Pea soup

I wanted to try out the new hand blender. Conclusion: olive oil bread with salt transformed the Safeway brand "french" bagette into deliciousness. Pea soup should not just be chicken broth, there needs to be some hint of pork. Next time I'll try to add bacon to the mix. I also did not add sour cream. I am not trying to grow a second butt.

Soup:
2 pounds frozen green peas
4 tablespoons butter
2 (14.5-ounce) cans reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish

Bread:
1 demi-baguette (or 1/2 of 1 French baguette), cut into 8 (1/2-inch) thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
In a medium pot, combine peas, butter, broth, and onions. If the peas are not submerged in liquid, add just enough water to cover them. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft enough to puree and the peas are still bright green.

While the peas are cooking, grill the bread. Heat a grill pan over high heat for 3 minutes. Pour some olive oil onto a large plate. Sprinkle oil with salt then dip pieces of bread quickly on both sides into the oil. Grill bread until slightly charred and hot, about 3 minutes per side.

Using an immersion blender, standing blender*, or food processor, puree the soup until smooth and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Serve each bowl with a dollop of sour cream on top and grilled bread on the side.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_34215,00.html

Spicy Polynesian Wrap

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 limes
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

---

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the chicken and coconut milk in a bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour.
2. In a pot, bring the rice and water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix the flour, curry powder, and garlic salt. Drain the chicken, and discard marinade. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture to coat.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the coated chicken strips 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and juices run clear. Squeeze lime juice over chicken, and discard limes.
5. On each tortilla, place equal amounts of rice, chicken, coconut, and green onions. Wrap burrito style.

There needs to be a sauce. It's too dry by itself. If you can't think up of some sort of yogart sauce, then use slices of pineapple to insert into the tortilla. Juice is key.

This is the first time I experimented with Curry. Curry is good. I am glad I have grown spice-wise.

By the way, that's not Charles Shaw. It is just a bottle that looks like it.




Source: http://chicken.allrecipes.com/az/73331.asp

Tlalpeno style soup

Tlalpeno style soup 

6 cups of chicken stock

½ chipotle chile, seeded

2 skinless chicken breast

1 avocado

4 scallions

1 can of chickpeas

¾ cups shredded cheddar

1. Pour stock into saucepan and add chile, bring to boil, and add chicken breasts. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked. Remove chicken from heat, shread with fork and knife
   

2. Blend stock and chile into blender
   

3. Cut avocado into bite size pieces. Add to stock, with scallions and chick peas. Season with salt and pepper.
   

4. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle cheeses on top of each portion

If you love avocados you would love this dish. I would totally salt this up more or use stronger non-pansy and non-organic chicken broth. Load up the MSG! Double the chick peas. Broth is filler.

Changes: Double chicken breast quantity. Double canned beans. Use non organic broth or dump some salt.

Source: Mexican by Jane Milton