YUMMY Chicken Veggie Soup

I often come across recipes the day I use them. I'm pretty good at keeping fresh veggies and meat stocked (I tend to go to the grocery store once a week). So, I saw that I had some zucchini that needed to be used, and allrecipes provided me with this recipe. I tweeked it a bit, and here's what I ended up with:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used 10 baby carrots)
  
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 2 small zucchini)
  
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chicken broth
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken and cook about 1 minute. Mix in garlic and onion; cook until tender. Stir in carrot, potatoes, zucchini, and red bell pepper. Pour in tomatoes with juice. Season with red pepper flakes, basil, broth and bay leaf, and continue cooking until vegetables are tender and chicken juices run clear. Season with salt and pepper just before serving.

I let this simmer on my stove on low for quite awhile, but I would guess it could be done in a 1/2 hour or so. It's definitely one that could be done in a crock pot. I'll definitely be making it again.

Zucchini, the underrated vegetable....

I seriously love zucchini, but it is tricky to cook, without it being soggy and unappealing. I've found a few recipes lately that I really love (also check out the zucchini crab cakes I posted!). The first one is from Cooks' Illustrated, and I think I made it twice in a week, after I "discovered" it. The best part is that it's SO simple.

(annoyed that this is sideways? So am I...can't figure out how to rotate it on here...)

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

Serves 6. Published July 1, 1995.

Grilled zucchini can also be marinated in a vinaigrette made with red wine vinegar. Feel free to use any fresh herb on hand in the dressing. Grilled zucchini can be served right from the grill as a simple side dish with grilled meats, poultry, or fish.

Ingredients

6	medium zucchini (about 2 pounds), rinsed, trimmed, and sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick planks (see illustration below)
1/4	cup olive oil
	ground black pepper
2	tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2	ripe tomatoes , large, cored, and cut into thin wedges
2	tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Heat grill. Lay zucchini on large baking sheet and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

2. When grill rack is hot, use stiff wire brush to scrape surface clean. Grill zucchini until dark grill marks are visible on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until other side is marked, about 2 minutes. Remove from grill and cool briefly.

3. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons oil with balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss tomatoes and basil with dressing in large bowl.
   

4. Cut grilled zucchini into 1-inch pieces. Toss with tomatoes and dressing. Adjust seasonings and serve. (Can be covered and set aside at room temperature for up to 3 hours at this point.)

I love making dishes like this in the summer/fall b/c I have fresh herbs and tomatoes growing, which makes it easier to whip something like this together. I served it with grilled chicken breasts and curried red potatoes (more on that another time).

The next recipe is also from Cooks' Illustrated.

Sauteed Zucchini with Walnuts and Herbs

Serves 4. Published July 1, 1995.

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices. Quarter-inch slices are the perfect thickness. Thinner slices fall apart during cooking; thicker slices require a longer salting time. If you want to use more intense herbs such as oregano, thyme, or rosemary, halve the amount of herbs indicated in the recipe. If you do not have kosher salt on hand, use a teaspoon or so of regular table salt.

Ingredients

4	medium zucchini (about 1 1/3 pounds), rinsed, trimmed, and sliced crosswise into rounds about 1/4-inch thick (see illustration below)
	kosher salt
3	tablespoons olive oil
1	small onion or 2 large shallots, minced
2	tablespoons minced fresh herb
2	tablespoons toasted, chopped walnuts
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place zucchini slices in colander and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Set colander over bowl until about 1/3 cup water drains from zucchini, about 30 minutes. Rinse and thoroughly dry zucchini.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions or shallots; sauté until almost softened, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add zucchini and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in walnuts and herbs, and season with pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.

I used fresh parsley (again, love that it's in my back yard) for the herb portion of this recipe. These were seriously tasty. I had never salted my zucchini before, and I really do think it helped with the soggy aspect. I'll definitely be making these again. Sorry, I didn't take a pic, the kids were about to implode!

Tonight I'm using the spare zucchini from last night (I had an extra), left over meatloaf, and making a fritatta/oven omlette. We'll see how it turns out! I'm getting to use my cast iron skillet again! :o)

Zucchini Crab Cakes and Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce

We have family visiting this weekend, so I am happy to be able to cook a few big meals while they are here. The zucchini crab cake recipe is from allrecipes.com, and I have made them before- I bake them, instead of frying them, and will adjust the recipe to reflect this. The beef recipe is from foodnetwork.com. We visited friends in Atlanta 2 weeks ago, and Tony made this for us.

Zucchini Crab Cakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

I swear sometimes I'm recipe retarded. I was just looking at the recipe, and I definitely didn't follow it, but here's what I did.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a baking pan or casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix all ingredients together (the original recipe says to put the flour on the outside, but I missed this, and both times I made them, mixed it in). Shape into patties with your hands, and place on baking sheet.
3. Bake 15 mins, turn patties, and bake another 15 mins. If they do not seem browned, turn on the broiler for 3-4 mins at the end.

I also made a remoulade-ish sauce to go with these. I didn't measure the ingredients, but here's what I put in it: mayonnaise, whole grain mustard, sweet relish, ciracha hot sauce, and lime juice. It's super tasty!

And now for the super tasty beef!!!

Beef Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds skirt, flank or sirloin tip steak, cut into thin wide strips against the grain
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon toasted chopped peanuts

Directions:

Place the beef strips in a medium-sized bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce over them. Add 1 tablespoon of ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic and the salt to the bowl and stir to combine. Marinate, refrigerated, while you make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ginger, peanut butter and coconut milk in a small bowl and whisk together. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon garlic to the bowl and whisk to combine. Place the sauce in a serving bowl and garnish with the cilantro and chopped peanuts. Remove the beef strips from the refrigerator and use skewers to thread the meat. Have your guests grill the satays themselves over the grill, about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side for medium-rare. Serve, with the dipping sauce on the side.


Dan made a fennel salad that had mixed greens, almonds, oranges and a honey lemon vinaigrette, which was awesome!

The result: One word...YUM!! Such a good description, right?? I think next time I'll bake the zucchini cakes for a little bit longer to dry them out some. I know that I will make both of these recipes again and again.