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!

Roasted Corn with Parmesan & Lime

ROASTED CORN WITH PARMESAN & LIME

Ingredients:

6 ears of sweet yellow corn, unhusked

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs unsalted butter 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 jalapeno, seeded, finely diced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced chives

2 tsp finely grated lime zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.  Roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp-tender, about 15 min.  Let cool.  Shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs. (use favorite technique, see below)

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Add corn kernels and saute until heated through and light-golden in spots.  3-5 min.  Add butter:stir until melted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Trasfer corn to a large wide bowl or deep platter; sprinkle jalapeno and crushed red pepper flakes over.  Squeeze lime wedges over; sprinkle with cheese, chives and lime zest.  

Corral your kernels

The next time you want to slice corn off the cob, try this technique to keep the kernels from scattering everywhere.  Arrange an ear of corn vertically so that the thicker end sits over the hole of a Bundt pan.  Using a small, sharp knife, slice the corn off the cob, turning the ear as you go.  Capture more of the corn's milky juices by scraping the cob with the knife.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

This is an oldy but goody!  It's my favorite crust and so simple to make.  I actually can throw this together in about 30 minutes.  Before you know it your kitchen will smell wonderful!!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie 

For the Pie:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups 1/2-inch pieces rhubarb

2 cups sliced strawberries

Pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie

1 Tablespoon butter

Oven @ 400 degrees

Combine sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Add to the fruit, mixing well: let stand 20 minutes.

For the Pastry: 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup crisco

6-7 Tbs cold water

In a medium bowl mix the flour and salt and add the crisco.  Blend with a fork or pastry blender until small like peas form.  Add the cold water and mix until the dough forms.  separate into two balls and flatten the balls out and try not to handle too much.  Wrap in plastic wrap and stick in fridge for 10 minutes

Roll out your dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate.  place the pastry dough in the pie plate.  Spoon out your fruit mixture into the the pastry lined pie plate.  Dot with butter.   Roll out the top crust and adjust the fit the top and flute the edges. Make small cuts in the top crust to release stream from pie as it bakes.   You can beat an egg and glaze the top of the pie if you like a golden brown crust.

Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) about 40 - 50 min or until done.  Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream!  Enjoy! 

 

Oven-Baked Blueberry French Toast

Oven-Baked Blueberry French Toast

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages cram cheese, at room temp

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

10 slices French bread, 3/4 inch thick

(preferably homemade or fresh store-bought)

2 cups fresh blueberries

Maple syrup, for serving

Confectioners' sugar, for serving

Cooking instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl, with a stand mixer on medium speed until well blended.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing will after each addition.  Add the milk, and mix well
• Arrange the bread in a prepared baking dish, and spread the blueberries on top of the bread.  Pour the cram cheese mixture over the bread. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before baking (or cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight).  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown.
• Serve with maple syrup and confectioners' sugar.

Veggies in Yellow Curry

 Veggies in Yellow Curry

2 (13.5 oz) cans coconut milk*

1/2 cup (4 oz) yellow curry paste (recommended: Mai Ploy)*

1 small russet potato (about 8 oz) peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

1 (15 oz) can baby corn, rinsed and drained

1 Thai chile, such as prik kee noo, or 1 serrano chile, stemmed and thinly sliced

 5 sprigs Thai basil, with stems, plus 1/4 cup chopped*

3 kaffir lime leaves*

1 Tbs fish sauce*

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

Serving suggestions:  steamed white rice

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring the coconut milk and curry paste to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the potato, carrots, onion, bell pepper, corn, chile, basil sprigs, lime leaves, and fish sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  R
remove the lid and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 min.  Discard the lime leaves and basil sprigs.  Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with chopped basil and serve over steamed white rice.

Serves 4-6