious.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Chicken Satay with Sunbutter “Peanut” Sauce 
Asian Pork Chops 
Mango Salsa 
Pomegranate Molasses Salad Dressing 
Beef Keema  
Roasted Grape Tomato, Garlic & Poblano Ragu
Mexican Feast: Cream of Ancho Chile Soup, Roasted Poblano Burger with Chile de Arbol Guacamole & Pork Crusted Baked Poblano Fries 
Zesty Zucchini Skillet 
Garlic Seafood in Coconut Milk 
Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles
Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Check out the new SRC blog for more exciting recipes from past reveals

An InLinkz Link-up

Egg Drop Soup

Okay a little whinge here, we live in Georgia and waking to temperatures in the single digits and feeling like negative numbers should not happen!!  Unfortunately that’s exactly what happened this morning and we’ll be lucky to get up to 30F.  Not our favorite kind of weather!  So, with it being crazy cold outside we needed to warm our insides and for that, nothing is better than a steaming bowl of soup.  Today we decided it would be Egg Drop Soup, not only because it’s simple & quick to make and we had all the ingredients in the house, but also because Maisie has been cleared to have eggs as we test her tolerance and vasomotor rhinitis response.  This soup took minutes to make and got big thumbs up and smiles from Maisie and all of us.

Egg Drop Soup

• 4 cups Cheaters Chicken Soup or broth
• 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 TBS. sesame oil
• 1 TBS. fish sauce
• 2 TBS. coconut aminos 
• 1 TBS. arrowroot powder (can use corn starch, tapioca/cassava/yucca starch)
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBS. water
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
• salt to taste

In a heavy pot, bring the soup, ginger, pepper, garlic, sesame oil & fish sauce to a boil.  While that is coming to a boil, in a small bowl, mix the coconut aminos and arrowroot powder to form a smooth slurry.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 TBS. water together.  Once the soup begins to boil, stir briskly while slowly adding the arrowroot slurry.  Allow to boil for 30-60 seconds and then lower the temperature.  Still stirring the soup continuously, drizzle in the eggs allowing the strands of egg to cook.  Add the green onions and then season to taste with salt.

Enjoy!