Top 11 Recipes...Ever

Well, maybe not EVER.

But how about the top 11 recipes on Sunshine and Jellybeans?

In case you were wondering, 11 is my favorite number.

That's why it isn't the top 10.

Click on the name of each recipe to go to the post (and don't forget that at the bottom of each post, there is a link to the printable recipe for your convenience!)...

Try them all!

Let the drumroll begin...

11. Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

 

Or Canadian Bacon and Pepper-jack Cheese Mini Frittatas, or Bacon, Cheddar and Jalapeno, or red pepper, mushroom, and onion, or...the possibilities are endless!

10. Deviled Eggs (with a kick!)

 

This one kind of surprised me...not that I don't think that these are little bites of delightfulness - because I do. They are a great twist on your every-day deviled eggs! It's just that they never seemed to get much attention when I first posted the recipe. But it has slowly climbed it's way up into the top 10!

9. Chicken Enchiladas

Sorry for the crappy picture...next time I make these I will post new pics. This is a recipe that I keep going back to over and over again. Another one that is pretty customizable, and very, very good.

8. Macaroni and Cheese a la Steph

I made this recipe again last night for the kids. It's definitely a keeper. Gooey, cheesy, creamy deliciousness. And did I mention it is kid friendly? Score. (Thanks Steph!)

7. Finger Lickin' BBQ Chicken

 

This is a classic. What else can I say? Who doesn't like BBQ chicken on the grill???

6. Chicken Parmigiana

YUM. I want this right now. The key to this recipe is the crushed up croutons...and a great marinara sauce... which is still a work in progress for me. Steve and I made and canned some this winter that was amazing...but of course I didn't measure anything or write anything down. I'm working on it. But anyway - this Chicken is fabulous and is definitely one of my favorite recipes.

5. Chicken Noodle Soup

The ultimate comfort food. However, the key to this recipe is this:

4. Homemade Chicken Stock

Trust me: homemade chicken stock is the key ingredient to taking your homemade soup to the next level. It's just better. And better for you. I know that it is time consuming, but try to make it in large batches, so that you can freeze a bunch to use later. Mmmmmm Mmmmmm good.

Are you starting to get excited for the top 3??? ME TOO!

Where is that drum roll???

3. Spicy Chicken Tostadas

 

I pulled this recipe out of my ass. Steve kept going on and on about this Tostada Ensalada that he had at a restaurant and loved. And Steve doesn't get very excited about food...not the way I do, anyway. So I asked him to describe it to me, and I got a relatively vague answer (because people who aren't obsessed with food don't mentally deconstruct every meal that they eat away from their own kitchen). But the idea of tostadas got stuck in my head, and when I finally went to make them, this is what I came up with. DELICIOUS. Keep reading for the key ingredient...(hint: it's the #1 recipe)

2. Pulled Pork and Creamy Coleslaw

This one is kinda unfair, because it's two really good recipes in one post. I don't know why people keep coming back to it - if it's the Pulled Pork or if it is the coleslaw...but I hope it is for both. Because the Pulled Pork isn't complete without a big spoonful of coleslaw on top...trust me. And don't forget the pickles! This is a go-to crowd pleasing lip smacking belly satisfying recipe for any season. Family friendly. And the crockpot does a majority of the work. How can you beat that??? 

And now...the moment you've all been waiting for!

The number one recipe in the world in the country of all time on this blog...

1. Spicy Shredded Chicken

 

Awwwwww yeah. It really shouldn't surprise you. There have already been two recipes on this countdown that have this as the key ingredient (#9 Chicken Enchiladas and #3 Spicy Chicken Tostadas). And don't forget that you can also use this chicken to make tacos, quesadillas, nachos, or my Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup! How versatile is that??? Go ahead, double or triple the recipe. Make a huge batch and freeze the rest for later use. And - if you don't feel like grilling it, make it in the oven. Of course the grill is the best way to do it because of the lovely flavor it imparts, but if you are in a bind, just cook it in the oven at about 375 degrees, turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through.

Thanks everyone! Try one or all of these recipes very soon, and don't forget to ENJOY!!!

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and Fontina Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Sweet mother of deliciousness.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is one of my all-time favorites.

And who doesn't like a grilled cheese?

Especially one made with fontina cheese.

Yum.

The soup recipe is a revamp...I originally posted it here, but it was confusing and without pictures.

It is adapted from an Ina Garten recipe.

...that's right, the Barefoot Contessa.

I love that woman.

Anyway, here is the food porn and recipes.

The ultimate comfort food!

Yes, I realize that I say that about everything.

That is because food in general is very comforting to me, so comfort food is especially comforting...

...nevermind.

Just eat it.

 I realize that this recipe calls for ridiculous amounts of fresh basil (4 cups), but just trust me on this, ok?

 

 Oh, you know I had to add Fontina cheese to the soup too! But you could also use Parmesan.

If that doesn't get your tastebuds watering, I don't know what will.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (serves 6) adapted from Ina Garten

• 3 lbs ripe tomatoes (preferably roma tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup, plus one tablespoon olive oil 
• 6-8 cloves of garlic (left whole)
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 4 cups basil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 quart low sodium, fat free chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon 
• 1 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes (I use San Marzano) 
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the tomatoes in half, throw into a large zip-top bag. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper.  Spread mixture onto a large baking sheet, making sure tomatoes are cut side up.

Roast for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, add one tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon butter to large dutch oven or soup pot. Saute onions over medium heat until tender.

Add roasted tomatoes and garlic (including all of the juices) to dutch oven. Add broth, basil, bouillon, thyme and can of tomatoes.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until there are no large chunks of garlic or basil. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Check seasonings, add more salt, pepper, or sugar as necessary.

Serve garnished with your favorite Italian cheese!

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Fontina Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (serves 4)

• 8 slices of your favorite artisan bread (I used rosemary-olive oil)
• 8 ounces fontina cheese (or other melt-able cheese)
• 4 tablespoons butter

Butter the outside of all 8 slices of bread. Add 2 ounces of cheese to the inside of 4 slices of bread. Top with remaining 4 slices of bread (remember - butter out, cheese in).

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches (working in batches if necessary), cook for 3 minutes or until the bottom of the sandwich is golden brown.

Reduce heat to low. Flip sandwich and cook other side until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Chicken Noodle Soup

As I mentioned last week, a sudden winter storm put me in the mood for the ultimate winter comfort food: Chicken Noodle Soup.

I posted my recipe for Homemade Chicken Stock on Thursday, and you should make it as soon as possible.

I wasn't going to post my recipe for chicken noodle soup, because once you have the stock the rest is a cake walk.

Although I'm not really sure what a cake walk is.

But then I got really lazy this weekend and didn't take any pictures of any of the food I cooked.

You see - Steve and I went up to the cabin for one last weekend before we had to put the boat away. If you've been reading this blog since the beginning, you will remember that we went up the same weekend last year (you can read about it here).

Except last year we had the shadow of Steve's forthcoming chemo treatments (that started the following week) to worry about.

Thankfully we didn't have those worries this year.

Like last year, the weather was gorgeous and we had a blast - boating, saunaing, relaxing, eating...

And this year we had the bonus of hanging out with some friends Saturday night/Sunday morning (thanks Mark, Gale and Georgia!)!

The weekend flew by and I didn't want to go home.

We ate some delicious food - on Friday night we marinaded and grilled some fresh partridge that my dad gave us (the original organic, free range poulty!), and on Saturday I made a big pot-roast in the crock pot.

But I was a total slacker and didn't take any pics.

All weekend.

Not one!

So today I am going to post the chicken noodle soup recipe instead.

I hope you don't feel like it is too much of a consolation prize...

It's delicious, easy and it will warm you from the inside out!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Chicken Noodle Soup (serves 8 - 10)

• 6 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock
• 2 lbs cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• 6 celery stalks, washed and diced
• 6 large carrots, washed and diced 
• 1/2 a large yellow onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 1 lb dried egg noodles (less if you want the soup less thick/hearty)
• 2 - 4 tablespoons chicken bouillon (to taste)
• salt and pepper
• dried herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, and/or parsley (optional - to taste)

 Saute celery, carrots and onions in melted butter until crisp-tender. Add chicken and stock, bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and check seasonings. Add bouillon, salt and pepper to taste. Return to a boil, add egg noodles and simmer until cooked through. Check seasonings again and if desired, add dried herbs (but if your stock is really flavorful, you might not need to add any herbs). Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Homemade Chicken Stock

Last week we had our first winter storm.

It dropped (on average) 7.1 inches of snow in Duluth.

Typically, I am not a fan of winter.

Since I met Steve, however, it has become more tolerable.

First, because he loves winter.

I mean loves it.

And he convinces me to get out and play in the snow, which makes it go by faster.

Second, because if I am going to be cooped up in the house while it's snowing and blowing and dark (have I mentioned how much I hate daylight savings time?), at least I will be cooped up with him.

Third, because he has a snowplow.

Fourth, because he has a shovel, and he's not afraid to use it.

Besides Steve, the only other things that get me through winter are good books and soup.

And SmartWool socks.

Anyway...

One of the main ingredients in several of my favorite winter soups is chicken stock!

Now, you can always buy store-bought chicken stock...

...but it's expensive.

And the flavor isn't as rich (which means it won't make as yummy soup!).

And if you are watching your sodium intake, store-bought stock is higher in sodium, even though you still need to add salt to it for most recipes.

My point is, homemade stock is better, even though it adds steps/time to your soup recipe.

 Yum.

My solution is to make large amounts of it.

I have a large stockpot that must be around 20 quarts that I use (after I remove the chicken and veggies and strain the broth, it leaves me with about 2  7-quart dutch ovens full). This makes enough for 2 - 3 large pots of soup.

Whatever I don't use right away, I put in containers or zip-top bags and freeze it.

Here is a basic recipe for homemade chicken stock, and then please see my notes below for more specific instructions and substitutions.

Homemade Chicken Stock

• 8 pounds of chicken pieces (carcasses, wings, roasting chickens, etc.- whatever you have)
• 6 large carrots, washed and cut into large pieces
• 4 celery stocks, washed and cut into large pieces (leaves and all!)
• 1 medium onion, quartered (skin and all!)
• 10 or more sprigs of fresh dill (trust me!)
• 10 - 20 sprigs of fresh thyme, oregano, and/or rosemary
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 6 cloves of garlic
• water

 Throw everything into a large stockpot or dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 4 - 6 hours. Strain stock through a fine-mess strainer into another container. Let it chill overnight or until fat solidifies on top. Remove fat. Use immediately, or place in plastic containers/zip-top bags and freeze.

* If I am going to make chicken noodle soup (or some other soup that calls for chicken), I will throw a whole chicken in the stock pot, bring it to a boil and simmer it for about 45 minutes (or until the legs pull away easily). At this point, I will remove the whole chicken from the stock, let it cool, pick the meat off the bone, and then throw the carcass back in. You don't want to simmer any chicken that you are going to eat for 4+ hours - it will be like rubber. You can also use the carcasses from rotisserie chickens.
** If you aren't watching your sodium, substitute some of the water for fat-free, low sodium chicken broth. This will provide a richer flavor.
*** If you don't have fresh herbs, you can substitute dried, or use a combination. Last time I used fresh thyme, but dried oregano and also some red pepper flakes. Try to use the fresh dill though! It adds something extra (though it doesn't impart a strong dill flavor on your soups).
**** If you don't want to wait overnight to skim the fat off, cool stock down enough to pour into a fat-separating pitcher; or pour into large zip-top bags, seal top of bag, cut bottom corner off of bag (fat will have risen to the top) and pour the stock into a pot, pinching the corner of the bag to prevent any of the fat from going in the pot...discard bag with remaining fat in it. I prefer to plan ahead and chill it overnight...because it is so much easier to skim the fat off:

Stay tuned for a recipe for delicious chicken noodle soup...using homemade chicken stock, of course!

Printable Recipe

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Have I kept you in suspense long enough?

Or did you already eat all of your leftover Spicy Shredded Chicken anyway?

I don't blame you if you did...but now you have to make more!

Sorry it took me so long to get you this recipe...part 3 in the delicious series of spicy chicken posts. The problem was (and still is) that I haven't got the pictures for this recipe off of Steve's camera yet.

I finally just decided to post the recipe, and update it with pictures later. Don't get too excited...Steve wasn't there to shoot them for me, so even though I used his fancy camera they probably didn't turn out as good. But don't worry, I am going to bribe him into taking more food pics for me soon.

This recipe is super fast, easy and really delicious. I realize that it is summer and you don't necessarily want to eat soup, but this one was totally worth it. It is one of my new favorites. I didn't have to add any seasonings to it at all, because the chicken, lime and tomatoes are so flavorful. If you substitute something else other than my Spicy Shredded Chicken recipe, I will kill you  you may have to add salt, pepper, or Mexican seasonings (such as chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, etc), as needed. 

I am trying the recipe for Spicy Shredded Chicken again this week, except with pork, and in the crockpot. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup (this recipe is enough for 2 - 3 people, but could easily be doubled)

• 1/2 pound leftover Spicy Shredded Chicken
• 1 - 2 cans Rotel tomatoes (I used one and a half...they are 10 oz cans), undrained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 (7 oz) can of diced green chiles, undrained
• 2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno (I used the kind in a jar)
• 3 - 4 cups of fat free, low sodium chicken broth
• 1 large handful of chopped cilantro 
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Avocado, for garnish

Throw the chicken, tomatoes, beans, lime juice, chiles, broth and cilantro in a large pot or dutch oven, heat over medium high heat until simmering, turn down to low. I only used one lime in the soup, and then served the bowl with individual lime wedges because I love lime and Steve doesn't...and this way I can control the amount of lime for each serving. If everyone eating is a lime fan, I would definitely juice two into the soup. Serve with garnishes, and don't leave out the sour cream! That with the lime really makes this dish. ENJOY!

Printable Recipe

Chili. Because it's chilly!

I lied about having a chili recipe that includes pictures. FAIL! I can't find my battery charger + extra battery for my camera. I thought it was in Steve's camera case, but it wasn't. He thinks that it might be in his laptop bag...which is who knows where. I better find it soon because my brother emailed me yesterday and told me that I needed to quit blogging about food and post some pictures from our shack weekend (which was like 4 weeks ago, to give you an idea how behind I am). I am going to do my best to get it in my possession by this weekend so I can play catch up. In the meantime, here is my sad, lonely, picture-less (but still delicious) recipe for hearty chili! PS - this is based off of the recipe that my mom told me about years and years ago. Which means that one day, I called her to find out how she made her chili, and she said, "I use spicy V8 juice as the base." And that was about all she could tell me. Because it is impossible to get a full recipe from my mother. She simply doesn't believe in them. So I had to figure the rest out myself! Hi Mom!

Chili: (serves 6)

• 1 lb of meat. Usually I use venison, but I didn't have any and I had ground beef on hand, so I used that. You could also use ground turkey, or round stead cut into cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 - 6 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 - 4 tablespoons chili powder (maybe more depending on the quality of your chili powder)
• 1 - 2 teaspoons of oregano
• salt and pepper
• 1 - 2 teaspoons (or more, if you are feeling spicy) cayenne pepper
• One bottle of Spicy V8 juice
• 1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can of light red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can of medium or hot chili beans, undrained
• 1 can of butter beans, drained (these are optional...I just really like butter beans!)
• 2 cans of tomatoes, stewed or diced (I used one of each), undrained

Brown your meat and saute your onion and celery in a large dutch oven or soup pot (drain grease if necessary).  Throw everything else in and let it simmer for 30 - 60 minutes. Taste and add seasonings if necessary (sometimes I add a little sugar, paprika, garlic, or more chili powder). And that's it! Easy weeknight meal! Make it before summer comes!

Printable Recipe

Quick and Dirty Chicken Noodle Soup

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...I told you how I make my chicken stock in this post about my chicken wild rice soup. It's quite the process (although it turns out very yummy!), especially if you are a freak like me about skimming all the fat off.

This weekend, Steve came down with a cold and my first thought was "I better make him some chicken noodle soup". Because it is an indisputable rule written about the universe, that when people we love get sick, women (and some men) feel the immediate need to make chicken noodle soup. Right? Or is it just that my first thought always centers around food, and this is just a good excuse for me to hole up in my kitchen for several hours? Not sure...

Either way, here was my dilemma: I didn't really want to hole up in my kitchen for several hours making chicken noodle soup. The weather has been unseasonably warm, and I am still on my crazy Italian food kick (will it ever stop?). My plan was to roast tomatoes all afternoon for homemade marinara sauce. But the man must have chicken noodle soup. Sick people MUST eat chicken noodle soup, or they will never, ever, heal. Plus I felt bad for him. It sucks to be sick.

So I compromised my belief system and made a "cheater" chicken noodle soup, where I skipped out on making the long version of my chicken stock. Here's what I did:

PS - it turned out really good

Quick and Dirty Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut up into bite sized pieces
• carrots
• celery
• 1 medium onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• fresh oregano
• fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• lots of fat free, less sodium chicken broth (like 72 oz or more)
• chicken bouillon
• egg noodles

Dump all of the chicken broth in a stock pot. Add a few sprigs of thyme and oregano, along with the bay leaves and a couple teaspoons of chicken bouillon. Chop up your carrots, celery, garlic and onion (I used lots of veggies - it is supposed to be a healing soup, after all), and add them to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are starting to get tender*. Remove the sprigs of thyme, oregano, and the bay leaves and discard. Add chicken, simmer until cooked through. Season with salt, pepper and more chicken bouillon to taste. Add egg noodles (again, the amount depends on if you want a super hearty soup, or lots of broth) and cook until al dente. Serve! And feel better!

* Do you see what is happening here? Instead of sauteing the veggies first in butter or oil, we are cooking them right in the broth, along with the fresh herbs - thereby infusing the broth with the flavors...which is what you do when you make homemade chicken stock! Shortcut! And boneless, skinless chicken breasts don't have the fat that a whole chicken does, so you don't have to skim any fat off. Aren't I SMART?!?!

The only downfall to this soup is that because the chicken is boneless, skinless and lower in fat, it doesn't come out as tender (it is drier...if that makes sense talking about soup...). Other than that I was very happy with the results. And now Steve will not have to suffer from this cold until next winter, when I am in the mood to make magical chicken soup again.

Printable Recipe

Vegetable Beef Soup (with Barley)

I almost didn't post this recipe, because it isn't really a recipe at all. I have never made vegetable beef, beef barley, vegetable beef barley, or any combination of vegetables, beef and barley in a soup before - and I couldn't find a recipe that had everything I wanted...so this was an experiment. It did turn out really good - but some of the stuff I did was unnecessary (like cook the veggies separately in the slow cooker - FAIL! They weren't even done after cooking all day on warm/low, so I had to put them on the stove anyway), so I will tell you the right way to do things and try to keep it as organized as possible. Ha!

Vegetable Beef Soup (with Barley)

• 1.5 lbs of cooked shredded beef (I did a big rump roast in the crock pot over night with 1 cup red wine, 1 bottle of beer and a couple of tablespoons of beef bouillon. After skimming the fat off I reserved about 2-3 cups of the juice and cut the roast in half...used half here and put the other half with rest of juices in freezer for later use.)
• Veggies! You can use frozen veggies - I won't tell. I used fresh though. Steve and I basically walked around the produce department and decided what we wanted: 1 small bag of carrots, 2 potatoes, 1/2 package of celery, one whole package of green beans and an onion. Then I grabbed a bag of frozen peas (and used about 2 cups) and a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Use whatever veggies you want - leeks, turnips, or zucchini would be good in here too. So would mushrooms!
• Pearl Barley (I used the regular stuff, not the quick cooking. Cause that would be too easy)
• 2-3 of the 32 oz cartons of fat free/reduced sodium beef broth (or homemade beef stock if you have it)
• Olive Oil
• beef bouillon*
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-4 cloves of garlic (depends on how many vampires are in your area)
• thyme (I used dried)*
• basil (I used dried)*
• oregano (dried)*
• a little shake (or two) of pizza and pasta magic
• salt, pepper, white sugar*

*Sorry that I don't put the amounts in for these...I just think spices are such a personal thing. Besides, I just dump, taste, dump, taste, etc. with a little cooking time in between. I would start with a tablespoon of each herb and the sugar, and then work your way up from there.  Salt and pepper just do to your liking.

Have your meat cooked, shredded (or diced) and set aside. Dice up all of your veggies into bite sized pieces and saute them, in batches, in olive oil (except for peas and the tomatoes) until they are just starting to get tender (but not soft - they will cook more later!). Some veggies, like green beans, won't take as long to soften as other veggies, like carrots, so keep that in mind while you are doing this. When tender, throw all of your veggies into a big stockpot/soup kettle, add beef broth, meat (if you used my crock pot recipe, also add a couple cups of the liquid from the meat), and spices (like I said, start with a tablespoon and adjust later). Bring to a boil, then add the rinsed barley (I forgot to rinse my barley before I added it. I didn't die, or even get sick. Please don't tell me that barley grows in poop or something and that's why you need to wash it). Let it all simmer for 45 min - 1 hour, then turn it down to low and start taste-testing and adjusting the seasonings until it's where you want it. I found that I needed to add a lot of beef bouillon to get the sodium that I wanted. Part of the reason for this is that my barley soaked up more of my broth than I wanted, and I was out of beef broth so I had to add a couple cups of water.

Sorry that this is kinda scattered and random - that is pretty much how I think these days! Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Finally! White Chicken Chili Recipe...

Sorry for the delay folks - I had some serious road blocks last week that prevented me from posting this recipe sooner. Things like snowshoeing, eating at new Japanese restaurants (pics and review to come), visiting my nephew in the cities, riding around in plow trucks, making homemade spaghetti sauce, joining Yoga classes and watching the Vikings choke really impeded my progress. BUT - at long last, here is the recipe for White Chicken Chili that you have all been waiting for (given to me by my friend Danielle and complete with my changes at the bottom, of course!):

Danielle's White Chicken Chili 

 

Ingredients:
6 marinated boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see preparation below)

3/4 cup Lime Juice

Zest of 1 Lime

2 Tbs. Minced Garlic

3 Tbs. Butter or Olive Oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 large onion finely chopped

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tbs. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 Tbs. Cracked Black Pepper

1 Tbs. Kosher Salt

4-5 cans Great Northern Beans (mostly drained)

2 (4-ounce) cans mild Green Chiles

1 (4-ounce) can Jalapenos (if desired)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, for garnish

3 Tbs. Chopped Parsley leaves, for garnish

1 bag Tortilla Strips, for garnish

 

 

Method:

As many as 3-24 hours before, marinade the chicken breasts in minced garlic, zest of 1 lime and lime juice. Cube chicken and saute in Dutch Oven with 3 Tbs. Butter or Olive Oil until cooked through and tender.  Remove chicken and set aside in a bowl.  In same Dutch Oven, add 1 Tbs. Olive Oil and saute onions for a few minutes.  Stir in the green chiles and add the flour and 1 Tbs. Minced Garlic.  Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan and stir in the heavy cream.  Lower heat and cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.  Once the sauce has thickened, add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, black pepper and the salt.  If desired, add Jalapenos.  Stir and cook for a few minutes.  Add the Great Northern Beans and the chicken and simmer for another 6-8 minutes.  Transfer to a serving bowl or crock pot.   Serve with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla strips.    

* I used already cooked turkey left over from the giant 20 lb turkey we made the day before. I still marinaded it for a few hours in the lime (the lime makes this dish - trust me!) and then just dumped it in to the chili towards the end. 

* I'm sure you'll be surprised about this one...I substituted half-n-half and a little 1% milk for the heavy cream. 

* After all the ingredients were in the pot, I found the chili to be too thick for my liking (after all, it only calls for 3 cups of liquid total...1 cup cream, 2 cups stock), so I added more chicken stock (you could also just use broth), more milk (probably should have used more half-n-half but I was out), and an extra squeeze of lime (but taste it first to decide if you really want to add more lime - I am a lime-lover so it was a good decision for me). After that, taste it and add more seasonings if necessary. 

* Don't be a sissy - use jalapenos. It's still chili for Pete's sake! 

* Instead of Tortilla strips for garnish, crush up some Nacho Cheese Doritos. Oh yumyumyumyumyum. It doesn't look quite as nice as the strips, but it tastes amazing. That tip is courtesy of Steve!

* Obviously, this is not a low fat dish. Take your dog for an extra long walk after eating this.  

* Enjoy! 

Mmmmm mmmmmm good!!! Roasted Tomato Basil Soup!!!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you a breaking news story...
With record cold temperatures around the area for the past couple of days, and no warm-up in site, I have officially dubbed this week "The week of the soup". And because my brother loves me and generously donated 4 bags of frozen garden tomatoes to my cause, I kicked off soup week last night with some delicious (and nutritious) Roasted Tomato Basil Soup courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa. This is, by far, the best tomato soup I have ever had. Well, besides the tomato soup at the Scenic Cafe, but that doesn't count because they are paid professionals who have the corner market on deliciousness. Plus, I'm pretty sure they add heavy whipping cream, and like I mentioned in a previous post - the challenge is to make it delicious AND relatively healthy. This is a wonderful way to curb that mid-winter-craving-garden-produce-or-something-fresh dilemma. Here is the recipe taken from the Food Network Website (with my alterations, of course):

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half any tomatoes will do...if you don't have garden tomatoes, use whatever looks good at the grocery store
  
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or less, if you feel fat
  
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed I know this seems like a ton of basil, but just trust me
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 quart chicken stock or water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper (I also add a couple pinches of sugar...especially if tomatoes are not in season). Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet cut side up and roast for 45 minutes. I add the garlic cloves in with the tomatoes because roasted garlic makes me happy.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil (I give the basil a rough chop), thyme, and chicken stock (I also add Pizza and Pasta Magic*). Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade (I use an immersion blender instead). Taste for seasonings. At this point I let it simmer for another 30 minutes or so, because I find that the longer it cooks the better it tastes. I also will add a little chicken bouillon if it needs sodium. I like mine a little sweeter too, so depending on the tomatoes, I might add another couple pinches of sugar. Serve hot or cold. 

I have pictures on my camera at home...I will upload one tonight if I get a chance. Delicious!

*Pizza and Pasta Magic by Chef Paul Prudhomme: It is my favorite spice on the planet. No salt, bit of a kick, plus parm cheese (which makes everything better)! I buy it at Mount Royal Grocery Store, but you can also order it online HERE 
I would recommend trying it as soon as possible. I use it in my soups, pastas, homemade pizza, marinades, and just about anything else I can think of to use it on. It's my secret ingredient. But now it isn't a secret anymore. Enjoy!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Every year after Thanksgiving, my mom takes home the carcass of the turkey (with all the meat that my dad strategically leaves on it), and makes home-made turkey wild rice soup. I look forward to it almost as much as I look forward to eating turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving day. It is delicious and my mom is a wonderful soup maker. Yum.  

Unfortunately, I no longer live at home, so I rarely get to enjoy this gift of soupy deliciousness. Plus I don't have Thanksgiving at my house, so I don't ever get the leftovers to make soup (and to make an entire turkey just to make some soup seems a little excessive). So I settle for making Chicken Wild Rice Soup. Maybe you already have a recipe, and this is a total waste of my time. But I like talking about food anyway, so if you don't have a recipe (or if you don't love your recipe), I've made this a couple times (including last Sunday) and I've tweaked it and it is actually really good. If you are wondering - my mom doesn't really believe in following recipes which makes it very difficult to get a recipe from her. So I have to improvise! Here we go:

Lindsey's Chicken Wild Rice Soup

 The first thing I do is make my chicken stock. I cheat by simmering my chicken in fat free low sodium broth instead of water (more flavorful), with roughly chopped carrots, celery, onions, garlic and whatever herbs I have on hand (parsley, thyme, oregano, a little dill never hurt anyone, etc) plus a couple of bay leaves. Throw it all in a pot (leafy celery tops, onion skins and all), and SIMMER (don't boil hard because we want to use this chicken for the meat in the soup) for about 45 min or until the legs pull easily away from the chicken. Take the chicken out to cool, strain the broth into a seperate container and discard the vegetables. At this point I usually put the broth outside to cool so I can skim the fat off. 

I lied. The first thing I do is start the wild rice. It can cook in the oven while you are making the stock. So hopefully you are reading this recipe through first before you make it. I add chicken bouillon to the rice for some flavor while its cooking (one cube per one cup of water). If you like your rice a little firmer, take it out of the oven about 30 minutes before its done, because it will cook a little more in the soup. 

When the chicken is cool, pick it off the bone and cut it up. If you love your dog like I do,  you will save a few pieces of not-desirable-for-human-consumption pieces of chicken to put on his food that night. 

In the empty (but not washed) stock pot, saute chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil. You can use whatever amounts that you want...I usually use tons of veggies because it makes me feel like I'm being healthy. Once the veggies are starting to get tender, add the stock, the chicken, and the wild rice. Taste it and add seasonings as needed (bouillon, salt, pepper, and herbs). Remember that you will be adding milk/half-n-half/flour to this, so make it a little tastier than usual. I let it cook for a bit until everything is as tasty and tender as I like it. 

Next, you are supposed to make a roux with butter and flour, add heavy cream until its a thick paste, then incorporate some of the soup broth before slowly adding it to your soup. I don't do things this way. First of all, I have a serious problem with heavy whipping cream. My stomach is NOT happy with me when I eat it. Neither are my love handles. Also, I think the butter is unnecessary. Instead, I use 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of half-n-half. Heat that up in a saucepan, then slowly incorporate 3/4 cup of flour, whisking and stirring until smooth. Then stir some broth to the "roux",  before incorporating it into the soup. It doesn't make for as thick of soup, but it is very creamy and you can sleep better at night knowing you just knocked 1,000 calories off but didn't compromise flavor. Plus, this soup is packed with meat, veggies and rice...how much thicker do you need it?

At this point you will need to taste the soup to see if you need more salt/pepper/bouillon. 

This last step is optional. Normally, I LOVE to cook with wine.  It makes me happy. But just this one time, I actually liked the soup better without it. It pains me to say that. Either way, if you want to, you can add 3/4 cup of white wine to the soup at the end. If you would rather just drink the 3/4 cup of wine, be my guest!

Sorry that this is the world's longest post, and that it is not really in a very easy format for you to print out and use. 1) I'm too lazy to do that. 2) I like to post like I'm having a conversation with you people. It makes it feel less formal. 3) Even if I felt like copying the Pioneer Woman and adding a printable recipe at the end of the post, I have absolutely no idea how. Sorry!

Enjoy! Oh, and if you have any questions or need clarification please feel free to call, email or leave a comment here for me.