Back In the Kitchen

Taking off for the RKC for 4 days I was able to clean my kitchen out pretty good before I left, but that didn't leave much on my return. And arriving home on a Sunday too late for any farmers markets I was forced to make a salad with mainly green stuff, for dinner last night. Wilty cabbage, green onion and jalapeno, some good celery, week old garlic chives was about all I had, tossing that with yogurt/anchovy dressing (back to calorie counting) and poached chicken breast from the freezer. It was still tasty though, lol!

Getting up early this morning I started some tomato soup with the remainder of Waynes garden tomatoes from last week, adding in some yellow orange peppers from CSA last week. I don't know what kind of peppers they were(photo right), kind of long and thin, but I threw them in not knowing how they might change the flavor, but adding in nutrition is never a bad thing. I also added in some red peper flakes at the same time as the garlic (after the onions, peppers and celery, before the tomatoes and stock).

I had 3 cups of organic chicken stock I pulled from the feezer yesterday using 1 c. for the soup, 1 c. for some barley in the PC, and 1 c. for the red and white quinoa. The stock was rich so I also added 1 c. water to both the barley and quinoa.

I'm meeting Mark this morning at Country Sun Market in Palo Alto to do my grocery shopping. I know it's a 20 minute drive for me, but since I missed the farmers markets this weekend it's the only place I know to get local produce and meats (Guess what? Whole Foods isn't!).

Taking into consideration the foods I have at home, since I had the time early this morning to do some food prep, here's what I got done (to finish later after shopping) in addition to making soup, barley and quinoa.....(top photo)

Orange Tomato Soup. I went ahead and diced onions and tomatoes, along with the pale part of some celery, minced garlic. I want to keep this soup bright orange, I only have to add in a carrot.

Chili Verde with Beans and Pork. Tomatillos came with the peppers from CSA last week, so I diced those up and sliced onion, soaked black and pinto beans, all I have to get at the market is the pork and one can of tomatillos. I want more tomatillos than what I have, and besides because they're canned with vinegar it gives the dish a flavor I like. (I only use some of the canning liquid, not all!)

I've got cherry tomatoes, so I'll pick up some other veggies to finish the quinoa salad for Mark, probably baby greens, green onions, green beans or corn, and cilantro. I'm walking to the Mexican market this morning for Queso Fresca cheese, canned tomatillos, onions and jalapenos.