A Soup and A Cookie (Chicken Kale and Quinoa Soup / Toffee Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies)

Here's a double recipe post for you.  One savoury and one sweet.  A healthy, hearty, delicious Chicken Kale and Quinoa soup and a chewy, nutty, sweet Toffee Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookie.  Yup, I made both today and ate both today, just so I blog this for you.  You're welcome.

Part 1: Chicken Kale and Quinoa Soup

It snowed this weekend.  Like a lot.  I was happy because I really wanted one last blast of the white stuff before spring.  When the snow started I doubted that it would last but the flakes kept coming.  I love snow covered trees and watching snow fall.  The girls were happy...I already fed them, bathe them, coloured, played games and watched some Disney Jr.  I was even willing to play outside again (we played Sunday afternoon) but Little Miss C said no thanks.  So, on a very snowy Monday, I let them entertain each other and while I spent the afternoon sitting on the couch reading (Insurgent, book 2 of the Divergent series) and watching the winter wonderland outside my window.

Front

Back

I felt guilty about my lazy Monday so I told myself to be more productive today (Tuesday)...I digress. My point is: it's snowy, it's super cold and I wanted to make soup for dinner.  I found this recipe because I liked the ingredients in it but I didn't really follow it.  I made my own version.

Chicken Kale and Quinoa Soup

Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: About 45 mins
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of bacon, chopped
• Ground chicken (or use boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups of chicken stock (low sodium)
• 1 Knorr homestyle chicken stock concentrate (no water needed)
• 1 cup of baby carrots
• 2/3 cup of quinoa, rinsed
• A bunch of kale
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In large soup pot, pan fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on a plate covered with paper towel, set aside. Remove all but about one tablespoon of bacon fat in pot. Cook the chicken until no longer pink. Remove from pot. Add onion, garlic and bay leaves and sauté until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with some chicken stock. Be sure to scrape all the brown bits from the pot. Add the rest of the chicken stock and Knorr concentrate. Return the chicken to the pot. Add carrots, quinoa and kale. Stir and simmer for about 15 mins until quinoa is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in bowls and garnish with bacon bits.

Classic: soup and a sandwich

Part 2: Toffee Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Really, these should be called Toffee Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal cookies but that's just ridiculous.  They also taste ridiculous.  In a great way.  I don't have much else to say.  The name says it all.  This is my adaptation of monster cookies found from this recipe and this recipe.  My house smelled scrumptious while these were baking.  They're great warm and still chewy when completely cooled.  So good.  So, so good!

Toffee Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen large cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 cups oats

1 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1tsp cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 tbsp maple extract (I used maple syrup)
1 package of Heath toffee bits

1 package of chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Mix together oats, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.

Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.  Add peanut butter and maple and beat for about 2 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl then add dry ingredients.  

Mix on low until all ingredients are combined.  

Add toffee and chocolate chips and mix until distributed.  

Use a large cookie scoop or form about ¼ cup balls.  

Bake for 8-9, until edges are starting to brown.  

Remove from oven and leave on cookie sheet for about 5 mins then transfer to cooling rack.

Zuppa Toscana

Here's another favourite recipe.  If you don't recognize the name, this is one of the soups you can get at Olive Garden.  It has sausage, potatoes and kale in a light creamy broth.  Hubby loves it and he doesn't like soup.  I was thrilled when I found this copy-cat recipe that was very similar in taste but doesn't require any special ingredients.  I love how hearty it is so it's great for lunch or dinner if you pair with some warm, crusty bread (preferably covered in some sort of cheese).  You could even try to make breadsticks and pretend you're at Olive Garden.  I have a not-so-secret ingredient that wasn't in the original recipe that I've added.  I also add the kale last because I don't like kale overcooked.  I've made this with all Italian sausage, all turkey sausage, and half and half.  They all taste great but our favourite is using all Italian sausage.  If you buy the links, remove the sausage from the casing.  Enjoy!

Oops, this picture is missing garlic.

My not-so-secret ingredient: Original or Low Sodium

Zuppa Toscana 

Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 30 min
Serves 4 as dinner or more as a starter
Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
1 lb. mild Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine to deglaze the pan
2 russett potatoes, washed and scrubbed, cut into discs
900 ml (1 tetra pack) your favourite chicken broth
1 cup water
1 pack of homestyle chicken stock (in jelly form)
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups fresh kale, chopped

Directions:
Over medium heat, crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned.  Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside.  Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant.  Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.  Add the potatoes, chicken broth, water and chicken stock jelly to the pot.  Return the sausage to the pot and stir.  Increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil them reduce heat to low-med.  Cover and simmer until potatoes are fork tender and cooked, about 20 mins.  Add cream and kale and stir together.  Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes to wilt the kale. Serve and enjoy!