Green Chili Chicken

This one pot dish is really easy to make and comes out delicious! One of my husbands favorites!  Little spice to it but not so much that Anna (can't handle pepper on her food) won't eat it!  I just don't tell her what's in it! I serve it with homemade tortillas and beans.  You could also add a salad!  I'll add the tortilla recipe to this too!  Enjoy!  Serves 4

Green Chili Chicken

 Ingredients:

 1 whole chicken  

 2 tsp chili powder                           

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs oil

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup finely diced onion

2 (4 oz) green chilies

1 can chicken broth

4 Tbs flour

4 Tbs water

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Rub outside of chicken with first 4 ingredients.  Heat oil in Dutch oven.  Brown chicken on all sides.  Add garlic, onion, chilies and chicken broth.  Cover simmer 45-50 min.  Remove chicken to platter, draining juices back in pan.  Blend together flour and water and stir into sauce.  Cook, stirring constantly until thickened  Stir in sour cream.  Pull all chicken meat from the bones and discard you bones.  Place chicken back in the sauce and stir.  Serve in bowls with tortillas!

Flour Tortilla recipe:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vegeable oil
•  3/4 cup luke warm milk (2% in fine)

Stir together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and vegetable oil to the lukewarm milk and whisk briefly to incorporate.  Gradually add the milk to the flour, and work the mixture into a dough.  It will be sticky.


Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour and knead vigorously for about 2 minutes (fold and press, fold and press).  The kneading will take care of the stickiness.  Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes.  (the dough will not rise, but it needs a rest.)


Divide your dough into 8 balls of equal size, cover them, and let them rest again for about 20 minutes.  Avoid letting them touch, if you don't want them to stick together.


Dust your work surface with flour.  Working one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat it into a 5-inch circle.  With a rolling pin, roll out the tortilla, working from the center out, until you have a 7-or 8-inch tortilla a little less than 1/4 inch thick.  Transfer the tortilla to a hot, fry skillet or griddle.  It will begin to blister.  Let it cook for 30 seconds, trun it, and let the other side cook for 30 seconds.  Remove the tortilla, place it in a tortilla warmer or between a clean towel.  Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I love peanut butter cookies!  I especially love the smell of them cooking!  

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

 Chocolate kiss candy (optional)

1. Mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in a large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Place about 3 inches apart on undgreased cookie sheet.  Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped into sugar.
4. Bake 9 to 10 min. or until light golden brown.  If you want to add a Hershey Kiss to each cookie do this now when you take them out of the oven.  Place in the center of the cookie.  Cool 5 min; remove from cookie sheet.  Cool on wire rack.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Chicken and Dumplings

My Grandma Ginny used to make Chicken and Dumplings when I was growing up.  I always thought it must be the most complicated recipe!  When I was older and had children of my own I asked her to show me how to make it. It's comfort food for me now and I have very wonderful memories of my G.G. every time I make it. (secret: it's really easy)

Chicken and Dumplings

For the Stew:
1 whole chicken

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots (peeled and sliced)

4 stalks of celery, chopped

water

salt and pepper

garlic powder

For the dumplings:

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 Milk

 Put the chopped vegies and whole chicken in a dutch oven or large pot and add about 2 quarts of water.  Chicken does not have to be covered in water.  Bring to boil then turn down to a simmer, covered for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove the chicken (very carefully, it will be HOT)  let cool and remove the chicken from the bones and discard the skin.  You may at this point skim off any fat from the broth.  Return the chicken meat to the pot  and simmer another 20 minutes, uncovered, to fully cook the vegetables to your liking. 

In a large bowl mix the bisquick with the milk.  Bring the stew to a boil again and add large spoonfuls of the dumpling dough the pot.  Makes about 6-8 dumplings.  Cook uncovered for 10 min at a low boil and then cover the pot and continue to cook another 10 minutes.  Stew will be hot so let it cool a bit before serving.  Enjoy!