Must Go Soup

I was on a soup kick last week when it was finally feeling like winter in So Cal, but now that it's in the 80s again, it's weird to post about soup.  I'll post it anyways because it's an easy meal and tastes good, too.  I've made several different soups with my vitamix blender and they always taste a little different because I use whatever ingredients I have in my fridge that "must go."  I use a chicken bouillon cube as my base along with carrots and celery and the rest of the veggies depends on what "must go."  

What's awesome about making soup in the vitamix is that I can liquify fresh veggies to make soup and can have a hot, yes HOT, soup on the table in 10 minutes.  Easy peasy!  Sometimes I'll make my soup and let it simmer in the dutch oven for an hour or more as that really heightens the flavor of the soup.  But...if I'm pressed for time, it goes straight from blender to bowl.  What's great about the Must Go Soup is that you use it as your base and then throw additional veggies and/or meat to make it a heartier soup.  My boys love Chicken Tortilla Soup so I add a few extra ingredients and they scarf it down.  Tasty for sure!

Chicken Tortilla Soup using a tomato as part of the soup base and topped with fresh cilantro and salsa, grilled chicken, shredded cheese, and chips.

Another version of Chicken Tortilla Soup but without the tomato as part of the base.

Instead, I threw in a handful of "must go" cilantro and blended it for 10 seconds before putting the soup in the dutch oven to simmer for an hour.  

Must Go Soup

Yield:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 c hot water
• 2 carrots- cut into 2" pieces (it's easier on the blender)
• 4 celery stalks- cut into 2" pieces (it's easier on the blender)
• 1 slice onion- don't add too much unless you're cooking down the soup.
• 1/2 red bell pepper- I buy the red, orange, yellow pepper pack from Costco and use whatever I have.
• 1 clove garlic- If I'm cooking down the soup, I'll add 2-3 garlic cloves.
• 1 chicken (or veggie) bouillon cube- if you don't have bouillon, you can use 2 c chicken stock (or veggie) instead of water and bouillon.

Optional ingredients:

• 1 small jalapeno if you like heat - seeded and ribs removed
• Have another veggie that "must go?"  Throw it in!
• black beans- drained and rinsed
• corn- drained
• cilantro- washed
• chicken- cooked and cubed

Toppings:

• avocado
• sour cream
• shredded cheese
• tortilla chips
• olives
• cilantro
• red onions
• salsa/hot sauce

Directions:

1. Put ingredients into Vitamix in the order listed.  If you don't have a Vitamix, you might be able to use your food processor.  Since I've only liquified fresh veggies in my Vitamix, I don't know how the food processor would work out but you can try with caution.
2. Always start with dial on "Variable 1."  Turn on vitamix and slowly increase speed to Variable 10 and within 1-2 minutes, flick switch to "High."  Blend on high speed approx. 6 minutes or until steaming hot.
3. If making Tortilla Soup, reduce speed to Variable 2, remove the lid plug, carefully drop in additional ingredients (black beans, corn, cilantro, tortilla chips, chicken, etc.), and blend for 10 seconds.  Don't over-do it or you'll end up liquifying the add-ins.  The add-ins are great because it creates a nice texture to the soup.  
4. Pour into soup bowls, add toppings of choice, and ENJOY!

Quiche

I have a super tasty crustless quiche recipe that I got from a friend several years ago (thanks, TL!) but it's really rich and makes a lot of quiche.  Because Son #2 is allergic to eggs and can't even eat one single bite, I opted for a smaller quiche baked in a 9" pie dish.  Since I have an easy pie crust recipe, I opted for a quiche with a crust.  I had to adjust the new recipe I was trying because it seemed too "wet" so I added a little flour and baking powder and crossed my fingers in hopes it would turn out.  It did!

I found this "My No Roll Pie Crust" recipe a while back and it's the only pie crust I'll make.  It's easy, flaky, and ohhhhh sooooooo goooooooood!  I've used this crust for apple pie, berry pie, and now quiche.  This is the perfect crust! 

Easy Pie Crust

Yield:  1-  9" pie crust

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 c  canola oil (can use vegetable oil)
• 2 tbs milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Put dry ingredients in pie dish and mix together with a fork.
3. Make a well in the center and add the oil and milk.
4. Using a fork, carefully mix dry mixture into wet mixture and keep mixing until a ball is formed.
5. Flatten and press into pie dish.
6. Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
7. Makes one pie crust.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No photos as the quiche got eaten up before I could snap a pic.

Guess I have to make another quiche soon!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for the quiche, it isn't an "eggy" quiche.  It's light, fluffy, and delicious.  My sister doesn't like eggs but she liked this quiche.  Good stuff!

Quiche

Yield:  1-  9" quiche

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 c  milk
• 1 c shredded cheese
• 3/4 c  sliced sausage  (can use ham, bacon, or veggies of choice)
• 8 oz can diced green chile (optional)
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1- 9" pie crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine eggs, milk, cheese, sausage, and chile in mixing bowl.  Mix well.
3. Add flour and baking powder to egg mixture and mix well.
4. Pour into pie crust but don't over-fill.  Discard extra egg mixture.
5. * Bake for 45 minutes or until knife inserted into center of quiche comes out clean.
6. After fully baked, let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

* NOTE:  I didn't want to cut into the quiche so I baked it for 1 hour.  To test for doneness, I gave the pie dish a little shake to see if the top was set or jiggly.  A fully cooked quiche shouldn't jiggle when you shake it.

Garlic Lemon Parsley Chicken

Whoa, I just realized that I haven't blogged in a year.  One year and two days to be exact.  Last January, I went back to school so I set my blog aside and focused on my classes.  I continued to cook and bake but didn't have time to post my recipes.  Lately, I've been making lots of great stuff in my Vitamix blender and friends have been asking for recipes so I'll get back to blogging.  Let's see if I can keep it up...

A couple years ago, we went to a barbecue and our friend grilled Moroccan Chicken Kabobs.  The marinade was super tasty and he was kind enough to share the recipe.  I never made the chicken because the recipe called for 14 ingredients and he didn't measure what he put into his marinade.  Wow, 14 ingredients and I had to wing it?  I don't think so.  I wasn't confident enough to try it until today.  BUT.....I changed up the recipe and simplified it.  I cut out so many ingredients that it's not even the same marinade but it turned out great and the fam ate it up.  It was delicious!  This recipe's a keeper and I'll definitely make it again.  

This was a fast and easy marinade thanks to my Vitamix blender.  I love that thing!  If you don't have a Vitamix, use your food processor.  You need to puree the ingredients to get the best flavor for your marinade.

Marinate your chicken for 2 hours so consider the wait time if you're making it for dinner.  Don't marinate it too long as the acidity of the lemon will "cook" the chicken.

Grilled to perfection.

Garlic Lemon Parsley Chicken

Yield:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs chicken (breast, thighs, legs...your choice)

Marinade:

• 1 lemon- juiced
• 1/4 c  extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• half "bunch" Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
• 1/2 tbs ground cumin
• 1/2 tbs paprika
• salt/pepper to taste

 Directions:

1. Put marinade ingredients into the Vitamix (or food processor) and blend it well.  Texture will be slightly thick. 
2. Taste the marinade and add more salt and pepper if needed.  
3. Put chicken into ziploc bag and add marinade.  
4. Zip bag shut and massage the marinade all over the chicken.
5. Marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.
6. Then, grill chicken until cooked thoroughly.  
7. Serve with salad, rice, and a veggie.  ENJOY!

Source:  A.E. from San Diego.  :)