Palak Kadhi - Spinach in Spicy Buttermilk

Give an Indian anything and they will put "Tadka" or "Tempering" to it. Tadka pron-Tud-ka, is a process of add the basic spices to any dish. Items that go in a tadka are oil or ghee or butter which are the base, followed by cumin seeds or mustard seeds or both, and hing or asofoetida. Depending on the recipe, one can add garlic and ginger and green chilli or red chilli and methi or fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, etc.  This buttermilk dish is a perfect winter night dish to be savored with white rice. Enjoy!

Method and Ingredients:

2 handfuls of fresh spinach, washed, drained, chopped, and cooked*
1 cup low fat buttermilk
3/4 cup cold water
2 heaping tablespoons besan or gram flour dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water (make sure there are no lumps)
1 small garlic, chopped
1/2 inch ginger, chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 small green chilli
Salt
Sugar

Tempering:
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Dash of Hing Asofoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
Methi seeds (2)
Curry leaves (4)

1. Mix the buttermilk with the cold water and stir.
2. In a small blender, grind garlic, ginger, cilantro, and green chilli to fine paste. I added a little of the buttermilk mixture to get the paste going.
3. Add the water plus gram flour mixture to the buttermilk. 
4. Add the blended masala of garlic, ginger, cilantro, and green chilli to the buttermilk.
5. Heat ghee in a pot. Add the cumin seeds. When they sputter, add methi seeds, hing and turmeric and curry leaves. Keep the heat down so as to not burn the contents. The curry leaves should change the green color slightly.  Add the cooked spinach and stir well. Let cook for 5 minutes so the spices incorporate in the spinach.
6. Add the buttermilk mixture to the pot and stir well.  Let come to slight boil. Add salt and a small pinch of sugar. You can add the reserved spinach liquid while cooking. Some folks like their kadhi watery while others may like it thick. So add water according to your preference.

Serve hot over white rice.

* Cooking spinach:  I basically add the chopped palak to a pot of water and let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not add too much water because you can reserve the water in which the spinach is cooked for cooking.

* The besan or gram flour is available in indian grocery stores. Its basically ground chick pea flour that acts as a thickening agent.

Sizzling Chicken and Cheese in Broccoli Cream Sauce

Ingredients and Method:

There are five parts to this dish:
1. Potatoes
2. Chicken and cheese
3. Rice
4. Vegetables
5. Sauce

1. Potatoes (For recipe click: http://slurpnburp-mithu.blogspot.com/#!/2012/01/skillet-rosemary-potatoes.html)

2. Make the sauce:  For a quick sauce, I used the Cream of Broccoli soup.  Heat butter in a pan. Add half of the cream of broccoli soup. Add 1/4 cup milk and stir vigorously until no lumps are formed.  Add 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp soy sauce, black pepper, and cajun seasoning. Stir until well incorporated.

3. Use about a cup or two of leftover white or brown rice. Heat butter in a pan. Add the rice. Add salt and black pepper, garlic powder and set aside.

4. Boil the veggies in a stockpot until tender. Drain. Heat butter in a pan. Add the vegetables. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsely.

5. I used four chicken tenderloins. You can use two chicken breasts. Butterfly cut the chicken and wrap with saran wrap. Pound the chicken down. For details visit http://slurpnburp-mithu.blogspot.com/2011/03/kickin-chickin.html#!/2011/03/how-to_02.html
Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.  Add butter to the pan. Add the chicken. Cook covered for 3 minutes. Flip and cook covered again for 3 minutes. Flip the chicken one more time and cook uncovered. Run a knife in the middle to see if the chicken is white in the inside.

5. Now lets put everything together. Heat skillet really hot. Rub butter all over the skillet.  Add the potatoes, chicken, and rice and veggies as shown. Pour the half the sauce over the chicken. And add cheese on the top. Cover with a lid so the cheese will melt. Serve hot. (Remaidner of the sauce can be used as a side)

Skillet Rosemary Potatoes

For years, my mother has been on my case about not "burning" food. But i keep arguing with her that that slight burnt taste is what gives my food an edge. In the process, I have burned so many of her precious pans. One day, I even did the Flambe trick - you know where you set the food on fire! That did not go too well. I was kicked out of the kitchen but ofcourse I couldn't stay out too long. Anyhow, so my theory is that searing or as my mom calls it "burning" the food, does give it the food a special kick.  So to ensure a fool proof sear, we bought this Lodge Logic skillet.  I cannot wait to try some yummy Sizzlers on it. But, thats for one of my non-busy days. Today, we will have to make do this with this pretty simple yet comforting potatoes recipe!

Baby Potatoes (About 12)
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 finely chopped garlic
Salt and Black Pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Butter

1. Wash the potatoes and submerge them in a pot full of cold salted water.  Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are slightly tender (About 10 minutes) Drain and submerge them in cold water. When slightly cooled, cut into halves.
2. Heat skillet until really hot. Add some butter and turn the heat down (it will smoke) - so have your ingredients ready to go.
3. Add the chopped garlic and give it a quick stir. Add the cilantro and stir. Add rosemary and sautee until fragrant.
4. Now spread some more butter throughout the pan. Place the potatoes face side down picking a little garlic and rosemary at a time (ie spread the garlic and rosemary around).
5. On low heat continue to sear the potatoes until they get a good golden brown color. Add salt and black pepper. I also tipped them a little towards the end to sear the skin. Sprinkle some red pepper flakes.

Potatoes are ready!

Note: I left the skin on the potatoes. You can choose to peel the skin off.

Bharwan Bhindi - Stuffed Okra



 The truth about Okra is that it is the slimiest and most underrated vegetable. This little vegetable can be used in so many more ways that one can think of. I am going to set myself on an adventure trying to explore ways to cook this. In the past, I have shallow fried and used it in Dal/Indian style soup. Today, I stuffed it with a onion-coconut powder mixture.  My impromptu date, Tina and I both enjoyed it. Right Teens?

Ingredients and Method:
Okra (About 25)

Stuffing:
1.5 medium onion
3 tbsp dry coconut powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp Goda masala (Maharashtrian Masala)
1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
1 to 2 tsp jaggery/gul
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Salt

Tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
Dash of Asofoetida

1. Wash and drain okra. Let dry completely. Wipe with a towel/paper towel.
2. Trim the edges and slit them lengthwise (as we will be stuffing them)
3. Stuffing: In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients under stuffing. Using your hands, mix the contents applying gentle pressure so the contents are well incorporated. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. when they sputter, add asofoetida. Now add the stuffing we made earlier.  Cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low to medium flame. The stuffng should turn light brown in color. Remove from the pan
5. Heat oil in the same pan and shallow fry the okra on low to medium heat. we want the okra to be crispy.
6. When slightly cool, gently stuff the stuffing into the okra. Add back to the pan and let sear until completely cooked. 

Serve hot.


Note:
1. Goda masala is a signature Maharashtrian masala. It can be found at some Indian grocery stores but your best bet is to get it from India. Thats what I do. I stock it up for a year or so in the fridge.
2. Gul or Jaggery can be substituted with sugar but the way the gul caramelizes and gives it that authentic taste, sugar cannot do the same.
3. Fennel seeds are a must in this recipe to give it that punch.

Mango Mousse

Looking for a yummy dessert - Try this very simple Mango mousse recipe.

Method and Ingredients:

1 Pint of Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup sugar

1 Can Mango Pulp

2 packets of Gelatin (7oz each)

1. Add the mango pulp to a pot.  Add the gelatin packets and whisk together. There should  be no lumps of the gelatin. If lumps do form, use a spatula and dissolve them.  Turn the flame on low and heat the mango pulp.  Keep stirring. Keep the flame low throughout this process.  The mango pulp should be hot but you dont want it to boil like water either. Now wait till it cool completely. I left mine out for an hour or so.

2. Pour whipping cream in a mixing bowl.  Add the sugar. Using an electric beater, beat the whipping cream until it turns into a froth. The cream will start looking like whipped cream. hmm I wonder if i could use Cool Whip next time and omit this step :) The texture you are looking for should resemble a mousse like texture which is called "peaks" in the baking world. If you put you finger in it and the cream holds upright, its ready.

3. Now, add the cream to the cooled mango pulp. Using a spatula, gently FOLD the cream into the mango pulp. Do not over mix.  Fold until both are incorporated well. 

4. Pour into a 9 by 13 casserole pan and refridgerate for few hours.

Mango Mousse is ready ............

Makar Sankrant Special - Til Gul

Happy Makar Sankrant to all my readers! Makar Sankranti is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year i.e. the 14th of January.  Indians from different parts of the country celebrate this festival in different ways.  Sankraman means passing of the Sun from one Zodiac sign to the other. This day marks the Sun's passage from the Tropic of Dhanu (Sagittarius) to Makar (Capricorn).

Being a Maharashtrian, we celebrate by exchanging a particular dessert/sweet called Til gul.  Til means sesame seeds and gul means jaggery (a sweetner).  Til and gul both hold a special significance for its nutritive value especially during the winter months. 

Now the social aspect of this festival is the best part! This is a time to celebrate old friendships, make new ones and refresh the old ones.  So I hosted my annual Haldi Kunku - which is a get together of married women (but I also had my single friends join us). The custom is to wear a black Chandrakala sari (embossed with moons and stars) but we just did a "black theme".  Haldi meaning turmeric and kunku meaning vermillion is applied on the forehead by the host to guest and vice versa. The host also gives a small gift called "vaan". I gave hand crafted and hand painted wooden kunku holder to all the guests.

The ladies had a blast - We played the game "Hot Potato" and made the "losers" of the game do all sorts of funny things. On the menu - Kokum Serbert, Chole Chaat, and Mango Mousse. And ofcourse, til gul laddos.  Below is the recipe for the ladoos:

Ingredients and Method:

1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded jaggery (gul)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (unsalted)
1/8 cup dry coconut powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Ghee

1. Dry roast the sesame seeds on low flame until you get a nutty aroma and the seeds are light golden brown. This process should not be rushed. Take your time and keep working your spatula as you roast the seeds. Set aside. (About 10 minutes on low flame)
2. Break the peanuts into halves or quarters with your hand.
3. Dry roast the coconut powder on low flame. This shouldnt take too long as the coconut roasts faster than the sesame seeds. (About 3 to 4 minutes on low flame). Pour over the sesame seeds. Add the peanuts to this mixture and toss with fingers.
4. In a flat bottom pan, on low flame, heat some ghee and when melted add jaggery. Jaggery burns easily so do not walk away from the pan. You have to constantly keep stirring to melt the jaggery so it turns liquidy. I add some water (total 3 tbsp) 1 tbsp at a time to make it liquidy. Add the cardamom powder. Keep working the jaggery for about 5 minutes or so. Drop a small drop on a plate. If the jaggery forms a little dot, its ready.
5. Add the sesame seeds mix (coconut powder n peanuts) to the jaggery. Mix well.
6. Let cool for about 2 minutes. Put ghee on  your palms and start rolling them into equal size ladoos/balls.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay its Friday the 13th! What is up with Friday the 13th anways!? Why is everyone so scared of this date? If one should be scared of anything, it should be about the calories they consume when they eat desserts. For heaven's sake, is all this butter and sugar necessary? And the answer is YES! And yes I am scared of eating desserts but you only live your life once! So eat a little and do a little extra workout for the day!

And oh yah, the cardinal truth of baking - if you want the ultimate decadent taste, then you got to follow the recipe. Its just like going to to movie theatre and eating no butter popcorn! No thank you! Id rather eat one cup of butter popcorn than eating 4 cups of non butter popcorn. So back to the topic of desserts, I got the BBs today in me! You know BBs - "Baking Bhoot" - for non desis that means "the spirit of baking" has consumed me today. So the first project was Chocolate chip cookies, followed by Velvet Cocoa Cake for my Americanized Haldi Kunku, followed by Herb Foccacia Bread for sandwiches tomorrow, and ending with Garlic Cheese Knots. Wish me luck.

When it comes to baking, I do not experiment. I follow recipes blindly. So here is the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies from dear old Martha. Enjoy!

Ingredients


1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

Evenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (on convection setting if you have it.) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)
Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. (Alternatively melt in a small saucepan.) Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.
Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

Chicken n Veggies Tettrazini

Traditionally, a tettrazini uses some kind of white meat with a base of onions, carrots, and mushrooms in a butter cream sauce with peas. I made a healthier version using more veggies and skipped the heavy cream using just full fat milk.

Ingredients:

Noodles:
2 cups wide egg noodles

Vegetables:
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced broccoli
1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms
1/4 diced red pepper
1/4 diced green pepper
Salt, Black Pepper, Dried Thyme

Chicken: (Skip this step if you opting for a veggie recipe)
2 small Chicken tenderloins.

Sauce:
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup chicken or veg stock

1/2 cup whole milk

Salt, Black Pepper, Dry Italian seasonings, garlic powder

Optional: Hot sauce or Red pepper flakes 
Shredded Mexican Four cheese

Method:

1. The Noodles:

Add noodles in boiling water.  Add some salt and olive oil to the pot. Noodles should be completely submerged under water. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes. When tender, drain the noodles in a colander (take all the water out). Run cold water on the noodles in the colander.  Drizzle some olive oil and toss. Set aside.

2. The Vegetables

Heat olive oil in a flat bottom skillet.  Add the onions and garlic.  Sautee till translucent.  Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan, add the seasonings (salt/pepper/thyme) and cook until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.

3. The Chicken:

Heat butter or oil in the same pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes each side. Set aside. When cool, cut into small bite size pieces.

4. The Sauce:

In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp of butter.  Pour the wine and using a spatula loosen up the chicken dripping left on the pan. Add another 1 tbsp of butter.  When melted, add 1 tbsp all purpose flour. Turn the heat down and using a spatula whisk vigorously.  There should be no lumps in the flour. Add the stock and the milk and mix well. Turn the heat to medium. Add a dash of salt, pepper, italian seasonings, garlic powder, and hot sauce or red pepper flakes. Keep whisking with a spatula. The mixture will reduce and thicken up. Add the cooked noodles and the chicken pieces. Mix well.

5. Putting it all together:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Take an ovenproof dish. Butter the bottom of the pan. Pour the noodles mixture onto the pan. Top the pan with shredded cheese - I used Mexican Four Blend. You can use that or just shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Serve hot!

Slurpers and Burpers are doing Math?

Do you know what your Body Mass Index is? BMI measures your weight in relation to your height, and it is closely associated with measures of body fat. You can calculate your BMI using this formula:

BMI = (Weight in lbs) * 703

            Height squared in inches

So for instance, if you are 5ft 5 inches (12inches * 5 ft = 60inches plus 5 inches = 65 inches) and your weight is 135lbs, your BMI is:

BMI = (135) * 703     = 22
           65 * 65

Healthy range :  A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9
Overweight range: A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9
Obese range: A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese

If you are not in the healthy range, it is time for some Health Intervention Yall!!!!

Whole Wheat and Wheat Germ Blueberry Muffins

Great for Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails!!!!! - Okay do you I have your attention now? Then read on....
My mother's entire pantry is filled with spices and beans and legumes and what not. And they are all stored in recyled Wheat Germ Bottles.  I always wondered what that was but never cared enough to find out until much recently.  And I wish I had started making wheat germ a part of diet early on in my life! So what exactly is wheat germ.

Wheat Germ is basically a part of a total Wheat Kernel. It is that part of the wheat that never makes it to your kitchen as part of the wheat flour. It is removed in the process of enriching the flour that you use. It is well known as a power house of nutrients. What nutrients you ask, here is a laundry list of them:

* Omega 3 Fatty acids: The concentrated oil or fat, found in wheat germ is made up primarily of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids.  Since the human body cannot make it, these essential fats need to consumed from foods such as fish and wheat germ. Benefits: Lowers blood pressure, elevates mood

* B Vitamins: Benefits: Boosts body's metabolism

* Vit E: Vitamin E is needed by the body for nerves, muscle function and to maintain a healthy reproductive system. It has also been shown to benefit the skin by keeping its elasticity better, reducing the effects of ageing.

* Minerals and Protein

* Fiber and Complex Carbs: Wheat germ is considered an excellent source of fiber which has many benefits including improved bowel function, which helps prevent constipation and may reduce the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes

Since wheat germ has a neutral flavor, you can pretty much add it to anything you cook.  So how can you use wheat germ - add them to your
* Chapati atta/flour
* Cakes/Muffins/Pancakes
* Smoothies and Shakes
* Salads or Salad Dressings

Following is a recipe from Martha Stewart for the muffins - I made half of the stated recipe so I only used brown sugar. I also used only 1/4th of the all purpose flour substituting the rest with whole wheat flour.

Ingredients


1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)

1/3 cup reduced-fat (2 percent) milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

2.In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.

3.With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries.

4.Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.


** http://www.wheatgermbenefits.com/ 

Eggplant Linguine Limonetta

Linguine is my favorite pasta - so tender and so flavorful.  I wanted to make something with it today and had to use the eggplant but did not want to make the standard Eggplant Parmesan dish. So, instead of using tomato based sauce which is used in the Eggplant Parmesan, I used Lemon Butter and Parsley with the Parmesan cheese.  But the best part was making up the name for this dish. Eh! Why not!

Ingredients and Method:

2 Baby Eggplants
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
4 mushrooms, washed and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
Red pepper flakes
1/3 cup cream of chicken or asparagus (for vegetarian)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Generous portion of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup White wine
Fresh parsley leaves, washed and chopped
Salt and Black pepper
Linguine pasta (I used about 1/4th of a whole standard box)
2 tbsp Butter for the sauce and some more


Pasta Prep: Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Set aside.

1. EGGPLANT:
Wash the eggplants. Cut and discard the stems. Cut the eggplants into small disc shape. Soak them in water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse pat dry.  Season with olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Toss well. Heat oil in a non stick pan. Place them without overcrowding them and sear them on each side (on medium heat) for about 10 minutes. Do not cover and cook. And def initely do not overbrown them.

2. COOKING THE VEGETABLES:
Prep all the remaining vegetables as written above. Heat butter in a flat bottom stainless steel skillet. Add the vegetables and sautee. Cook until tender. Set aside. The vegetable bits will have stuck to the pan. To loosen them add some wine and using a spatula loosen the stuck bits. Add handful of chopped parsley.  Turn the heat off while you prepare the sauce in the next step.

4. SAUCE:
In a bowl, whisk together, the cream of chicken or asparagus, with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and remainder of the wine.  Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a small stockpot. Add the cream of chicken or cream of asparagus concoction you just made (above) to the pot and keep stirring until its well incorporated. Add worcestershre sauce and red pepper flakes. Add all of this back to the flat bottom pan where you made the vegetables (step 2). Add back the vegetables to the pan and mix well.  Add the linguine to the pan and toss until the sauce is well incorporated with the pasta.

5. Pour the linguine with the sauce you just made at the bottom of a oven safe baking dish. Line the roasted eggplant on the top.  Top it off with freshly grated or grated parmesan cheese (do not use parmesan powder). 

6. FINAL STEP:
Preheat the oven to 350F.  Place the dish in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.  Serve hot!


Note:
1. I also added some mexican four cheese blend on the top as shown in the picture.
2. Zest is basically the shavings of a lemon.  Using a grater, grate the outer part of a lemon. 
3. And no, you cannot substitute LIME for LEMON in this dish.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken Pot Pie - the king of comfort foods. Bite size tender chicken pieces mixed with hearty vegetable soup covered with flaky pie crust and baked golden brown - just what you want to have on a cold wintery night.  This soup takes its inspiration from the pot pie itself.  Traditionally, a ROUX is the base to the soup - butter mixed with flour to make the base or gravy if you want to call it.  But, the modern woman of today like me, relies on Campbell to make all the creams - that of chicken/broccoli/asparagus etc.  Note that this soups are pretty high in sodium so either buy a low sodium choice or skip the salt or enjoy it all as is and skip the sodium on other things you eat during the day. I have used chicken broth here but you can substitute it with water to reduce the sodium intake.  For a vegetarian option, use cream of (any vegetable) and veggie broths. I did not have cream of chicken today so I used cream of asparagus and the dish turned out fine!

Ingredients and Method:

4 tbsp cream of asparagus (or cream of chicken or broccoli or asparagus will do)
1 and 1/2 cup of chicken broth or water
1/2 medium onion
1/2 green pepper
2/3 cup mixed vegetables (corn/beans/carrots/corn)
Cooked chicken pieces (2 chicken tenderloins)
1 small potato (small bite size pieces, cooked)
Salt and Black Pepper
Italian seasonings
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Heat oil in a stockpot.  Add chopped onions and green pepper. Sautee for 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the mixed vegetables, mix well, and continue sauteeing for another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add some water and cover and cook until the veggies are tender. Water should evaporate by now.
4. Now, take the cream of chicken in a small bowl and beat with a fork until no lumps are seen.
5. Add the beaten cream of chicken to the stockpot and stir well. 
6. Add very little salt, black pepper, and dash of Italian seasonings and cayenne pepper . Add the chicken pieces.  The mixture should appear quite thick at this time. Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes while constantly sauteeing it. 
7. Now add half of the chicken broth or water and stir. If you want a thinner consistency, add more of the broth or water.  Add the cooked potatoes. Cover and let the soup come to a boil on low flame.
Adjust seasonings as per your taste.

Serve hot.

Note:
1. I always used frozen mixed vegetables. Thaw them ahead of time.
2. Cook the potatoes either on the stove or in a microwave. Potatoes should not be overcooked. They will continue to cook in the soup. Alternatively you can cook the potatoes with the mixed veggies.
3. To cook chicken: Boil water in a stock pot.  Add the chicken tenderloins. Cook only for 2 to 4 minutes. Remove and cut into pieces. They will continue to cook in the soup.


For a slow cooker option:
1. Heat oil. Add the onions and green peppers and sautee for few minutes. Add mixed veggies and potatoes (uncooked) and the soup with water.  Sautee for 2 to 3 minutes. Add all the seasonings. Mix well. Add the chicken broth.
2. Add the contents to the slow cooker. Cook until veggies are tender.

Southwestern Salsa Verde Soup

Southwestern Salsa Verde Soup

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt
Black Pepper
1/4 cup cream of Asparagus
1/2 cup corn, roasted
1/2 cup black beans, roasted
1 zucchini, peeled and pan roasted
1 Chicken tenderloin (Cut into bite size pieces)
Lime juice
Cilantro
Italian seasonings

1. Heat oil. Add the garlic and roast till fragrant.  Add the onions and let brown. Add the carrots and bell peppers and cook for about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of store bought green salsa or salsa verde. Stir and let cook for few minutes.  Add 1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth and mix well.  Let cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Now add the cream of asparagus, 1/2 tsp red chlli powder, salt, black pepper, and mix well.  Let cook for another 5 to 8 minutes. As this base thicken, add 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock to prevent the base from burning.  Set aside to cool.

3. Heat butter in a pan. Add zuchinni (chopped in small bite size pieces). Roast uncovered until tender and brown.  Add corn and black beans and continue pan tossing and roasting them. Add a pinch of chopped cilantro and toss again. Set aside.

4. Now its time to puree the base that we made earlier. Puree the base in a food processor.  Use some stock to loosen it up if its too thick. 

5. Add the base on the roasted vegetables in the pan itself. Add 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock and mix well making sure that the base doesnt stick to the pan.  Add the chicken pieces.  Add another 1/2 to 1 cup if you feel the soup is too thick. Bring to rolling boil. Chicken tenderloins should cook by now but just check for doneness to make sure.

6. Garnish with lime juice and Italian seasonings.

Note: I added the chicken so late in the process to prevent the chicken from getting too tough. You can add it a litle earlier if you wish.