paulostran

Pico de Flyooo
A new twist to spice up your salsa!

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Ingredients:

- 1 box (roughly 2/3 cup) of grape tomatoes
- 1 medium shallot, peeled
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 2 to 3 large radishes
- 1 jalapeno (add more for extra heat)
- juice of 1 lime, or more, to taste
- salt, to taste

- blue corn chips 

Directions:

Slice, dice, and combine ingredients for a fiesta in your belly.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

- chicken thighs, bone in w/ skin
- 1/4 medium white onion, diced
- two cloves of garlic
- a splash of olive oil
- a splash of magi seasoning
- paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and brine the birds with some salt water. Marinate with remaining ingredients.  Pan sear over medium high heat for 7 minutes per side, and finish in a 400 F oven for another 15 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Zucchini and Eggplant Soup

Ingredients:
- 1 medium zucchini, cubed
- 1 large eggplant, cubed
- 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
- 1 cup of mixed mushrooms (portabella, shitake, and oyster), finely diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 box of chicken or vegetable broth
- a splash of magi seasoning
- salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and paprika to taste 
- cilantro, to garnish

 Directions:

Cut the zucchini and eggplant into cubes and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and place in a single layer on foil in a 400 degree oven to roast for about 30 minutes.  Reserve half for puree and leave half as roasted.

In a pot, brown onions and garlic with olive oil and a pat of butter.  Sprinkle in red pepper flakes and paprika.  Add in diced celery and mushrooms and continue to sautee until it smells woodsy!  At this point, you can remove all vegetable ingredients and brown the chicken (recipe above) in order to make a nice fond in your pan.  Remove the chicken and deglaze with a quarter of the chicken stock. 

Return all vegetables to the pan, including half of the roasted zucchini and eggplant, and top off with remaining broth.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat.  Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.  Add remaining roasted vegetables and shredded chicken when serving.  Garnish with some fresh cilantro and you’re set for a rainy fall evening!