Random Junk Soup (spicy version)

As everyone enters our break area, they ask "What are you cooking today?", or "What's on the menu?".  My answer today was "soup".  Of course, that drives the second question "What kind of soup?".  "Random Junk Soup" (a spicy version, and I have cooked quite a few others) is what it became.

Today's dish wasn't "nuker-based", as I am still playing with my induction cooker.

Soup ready to eat

Random ingredients.  I didn't use the corn.

Ingredients

Sweet peppers and cilantro

• 1 chicken breast, cut up
• 1 can kidney beans 
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes;  again, I used half of a 28 oz can because it was cheaper.
• a few spoons (about of a large can 1/8 can) tomato sauce
• 3 chipotle peppers, chopped; mine were in adobo sauce, and there is never any reason to wash that tasty stuff off.
• sweet peppers; I used had two small peppers
• a few tablespoons cilantro
• 2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 onion would have been good, but I didn't have one handy.
• 1 tbsp caldo (use a bullion cube or stock/broth if that works for you)
• whole grain rice; about 1/2 cup, and mine was a blend of "Texmati brown and red rice with barley and rye".  I used this so that the whole grains will somewhat explode when they are cooking in the soup
• water to cook the rice; for the whole grain rice blend I used, it is about 2:1 for the water:rice ratio.
• 1 cup water for hydrating the caldo
• 1 tbsp butter for cooking the chicken; any random oil will work.
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Cooked chicken with chopped chipotle peppers

Directions

1. Partially (mostly) cook the rice.  For me, this was done in the microwave for about 6 minutes on high followed by 12 minutes on 40%.
2. Cook the chicken in the butter
3. Add the chipotle peppers and broth or caldo mixture, cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce
5. Add the rice (including any remaining water that wasn't absorbed)
6. Add the everything else except the cilantro/sweet peppers.
7. Simmer for about 10 minutes on low -- this wasn't a microwave, so the times are longer and flavors can develop better.
8. Add the cilantro and sweet peppers
9. Let it cook for another 10 or so minutes.
10. Serve while hot.

Chunky soup, nearly done

How was it?
With the 3 peppers, it came out nice and spicy with plenty of flavor.  The test victims did not complain one bit, even though it was a little spicy for most people.


What would I do differently next time?
I would probably add more cilantro just before it was done.  The two small sweet peppers I used were not quite enough, so I would probably add more.


Other Suggestions
Some sour cream with this would be very tasty.

Induction cookers are fun toys

I haven't posted any new recipes here, but I have been playing with a new toy for a little over a week.  I bought an induction cooker.

Cooking chicken

If you don't know what that is, it is like an electric unit that does not have a burner.  It does not get hot by itself but generates heat in any magnetic (ferrous) pans that you place on it.

Some more examples of what's been cooking around the office:

Pancakes

 

Grilled cheese

It does get really hot very quickly.  This is evident by the bottom of the once mirror-like pan, which has become permanently discolored.  I had to get this at just the right angle to show the heat rings:

No longer mirror-like

Chicken and peppers (Mediterranean inspired)

Another dish that shows some resemblance to other food from which it draws the basic inspiration.

Dish served with a spinach salad (somewhat Greek style) and crusty bread roll

Ingredients

Ingredients (not shown: caldo, sweet peppers)

• 2 chicken breasts, sliced thinly
• sweet peppers, seeded and sliced - I used 6 mini red, yellow, and orange peppers, but 2-3 medium bell peppers would do just fine
• spicy peppers, seeded and sliced - I used 2 of "yellow peppers", which are fairly mild.
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4-5 green olives - mine were Spanish olives ("Queens") stuffed with pimiento 
• tomato sauce - I used about 1/2 can that I had left over from a previous meal
• 1-2 tsp olive oil (for cooking chicken)
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth (back to the "caldo" for me)

Sliced peppers and olives

Spinach salad with apples

Salad Ingredients

• spinach (a few large handfuls)
• 1/2 green apple, in chunks
• 4-5 sliced olives
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp vinegar - I used white wine vinegar
• feta cheese - I used 3 large "crumbles" from a big block, which could have been about 1/4 cup
• mint - about 1/4 tsp is all it took for it to show off the full flavor
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooked chicken and onions

Directions

• Cook meat with olive oil.  This took me about 9 minutes, with frequent stirring, at 60% power because the chicken was frozen.  I also used the dry caldo in with it as well.
• Add the onions, cook until tender.  This was about 2 1/2 minutes on 60% power.
• Add the remaining ingredients (tomato sauce, peppers, herbs, broth or water for broth).
• Cook until hot.  This was about 4 minutes on high.  If you prefer your peppers in a softer form, cook them a little with the onions and chicken before adding the liquid ingredients.

How was it?

My test victim in the office seemed to like it. The very short list of herbs made for a simple sauce that soaked up tastily with the bread.  The spinach salad and crusty bread roll made a good accompaniment for a complete meal.

What should be done in a real kitchen?

A little sauce reduction would have helped in my case.  Slight browning of the chicken would have made things even tastier.  We'll see how things go next week when I start using the induction cooker I ordered for use here.

What would I do differently next time?

I would probably slice the hot peppers more thinly and add them with the onions.  The earlier you add them the hotter your dish will become.