A 3-Hour Pork Stew in Only 35 Minutes!

While I probably try more recipes from magazines than cookbooks these days, I'm making a conscious effort to select at least one recipe a week (or more) from one of the many cookbooks I own.  Maybe it's guilt or the thought that I shouldn't have a cookbook I don't use, but it's something I'm committed to.  One cookbook I received as a gift is a compilation of recipes called "Best of the Best" by Food and Wine.  Essentially, they release a cookbook that pulls the "best" recipes from the "best" cookbooks of that year.  It's actually a great concept since I don't want to necessarily own all of those cookbooks, but I might like a few of the recipes from each.

In the cookbook, I found a pork posole recipe that looked mouth-watering good.  Pork shoulder, hominy, and a homemade tomatillo sauce that's added at the end for a flavorful stew.  Problem is, I had to cook this on a weeknight with limited time AND I wanted to make it a bit healthier.  How to accomplish?  Take a lighter cut of pork, sub frozen corn for hominy, punch up the corn flavor with a secret ingredient (hint: you probably have this snack food in your pantry), and use pre-made tomatillo salsa.

I browned up a pound of pork tenderloin that is cut into small cubes, added in some diced onion, poblano, and a little jalapeño for heat (you can omit the last item to make it more kid-friendly), and cooked until soft.  Then, I added 1 quart of chicken broth 1/2 package of frozen corn, and one jar of mild tomatillo salsa.  Brought to a boil, simmered 10 minutes and served.  While that was cooking, I microwaved a package of the 90-second rice to mix in (though you could cook rice in the soup or separately).

Pork, rice, sour cream, and cilantro - yum!

But the true test, how did it taste?  Well, my pickiest critic (my sweetie) ate two bowls.  I'd say that it passed the test!  Serve this with your choice of toppings - shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro are all options.  Happy eating!

Quick Pork and Tomatillo Stew

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and ribs removed, chopped
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into small cubes
1 jar green tomatillo salsa (mild)
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 package frozen corn
1 cup tortilla chips, crushed.
1 cup rice, prepared according to package directions
Chopped cilantro and sour cream, for garnish

In kettle, heat canola oil over medium heat until shimmering.  Add onion, poblano, and jalapeño (if using).  Cook until onion is translucent.  Add in pork tenderloin pieces and sauté until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.  Add in jar of salsa, chicken broth, corn, and tortilla chips.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a summer.  Simmer 15 minutes or until pork is cooked through.  Check for seasoning.  To serve, divide rice into 4 bowls, ladle in soup and garnish with cilantro, more crushed tortilla chips, and sour cream, if desired.

Chicken Soup for the Weeknight Dinner

I confess - I really don't like "traditional" chicken soup.  Truthfully, it wasn't something I grew up eating much of and it just didn't appeal to my childhood palate.  And you know how something you dislike as a child generally follows you to adulthood!  Yet I like brussels sprouts!  Go figure....  Anyhoo, I'd clipped a recipe from Southern Living well over a year ago that actually appealed.  It was chicken and rice soup.  Not only that, it was chicken soup with long grain and wild rice, always a favorite food.  Putting aside my chicken soup trepidation, I finally gathered the courage to make it when my sweetie developed a nasty head cold.  "Southern-style penicillin," if you will.

One thing that kept me from making the soup was how labor-intensive this recipe is.  When you're cooking on a Sunday, slow simmered soups make sense.  Heck, even slow cookers help with this.  BUT, I knew that there were a few shortcuts I could take if I wanted this to be a weeknight friendly recipe.  I do advocate homemade, freshly prepared food, but I also am willing to make a few sacrifices for convenience.

First, to save time, I pre-cooked and shredded the chicken.  You can easily buy a rotisserie chicken and use that, or just throw a couple of chicken breasts in the oven over the weekend, let cool, and shred.  Second, I am a big fan of the "Ready Rice" and "Fast Cook" rice.  Ready Rice microwaves in 90 seconds and is great for serving a side dish quick.  Fast cook rice will boil up in about 5 minutes, rather than the usual 20.  Another trick is to prep and cook the veggies ahead.  I chose to sauté the veggies this evening, and it only added about 10 minutes to my cooking time.  I also cut the butter down, swapped out some with olive oil, and used fat free half and half rather than the full fat stuff (you could even leave that out).

The result of my tweaks? A soup my husband wanted seconds of and my new go-to option if I need some chicken soupy goodness.  Best part?  You can scale it up or down for the size of your family or gathering.  Mine makes enough for about 4 people as a main course.  Complete the meal with crusty bread and a salad lightly dressed with vinaigrette for a great well-rounded meal.  Happy eating!

Hearty, yet light with great depth of flavor

Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup

1 package fast-cook long grain and wild rice mix, prepared to package directions OR 1 package Ready Rice, microwaved to package directions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup of fresh mushrooms sliced (can sub 1 can of sliced mushrooms, drained)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (about 3 green onions or 1 small yellow onion)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery (about 1 stalk halved, then cut into quarters, and diced)
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all purpose flour (I sub Wondra flour for its smooth texture)
3 cups chicken broth
1 - 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 1 cup)
2 Tbsp dry white wine or sherry (optional)
1/4 cup half and half (fat free is fine)

Prepare rice to package directions and set aside.  While rice is cooking, add 1 Tbsp olive oil to kettle and heat over medium-high until warm.  Add mushrooms, onion, and celery and sauté until translucent and soft, stirring often, about 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from kettle.  Using same kettle, reduce heat to medium and add 2 Tbsp butter.  Once melted, whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute or until thick and bubbly.  Gradually whisk in chicken broth, then chicken, and cook, stirring often, 5 - 8 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add in wine (if using) and half-and-half.  Add in rice and heat through, about 5 minutes.

Reinventing the classics of our childhood

My post the other day on Facebook about the ground beef and rice dish of my childhood reinvented gave me inspiration to try another old favorite in the middle of Snowpocalypse 2011.  I brought out a skillet version of tuna noodle casserole.

My mom's tuna noodle casserole was egg noodles, tuna, peas, and cream of mushroom soup topped off with potato chips and baked.  I'm not a person into peas, but aside from that, I started making my version in college and it's still something I make from time-to-time and Ice loves it.

Pretty simple variation - one box of Kraft Mac & Cheese (whole grain version), 1 large pouch of tuna, 1 can cream of mushroom soup and some cracked black pepper.

I cook up the pasta al dente (just under the time recommended on the package), then add the cream of mushroom and the cheese package.  Once mixed, I flake in the tuna and add pepper.  Simple and hearty.

I sometimes add shredded cheese and heat to melt, but other than that, I pretty much stick to tradition.  Yum!