Aji De Gallina

 We used this recipe:  https://www.piscotrail.com/2012/06/03/recipes/aji-de-gallina/

It doesn't make such a saucy one, but the flavor was excellent.  just note that total time is something like 2 hours.  45 min poaching and 45 min simmering after everything is together.

We used 1 package boneless skinless thighs.  I only used onion + carrot for poaching (as that's all I had).  Insead of white bread without crust, I used seedy wheat bread with crusts (again, what I had).  Taste was great but maybe not as beautiful.

Next time I'd be curious to try something like: https://www.thespruceeats.com/spicy-creamed-chicken-aji-de-gallina-3029517

.... and see if we can get a saucier one.

Rajas Poblanas

 I was trying to re-create a recipe I had a vive sol.  This isn't quite the same as theirs but was still quite good.  The problem is it still seems kind of one-note and too rich.

- Roasted 8 poblanos under the broiler for 5-ish min per side, let sit in plastic bag for 20 min, then removed skin.

- Blended 1 of them with 1/2 C yogurt, cut the rest into strips.

- Cut 2 chicken breasts into thin fajita style strips.

- Took 2 white onion quarters and cut into strips.  Let brown in 1 Tbsp oil + 1 Tbsp butter for 5 min.  Added to minced cloves garlic.

- Added chicken breasts and cooked until almost done.

- Added sauce + 1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp oregano and cooked covered for 3-5 min until chicken fully done.

- Added 1 - 2 Cups melting cheese.  We used queso Oaxaca which is a soft mild white cheese like mozzeralla.

Served with tortillas and black beans.

Vegetarian Ma Po Tofu

 We mostly followed this NYT:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017358-vegan-mapo-tofu

I soaked 8 dried shitake in 1 C hot water, then squeezed them and slivered them.  I used about 8-10 button mushrooms cut into quarters.

I added 1 tsp sugar.

In the future we want to add 1/2 tsp salt to the broth (because it wasn't salty enough).

I also used 2 lb tofu total.

The broth didn't thicken quite enough, so I'd maybe go 1.5 Tbsp or 2 Tbsp cornstarch slurry.

Really nice flavor other than that!  

Lasagna Soup

This is a very old Pinterest find that's pretty delicious and pretty easy to put together. It's got all the great flavors of lasagna while being a soup. And who can say no to a topping named "cheesy yum!"?

Nadia didn't like it unfortunately, I wonder if the tomatoes were less chunky if she would have appreciated it more. Could potentially work if you reduced the tomato to 1 can and blended it before mixing it in? Would have to try it to see.

The link also has instructions for a crock pot or instapot
https://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/lasagna-soup/

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SOUP:

•  2 tsp. olive oil
•  1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage (we used 1lb ground turkey in hopes that Nadia would be more likely to eat the soup, but sausage is definitely better!)
•  1 extra-large yellow onion, chopped (about 3 c. chopped)
•  4 large garlic cloves, minced
•  2 tsp. dried oregano
•  1/2 tsp. kosher salt
•  1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
•  1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
•  3 T. tomato paste (add more for even deeper tomato flavor)
•  2 (14.5-oz.) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
•  2 bay leaves
•  6 c. low-sodium chicken stock
•  8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta

FOR THE CHEESY YUM:

•  8 oz. ricotta
•  1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
•  1/4 tsp. kosher salt
•  freshly ground black pepper, to taste

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS:

•  2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (If you can find shredded whole milk mozzarella, use that!)
• 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
• Add sausage, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and brown minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon. Continue until the meat is completely cooked.
• Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare pasta in a separate saucepan according to package directions, to el dente. Do not over cook. Drain.
• In a medium bowl, create the "cheesy yum" by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• To serve, add cooked pasta to individual bowls and ladle soup over the top. Serve with dollops of cheesy yum, additional shredded mozzarella, and fresh basil.
• If you expect to have leftovers (you will unless you're serving a crowd) pack up your leftover pasta separately from the soup to avoid having the pasta soak up all the liquid, and of course keep the cheesy yum packed separately as well.