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.