White Chicken Chili Sunday, Jan 9 2011

I came across this receipe a little over a year ago as well. It was a post on a blog called Cooking With Christen. She’s from LA too and raved about it, so I figured it was worth a shot. I had never made a white chili before and honestly I hate sour cream, so I was skeptical. It was, however, as good as she said it would be and then some. So without further ado:

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 4-oz can green chilis
2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Tony Chachere’s
garlic powder
onion powder
crushed red pepper
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
shredded cheese for garnish

Method:

In a deep nonstick pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced chicken breasts and season with Tony Chachere’s, garlic powder, onion powder, a little crushed red pepper (or any seasonings you prefer). Cook till no longer pink inside and turning golden on the outside.  Shred the chicken.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add the chilis, beans and broth, stir well. Add the seasonings, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and the  heavy cream and bring back to a nice heat.  Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.  Serve garnished with cheese.

Source of recipe and photo: http://cookingwithchristen.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/white-chicken-chili/

I know bloggers hate others using their photos, but my camera is still lost and I’m citing it, so no haters please and thank you!

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Hamburger Soup Sunday, Jan 9 2011

This is a recipe we concocted, which is very similar to the soup my grandmother used to make.  It’s a versatile recipe, allowing you to use what you have on hand.  The flavors meld and the soup gets better after a few days, so you get to enjoy yummy leftovers.  We eat this with saltines crunched up in it, just like the good ole days!

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1/2 bag seasoning blend (chopped onions/bell pepper)
2 bags frozen soup veggies or three large cans of veg all
1 64 oz spicy V8
1 small can tomato paste
1 can beef broth or a beef bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups water
worcestershire sauce
Louisiana Hot Sauce
Brown Sugar
Tony Chachere’s
1 bay leaf
black pepper
crushed red pepper

Directions
Season your ground meat worcestershire sauce, a light sprinkling of Tony’s and any other seasonings you would like.  Add in chopped onion and bell pepper, while you brown your meat over medium heat.

In a large stockpot, pour in the V8, tomato paste and beef broth.  Add the bay leaf, two pinches of brown sugar (to reduce acidity), a couple of dashes of LA hot sauce, a couple dashes worcestershire sauce, a couple shakes black pepper,a little crushed red pepper, a couple shakes oregano, a couple shakes basil, and any other seasoning you like.  Stir well and add veggies and drained meat.  Heat to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 30 to 45 minutes. 

Taste the soup and add more seasonings to your liking.  Enjoy!

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Mexican Chicken Chowder Sunday, Jan 9 2011

We have been using this recipe for about a year now and it never fails us. It is a creamy, spicy chowder that everyone loves! It’s quite hearty too with potatoes, chicken and corn. You can also add some carrots to the mix. It also reheats well. Hope you’re family enjoys this chowder during this cold, wet season!

Ingredients
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped onion (red or yellow)
1 clove garlic minced (we use 2)
3 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 cups water
1-2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half & half
2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
1 4 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
2 cans cream style corn
1 dash hot pepper sauce (more or less, depending on your liking)
Poultry Seasoning
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 – 3 potatoes cubed (optional)
salt
pepper

Directions
Put 1 1/2 cups water in skillet along with 3 tablespoons butter. Put the chicken breasts, onion, and garlic in the pan, then season heavily with poultry seasoning (I used Montreal Seasoning). Cover and cook through on medium heat. Remove from heat when done, reserve liquid, and shred the chicken.

Transfer the reserved liquid to your stock pot. Add two cups of water, one chicken bouillon cube and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. If you want to add carrots, add them at the same time as the potatoes.

Add the shredded chicken, creamed corn, chiles, cumin, and hot sauce. Salt and pepper to your liking. (We like to add a little crushed red pepper.) Once everything is heated through, stir in the cream, half & half, and cheese.

Adapted From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mexican-Chicken-Corn-Chowder/Detail.aspx

Notes: You can really dress this up any way you like by adding the carrots, potatoes, chopped tomatoes, and even cilantro.

My camera has disappeared so the photo below is from allrecipes.com. 

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Stuffed Mushrooms Sunday, Aug 8 2010

Recently, I have been eyeing a few stuffed mushroom recipes.  In fact, I probably have five different versions saved to my favorites.  With the heat these days, I have been in no mood to cook.  This weekend I decided to prepare a few things and freeze them to help lighten our load during the week.  I thought we should try something different and before I knew it hubs and I were cooking up these stuffed mushrooms. 

This recipe does take some time to prepare, but it’s well worth it!  Not to mention if you are making these for a meal, you can easily make three meals out of it with a side dish.  We had these mushrooms this evening with a side of aromatic popcorn rice, but would pair well with roasted green beans and/or dinner salad.  These would also be great for a potluck, Christmas party or any get together.  The varieties of cheeses melt well and complement the shrooms without being too rich. 

Sorry the only pic I got was pre-baking…. we ate the few that I baked tonight too quickly!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
2 pounds extra-large white mushrooms
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup italian breadcrumbs
1 (8 ounce) brick of cream cheese, softened
7 oz. Kraft Shredded Romano, Parmesan & Asiago Cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2.  Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside.

3.  Place the mushroom caps in a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.

4.  Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.   Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon.     Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s completely browned.

5.  Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3-5 more minutes.

6.  Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7.  Transfer the sausage mixture into a large bowl.   Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients.  Add the softened cream cheese, shredded cheese blend and all the seasonings. Add salt & pepper to taste. Mix together to fully combine.

8.  Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture using a small scoop or a spoon. 

9.  Arrange the mushrooms in the 9×13 baking dish to hold all the mushrooms in  a snug single layer. Bake 25 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

* Mushrooms can be assembled and frozen in a disposable baking dish for a quick weeknight meal

Adapted from: Stuffed Mushrooms

 

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Lemongrass Shrimp/Chicken & Fried Rice Tuesday, Mar 30 2010

We have made this recipe a few times before, but have been tweaking it to our preferences.  Tonight I wasn’t feeling so hot, so hubs cooked while I tweaked some of the ingredients.  I think we may have gotten the recipe close to perfection!  It was delicious and so easy to make.

Lemon Grass Shrimp/Chicken

Ingredients
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
2 pounds cooked, peeled shrimp OR 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken in small chunks
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemongrass paste OR 2 fresh lemongrass stalks, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger paste
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes OR 3 chilies, seeded and minced
bean sprouts, optional
cilantro, optional

Directions
Mix together fish sauce, garlic, curry powder, salt, and white sugar. Add this mixture to the shrimp or chicken and allow to marinade while you prep everything else. Thinly slice the shallot. In a small bowl, combine honey and brown sugar then set aside.

In a wok over high heat, heat olive oil. Stirfry shallot, lemon grass, ginger, and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add in shrimp/chicken along with marinade and cook thoroughly. Add honey/brown sugar mixture until melted throughout.

Serve over fried, white or brown rice. Top with bean sprouts and/or cilantro if desired. Serves four.

Adapted from: http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-vietnamese-lemongrass-chicken/?pid=2480#image-196

Easy Peasy Fried Rice

Ingredients
1/2 white onion, minced or 1-2 green onions, chopped
handful thinly sliced carrots
6-8 oz frozen english peas
handful slivered almonds
2 large eggs
salt & pepper to taste
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups cold, cooked rice
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions
Lightly beat eggs with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Scramble the eggs, remove from heat and set aside on a plate.

Clean the egg pieces from the pan. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Stirfry the onions, peas and carrots for a few minutes.

Add the cold rice to the pan, break up the rice and stirfry for five minutes. Add more oil if necessary. Toss in the handful of slivered almonds and stir in soy sauce. Remove from heat, serve immediately. Serves four.

Adapted from: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/ricefried/r/basicfriedrice.htm

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Valentine’s Day Dinner: Sliced Strawberries with Grand Marnier Zabaglione Sunday, Mar 21 2010

From what I’ve read about this dish, the Grand Marnier Zabaglione is supposed to be sort of like a custard or pudding.  Hubby LOVES Grand Marnier, so I thought this dessert would be a super easy way to complement our fine dining at home for Valentine’s Day.  Admittedly, this dessert was a bit of a flop.  I’m not quite sure what happened, but the Zabaglione never really thickened.  Instead, it was like a cream sauce over the strawberries, but it did look pretty. 

Ingredients
1 pound strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups sliced)
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon crème fraîche or sour cream
2 fresh mint sprigs (for garnish)

Directions
Divide strawberries between 2 bowls or large wineglasses. Whisk egg yolks, Grand Marnier, 2 tablespoons water, and sugar in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over large saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture becomes thick and foamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk 1 minute longer. Whisk in crème fraîche. Spoon warm zabaglione over strawberries. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serve immediately.

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sliced-Strawberries-with-Grand-Marnier-Zabaglione-353422

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Valentine’s Day Dinner: Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sunday, Mar 21 2010

This is fantastic!  Make it; you won’t be disappointed.  Be sure to double the sauce. 
From the reviews I’ve read this balsamic butter is also delicious on steaks.  I may try that soon!

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake asparagus 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus to serve.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Asparagus-with-Balsamic-Butter-Sauce/Detail.aspx

*Picture in previous post.

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Valentine’s Day Dinner: Cider Glazed Lamb Sunday, Mar 21 2010

Three things about this recipe:

1) It’s awesome!
2) It calls for lamb chops, but I used less expensive lamb shoulder steaks…and I wouldn’t recommend using that cut of meat.
3) The glaze won’t form (or didn’t for me) until you add about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. 
I added a little brown sugar at a time until I reached the consistency necessary.

The glaze, once you achieve the right consistency, is 4 star.  When we went to the store to select the meat for this recipe we were pretty limited and could only purchase lamb chops in bulk or cheaper lamb steaks.  I figured the lamb steaks would be fine and they would have been had they not been so marbled in fat that I could only get maybe 4-5 bites of meat.    Well, at least I’ll know for next time.  That being said, I’d definitely make this again and the hubs gave it 2 thumbs up!

Ingredients
1 cup unfiltered apple cider
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon mild honey
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
8 rib lamb chops (3/4 inch thick), cut from 1 rack
1 scallion, finely chopped

Directions
Boil cider, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely. Reserve 2 tablespoons glaze for drizzling.

Preheat broiler.

Pat lamb chops dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt (total). Arrange on rack of a broiler pan and brush top of chops with half of glaze. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat 3 minutes. Turn over and brush with remaining glaze, then broil 3 to 4 minutes more for medium-rare. Transfer chops to a plate and drizzle with reserved glaze. Let stand 5 minutes, then sprinkle with scallion.

***Note: We had to broil our lamb 5-7 minutes on each side for medium.

Adapted From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cider-Glazed-Lamb-Chops-240612

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Valentine’s Day Dinner: Crostini with Prosciutto, Pear, & Mint Sunday, Mar 21 2010

Well, I am a tad bit late in posting our valentine’s day meal, but here we are.  I absolutely hate going out to eat on Valentine’s day.  The lines are ridiculously long, you’re rushed, etc, etc.  This year I decided to make a special meal at home.  I wanted to do something different, so I took some time researching recipes and decided on the following menu:

Sparkling Wine
Crostini with Prosciutto, Pear & Mint
Cider Glazed Lamb
Balsamic Asparagus
Sliced Strawberries with a Grand Marnier Zabaglione

I’d like to review each dish individually. Therefore I will write a separate post for each. Let’s start with the crostini. This appetizer is unlike anything I’ve ever made at home. I must admit, it was a bit time consuming to prepare. Fortunately, hubby was on the appetizer assembly line. As I started the lamb, he was preparing this dish. Thankfully so, because the lamb took FOR.EV.ER. Well, not really the lamb, but the glaze. More about that later.

This appetizer is definitely one I’ll make again. It had a crispy, lightly sweet, lightly tangy flavor resulting from the pear and the balsamic vinegar. The goat cheese and garlic complemented the dish nicely.

Ingredients
1 loaf of ciabatta bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half or 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
extra virgin olive oil
6 large ripe figs or 1 large ripe pear
12 slices of prosciutto
Small bunch of fresh mint
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Goat Cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Grill your slices of ciabatta. (We used an electric griddle.) While they’re still hot, rub them gently with the cut side of the garlic (or minced garlic) and drizzle with good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Spread a thin layer of goat cheese on each piece of ciabatta.

Tear the figs in half (or peel and thinly slice the pear), then drape a piece of prosciutto over each of your hot crostini and squash a piece of a fig or pear on top. Finish with mint leaves and serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil, a drop of balsamic vinegar, and some freshly ground black pepper.

Adapted From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Crostini-with-Prosciutto-Figs-and-Mint-237163

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Spicy Sauteed Greens & Roasted Snow Peas Monday, Jan 25 2010

We had these two sides tonight along with some baked chicken and cornbread muffins.  So making greens without a ham hock or some sort of pork kind of goes against my southern nature.  BUT….These greens were so good, I wish I’d made more so we could have leftovers!    I’m quite sure they are a lot better for us than the old-fashioned southern method too.  Ah well, leftovers next time. 

The snow peas were fresh and crunchy.  The shallots compliment this dish nicely.  Though I did not have fresh thyme as the original recipe called for, they turned out yummy.  Next time I might add a little drizzle of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.

Spicy Sauteed Greens
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 pound collards washed well, dried and chopped
¼ Cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Hot pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until garlic is golden, being careful not to burn. Add the chopped greens and the salt. Stir several times to coat the greens with the oil. Cook until greens are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Adapted from: http://www.earthenfeast.com/recipe-spicy-sauteed-greens.html

Roasted Snow Peas

Ingredients
1/2 pound fresh snow peas/sugar snap peas
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs chopped shallots
kosher salt

Directions
Wash peas thoroughly and spread them along the bottom of a baking sheet.  Brush the peas with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped shallots.  Top with a light sprinkling of kosher salt.  Roast on 400 for 8 minutes.

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sugar-Snap-Peas/Detail.aspx

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