Chicken tortilla soup

Ok, I know that Sam just posted a recipe tonight, but I'm going to post mine all the same.  My story is just so much better on New Year's Eve!  I have (almost) never been a fan of New Year's.  It seems like every year I end up alone and sad, don't worry, I'm aware how pathetic this sounds.  I think the reason for my crappy experiences may go all the way back to 1999.  I was 16, sitting in the basement of my parents' house, waiting for my very good-looking boyfriend.  They say that whatever you're doing at the stroke of midnight on New Year's is what you will spend the next year doing.  This supersition would explain the whole kissing thing.  Who doesn't want to spend the next year kissing?  Well for me, on New Year's 1999 as midnight struck for the new millennium, I was still sitting alone in my parents' basement waiting for my boyfriend.  Yes, that's right, I was stood up, on New Year's of the new millennium, no less!  Previously mentioned good-looking boyfriend never showed as previously promised.  So like every girl would, I cried a little, and the next day? Well, he was no longer my boyfriend.  Here comes the problem, if we spend the next year doing what we were doing at the stroke of midnight, where did that leave me?  I wasn't exactly stood up all the time in the year 2000, but I also didn't have a whole lot of luck on the guy front.  Nor have I had much luck on the guy front since then, New Year's or no New Year's.  Apparently the superstition holds a little weight.  So here I am tonight, at home, avoiding any disaster that might befall me by posting an awesome new recipe.

What you will need for this GF recipe:
1 chicken breast
1/2 jalapeno
1/2 bell pepper (red, yellow, green, you decide, I used red, it was pretty)
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup corn (I used frozen so that the remainder would keep for another night)
1/2 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 can diced Rotel tomatoes w/green chilies (feel free to use any diced tomatoes and add green chilies, this is just what I did)
1 can chicken broth (more or less depending on how "soupy" you like your soup)
1 corn tortilla
cumin
garlic powder
chili powder
black pepper
cheese, cilantro, avocado and other garnishments are optional

Start by drizzling chicken breast w/olive oil and then season w/cumin, garlic powder and chili powder.  Use as much or as little as you like, more chili powder creates more heat.  I then baked my chicken for about 25 minutes on 375 degrees.  You can cook yours however you want (baking is healthier though:).  While the chicken is cooking I prepped my other ingredients.  Dice your jalapeno and bell pepper and mince your garlic.  You will want to cut your corn tortilla into strips of about a quarter inch wide and one to two inches long.  If you want to look fancy make them all uniform, if you just want to eat, who gives a shit!  Start sauteeing your veggies in a bit of olive oil if your chicken is still cooking.  I sauteed them in my soup pot to limit the number of dirty dishes.  When your veggies have sauteed for a few minutes add your diced tomatoes, juice and all.  I let this concoction simmer a minute and then added my chicken broth, black beans, and corn.  I left the heat on medium and let my soup boil a bit.  Add black pepper, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder to taste, I did just a dash of each.  When your chicken is ready shred it with 2 forks and add it to your soup.  I let things simmer a bit longer at this point.  Go ahead and dish up whenever you are ready.  Add tortilla strips and other garnishments (cheese, cilantro, avocodo, lime).  Give the soup a minute to cool and enjoy!

So I have to be honest here, there are some times that I cook and I think "meh, that was OK."  This time with this recipe I thought "damn, I'm awesome."  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Now, one last thing, a few options-the chicken in this recipe is great on it's own, try it with the seasoning, you'll love it.  Add the chicken to Megan J's enchiladas if you're not into the whole vegetarian thing, although I'm not a vegetarian and they were still delish as is.  Use left over corn tortillas in Megan J's recipe instead of flour tortillas and you'll have a great GF option (I think).  Drain the broth and throw the rest of the mess on tortilla chips as part of nachos.  As you can tell this recipe is quite versatile, as are the ingredients in it.

I hope your New Year's Eve experience is better than my past experiences!
Megan S

Filet with Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I was recently discussing Dinner for Spinsters with a good friend who told me of a meal she prepared for herself once, a big fat steak.  Her husband was away for the evening and when he returned home he fully expected her dinner would have been along the lines of cauliflower or some such veggie.  Nope! We ladies love a good steak just as much as any fellow.  While she was in town for the holidays we were also talking about her recent trip to Turkey.  What amazing adventures she had!  I don’t know about you, but I have the hardest time saving money.  There always seems to be some expense or such every time I get ahead.  In order to save up for their trip, she and her husband didn’t eat out for several months. 

The more I thought about my habits, I soon realized this was one area I could definitely cut out and save some major bucks. I guess we’ll call it my New Year’s Resolution.  No more eating out, especially since I love to cook and now have this blog to share recipes.  My last meal out was over a week ago with her and another close friend.  It was superb.  We gushed over the house made gnocchi, shared some wine and laughed a whole lot.  A great note to end on.  So this entry goes out to her, for she has been an inspiration to me on many occasions.

To begin with, find yourself a nice cut of meat, not too large.  I chose a filet which was about 6 oz.  In future recipes you will be seeing a lot of beef.  I would like for you to meet Fred, the freezer cow.  I have been quite fortunate and have access to an entire cow now residing in my parent’s freezer.  Locally raised and quite delicious! Go ahead and remove fat from steak, as desired.  I prefer it fairly lean.  Sear the steak with salt and pepper and oil in a very hot skillet. Set aside.

For the Gnocchi:

1 large sweet potato

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½ - 2 cups flour

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Bake sweet potato at 350 deg for 30-45 minutes or until fully cooked.  Let cool.  Peel skin from potato and mash in a medium sized bowl.  Add remainder of ingredients and mix well.  You want your gnocchi to be like dough, so add flour until you reach this consistency.   Roll dough out onto a floured surface and section into 4 pieces.  This is a lot of gnocchi, you may be thinking.  About 4-5 servings so I went ahead and froze 3 individually wrapped dough balls for later.

On your floured surface form sections of remaining dough into thin rolls and cut into 1 inch pieces.  You may need to reshape your pieces a bit before placing into a pot of boiling water.  Once gnocchi floats to top remove from water.

For the Sauce:

¼ roasted red pepper

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup Gouda (or favorite shredded cheese)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or whatever is on hand)

Salt and pepper to taste

I went ahead and roasted an entire red pepper for this recipe and saved the remainder.  Rub pepper with a bit of olive oil and place in pre-heated oven (I did mine the same time as the sweet potato).  Bake until skin of pepper is dark and bubbly.  Remove from oven and place in a saran covered bowl until cool.  Remove skin and dice up about a quarter for sauce.

In a small sauce pan over med-high heat, place the heavy cream.  Let the edges of the cream start to simmer and add your cheese just before it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and whisk until cheese is fully incorporated.  Add salt and pepper, seasoning and roasted red pepper.  Add gnocchi and set aside.

Before you start the sauce, bake your seared steak at 350 deg until desired doneness.  I prefer medium rare which only took about 12 minutes.

Plate your meal and enjoy! I topped mine off with a bit of sautéed spinach, oh so yummy.

Sam

Quinoa enchiladas!

Isn't it funny how quickly life changes?  One day you're living in some bullshit apartment that has absolutely no counter space and neither a cupboard nor a drawer and the next you own your own home.  Three bedrooms and all.  It's funny like that.  Or you can go from having a wild party animal friend who constantly regales you with her exploits and sometimes draws you into them too to having a friend who is knocked up.  Or riding with a side car, as she calls it.  Quickly all conversation changes from unsavory nights in Whitefish with unsavory men to the advantage of Fuzzibuns cloth diapers versus GrowVia.  Or recipes.  And why we make the food choices we do and the similarities.  Those conversations are what lead to following recipe:


You will need:
1/4 cup quinoa (buy bulk, bitches!)
1/2 cup water
taco seasoning
1/4 of a pepper (your choice which color), chopped
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1/4 cup cashews (bulk...)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw kale
1 clove garlic, minced
couple teaspoons olive oil
two flour tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce - either red or green
1 can beans - maybe some blacks or kidneys, whichever you prefer.
cheese (optional)

Sam will be disgusted to see the word optional after cheese.

Hokay, so first you want to preheat your oven to 350.  And combine the quinoa and water and let it soak for about 5 or 10 mins.  Then take your kale and rip it into small pieces (1 inch or so) and put on a baking sheet.  Add cashews and sunflower seeds.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.  You really don't need much.  Bake for 15-20 mins or until the kale gets crispy.

In the meantime, put a little bit of olive oil in a pan on medium heat.  Add onions and garlic.  Cook for 3 mins, stirring frequently.  Add peppers and cook for an additional two minutes.  Set aside.  Now you're ready to start cooking your quinoa.  It can be a little finicky (but hey, so can I!) so you want to make sure that you've given it adequate time to soak.  This helps it fluff up and be delicious.  Now you can put it on medium heat.  Add taco seasoning.  Cover and cook for 20 mins or until all liquid is absorbed.  Once the quinoa is done cooking add pepper mixture and the beans to the pan.  Pull out your nuts and kale and add this to the quinoa too.  This is your filling!

Take each tortilla and scoop about half into each.  Roll up and put in baking pan.  Take the can of sauce and pour over the top.  If you want cheese, add it now.  Bake for 20 mins or until cheese is bubbly.

Enjoy with a nice (or cheap!) glass of red!

Megan J

Whoops!

Sorry, loves.  We're on a bit of a hiatus.  You know, Christmas and all.  I swear, once everything calms down we'll be back to giving you delicious recipe ideas and encouraging your wine consumption once again.

Cheers and happy holidays!   May you enjoy a New Year's kiss - even a drunk sloppy one!

Megan J

White Bean Spread With Spinach and Artichokes

phobia noun

 an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation.

For me, my mayonnaise phobia makes complete sense.  It’s gross.  And it doesn’t stop there.  I have an extreme aversion to ranch dressing as well.  I am deeply disturbed by THOSE people who smother their mayonnaise or ranch on top of anything and everything.  Just the smell of it makes me gag.  Even typing about it is a little painful.

I’m fairly certain my phobia began at an early age, a day like many other days.  It was most likely a rainy or snowy day and I was at my best friend’s house, stuck inside.   We were about 9 or 10 and there were no parents in sight.  “Hey, Sam, wanna play a game?” She asks.  Those days I would pretty much do or say anything she requested of me.  “Sure,” I say, “What’s the game?”  With a sly grin on her face she informs me she is going to fill a plate from the refrigerator, blindfold me, and then feed me what was on the plate and I in turn had to guess each item.  “Why not?” I think, “What could possibly go wrong?”  I completely trust my friend as she is covering my eyes.  My first bite was easy.  “Pizza!” I say.  The second bite, however, happened to be a large spoonful of miracle whip.  I was already quite a picky eater and never even tasted miracle whip.  And I never will again. 

When I began working in the restaurant industry, my co-workers soon discovered this phobia of mine.  How funny they thought they were.  Smearing ranch dressing over objects they knew I would have to touch, like the sprayer in the dishpit or my car door.  Well now that I own and operate my own restaurant I can safely say that NO ONE smears anything anywhere and gets away with it.

The following recipe (and any other recipe I submit to this blog for that matter) is completely free of mayonnaise, ranch, or any other substance I find repulsing.  Use this spread on its own to dip your fancy crackers in or apply it on a sandwich in lieu of mayo. Toast a baguette and smear some on, finish with roasted red pepper and goat cheese.  The options are endless and quite delicious.  Tonight I chose to dip some veggies, goat cheese and a toasted pita in it.  Tomorrow I’ll make a chicken and bacon sandwich, spread some on along with some avocado, tomato and spinach. Yum!

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed well

½ can artichoke hearts (perhaps you can use the remaining half on a pita pizza, courtesy Megan S.)

1 cup spinach

3-4 cloves garlic

¼ cup parmesan (optional)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice of bread

Combine first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined.  Crumble bread in to thicken.  Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper.   Mix until smooth. 

Sam

Kidney Bean Tacos

OK, so I'm not going to lie, generally speaking I prefer meat on my tacos, but this week is bean week so I'm changing it up a bit.  For my version I made homemade taco shells, I'll include the recipe but if you prefer, buy your own or even use chips for a quick delicious dinner.

For the taco shells you will need:
1/2 c. milk
1/8 c. corn starch
1/4 c. corn meal
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg beaten

Mix the dry ingredients together first then add milk and egg.  You'll want to heat your skillet up a little bit first and I use butter to fry the shell in.  When you pour in the batter you want to make sure to keep the shell thin and don't flip it until it's almost completely cooked through.  I find that a good non-stick pan works best as these guys will fall apart pretty easily, especially if it sticks.

Now for the bean mixture you will need:
1/2 can of dark red kidney beans, more if you're hungry
bell peppers (any or all colors you want)
onions

about 1 tbsp. of taco seasoning
and any other goodies that you like

Saute your veggies in a touch of olive oil until they're soft, add your kidney beans and the taco seasoning as your package directs.

When everything is ready load your taco shell up with your bean concoction, add any other taco ingredients you like (cheese, salsa, sour cream, tomatoes...) and enjoy!  Now I know that we have previously told you to pour a glass of wine while cooking, but let's be honest, when cooking Mexican you should really be pouring a stiff margarita.  So grab the margarita mix and the Jose because Mexican just tastes better that way!

Oh and one added bonus of being single, when the beans hit you and make you gassy, you don't have to worry about being judged for farting :)
Megan S.

Beans! And stories!

Here is a quick an easy way to use garbanzo beans.  Stay tuned for the fun story.  You will need the following:

1/2 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/4 of a red onion, chopped
1/8 cup of fresh cilantro
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar (or more if you love vinegar-y things like I do)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Now enjoy with some vino!  And on to the fun stories:

As a girl of 28 who is emotionally stunted I've tried a lot of things when it comes to dating.  Things like throwing myself at unavailable men, talking myself into guys I wasn't really into, and most recently, online dating.  As you might imagine, this has been a mixed bag.  Many first dates, some second and very few third dates.  Some spark and also some weird poems and comics received in the mail at work.  Literally postmarked.  However, every now and then you actually find a gem.  Someone who is actually fantastic.  Someone who actually gets you and is attractive and awesome.  And 2000 miles away.  Helpful.  My gem chose to share this recipe with me...which of course I modified for one:

You will need:

the other 1/2 can of garbanzo beans
1/4 of a bell pepper, whichever color, chopped
1/4 onion

for the dressing you'll want:
1 clove garlic (roasted if you'd like!), chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup of oil (apparently olive oil solidifies and that sounds gross so maybe go vegetable oil?)
a dash of jalapenos (your choice of fresh or canned)

Combine the first three ingredients.  Set aside.  Combine dressing ingredients and mix well.  Add dressing to bean mixture and toss to coat.  Enjoy.

Wherever this crazy world takes you, especially in the dating spectrum, I wish you luck.  Hopefully you can avoid the awkward poems and comics in the mail.  I was not so lucky.  And hopefully you will find a gem.  If you can't have them at least they can remind you that they're out there and that you should never lose hope.

Megan J

Chicken Pesto Pizza

My personal cooking style is all about what's quick, easy and delicious.  I have very little spare time so I don't want to spend what time I do have slaving over a hot stove.  "Slaving" over a HOT man is much more to my liking and I'm guessing most everybody feels the same way.  For this reason most of the recipes I post aren't going to be gourmet meals but they will satisfy, maybe not as much as the aforementioned hot man but frankly that's the way it should be.

For this recipe you will need:

1 Pita
1 small chicken breast-cubed
1 garlic clove-minced
oregano and basil to taste
2-3 Tbsps pesto-you can use store bought, make your own (see Megan J's recipe) or do what I do (steal your roommate's)
1 cup mozzarella
1/2 a tomato-diced (I prefer vine-ripened)
a sprinkling of shredded parmesan

In hopes of full disclosure-all my measurements are approximate, feel free to put more or less of anything on your pizza.  I have never made a recipe according to the directions, I'm always tweaking things to suit my tastes, heck, that's part of the fun.

OK, back to the recipe. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook chicken on stove top with garlic and sprinkle with the oregano and basil to your liking.  While the chicken cooks you can prep your pita with the pesto by spreading it all over, this will work as your pizza crust.  I personally like to leave a little of the pita edge bare for a crispy crust edge.  When the chicken is finished cooking spread it over your pita.  Sprinkle your mozzarella on top add the diced tomatoes, you can put more mozzarella if you like or just put the finishing touch by sprinkling some parmesan on top.  Bake pizza until your cheese is melty and delicious.  If you like crunchy edges and some browned cheese put the oven on broil for a minute.  Keep a close eye on your dinner if you choose this method or you'll end up burning your pizza like I did.  Burned pizza = no picture for your awesome new blog :(

Cut your pizza up into fun pieces or just dig right in and enjoy!!

This recipe is also great with alfredo sauce instead of pesto, so if you have any extra alfredo sauce to use up try it out!!

Megan S.

Poached Eggs and Pesto!

The moment I ate my first poached egg, a love affair began.  All other eggs pale in comparison now.  Scrambled? You disgust me. Over easy? You'll do in a pinch I suppose.  Why? You may ask.  Not entirely certain and I'm not gonna question it either.  "True Love is not the kind of thing you should turn down. Don't ever turn it down (to quote The Avett Brothers, an entirely different love affair that I won't get into right now)."  Like any good relationship, poached eggs and I have our moments of anger and disappointment.  Some of these moments I'd rather just keep to myself. I am a lady after all. However, one of these disappointments lie in what usually accompanies poached eggs.  Hollandaise. You two may be all buddy buddy but seriously, hollandaise, you suck. One cup of you is over 1,000 calories. I cannot afford that! You are not welcome in my home Mr. Sauce. Poached eggs and I are fine on our own.  So in revolt of hollandaise sauces everywhere, I share this recipe with you:

1 english muffin or bread of choice
2 slices of tomato
2 eggs, poached
2 strips bacon (optional)
1/4 cup favorite cheese (optional)
2 tbsp pesto (see Megan J's recipe)
1 tbsp white vinegar

Cook bacon and set aside.  My preferred method of this oh so delectable treat is to bake it at 350 deg. It cooks much more evenly and frees up the whole stove top.  Also, it won't attack you (think bits of grease splattering across arms).
Bring water and vinegar to a boil in pot, about 3-4 inches or enough to cover your eggs.  Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer.
Go ahead and toast your english muffin.
Now you gotta get all gentle with your eggs.  I like to break an egg at a time into a small dish first.  Hold the dish directly over the simmering water and slowly let it glide into it.  Repeat. Take a slotted spoon and gently separate the egg whites from one another if they decide to try and become one.  Gentle, I said!
It'll only take about 2 1/2 minutes to poach, so get your toasted english muffin on a plate with tomato slices.  Use a slotted spoon to lift egg out of water (I'd say gently, but you get the point) and let drain. Repeat.
Place on tomato slices, crumble bacon, sprinkle cheese, top with pesto. Enjoy!

Sam

Rainbow pesto pasta!

Ok, here's the deal.  Each week (or so) we'll choose a theme and give you different recipes all using similar ingredients so you can use up your leftovers and get a little variety.  Oh so important.  Our first week will revolve around pesto.  Delish!

As someone who tries to avoid processed food and vegetable/canola oil as much as possible I like to make my own pesto.  One thing you should know about my cooking style before starting is that I try to do everything on the cheap.  We spinsters gotta save our moneys for the important things in life like wine and goat cheese.  So, if I can find things in bulk I go with it.  I scored on this last trip and got pine nuts in the bulk spice section.  It was awesome.  This is almost always cheaper than buying something prepackaged plus you get to avoid all the nasty preservatives!  Also, some people like to add garlic to their pesto which can be super tasty.  I am, however, a little lazy and don't want to wait for the garlic to roast.  If you want garlic quickly and easily you can always get the precut stuff you find in the little jars.  To make my version of pesto you will need the following:

one package basil (I like organic)
1/8 cup raw pine nuts
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4c fresh parmesan (just a block from the fancy cheese section, but shaved into small bits)
A touch of black pepper

Peel leaves off the basil and put in the food processor.  You will actually want a food processor for this.  Believe me, I've tried it without and it just doesn't work.  Add pine nuts, olive oil, pepper, and parmesan.  Blend until it looks yummy.  Set aside and have some wine.

You will also need some pasta.  I love whatever I can find in the bulk section at the store.  Feel free to scrounge through your cabinets and pull out whatever you have.  Penne and fettucini?  That'll work!  Cook about a cup of the pasta according to the directions.  You will also need:

1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 a red pepper - cut into bite sized chunks
1/2 an onion - chopped
1 clove fresh garlic - minced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes - halved
1 tsp olive oil
lemon juice to taste

Steam broccoli.  Heat oil in a medium skillet.  Add onions and garlic and saute until onion is translucent.  Add pepper and cook for an additional three minutes.  Have a little more wine.

Add onion mixture and broccoli to pasta.  Scoop out half the pesto and stir in to pasta.  Add lemon juice to taste.  I personally like a lot of lemon juice.  Eat up!

I must admit that I encourage improvising.  You should actually rummage through your refrigerator and find whatever veggies you have on hand.  What about those carrots from a few weeks ago when you decided to go on a health kick?   Perfect!  The beauty of this recipe is that it makes substitutions a breeze.

So get cooking and enjoy any happy accidents that happen along the way!  - Megan J

Hey y'all!

Let's face it.  Cooking for one is a bitch.  I mean, seriously, all these recipes that you find yield at least 4 servings which is far too much for one person to be able to stomach.  Perhaps your friends are tired of choking down your culinary creations and your freezer is full.  Either you give up and eat ramen or you end up throwing a lot of things out.  We feel your pain.  As three self proclaimed spinsters we decided to do something about it.

Throughout this blog we hope to offer a wide variety of recipes best prepared for one along with many comedic blunders and somewhat heart warming anecdotes.  We will definitely provide you with the dos and the don'ts of cooking for one (or someday two!).   We encourage questions and love to offer up advice from our different backgrounds.


We leave you with the #1 do of cooking for one:

Pour a tall glass of wine!

Bon appetit!