"Best" White Chili

First, I don't take total credit on this one...it is my mom's recipe, and one of my favorites of her's at that.  Why is it called "best"?  Not sure...that is what mom calls it.  I don't love eating soup in the summer, but this is one of the few that seems a bit lighter.  If you are like me, you make substitutions and adjustments to make recipes your own...one word of advice...the tomatillos are key!  Change anything you want, but keep the tomatillos!

Saute 1 chopped white onion (any kind of onion is fine) for about 5 minutes.  Add 3 cloves garlic, chopped and saute for another 3 minutes.  (Sometimes I feel like every good recipe begins with sauteed onion and garlic)

I'm going to let you into one of my best secrets to many delicious, easy recipes...ROTISSERIE CHICKEN!!! You can buy it at any grocery store in the prepared food area.  They are usually no more than about $5 and they are full of flavor and already cooked.  When I buy it, I immediately shred it and put it in the fridge.  You can use it for ANYTHING (sandwiches, tacos, soups, salads)!  For this recipe, use half of the shredded chicken, white and dark meat. 

Add Chicken, vegetable broth, chicken broth, and rotel to the sauteed garlic and onions.  Cover and bring to a boil. 

Next add the chopped tomatillos and lower the heat to a simmer.  If you have never worked with tomatillos, they are a similar texture to tomatoes, but more dense and more tart.  This is what they look like when you purchase them at the store...

Peel off the outer skin and rinse well and roughly chop. 

  

Add 1 chopped zucchini, 4 chopped green onions, 1 chopped jalapeno, 1 Tbl. Cumin, and 1tsp. Dried Oregano to the pot.  Simmer for 20 minutes. 

Add 1 Cup water, 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained, 1 Tbl. Fresh Lime juice, and 1/2 C cilantro.  Cook until heated through.  

Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onion, and freshly ground black pepper. 

"Best" White Chili
1/2 Rotesserie Chicken, Shredded
1 Chopped White Onion
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 Can Chicken Broth
1 Can Vegetable Broth
1 Can Rotel
6 Chopped Tomatillos
1 Chopped Zucchini
4 Green Onions Chopped
1 Chopped Jalapeno
1 Tbl. Cumin
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1 Can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbl. fresh lime juice
1/2 Cup chopped cilantro
Sour cream, shredded cheese, green onion for serving

Greek Chicken Wrap

I love this recipe because it is so fast and easy, but you still feel like you are eating something gourmet and delicious!

 (I know you're thinking, "wrap?" this looks like a weird pizza or something...but I just wanted you to see everything inside, not just some rolled up bread!)

Start with your chicken marinade...I did a homemade Greek Marinade, but you could us an Italian dressing or even just mix together some olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.  Just use whatever is on hand and easy!  Mine has 1/4 C olive oil, 1/4 C red wine vinegar, 2 garlic cloves chopped, 1/4 C chopped parsley, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes.  Mix all ingredients together and marinate 1/2 Lb sliced chicken breast for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. Reserve 2 Tbl. for Serving.

While the chicken is marinating, make the yogurt sauce.  Mix together 1/4 C Plain Greek Yogurt, 2 Cloves Garlic chopped, 1 Tbl. Red Wine Vinegar, 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, 2 Tbl. chopped parsley, 2 Tbl. Feta Cheese.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Grill Chicken over Medium-High heat for 5-6 minutes per side. 

Grill Naan Bread or Pita Bread 2-3 minutes until warm. 

Spread half of the sauce over the bread. 

Then layer spinach, chopped red onion and cucumber...

Top with the chopped grilled chicken and remaining 2 Tbl. of chicken marinade. 

Makes 2 Wraps. 

Greek Chicken Wrap
2 Pieces Naan or Pita Bread
Yogurt Sauce
1 Cup Spinach
1/4 C Red Onion, Sliced
1/2 Cucumber, Sliced
1/2 Lb. Chicken, Marinated and Grilled
Greek Chicken Marinade for Serving

Greek Chicken Marinade
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/4 C chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Yogurt Sauce
1/4 C Plain Greek Yogurt
2 Cloves Garlic chopped
1 Tbl. Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbl. chopped parsley
2 Tbl. Feta Cheese

Chicken Tikka Masala

OK, so I usally pride myself in doing most everything from scratch...so this is a little bit of a cheat for me.  Trust me though, it is totally worth it.  We absolutely love Indian food, but it can be very tricky to get the spice combinations just right.  AND not to mention, it can be hugely expensive to by 15 different spices for one dish that you may only make once every few months!  That's exactly why I leave the hard work to the experts.  This is such an easy dish with so much flavor and is great to begin to introduce Indian flavors into your cooking (it's not too "out there" for picky eaters).

 This is the spice packet I use.  The brand is Arora Creations.  You can buy it at Whole Foods, Central Market, or any other Specialty Grocery Store.  You can also order it online at www.aroracreations.com
There is a recipe on the back of the packet, and I follow it to an extent, but I have developed my own adaptation. 

Saute 1 Chopped onion in 1/4 Cup olive oil for about 10 minutes.  Add 4 cloves garlic chopped and saute for 5 more minutes until the onions get brown.

Then add 2 Tbl. chopped fresh ginger.  If you have never worked with fresh ginger before, it can be found in the grocery store right by the garlic.  I think it also probably the cheapest thing in the grocery store.  Mine was 6 cents!

Cut the skin off and finely chop the ginger.  It is a pale yellow color and you want to chop it very fine cause it has a tendency to be stringy and you don't want a big stringy piece in your food. 

Add this to your onion mixture and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Then add half a packet of the Tikka Masala Seasoning packet.  Stir constantly for 3 minutes.  This will allow the spices to brown and they will release more flavor. 

Then add (1) 8 oz can tomato sauce and cook for another 3 minutes stirring continuously. 

Next add (2) chicken breasts, cubed.  This is a very "Indian" style of cooking.  In most American cooking, we would cook the chicken before adding into the sauce.  Here you add in the raw chicken and the meat will actually cook in the sauce. 

Cook the chicken, stirring frequently for 10 minutes.  Then add 1/4 Cup dry white wine and 2/3 Cup water.  Stir, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes. 

Serve over rice (I usually use basmatti or jasmine) and top with chopped fresh parsley. 

Chicken Tikka Masala
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 White onion, chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Tbl. Fresh Ginger, chopped
1/2 Packet Arora Creations Tikka Masala Spice Packet
1 8oz. Can Tomato Sauce
2 Chicken Breasts, Chopped
1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
2/3 Cup Water
Cooked Rice and Parsley for Serving

French Onion Soup

So, we went home to my parents' house over the weekend and came home with a TON of fresh onions from their garden!  I mean like 20 onions!  Naturally I decided to make French Onion Soup...

I used about 12 of these onions, but they are tiny (about the size of golf balls).  If you are using normal onions, you need about 2 1/2 pounds (about 2 large onions).  I like using both red and yellow onions.


Slice the onions and throw them in a pot with about 3 Tbl. Olive Oil and a big pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.  Saute them on medium-low for 45 minutes to an hour. 

Add 4 cloves chopped garlic and saute for 5 more minutes. 

Then add 1/2 Cup dry white wine to the pot.  The wine will steam up...this is my favorite part...I smells SOOOO good.  Let the wine reduce for 5 minutes then add 1 Can Beef Broth, 1/4 Cup Water, and 1 Tsp. Worcestershire. 

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Ladle soup into individual ramekins. 

Top with toasted bread (I used ciabatta that I toasted in the oven, but you can use any kind of bread you have on hand.  Put it in the oven or toaster for a few minutes so that it won't disintegrate into the soup as soon as you put it in.) and thick slices of Swiss cheese (provolone or mozzarella are also fine).

Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven for 3 - 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crispy.  Note - Make sure you watch them closely.  They will burn very quickly if you leave them too long. 

Let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving.  Top with freshly cracked black pepper and serve with extra bread for dipping! 

French Onion Soup
2 1/2 Lb. Purple or Yellow Onions
3 Tbl. Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
1/4 Cup Water
1 Can Beef Broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire
2 Slices Toasted Bread (for topping)
2 Slices Swiss Cheese (for topping)

Poblano Cream Sauce

This has to be one of the recipes that I get the most requests for.  It is super fast and actually pretty simple.  I use it on tacos, burritos, tostadas...pretty much any kind of Mexican food.  Forewarning...a lot of this recipe depends on the specific poblano, so taste as you go.  You may want more or less sour cream depending on the specific pepper you get!

Coat your Poblano with olive oil and grill or broil the pepper until it is completely charred on the outside.  It usually needs to grill about 10 minutes. 

As soon as you take it off the heat, put it in a zip lock bag and put in on the counter for 10 minutes.  This will steam the pepper and makes it much easier to take off the skin. 

Take it out of the bag and remove the skin with a paper towel. It should just wipe away. 

Cut off the stem and remove the seeds and add to the blender.  Add about 1 Cup of Cliantro...I used fresh cilantro from my parent's garden...

Then add remaining ingriedents (sour cream, lime, salt, cumin, and pepper).  And blend together.  Taste here and add more sour cream or salt if necessary.  

We used it on top of bean and cheese tostadas, but trust me, you could eat this by itself and it would be fine!

Poblano Cream Sauce
1 Poblano Pepper
1 Cup Cilantro
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbl. Salt (More if needed)
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp.  pepper

Memorial Day Weekend

What a great weekend!

Cookouts...friends...family...best friend got engaged!  It was a busy...LONG weekend, we had so much fun, but it is so nice to get home!!  Here were a few of our highlights...


Cookout at the Bearden's...
Baked Macaroni and Cheese.  I mean COME ON!

BBQ Pork Ribs with some delicious BBQ Sauce! 

Next was an awesome engagement party for Lauren.  She was so surprised and had the most beautiful ring!

Then on to my parent's house for another awesome cookout! 
 Bacon -Wrapped Burgers...we were not totally sure how these would come out, but they were AWESOME!  We just grilled them like normal on a really hot grill.  Delicious!

Roasted Zucchini and Squash from he Garden...

And Chocolate Chip Pie...

Such a good weekend.  Recipes to come...