Just because you may not see snow falling at your vacation rental in Newport Beach doesn’t mean you can’t embrace the season with some easy, delicious winter recipes! Here are some of our favorites that we think you should try.
Instant Pot Tortilla Soup
There’s almost nothing more comforting in the winter months than the perfect bowl of soup, and that’s exactly what this recipe is! For those who are working without an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, simply exchange the cooking directions with pan or oven use, and keep the measurements and ingredients the same.
Ingredients: 1 medium yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil, 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (3 to 4), 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 reg. can diced tomatoes with green chiles or fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1 reg. can black beans, 1 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels
Cooking Instructions
- Dice yellow onion and chop 4 garlic cloves.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a 4-quart or larger Instant Pot or pressure cooker with the Sauté function until simmering. While this heats, dry chicken breasts or thighs with paper towels. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add the chicken to the pot and sear until well-browned on the bottom, which should take around 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pot. Add the onion to the pot and cook until starting to soften, then add the garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, and oregano, and cook for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn the cooker off.
- Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the cooker. Add a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles – undrained – and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place and make sure the valve is set to seal. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Drain and rinse can of black beans.
- When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure. Remove the chicken. Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender directly in the cooker. (Alternatively, transfer to a stand blender, blend until smooth, and return to the pot.)
- Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the soup. Add the black beans and frozen corn kernels and use the Sauté setting to bring back to a simmer. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Serve with tortilla chips and desired toppings.
Feel free to top off this recipe with tortilla chips, green onions, and sour cream for a little added flavor, and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Turkey Biscuit Stew
Once you taste this dish, you’re not going to believe it was so easy to make! This recipe is perfect for a quick meal, and can be easily modified for larger and smaller portions as needed.
Ingredients: 1/3 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup butter, cubed, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1 can condensed chicken broth (undiluted), 3/4 cup 2% milk, 2 cups cubed cooked turkey, 1 cup cooked peas, 1 cup cooked whole baby carrots, 1 tube large refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a 10 in. cast-iron or ovenproof skillet, saute onion in butter until tender.
- Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes.
- Add the turkey, peas and carrots; heat through.
- Separate biscuits and arrange over the stew.
- Bake until biscuits are golden brown, between 20-25 minutes.
Quick Teriyaki Salmon
For those days when you’re on the go, this recipe is a quick and easy fix to still get in a full, healthy meal this winter! After all, we all need as much energy as we can get, right?
Ingredients: 4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon filets, 2 cups teriyaki sauce, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 limes, 1 (8.5-ounce) pouch microwave jasmine rice, 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
Cooking Instructions
- Add salmon to a shallow dish and cover filets with teriyaki sauce. Flip filets to coat them completely in the sauce.
- In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add filets to the skillet and cook on the first side for 5 minutes. Flip the filets and cook for another 2 minutes on the second side. Remove from dish and set aside.
- Pour remaining teriyaki sauce from the shallow dish into the hot skillet. Grate in the 1/2 lime zest and allow the mixture to bubble. You do not want it to be super thick or sticky. Once reduced, add salmon back into the skillet and spoon sauce over top.
- Microwave the pouch of rice according to the directions on the package. Pour the rice onto a serving platter.
- Transfer the salmon to the bed of rice. Spoon some sauce over top of the salmon and rice. Garnish the platter with the cilantro leaves. Cut the remaining lime into wedges and serve.
Amish Beef and Noodles
After making this recipe, nothing else will come to mind when you think of comfort food. Not only is this dish delicious, but you’re going to be stunned to see how simple it really is to create at your Newport Beach vacation rental.
Ingredients: 4 tbsp. vegetable oil, 2 lb. beef rump roast (cut into 2″ cubes), 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, 4 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, 2 large yellow onions (finely chopped), low-sodium beef broth, 12 oz. wide egg noodles
Cooking Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Place beef in a large mixing bowl and toss with flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Add 1/2 of beef to pot and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on 2 sides (4 to 5 minutes). Remove beef from pot, and repeat steps with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 beef.
- Reduce heat to medium. Cook onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt until tender (5 to 7 minutes). Return beef to pot and add 6 cups broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until beef is tender enough to shred with a fork (2 to 2 1/2 hours).
- Remove beef from pot and shred into bite-size pieces.
- Pour remaining broth into same pot and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook 7 to 8 minutes until tender. Return beef to pot, toss to combine, and season with remaining salt as needed.
- Divide beef and noodles among bowls. Serve with black pepper to taste.
Whether you believe in winter wonderlands or spend your winter counting down the days until spring, these easy recipes are a great way to embrace the season at our vacation rentals in Newport Beach, and enjoy yourselves simultaneously!
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