Grilled Chicken Corn Chili Salsa

After a busy day sometimes for gets forgot and one or two people become starving people.  This was beyond starving mod.  I knew I had a few veggies that just had to be used up and I needed to fix something that wouldn't take to long before we both fell apart from lake of food.  Tonight I came up with this little number.  

Trying new things can be fun at times.  Note at times! 

Tonight I took a few items I really needed to use up before they went bad and put this together.  It's sweet spicy and crisp and cool at the same time.  If you like corn, sweet corn this corn chili salsa is rather good stuff.  The fresh cilantro adds a nice clean crisp heat to the dish.  I really love cilantro.  The corn chili salsa I fond on my most recent trip to Trader Joe's.  It was a must try. 

Here is how I did this.

So here is what you will need:

(this is a dinner for two, you can add or cut down if needed)

1 jar of corn chili tomato-less salsa

2 organic boneless skinless chicken breast 

4 thin slices of ready to use polenta

1 teaspoon of menudo mix

1/4 cup of red onion

1/4 of fresh chopped brussels sprouts

1/4 of cherry tomato's

half of an avocado (sliced)

mixed shredded cheese 

fresh cilantro (for garnish)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

sour cream (we only use light)

salt 

pepper

I always when starting to make a meal set every thing out I'll be needed.  Then with this dish I started by putting 2 table spoons of olive oil into a medium frying pan heated up to a medium heat added the two chicken breast.  Once they are in add the menudo mix onto the chicken with some fresh ground pepper and a small amount of salt for taste.  The menudo mix is rather hot and spicy so easy does it if it's your first time using it.  I really enjoy the heat so I tend to over do it most of the time.  Cooking chicken until cooked threw.  While the chicken is cooking cutting up veggies and prepping the polenta. 

Now once all the veggies and polenta are prepped and ready and the chicken is cooked all the way threw, now you add the corn chili salsa to simmer with the chicken.  This can stay on a low simmer while you finish cooking the polenta and getting your plate ready for plating. 

Now you want the heat up a second pan to fry up the 4 polenta rounds in.  If you have never tried polenta before I really think its a must.  I've never bought it ready to use in a roll before tonight.  I always made it from a instant mix.  This is a must when it comes to short cuts.  Saves a lot of time let me tell you!  All I did for us tonight was grilled up a few rounds I cut off the tube of polenta, four total in a bit of extra virgin olive oil with a bit of fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Then I put the rest into a zip lock and set into the frig for another night soon to cook up into something else! 

While the polenta is grilling now start getting your plates out and setting up for serving.

Once all of the polenta cakes are heated and grilled nicely on both sides to your liking you can sever all this up, chicken salsa on top of the polenta cakes then adding the fresh veggies to the side with a nice sized soup full of sour cream some cheese and cilantro on top.  I totally forgot while I was enjoying making this to keep track of the time it took to put this all together... I'll just say on the safe side 30 to 40min.   I hope you all give this a go and feel free to change it up and make it your own.  I'd love to hear what you all think so feed back is very welcome on any of my blogs I post.  Now go cook, eat, and enjoy!

Eat, Love, & Live

Chicken Potsticker Soup

Dinner doesn't have to be boring or take over an hour to be amazing!

Soup is a perfect dinner meal all in one.  Simply full of flavor, color, and totally healthy.  

Finding fun and easy quick meals doesn't have to mean you go to a drive threw or pick up pizza on your way home from work.  Fresh veggies and a few healthy short cuts to help whip up something warm filling and tasty is right before your eyes.

I must give credit to Trader Joe's for this idea I took a spin off from them and just ran with it. Giving it my own twist adding and changing a few things along the way.  Hey, that's what great chefs do, get fantastic ideas for others and change it up!  Here is my take on it.

Chicken Potsticker Soup is a perfect meal in one bowl that's full of flavors that pop in your mouth yet delicate with a hint of heat.  Really fresh veggies are the way to go and with your favorite filled potsticker make this meal all yours.  You can use veggie filled, chicken, pork, or shrimp!  I'll totally recommend Trader Joe's frozen potstickers.  Most of the time I tend to shy away from boxed, canned, frozen, anything processed, however with Trader Joe's I have found that I don't have to worried about the frozen products.  They are good and all healthy.  Everything in moderation people.  

I have to cook just for two so most of my meals I create I cook up for two but anyone can double the recipes and a lot of the time we end up with leftover for lunch the next day.  This was perfect for the two of us.  I made just enough for us to both have plenty of soup for dinner.  We both really like trying new fun things when it come to food and I plan on sharing some of our fun with all of you.

In the last year or so I have really started to take a turn to much more healthy food choices than ever before.  Never eating out hardly ever, mostly only when we travel has it's up sides for sure.  I have become very creative and willing to spend the bit of extra time and money to really enjoy what we eat.  I totally believer it's paying off.  Remember key to a long happy healthy life is a healthy you.  Food plays such a large roll in that.  You are what you eat!

Here is how I did this.

What you will need:

1 package of Trader Joe's Chicken Potsticker's 

1 large box of veggie broth (I use organic only low sodium)

1 small yellow onion

2 small carrots

2 stalks of celery

1 cup of fresh spinach 

1 cup of bean sprouts

small hand full of fresh cilantro 

small hand full of chopped up fresh green onion

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

sweet chili sauce to taste after serving

You will need about 30 or 40 min. for this meal.

Here is how you put it all together to make a bowl full of yum.  

The first thing I did was set all my items out. Then getting out a large frying pan putting 2 of the 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, setting it at a medium heat.  Once the oil and pan was warm I put 14 of the potstickers into the pan, yes still frozen.  Just having them over the medium heat to lightly brown them. I would keep a close eye on them so that they do not burn, turning them often is what I found worked for best evenly browning. 

I then chopped up my onion, celery, and carrot really quick to put into a large pot that has the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it.  Turning that onto a medium heat as well.  Once that is warmed up put in the mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) to cook until the onion is translucent.  

Now your potstickers should be almost done and if they are all I did was set them off to the side with a cover on them to keep warm.  Then once the mirepoix is ready add in the veggie broth bring up to a gentle boil and also add in the spinach, bean sprouts,  soy sauce, and sesame oil.  Giving that just a moment to combined after coming to a gentle boil.  Then you add in the chicken potstickers.  Quickly chop up your green onion and grab some cilantro for your garnish and your ready to enjoy this fantastic full of flavors soup.

I loved adding the sweet chili sauce to mine after plating, so did my boyfriend.  I think it gave it a nice added bit of sweat and heat.  I sure hope that all of you try this with an open mind and be ready to fall in love with this soup.  We sure did.  

Eat, Love, & Live