9 Beans, Sweet Potatoes and Chicken Soup

Here's to fall, and here's to Jamaica. In previous posts with soup recipes, you would have seen my note about our Saturday tradition in Jamaica. We eat one of the many variations of soups to get our Saturday fill, but no doubt, everyone has a pot of soup bubbling in the neighborhood close to 5 pm or so. This a twist on our Pumpkin and chicken soup that my mom makes EVERY Saturday. I used sweet potatoes instead of the pumpkin and a high protein base of a 9 bean mix. So, if you want to go meatless, simply leave out the chicken and you will still get complete nutrition from this meal.

Ingredients

2 Large Sweet Potatoes

1.5 Cups of 9 Beans Soup Mix

2 Seasoned and Cooked Chicken Breasts (Diced)

2 Corns On the Cob (Cut into 3 pieces each)

1 Packet of Chicken Noodle Soup

1/4 Cup Chopped Onion

2 Medium or One Large Carrot -(Cut into small circles)

1 Sprig of Fresh Thyme

2 Stalks of Scallion

Salt

1 Small Jalapeno

I Can of Chicken or Vegetable Stock

Water

1 Cup of Flour for Dumplings (knead flour with 1/3 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Pull little pieces of dough, about the size of a grape, and rub between your hands to form the dumplings. Add to soup)

Method

Wash beans and pour into a pot with 4 cups of water and soak overnight. This will significantly reduce the cooking time. Rinse and add another 4 cups of fresh water to the pot. Add carrots, onion, jalapeno, scallion, corn and sweet potatoes and bring to boil. Allow to cook for at least 35 -45 minutes. When the water reduces, add 1 more cup of water and the can of chicken stock, diced chicken, chicken noodle packet, dumplings, and fresh thyme and stir. Allow to cook until it thickens and the potatoes have completed dissolved. Stir occasionally to ensure that the potatoes do not stick to the bottom as they soften.

Finally, add salt to taste and  remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes before you serve.

 

Enjoy~BNW

Caribbean BBQ Chicken Legs

My take on a tropical BBQ flavored chicken. I made these with liquid smoke, pineapple juice, passion fruit sauce, spices and seasonings. I hope you'll enjoy it and make it your own.

Ingredients

4 Chicken Leg Quarters

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Powdered Chicken Bouillon

1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1 Teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning

BBQ Sauce

1/2 Cup of Pineapple Juice

1/2 Cup Ketchup

2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

4 Cloves of Garlic- Mashed

1/4 Cup of Onion- Chopped

2 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Passion Fruit Sauce

1 Tablespoon of Liquid Smoke

Salt to taste

1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 Cup of Water

1 Teaspoon of Cornstarch

Fresh Parsley for garnish

Method

Season chicken with garlic, salt, pepper, all purpose and powdered chicken bouillon. Allow to marinate for at least two hours or overnight for best results. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once heated, bake for 40-45 minutes and let stand.

In a deep saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce, except the cornstarch and half of the water and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Mix cornstarch with remaining water and add to the sauce to thicken. Add baked chicken to the sauce, lower the heat and simmer until the liquid reduces to a glaze, turning the chicken at least once. Remove from heat and serve with rice and veggies. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Dinner is ready. Enjoy~

BNW

Cracker Stuffed Lobster Tail

Welcome to heaven on a plate. When I was eating this lobster, I could hear a chorus singing sweet melodies in my ear. It was a peaceful 30 minutes that I would have held on to if I could. At some point during this meal, I eventually put the knife and fork to the side and got down and dirty with my fingers just pulling the meat from every corner of the shell. Can't do that in a restaurant, now can you? Any who, my taste buds were very happy and since this was a fraction of the price of restaurant lobster meal, my pockets were equally happy, too. Let's go!

 

Ingredients 

 

2 Lobster Tails

2 handfuls of crushed saltine crackers

2 Tablespoons of Chopped Onion

2 Tablespoons of Chopped Bell Peppers

1/2 Packet of Chicken Bouillon (powdered form)

1 Tablespoon Parsley

3 Tablespoon Butter

1/4 Cup of Water

1 Lemon- sliced

 

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil lobster tails for 6-7 minutes, or until the color of the shell turns light orange. I used rock lobster so they are not red like the Maine lobster shells. Once cooked, remove from hot water and place in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process and to cool quickly. In a saucepan, melt butter and spoon out a tablespoon and set aside. To remaining melted butter, add onion and pepper and parsley and cook for 5 minutes. We are getting there, just exercise patience. Add the crackers, bouillon and water and cook for 5 minutes and stir frequently. You should have a homemade stuffing consistency at this point. Cut the lobster tails open with a pair of scissors. I had to stuff mine from the belly because the shells were so damn hard to crack. Brush the inside of the lobster tails with the melted butter that was set aside and season with salt and pepper. Pack the stuffing inside the tail to the point where you have some extra stuffing on the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden and the center is nice and hot. Roast the lemon slices for 10 minutes and use to garnish the plate and sprinkle over lobster..

Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve with your favorite sides. I whipped up some garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli to go with this. Looks like my job here is done, go on, eat up your homemade lobster tail and come back to leave your comment. Peace out.

BNW~

Deboned Salted Mackerel with Peppers and Onion

This is a classic Jamaican dish. Whether be it breakfast pr dinner, this one is sure to pop up on the dinner table in Jamaica at least once a week. I was always a fan of "Salt Mackerel." My favorite accompaniment was breadfruit or boiled green bananas. The Sunday morning tradition was to go to the neighbor's for my bowl of roasted breadfruit and some red herring or salt mackerel.  Man, those were the good ole days. Angela, I will never forget the many times you fed me on the weekends. Onto the recipe :)

Ingredients

1 lb Salted Mackerel  (Can be found at Asian Markets)

1 Medium Yellow Bell Pepper (Chopped)

1 Large Tomato (Chopped into big chunks)

1 Onion (Chopped)

3 Sprigs of Thyme

2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper (Optional)

 

Method

Add water to a medium sized pot and bring to boil. Cut fish in two pieces and add to boiling water. Ensure that there is enough water to cover the fish completely. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from pot and allow to cool. You can add a cup or two of cold water to help speed up the cooling process and to also remove excess salt. The boiling process usually removes the majority of the salt so do not leave the cooked fish in the cold water for too long.

When cooled, carefully pull pieces of the fish apart and remove all of the bones. Repeat until you get through all of it. The center bone is easy but you have to get into the sides for the tiny little bones.Once you have all of the fish deboned, give it a taste to see if it is still too salty. If it is, rinse with cold water, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a saucepan. When hot, add the peppers, onion and thyme and sautee until onion becomes translucent. Add fish pieces, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper and tomato chunks, cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir and taste and if needed, add more seasoning.

 

Since I didn't have breadfruit handy, I served this with boiled purple potatoes, Coco Malanga (similar to dasheen) and some Jamaican Sweet Potatoes. Very easy to make. All pure ingredients added and there you go, another dinner on the table in no time.

Fingerling Potatoes, Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin and Beans and Peas

I am obsessed with Pork Tenderloin

I have been cooking pork tenderloin as least twice a month since of late. I did some herb crusted, peppercorn, mildly seasoned with a strong sauce, and today, ladies and gents, I present to you, a Teriyaki flavored plate of happiness. This is one of the easiest meats to cook. You are guaranteed a delicious tender bite in every forkful by following some simple instructions. Here's to a delicious, colorful and healthy serving of love on your plate ....

 

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin

Salt and Pepper

1 Tsp Garlic Salt

Teriyaki Sauce (I use an Asian Brand, can't write out the characters on here, but it's the best, per my Chinese BFF)

7 Fingerling Potatoes

1/2  Tsp Dried Rosemary

1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme

Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

1/2 Cup Frozen Green Peas

1/2 Cup Frozen Lima Beans

1/2 Red Onion- sliced

1 Slice of Apple wood Smoked Bacon- cook but not crispy

Sauce

1/4 Peach thinly sliced

1/4 Pear thinly sliced

1/4 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Water

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 Tsp Brown Sugar

2 Tsp of Cornstarch

Scallion for garnish

 

Method

Remove pork from package and trim excess fat and skin from the meat. Rub with olive oil, garlic salt, pepper and Teriyaki sauce and let marinate for an hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Lay the tenderloin on a greased aluminium lined cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. I always like to test the temperature at 25 minutes in to see if I need to take it out a couple minutes sooner. The meat should get to 160 degrees. While the meat is cooking, season fingerling potatoes with salt, pepper,olive oil, thyme and rosemary and roast for 20-25 minutes.

Heat a medium pan and drizzle with olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add butter, frozen peas, lima beans, onions and bacon and season to taste. I didn't add any salt as the bacon and the butter were enough to give taste to these veggies.

In another sauce pan, add 1/4 cup of water, peach, pear, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and sugar and let allow to cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of cold water and add to mixture. Cook for another 2 minutes and then remove from heat.

Remove meat from oven and let rest for 3-5 minutes. Slice on an angle and keep the pieces together in the same order. Carefully remove slices and spread on a plate, top with sauce. Serve with veggies and fingerling potatoes. Garnish with scallions and there you go, happy eating!

 

 

BNW~

DaVaughn's Cola Beef Short Ribs with Snow Peas and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

After the 3rd glaze

This is one of the recipes that I will continue to use over the next UMTEEN years. I mean, you guys know how much I love meat, right? So just imagine, fall off the bone tender and flavorful meat that boasts a mouthwatering succulent look for the presentation. I am all over this one.

Back story:

DaVaughn made these ribs for me after a fun trip to the farm to pick some blueberries and cherries in the summer of 2013. We decided to do a Potluck to extend our time together on that fine Sunday evening. The two guests brought sides and desserts and the host (DaVaughn) took care of beverage and entree. I brought some roasted brussel sprouts with onion and bacon and Mike, the other guest brought a nicely seasoned cheesy rice and a corn and cream dessert. All delicious but the star of the evening was the meat, so let's get back on track.

I started with just one piece, in fact, we all started with just one piece of this deliciousness and then it was like a race to finish it off. One bite into the meat and were rejoiced, the symphony started and shouted YES, YEs, Yes, yes, DaVaughn,  "what the February" just happened? How did you make these? Recipe please? Hold on, let me grab another piece while you talk. I might be exaggerating here, but the ribs are so freaking good. And, better than any ribs that I'd ever made. Needless to say, I made my version the weekend after, and have been treating my special guests to these ribs if I feel they deserve it :). No hate mails if I haven't yet cook these for you please. Here's my version of DaVaughn's recipe- crock-pot style.

Ingredients

2 lbs of Beef Short Ribs

1 Can of beef Stock

1 Can of Beef Consomme

1 Can Pepsi or Coke

Trio of Herb - (Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary)

1 Small Onion

2 Stalks of Celery

1 Jalapeno

1 Parsnip

1 Carrot

Salt and Pepper

Snow Peas

Sweet Potatoes

Butter

 

All in, time for fun

Method

Chop all of the veggies and add to crock-pot along with the herbs, stock, consomme and half of the soda. Turn crock-pot  to high, cover and allow the veggies to warm up. While the veggies heat up, remove excess fat from the ribs and season with salt and pepper. Broil for 5 minutes on one side and flip and broil for another 5 minutes on the other side. Add to the crock-pot, turn the temperature to low and allow to cook for 9-10 hours. You want to ensure that the meat touches the bottom so make way and get them to cook in the liquid. I started this right before work and I got home in time to do the finishing touches 9 1/2 hours later.

What DaVaugh does to make that glistening glaze. Remove ribs and set aside on an oven tray. Bring the liquid to a deep pot and cook for 5 minutes, stir and season as needed. Strain into a saucepan and add the remaining soda. Allow to simmer until it starts to get syrupy. Remove from heat at this time and brush the ribs liberally. Bake for 5 minutes. Repeat the glaze and baking process 1 more time and then add glaze a third time and broil for 2 minutes to lock in the sauce and add more color. Remove from oven and let cool. Drizzle with remaining sauce and serve with Snow Peas (I used the same recipe to cook this Sugar Snap Peas so you can just substitute the vegetables) and Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Roast potatoes until tender. Cut open and scoop out the flesh, add salt and butter and mash with a fork. Dinner is ready my dear, thanks to me and D.

 

Super Tender and Yummy Beef Short Ribs Dinner

 

BNW~ and DVB~

 

Spicy Thai Chicken with White Rice

This was an interesting blend of spices and flavors for me. So bold yet delicate.

 Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts (Sliced) and seasoned with

• Garlic Salt
• White Pepper
• All Purpose Seasoning

1 Packet of Coconut Powder or 1 Can of Coconut milk

1 Tbsp of Powdered Ginger

3 Stalks of Scallion (Chopped)

1 Medium Onion (Sliced)

2 Cloves of Garlic (Mashed)

Chopped Peanuts and Cashews for Garnish

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 Tsp of Crushed Red Pepper

Salt to taste

 

Method

Heat oil and sautee chicken for 5-7 minutes, just until the juices run clear. Remove from pan and add the onion, garlic, 2 stalks of the chopped scallion and allow to cook until the onion becomes translucent. Dissolve coconut powder in a cup of warm water and add to pan, or empty a can of coconut milk in the pan along with maple syrup and ginger. Stir and return chicken to the pan and let simmer for 2 minutes to soak up the flavor. Add the crushed pepper and salt and serve over rice. Top with remaining chopped scallion and nuts.

Deliciousness awaits!

BNW~

BNW~

Roasted Golden Beets

Beets and I always had a love hate relationship, more of the hate from me, though. As a child, I never really gave beets the time of day. It tastes like dirt, I used to tell my mom. Thankfully those days are gone, and I'm now a huge fan. Red, golden or sugar, give it to me. Here's a quick recipe for roasting golden beets.

 

 

Ingredients

2 Golden Beets

Salt and pepper

Vegetable Oil- enough to cover the beets completely

1 Tbsp of Butter (melted)

Parsley for garnish

 

Method

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut off the top and bottom from the beets and season them with salt and pepper and oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on the center rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit. Scrape off the skin and slice or dice the beets, drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Dive in :)

 

BNW~

Trio of Herb Lamb Shoulders with Mashed Cauliflower and Golden Beets

I know that Lamb is the kind of meat that you either like or hate, you can cook it well, or you just can't be bothered. So here's a recipe that may turn you into a lamb cooking queen or king. I incorporated a Jamaican cooking technique to get this meat tender, easy to cook and pretty tasty in a short amount of time. It takes less than an hour to cook but the same amount of time is needed for it to marinate, so plan accordingly. Let's go!

 

Ingredients:

2 Lamb Shoulders

1/4 of a Large Onion (chopped)

1 Teaspoon of Minced Garlic

1 Teaspoon of Oregano

1 1/2 Teaspoons Rosemary

Two Sprigs of Thyme

Dash of Soy Sauce

Salt and Pepper (1/4 tsp each or to taste)

1/2 Cup of Baby Bella Mushroom (chopped)

3/4 Cup of Warm Water

1 Tablespoon of Oil

Crushed Red Pepper (Optional)

 

Method:

Season lamb with all of the ingredients except mushroom, oil and water. Let marinate for at least an hour. When ready to cook, heat oil in a heavy medium pan, scrape seasonings from the lamb and brown on each side. Add seasonings back to the meat once browned, and add water and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, turning the neat once and then add the mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes. Meat should be just well done at this point, so if you need it medium, only cook it for 5 minutes after you've added the mushrooms. Rare, hmmm, I don't know, maybe only cook it for 30 minutes total? give it a shot and let me know.

You can find the recipe for the golden beets here.

For the cauliflower, I boiled them for 20 minutes. Added them to the blender, with milk, butter, a couple dashes of grated parmesan and salt. Blend until smooth and there you go!

Enjoy!

BNW~

Cous Cous Curry with Sugar Snap Peas and Chicken

Dinner is ready! Make this for your family and earn some brownie points guaranteed. It's one of my favorite dinners to cook. I mean, it has curry, so what's not to love? Try and tell me what you think.

 

Cous Cous-Ingredients:

1 Cup of Cous Cous

1 Tbsp of Curry Powder

1 Tsp of Cumin Powder

1 Packet of Chicken Bouillon - I use the Goya Brand

2 Cups of Water

1/4 Cup of Chopped Red Bell Pepper

1/2 Cup of Chopped Onion

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 chopped Walnuts

Handful of Raisins

 

Method:

Heat olive oil and saute onion and bell pepper with curry and cumin powder. After 5 minutes, add the bouillon and water, allow to boil and then add cous cous and remove from heat. Cover the pan, walk away, do something for about 5 minutes and then back to the stove for the finishing touches. Add the raisins and walnuts, fluff with fork and leave uncovered until you are ready to serve. Best served warm or closer to room temperature. Here is the recipe for The Sugar Snap Peas  and I seasoned a chicken breast cajun style and baked it for 25 minutes. I made a glaze to top it off (you can use your favorite) and viola..

Here's my table setting that night :)

Pure Vegetable Sautee

Yummy Veggies. I love vegetables, if I had to pick two food groups that I would eat from for the rest of my life, they would definitely include vegetables and meats. So here's to a great pure recipe filled with delicious goodness. Super easy, quick and inexpensive. 

Ingredients

1/2 lb Baby Bella Mushrooms

1/2 Zuchini

1/2 Summer Squash

1/2 of a Small Red Bell Pepper

Jalapeno (a slice or two, depending on your tolerance for heat)

1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon of Real Butter

Drizzle of Olive Oil 

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and chop vegetables and add to pan. Drizzle with soy sauce, olive oil and butter and salt. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve as a side with some delicious meat and   My Rice and Peas.

 

Enjoy and your feel free to share your feedback! Violeta, this one is for you.

 

BNW~

Sugar Snap Peas Sautee

Sugar snap peas- need I say more? Crunchy, nutty, fresh and delicious- I just did. Anyways, here is a quick recipe to whip some up tonight, or tomorrow night.

 

Ingredients

1 lb Sugar Snap Peas

1/4 Cup of Chopped Onions

1 Tsp of Minced Garlic

1 Tbsp of Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp of Butter

1 Tsp of Olive Oil

Salt to taste

 

Method:

Heat butter and oil and add garlic and onion. Cook until onion become translucent and the mouth watering aroma starts to fill the air. (a little dramatic) Add peas and stir. Sprinkle on salt and maple syrup, cover and let cook for no more than 5 minutes. You can remove them after 3 minutes if you like them crisp or allow them to hang out for 5 minutes where they are just right me (for my taste).

 

Enjoy and Violeta, this one is for you, too :)

 

BNW~

Fancy Vegetable Meat Sauce over Spaghetti

 Not your typical spaghetti and meat sauce 

 Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Tbsp Steak Seasoning

1 Tbsp of Olive Oil

1Tbsp of Butter

2 Stalks of Celery

4 oz Mushroom

1 Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Small Yellow Bell Pepper

1/2 Zucchini

1 Jalapeno

1/2 lb Chipotle Beef Sausage (thinly sliced)

2 Cups of your favorite Pasta Sauce

Chili Powder

Salt and Pepper

Method Chop all veggies and set aside. Heat oil and butter for 3-4 minutes. Sautee onion and garlic until onion becomes translucent. Add remaining veggies and cook for 5 minutes while you stir. Remove from pan. Add beef while carefully pulling it apart in the pan. Season with steak seasoning and sautee until meat is completely brown. Add veggies back to the pan and top it off with the chipotle sausage. Cover the pan and allow the meats and flavor to marry (yes, yes they do). Add sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over spaghetti and top with freshly chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

BNW~

 

Eggplant Parm Cookies- Quick, Delicious and Easy

 If you are not a fan of eggplant for whatever reason, you NEED to give this recipe a shot. It's quick, easy, delicious and quite affordable. This recipe was shared with my and I added stuff to make it my own. I must thank Alexis over there in NH for opening a whole new world of deliciousness in front of me. Here goes:  

Ingredients

1 Eggplant

1 Cup of Pasta Sauce

1 Cup of Shredded Cheese

2 Tablespoon of Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 Cup or Seasoned Bread Crumb (I prefer Panko)

2 Large Eggs- Beaten

Dried Parsley  

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash eggplant and slice (thinly) cross ways to get round pieces. Dip each slice in the egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumb and arrange on a foil lined cookie sheet. Once all the slices have been covered with egg and breadcrumb bake for 15 minutes in preheated over. Remove from oven and cover each slice with 1-2 spoons of pasta sauce, then sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Return to oven and cook for another 7-10 minutes, just as the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve to some well deserving tummies.

  BNW~

Pork and Pineapple Stir Fry

After my late night outings on the weekends, I usually stop for $1.25 tacos on my way home. It's quite a popular spot for the drunks in town, similar to a diner at 2 in the morning. The difference is that this restaurant serves all Mexican cuisine and attracts majority latinos, but there is something there for everyone, even if it's just rice and a beverage. There is something about those tacos that keeps me going back for more in the wee hours of the cold and somewhat windy Denver nights. I love it so much, so that I decided to make a stir fry using my late night snack as the inspiration. They use diced pork nicely seasoned and grilled on the outdoor hot surface with pineapple and onion. Here is my take on the $1.25 taco filling.

Ingredients

1.5lbs Diced Pork (moist and tender)

3 Strips of Bacon (fried and cut into bite sized pieces)

3 Slices of Pineapples

1/2 Bell Pepper

Two Slices of Onion

Two Cloves of Garlic

All Purpose Seasoning

Oregano

Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Method

Season pork with salt and pepper, oregano,  and all purpose seasoning and let marinate while you chop the vegetables, pineapple pieces and fry the bacon strips. Heat pan and add vegetable oil. Sautee pepper, onion, garlic stirring occasionally until they start to soften. I like to do this as it will add flavor to the oil prior to cooking the meat. Add the meat and let cook for 6 minutes turning twice. Add pineapple chunks, bacon pieces and water, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir, taste, add more salt and pepper if needed and cook for 2-3 minutes. Allow the stand for a few minutes before you serve.

I served this deliciousness with country wild rice blend. Super tasty combination.

Notes

This is not a spicy dish, but if you want some heat, simply add some habanero or jalapeno with the bell pepper. Also, you can serve this in corn taco shells like they do at the Mexican restaurant where I got the inspiration for this dish. It was perfect with the rice, so the choice is yours. Enjoy whichever you choose~

BNW

Ground Chicken and Kale Soup

Deliciousness

I bought some ground chicken over the weekend..... simply because it was on sale. I love to win whenever I go to the grocery store, and this is my way of #winning where savings and freshness are concerned. But, two days had passed and I still couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with this chicken, so I ignored it for another day, which is exactly what you would have done, right? Anyways, I came home from work one evening and went to the kitchen and started to think about dinner. I opened the fridge and there it was, a pound of ground chicken staring at me, so did what a responsible foodie would do....

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Chicken

6 Kale Leaves - Remove stalks and chop leaves

3 Stalks of Celery- Chopped

1 Acorn Squash- Peel, remove seeds and dice

2 -3 Carrots- Chopped

1 Small Onion-Chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic- Minced

3 Packs of Powdered Chicken Bouillon 

1 Can of Corn

Salt and Pepper

4 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil 

Water

Method

Season chicken with salt and pepper and then sautee in 2 tablespoon of heated oil. Stir after 5 minutes to get the other sides to cook. Once cooked (about 10 minutes total), remove from heat and set aside. In a deep pot, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and sautee celery, carrots and onion until onion becomes translucent. Add 4 cups of water, acorn squash and 2 packets of bouillon and cook for 15 minutes. Add corn, chicken and kale and more water if needed. Taste and then add 1/2  or the whole packet of the remaining bouillon. I used 1/2 packet first and then a little more and it was perfect.  So after you season to get to your desired taste, cook for another 15 minutes and serve hot with croissants and your favorite salad.

Notes

You can make it spicy by adding a whole jalapeno or some crushed red peppers. You can also use chicken stock instead of the bouillon to get a rich chicken flavor for your soup. Enjoy~

BNW