White Chicken Chili

2 cans white beans
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium jalapeño pepper, minced
2 medium poblano peppers, chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 garlic clothes, peeled and minced
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon and show chili powder
4 cups chicken broth
2 limes, juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Sour cream, for topping
Tortilla chips, coarsely crushed, for topping
 
Drain and rinse the canned white beans. In a medium bowl, mashed half of the beans with a potato masher until chunky. Reserve the beans until needed.
 
Add oil to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium – high. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic. Sauté until soft about 5 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the cumin, coriander, and chili powder and continue to sauté for a minute or two, toasting the spices. Stir in the chicken stock and lime juice, bring to a simmer. Add the beans and continue to simmer for 20 more minutes.
 
After, taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary. Stir in the shredded chicken and cilantro, simmer until heated through, about 5 more minutes. Serve the chili and individual bowls top with a dollop of sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and lime wedges. Enjoy!

Menu 2/24 - 3/2

Saturday –
Baja style fish tacos with pickled red onion
Guacamole
Roasted corn Mexican salad with lime and cilantro dressing
Refried beans

 Sunday –

Slow roasted Barbecue ribs
Southern style collard greens
Chopped salad with sweet-onion vinaigrette

Monday –

Butternut squash loaf with cranberry glaze
Asparagus with grated egg, capers, and shallots

Tuesday –

Asian chicken stir-fry
Sticky rice with green onions and ginger

Wednesday –

White chicken chili
Broccoli and red onions
Garden salad with lemon-honey vinaigrette

 Thursday –

Chicken tiki masala
Roasted cauliflower with curry and chilies

 Friday –

Grilled Porterhouse steak with caramelized shallot and herb butter
Oven roasted asparagus with lemon zest and Parmesan
Roasted carrots with ginger and honey

Carrot Bacon

Last night I was doing a vegetarian dinner of creamy lemon pasta with asparagus and thought a bacon component would be a nice touch, sort of like a carbonara.  I love carrots and thought why not carrot bacon?!  Slice it thin, marinate in some liquid smoke, roast it off and viola!  Having thought I was a pioneer of this idea, I went to google and found out I wasn't even close.  Leave it to those vegans.  Countless versions already done.  So, while not original, it was delicious.  Have fun and Enjoy!

6-8 large carrots
1/2 cup vegetable broth (could use chicken stock too)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Sliced carrots into thin strips using either a mandolin or food processor to keep them uniform. In a small bowl, whisk together broth, soy sauce, olive oil, liquid smoke, and paprika. In a shallow dish, mix carrots with broth mixture until carrots are completely coated. Arrange carrot slices on a foil wrapped baking sheet, making sure they don’t overlap. 

Put in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and flip carrots. Put baking sheet back in the oven to bake for another 10-15 minutes. (It might take more less time depending on how thick or thin you slice your carrots.) You’ll know you’re  bacon is done when the edges are crispy and the center of each looks dry. 

Carefully move the bacon to a plate with a paper towel to soak up any extra oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Let cool to room temperature before crumbling over a salad or putting on a sandwich. Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Creamy Lemon Pasta

This creamy, bright lemon pasta is just right for a great easy and fast vegetarian dinner. If you want to reduce calories, you can substitute the cream for a rich vegetable stock or chicken stock if keeping it vegetarian is not a consideration.  If using stock, I would add a teaspoon corn starch when thickening sauce). This also can be "hefted up" by adding sautéed fish, shrimp or chicken.

1 lemon
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
1# spaghetti
3 Tbsp. butter, in pieces
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 to 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste 

Zest lemon and slice into matchsticks. Juice lemon, strain and reserve. Place zest in a large non-reactive pan with wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and cook until it reduces to a syrupy mixture, about 1/4 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour in about a 1/4 cup of the cream (stock). Stir, then pour in remaining cream (stock with corn starch). Return to heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened and reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente; reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain.

Return the hot pasta pot to the stove. Pour in cream mixture (stock), butter and lemon juice; stir, then add hot drained pasta and a few tablespoons of cooking water. Toss together and then the cheese in 3 or 4 parts, tossing each to meld with sauce. Add more cooking water if sauce is too thick and crumbly.

Plate each portion of pasta on plates and drizzle each with olive oil, a little sea salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!

Orange Beef with Scallion Rice

1 1/2 pounds beef top sirloin
3 Tbsp. peanut oil (can also use vegetable oil)
2 Tbsp. Corn starch
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup white sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets 
Zest from one orange
2 Tbsp. fresh squeeze lemon juice
1 tsp crushed red pepper flake
2 cups, plus 1/4 cup Chicken stock 
1 cup long grain rice
1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. sliced scallions 
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper 

 In a heavy bottom pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add rice and mix to coat completely.  Heat rice for 2 to 3 minutes, stir. Add chicken stock (or water), scallions and salt. (Taste liquid, it should taste like soup.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed. Turn off heat and reserve covered.

In a small bowl whisk together orange juice concentrate, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt; Set aside. Trim beef and slice into strips, lay out on a pan lined with paper towel. Season with salt and fresh black pepper. Toss with cornstarch and coat evenly.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat until hot. (you should see the top of the oil start shimmer smoke lightly) add beef, turn heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until know longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add garlic and ginger, cook another minute.  Add broccoli, stir and cook until just tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in reserved sauce, 1/4 cup chicken stock, orange zest, lemon juice and crushed red pepper flake. Cook, stirring until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. 

Serve on a bed of the scallion rice and Enjoy!

Menu 11/25 - 12/1

Saturday-
Christmas Party at Bob and Tammy's

Sunday-
Chinese Orange Beef with Broccoli
Scallion Rice

Monday-
Grilled Salmon with Lemon and Dill Butter
Pan Roasted Kale with Garlic and Chiles

Tuesday-
Lemon Pasta
Sautéed Zucchini Squash with Italian Herbs
Chopped Romaine Salad with Roasted Beets

Wednesday-
Dinner out - Celebrating E's Birthday

Thursday-
Christmas Party at Gil's

Friday-
Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri sauce
Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash
Oven Roasted Carrots with Golden Raisins and Moroccan Spice

Skillet Apple Pie

Apple pie, especially this time of year (any time actually) is an absolute go to for dessert.  This preparation is so easy that you could just about have pie any day of the week, not just for a special occasion.  I know, your waistline will curse this recipe, but your taste buds will go wild.  I have come to call this "Apple Crack", it's that addicting.  The brown sugar and butter underneath the crust on the pan bottom makes a fantastic, nutty, delicious note to this winner of a dessert.  Enjoy!

2# Granny Smith apples
2# Braeburn apples
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 package refrigerated piecrust
1 egg white
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Accompaniment:

Vanilla ice cream (or any other you'd like- Butter Pecan is great)

Preheat oven to 350°F

Peel apples and cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 of cup granulated sugar.

Melt butter in a 10 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place one piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining pie crust.  Whisk egg whites until foamy., then brush the top of the pie with the whites.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in the top for steam to escape.

Please pie in the oven and bake for 1 hour (you may need an additional 10 minutes if not golden brown enough) or until golden brown and bubbly.  If excessive browning starts to occur, shield with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving. Top each piece with ice cream and enjoy!