chicken posole

Hominy corn is a marvel. It's the kind of corn used to make corn tortillas and grits. It’s big, fluffy, starchy, nutty and not at all sweet like smaller yellow corn. It’s really not something you can swap out in this recipe, so hunt through the well stocked markets & Mexican food shops where you live. I can only find canned hominy in Victoria, but dried is good too if you can get it. You will just need to treat it like beans: soak overnight and then boil in plenty of water until tender but chewy. If you can’t find this corn where you live, it’s worth doing an online order. It really makes the whole soup.

I put a lot of tomatoes in this soup, which is not the most traditional way to make posole, but it’s really good. The other thing that really makes posole pop is lots of toppings. I like to add avocado slices, queso fresco or feta crumbles, cilantro and squeeze in lots of   lime. Finely sliced radish, shredded cabbage and crispy tortilla strips are great too.

It freezes really well, so I often make a big batch to freeze and take for my lunch. Just remember to pack a little toppings kit to take with you. 

chicken posole:

• 1 whole bulb garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 large yellow onion, or 2 shallots
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp crushed chili flakes
• 2 pounds tomatoes, or 2 tins crushed tomatoes
• A couple whole dried chilies, I think mine were guajillo, but, embarrassingly, I didn’t label my chili jar.
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 large cans hominy corn, about 4 cups
• Salt and pepper to taste

To serve; avocado, crumbled feta or queso fresco cheese, cilantro, strips of fried tortillas and lime wedges

Sauté the garlic and onion in a large heavy pot on medium heat until fragrant and beginning to colour. Add cumin and chili flakes and cook a few more minutes until very fragrant. Add tomatoes. Rinse chilies and soak for a few minutes in hot water.

Add chicken stock, chicken breasts and soaked chilies. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Pull out the chicken and set aside to cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender or food processor, purée the soup until all vegetables are completely incorporated. Add hominy corn to soup and heat on medium. Shred the chicken finely with two forks and add into soup. Heat through and serve in bowls, with lots of toppings.

tortellini chicken soup

This soup is a deluxe, upgraded version of classic chicken noodle soup. I love chicken noodle soup, especially if I'm feeling on the cusp of getting sick. I like it pretty classic, broth, shredded chicken, a couple thin carrot slices and a bit of parsley on top. For the ultimate cold remedy, I add A LOT of garlic and chili flakes, it really clears the sinuses. 

This essentially has the same elements, but all dialed up to 11. The soup gets a vegetable kick from celery, tomatoes and shredded kale, the broth gets a boost from a bit of tomato paste, and creamy white beans for a bit more protein.  And the pasta gets the biggest upgrade: cheesy, plump pasta dumplings bobbing around cheerfully. 

I was a bit worried that the tortellini would go soggy after sitting around in the soup, but it held up really well. Even after freezing and reheating, it didn't turn into a mush. So save and freeze your leftovers at will. 

tortellini chicken soup: 

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 shallot, chopped

• big pinch chili flakes

• 1 tbs oil

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 packet fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

• 2 chicken breasts

• 1 tin white cannellini beans

• 4 carrots, thinly sliced

• 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced

• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 2 tbs tomato paste

• 2 cups kale, very finely shredded

• parmesan and parsley to garnish

In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium high and add garlic, shallot and chili. Sauté until fragrant and just beginning to colour. Add tomatoes and cook a couple more minutes. Add broth and chicken, reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken breasts and set aside. Add beans and tomato paste to the broth. Finely shred chicken using two forks. Increase heat and bring soup to a boil. Add tortellini, carrots and celery. Cook about 2 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add kale and remove from heat.  

Serve with a big sprinkle of parsley and parmesan. 

preserved lemon rubbed roast chicken

I really like preserved lemons. They are one thing that is really worthwhile to make at home, because when you get them from the supermarket, they tend to come in tiny precious jars with a few lemon in them for $15. They are really expensive to buy and they are easy and cheap to make yourself. If you want to make them, check out my post to learn how.  The large amount of salt means that the lemons will keep indefinitely in the fridge. Lots of recipes call for just the rind of the preserved lemons to be used but I like to use the whole lemons, the insides taste great too. 

I like to turn them into a salty, lemony, spicy paste using lots of whole preserved lemons and a few hot peppers. This paste keeps for ages just like preserved lemons will. It's great blended into a vinaigrette or tossed into pasta with lots of garlic. It's also great rubbed all over the skin of a chicken before roasting. The salt in the lemon paste dries out the skin a little and makes it crispy and delicious. 

This chicken goes really well with herbed harissa and feta carrot salad or possibly some roast potatoes tossed in a little harissa & olive oil. Yum.

preserved lemon and chili paste: 

• 10 whole preserved lemons

• a couple fresh hot chilis, finely chopped

• In a food processor, blend the lemons and chilis until a smooth paste forms.

preserved lemon rubbed roast chicken:

• preserved lemon and chilli paste

• one chicken

• black pepper

• onions, garlic and lemon halves to roast chicken over

Rub the chicken all over and inside the cavity with a generous amount of lemon paste. Sprinkle on lots of cracked black pepper. Lay the onions, garlic and lemons in a roasting dish and place the chicken on top. Drizzle with a little oil Roast the chicken at 450 degrees for 1-1.5 hrs, depending on your chicken size, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 

Photo credits: Tyrel Hiebert