Green Chili

Hello dear, ever patient readers. I am afraid that I have been terribly neglectful of this blog. While I am not one to make New Year's resolutions, I have decided to be more deliberate about posting recipes in the coming year.

To kick things off, I would like to share one of my favorites... Green Chili. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Being from Colorado, I love Mexican food. Sadly, good south of the border fare is in short supply here in the south. As a result, I have resorted to making it at home.

This recipe is so versatile, it will quickly become a staple around your house too. The Green Chili is delicious on it's own served like a soup or poured over burritos and other Mexican dishes. You can also use it to make a mean Huevos Rancheros.


Green Chili

1 large pork butt or pork shoulder roast
salt & pepper
garlic powder
1-2 Tbs. bacon grease
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 small cans diced green chilies
1/4-1/3 c. flour
2 quarts chicken stock
hot sauce, to taste
salt & pepper

Season all sides of the pork butt with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in a roasting pan fat side up.


Roast the pork at 350 degrees F. for 2-4 hours, depending on the weight. The pork will be nicely browned and the juices should be clear.


Allow the pork to rest for 15-20 minutes, reserving the pan drippings.

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the bacon grease.


I know what you're thinking... "bacon grease?! Is this woman crazy?" Trust me, it adds a depth of flavor to the Green Chili that is well worth any additional calories.

Add the onions and garlic.


Allow them to cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes.


Pour some of the reserved pan drippings into the pot. It will add incredible flavor to the Chili.


Add the canned green chilies and stir to combine.


Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture. Cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes.


Add the chicken stock and continue to stir, making sure to scrape all the tasty bits off the bottom of the pot.

Reduce the heat and allow the Chili to simmer until slightly thickened.


Meanwhile, place the pork butt on a large cutting board.


Remove all the crispy fat from the top.


Go on ahead and pop some of that crispy goodness into your mouth. I hear it tastes just like bacon... not that I would ever eat that stuff.

Cut the pork into smaller, more manageable chunks. Using two forks, shred the pork.


Place some of the shredded pork into the now thickened Green Chili. Allow the pork to simmer in the pot for a few minutes.


Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add hot sauce to increase the heat to your liking.

To serve, place a little additional shredded pork in the bottom of a bowl. Pour the Green Chili over the top and garnish with a dollop of sour cream. Warm corn tortillas are the perfect accompaniment.

Chicken Piccata

One of my favorite quick meals is Chicken Piccatta. This simple yet flavorful dish can easily be prepared in under 20 minutes.

Traditional Piccatta is made by browning lightly floured chicken cutlets or scaloppini. The chicken is served with a sauce made from butter, lemon juice, capers and either chicken broth or wine. Simple, easy, delicious.

The first time I enjoyed this dish, the sauce also contained shallots. I was immediately hooked. They have now become a standard part of my dish, but you can feel free to omit them if you wish. If you do not have shallots on hand, simply substitute finely diced onion.


Chicken Piccata

2 chicken breasts, butterflied in half and then pounded thin
salt & pepper
1/2 c. flour
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
1/4 c. shallots or onions, finely diced
the juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. capers, drained
1/2 c. chicken stock or white wine

Season the chicken with salt & pepper. Dredge the cutlets in the flour until lightly coated.

Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbs. each of the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, place two of the cutlets in the pan and cook about 3 minutes.


Once the chicken is golden brown, flip and cook an additional 3 minutes on the other side.


Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Place another Tbs. of butter and olive oil in the pan and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Once all the chicken is cooked and set aside, add the shallots. Allow the shallots to cook until they are translucent.


Add the lemon juice and capers. Stir, scraping all of the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan.


Add the chicken stock or wine and the remaining Tbs. of butter. Allow the sauce to simmer until it is slightly thickened.


Pour the sauce over the chicken to serve.

Enchiladas

I saw these enchiladas on one of the blogs I frequent and decided to give them a try. Boy, were they delicious!

For the recipe and instructions head on over to The Pioneer Woman Cooks and rustle yourself up a batch. You won't be disappointed.

As a side note, when you check out the recipe, you will notice that PW lightly fries her tortillas before assembling the enchiladas. I decided to cut down on some of the fat by simply tossing the tortillas in a warm oven for a few minutes. It worked perfectly.

Pasta Rosa

As I've mentioned before, my hubby is Italian. That makes me Italian-ish by default. Like all good Italian-ish wives, I always have a vat of his Grandma's Sauce in my refrigerator or freezer. You should do the same.

Last night I had a craving for pasta. While we love to eat the standard red sauce, I was in the mood for something a little different. After scanning the refrigerator, I decided to make Pasta Rosa.

This recipe is an easy variation on the traditional red sauce. I whipped it up in just a few minutes by using some leftover chicken and roasted broccoli.


Pasta Rosa

4+ c. of Grandma's Sauce
1/4-1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. frozen baby peas, defrosted
1/2 c. broccoli florets, cooked until slightly tender
1 c. cooked chicken, sliced
1 lb. pasta
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pour Grandma's Sauce into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat.


Add the cream and stir to combine. The sauce should be a lovely pinkish color.


Add the peas, broccoli and chicken. Turn the heat down to low and let simmer for a few minutes until the vegetables and meat are heated through.


Meanwhile, cook your pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain.


Toss the pasta in the sauce, making sure it is coated thoroughly. To serve, top with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Lemon Chicken

I have been in a bit of a rut cooking wise. After chatting with my sister today, I decided to dig back in the nether-regions of my mind for some of those old favorites that I have neglected to make in ages.

One of the dishes that came to mind was Lemon Chicken. This tasty chicken dish was a staple at my hubby's house when he was growing up. After we were married, my Mother-in-Law was kind enough to share her recipe with me.

I generally make Lemon Chicken using split chicken breasts (my boys prefer white meat),but you could use any bone-in chicken pieces that you would like. If calories are not a concern, leave the skin on. The additional flavor that the skin imparts is worth it.


Lemon Chicken

1 tsp. olive oil
1-2 lbs. split chicken breasts, or other bone-in chicken pieces
salt & pepper
garlic powder
1-2 lemons, cut into wedges

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the chicken pieces liberally on both sides with salt, freshly ground pepper and garlic powder.


Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and cook the chicken pieces for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.


Flip and cook an additional 3 minutes.


Squeeze the lemon wedges over the chicken. Tuck the wedges around the chicken and place the entire pan in the oven. Allow the chicken to cook 10-15 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Vegan Burritos

My hubby has decided to do a 30 day Vegan fast to clean out his system. If you knew my hubby, you would understand what a big deal this is. He comes from a long line of carnivores. He is a man's man... a meat eater.

Having been married for 15 years, I understand what a long 30 days this could potentially be. Because I am such an amazing wife (ha!), I have purposed to come up with a variety of tasty meals to help coax him along. Last night I prepared delicious Vegan Burritos.

I decided that the main ingredient in my burritos would be beans, both black and pinto. I opted to use dried beans as opposed to just dumping something out of a can. After allowing the beans to soak overnight, I drained the beans and set two pots on the stove over medium-high heat. I put 1 tsp. of olive oil in each pan and added about 1/2 of an onion, finely diced, to each pot along with a clove or two of minced garlic. Once the onion and garlic were tender, I added the beans to their respective pots along with enough water to cover by an inch. I then added a decent amount of salt and a little cumin to the beans. The beans were allowed to simmer most of the day, adding water as necessary, until they were tender, flavorful and creamy.

While I love bean burritos, I wanted to add a little something to enhance the flavor. I diced onion, red bell peppers and zucchini into bite-sized pieces. After heating my pan over medium-high heat, I added a little olive oil and sautéed the vegetables until they were tender an caramelized. I seasoned the vegetables with a little salt, fresh ground pepper, cumin and coriander.

Now came the time to assemble the burritos. I took some locally made tortillas and warmed them in a 400 degree F oven for 1-2 minutes. Once out of the oven, I filled the tortillas with a thick layer of beans and vegetables. My hubby even added some leftover brown rice to his burritos. The vegetables were then topped with diced tomatoes, wedges of avocado and some homemade salsa (I will post this recipe later).

The burritos were delicious. So good, in fact, that I didn't even miss the meat, cheese or sour cream. Who knew going Vegan could be so easy!

All this writing has made me hungry. I think I might go whip up some leftovers for lunch.


Vegan Burritos

corn tortillas, lightly warmed in the oven
black beans
pinto beans
sautéed vegetables
diced tomatoes
wedges of avacado
homemade salsa

Poppy Seed Chicken

Today has been a chilly, gloomy, and rainy day. The kind of day that makes you want to snuggle up under a blanket and watch a good movie. Unfortunately, my schedule didn't allow for any such indulgences.

As dinnertime approached, I decided to cook one of my favorite comfort foods... Poppy Seed Chicken. I must warn you that this is by no means a healthy meal. Quite to the contrary. Those suffering from high cholesterol or heart disease should go visit another blog. This dish is loaded with fat and calories but is, in my opinion, incredibly tasty.

I prefer to roast my own chicken to make this dish, however, you could easily buy them at your local grocery store. It can also be whipped up in a snap using any leftover chicken or turkey that you might have on hand. Served with steamed brown or wild rice and a green leafy salad, Poppy Seed Chicken is the perfect meal for a busy, rainy day.

Poppy Seed Chicken

2 roasted chickens, meat removed and diced into small cubes
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 16 oz. carton of sour cream
1-2 Tbs. poppy seeds
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 stick of butter, melted

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, cream of chicken soup and the sour cream. Blend until creamy and smooth. Add the poppy seeds and the chicken. Stir until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.

Combine the cracker crumbs and the butter, tossing to coat. Spread the crumbs evenly on top of the chicken. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Puttanesca

Puttanesca gets its name from the Italian ladies of the night, or the puttane. While the reason is unknown, it has been debated that it is a reference to the sauce's spicy flavor. Another possibility is that it is so quick and cheap to make. I certainly hope it offends no one to say so.

With it's strong flavors of olives, capers, garlic and anchovies, Puttanesca is not for the weak of palate. With minimal effort, the sauce can be ready to eat in 20 minutes.

Pasta Puttanesca

1 lb. linguine or other pasta
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
8 anchovy fillets, chopped or 1-2 Tbs. anchovy paste
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 c. olives, sliced (I prefer Nicoise or Kalmatta)
1/4 c. capers, drained
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 c. parsley, chopped
2 lg. cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained
2 tsp. salt, or to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt, stir in linguine and cook until the pasta tender but still firm. Drain.

While linguine is cooking, heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the garlic and anchovies. Cook, stirring, until the anchovies have broken apart and the garlic is golden. Add the red pepper flakes, olives, capers, oregano, and parsley. Stir to combine. Crush the tomatoes slightly with your hands and add them to the pan. Add salt to taste.

Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to cook for a few minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Serve over hot pasta.

Chowder

I had the best clam chowder of my life on a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine several years ago. In hindsight, I wish I would have had the presence of mind to ask for the recipe. Alas, I did not.

Since that time, I have tried numerous recipes trying to duplicate my beloved chowder. This one comes close. I'm not sure where I picked it up along the way, but I hope you enjoy it.

Clam & Corn Chowder

3 slices of thick-cut bacon, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 c. corn
1 lb. new potatoes, cubed
2 (8 0z.) bottles clam juice
1/2 c. water
2 lb. small clams, cleaned well or
1 can whole baby clams
1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 Tbs. butter
salt & pepper to taste

In a pot, cook bacon over medium heat until browned, but not crisp. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain.

Add onions to the reserved bacon grease and cook until translucent. Add corn, potatoes, clam juice and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Add the clams. If you are using fresh clams, cook until they open. If you are using canned clams, allow to cook until they are heated through.

Lower the heat and add the milk, cream and butter. Once the butter is melted, season with salt and pepper to taste.