Farmers Market Bounty Summer Vegetable Soup with Chicken

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Soup in the Summer?  Heck yea!

Soup is not just for winter my friends.  A good soup can be enjoyed all.year.long.  So why not take advantage of the farmer's market bounty of fresh vegetables!  That's just what I did last weekend.

My girlfriend and I went to check out the Farmer's Market held in Calabasas.  Of course we picked the hottest weekend to go, and even though we went early it was smoldering hot at 9am!  Not to be deterred we plunged in among the sea of stands where local farmers were selling the best fresh fruits and vegetables.  Armed with a large shopping bag I intended to get a variety of fresh summer veggies to make a wonderful soup that evening.  Boy did I hit the jackpot!

FARMERS MARKET BOUNTY SUMMER VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHICKEN 

Just look at this bounty!  I couldn't resist the tempting fruit as well, and totally overloaded my bag.  So bearing the heat and the crowd I would say this shopping spree was a huge success!  I love the variety of items at the Calabasas Farmer's Market, so if you are in the area on a Saturday morning, put this on your list.

My Farmers Market Bounty Summer Vegetable Soup with Chicken is all about fresh veggies, with a little chicken added for protein.  7 types of crisp, fresh from the farm, vegetables are the star of this dish! Cook them in a hearty chicken broth, laced with herbs, and add some tender roasted chicken and you have one healthy summer soup!

Why not take advantage of summer's fresh vegetables and make your family a healthy hearty dinner that's on the table in 45 minutes.  Everyone will love the flavors and the freshness. 

I'm also sharing with you a little trick to add extra flavor in the soup.  It will taste as if the soup has been cooking all day.  The secret is to add a little concentrated stock base such as this one.  It gives you the boost that you need to create that long simmered flavor.  Shhhh! don't tell anyone, they'll never know you weren't slaving away all day for this awesome soup!

Three cheers to the wonderful farmers that bring such fresh and delicious quality vegetables!!!  It's so appreciated, and our tummys thank you too!

Enjoy!

Farmers Market Bounty Summer Vegetable Soup with Chicken

1 medium sweet onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2  stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water

1 - 1 1/2 tsp chicken stock (such as Knorr Chicken Homestyle Stock)
1/2 lb. 2-inch-diameter red potatoes, quartered
1/2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise, and cut into thick slices

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, and cut into thick slices
2 cups coarsely shredded cooked fresh chicken meat (light and/or dark meat)
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven or large stock pan cook onion and celery in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally. Add garlic and cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, beans, and squashes. Return to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the chicken meat, tomato, thyme, sage, and pepper. Heat through about 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls.



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Incredibly Simple Turkey Taco Meat

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Tomorrow is Taco Tuesday, so let's change it up and try something other than you basic ground beef tacos!

Let's make TURKEY tacos!  But not just any turkey taco.  This dish is really easy to make and will become your basic turkey taco meat go-to recipe!

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE TURKEY TACO MEAT

Everyone love tacos, but let's face it, during the week we want something quick and easy.  Grilling isn't always and option and takes a little more time.  Ground turkey is not only quick and easy to cook it place a healthy spin on dinner-in-a-hurry.  Oh, and it's delicious too!

You will have juicy tender turkey tacos spiced up with bold Mexican flavors on the table in less then 30 minutes.  Guaranteed!  This turkey taco meat is a great base to have in your recipe arsenal.  You can add lots of mix-ins to make it your own, but getting the basic recipe down is key.  

This is a saucy taco meat.  So let's ditch the taco seasoning packet and flavor this baby up with some of our spice cabinet favorites.  With the addition of tomato sauce the meat turns into a wonderful saucy mess, bursting with bold flavors.  The perfect taco meat!

Kitchen Note:  Make a big batch and freeze some for later.  It will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.

To serve we fried up some corn torillas to make crunchy taco shells.  You could go for soft tacos or just warmed corn torillas for a street taco experience.  It all works and the taste is outstanding!

Enjoy your Taco Tuesdays!

Incredibly Simple Turkey Taco Meat

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 oz can no-salt added tomato sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

For Tacos:

Taco shells
Taco toppings of choice

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground turkey, onion.  Cook, 5-7 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces as you go.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and cayenne if using.  Cook for about 30 seconds until the mixture is blended and the spice start to give off a fragrance.

Add the tomato sauce and turning the heat to medium-low, simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve, or portion into freezer safe containers and freeze once cooled, up to 3 months.

Easy Entertaining Chicken Souvlaki Platter

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Boy am I glad it's the weekend!

It was a long week at work and what better way to start the weekend than with a small gathering around the pool with good friends.

When you entertain, especially on a weeknight, you want to make something that is quick and easy.  This calls for some refreshing drinks, a nice fruit bowl, and some easy to eat appetizer finger food.

I'm finally revealing my famous recipe, Easy Entertaining Chicken Souvlaki Platter.  Imagine plump, juicy chicken breasts marinated with Greek flavors such as lemon, garlic, oregano, and wine. This easy summer dish turns finger food up to a new level.  Make sure to add Lavash strips as a vessel to hold the chicken, and a bowl filled with chilled, refreshing Tzatziki for dipping.  Oh man this is HEAVEN!

A quick 1 hour marinade is necessary to impact bold, bright flavors in the chicken.  Once that is done, it's easy sailing and 15 minutes to the best finger food dish around!  You can grill the chicken outside like we did, or you can use a good sturdy grill pan on the stove.  (Options, I love that!)

Keep the chicken whole to begin with so they remain moist inside.  Once you let them rest you can cut them into bite size pieces.  We served them with Lavash, a middle eastern unleavened bread that is perfect to use as a dipping devise for the chicken.  You could easily substitute pita wedges if you like.

All in all the weather was balmy last night, but the food was outstanding.  This dish is packed with flavor, and we enjoyed each and every bite.    

Don't miss out!  Summer is going by quickly and we should all take advantage of long evenings gathered with friends and of course, fabulous food like my Easy Entertaining Chicken Souvlaki Platter.

Enjoy!









Chicken Souvlaki Platter

serves 4-6

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. dry white wine

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1/4 cup minced yellow onion

1 garlic clove, minced

2 bay leaves, 

1 tsp. dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Lemon wedges for garnish

Parsley, chopped for garnish

Lavash, cut into strips

Tzatziki, for dipping

In a bowl, stir together the olive oil, wine, lemon juice, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill or preheat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade.  Place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire or place in the hot pan and grill, turning once, until the chicken is opaque throughout, 4-5 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes.  Cut chicken into 1 inch bite size pieces.  Place on a platter along with the Lavash strips, and a bowl full of tzatziki for dipping.  Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.  Serve immediately.

Presto Pesto Panko Chicken with a Green Salad and Roasted Potatoes and "Hello Fresh" Final Installment

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It's hump day, and I'm posting the last installment of my Hello Fresh food delivery service series.

Another weekday meal is on the agenda for today and I dare say this was the easiest one to make.  I previously shared the Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice and the Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash.  Both meals were tasty and simple to make.

Today's recipe is Presto Pesto Panko Chicken with a Green Salad and Roasted Potatoes.  As I said this was the easiest of the three to make as both the chicken and potatoes are baked in the oven.  So I took the liberty and turned this in to a "sheet pan" dish!  That made it even easier!! Don't you love that?  Both the chicken and the potatoes bake in the oven at the same temperature and for the same length of time, so why not?  Less dishes to clean, and in my book that is a bonus!

The flavors of this were not quite as bold but this is a good solid dish to have in your repertoire when you need a quick meal that is quick and easy to put together.  The pesto gives the chicken flavor, while the panko crust creates a crunchy texture.  Paired with roasted potatoes (who doesn't love those?) and a simple salad and you have a weeknight wonder!

So let's talk about Hello Fresh food delivery subscription service. The Pros: The delivery service easy and convenient, and there is a variety of meal choices.  The produce was very fresh and I love that the meat is shrink wrapped.  

The cons:  The portion size seemed to be a little small for us.  MGG is tall and slim but has a big appetite and I found that the meat potions were leaving him wanting more.  So I would say that should be a consideration.  Remember when you choose a two person meal there are no leftovers!

Overall, being a blogger it's hard to stick to a pre-determined meal schedule.  Plus we blog about what we eat, so my blogging would mainly include their recipes instead of the ones I create or choose.  I think that a new cook would enjoy the ease and instructions.  I also think that you pay for the convenience of someone shopping for you. If you don't like to shop, it's perfect!  

Enjoy this most recent Hello Fresh recipe!    

Presto Pesto Panko Chicken with a Green Salad and Roasted Potatoes

12 oz Yukon potatoes
12 oz chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/2 cup panko
2 Tbls fresh pesto
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 oz arugula
1 lemon
5 Tbls olive oil
salt and pepper

Wash and dry all produce. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potatoes into ½-inch cubes.

Toss potatoes on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.   In a small bowl, combine panko, mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Place chicken breasts on the same baking sheet. Brush 2 TBSP pesto onto tops. Press crust mixture into pesto to adhere. Roast in oven until chicken is no longer pink in center, about 20-25 minutes, tossing the potatoes halfway through

Halve lemon. In a large bowl, toss together arugula, a squeeze of lemon, and a large drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide potatoes and chicken between plates. Serve with salad on the side.

source:  Hello Fresh food delivery subscription service

Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash and "Hello Fresh" #2

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Hey there!

We're off and running with the start of another week.  Last week I talked about Hello Fresh, a food delivery service that I subscribed to, which satisfied my curiosity with all these subscription box services out there.  I showed you the first recipe I made, Pineapple Pork Chops with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice which we really enjoyed and plan to make again, possibly with chicken this time!  (You can read more about Hello Fresh's packaging here.)

Today I want to show you my favorite meal of the bunch, Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash.  This one just screams fresh and seasonal...a fantastic alfresco meal!  Plus it's beef, and you know I love a good steak!

Hello Fresh described this as "decadent, mouthwatering juiciness of a nice piece of beef, but with seasonal veggies to balance it out and an herb pesto to keep things breezy—just the thing to eat on the patio".  I have to agree with this description wholeheartedly.  

Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash

Again, with this meal you get an easy to follow recipe instruction card with step by step pictures to help you along.  This was really easy to pull together and took about 30 minutes to cook plus prep time.  This is the perfect dish for a weeknight meal.

Let's talk about flavor.  The steak came out nice and juicy.  We cooked to a medium doneness.  The steak was topped with a mint and chive dressing that gave the meat really good flavor.  The veggie succotash was crisp, and I love that it used seasonal fresh veggies.  Great meal!  Make sure to try this one, it's a summer must have!

I have one more "Hello Fresh" dish to share with you, and will wrap up my review on this service as well with my overall thoughts.

Enjoy!

Lean Green Steak Machine with a Mint Chive Dressing and Veggie Succotash

serves 2

3/4 lb sirloin steak

1 red onion

4 oz peas (1/2 cup)

1 zucchini

6 oz asparagus 

1 1/2 tsp chives, minced, divided

1 1/2 tsp mint, chopped, divided

1 lemon

4 tsp olive oil

salt & pepper

Wash and dry all produce. Halve, peel, and dice onion. Cut zucchini into ½-inch cubes. Trim woody bottoms from asparagus, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Zest lemon until you have ½ tsp zest, then cut into halves. Mince half the chives. Pick half the mint leaves from stems and finely chop. TIP: Use the remaining herbs as a garnish, if desired.

In a small bowl, combine minced chives, chopped mint, a squeeze of lemon, a large drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Adjust to taste with more lemon, salt, and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Toss in zucchini and cook until lightly browned and softened, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in another large pan over medium-high heat. Pat steak dry with a paper towel, then season all over with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook to desired doneness, 4-7 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside to rest.

Add peas and asparagus to pan with succotash. Return pan to stove over medium-high heat. Cook, tossing, until asparagus is tender, 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat and stir in a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of lemon zest.

Thinly slice steak against the grain. Divide succotash between plates and top with steak. Drizzle with herb dressing. Garnish with remaining mint leaves and chives, if desired.

source:  Hello Fresh Food Delivery Meal Service 

Tropical Sunset Smoothie

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Last year for our anniversary we took a wonderful trip to Hawaii.  I'm a beach lover at heart and love all the wonderful things that Hawaii has to offer such as tropical weather, hiking, flowers, beaches, and food.

More specifically I love all the tropical flavors you can get there but one of my all time favorite fruits is the pineapple.

Since it's a hot, hot summer and I'm missing Hawaii I thought I would make a Tropical Sunset Smoothie to bring me back.  We had a smoothie bar in our resort and we loved to stop by there and grab a smoothie made with fresh fruit and sipping on it while watching the waves crash on the lava rocks.  

This is my ode to Hawaii, made with juicy sweet pineapple, and plump strawberries which give it that sunset feel.  This Tropical Sunset Smoothie completely reminds me of Hawaii.  I can feel the trade winds blowing and total relaxation is not far away!

Smoothies are simple to make.  All you need is a blender, (I use this one) fresh fruit, yogurt, and some ice.  Poof!  Take yourself virtually to the tropics with my Tropical Sunset Smoothie.  It's a perfectly refreshing drink made for hot summers.

Enjoy!

Tropical Sunset Smoothie

serves 2


1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
6 whole strawberries
6 oz light vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 cup ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve with a straw.

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