Last week when I made the Pesto Tortellini Soup I had on my menu, I ended up with 7 ounces minus 1/4 cup of pesto left over. The next night we had Easy Peasy Bean Tacos, which resulted in a half a container of leftover grape tomatoes. The next night (are you liking this painful play-by-play?) I swung by the store on the way home from a playdate and saw a $2 package of fresh fettuccine that inspired me. I grabbed a half pint of cream, a package of sliced mushrooms and went home to throw dinner together as quickly as possible.

The result was a simple and fast recipe that was molto delicioso. The best part? My girls ate ALL of their dinner and then some. And I have another meatless recipe to add to the arsenal.

Buon appetito!

Creamy Pesto Fettuccine with Mushrooms & Tomatoes

 

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Quick, easy, and super yummy!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dishes, Pasta

Ingredients

• 9 oz. fresh fettuccine (or whatever past you have on hand)
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• Couple handfuls of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced or smashed through a garlic press
• ½ pint cream
• Prepared pesto (I used 7 ounces MINUS ¼ cup since the pesto was leftover from the soup recipe, but I think a 7-ounce package will work just fine”¦no need to subtract out that ¼ cup”¦although you could make the Pesto Tortellini Soup the same week to coordinate!)
• 2 handfuls fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus some for garnish
• ½ to 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• Olive oil for sautéing

Instructions

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and drizzle with a bit of butter or olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. While waiting for water to boil for the pasta, start working on the other stuff. Sauté the mushrooms in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until softened. Add garlic and tomatoes and sauté a few minutes more. Add cream, pesto sauce and salt; simmer to reduce until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
3. Pour sauce over pasta and serve, sprinkled with fresh grated parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil if you have it.
4. A few things I think would be good to add, but I haven’t actually tried yet: a shallot sautéed with the mushrooms, spinach, or white beans.

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I am finally writing about the spice from this week’s menu post. As some of you guessed, it is annatto seed, also called achiote seed. And I made a homemade adobo chicken recipe with it. And the chicken was good.

Nate came home one day saying how good the adobo chicken at work is, so I started searching for recipes. Oh my, there are so many recipes and they are all so different from one another…so I just picked one that sounded good and went for it. And the result was awesome. Different than what Nate gets at work, but delicious just the same!

Before I get to the recipe, I have to talk about the tortillas we used with our chicken. Tortilla Land sent me some of their uncooked corn tortillas to try out. I’m a tough corn tortilla critic and, I have to say, I’m so glad Tortilla Land sent me their corn tortillas. They are wonderful! They are not dry at all and don’t fall apart or break, which is what you normally get with store bought corn tortillas. I saw Tortilla Land at Costco just this week, so keep an eye out next time you go! (Seriously, keep an eye out and stock up if you see them…I have a hard time finding them, which makes me said because I love them so.)

Okay, back to annatto seed and adobo chicken. I used a recipe from About.com, but I’ve changed it up and written it out for you below. I know the recipe looks long, but honestly, this was an easy recipe, so don’t be scared!

The sweet but spicy sauce is oh so yummy, and grilled chicken is always the best. We served the chicken with tortillas, tomatoes and avocado. You could serve over rice if you like (which I think is how it’s generally served), or just eat the chicken straight up!

Homemade Adobo Chicken

 

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Sweet and Spicy!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (I actually used 3 drumsticks and 3 boneless thighs b/c that’s what I had on hand!)
• Salt (pref. kosher)
• Rub:
• ½ Tbsp. annatto (achiote) seeds
• 1 Tbsp. orange juice
• 4 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• Sauce:
• ⅓ of the rub above
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. salt
• a splash or two of white vinegar
• a few shakes of cayenne pepper
• a few shakes of black pepper
• about 1 tsp cornstarch, whisked with some cool water

Instructions

1. Cover annatto seeds with boiling water. Cover and let sit overnight.
2. Drain seeds. Place seeds along with the rest of the “Rub” ingredients in a food processor. Grind until you have a coarse paste, without too many large pieces of seed left.
3. Place chicken in a casserole dish and sprinkle all over with kosher salt (or regular salt if that’s what you have). Cover pieces with about two-thirds of the achiote rub. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator for a few hours.
4. Preheat grill. Grill chicken about 10 minutes on each side over a medium flame or until done. (Click here with even better directions for grilling chicken pieces – this follows closely to what Nate did over a charcoal grill, he’s smart like that.)
5. To make the sauce, mix all the sauce ingredients (except the cornstarch) and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture during the simmer.
6. Pour sauce over grilled chicken and enjoy!

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OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

• The Perfect Taco Night
• Serrano Salsa
• Super Easy Chicken for Tacos
• Easy Homemade Carnitas

EQUIPMENT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

• Pyrex 9″ x 13″ Baking Dish
• Cuisinart Mini Prep Food Processor
• Weber Gas Grill
• Cuisinart Classic Stainless Saucepan
• OXO Silicone Spatula

By the way, if anyone out there does have an adobo chicken recipe they love, please share! Would love to try it out!

There are a few people in my life who are the source of some of my most favorite recipes and tips. My sister-in-law Cora definitely tops the list, but so does my friend Lindsay. Lindsay used to be my neighbor…those were the good old days. She’d call and say, “I’m making this awesome recipe” and I’d go over with my camera, take pictures, eat her food and get awesome recipes. Alas she lives in Seattle now, but I still use her recipes regularly. One of my most favorite recipes of all time comes from Lindsay and her husband Aaron (one of the few male commenters here on the blog!): Aaron and Lindsay’s Chicken Tortilla Soup Extravaganza!

Lindsay and Aaron named the soup. The name fits perfectly. This tortilla soup is an extravaganza, filled with all kinds of wonderful ingredients that go so well together. Chicken tortilla soup is one of my favorite dinners…as long as I’m making it, thanks to Lindsay. (P.S. I think we should add the word “extravaganza” to all recipes. It makes life more festive!)

This recipe is easy to throw together and one that I always make on weeknights. The leftovers are fantastic. Also, the toppings are key! Don’t skimp on the toppings. If you want truly amazing chicken tortilla soup, you gotta make sure you fill the bowl with all of the good stuff. Hence the “extravaganza.”

Please note: Lindsay fries up her own tortilla strips. Because she’s fancy like that. I am not fancy and always either buy tortilla strip salad toppers in the produce section or just break up tortilla chips on top. It tastes mighty fine even with that shortcut. Promise.

Have fun making and eating this soup. And be sure to bookmark the recipe, I promise you’ll be back for more.

Aaron and Lindsay’s Chicken Tortilla Soup Extravaganza

 

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A little spicy and a lot delicious!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dishes, Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

• FOR THE SOUP:
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped (I usually just use half of an onion)
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (or pushed through a garlic press)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• A few shakes of cayenne pepper
• ½ - 1 tablespoon chili powder (depending on your spice level desires)
• 1 teaspoon or so of ground cumin
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2-3 tomatoes or 1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Half of a bag of frozen corn
• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 2-3 limes
• 2 large handfuls cilantro, chopped
• FOR TORTILLA STRIPS:
• 4-5 corn tortillas, cut into strips
• A few swigs of canola/vegetable oil or cooking spray
• TOPPINGS:
• Diced avocado
• Shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• Sour cream
• Lime slices
• Chopped cilantro
• Tortilla strips or tortilla chips broken up

Instructions

1. TO MAKE THE SOUP:
2. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Add chopped onion and cook until onions soften and become translucent, 3-5 minutes or so.
3. Add garlic, green onions, cayenne pepper, chili powder and cumin. Sauté until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to medium low (or the lowest heat that maintains a simmer). Add tomatoes, corn and black beans and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5. The very best way to prepare the chicken is to sprinkle the raw chicken breast with some cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and then grill the chicken. However, you can cook the chicken whatever way works for you. Once chicken is cooked, chop or shred the chicken. If you cooked the chicken another way besides seasoning and then grilling, go ahead and sprinkle those same spices over the cooked chicken to add a bit of flavor.
6. Add the prepared chicken, juice from one of the limes and one handful of the chopped cilantro to the soup. Heat through for a few minutes and then serve!
7. TO MAKE TORTILLA STRIPS (OPTIONAL):
8. Heat canola or vegetable oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Alternatively you can spry the pan with cooking spray. Add tortilla strips to pan and cook until crisp, turning strips every few minutes. Once browned and crisp remove from heat and sprinkle with salt.
9. THE FINAL PRODUCT:
10. Serve soup garnished with avocado, cheese, sour cream, fresh lime and cilantro, and tortilla strips.

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OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

• Cora’s Mexican Ground Beef Tacos
• Pork Carnitas
• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
• The Perfect Taco Night

EQUIPMENT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

• KitchenAid Professional Cast Iron 6-Quart Casserole Cookware
• OXO Silicone Spatula
• Epicurean Kitchen Series Cutting Board
• Wusthof Classic Chef’s Knife
• Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Skillet