Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

1 tablespoon canola/vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 jalapeno chili peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (28-oz) diced tomatoes (used one 15 oz can regular and one rotel)

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed

1 cup water

4 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, chili peppers and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes until softened.

Add tomatoes, beans, water, chili powder, cumin and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes until thickened. Top with you favorite chili toppings. I added some monterrey jack cheese.

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas! Well, sort of. I made this into more of a Chicken Enchilada Stew. Whoo! Yummy! Who wouldn't like a little cheesy goodness for St. Patty's Day?

I really messed around with this recipe from Eating, Etc. because 1) I was hungry 2) It was already late and I wanted to eat 3) I was hungry and 4) When I'm hungry I'm irritable and cranky.

So, if your looking for an easy, quick Mexican/enchilada recipe, it don't get much easier than this. And really...cheese and sour cream? Sign me up!

New Mexican Chicken Enchiladas adapted from Eating, Etc.

1T olive oil

1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped in bite-sized pieces

1/4tsp salt

1/4tsp black pepper

1/4tsp cayenne pepper

1T olive oil

1 chopped onion, coarsely chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 7oz can chopped green chiles

1 clove fresh minced garlic

1/2tsp salt

1/2tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp oregano

1/4tsp cayenne pepper

1 c sour cream

2-1/2c grated colby cheddar-jack cheese

white corn tortillas

In medium skillet, over medium heat, sauté chicken in olive oil, with salt, black & cayenne peppers.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté onion, green onions, green pepper, green chiles, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano, & cayenne pepper.

Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream & the cheese until cheese is melted & well-mixed.

Add chicken and mix well.

In medium skillet coated with olive oil, over medium low heat, warm tortillas on both sides until softened.

Place tortilla in a bowl and top with chicken and cheese mixture.

Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Avocado Relish

One of the great things about living in New York is having a lot of young professionals for friends. So many of my friends here in the city are working for great companies, on the road to their dream jobs. I am so proud of all of them, and although they tend to relate their lives to The Devil Wears Prada sometimes, they know they are just paying their dues and slowly making their was to the top of the food chain.

I am so proud of all of them sitting in their offices working their butts off in high heels while I put on my sweatpants and go to dance class.

My friend Lisa works for a major corporation and has quickly made her way up in the office rankings. Of course, I always knew this would happen. She is probably the most dedicated and focused person I know.

One perk of Lisa's job is that she (read: I) get a lot of free stuff. This includes but is not limited to: makeup, magazines, cd's and clothing. Jealous yet?

It gets better. I got an entire subscription to Cooking Light about 6 months ago viciously discounted. So I get to perruse my Cooking Light each month almost free. I've been swimming in delight for months now.

The only point I have is that my recipe today is from the Cooking Light magazine. I just loved this soup. It has a pretty good kick to it and is just perfect to sit on the couch with after a long, tiring day. Lots of vegetables make it a pretty hearty soup.

Chili-Spices Chicken Soup with Avocado Relish adapted from Cooking Light 

Spice Blend:

2 ½ teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Soup:

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided

1 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch wide strips

2 cups chopped sweet onion

1 chopped red pepper

1 chopped yellow pepper

1 chopped orange pepper

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped celery

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon salt

1 32-oz carton less-sodium chicken broth

1 28-oz can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Relish:

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 diced, peeled avocado

Cilantro sprigs

To prepare spice blend, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

 To prepare soup, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle 1 ½ tablespoons spice blend over chicken. Sauté 8 minutes or until done; cool. Chop chicken; set aside.

 Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell peppers, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with remaining spice blend; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice.

 To prepare relish, combine chopped cilantro and next 4 ingredients (through avocado).

 Ladle 1 ¼ cups soup into bowls; top with ¼ cup relish. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Vegetable Minestrone

Tah dah! I bring you real food!

Although we ALL know sugar is waaaaay more fun!

At least it is for me. But sometimes I need to take the measuring cup out of the sugar bag, stick the butter back in the fridge and cut up some veggies.

I found this recipe on What a Dish's site, and knew immediately it was going to be my dinner for the week. I made a huge batch of it on Sunday and let it simmer on the stove for most of the afternoon. It was perfect and I have been enjoying it thoroughly all week. I think I may turn into a Minestrone.

Whatever that is...

I left out the pasta this time around, just for kicks.

Vegetable Minestrone adapted from What a Dish!

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
3 carrots, sliced
2 cups veggie broth
2 cups water
4 cups tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 cup fresh green beans, rinsed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 cups baby spinach, rinsed
2 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add veggie broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.  (If the liquid level goes down too much, you may need to add extra broth or water).