Spicy Chicken Soup

Yesterday we tried out this spicy soup from allrecipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Catherines-Spicy-Chicken-Soup/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=soup&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

It was pretty good. I left out the sour cream since Adam doesn't like it, then put a little dollop on my own serving and it was good with and without. I liked  it a little better with. Also, don't put in the whole canned tomatoes, it's a little ridiculous and I just ended up taking them out anyway. Also, it makes a LOT of soup.

Pistachio Pesto Chicken and Pasta

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest from How Sweet It Is, a great cooking blog. I had basil growing in the garden that I needed to prune a large section off of, so I decided to make pesto. Jeran has said before that he doesn't really like pesto so I normally wouldn't make it but this looked so good, and it uses pistachios which are delicious and easy. We both loved it. I liked the pasta better, Jeran liked the chicken better. Either way, it's a win.

Pistachio Pesto Chicken and Pasta

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese

1 cup shelled pistachios
10 large basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, torn
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring water for pasta to a boil.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven-safe skillet on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each.

While the chicken is cooking, add pistachios, basil, parsley, garlic and cheese to a food processor. Pulse and blend until the nuts are coarsely chopped, then with the processor on, stream in 1/3 cup of olive oil. Add a little more if necessary, depending on how "spreadable" you want your pesto to be. Finish by adding in salt and blending once more. Spread a thin layer of pesto on top of each chicken breast in the skillet, then place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

While chicken is baking, boil pasta and prepare according to directions. Once finished, drain pasta and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, about 1/4 cup of pesto, the red pepper flakes and grated pecorino. You just want a very light coating of pesto on the noodles. Once chicken is done, remove and spread a little additional pesto on top. Serve together!

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We found that it makes enough pesto for twice the amount of chicken or pasta or you can use it for something else completely. Or you could do JUST pasta or JUST chicken. Whatever you put it on will be very tasty.

Green Soup

I found this article and recipe in a Reader's Digest when I was home, and when I got back home Kara and I tried it out.  Here's the recipe, then I'll give the review.

2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup arborio rice
1 lb greens: green chard, kale, mustard greens, or beet greens
14 cups gently packed spinach (about 12 oz)
4 cups vegetable broth
Big pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon juice, more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp salt; cook, stirring, until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add 2 tbs. water, and cover. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are greatly reduced and have a caramel color, 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine 3 cups water, remaining 3/4 tsp salt, and rice in soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Trim ribs and tough stems from the greens and spinach; discard. Coarsely chop greens and spinach.

3. When rice has cooked 15 minutes, stir in greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook 10 minutes. When onions are caramelized, stir a little greens' simmering liquid into them; immediately add them to rice along with spinach, broth, and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook until spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.

4. Puree soup in pot with immersion blender until perfectly smooth, or in a regular blender in batches. Stir in lemon juice and garnish with olive oil.

We also garnished with croutons. And feta cheese.

Review:

It was very...green. Tastes like greens. The lemon juice and cayenne add some nice flavor to it. Kara suggested adding a Parmesan cheese rind into the soup as it's cooking. I liked the feta cheese in it because it's very salty and the creaminess offsets the kind of bitterness from all the greens. If you are feeling like you're getting scurvy or otherwise lacking in vitamins, go ahead and try this recipe and feel free to dress it up with whatever you like.