Knobbly Stirfry

I've named this Knobbly Stirfry, because it's sort of a veriation on Knobbly Mince variation - I made it up as I went along at dinnertime tonight, and it turned out pretty well!

Ingredients:
Zucchini - I used one large (almost-marrow) size, but 2 regular-sized would work just as well
Carrots - I used two small-ish ones
Crushed garlic - 1 tsp
Crushed ginger - 1 tsp
Stirfry beef - I used two pieces of schnitzel, cut into stirfry strips

Method:
1. Grate carrots and zucchini
2. Cook meat with garlic and ginger
3. Add vegetables and cook until the mixture is dry (zucchinis have a lot of water in them!)
4. Enjoy!

Bacon Spinach Dip

Have you ever seen those dips in a hollowed-out loaf of bread? This is one of them - sounds great, so now I'm just looking for an excuse to make it!

Ingredients:
1 loaf bread with solid crust
Olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained
2 medium tomatoes, ripe & chopped

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Carve out center core of bread within one inch of bottom and sides, keeping bread intact.
Cut reserved bread horizontally into 1/2-inch layers.
3. Brush both sides of layers with olive oil. Use cookie cutters to cut bread layers into fun shapes; place on foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Brush inside of bowl lightly with olive oil.
5. Place bowl on separate baking sheet.
6. Bake bowls and bread shapes for 11-13 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Blend mayo and sour cream together in a medium bowl. Add bacon and spinach; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
8. Just before serving, stir in tomatoes; salt and pepper to taste.
9. Transfer to bread bowl and serve with toasted bread shapes.

Farmer's Casserole

Thanks to Pinterest for this one - sounds like a tasty dish for winter.

Ingredients:
3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers or shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
1 cup diced cooked ham, cooked breakfast sausage or Canadian-style bacon
1/4 cup sliced green onions (2)
4 beaten eggs or 1 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed
1-1/2 cups milk or one 12-ounce can evaporated milk or evaporated fat-free milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
add ingredients to list

Method:
1. Coat a 2-quart square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onions.
2. In a bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
4. Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above through step 2. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
5. Farmer's Casserole for 12: Prepare as above, except double all ingredients and use a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Tomato, Basic and Bocconcini Chicken

Renee sent me this recipe through a recipe swap email - it sounds like a super-yummy dish, so it'll be tried out very soon here!

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This dish is sooooo scrummy. I get really excited when I see it coming up on our menu planner! Bocconcini has to be one of my favourite cheeses - It is usually a "one for the dish, one for my mouth" scenario when I am using it in recipes ;)

Tomato, Basil & Bocconcini Chicken
1 400g tin diced tomatoes
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons of shredded fresh basil
Olive oil spray
2 single chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced horizontally
75g bocconcini, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 190 celsius.
Heat tomato in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add garlic and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in basil and season with pepper.

Spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray. Heat over high heat.
Add half the chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to an oven proof dish and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken and bake in oven for 10 minutes.
Arrange the bocconcini over the chicken and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

The website that I found this recipe on (www.taste.com.au) recommends serving this dish over polenta....which is very yummy. However I find that my arm practically falls off when I have to stir that polenta for hours as it cooks...so I prefer to serve it over cous cous with a little side salad. Just as yummy :)

Black Olive Penguins

How cute are these little guys?! Perfect for entertaining. I found them on Pinterest - here's the original link.

Ingredients:
1 can (about 16) colossal pitted black olives, drained
16 (give or take) small pitted black olives, drained
about 4 ounces (1/2 of a standard 8 oz brick) of Cream Cheese- I like the 1/3 less fat Neufchatel here as it is softer and easier to stuff into the olives
16 thin slices (give or take) of the fat end of a peeled carrot
8 green onions, long green section only
16 (give or take) toothpicks

Method:
1. Cut a small triangular wedge out of each carrot slice.
2. Use a skewer or toothpick to push the narrow end of a carrot triangle through the wide hole of each small olive until it pokes out the narrow pitted hole.
3. Make a lengthwise slice halfway into each colossal olive. Gently hold the olive open and push as much cream cheese into the opening as you can, filling the olive. Use your fingers or a paper towel to tidy up along the edges of the opening.
4. Place a filled olive, large hole side down, on a carrot round, lining up the white of the cream cheese with the wedge cut from the carrot round. Use a toothpick pushed down through the center to hold the "chest" of the penguin to the "feet".
5. Push one head, "beak" side lined up with the "chest" and "feet" down onto the toothpicks.
6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Healthy Chocolate Pudding

I'm quite intrigued the sound of this one - simple and healthy, and with avocado for dessert. I'll have to give it a go, and feed it to the family without telling them what's in it...

Ingredients:
2 avocados
1 banana
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup dates, pitted, soaked in water for a few hours, and drained
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer to a bowl or individual serving bowls and chill several hours before serving.

Potato and Onion Soup

This recipe comes from my friend Becky's uncle, and she claims it's the best potato and onion soup - it sounds delicious, so I'll give it a whirl and see how it comes out! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Rowan.

Ingredients:
4-5 large onions
4-5 large potatoes
olive oil (enough to lightly fry the onion - about ¼ cup)
vegetable or chicken stock powder - 3 or 4 teaspoons
1-2 tsp garlic
1 heaped tsp black pepper
2 tbsp parsley
1 heaped tsp french onion soup powder
A sprinkling of whatever other herbs and spices you may fancy - ie. basil, oregano etc.

Method:
1. Slice onion and put in a large deep saucepan. Lightly fry with olive oil.
2. Dice potato and add to onion and olive oil. Add sufficient water to thoroughly cover onion and potato.
3. Add stock powder, pepper, garlic, parsley, onion soup powder and other herbs/spices.
4. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a high simmer. Cook until potatoes and onions are soft and mushy.
5. Remove from stove and use a barmix (stick blender) and blend thoroughly. Salt to flavour of desired. The end result should be creamy.

Low Fat Baked Onion Rings

Yum! I'm thinking I might have to try this with squid rings as well...

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
2 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup crushed corn flake crumbs
salt to taste
olive oil baking spray

Method:
1. Place slices of onion in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over the top and let them soak for about 1 - 2 hours, refrigerated.
2. Preheat oven to 230 degrees C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
3. Combine panko, bread crumbs and corn flakes and place half of the crumbs in a large dish, season with salt. Reserve the rest for when the first batch is used up. This should help avoid clumping and they should stick better to the onions.
4. Dip each soaked onion ring into the crumb mixture; coat well. Place rings onto two cookie sheets. Lightly spray with oil. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Okonomiyaki

I love okonomiyaki - Japanese pizza/omelette - I remember my host family feeding it to me when I went to Japan on a school trip, and it's been my favourite Japanese meal ever since.

I usually make my recipe up when I do it, and include a bag of seafood marinara, but here's a recipe I found online.

Ingredients:
2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup dashi soup stock or water
4-6 eggs
1 - 1 1/2 lb cabbage, finely chopped
4-6 Tbsp chopped green onion
1/2-3/4 cup tenkasu (tempura flakes)
12-18 strips of thinly sliced pork or beef
vegetable oil

For toppings:
ao-nori (dried seaweed powder)
okonomiyaki sauce
mayonnaise
katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) *optional
beni-shoga (pickled red ginger) *optional

Method:
1. Put flour in a large bowl. Pour dashi and mix to make batter.
2. Rest the batter for about an hour in the refrigerator.
3. To make one sheet of okonimiyaki, take out about 1/2 cup of the batter in another bowl. Mix about 1/4 lb of chopped cabbage, about 1 Tbsp of chopped green onion, and about 2 Tbsp of tempura flakes in the batter.
4. Add an egg in the batter and stir.
5. Heat an electric pan or skillet and oil lightly. Pour the batter in the pan and make a round shape. Cook for about 5-7 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, fry a couple slices of meat on the side and place the meat on top of the okonomiyaki. Flip the okonomiyaki and cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Flip the okonomiyaki again and spread okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise on top.
7. Sprinkle aonori over the sauce. Sprinkle katsuobushi and beni-shoga if you like.

Roasted Root Vegetable Pie

This sounds like a must-try!

Savory crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, chives)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup cream cheese, chilled and diced
1 to 2 tablespoons milk, as needed

Filling vegetables:
2 1/2 cups pearl onions
1 cup peeled, diced winter squash
2 cups peeled, diced rutebaga
1 cup peeled diced white turnip
1 cup peeled, diced parsnips
1 cup diced leeks, washed and drained
2 cups peeled, diced celery root
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 to 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Potato filling binder:
2 medium baking potatoes
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

Method:
1) For the crust: Whisk the flour, salt and herbs together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is the texture of granola. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together but is not soggy.
2) Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
3) To roast the vegetables for the filling. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the diced, chopped vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle them with the oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss all to coat.
4) Spread the vegetables out on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 45 to 60 minutes total, stirring well every 15 minutes. The veggies are ready when they are fork tender and caramelized on the edges. Set aside to cool.
5) While the vegetables are roasting, bake or boil the potatoes until they are soft and easily pierced with a fork. Peel, drain and mash the potatoes in a large bowl.
6) Mix the warm mashed potatoes, eggs, herbs, and seasoning together, then fold in the roasted, cooled vegetables.
7) To assemble: Roll the pie crust to a 12" to 14" circle. Drape the crust into a greased 9" or 10" pie pan. Trim and flute the crust edges and place the filling in the unbaked crust.
8) At this point the pie can be well wrapped and frozen for up to 4 weeks. If you are baking now, bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until golden browned on top and the center is set.
9) If you have frozen the pie, you can bake it directly from the freezer at 350°F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Be sure to check the edge of the crust and protect it from burning with a pie shield or foil.

Potato Crisps - Microwave-Style

I'm intrigued by this - I'll be giving it a go very soon!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 potato, sliced paper thin (peel optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method:
1. Pour the vegetable oil into a plastic bag (a produce bag works well). Add the potato slices, and shake to coat.
2. Coat a large dinner plate lightly with oil or cooking spray. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on the dish.
3. Cook in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned (if not browned, they will not become crisp). Times will vary depending on the power of your microwave. Remove chips from plate, and toss with salt (or other seasonings). Let cool. Repeat process with the remaining potato slices. You will not need to keep oiling the plate.

Falafel

This recipe is borrowed from Closet Cooking, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite recipe sites!

Ingredients:
1 cup dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans, soaked in cold water overnight
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 lemon, zest
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
cayenne to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Pulse the drained chickpeas, onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, coriander, cumin and lemon zest until it forms a coarse meal.
2. Sprinkle in the flour and baking soda and pulse a few times to combine, then test the mixture to make sure that it holds together adding more flour until it does.
3. Refrigerate the mixture in a covered container for a few hours.
4. Form the mixture into balls or patties.
5. Heat oil in pan to 350F, fry the balls in small batches until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes and set aside on paper towels to drain.

Mapo Tofu

I found this link over at Closet Cooking, and it sounds like it might be worth trying out one day soon.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons ginger (chopped)
1 tablespoon fermented black beans (soaked in water for 20 minutes and chopped)
2 tablespoons chili bean paste
2 tablespoons chili sauce (or to taste)
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (toasted & ground)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 pound firm tofu (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1 bunch green onions (chopped)

Method:
1. Brown the pork in a pan and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in the pan.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add fermented black beans, chili bean paste, chili sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce, and chicken stock and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the tofu and cook until the tofu is warm.
6. Serve and garnish with green onion.

Knobbly Mince variation

For those of you that got the wee beef and lamb recipe book when your littlies started on solids, this is a variation on the Knobbly Mince recipe that's in there.

Ingredients:
Mince - I use around 400g of the good quality (less-fatty) mince
Beef stock - 1 cup (or 1 cup water with 1.5 tsp of stock powder)
Tomatoes - 1 can of diced (I used Italian flavoured tomatoes)
Veges - anything, but I can recommend the following combination:
* 1 orange kumara, grated.
* 1 parsnip, grated
* 1 large carrot, grated
* 1 onion, diced
* 1 cup of mushroom pieces (I used 4 small flat mushrooms, cut into 8ths)
* 2 cups silverbeet, chopped into small pieces
* 1 or 2 courgettes (zucchinis), grated

Method:
1. Fry the onions up in a wee bit of oil, until cooked. Toss the mince on top, and again, fry up until cooked.
2. While the mince is cooking, put all the grated veges in a microwave bowl, add the stock, and microwave for around 4 minutes (basically, until the veges are soft).
3. Add the grated veges and stock to the mince/onion. Cook for a while, stirring everything together. Add the mushrooms, silverbeet and canned tomatoes. Stir, cook.
4. At this point, there tends to be quite a bit of liquid in the pan, so you have two choices - leave it to simmer and let it soak up all that liquid, or drain it off with a large spoon.

Warm Winter Vegetable Salad

A variation on mixed roast veges for a winter meal.

Ingredients:
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 small sweet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch rounds
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 small beet, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup walnuts
1 and 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a roasting pan, toss the onion, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, celery root, and beet with two tablespoons of the olive oil.
3. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until tender and lightly browned in spots.
4. Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a nonstick skillet and toast over medium heat until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 6 minutes.
5. Once the walnuts have cooled, coarsely chop and set them aside.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and fold in the parsley.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add the vegetables and the walnuts to the dressing and toss.
9. Top the salad with the feta and serve warm or at room temperature.

Lentil Loaf

I'm not normally one to go for lentils, but this recipe caught my eye.  I might give it a go next week, and see if it's as good as it sounds.

Ingredients:

Tomato Topping Mixture
1 6oz Can Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Onion Flakes
1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

Lentil Loaf
1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats or Gluten Free Oats
1/2 Block Extra Firm Tofu
1 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Green Pepper
1/2 Cup Chopped Red Pepper
1 Tablespoon Tomato Topping Mixture
3 Tablespoons Plain Yellow Corn Meal
3/4 Cup Cooked & Drained Lentils
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Onion Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Mustard

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix the tomato topping mixture together first because you will need a tablespoon to mix into the lentil loaf. The rest will be set aside to coat the loaf when completed.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a skillet on medium heat, add chopped onions, red and green bell pepper and let cook until onions are transparent (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently.
4. In a food processor chop oats for 5 quick pulses.
5. Drain tofu well and press with hands until all excess water comes out. In a mixing bowl mash tofu with a fork or use grater to coarsely grate.
6. In the same mixing bowl combine, cooked onions and peppers, 1 tablespoon of tomato mixture, oats, corn meal, lentils, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, cumin, chili powder, parsley, salt, sugar, garlic and onion salt, dried mustard and mix until well combined.
7. Spray a large sheet of tin foil with cooking spray to form loaf on, place on cookie sheet. On top and in the middle of tin foil form loaf mixture into loaf that is 2 1/2 inches tall and 4 1/2 inches square. Coat top and sides with tomato mixture (you will probably have some left over to spoon on later).
8. Cook loaf for 20 minutes, then cover with tin foil and cook for another 10 minutes. After cooking let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Pommes Anna (Potato dish)

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and have copied it exactly as it was - there's a few little tips to go with the recipe that sound like they could be useful.

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This is one of my go-to recipes. It’s easy, requires almost no tending once it goes into the oven, and every time I make it, I cannot believe there are really only 3 ingredients. The magic of the recipe comes in the first two steps and in the use of a well seasoned cast iron pan. It’s an inexpensive recipe, and the active prep time is less than 10 minutes. You can certainly use a mandonline to slice the potatoes, but I’ve found it’s unnecessary. While it saves time slicing the potatoes, it increases the number of slices you have to arrange in the pan. So do yourself a favor and just make thin slices with a knife. I can’t claim authorship for this recipe, as I got it from a friend (who was coincidentally named Anna) years ago, and only recently learned that it is a very common recipe.

But I don’t have a well seasoned cast iron pan? Can I still make this recipe?

Of course you can. Though I suspect it will end up being simply a good recipe instead of a great one. If you are not using a well seasoned cast iron pan, you’ll probably want to throw in a few seasonings here and there, or at least add pepper.

Pommes Anna

Ingredients:
4-5 Tbsp butter
3-5 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
Sea salt

Method:
1. Melt a tablespoon of the butter in a cast iron pan and melt the rest of the butter in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat to the cast iron pan.
2. Sprinkle the buttered cast iron pan with sea salt and spread a layer of potatoes in the pan.
3. Drizzle the layer of potatoes with a little butter, and add another layer. Sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Repeat the butter, potato, and sea salt layers until you’re out of potatoes.
5. Cover the top of the pan with foil, and press down firmly to flatten the potato layers.
6. Slide the pan into the oven and bake at 450 for 20 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
8. Serve.

Notes: If you’re able, the best way to serve this dish is to invert the entire cast iron pan onto a serving dish. This makes a beautiful presentation with the crispy potatoes on top. However, if you can’t, just cut the dish like you were serving a slice of pie.

Greek Pita Pockets with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

This sounds like a yummy and healthy meal during the summer - will be trying this one out this week!

Ingredients:
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
ground low-fat beef, 1-1 1/2 lbs
whole-grain pita bread pockets
plain Greek yogurt- 16 oz.
cucumber- 1, peeled
garlic salt with parsley- 1 tbspn.
cumin- 1 tspn.
dried basil- 1 tspn
lemon pepper- 1 tspn
onion powder- 1 tspn

Method:
1. Brown beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly; season with garlic salt and cumin. Drain any excess fat.
2. Chop cucumber
3. In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, chopped cucumber, basil, lemon pepper and onion powder; mix well
4. Serve beef in pita pocket bread and top with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Spinach Burgers

I doubt the rest of the family will eat these, so they'll have to be a lunchtime meal for me, I think. They sound tasty, anyway!

Ingredients:
1 bag of thawed and well drained chopped spinach
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
¼ c diced onion
½ c shredded cheese
½ c bread crumbs
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder

Method:
1. Mix all ingredients well in a bowl.
2. Form into burger-sized patties, or you can do spinach balls.
3. Heat a non stick skillet over med-high. Spray with a bit of cooking spray.
4. Cook for 4-6 minutes each side.
5. Serve on your choice of bread product, or eat them “naked”.

Mexican Hot Flower Soup

This sounds intriguing, so I'm keen to give this a go next winter.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 small yellow onion
2-3 stalks celery
1 split skinless, bone-in chicken breast
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes w/chillies
2 medium limes
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 medium avocados
2 Tbsp chicken bullion/base

Method:
1: Chop the garlic, onion and celery. Place them in a large pot with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and cook over medium heat until soft (about five minutes).
2: Add the chicken breast and 6 cups of water. Simmer with a lid on for about 30 minutes (med/low heat).
3: Carefully remove the chicken breast from the pot and remove the meat from the bone with a fork and knife. Shred the meat into small pieces and return it to the pot.
4: Add the chicken soup base, stir to dissolve. Add the can of tomatoes with chiles and the juice from one lime. Chop 1/4 bunch of cilantro and add to the pot. Taste the broth and adjust the salt, lime or cilantro to your liking.
5: Slice the avocados, chop the remaining cilantro and slice the remaining lime. Serve each bowl of soup with avocado, cilantro and lime as garnishes.