Sunshine Soup

This weekend finally marked the official change of seasons for me: I dragged boxes of sweaters out from under my bed, I brought of my heaviest down blanket, and I almost had my first-of-many near death experiences by way of going to bed in my freezing apartment with shower hair.

In addition to waking up with a serious case of bed head and an even more serious neck cramp, I found myself seriously grateful for dusting off my soup pot while taking a break from being buried beneath fluffy knitwear.

I decided to kick the soup season off with one of my simplest but favorite recipes.

Reading through the ingredient list you may notice it sounds a little different compared to most soup recipes, and I'm more than certain you're questioning the use of OJ, but a recipe followed from an aged index card never lies!

Although the orange stands out on the ingredient list, it acts as more of a background player in the actual soup itself.  It creates a beautiful aroma to help draw your hand towards the spoon, then creates this platform of brightness on which a hint of smoky paprika and herby parsley play.  Although there is a definite sweetness from the tomato, potato, and juice, their varying levels of acidity complement each other laterally rather than building up and are balanced out by a subtle hint of peppery spice.

So trust me when I say this bowl is different in a good way!

Sunshine Soup

Author unknown

Ingredients

• 2-3 T olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno or 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, with the juice
• 4 c water
• 3 t salt
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1 orange, juiced and zested
• 1 can black beans
• 1 c packed parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Combine

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers.  Add the onion and jalapeno and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and sweet potatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add in the tomatoes with the juice, water, salt, and spices.  Bring to a boil for 10 minutes then simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the black beans, orange juice, and orange zest and simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Mix in the parsley and enjoy!

Pinto Arugula Feta Almond Shallot and Dill Vinaigrette

Acid and oil.

A pinch of seasonings.

This is how the best dressings are made.  Light, quick, minimal simplicity that will help the ingredients of the salad come together and speak for themselves.

Lately, this vinaigrette has been my go-to.  The dill gives the dressing a Mediterranean feel that is brought out by the bright, red wine vinegar.  In this recipe it adds a little punch to roasted almonds, salty feta, fresh cucumber, shallots, and spicy arugula creating a one-two of bold flavors five times over.

Arugula Salad with Pinto, Feta, Almond, Shallot, and Dill Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t dill, dried
• salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

• 1/2 c pinto beans, rinsed well
• 1 T roasted, unsalted almonds
• 1 small shallot, sliced
• 3 T cucumber, chopped
• 1 T feta, crumbled
• 1 large handful of arugula

Combine

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
2. Toss the arugula in the dressing until well coated.
3. Gently toss in the other ingredients.
4. Enjoy!

Keeping it weird

The best 5 minute dinner hack is to rub your meat of choice with your favorite spices of the moment, add some sides, and call it a meal.

Of course, the best spice blends are full of flavor and border on a little weird, because life is too short to have a boring dinner!

This particular blend is like a mole cheat in which a cocoa base is blended with herbs and heat to create warm, intricate layers of flavor that wrap around the chicken as it bakes.


If you're nervous about how well chocolate and spice go with chicken, don't worry, it's not as different as it sounds!  The cocoa flavor is really mild and acts as a blanket to help the spices stand out, but isn't overwhelming in the recipe.  Top it with mango pico and quick-pickled onions, and serve with some cheesy, chile polenta for the perfect week-night meal when you're looking for a delicious sort of different.

Recipe notes:  This was a one tissue meal for me, but if you don't have a high spice tolerance try reducing the chipotle to 1/2 a teaspoon, adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, and omitting the cayenne completely.  For the chile polenta, cooking the chiles a little longer will ensure that their heat is reduced keeping it enjoyable.

Chocolate Blackened Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 1.5 lbs of chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 T light, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 t onion powder
• 2 t chipotle, see notes.
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t chili
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t cayenne, see notes.
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt as needed

For the salsa:

• 1 mango, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 c cilantro leaves
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 lime, juiced

For the pickled shallots:

• 3 small shallots, thinly sliced
• White vinegar to cover
• 1 t salt
• boiling water

For the polenta:

• 2 small poblano peppers
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 3/4 c polenta
• 2  T oil
• 3 T cotija
• 1 can of red beans, rinsed well

Combine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Bring water to a boil.  Put the shallots in a small glass container with the salt, cover with vinegar, then add about 1/2 cup of boiling water and set aside.
3. Toss together the ingredients for the salsa and set aside.
4. Stir together the spices for the chicken.  Clean the chicken, drizzle with just enough oil to lightly coat, sprinkle with a little salt on each side, then coat liberally with the spice mix.
5. Bake the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes until the internal temperature is 155 degrees Fahrenheit, then remove from the oven and let sit for 1-2 minutes.
6. While the chicken cooks, heat the oil in a small pot with tall sides until in shimmers then add the garlic and peppers and saute for 5 minutes.  Add the polenta to the pot and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil while whisking constantly then reduce to a simmer until most of the water is absorbed.  Stir in the cheese and continue whisking until cooked through adding more water if needed.  Note: the raw polenta will look distinctly spotted, when it is done cooking it will be more uniform in texture and color.
7. Plate a scoop of the polenta, top with red beans, top with a piece of chicken, garnish with mango salsa and pickled onions, and enjoy!

If Romesco and Minestrone had a baby...

This is it!

A blend of red pepper, tomato, and balsamic make up a base bright enough to chase away those snowy skies.  Wheat berries, white beans, chard, and artichokes a heartiness that's enough to help you shed that winter pullover.

Of course, no Spanish-Italian crossover would be complete without lots of garlic, onion, crushed red pepper, paprika and saffron to spice things up.

Note: if you can handle some heat, make this soup as is and you may need a tissue.  If you can't handle heat, make this soup as is to clear out your winter cold in one serving or reduce the red pepper flakes to 1/2 a teaspoon to enjoy a little more freely!

Winter Stew with Balsamic and Chard


Ingredients

• 3/4 Soft White Winter Wheat Berries
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 15 oz can of tomatoes, including juice
• 1/4 c balsamic
• 1 t red pepper flakes
• 1 t black pepper
• 1 t salt
• 3 T oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch of saffron, crushed
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 4 cups water or broth, plus more as needed
• 1 small bunch of Swiss chard, chopped
• 1 can white beans, rinsed
• 6 artichokes, broken into leaves

Combine

1. In a small pot, cover the wheat berries in about 2-3 inches of water and boil for 15-20 minutes until starting to turn translucent.
2. Meanwhile dump the bell pepper, tomatoes with juice, balsamic, salt and pepper into a blender or food processor and puree for about 2 minutes until smooth.  Note: it doesn't have to be the consistency of a smoothie but shouldn't have very large chunks.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then add the onions and saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, and saffron and continue to cook for another minute or 2.
5. Add in the tomato base, wheat berries with any excess water, and 4 additional cups of water or broth, then bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
6. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the beans, artichokes, and chard and continue to cook until chard is wilted.
7. Taste and adjust for more salt if desired and enjoy!

A Southern Salmon

Although salmon is northern native, this particular fishy decided to rock a little southern flair!


After being rubbed with chipotle for a smokey, spicy bang, drizzled with lime juice, then topped with roasted corn and black bean salsa - how could you not be a fan of it's change in regional inspiration?

Note: if you don't handle heat well, I recommend going easy on the red pepper flakes or adding a little bit of a creamy dressing to the spinach to balance out the spice!

Chipotle Salmon with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients

For the Salmon

• 12 ounces salmon
• Lime juice
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t chipotle powder
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes

For the Salsa

• 1 c cilantro, roughly chopped and loosely packed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed very well
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1 ear of corn, roasted and kernelled
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1-2 T olive oil

For the Meal

• Large handful of spinach
• Feta crumbles
• limes

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Drizzle the salmon with lime juice then sprinkle with spices.
3. Toss in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked to your liking.
4. While you wait toss the ingredients for the salsa together.
5. Top a bed of spinach with a serving of salmon, then sprinkle with salsa, feta, and extra lime juice and enjoy!