Chicken Chile Verde

Mild roasted chilies, chunks of chicken and white rice makes the best Chicken Chile Verde

Okay! Hands down, easiest yummy dinner ever! Chicken chile verde over rice. We got a variety of peppers in our SLO Veg box this week, so I decided to use them up in a fresh verde with tomatillos -- my favorite sauce ever!

You start with chilies: Poblano chilies (3), Anaheim chilies(2), maybe a jalapeno chile (1). Those get roasted until black over a gas flame, then cooled and placed in a plastic baggie until its time to mix up the sauce. (Tonight I wanted it to be on the mild side, so I didn't use any jalapenos).

Then you turn on the oven to 400 degrees and oven-roast the whole tomatillos (1 lb, husks off), onion (peeled and quartered), whole garlic cloves (3), and a couple of chicken breasts on one big baking sheet. Everything gets a splash of olive oil and salt. You can hit the chicken with your favorite seasoning blend, too. Let it bake for 30 minutes, until the tomatillos are soft and the chicken is cooked through.

The next step is to put all the peppers, onion and garlic into a blender, add a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and a couple teaspoons of lime juice, and give it a whirl. You can add a little bit of water, if you want. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. 

Then dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and mix it into the sauce. Spoon a couple of ladles of the chile verde over a bowl of rice and top with a dollop of sour cream. So good and flavorful, so fresh, and so darn easy!

For a quick recipe reference, check out Melissa d'Arabian's site on FoodNetwork.com

http://www.melissadarabian.net/recipes/tomatillo-sauce/

Roasted Potato Salad with Lavender

We got some beautiful Red Potatoes in our box from SLO Veg this week. I love red potatoes! I had to make something with them first thing!

I remember my sister making a lavender potato salad for a family potluck, so I decided to use that herb. I had gotten some lavender from SLO Veg several months ago and now is a good time to use it. First off, I wanted to roast the potatoes and infuse them with some Rosemary flavoring. 

I rinsed and quartered my potatoes, then put them on a baking sheet. I drizzled on a few tablespoons of butter olive oil that I had gotten in Monterey at Tasty Olive. That store has about 50 different olive oil flavorings, plus a bunch of vinegars, and my girls and I had a ball there last November. I am sure some of our local growers have similar flavors of oils and vinegars, so I am going on a search for them very soon. 

Meanwhile, I set the oven to 400 degrees and layed a few sprigs of freshly cut rosemary on top. I put the potatoes in the oven and let them roast for a good hour while I was packing my husband a lunch and making our breakfast. (Sprouted oatmeal with fresh strawberries stirred in!)

(to be continued!)

Sea Bass with roasted Zucchini and Carrots

We recently moved into town to be closer to everything, like our work, doctors, shopping, and our favorite gym. We also have access to at least three farmers markets in this community instead of just one. However, we are still taking advantage of the delivery service provided by SLO Veg, partly because it saves me time and partly because it allows us to have a variety of fruits and vegetables we might not normally purchase. This way I have to do a little recipe investigation, which keeps cooking fun and interesting, instead of doing the same old thing week after week. Our delivery day also changed, so now I get whatever the fish catch of the day is for Monday from SLO Fresh Catch, as well. While we are not now right next to the ocean, we are still just a short drive from the fisheries. We have cows across the street. We might even get a few chickens for the backyard. It's the SLO life!

We were excited to get some Sea Bass in our delivery this week. It's a nice firm, meaty fish with fewer bones to pick through than the Grenadier and Cod selections. We had to take tweezers and pull out some bones that looked like long needles, but there were only about four of them in one of the pieces.

This olive oil is from Tasty Olive in Monterey

The fish was simply prepared with just a little coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning, then pan fried in a mixture of olive oil and butter. It took just 2 or 3 minutes on each side before the fish began to flake apart. Then I removed the fish from the pan and deglazed the pan with some white wine (a lovely, local Dry Gewurtztraminer). I squeezed in the juice from one big Meyer lemon and added a teaspoonful of capers to the sauce, which was then poured over the fish after it was plated.

I made a side dish of orzo pasta that I browned lightly in butter in the pot, then added water (1:2 ratio pasta/water). When it was cooked through, I stirred in some shredded Romano-Parmesan cheese and a small handful of chopped chives and basil.

Our plates were finished with a generous helping of cheesy orzo pasta and some roasted zucchini, red onion and carrots. The special thing about roasting the vegetables was I used a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme, picked right from our front walkway planter, which were simply placed on top of the vegetables that had been drizzled with buttery olive oil on a cookie sheet. I let them go in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes, and the flavors of the herbs infused throughout the vegetables during the cooking time. Finished with a sprinkling of coarse salt: Simple, savory, delicioso!

Kitchen Sink Steak Salad and French Onion Soup

My salad is packed to-go with all the goodies, including a Pomegranete vinaigrete, because I have to work tonight. Taking some French onion soup, too, because its a 12-hour shift. Ciao!

I think a good steak salad is like a "kitchen sink" type of dish. I can literally use almost everything we got in our SLO Veg vegetable box this week in this steak salad. I like to start with fresh, crisp lettuce, and we got a beautiful head of red-and-green butter lettuce in the box to make the foundation. I build on that by adding some red onion, carrot curls, sliced celery, and then chop up a few of those crunchy sugar snap peas into bite-size morsels. Maybe some mini-red and yellow sweet peppers. Oh, and tomatoes--I like diced Roma tomatoes! What the heck, some florets of broccoli can go on there, too, or roasted corn-off-the-cob--oh yeah! I would've also used some roasted red beets, too, but we ate them already.

Top round steak is just the icing on the cake, so to speak, but when you add it to the salad just off the grill, thinly sliced and warm, and then drizzle the whole thing with a tangy, scrumptious vinaigrette, that is heaven on a plate! Add a sprinkle of Parmesan or crumbled Feta cheese, and it is a gourmet dish. 

Today I picked out a pomegranete vinaigrette to try. If I like it, I may try to recreate it myself when those pomegranetes on my brother's tree mature into fruit. By reading the ingredients listed on the jar, I suppose I could mash up the pomegranete seeds, using just the juice, add some orange juice and white vinegar and a good-quality olive oil, season it with salt and pepper and have my own sauce, minus the xanthum gum. (Had to look that up. I knew it was some type of thickener. Its made with sugar and wheat). Hmmm, wonder what "spice" they used in this vinaigrete? Only about a million options there...

I prepared the steak by sprinkling it with a seasoned salt blend, then added some fresh ground pepper and a drizzle of basil-infused olive oil, a splash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. I topped it with sliced red onion, minced garlic, and cilantro leaves. That will marinate in the refrigerator all day until it is time to grill. The steak is thin, about a half-inch thick, so it will cook in just minutes. Then I just let it rest, slice it into thin strips and lay it on top of the salad I built. A generous drizzling of Pomegranete vinaigrete and I am ready to chow down.

Meanwhile, I made some French Onion soup in the crock pot. First I carmelized the onions in butter, then let them cook on high in the crock pot for two hours. I added some red wine (1/2 cup), chicken broth and beef broth (about 2 cups each), salt, pepper, a bay leaf, a teaspoon each of dried thyme and marjoram, and a generous splash of Worchestershire sauce. Top it with toast and a slice of cheese, then popped into the microwave to melt the cheese and there is your gourmet soup!

Sauteed Swiss Chard

We got a beautiful bunch of Rainbow Swiss chard in this week's box from SLO Veg, and their website had a couple of recipe ideas for it that sounded delicious. I decided to go simple and use this one that calls for some sauteing and that's about it...just like Mom use to make. My Daddy used to love his Swiss chard! He grew oodles of it each Spring. I didn't fully appreciate it as a kid, but that could be said for a lot of things in my childhood.

Sigh! I get it now. Those really were the good old days!

The stem pieces went into the pan first to saute for a bit before the leafy portions were added.

 

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Onions (Swiss Chard) 

Yield: Makes 8 (side dish) servings,
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min

Ingredients:
3 pound green Swiss chard (about 2 large bunches) 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

I chopped the chard, then rinsed and spun it dry.

Preparation: Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough portions, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Stack chard leaves and roll up lengthwise into cylinders. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch-wide strips. Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook onions and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, covered, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until stems are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add chard leaves in batches, stirring until wilted before adding next batch, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl.
Cooks' notes: Chard can be washed, dried, and cut 2 days ahead and chilled in sealed bags lined with dampened paper towels. · Chard can be cooked 4 hours ahead and reheated over low heat on stove or in a microwave oven.

 

Bacon-wrapped Asparagus

We got two bunches of fresh asparagus in our SLO Veg box this week. Yum and thank you! Just for good measure, I am taking some bacon-wrapped asparagus along to the Memorial Day barbecue, just to make sure we all get enough bacon and vegetables today. Wouldn't want to slack on the vegies, and bacon! 

These just get a drizzle of olive oil and coarse salt, then go onto a flat grill pan with the little holes in it and cook for about 20 minutes on the barbecue. I hope its a hit!

Creamy Cheesy Broccoli soup

I have blogged about Broccoli soup a couple of times now, and I guess all I can say is that I have never made it the same way twice. Today was a foggy, foggy May day on the coast, perfect weather for soup. Creamy soup, with a fresh loaf of soft French bread slathered with softened butter, and a beer. Perfect!

Our vegetable tote included several heads of deep green, super-fresh broccoli from the local farmers and SLO Veg. Usually I steam the broccoli and eat it as a side to whatever we are having for dinner, but today called for soup and the broccoli was calling me. I also pulled out an onion and the last of a bunch of celery, and then I spotted the fennel that had been hanging out in the refrigerator for at least two weeks, a hold-over from our previous box. That stuff will keep forever, I guess. Hmmmm....fennel might spice up the broccoli soup just a bit. Everything gets pureed, anyway. I had some half and half creamer, so that would do for the milk component. I also had some Mexican shredded cheese, a blend of cheddar and Monterey jack. Nice!

I started by sweating the onions in a quarter cube of melted butter, then I added the chopped onion (about 1 cup) and some chopped fennel (1/4 cup). For good measure, I tossed in a handful of shredded carrots. I let it all saute for about 10 minutes. Martha Stewart says sweating the vegetables for a good long time is key to a good mirepoix, so I am taking her at her word, since I don't really speak French. http://www.marthastewart.com/268585/mirepoix

Meanwhile, I browsed Pinterest for some recipes...kind of bass-ackwards, but that's just how I roll. I might forget something, you know. Onions, butter, broccoli, broth, salt and pepper, cream...check. I think I can do this. This is gonna be good! 

After 10 minutes or so, I added the two heads of chopped broccoli, saving out a cup or so of florets to add in later. I stirred the vegetables around, then added 6 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of granulated chicken boullion. I let that all simmer while I ran down to the market to get some fresh French bread and a 12 pack of 805. 

So after I returned from the store, it was time to puree the soup. I ladled a few scoops of veggies into the blender carafe, then add a ladle-full of broth and pulsed It, carefully. Hot liquids in a blender can be a disaster. (Actually, I noticed the disaster the next morning, when I saw that soup had splashed onto my coffee and sugar canisters.) It took three batches to do the whole pot. 

Meanwhile I made a roux of butter and flour, adding garlic salt and black pepper, and then some half and half cream. I also added about a half cup of milk because I didn't have that much cream. That probably makes it 1/4 to 3/4 cream...do you follow? Sigh! When I was satisfied that the flour had cooked down a bit, I added the pureed soup into the roux ladle by ladle. Then I stirred in about a cup and a half of shredded cheese and let it melt in and get all gooey. I tasted it, then added some coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. The steamed florets went in last, and the soup was on!

Here is a link for some soup that gave me this inspiration:

http://www.katrina-runs.com/the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year

Now that's a feast for a cold foggy night! Slices of French bread smeared with yummy butter was served alongside the soup, with an assortment of olives and some peppered salami slices for a nice appetizer.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

2 heads of broccoli
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
1/4 c butter
1/4 c celery, diced
1/4 c fennel, diced
1/2 c carrots, shredded
6 c chicken broth
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
1 c Half and Half creamer or milk
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar/jack cheese 
salt and pepper to taste

Sweat the onions, celery and fennel in 1/4 c butter for 10-15 minutes in a stockpot. Add in chopped broccoli, reserving about 1 c of florets. Steam the florets for 1 minute in a microwave. Add the broth and continue to cook the vegetables for about 15 more minutes. Scoop the vegetables into a blender and add about 1 cup of broth. Pulse carefully with the lid on until pureed. Put pureed vegetables into a large bowl or saucepan. Repeat until all the broccoli mixture is pureed.

In the soup stockpot, melt 1/4 c butter and stir in 1/4 c flour. Add cream a little bit at a time and cook down until the flour mixture is smooth. Slowly ladle the pureed broccoli mixture into the roux. Stir in the shredded cheese until it is all melted. Season with salt and pepper. Add the broccoli florets and stir, Serve in soup bowls with buttered French bread.

Makes about 6-8 servings.