Two-Fer: Dinner & Brunch Recipe

For a blog called Whine & Cheese, I have been pretty neglectful of my "Food and Drink" category.  Last week, I made a pretty darn good soup... then turned the leftovers into Sunday brunch.  Todd will be the first person to tell you that I was pretty darn impressed with myself... well, since he was the only there, I guess he's the only person who would tell you.

These meals are Rachael Ray inspirations.  I know she is a "love her/hate her" personality.  Heck, of late, I'm even conflicted.  Love her on the Food Network shows (with the exception of the now likely defunct Inside Dish) but have a hard time watching (or should I say listening!) to her syndicated daytime talk show. 

Calling these "recipes" is going a bit too far, Rachael would say it's a "method" -- the ingredients really don't matter all that much... it's whatever you like, whatever you have on hand.

Though it's warming up to the 80s this week here in Phoenix, we had a couple of brisk days last week. So I felt like making up some soup... and something with a little kick... here it is:

Smoky Chicken, Vegetable, and Black Bean Soup
Pack of chicken tenders (around a 1 pound, raw/unbreaded)
2 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken stock/broth
1 (14.5 oz) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 or 2 chipotles (in adobo sauce)
2 (14.5 oz) cans of black beans
Black pepper
Cumin
Fresh cilantro (optional)
Tortilla chips (optional)

Vegetables (all diced) of your choice, I used:
1 Cup (?) of red onion, half of a red bell pepper, 1 zucchini (that's all I had), few cloves of garlic.

First, I sautee the veggies up in some olive oil, hitting them with black pepper and cumin (the first level of smokiness) to taste.  I tend not to use salt since there's usually enough in the broth (even the "low sodium" variety) and the canned tomatoes. Once the veggies are slightly cooked, stir in a couple of the diced chipotles as well as a spoonful (or two) of the adobo sauce.  Use caution... this is the "star" ingredient that seriously kicks up the smokiness and particularly the spiciness level (most of the can gets transferred to a freezer bag for future use).  The last bit of smoke comes from the addition of the fire roasted diced tomatoes (undrained).  This a relatively new item in our grocery store, found on our organic food aisle.  A bit pricey compared to other canned tomato products, but worth it.  Finally, pour in 2 cans (1 quart) of chicken stock/broth and bring to a boil.

Next, I add in the chopped to bite-size pieces of the chicken tenders to cook/poach in the soup/liquid.  If you want yet another smoky flavor level, some chopped grilled or rotisserie chicken would be great! Simmer... it's likely "ready," but I like to give it some time (15-20 minutes minimum?).

Towards your desired meal time, put in the black beans... you are warming them up.  I drained and lightly rinsed them so not to discolor/"muddy up" the soup.  Any type of bean will do here... though in the southwestern spirit, pinto or red beans would be a good alternative.  Just before serving, add in some freshly chopped cilantro (a fresh herb always seems to be a nice finishing touch)... and we topped off our individual bowls with some crushed tortilla chips.

We finished most of it up in just one sitting!  So, not enough leftovers for another full meal... no problem, on Sunday morning, the soup transformed itself into...

Southwestern Chicken Frittata (or a lazy man's omelet!).

With a slotted spoon (you do not want the liquid), I sauteed the soup ingredients (chicken, veggies, beans) into an oven-safe, no-stick (8-,9-inch) skillet... in some melted butter.  Add in enough beaten eggs (mixed with a little milk/cream) to cover the soup ingredients and skillet (I used 6 large eggs).  Once the edges of the egg mixture start to "set up" (fairly quickly), top with cheese (I used a cheddar-based "Mexican" blend) and transfer to a pre-heated 350 degree oven.  Bake for 15 minutes (or until eggs are cooked, if you are using more).  Hopefully, it will slide right out of the skillet...slice it up like a pizza.

This frittata "recipe" works great with all kinds of leftovers... and just as good with more traditional breakfast items like bacon and sausage too. 

Comments

[Scott C]

Sounds yummy. For the chicken tenders are you using breaded chicken or unbreaded chicken. When I think of tenders, I think of breading...

[Scott-O-Rama]

Yum! I might actually try these out.

[Scott C]

Made the soup last night, and it was a big hit will everyone. I could not find the fire roasted tomatoes, but used diced tomatoes with Chili's. I also added some yellow squash I had laying around. Thanks so much for sharing.