White Chunky Chicken Chili

Tags

beans, chicken, chicken chilli, chili, corn, dinner, dinner recipe, food, foodie, hearty meal, lunch, lunch recipe, postaday2011, recipe, soup, white chili

Hubster and I have different views on chili. He likes his very soupy and I like mine thick. He likes his with only a few ingredients, I like more variety. He likes his on top of a baked potato or salad. I like mine over top of rice or a grilled polenta cake. Since I’m the one cooking, I make it how I like it.

White Chunky Chicken Chili – Perfect for the crisp autumn nights!

White Chunky Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 c. cannellini beans, 2 c. garbanzo beans, 2 jalapeños (diced), 2 c. corn, 1 medium onion (minced), 2 garlic cloves (crushed), 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 1 bottle of beer (or two if you like soupier chili), 1/2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, 2 Tbsp. ground cumin, 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro, 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh ground sea salt, extra sharp white cheddar cheese (shredded), sour cream (optional)

Directions:
Cut chicken breast into small chunks. Heat onions, garlic and oil in the bottom of soup pot. Add chicken and cook. Add beer and deglaze pan. Add beans, corn, jalapeños, cumin, coriander seeds (crush with muddler or hands), cilantro, peppers, salt & pepper and boil. Mash about 1 c. of the beans in the pot, stir well. Serve hot and top with sour cream, cheese and tortilla strips.

What’s on your dinner table tonight?

Harvest Salad

Tags

bleu cheese, butternut squash, dinner salad, food, light fare, lighter fare, lunch recipe, meal, pomegranate, recipe, roast butternut squash seeds, salad, salad course, salad dressing, side salad, spring mix, turkey bacon

This is the perfect addition to lunch or light fare dinner on a crisp fall day. Delicious flavors and wonderful textures all harmonizing in one bowl.

Young Wifey's Harvest Salad

For each salad you need:

Ingredients:
2 c. spring mix, 1 Granny Smith apple, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, 1/2 c. pomegranate seeds, 2 Tbs. roast (with nutmeg) butternut squash seeds , 2 Tbsp. crumbled bleu cheese, 4 pieces crumbled turkey bacon, 1 Tbs. ginger sesame seed dressing

Directions:
Place spring mix on salad plate or bowl. Core and cut apple into chunks, dip in lemon juice. Layer ingredients on top of spring mix, drizzle with dressing and serve.

What is you favorite light fare meal or salad?

Chicken Pot Pie

Tags

carrot, celery, chicken, chicken breast, chicken stew, corn, crust, dinner, dinner recipe, dough, lunch, lunch recipe, pie crust, pot pie, potato, recipe, rosemary, rosemary pie crust, savory pie crust, wheat germ

Yesterday, I had my nieces help me with dinner. I forgot how much longer it can take to make something, when you have kids doing it for the first time. While I made the filling, I talked them through making the dough. They each made enough dough for several pot pies, measuring, mixing and rolling it out. These are not exact measurements, I definitely estimated for the filling. The dough had more precise measurements.

Chicken Pot Pie

Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts, 2 large potatoes, 2 carrots, 3 stalked celery, 2 c. corn, 2 Tbsp. minced onions, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. celery seed, 3 Tbsp. butter, 3 Tbsp. flour, 3 c. water, cooking wine, 2 bay leaves,  2 c. milk, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper.

Filling Directions:
Cube chicken. Over medium heat melt butter, added cumin, paprika and minced onions. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan. Chop celery, carrots and potatoes. Add vegetables, water, wine, celery seeds and bay leaves to frying pan, cover and reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves. Return chicken to pan, add milk, flour, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Dough Ingredients:
3 c. flour, 1/2 c. wheat germ, 1 c. butter, 1/2 c. vegetable oil, 2 Tbsp. rosemary, 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 c. water.

Dough Directions:
Mix ingredients together. Chill for two hours. Roll dough on a floured surface. Cut six smaller circles for the top crust and 6 larger circles for the bottom crusts.

Pot Pie Directions:
Preheat oven 350°F. Press large dough circle to bottom and sides of each dish. Scoop filling into dish and place smaller dough circle on top. Press seams together. Beat an egg and brush egg over top crust, cut a small slit in top of the crust. Bake on a tray for 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

My nieces worked really well in the kitchen, I am impressed with their developing culinary skills (they seemed to enjoy getting their hands messy in the dough).

*I didn’t have any cooking wine on hand, I used the only open bottle of wine I had, Hazlitt’s Red Cat.

This recipe would work well with beef as well. Any combination of you favorite vegetables would work well.

What do you do with teens in the kitchen?

Ham and Three Bean Soup

Tags

bean, dinner, ham, ham & bean, ham and bean, Holiday, holiday tradition, lunch recipe, soup, Soup recipe, St. Patrick's Day, tradition

I like holidays, no matter how large or small, to last a week. I love the excuse for any festivity. This week is insanely busy with rehearsal going after school until almost 11p.m. My sister already beat me to the Irish Potatoes, so I made a quick St. Patrick’s Day soup recipe. I have exactly 1 hour to make my soup, eat, clean up, post this and get to rehearsal… I love a challenge.

Ham & Three Bean Soup

Ingredients:
chunk of  ham (I used turkey ham), 1 can black beans, 1 can great northern beans, 1 can green beans, minced onions, parsley, pepper, water

Directions:
Cut ham into smaller chunks and boil in water with minced onions, parsley and pepper. Add beans and boil for three minutes. Serve hot with warm soda bread (I prefer one that’s not sweet and without the raisins).

I prefer to use dried beans and soak them overnight, however I do what I can when time is limited.

Curried Chicken Salad

Tags

chicken, chicken salad, lunch recipe, pita, recipe, sandwich, tea sandwich, wrap

Once in a while I enjoy lunch at a local brewery. Despite their menu changing seasonally, my favorite remains a staple. I crave their curried chicken salad often, so tonight I made my own.

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3 stalks celery, 1 c. red seedless grapes, 1 medium apple, 1 c. mayo, 1 heaping Tbs. curry powder, lemon juice, 1 Tbs. mince onions, whole wheat Pitas or whole wheat wraps, lettuce

Directions:
Cook the chicken breast using your favorite method (grill, bake, boil, etc…) and set aside to cool. Mix together mayo, curry and minced onions. Chop celery into small pieces. Core and cube apple, dip in lemon juice. Slice grapes in half and set aside. Mix together curry mayo, chicken, celery, grapes and apples. Open pita or wrap, line with lettuce and scoop in some curried chicken salad.

My notes on this chicken salad:
I my like chicken salad to have large filling chunks in it, chicken salad should not be spreadable (not canned chicken for me). I always use golden delicious apples. Anytime I use curry, I use metal or glass bowl to prepare, store and serve it. Plastic and wooden bowl seem to absorb the curry. I like to slice avocados and add them to my pita. Yum!

Enjoy! Now if only I have a cherry kriek or raspberry lambic…