Where does the time go?

Time has flown since we returned from vacation two and half weeks ago. We have been busy finishing up our Christmas shopping, going to Christmas parties, and spending time with friends.

I've been meaning to post a few of my favorite recipes that I've made recently. If you give them a try let me know how it goes!

Smoky Sweet Potato Chicken Stoup
From: Rachel Ray
Yield: 4 servings; Total time: 25 min

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 large onion - peeled and halved
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1-2 chipotle chili in adobo sauce - finely chopped, plus a spoon of sauce from the can
• salt
• pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 large sweet potato
• 3/4 to 1 pound chicken tenders - cut into bite size pieces
• 4 scallions - white and green parts thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves - a generous handful, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish - optional

1. Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 turns of the pan.
2. While soup pot heats, chop carrots in half lengthwise then slice into thin half moons. Add the carrots to the pot while it heats, stirring to coat the carrots in the oil. Chop and drop in celery and onion, chopping as small as you can, but don't make yourself crazy.. Add the garlic, chipotle, and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Season the veggies with salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook the veggies together 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce a minute. Add the stock to the pot, cover the pot, and raise heat to high. Bring the stoup to a boil, remove the cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into quarters lengthwise, then thinly slice into bite size pieces. Add the cut chicken and sweet potatoes and simmer 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat off and add the scallions and cilantro. Serve each portion of stoup with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Ma Po Tofu
From: Cooking Light Magazine

• 1 pkg Firm Tofu
• ½ c. Chicken Broth
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 1-2 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce
• 4 oz. Ground Turkey or Chicken
• 1 tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 c. cooked brown rice
• 1/3 c. chopped Green Onions

1. Place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels, cover with additional paper towels. Place a dinner plate on top and let stand for 30 minutes. Remove plate and paper towels; cut into ½ inch cubes
2. Combine broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili garlic sauce, stir with whisk.
3. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, cook until done, stirring to crumble. Add Ginger & Garlic, cook 1 minute. Add tofu, cook 4 minutes or until golden. Add broth mixture to pan, bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
4. Serve tofu mixture over brown rice. Sprinkle with onions.

Tortilla Soup
From: Cooking Light Magazine

• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 c. Chicken Broth
• 1 ½ c. chopped, cooked Chicken
• 1 c. Water
• 1 ½ tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tbsp Cumin
• 1 (10 oz.) Ro-Tel - (undrained)
• ½ c. Tortilla Chips, crushed
• ¼ c. Shredded Jack Cheese
• ¼ c. Chopped Cilantro
• ¼ c. Chopped Avocado
• 1/4 c. chopped green onions

1. Heat large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic, sauté 1 minute. Add broth and next 5 ingredients (through tomatos). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Ladle soup into each bowl; top with Chips, Cheese, Cilantro, and Avocado.

Pollo con Mojo de Ajo
From: Cooking Light Magazine

• 4 Chicken Breasts
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Pepper
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced or sliced
• ¾ c. Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 tbsp Minced Fresh Cilantro

1. Heat oil in skillet. Cook Chicken 6 minutes on each side, or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm.
2. Melt butter in pan. Add garlic, cook 1 minute (do not brown). Add broth, bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until mixture is reduced to ½ cup. (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice & Cilantro. Serve sauce over chicken

Baked Cauliflower with Sliced Garlic, Lemon and Olive Oil
From: Emeril Live
Yield: 4 servings; Total time: 30 min

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 head cauliflower - broken into pieces
• salt
• black pepper
• 2 lemons

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the garlic and cauliflower. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Squeeze juice of the lemons into the skillet and place lemon halves in skillet. Place into the oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Angela's Notes on Baked Cauliflower with Sliced Garlic, Lemon and Olive Oil: I picked up some beautiful purple and green cauliflower at the market and used a mixture of both. It was so good that even my husband, who is not a fan of "rabbit food" (as he calls vegetables) went back for seconds!

Buon Appetito!

A small disclaimer: I did not author the recipes or take the pictures in this post. My source for each is listed.

----------------
Now playing: Federico Aubele - Maria Jose
via FoxyTunes