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This Week’s Menu – Gimme All The Comfort

This Week’s Menu – Gimme All The Comfort

[[ recipeID=recipe-8lcgohake, title=Creamy Tomato Soup with Croutons ]]

Okay guys and gals, it’s official. We are in this for the long haul. That said, let’s find some comfort in our meals, but also ease. We will add recipes from the archives as now is the time to find nourishment in what we know in what has proven successful.

[[ recipeID=recipe-8lcgoun53, title=Totchos ]]

[[ recipeID=recipe-8lcgp36bg, title=Coconut Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries ]]

[[ recipeID=recipe-8lcgpi0vd, title=Lime Curd ]]

Let’s start with the tangy and delicious Lime Curd. You could turn it into a fancy meringue pie if this quarantine really has you down. Or simply use it over waffles or as a dipper for graham crackers or fruit. It will last all week in the fridge.

As for meals, start off with the Creamy Tomato Soup. Now that the weather is flirting with being nicer, dig out your camping equipment and make cheddar cheese pudgie pies to go with the soup. Eat around a backyard firepit and pretend you are on vacation. (Bonus points if you can talk anyone into s’mores!)

The Totchos are a fun one for when the whole family needs something to smile about. It’s physically impossible not to get in a better mood when this is what’s for dinner. Oh, but first – make the Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken or pull leftovers from the freezer as that makes THE BEST meat for this dish. (Don’t worry – ground beef or easy baked chicken breasts work too!)

Finally, the Coconut Chicken can probably be made with ingredients found in the corners of your freezer and pantry. Make homemade sweet potato fries or use the bag of frozen fries from Alexia. They are delish!

Posted on January 04, 2023
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Creamy Tomato Soup with Croutons

This easy tomato soup is the perfect end to a cold or rainy day. Takes almost no prep time!

Servings: 6

Keywords:

  • Prep Time: 0 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Total Time: 0 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes
  • 14 oz diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups low-sodium stock chicken or vegetable

Instructions

  1. Heat a large soup pot over medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add onions, salt, pepper, seasonings, and paprika, then stir well to coat. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, using the back of the spoon well to mash the tomato paste and evenly distribute it throughout the onions. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, allowing the tomato paste to become golden in spots.
  2. Add in cans of tomatoes (with juice) and the stock, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let bubble for at least 30 minutes, stirring and mashing the tomatoes occasionally.
  3. While the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cube the bread and toss with olive oil and garlic salt on your baking sheet. Lay in a single layer and bake for 8-10 minutes, tossing once or twice during cooking. If you desire them more golden, bake a little longer.
  4. When you can smash the tomatoes with the back of a spoon, remove from heat and carefully puree soup with an immersion blender until totally smooth.
  5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with croutons.

Notes

- Sandwich bread works great for these croutons. Four or five pieces will be plenty.

- If you have access, try Penzey’s Frozen Pizza seasoning in place of all the green herbs.

- Most recipes (like this one originally) call for smoked paprika, but I only had sweet paprika and it was still delicious. Use what you’ve got!

- Save the leftover tomato paste for a future recipe. Cover in plastic wrap if you think you’ll use it in less than a week. Otherwise, keep an ice cube tray in the freezer for just this purpose.

- The soup will technically be ready after just 30 minutes of simmering, but if you have more time on your hands, let it simmer away! Up to an hour will allow the flavors to totally meld.

- This soup freezes great! Allow to cool in the fridge. Once you can handle it, ladel into labeled freezer-safe baggies. Store in the freezer for up to three months.

Meat Lovers

- Skip with croutons and serve with our grilled cheese with deli meat instead.

Veggie Lovers

- Use vegetable stock to keep the soup vegetarian

Gluten Free

- Use a gluten free bread or skip it all together. Maybe add toasted pumpkin seeds or pine nuts for a little more texture.


Totchos

If tater tots and nachos had a baby, it would be this beautiful mess of a dinner. Maybe pair with a michelada? I feel like a low brow yet south of the border-ish drink fits right in. How about you? Try this fun and casual meal the next time you're feeling like you're taking life too seriously.

Servings: 6

Keywords:

  • Prep Time: 0 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Total Time: 0 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 bag frozen tater tots
  • 2 cups meat browned
  • ½ cup corn thawed
  • 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 avocado
  • ¼ cup cilantro crema (optional)
  • ¼ cup pico de gallo (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat over to 400°F. Bake the tots for 18 minutes.
  2. Top the tots with meat, corn, beans, pepper, and cheese. Bake for 4 more minutes.
  3. Top with avocado, cilantro crema, and pico de gallo, or additional toppings.

Notes

-Use browned hamburger meat, leftover rotisserie chicken, or some of the Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken for this dish. Or skip it and just use cheese and veggies.

 

DAIRY-FREE

-Skip the cheese and the cilantro crème. Load up on avocado after the totchos come out of the oven!


GLUTEN-FREE

-Watch the tater tots. Some popular brands are naturally gluten-free, but not all.


Coconut Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries

Change up chicken night with a tropical spin from a coating of flaked coconut.

Servings: 6

Keywords:

  • Prep Time: 0 mins
  • Cook Time: 39 mins
  • Total Time: 39 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 lb boneless chicken breast cut into slices

Bowl One

  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

Bowl Two

  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup butter milk
  • ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Bowl Three

  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp oinion powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. In three separate shallow bowls, combine the ingredients marked for bowl 1, bowl 2, and bowl 3. Dredge the chicken pieces through each of the three bowls and place them on the baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken is coated. (Get an extra baking sheet if your chicken looks too crowded on the pan.)
  3. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and coconut has started to crisp and brown. Serve with sweet potato fries and a bottled honey mustard dipping sauce.

Notes

- Serve with premade sweet potato fries from the freezer section or this recipe we made with pulled chicken sandwiches.

- When I first made this, I placed the chicken on cooling racks on top of the baking sheet, but the coconut flakes stuck. Save the dish and just really coat your baking sheet with spray and you should be golden.

 

DAIRY-FREE

- Replace the buttermilk with coconut milk.

 

GLUTEN-FREE

- Use a gluten-free breadcrumb


Lime Curd

Breaking News: Limes are tasty! Yeh, I don’t know what took me so long to figure this out either, but boy, this is my new favorite ingredient for 2020. So, of course, I had to figure out how to turn into something dessert-related. This lime curd would be perfect in a meringue topped pie, but I kept it more basic. In our house, we used it instead of syrup with waffles and as a dip for fruit and graham crackers.

Lime curd is a great base for a tart and tangy sweet treat. Bonus, this one will last in your fridge for up to a week.

Servings: 12

Keywords:

  • Prep Time: 0 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Total Time: 0 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 ¾ tbsp lime zest
  • 2 ¾ eggs beaten

Instructions

  1. Set up a double boiler over medium-high heat. Place the sugar, butter, lime juice, lime zest in the top of the double boiler; stir until butter melts. Mix 2 tablespoons hot lime mixture into the eggs and stir to blend.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and slowly whisk egg mixture into the lime mixture. Cook over the double boiler until lime mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and before use. If not using immediately, keep in a glass container and refrigerate.

Notes

If you don’t have a double boiler, carefully place a bowl over a saucepan of water and proceed with caution. Definitely make sure the bottom of the top part does NOT touch the water in the bottom. That will lead to uneven cooking.


DAIRY-FREE

I have made this with vegan butter to great success!