This Mexican Chicken Lime Soup has been one of my most pinned recipes for a long time. A quick read over the ingredients, and it’s easy to see why. Plus it sounds like it will be easy to make, and I’ll have plenty of leftovers for lunches. I had to give it whirl, so my week is officially set for a Mexican theme.
This post was originally published on January 15, 2018. The text and photos were updated on August 11, 2021. The review and rating have not been changed.
The list of ingredients for this chicken lime soup was medium length, but nothing was difficult to find or too expensive. I did have to hunt a little for the canned chipotle chiles, but they were worth the tad bit of extra effort. Their smoky flavor was to die for, and the soup would not be the same without them.
This soup was very easy to make in my 5-quart Dutch oven. The instructions were straightforward and easy to follow. The one thing I was worried about was the avocado. I know, it’s only a garnish, but I like to try every part of the recipes I review.
The avocado was totally new to me. I don’t like them, so I’ve never had one in my house. Fortunately, I found a quick video on YouTube that had me peeling and slicing the avocado in no time. It was so much easier than I thought it would be!
The prep and cooking times for this recipe were exactly as stated (15 and 30 minutes, respectively), and I had my garnished soup ready to serve in 45 minutes. This is going on my weeknight meal list, for sure.
Slicing the Haas avocado to garnish the Mexican Chicken Lime Soup
I know this week has been all about Guinness, but I had to switch it up for this week’s beverage post. Why on earth would I do that? Well, Guinness is terrific in stew and brownies, but I really wanted to try another hot drink. I just couldn’t find a hot drink made with Guinness, and I’m not sure I want to try one. Hot beer seems wrong. So here we are with hot cocoa spiked with coffee liqueur and made in a slow cooker. Sounds good to me!
Slow cooker Kahlua hot cocoa warms you up in more ways than one! Add some marshmallows to this hot chocolate and you’re all set for chilly winter nights or holiday parties! This is going to become your favorite winter cocktail / dessert combination!
Recipe Author: Jenny Bullistron at Honey and Birch Get the recipe
The Ingredients
Like the brownies I made earlier this week, this cocoa recipe has only 5 ingredients. I don’t know about you, but I love that! I had to shop for the milk and half and half, but I had the rest of the ingredients on hand. Yes, even the mini chocolate chips, leftovers from the chocolate tiramisu I made last month. How perfect is that?
Milk, half and half, semi-sweet chocolate chips, cinnamon sticks, and Kahlua
The Process
This recipe couldn’t have been any easier. Just throw all the ingredients except the Kahlua into the crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours. Switch to warm (unless your crockpot does that automatically), add the Kahlua and stir. I had the best hot cocoa I’ve ever tried ready in 2 hours 2 minutes, including garnishing with marshmallows.
If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know I’m not the greatest baker. But one thing I like about blogging is that I’ve been forced to bake more, and this week’s dessert recipe is another opportunity to work on my baking skills. I’m continuing with this week’s Guinness theme, and believe it or not, stout can be used in a dessert. Surprised? I know I am. Still, I’m dying to find out how these Guinness brownies will taste!
These are intensely rich with just a hint of stout beer flavor lingering in the background. There’s no better way to enjoy these brownies than with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top followed by a generous covering of hot fudge. Enjoy!
Recipe Author:Â Heather at Sprinkle Bakes Get the recipe
The Ingredients
It’s not exactly a secret that this recipe for Guinness brownies doesn’t have many ingredients, just 5. Really! That just blew me away. It seems like dessert recipes always have the longest lists of ingredients and equipment, but this is a happy exception. The equipment you’ll need is:
The optional stuff is just that. I decided to skip the parchment paper and spray my baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. However, I happened to have an egg yolk separator, and it was very convenient. No worries if you don’t, people have been separating eggs without them for ages. You can find several techniques on this page, including one that uses an empty plastic water bottle.
Guinness stout, flour, eggs, cocoa powder and sugar
The Process
This recipe was almost as easy to make as making brownies from a boxed mix. I had them mixed, poured into the baking dish, and in the oven in 10 minutes. Cooking them did take a little longer than the 30 minutes listed. The toothpick I inserted after half an hour was covered in batter. I decided to leave the brownies in the oven for another 10 minutes, and the toothpick looked just right after that.
I covered the baking dish and left the brownies to cool on a wire rack overnight. The author did mention they needed to completely cool before slicing. Mine didn’t have a cracked texture until I began to slice them, then they broke apart. It didn’t bother me, though, and I just arranged the pieces in a dish and topped them with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and cocoa powder.
I don’t drink beer often, but when I do, I drink dark beers. Stout is a favorite, and Guinness is THE stout. I drink it year-round, but there is something about it that makes me think of cold weather. And since it’s January, the middle of winter, this recipe for a hearty beef stew using Guinness simply had to be made.
This is one of those go-to staple dishes that you’re going to crave whenever it gets cold, just like we do.
Nothing in this beef stew recipe was difficult to find, but there are quite a few ingredients. In fact, this is one of the longer lists I’ve blogged. Don’t let that intimidate you, though, because none of them are unusual or specialty items. You should be able to find everything you need in any supermarket.
I opted for a whole boneless chuck roast instead of buying precut “beef stew meat” for a couple of reasons. First was I don’t know what cut I was buying with the pre-cut stuff. It was literally labeled “beef stew meat”.
Second, I couldn’t find a 2-pound package, but I could with the whole roast. Finally, the chunks of precut meat are usually too large. I have to cut them down anyway to get a small enough piece in order to get a bite with vegetables too. Cutting up the roast only took a few minutes. I’ll be buying my stew meat this way from now on.
Oh, and cremini mushrooms aren’t something you’ll have to hunt down. It’s just another name for baby portabella or baby bella mushrooms. I’m sure you could substitute white button mushrooms or chopped portabella mushrooms if you had to, but baby bellas are pretty widely available these days. I was able to find them presliced for the same price as whole, which was a time saver.
So, this Guinness beef stew took a long time to make. The prep work was done in 20 minutes, and the total time was 3 hours 30 minutes. I’d say this is the kind of dish you would need to make on the weekend unless you are at home during the day.
There are a lot of vegetables to peel and chop for this recipe. I used a vegetable chopper I purchased many years ago, and it really sped things up. I also decided to peel the turnip and potatoes even though it wasn’t specified in the instructions. This was really a personal preference.
I used a 5.3 quart cast iron casserole dish, and it was just the right size. I did have to brown the stew meat in 2 batches, though, or it would have been overcrowded in the pan.
There were a few questions that came up as I was making this dish. One was whether the stew needed to be covered or uncovered during step 7. I went with uncovered so the broth would thicken. The other was when to add the herbs to the dumplings. They’re listed in the ingredients but not mentioned in the instructions. I added them when I added the shredded cheese.
The cheddar herb dumplings about to be added to the beef stew
I’m always looking for quick and healthy breakfasts, and smoothies are on that shortlist. Mornings are not made for cooking, so this simple Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie recipe sounded like it was made for me. Four ingredients, a blender, a glass, and a straw are all that’s needed, and the straw really isn’t a requirement. Perfection for my groggy morning self!
This post was originally published on January 5, 2018. The text and photos were updated on July 24, 2021. The review and rating have not been changed.
An easy and refreshing 4-ingredient fruit smoothie that is bursting with flavor!
Recipe Author:Â Rachel at Baked by Rachel Get the recipe
The Ingredients
As I mentioned, 4 whole ingredients go into this strawberry pineapple smoothie recipe. I love the fact that the fruit is frozen, so I can keep it on hand for a while. Yes, the oranges/orange juice and yogurt (vanilla, by the way) have a much shorter shelf life, but they keep pretty well in the refrigerator.
Greek yogurt, orange juice, frozen pineapple, and frozen strawberries
The Process
I had my Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie blended in 5 minutes. Well, technically 2 1/2 smoothies—this recipe makes a lot. The only negative I have about this recipe happened during blending, and my blender is literally made for making smoothies ?
The mixture seemed okay at first but the blender just couldn’t handle the strawberries. I had to remove the top and stir a few times, and the motor was making a different noise than usual by the time I finished. My blender is fine, but next time I’ll thaw the strawberries under some running water so they aren’t as hard to blend.
Update: When I reshot the photos for this post, I halved the recipe. This time, it blended up easily and gave me a generous serving.
If you’ve ever been to Carrabba’s, you have probably had their scrumptious bread dip. I think I could make it a meal. Finding a copycat recipe for the spice blend at the heart of their bread dip was just irresistible. Try and keep me from making this Carrabba’s Bread Dipping Oil recipe!
This post was originally published on January 3, 2018. The text and photos were updated on July 24, 2021. The review and rating have not been changed.
The best bread dip recipe out there! Use as a dipping sauce for cheese, meats, drizzle on salads or mix into pasta sauce. These are the best dipping spices to make ahead and keep it in the pantry!
Recipe Author:Â Jessica at Savory Experiments Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I didn’t have to shop for a single ingredient for this recipe except the bread to go with it. how awesome is that? The herbs, spices, and olive oil are all things I keep in my pantry. The only thing I don’t keep in there is fresh, crusty bread.
If I’m out and about and plan to serve the bread on the same day, I will stop by my grocery store’s bakery. That usually isn’t the case, though, so I like to buy par-baked bread. It’s prepackaged partially baked bread that I can finish baking in 10 minutes. The taste and texture are just like bakery fresh bread.
Extra virgin olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, black pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, coarse sea salt, and rosemary
The Process
This Carrabba’s Bread Dipping Oil is as easy to make as you think. Mincing the garlic and slicing the bread is the most work you’ll do for this recipe. I had mine ready to serve in 5 minutes, exactly the time listed on the recipe. Just spoon the spices into a bowl and mix them together.
This recipe yields 1/4 cup of dry spices which is too much for just my husband and me. I opted not to mix in the fresh garlic until I was ready to serve so the leftover mixture wouldn’t spoil. Instead, I minced the fresh garlic 1 clove at a time, topped it with about a tablespoon of the spice mixture, and drizzled that with the olive oil.
And what to serve it with? Pretty much anything! But if you want to keep it Italian, I have a few ideas for the main course.
This recipe had me at “garlic gravy.” I needed absolutely no more incentive than that, but then I read the list of ingredients. Flavorful chicken thighs, 20-22 garlic cloves, and the suggestion of serving it over mashed potatoes. Heck yeah! Rustic, schmustic–I must have garlic gravy drizzled over my favorite cut of chicken and one of my all-time favorite sides.
A delicious one-pan meal that is delicious served with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta, to make the most of the delicious gravy.
Recipe Author:Â Jennifer at Seasons and Suppers Get the recipe
The Ingredients
As you can see, there aren’t a ton of ingredients for this dish. In fact, I had most of them on hand, and I only had to shop for the chicken and garlic. By the way, I ended up using pre-peeled garlic as the author suggested. It really saved me time and from that lingering garlic smell that no amount of hand washing seems to get rid of.
Chicken thighs, dried thyme, garlic, white wine, butter, chicken broth and flour
The Process
At first glance I thought this chicken with garlic gravy recipe would be complicated. There are only 4 steps, but most of them are pretty long. I’m happy to say my assumption was wrong. This garlic chicken dish was pretty easy to prepare, and I had a completed meal in 41 minutes.
The author does include a note about browning the chicken in a non-stick pan. I think I get better results in a regular pan, so that’s what I used. There were no issues with the chicken sticking or the skin falling off. Just be sure to let the pan and oil heat thoroughly, and don’t turn the chicken before it releases from the pan. I turned mine every 2 minutes and had wonderful results.
The only downside was the pan was extremely hot immediately after. I’m sure it’s also because I cook on an electric stove rather than gas. Adding the garlic immediately browned it more than I would have liked, but it didn’t affect the taste. Whew! I was worried because some of it was really dark when I finally took the skillet out of the oven. Next time I’ll wait a minute or two before I begin to brown the garlic.
The author suggests serving this recipe with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes. I went with mashed potatoes for a couple of reasons. First, they’re delicious. Enough said. Second, my local grocery store stocks ready-made mashed potatoes that taste like homemade. All I had to do was pop them in the microwave for 3 minutes and stir. They were barely any work to prepare.
Living in South Florida means it’s warm year-round. It also means there’s really one season. We’re lucky if it gets chilly for a few days during the winter. I grew up in Central Florida. Not that we had true seasons up there, but we definitely had more cold days and even a few trees that lost their leaves in the Fall. Believe me, you miss that when it’s 80℉ or hotter all the time. With that in mind, I’m trying out a hot drink this week. And although “buttered” is in the title, there’s no butter in the drink. Maybe I can crank up the A/C, sip my Hot Buttered Hazelnut Whisky, and fool myself into thinking it’s winter LOL!
Note: This post was originally published on December 29, 2017, and was updated on May 17, 2024. The text was edited for clarity and SEO, and the main photo was updated. The rating was not changed.
So if you’re looking for something warm and cozy to share with your family and friends (or just enjoy on your own), I couldn’t recommend this any more strongly. It really is one of those drinks that seems to transport you to another place and time when you drink it. Somewhere deep in the highlands of Scotland, where large fires roar in the hearths of old castles and giant hunting dogs curl up at your feet.
Recipe Author: Eva at Adventures in Cooking Get the recipe
The Ingredients
This drink recipe was a little pricey for me since I didn’t have the Frangelico or scotch whisky. I bought small bottles of each (375ml) and spent about $45 on the alcohol. Of course, I’ll have leftovers of both, but they won’t go bad. In fact, I’m already planning a future recipe with the scotch. I’m sure I’ll be able to do the same with the Frangelico.
Milk, Frangelico, cinnamon, Scotch whisky and whipped cream
The Process
The bad news is you have to commit to 15 minutes of stirring the simmering milk while the cinnamon stick infuses it with flavor. Kidding, it’s not that bad! The good news is you get to enjoy the smell of the cinnamon while you’re stirring, and it smells incredibly good!
Finishing this drink is also easy. Just add the scotch, Frangelico, and whipped cream, then sprinkle with some cinnamon. My Hot Buttered Hazelnut Whisky took me all of 20 minutes to prepare.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried a mushroom dish I didn’t like. They’re so versatile and make wonderful side dishes, appetizers, and additions to the main course or salads. As usual, the name of this recipe was what got my attention. I tried browned butter with my mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving and fell in love with it. Now I need to try it on roasted mushrooms!
These roasted mushrooms in a browned butter, garlic and thyme sauce are a great side for any meal!
Recipe Author:Â Kevin Lynch at Closet Cooking Get the recipe
The Ingredients
The ingredient list for this recipe is short, and everything was easy to find. The mushrooms were just over $3, and the thyme was just over $2. Not expensive at all, and I had the rest of the ingredients on hand. I love it when that happens!
Some things to make sure of when storing and preparing the mushrooms:
It’s best to store them in in a brown paper bag in the main part of your refrigerator. They absorb moisture, so the crisper is usually too humid.
Don’t wash them until you are ready to use them. Washing is another way they can absorb moisture.
Rinse and gently brush them with a soft-bristled brush to remove all the dirt. I find rinsing alone just isn’t enough.
Mushrooms, butter, garlic, lemon and thyme
The Process
The timing for this recipe was spot-on, and I had my mushrooms on the table in 30 minutes. The directions were very clear and easy to follow. Hey, 3 steps to make a delicious dish. I do love simple!
Making the butter was the most hands-on of everything since it needs to be stirred and watched carefully. It was a little tricky to tell how brown it got since my pan was a dark nonstick. Fortunately, I remembered to turn on the recessed light over the stove, and that made it much easier to see the color. I’ll be sure to use a stainless skillet next time I make this dish.
Just before roasting the mushrooms
To Serve
I paired these roasted mushrooms with this Tuscan-Style Grilled Ribeye Steak recipe. My husband raved about both, and I can’t disagree. The mushrooms were flavorful, but they didn’t clash with the steak marinade. Plus they roast in the oven while the browned butter and steaks cook on the stove. The entire meal was ready in half an hour. Weeknight gold!
I haven’t had a good steak in a while, so when I spotted this marinated ribeye recipe I had to try it out. There aren’t a ton of ingredients, I love ribeye steak, and the recipe sounded quick and easy. There’s nothing in that list I don’t like, especially on a weeknight. Bonus for several ingredients being standard items I tend to keep on hand. Less shopping for me!
This Tuscan-Style Grilled Rib Eye Steak marinated in fresh rosemary, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil is so tender, it will melt in your mouth.
Recipe Author:Â Carrie Farias at Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen Get the recipe
The Ingredients
Ribeye steaks are a little splurgy for me at just under $14 for 2, but they aren’t ridiculously expensive. A couple of dollars for the fresh rosemary and garlic, and I had dinner ready to go. Well, ready to marinate. I had the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil in the pantry, as well as the salt and pepper (not shown).
Ribeye steaks, rosemary, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil
The Process
This meal went together very quickly. I had the marinade prepared and the steaks in a zip lock bag in just 7 minutes. The recipe says to marinate them for at least 3 hours, and I was able to marinate them for 4 1/2 hours. I try to marinate the meat overnight, but I’m not sure it would have improved the steaks this time since they were fairly thin.
I decided to pan-sear my steaks since it’s winter. Yes, it’s warm enough to grill outside here, but that’s not the case in a lot of places. Even with a few minutes to heat up a pan plus some time to stand, I had my steaks ready to go in 11 minutes. This is a really easy weeknight meal!
My obsession with gin continues, and this cocktail seems to fit right in with the Indian dishes I’ve made this week, particularly the ginger and cardamom. The combination of flavors really sounded good to me. I always love trying a cocktail that has some depth to it, and getting to infuse the simple syrup sounds like it will be fun.
I love a well-crafted cocktail and I wanted to create a festive and seasonal drink for the holidays. This is a great drink to serve before or after dinner and even as a dessert.
Recipe Author: Jessi Heggan at Jessi’s Kitchen Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I had most of the ingredients for this cocktail on hand. Really all I had to shop for was the ginger since I try to keep lemons and rosemary around. This recipe specifies using organic sugar for the simple syrup instead of regular cane sugar. Fortunately, I had plenty of demerara sugar left over from this Baileys Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini.
There are two parts to making this cocktail: the simple syrup and the actual cocktail. The simple syrup took just 3 minutes, even with peeling and chopping the ginger. Then it was a matter of letting the ginger and cardamom infuse for 10 minutes, removing them, and letting the syrup cool.
I made my lemon peel garnish while I waited for the syrup to cool, then went ahead and made my cocktail. It was mixed, shaken, poured, and garnished in 2 minutes. Overall, the 15 minutes listed on the recipe was accurate.
Ever tried rice pudding? If you like it, I’m betting you will love kheer. It’s been years since I made it, and the recipe I use is flavored with nutmeg instead of saffron. Of course, I’ve never had this particular recipe, but it sounds incredible after reading through the list of ingredients. I think I’m looking forward to this more than I was the tandoori salmon I made earlier this week.
Saffron rice kheer also known as Indian rice pudding is a luxurious dessert for any occasion . Gluten free and easy to make.
Recipe Author: Khushboo Kothari at Carve Your Craving Get the recipe
The Ingredients
Most of the ingredients for saffron kheer aren’t expensive or difficult to find. However, there are 2 exceptions: the ghee and the saffron. Ghee is simmered clarified butter that’s commonly used in Indian cooking. I found Organic Valley brand in the dairy section for $6.99 (7.5 oz.). It’s pricey for butter, but it has a unique flavor that I think is worth it.
Next is the saffron. It’s know as the most expensive spice in the world, and I buy it in very small quantities. It’s not something I use often, most recipe don’t call for much, and a small amount packs a big flavor. I found 4 grams of Badia saffron at my local Publix for $4.39. That’s enough for 3-4 pinches of saffron, to give you an idea of how much comes in the package.
Saffron rice kheer is easy to make, but there are a few things you should know. First, make sure to rinse the rice to remove the surface starches. This keeps the rice from clumping when you cook it. Once the water runs clear (2-3 rinses), soak it in cool water for 20-30 minutes. I use a mesh sieve and a small mixing bowl for both rinsing and soaking. The sieve makes it easy and I don’t lose any rice down the drain.
Next, make sure you read the notes at the end of the recipe. The author has a great tip about microwaving the milk for 3 minutes. She says it saves about 15 minutes compared to heating it on the stove. Also, make sure you use a non-stick pot and stir often so the milk and rice do not stick and burn.
Finally, make sure you remove the cardamom pods before you stir in the nuts. The flavor is infused during cooking, and you don’t want to chew on the husks!
I couldn’t find rose water or food-grade rose petals, so I skipped adding them since they were listed as optional. I did sprinkle on extra chopped pistachios and sliced almonds as a garnish.
