Easy-Peasy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm such soup gal. I love to soup it out. I remember, during the hottest day of last Summer, I was at Mandoo Dumpling Bar and ordered a spicy ramen noodle soup. The sweat hadn't even dried on my face and I was enjoying myself some nice hot noodles.

My favorite diet is my version of the soup diet--meaning eating soup for lunch everyday. It is suppose to be soup for every meal. Not really much of a diet, but I'm not really a diet person. Besides, like I said, I'm a soup gal and believe it or not the Europa downstairs from where I use to work had the best tomato basil soup.

I really adore chicken tortilla soup though. I always imagined that it would be difficult. No real reason to think that, its just that when something is that good. How could it be easy to make?

I decided to give it a go though. For some reason, I decided to give it a go on a weeknight--never a good time to try a new recipe. Very stressful and you have to deal with hanger. In case you don't know, hanger is anger+hungry=hanger. I did  little research and found this Tyler Florence recipe. Even though I'm more of a Bobby Flay fan, Tyler's recipes are always easy to follow and you don't end up having to spend tons of money on spices you will never use again.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/mexican-tortilla-chicken-soup-recipe/index.html


I decided to modify it a little bit though. I have no time to run around cooking chicken or making homemade chicken broth on a weeknight. I got ingredients though some were the same and some of it different.

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium white onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
• 3 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 quart chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Bag of blue corn tortilla chips
• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco, optional
• 1 lime, cut in wedges, for serving

First, I threw the olive oil, onions, garlic, and tomatoes into my good friend the dutch oven. Cooking until everything is all pulped up.

Then I add the chicken broth and salt and pepper. I simmer for about 15 minutes. I think shred the rotisserie chicken and add to the broth. Simmering for another 15 minutes.

I then serve in bowls and top with crumbled blue corn tortilla chips. No need to make your own tortilla chips. It makes a greasey mess and it is much easier to just crumble and add. I also top with crumbled queso fresco, because it has so much more authentic flavor than jack cheese. I also squeeze in lot of lime for extra goodness. How tasty does this look?

So easy peasy and really very good. Next time I will use chopped avocado as well. The avocados at two grocery stores were nowhere near ripe and I was very sad although there is nothing truly sad about this completely yummy soup. It was so perfect. This one is totally going in the books! xoxo happy nibbling!

Antique Garage

Last week, I got a chance to do one of my favorite things ever--meet a group of galpals for dinner. During this dinner, I found out the most amazing news, one of my friends has little bun in the oven. Sooooo happy for her, not only because she will be the most perfect mommy ever, but because this child was so wanted. Also happy for me, because there is nothing I love more than planning an event and a baby shower is an event that you can get really cutesy with and should never get scary with--I am not an awkward baby shower game person.

The mama-to-be suggested the most charming venue for dinner, the Antique Garage in Soho. Of course we had no choice but to go Topshop before hand, but that merely whetted our appetites as shopping always does.

Being that we had an unexpected guest (baby) we had to order lots and we ended up doing another favorite of mine--doing a table share. I absolutely adore a table share! A table share is the perfect opportunity to try a little bit of everything and I do have entree commitment issues.

First of all place is gorgeous. So cozy and romantic too. Check out this chandelier.

We of course started with drinks except for Mama. I got a glass of pinot noir. I am really making a big effort to stay from cocktails. I always end up with a stomach ache and wake up entirely too early in the morning and can not go back to sleep.  Besides a glass of red is suppose to be good for you. We also received some gratis focaccia. Super soft and with just the right amount of onion flavor. Look at the teeney bite I left! I have an issue with always trying to leave a teeney bite even if I have a large piece of cake there is always a teeney bite left over.

We had some olives as well. I have a confession: as much as I adore olive oil, I detest olives. There is not much that I don't like, but olives are on the list. Capers too, just so you know. And artificial peach. That's it. I like everything else. I'm pretty easy if you think about it. I didn't even cause a commotion in the share. I said, "order away!" Picky eaters often have a way of causing a commotion and making faces. I do not like people who make faces at food.  And I think I'm pretty fair too. I took a pic for all you possible olive lovers. I was told that they were good. I will take my friends word for it. Those olives went!

We also got a salad with some amazing grilled cheese. Not grilled cheese as in ooey gooey cheddar between bread, but this cheese that is actually grilled. Check out those grill marks! It was so tasty and meaty. Who knew cheese could be meaty? The greens also had a great vinaigrette.

We also shared a meat and cheese plate. It was nothing extraordinary, but a meat and cheese platter is something that you can never go wrong with. Poor Mama. No processed meat for her!

Our next share was a mixed meze platter. Love a meze platter! Twice within a month.This one included hummus, tzatziki, eggplant salad, some type of chicken, shepard salad, and some sort of feta filled phillo dough. It was pretty good as well, but again nothing to write home about.  It is a completely servicable meze platter. If you are in the mood for it, you are so set, but you wouldn't necessarily go out of your way for it at the Antique garage although atmosphere made it all worthwhile as well as my amazing company.

The best of part of the meal had to be the chicken kabab. The chicken was like butter so soft so moist and completely delicious. I would definitely be in the mood for this dish.

We ended the meal with baklava. No pic though because we ate it all up some quickly--it was that good! So much walnutty honey sweet flavor.


Sometime the food doesn't have to memorable to have a memorable time. Sometimes restaurants are full of great memories because of all the great company there was to be had. But good eating doesn't hurt either! Nor does does a New Kids on the Block lovefest--but that's a different story. xoxo happy nibbling!

Thai Ground Beef

I think I might have told you that I love Asian food, but am awful at cooking it. The thing is I am always in the mood for it. When I can't step out and just happen to have some ground beef in the fridge, and being a Midwestern girl it is almost a given that I do, there is a very good chance that I am going to be making a tasty little dish called Thai Ground Beef. A perfect blend of Asia and hearty Midwestern cuisine. The dish is a fusion that perfectly suits the palate of a halfie like me. This one of my fav meals.

This is what what you need:

2 teaspoons of olive oil
1/2 cup chopped leeks
2 garlic cloves
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of worchestire sauce
1 teaspoon of red chili paste
1 teaspoon of lime gratings
2 tablespoons of lime juice

First heat the oil in a sauteing pan then you cook the leeks until tender about 5 minutes, add garlic for 1 minute, thrown in the ground beef, cook until brown.

Then add the tomato sauce and cook down until some of the liquid is absorbed by the meat--this really adds to the flavor.

Once the sauce is absorbed you  can throw in the rest of the ingredients and mix. 

I like to use this kind of red chili paste, if you can't find it, a red curry paste works just as well.

Cook for another five minutes and serve with rice and limes for garnish and flavor.

It is delicious. A little tangy, but meaty too.  It is comforting like sloppy joes, but completely fulfills the urge for a little Thai. Chopsticks anyone? xoxo happy nibbling!

Philadelphia Eats and Treats

Of course, when I plan a trip, I plan for everything but the weather. Yesterday, Mark and I along with some dear friends took the bus to Philadelphia to meet with some other dear friends for a day trip. It was something I had looked forward to since planning it nearly a month ago. The possibility that it would be the coldest day of the season thus far just did not occur to me. It was freezing outside. Freezing, like my cheeks are now badly wind burnt and I still do not feel completely warm, whatever I do. But honestly, it was the best time ever. No regrets, not even the Geno's outdoor seating--ok well maybe that!

When my companions and I first arrived, we decided to wait for our other friends at the most charming cafe called, "The Swiss Haus", made even more charming by the fact that one of my friends who joined me is actually from Switzerland.

 
It is a very warm and friendly cafe (key word:warm) where we learned, from its very friendly staff, that it has been around since the late 1800's and has a celebrity fan following of the Dali Lama whose favorite cake is strawberry shortcake (who knew?). They had so many yummy treats.

 
We were planning on picking up lunch shortly after, so we just had a small appetizer of incredibly moist and just sweet enough apple muffin cut into four--so yum!

As soon as we met with our other friends, we immediately set off to grab lunch at Tria located in the Rittenhouse Square area. Since I knew we were going to have a cheesesteak at some point of the trip, I decided to keep it light and have a soup and a salad. The soup was a velvety cream of tomato basil with white bean puree which sounded so good that almost everyone at our table ordered it. It was some of the best soup I have ever had, I think I will be craving it for awhile and it was in placed in cup. It really was a cup of soup!

I also had a goat cheese, beet, and almond salad which was just right and so pretty too. Doesn't the goat cheese look like fresh snow?

I also had a chance to have a taste of Marks bruschetta. So mmmhmmm good, luckily for Mark, I only promised myself one bite. Okay, well a large bite!

We then worked off some of this lunch off by exploring the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was a really great experience made better by such a great company. Who better with to discuss art and subjects such a head to toe denim suits, Han Solo encased in carbon, and Miami Vice? Did I mention that the Philadelphia Museum is also the home of the Rocky steps?

After walking through some of the city and getting to know Philadelphia's public transportation system, we took a bus, a train, and trolley--it was that cold, we decided it was now or never with the cheesesteaks. Most of us had watched all the Food Network and Travel Channel features and we expected a long line at the two most famous restaurants, Pats and Geno's. After some discussion, we settled on Geno's Steaks since it had proven victorious in most challenges. Also because it invested in an intense light show. Seriously!

It was about 28 degrees out and the mind was howling. Since it was about 5pm, the line wasn't very long and we placed our orders within 15 minutes. I am a big fan of tasting the local flavor, so I had no choice but to get my cheesesteak with the whiz, however scary cheese whiz can be. I will likely still be digesting it two years from now.

I wish I could say that I sat and savored my cheesesteak, but if you didn't notice my blue fingers in the image above, I was freezing! I had no idea there was no in-door seating until arrived. I was so cold and I am a person who can not eat comfortably with my coat on. I think I may have pretty much swallowed my cheesesteak whole! From the little I can recall of my incredibly brief experience, the whiz and onions were like butter and moistened the bread in a pleasing manner, but the actual steak itself--to be honest---a little flavorless. I think that in comparison, I would recommend the less famous Jim's. Maybe because Jim's cooks the steak with the onions and added peppers? I don't know, but I have to say that my Geno's steaks experience was freezingly unforgettable. We all were glad to take a cab ride close to our next destination, Naked Chocolate Cafe. 


Considering the fact that we had eaten so heavily at Geno's, we still had no problem ordering dessert. Especially in a nice warm cafe! Look at this spread we all ordered!

My absolute favorite was the drinking chocolate. It is the most divine thing ever. I will always have the best food memory of this. It is hot chocolate done European style with very little milk and lots of chocolate. It was like very fine, very rich, warm, thick, chocolate pudding.

This was sipping chocolate and it is every child's and every kid at heart's fantasy. It is basically just very well done melted dark chocolate bar. So good and extremely indulgent.

I only had the tiniest sliver of this decadent peanut butter mousse. It can only be described as a fluffy cloud of peanut butter cup cake.
 

This was the Oreo mousse and strangely enough, the lightest dessert we ordered.  It went so quickly.

This was an American hot chocolate, done right by my friend who used the pictured cookie as a straw. How tasty the straw must have been too eat afterwards?
 

Are you going to Philly anytime soon? Layer up and be prepared to eat up! xoxo happy nibbling!

Burger Birthday Time

No, not my birthday. Mark's birthday. Poor duck, his birthday landed on a Tuesday (yesterday). Not much to be done about that, but to make matters worse, it rained too. It was almost as bad, but not quite as bad as when we went to Philadelphia for his birthday two years ago. It was not only a Sunday, but it was pouring too, and we spent most of the day on the Chinatown bus (for all you non New Yorkers, the Chinatown bus is a insanely cheap bus that takes you to Philly, Boston, and DC, driven by people who speak no English but scream at you in Chinese anyway). On that bus we dropped two dudes off at a Bob Evans Restaurant, picked up a flat screen TV from someone's house, as well as a bed frame from entirely different house. A two and half hour bus trip ended up being six hours. Needless to say, it was a very unhappy birthday.

Despite the rain, we decided to give it a good go and keep it Brooklyn local. We decided to venture to Fort Greene to the cutest possible place to have the best burger of your life, Cafe Lafayette.

We first discovered this place, when we first moved to New York. Not knowing anyone and not knowing anything aside from what we saw in the movies and TV, we made it our business to explore a different neighborhood every weekend and to try the local cuisine. I actually ran around on these trips with my Time Out New York travel guide. I was a big nerd about it and it was a lot of fun. I should really try to take the time to do it again, because the thing about New York is that it is always changing. I had to check to make sure Cafe Lafayette was even open. Luckily for us it was and, even better, the night's special was a free glass of wine or beer with every entree. We classed it up and did the wine and started with the Mezze Plate which included hummus, a spicy red pepper spread, tabbouleh, and falafel. It was so tasty. I was kind of obsessed with the falafel and kind of made my own falafel sandwich with it throwing all the toppings on at once. It was really beyond good and I was such a piggy I was already full before my burger arrived.

Of course even though I knew I was full, I had absolutely no choice but to eat my burger. Look at it? How could I not?

Let me tell you something. I am not a burger fan. I can appreciate other people's love affair with the burger, but I am not one to order it. Like a smoker who never buys a pack, I usually bum a bite from someone else who orders it. I maybe order a burger once or twice a year. When I took a bite out Mark's Cafe Lafayette burger over three years ago though, it made me swoon. It was heavenly. I wanted one all to myself, I'm sure I had a sad salad or something. The burger was the whole point we decided to come there last night although  a very healthy pan-seared salmon called my name. Two burgers, please! 

As you can see, the burger was a monster. The bread was fluffy and the meat cooked medium enough to be cooked through yet still so juicy that its juices soaked through bread creating a soft soaked bread milieu of deliciousness. Combined with the tanginess of goat cheese and sweetness of caramelized onions it was amazingness that required no condiments. I ate about 3/4 of my burger and course Mark was a champ a defeated his entire burger--fries and all. 

There was no room for dessert of course. Stuffed as I was and even though it was not even my birthday, I thought I wanted birthday cake and not only birthday cake, but birthday sheet cake because let's be honest there is no better birthday cake than a  birthday sheet cake. Instead I settled for bourbon drink concoction at the Smoke Joint and yummy little bar and barbecue spot that specilizes in bourbons and whiskeys. We both got a Pumpkin Spice bourbon cocktail and boy was it strong like bull.

Cheers Mark. Happy Birthday my love. At least we weren't on the Chinatown bus! xoxo happy nibbling!
 

The Bird's the Word Part II

So, finally all Turkey day leftovers are gone. I thought I would be eating them forever! I made entirely too much for my four guests, but really how often do I get the chance to really go all out? 

I really wanted to blog the entire time I cooked, but I had my hands full. One appetizer, one turkey, five sides, two Mothers, and a partridge in a pear tree. It was no joke. I shot for a 5pm serve time so I got the turkey started at 11:30am. 

Luckily for me I have a roasting oven, which in my opinion, if you plan on cooking Thanksgiving dinners going forward is the best possible thing you can get for yourself. It makes the Turkey as succulent as possible and frees up your oven. I got mine last year at Target and it hasn't failed me yet. This is the finished bird. The pic is not so hot, but everyone is dying to eat so not too much time for a better view, but let me tell you the meat just fell off the bone. Check out that wing!

Once I got the Turkey in the roaster, I made my homemade cranberry sauce. Although I must admit that the canned kind has its appeal, it really so easy to make homemade. Just get a bag of cranberries, a cup of sugar, and cup of apple cider and boil until cranberrries burst. It takes a maximum of ten minutes and its is really so yum.

Then I prepped my stuffing. I use wheat bread instead of white bread because a little bit healthy helps every step of the way during this all out eat fest.

I also made green bean casserole. I played a new this year, I have never made this. But since it got 260 five star reviews on FoodNetwork.com, who was I to doubt its tastiness? It was a Paula Deen masterpiece. I feared all of that butter, so I mixed it half of the butter with faux butter. Like I said every bit helps!

The casserole ended up being super yummy. Even my Mom liked it, and if it isn't Filipino food she doesn't like anything. Go Paula Deen! Go! Since I was trying to be somewhat healthy I made honey mashed sweet potatoes. I adore the marshmallow sweet potato casseroles, but my hips says no. My sweet potatoes were easy as pie. Bake sweet potatoes until soft. Scoop potato out, mix honey and faux butter, add a dash of salt and let that Kitchenaid mixer go to work!

I also made a random Mac and Cheese because why not?

While all the above was cooking, I treated my guests to a cook app. Baked Feta Marina. This beyond easy. Get some feta and place at the bottom of small baking dish lined with cooking spray add can of diced tomatoes complete with Italian herbs add a touch of garlic and lemon and bake until hot. Serve with cut French bread. So easy and so good!

After all that eating we worked some of it off playing Kinect sports. Who would have thought these two ladies would whoop us so bad at bowling and they got cocky too! They actually called for champagne to celebrate! xoxo happy nibbling!