Chicken Sausage Hatch Chile Soup

Yet another recipe spurred on by my excitement for a fall-esque week in the desert.  We are in a week of fierce thunderstorms, and when I got home tonight I couldn't resist making a soup from whatever things I had in my fridge.  Many of these items were bound for other cooking projects, and I genuinely get so excited when I can completely riff a recipe and re-purpose what's left in my vegetable drawer. I also keep homemade veggie stock in my freezer, exactly for when soup season comes around and I'm feeling a sudden desire.  I got my chicken sausage from my deli counter, stick to a basic chicken sausage or try to stay in the same flavor profile. With the last of the corn that's sticking around from August, and the hatch chiles that are starting to be roasted at Arizona farmer's markets, this felt like the perfect transition into soup season.

Olive Oil
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 roasted hatch green chiles, seeds removed
2-3 carrots, sliced into rounds
2 links green chile onion chicken sausage, sliced
1 ear's worth of corn kernels (removed from cob)
Smoked Paprika
Cumin
Salt
Black Pepper
Coriander
32 oz veggie or chicken broth (water will do just fine)
2/3 cup rice
Lime Juice
Greek Yogurt

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Once shimmering, add sliced onions and garlic, simmer until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.  Add diced green chiles, then carrots.  Stir to coat with oil, and continue to saute for a few minutes.  Add chicken and allow to begin to brown.  Add corn kernels and spices, to taste.  Stir so veggies and meat are well coated with spices.  Add broth or water.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low.  Add rice (rinse first if brown rice) and allow to simmer until rice is soft, about 15-20 minutes. Add water or broth as needed if rice is soaking up too much liquid. Top with a squeeze of lime juice or dollop of greek yogurt.

Pumpkin Curry with Chicken or Chickpeas

There is a glorious, rare September thunderstorm happening in Phoenix.  Since it is flooding and I cannot go to yoga class, I am instead happily whipping up pumpkin curry at home.  A rough outline:

Makes at least 4 servings

1 medium yellow onion, large slices
4 garlic cloves
Olive or Coconut Oil
1 inch ginger, sliced
Salt
Black Pepper
Cumin
Curry Powder
Cinnamon
Garam Masala
Coriander
Turmeric
2 carrots, sliced
1 sliced boneless skinless chicken breast OR
1 can chickpeas
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 head of cauliflower, bite size pieces
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
1 can pumpkin puree

Heat oil in a wide bottomed saucepan over medium heat.  Add sliced onion, minced garlic, and ginger, simmer until fragrant. Add carrots, cook briefly.  Add spices to taste, roughly 1/2 teaspoon of each (1 teaspoon curry powder).  Add diced chicken breast, cook until browned on both sides. Alternately, add chickpeas. Add more spices to taste. Add sweet potato, cauliflower, bell pepper, and cook until starting to soften and brown.  Add cherry tomatoes, cook until they begin to burst.  Add coconut milk and pumpkin puree, mix well.  Add spices to taste.  Continue to simmer until sauce is cooked down, vegetables are softened and chicken is cooked through.  Serve over rice.

Best Breakfast Smoothie

It's funny what things you pick up on from the people you live with over the years - this smoothie recipe has stuck with me from a roommate I lived with over five years ago. At the time, everyone in our house would make it and jokingly called it "The Kendra."  Every summer, I find myself making it regularly for breakfast. Even though at first I was skeptical of the peanut butter + blueberry combination, something about it works! I've even found a similar smoothie at two of my favorite coffee shops in Phoenix.

I have never, ever, measured the ingredients for a smoothie, so I apologize, but all you are getting is a list of ingredients for you to adjust to your liking.

Frozen Blueberries
Frozen Blackberries
Frozen Raspberries (optional)
Big Spoonful of Almond or Peanut Butter
Dry Oats
Milk (whatever kind is your preference, I use dairy milk or almond)
Spinach (also optional)


Blend and enjoy!