White Chili

White Chili

1 1/2 cups dry great northern beans, soaked overnight, drained
1 jalepeno, sliced or 1 dried red chili pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

Cook on low in crockpot for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips or corn bread
Serves 8-10

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme

Serves 4

3 Tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 1 Tablespoon dried

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 4 or 5-pound roasting chicken

1 lemon, quartered

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.  Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl.  Rinse chicken; pat dry.  Place chicken in roasting pan.  Rub all but 1 Tablespoon garlic-thyme oil over chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place lemon in cavity of chicken.  Tie legs with string.

Roast chicken 20 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees fahrenheit.  Roast chicken until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of inner thigh registers 180 degrees fahrenheit, about 1 hour to one hour 15 minutes.  Lift chicken and tilt slightly, emptying juices from cavity into pan.  Transfer chicken to serving platter.  Tent chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup.  Spoon fat off top.  Add wine to pan; place over high heat.  Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Pour wine mixture into measuring cup with pan juices (do not clean roasting pan).  Add enough chicken stock to cup to measure 1 1/2 cup.  Return stock mixture to same roasting pan.  Mix flour into reserved 1 Tablespoon garlic-thyme oil.  Whisk into stock mixture.  Boil stock mixture in roasting pan until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.  Season pan-juice mixture to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour into sauceboat.  Serve chicken, passing pan-juice mixture separately.

Brunch Bake

Brunch Bake

10 biscuits, buttermilk

1 dozen eggs

1 1/2 cups ham, chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste

Arrange biscuits in a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with nonstick spray.  In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over biscuits.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 - 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Serves 12

Salmon with Agrodolce Sauce

Salmon with Agrodolce Sauce

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 (6oz.) salmon fillets (1" thick) with skin
2 medium red onions (about 1 lb. total)
each cut into 8 wedges
2/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.  Pat salmon dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then cook, skin side up, until bottom side forms a golden crust, 12 - 15 minutes.  Turn fish over and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers, then saute' onions until golden brown and crisp-tender, 6 - 8 minutes.  Stir in vinegar, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until sauce is syrupy about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in butter.

Spoon onions with sauce onto plates and top with salmon, skin side down.

Serves 4

Confetti Bean Soup

Confetti Bean Soup
This soup is tasty and uses up the little bits of beans, lentils, peas that are left over.  Use whatever variety you have, as long as it totals 2 cups.

2 cups total of dry beans, peas and lentils
such as:

red beans
black beans 
yellow split peas
green split peas
lentils
navy beans
pinto beans
great northern beans
kidney beans
lima beans

6 cups water
6 cups chicken stock
1 smoked ham hock
1 quart whole tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 cup celery
1 cup carrot
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse, drain and pick over beans.  Place beans in an 8-quart pot with water, stock, ham hock.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 3 hours or more.  Add tomatoes, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, to pot.  Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours.  Add basil, parsley, salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.  Serves 10 - 12.

Wild Rice and Turkey Casserole

Wild Rice and Turkey Casserole 

To prepare rice:
1 cup wild rice blend (I used Lundberg Wild Blend from our health food store)
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1 Tbs. butter
salt to taste

Combine rice, stock, water, and butter in a pot with a tight-fitting lid.  Bring to boil, stir, cover with lid.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook 50 minutes.  Remove from heat.

To prepare bechamel sauce:
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper

Put butter in pan over med-low heat.  When the butter melts use a wire whisk to incorporate the flour.  Turn the heat to low and cook, whisking almost constantly until the mixture turns tan, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly.  Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Casserole: 
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (or 1/2 cup canned)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 cup broccoli (optional)

Saute the onion, mushroom, and celery until soft add garlic and saute for another minute, stirring.  Add the one cup chicken stock to the bechamel sauce then add sauted mixture, thyme, parsley, turkey, broccoli, and cooked rice mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  If it seems dry add a splash of milk or stock.

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups cooked pumpkin (or a 14 oz. can, if store purchased)
1 cup walnuts

Mix dry ingredients, then make a well in the center and add moist ingredients.  Stirring until just mix through.  Add walnuts and pour into a greased and floured 9 x 5 bread pan.  Bake at 325 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.