Sister Liz's Quinoa & Cream Zucchini Soup

Alright Sis! I promised, and here it is! Sorry it took so long:

Ingredients:
1 Medium Onion
1 Large (or 2 Medium) Zucchini
1 Boneless Chicken Breast
Bacon
Chicken Stock
White Wine
Half & Half
Quinoa
Rosemary, Bay Leaf, Salt, Pepper, (Unsalted) Butter, Olive Oil
Plantains, Cooking Oil

Prepare the quinoa, and set in the fridge to cool to about room temperature.

Take half of your zucchini, and dice into small pieces. Dice the onion, and put both the diced zucchini and onion into a sautee pan with some butter. Cook over medium heat until onion becomes translucent. Add approx 3/4 cup white wine and 3/4 cup chicken stock to the pan, and bring to a boil. Add rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Continue to simmer until the sauce reduces to about 50% of it's original volume.



Meanwhile, cut the rest of your zucchini into 3/4" discs, and wrap in uncooked bacon. Place into a pan, and put in the oven at about 350 until the bacon is cooked. If possible, the zucchini rounds should be raised so they are not cooking directly in the bacon drippings. Remove from the oven when finished, and set aside.

In a second (large) sautee pan, add a small amount of olive oil. Salt & pepper the chicken breast, and cook in the sautee pan over medium/medium-high heat. It's okay if the chicken sticks to the pan a little bit (we will be deglazing the pan in a little while).

Once the white wine/chicken stock sauce has reduced to 50% volume, remove from heat. (remove and discard any rosemary sprigs or bay leaves) Add to a blender, food processor, or immersion blender, and blend until smooth. The mixture shouldn't be too thick. If necessary, add additional chicken stock and/or white wine to thin the sauce. Set aside.

Once the chicken has finished cooking, remove from heat and set aside to rest. After the chicken has rested for 3ish minutes, you may cut it into slices.

In the pan you cooked the chicken, add the sauce from the blender. using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any of those delicious chicken scrapings. Add half & half to the pan, mix with your spoonula, and allow to reduce (stirring regularly) to aboug 66% volume. Or desired consistency.

You have cooked all of the parts! Now it's just presentation!

Form a ball of quinoa, and place in the middle of a wide bowl. place your zucchini/bacon rounds and chicken slices around the quinoa. Garnish (if you feel fancy) with a sprig of rosemary. Pour the cream zucchini into a small bowl or mug, and serve alongside. When you are ready to eat, you pour the cream zucchini soup over the quinoa bowl and enjoy!

Because quinoa reminds me of Peru, I prepared fried plantains to serve alongside. (Easy, plantain bananas cut into slices and fried in a pan of peanut oil. Remove from oil, dry, and salt).






Enjoy! If you have any questions, let me know!



Brad, your Black Bean soup is next!