Split Pea Soup with Cilantro

When I think of split pea, I think of the classic American soup: green pea soup with ham. When I saw this recipe, I was intrigued by its unique twist. A pretty darn good twist too.

This split pea soup has great flavor, and finely diced vegetables along with some cilantro and soy sauce add something special. The texture really was perfect and it just tasted so light and delicious. Surprisingly, I didn't miss the ham at all. Which is unusual for me...

This recipe actually comes from Nordstrom Flavors: An Artful Celebration of Food, which is the same cookbook that my Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos came from. I don't think I would have ever picked up this cookbook had it not been given to me. Nordstrom's? As in the department store Nordstrom's? They have a restaurant and a cookbook? This can't be true. But it is! And I can't even begin to tell you how incredible those tacos were, so I had to try another recipe from it.

Combine dried split peas with quite a bit of water, bringing to a boil in a large saucepan. Take care that they do not boil over. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmering until most of liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat, letting stand for 1 hour.

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a soup pot (I used my new Dutch oven of course...thank you, Zack) over medium-high heat. Add finely diced carrot, yellow onion, celery, red bell pepper, and jalapeno (again, all finely diced). Cook, stirring constantly until vegetables soften. Add ground coriander, dry mustard (I just used Chinese mustard because that's what I had on hand), salt, and pepper. Stir in chicken broth, bring to a boil, then stir in peas. Return to a boil, adding diced potato and a bay leaf. Simmer until potatoes and peas are tender (about 1 hour).

Remove bay leaf, then add a little whole milk, soy sauce, and chopped fresh cilantro, heating until hot. Ladle into bowls and garnish with diagonally-cut green onions. And serve with a yummy, crusty (as I call it) bread; we love to pick up something fresh from Trader Joe's.

Tell me this does not sound wonderful...? I love the not-so-American influences in this recipe. It just adds a much needed kick to an otherwise basic soup. And if you're not a big "pea" fan, this just might make one out of you. It's really more like a vegetable soup. A really good vegetable soup. Cheers.

*Remember, I'm happy to share actual recipes with measurements and the sort. Just comment on my post or get a hold of me otherwise, and I'll get it to you.*

Salmon with Green Lentil Ragout

Yes, salmon again. We got a rather large package of it at Costco awhile back, some of which I put in the freezer, so it makes an appearance again. And it will be making another one tomorrow night. It's just a salmon kind of time I guess. But, I'm actually glad to be having so much of it lately because I always feel like I don't eat enough fish. And salmon is oh-so-wonderfully good for you with all its vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids!

Lentils are great with salmon. And this dish made for great leftovers the next day. I did learn one lesson though: always dice vegetables to size according to what the recipe calls for. Also, it's preferable to chop them uniformly. An occasional not-so-cooked-all-the-way potato is not so great. But really, this vegetable combination with the lentils was simple, but really tasty. And the crust on the salmon was incredible...

Cook lentils until tender. Boil and reduce some chicken stock over high heat, then remove. Warm a bit of the concentrated stock in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in finely chopped shallot, carrot, and potato, cooking until the liquid has almost evaporated. Pour in remaining stock, add cooked lentils, and simmer until potato is tender. Stir in kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Remove from heat.

In another skillet over medium-high heat, warm some canola oil. Season salmon fillet pieces with salt and pepper. Place them in the pan, cooking until crisp and well-browned. Serve on top of the green lentil ragout. Yum.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

Okay, it's been awhile. I guess I've taken a hiatus of sorts from blog writing. We've been cooking, but after work, you don't always feel like taking the time to snap photos as you cook or take pictures of your plate, when all you want to do is sit down and chow down. And what's a blog without photos?! We've been busy to say the least, but I'm enjoying my new job and all that has come with it.

So. Cilantro lime chicken tacos. We made these a week or so ago, but they are so worthy of a blog post, even if it is a little late. This is our favorite kind of Mexican: fresh. And these were so flavorful and full of many different textures. The vinaigrette is incredible; it could really be used for a lot of things...burritos, tostadas, salads, etc. And as you cook the ground chicken (instructions to follow), flecks of cilantro kind of get embedded in it and add great flavor. So meaty, but fresh and light at the same time. Top with a bunch of fresh, crunchy veggies, and you have a winner.

Zack made the cilantro lime vinaigrette (I recruited him to speed up preparations for this weeknight meal). To make the vinaigrette, combine rice vinegar, fresh lime juice, honey, minced garlic, and a pinch of kosher salt in a blender. Add canola oil to the blender in a thin, steady stream to form an emulsion. Add fresh cilantro and process until vinaigrette is deep green with green flecks of cilantro.

To make the chicken filling, add ground chicken, chopped fresh cilantro, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to a large skillet with canola oil over medium-high heat. Cook completely, breaking up any chunks. Then, reduce heat, stir in fresh lime juice and soy sauce, and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Divide the chicken mixture amongst corn tortillas, top with shredded romaine lettuce, and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Add fresh pico de gallo, chopped yellow bell pepper, and crumbled queso fresco. Enjoy.

Rice Bowl with Ground Turkey, Edamame, and Toasted Chickpeas

This was one of those saw a good-looking recipe, took what I liked, and made it my own types of meals. Okay, it was the toasted chickpeas that lured me in. If there are chickpeas involved, I am a goner. I'm toast. I'm taken. I just love them. I don't really know why; I mean, they're not that incredible. They're mainly known for being mashed and processed into hummus. Never the less, I like them. A lot.

This rice bowl was really delicious. Because I made a ton, we've been eating it the last couple days and I think it keeps getting better. The first night, I think I was overly consumed with all the flavors because I had been standing over all the skillets and saucepans for too long. I found it to be mediocre when I had a bite. But the next day, it was really good! All about texture and the subtle Asian flavor that come through.

Get some brown rice cooking first. Then, steam florets of cauliflower and thinly sliced ginger in a steamer basket over a saucepan of simmering water. Season with salt and cook until tender, adding in some frozen edamame towards the end of cooking. Meanwhile, saute ground turkey in some neutral-tasting oil (such as canola) until cooked and browned, breaking into little bits. Also, heat sesame oil in a skillet over medium-high and add chickpeas (drained and rinsed), toasting until slightly crisp. Add a little butter and thinly sliced scallions, stirring to combine, then remove from heat.

Combine the vegetables, ground turkey, and chickpeas, then spoon over brown rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. And enjoy.

Asian-Style Salmon with Sauteed Carrots and Leeks

And the Asian-inspired dishes continue.

I found this recipe in a cookbook put out by the American Institute for Cancer Research; it's titled The New American Plate Cookbook. And this salmon dish is actually one of the recipes featured on the cover. The book is really beautiful and has awesome pictures (I'm not going to lie; I only buy or check-out cookbooks with plenty of pictures). The visual catalyst - whether it be fresh, colorful ingredients or a luring picture - is what makes me want to cook. Okay, I know I sound like some sort of dork saying that, but it's true.

Anyways. This cookbook challenges the traditional American plate (a.k.a. large slab of meat with potatoes and a vegetable) with recipes full of vegetables, whole grains, herbs, and nuts (which should make up at least two-thirds of your plate). Some lean meat can make up the last third.

This salmon recipe had Zack's co-workers jealous the next day when he brought leftovers to work. It's good. And it's different. Combine low-sodium soy sauce, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, Chinese-style mustard, and Chinese five-spice powder. Marinate salmon fillets in this mixture for up to an hour in the refrigerator. Broil until cooked through.

Toast sesame seeds in a canola oil coated skillet until golden, stirring constantly. Transfer to a small dish. Saute julienned carrots and leeks until tender for about 5 minutes in the same skillet used for the sesame seeds. Add chicken stock, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until no liquid remains. Spoon over salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with rice and/or quinoa.

What made this recipe so incredible was the crust that developed on the salmon. The marinade gave it a beautiful browned quality, and I have to say, this may have been some of the best salmon I've ever had. In the sense, of its preparation; it was so flavorful and the texture was perfect. Just pull one fillet apart to be sure it's cooked all the way through (good thing we did so because ours took a little longer than expected). And the vegetables were a perfect match. The Chinese flavors are so aromatic and delicious. Definitely making this again. Cheers. 

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Lemon yogurt cake. Barefoot Contessa. Need I say more?

I mean, seriously. Ina Garten never disappoints. She just makes good stuff. And this recipe is even greater because it doesn't have butter in it (plain yogurt and oil act as substitutes). Aside from the sugar, it's not even that horrible for you!

Sooooo. Yes. The cake looks a little brown on the outside. One might say, I got a little distracted. In other words, I was just minding my business squeezing lemons and then everything went flying, which resulted in my painstakingly hand-squeezed lemon juice being sprayed all over the kitchen counter and floor. Which in turn taught me that lemon juice is super sticky and hard to clean up. Not to mention, it's clear so you're still stepping into tacky spots the next day.

Lesson learned: don't use the backside of an ice cream scoop to press the last bit of juice out of the flesh of your lemons. You're hand just might slip, collide with your glass juice bowl, and knock it over. I usually use my thumb, but I happened to have a paper cut on it, and you know how lemon juice stings! I guess I'll just stick to old-fashioned squeezing from now on.

I'll just end with this. Despite being a little brown, this cake still tasted delightful. Light and zesty. And the glaze is perfect. Not to mention the clear pre-glaze you pour over the cake when it's still warm. It just soaks in only to enhance the incredible lemon flavor. Love.

Fennel-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Potatoes

The pork tenderloin makes a reappearance. You may be asking, why so soon? Didn't we just have Pork Tenderloin with Carrots and Couscous? And yes, we did, but the pork happened to come as a set of two (much to our surprise). So here we are: fennel-crusted pork tenderloin.

Fennel seeds are very aromatic with an almost licorice-like flavor. They act as a really great spice; strong and full of impact. You really don't need much else. I found this spice mixture in the Food Made Fast: Weeknight (Williams-Sonoma) cookbook, which I checked out from our public library. The spice mixture also consists of fresh lemon juice and zest, in addition to salt, fresh ground black pepper, finely chopped garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil. Simply rub on your pork and roast in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven until browned on the outside and barely pink in the center (around 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit).

I also roasted chunks of sweet potato, red potato, and Yukon gold potato after tossing them in extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Because I had them in the same baking dish as the pork, they got a little doused with fennel seed also (probably because I stirred the vegetables often throughout the duration of roasting).

The fennel has a bite to it; it really spices up what could be just a regular, ordinary piece of pork. Definitely plan to make this recipe again in the future. Here's to more pork tenderloin. A fine piece of meat indeed.