Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup

I don't have a clue what week we're on in the challenge, but I did have a successful meal this past week! Hooray!

I made Rachael Ray's Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup but veered quite a ways off the recipe path and made a dish that we all loved! Yes, all of us- even that picky 3 year old I feed!
Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup

adapted from Rachael Ray

1 poblano chile
6 corn tortillas, halved then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
1 box frozen corn kernels (10 ounces)
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Pepper
One container chicken broth (32 ounces)
One can fire-roasted diced or crushed tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
One can black beans, drained and rinsed
Leftover roasted chicken breasts, meat sliced or shredded
1 lime, halved
1/4 cup sour cream


Pre-heat the broiler. Broil the poblano until blackened, 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let cool. Peel, seed and chop the poblano.
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with 1 tablespoon oil and the cumin. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes; season with salt. (This took quite a bit longer for me, to get them really crispy and not just chewy.)
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook until charred at the edges, 10-12 minutes. Add the red onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and poblano. Add black beans and leftover chicken, heat through. Top soup with a squeeze of lime, a dollop of sour cream, and the tortilla strips.


So, the soup is done at this point. I looked at it, saw all the huge chunks of tomato, pepper, corn and beans, and knew that N wouldn't eat it. So I decided to blend a batch in my blender. It looked disgusting but tasted fantastic, so I buzzed the rest of the soup as well. He ate 2 bowls!

Chicken and Cashews in Lettuce Cups

Ok, can I just get an out-right winner already? Tonight's "challenge" was to get N to try lettuce. I thought if he could treat these like a fun taco, I might have a chance. And he was excited by the idea, initially, but gave up just shy of tasting it. I had him try the cashews at his afternoon snack time, to see if he would like those (and he did). It was a struggle getting him to eat the chicken, tonight, for whatever reason. I even had to resort to eating dessert in front of him, just to get him to finish the chicken on his plate. I guess he tried the water chestnut when I wasn't looking, because he pointed to it and said, "Mommy, this chicken tastes funny."
Husband and I enjoyed this meal quite a bit, though I think I'll add red pepper flake to the sauce mixture next time. It was a great combination of textures, though the husband also requested that I use iceberg lettuce next time, for even more crunch.
Chicken and Cashews in Lettuce Cups
from Real Simple Magazine, May 2008
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1 small head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Combine the soy sauce and honey in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
Lower heat to medium and stir in the garlic and ginger. Add the scallions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the water chestnuts and half the soy sauce mixture and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with the cashews.
Divide the lettuce leaves among individual plates and spoon the chicken over the top. Serve with the remaining soy sauce mixture for drizzling.

Steak with Potato-Parsnip Mash

Once again, this week's challenge was inspired by a comment from N. For whatever reason, he's been talking a lot about "cloud fluff." That's mashed potatoes, to you and me. He doesn't like mashed potatoes. He never has. But he talked about them all week. We went to a chili and beans dinner at my Grannie's church over the weekend and he asked for cloud fluff. No chili, no beans, no hot dogs, just cloud fluff, please. So I gave it a try.

I had clipped this recipe from the latest issue of Real Simple and wanted to try parsnips, anyway. N didn't eat a single bite of the "cloud fluff," but ate all of his steak and the baby carrots I added to his plate. The husband and I didn't mind the flavor of the parsnips, but they didn't get as tender as the potatoes did and it was a bit unnerving coming across a big chunk in your mashed potatoes. I'm going to roast the two I had leftover tonight and see how we like them. The steak was very simple but very tasty, and the juices made a delicious "gravy" for the potatoes. (I didn't do a thing to it, just poured the accumulated juices onto my plate and lapped it up!)

Steak with Potato-Parsnip Mash (from Real Simple Magazine)

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound parsnips (about 2 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak (1 inch thick)

Place the potatoes and parsnips in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Mash with the milk, butter, scallions, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook to the desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest before slicing. Serve with the potato-parsnip mash.

Spicy Black Bean Cakes

The challenge is all about getting our kids to try new things (and to hopefully get them to enjoy them!). For this week, I chose a vegetarian meal that would introduce my 3 year old to both beans and potatoes in a new way. He currently shuns beans in any fashion and only eats potatoes in tater-tot form. I didn't think the spiciness would be an issue, as he has been known to eat salsa with a spoon, and has never been bothered by heat (probably thanks to all the Chipotle burritos with tomatillo green salsa I ate while pregnant and nursing him...).
When I told him we would be having Spicy Black Bean Cakes for supper, he got excited and announced, "I like spicy pancakes!" Alas, after one bite, he pronounced it too spicy and I retrieved some seasoned ground beef from the fridge for him.
These were a winner with the husband and I, though.

Spicy Black Bean Cakes

from Everyday Food

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, finely chopped (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated (2 cups) (I used a russet, because it's all I had on hand)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

Lime Sour Cream (see recipe, below)

Directions
Heat broiler. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook scallions until softened, 1 minute. Add garlic, jalapeno, and cumin; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add beans to bowl; mash with a fork or a potato masher, leaving about 1/4 of the beans whole. Season generously with salt and pepper. Fold in sweet potato, egg, and breadcrumbs. Divide into 8 balls of equal size; flatten into patties.
Brush a baking sheet with remaining tablespoon oil; place patties on sheet, 1/2 inch apart. Broil 4 inches from heat until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. With a thin metal spatula, carefully turn cakes. Broil until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve with Lime Sour Cream.

For the Lime Sour Cream: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream with 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice and 1 small minced jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired) season with coarse salt.