Easy Chili Verde

I'm mad...I should have taken pictures but I wasn't thinking about it!

My mom used to make this all the time when I was a kid. Last night I was going to make Pork Adobo and realized late in the game that I didn't have anymore bay leaves...so out went THAT idea!! Instead, I decided to make Chili Verde. This goes VERY well with some cheese, rice and beans wrapped up in a large, warm tortilla!! And oddly, my CHILDREN loved it!

Ingredients:

4lbs. PORK stew meat (can also use chicken or beef)
2 small cans mild diced green chiles
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium-large sliced onion
8 cups chicken broth (or water and chicken bullion)
4 tablespoons cornstarch

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Directions:

Normally this is something I would toss into the crock pot, but since my has been acting a little possessed lately, I did it in my stock pot. Cut the meat down to 1 inch chunks. Here's the part you're gonna LOVE...put the liquid, the meat, the onions, and garlic in the pot and bring to a rolling boil. Turn down and simmer on low/medium for about 90 minutes (because we want to make sure the pork is COOKED).

Remove about 2 1/2 cups of the liquid and stir in the cornstarch until it's dissolved completely. Pour it back into the pot and mix well. The entire thing will thicken. You can season to taste, but it's usually pretty tasty without having to add anything else to it.

If you choose to do this in the crock pot, reduce the amount of liquid to 4 cups.

Enjoy!

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Chicken Chili Stew

I cannot take credit for this recipe, but I WILL say it was well received. My husband decided to try this so-called Slow Carb Diet. He had me trolling all over the Internet looking for recipes and such. Ironically, he was the one who found this recipe and suggested that I give it a try.

I personally think it's odd to have chunk chicken in chili, but that's just me. My husband and oldest son RAVED about it after I finished and said it was better than my usual version. So I thought I'd share!

Ingredients:

3 Whole cubed skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used 4 LARGE cans of chunk chicken I was saving to make chicken salad with)
1 medium onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped (I also added a red bell pepper too)
2 cloves minced garlic (I used 2 tablespoons of jarred minced garlic)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever you have on hand)
2 - 15oz canned stewed tomatoes (I used 1 LARGE can and 1 regular can of diced tomatoes because I HAD them on hand)
1 - 15oz canned pinto beans (I used 2 cans)
3/4 cup picante sauce (I used a little over 1 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder

**NOTE: This recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of salt, but I omitted it because chili powder already has salt in it. I like to keep our sodium as low as possible without sacrificing taste. But it's up to you...

Directions:

Saute chicken, onions, bell peppers and garlic in a large sauce pan until chicken is fully cooked (in my case, this step didn't take so long since the chicken was already cooked). Add everything else to the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

EASIEST DISH EVER!! Add some cornbread and a salad and you've got a good meal!

Enjoy!

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Onion Soup

In my attempt to get over my love/hate relationpship with the onion, I tried some onion soup once and was shocked that I actually LIKED it. Well, you know me...I like to keep things simple...so I found a recipe that was easy to make and tasty.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Firm white onions − sliced (maybe 2 or 3 really nice sized onions)
1/4 cup butter (or margarine)
2 tablespoons Corn oil
3 tablespoons Flour
4 cups Chicken broth (or 4 teaspoons of Knorr Chicken Bullion and 4 cups of water)
4 cups Beef broth (or 4 teaspoons of Knorr Beef Bullion and 4 cups of water)
8 slices French bread
Swiss cheese − shredded
Parmesan − grated

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Directions:

Saute onions in butter and oil until onions are transparent, but not well browned. When tender, turn heat to lowest point and sprinkle with flour, stirring vigorously. Pour into Dutch oven and stir in broths. Heat thoroughly and divide among 8 oven−proof bowls. Mix equal parts of cheese to smooth paste and spread over bread. Float a slice of bread atop each serving. Place all bowls on oven rack 4" from broiler heat and broil until cheese melts.

Serve at once. Leftover soup freezes well up to 6 months.

Enjoy!

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Jook - The Chinese Version of Chicken Noodle Soup

For a VERY long time I disliked the very thing I'm posting. But in my recent quest to make good food and try new things for my family to sample, I got a weird craving for this dish.

Being half Chinese I've been exposed to Chinese food my entire life. I'm not talking about that $1 Chinese food you find in strip malls. I'm talking about the REAL deal. I remember my grandmother would make dishes that I didn't even know the names for (at least not the English translation). I found myself asking my mother tons of questions about how to make Jook and she gave me the easiest recipe to follow. She always describes this as the "poor man's soup" because she grew up being taught not to waste a THING when it comes to food.

So far I've made this twice and right now it's my favorite comfort food for a cold night.

Ingredients:

1 whole turkey carcass (or 2 chicken carcasses)
Leftover turkey or chicken meat cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup Knorr Chicken Bullion
1/2 cup minced green onion
1 1/2 cups of uncooked white rice
3-4 tablespoons of soy sauce
LOTS OF WATER

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Directions:

Place the carcass and meat in a LARGE stock pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the all of the bones. I know it seems like a lot of water, but once you remove the carcass and add everything else, it'll cook down. Next, add the chicken bullion and rice. Bring everything to a rolling boil, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes. I usually leave a bit of meat on the turkey once it's been carved, so carefully lift the carcass and remove as much of the meat as possible - by now it'll be falling from the bones.

Once you're satisfied with the amount of meat you've pulled from the bones, discard the carcass. You'll notice that the soup has thickened from the starch in the rice. Add the green onions and soy sauce, mix well. You can add cilantro or fried won ton strips on top and enjoy...

There is no need to season this dish other than with the soy sauce. I usually rub the inside of my turkey and chicken with seasoning anyway...that all boils into the broth in the cooking process. The soy sauce gives it just the right flavor. Please try this one...it's sure to please on those cold winter nights!

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ok, I know this should be a part of Menu Plan Monday, but I had a taste for this yesterday and decided to throw it together - of course that was after having to hunt down a recipe that didn't require me to run out and purchase anything. I had everything in my kitchen already!

YAY FOR ME!!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter (I used margarine)
1 onion (diced, but you can omit if you want to)
1 teaspoons garlic SALT (NOT POWDER)
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (I used black pepper - does it matter?)
1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli (or fresh if you have it)
4 cups of chicken broth (I used 4 tsp Knorr Chicken Bullion/4 cups of water)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used the leftover Mexican blend that I had)

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Directions:

Melt butter or margarine over medium heat in a stockpot. Cook onion in butter until softened. Add garlic powder and pepper. Cook for 1 minute then stir in broccoli and stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until broccoli is tender (about 10 -15 minutes). Whisk flour into milk until dissolved. Stir into soup stirring frequently until thickened. Reduce heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Season with salt to taste.

I didn't have time to do it last night, but since I have so much left over I'm going to make some cornbread to go with it!! I'm not sharing! This was so good that I ended up having TWO bowls!

Enjoy!

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UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

Ok, the very next week after I originally posted this recipe I decided to make a double batch (because I ended up having to SHARE my soup with the family). This time I used a frozen "California Blend" which is broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. I followed the recipe TO THE LETTER (except the original recipe called for 2 teaspoons of garlic POWDER - and since I was doubling the batch I used 3 teaspoons because I thought 4 would be too much). The garlic powder WAS too much. I was better off using garlic salt as I had when I first made it.

So...I've got a damn near full jar of garlic powder...does anyone want it? HAHAHA!! Using garlic SALT gave it just the right amount of salt (without actually USING salt) and the right amount of garlic flavor.

Also, the California Blend wasn't a great idea either. I love carrots, but they didn't go well in this soup to me. So I'm going to try again (3rd time has GOT to be a charm) and just use Broccoli and Cauliflower. I'll post the results after I make it!!

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Chinese Soup

At least that's what my kids call it!!

I'm half Chinese, but my mother didn't really cook Chinese food when I was growing up. We're 3rd and 4th generation Chinese Americans...so by the time I came along, it was fried chicken, pork chops and tacos!

And I won't lie, I'm a completel Asian food snob...if it smells funny or looks strange, I'm not eating it - and you CAN'T MAKE ME!!

I came up with this soup one night while I was hosting a dinner party for a couple of my girlfriends. The theme of the night was Chinese food. I made fried won ton, chicken chow mein, steamed rice, Chinese sausage (called Lap Xiang) and soup.



The soup has quickly become a family favorite - especially for me kids...I would probably call it Egg Drop Won Ton soup, but my kids simply refer to it as CHINESE SOUP.


Ingredients:

12 cups of water
1/4 cup of Knorr Chicken Bullion
1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots
2 cups of bean sprout (canned or fresh)
6 baby bok choy (bottoms chopped off)
2 small cans of sliced waterchestnuts (slivered)
2 small cans (or 1 regular sized can) of bamboo shoots
6 green onions (minced)
1 bag of frozen chicken gyozas or pot stickers
4 eggs (scrambled)
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
** OR you can use 3 tablespoons of cajun seasoning for a nice kick (my preference)!

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Directions:

Ok, brace yourself...this is the BEST part...pull out your stock pot and pour everything in EXCEPT the scrambled egg and pot stickers. Bring the broth to a rolling boil and then turn down the heat to medium, cover and let simmer until the the bok choy is tender (about 45 minutes). Add pot stickers and cook for another 15 minutes. Pour in scrambled eggs and STIR (to break the eggs up in the broth).

I started serving the soup with rice in the bowl and we all love it!

Enjoy!

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Crockpot Beef Stew

How wonderful would it be to throw everything in the crockpot before you go to work, and come home to a house filled with wonderful aromas and dinner already finished?? This is a great recipe (one of the family favorites)...especially in the winter!

** DISCLAIMER: All of my crockpot recipes are prepared to fit a 6 qt. pot...you may choose to lessen the amount of each ingredient in order to make things FIT!

Ingredients:

3lbs. beef stew meat (diced into 3/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons of cajun seasoning (salt and pepper with an extra kick!)
2 tablespoons of oil
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
3-4 small red potatoes (quartered)
1/2 medium sized onion sliced

4 stalks of celery
2 - 1lb pkg of fresh baby carrots
2 - 12 oz. jars of beef gravy
1 - large can of diced tomatoes (undrained)
1/2 cup cold water

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Directions:

Place the flour, salt and pepper into a large ziplock bag and toss stew meat until well coated. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add coated beef and stir for about 5 minutes until browned. Set aside.

Layer potatoes, onions, celery and carrots in the crockpot. Add browned meat and any leftover flour mixture. Top with gravy and tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. About 10 minutes before serving, blend water and 3 tablespoons of flour until smooth....stir into stew. Increase heat setting to high, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes or until thickened.

This dish goes well with a small dinner salad and warm sourdough bread with butter.

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