Chicken Soup with Sweet Potatoes

Joel was sick last week, so I made soup.  I wanted to add potatoes but knew we didn't have any, so I decided to experiment with sweet potatoes.  They were amazing!  While we were eating this soup, Joel said he loved the sweet potatoes and he wished all the carrots were also sweet potatoes. :)  The balsamic vinegar and lemon juice were also an experiment, and I was really worried about how it would turn out.  When I went to shred the chicken, though, I tasted the broth and was FLOORED by how astounding it tasted.  The vinegar adds some color to the broth and puts a little something in the background.  You can't taste the lemon juice on its own, but it tones down the "vinegar-iness" of the balsamic and creates a nice balance.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
5 cups water
1 can chicken broth
1 T dried basil
1 T dried parsley
1/2 T lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 T chicken bouillon powder
1 boneless skinless chicken breast - I used one that was absolutely frozen solid, right out of the freezer.
1 small onion, chopped
1 small head broccoli, chopped
2 large carrots, diced
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 T lemon juice

Optional: celery or other vegetables; dry noodles (add to the boiling broth 7-10 minutes before serving)

Put water, chicken broth, basil, parsley, lemon pepper seasoning, pepper, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and chicken breast into 3-quart pot to boil, uncovered.  After about 20 minutes of boiling, start chopping the vegetables.  About 10 minutes later, add the vegetables to the broth.  When the chicken is cooked through, remove it and shred the meat.  Return the shredded chicken to the pot.  Add balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.  Continue to boil until sweet potatoes are fork-tender. ¡Buen provecho!

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Jamaica (Agua de jamaica)

(pronounced huh-my-kuh)

This is a drink made from dried hibiscus flowers.  It is very common in Mérida, Méxcio, and delicious!  It is a bit of an acquired taste.  The first time Joel tried it he didn't like it all, but he decided to try a second cup and now he loves it.  I probably drank this everyday while I was in Mérida.  I hope you like it!  I don't know if the flowers are available in regular grocery stores, but they definitely can be found at Hispanic grocery stores.  They're worth the trip!

Agua de jamaica

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups water
additional 3 cups cold water

Put sugar, hibiscus flowers, and 4 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil.  You may cover the pot or leave it uncovered.  When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the pot (if it's not already covered) and remove from heat.  Let it sit.  The amount of time you let it sit is variable.  The reason is to draw the flavor from the flowers, so it can sit for as few as 10-15 minutes or all day long.  Some people say it's best to do it overnight; I did it for about five hours during the day.

The mixture you have now is a concentrate.  When you're ready to drink it, add the additional 3 cups of water and pour the mixture into a pitcher, straining out the flowers.  These can be discarded.  You can add more sugar if you so desire, but I prefer it with just the 1/2 cup. 

Enjoy your jamaica! ¡Buen provecho!



**In addition to being tasty, agua de jamaica is chock full of Vitamin C, antioxidants, and anthocyanin.  It also may help alleviate female monthly  cramps, normalize high blood pressure, help purify arteries and kidneys, and lower high cholesterol.  It also is a mild diuretic, mild laxative, and treatment for cardiac and nerve diseases, as well as cancer.  It's popular in the folk medicine :)

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Black Beans & Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

This is another recipe from Our Best Bites that we have fallen in love with.  [By the way, have you noticed a theme lately? We eat tons of Mexican and like-Mexican food in our house :) ]  On the first day, we eat it as specified in the recipe.  The second day, it's tasty like that, but we also really like to mix all the leftovers up in a big bowl, scoop it out onto a tortilla, squeeze some lime on top, and eat it like a burrito.  Very tasty and healthy, too!  


By the way - the apple salsa? Trust me.  DE-licious.


Yield: A lot. Around 6 servings.

1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided
2 limes
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoons coriander (**I've never included this before.)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown or white rice (**We've found it's tastier with brown.)
1 rotisserie chicken, or 4 grilled chicken breasts (**We use less than this - about half as much chicken as if we were each just eating a chicken breast - and usually have extra.)
1 lime wedge per person

Combine apple, cilantro, 2 tablespoons onion, and the juice from half a lime.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper.  Set aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6-7 minutes.  Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of hte beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes (or longer if needed).  Season with salt and pepper to taste and a big squeeze of lime juice.  Divide rice and beans among plates.  Top with some chicken and apple salsa.  Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges. 

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Black Bean Soup

I do not claim this recipe as my own, but I will call it a "family" recipe - We love it so much it's a regular in our house.  We like it best with a little bit of sour cream on top and tortillas to dip in it.  And just so you know, it tastes about a million times better than it looks. :)


(from Our Best Bites)

1 T olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)

3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)

1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 3.5oz can green chilies

2 cans low-sodium beef broth

1 t kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 t chili powder

1/4 t cumin

1/2 t dry oregano leaves

1 bay leaf

Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, tortillas, etc.

1. Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat.  When pan is warm, add olive oil.  Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

2. Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

3. Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.

4. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup. 

5. Place soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step.) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters. 

6. Puree soup until completely smooth.  Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

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