White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili
Source" Slow Cookers for Dummies"

Ingredients

3 Tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 15 oz cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed with cold water
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
minced cilantro leaves (optional)
sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

Lightly spray 4 to 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until no longer pink on outside, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and place in slow cooker.

Add remaining 1 T olive oil to skillet and cook onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, oregano and cumin, 7-8 minutes or until soft. Place in slow cooker.

Add white kidney beans and broth to slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken breasts are very tender and shred easily.

Shred chicken breasts using 2 forks. To thicken chili, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a fork.

If desired, garnish with cilantro and cheese. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Makes 6 servings.

Chicken and Dumplings

Despite what it may look like, I do cook regular food type meals not just TWD delicacies! Though these pictures were taken the first time I made this, I have made it several times since then. It has become one of our favorites.

I remember chicken and dumplings being one of my mom's favorites so it was something we ate often in my house growing up. I know you don't think of a stew being something you want to make in the summer but this one comes together very quickly and using fresh summer vegetables makes it appealing 12 months of the year. I find it to be a great comfort food when I want to relax.

I have to give props to Rachael Ray because we really love this variation. I do want to make my own chicken stock but that I will save for a winter day! I've learned to double this so we have leftovers too.


1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders (Remember to COOK them first)
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter
1 russet potato, peeled and diced (skin can be on or off, we've done both)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced or thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped (I use my microplane to get all the flavor and none of the texture)
1 rib celery, diced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
2 tablespoons flour, a handful
1 quart chicken broth or stock, canned or paper container, preferred brand Kitchen Basics
1 small box biscuit mix(preferred brand Jiffy Mix) (I use Bisquick)
1/2 cup warm water
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup frozen green peas

Dice tenders into bite size pieces and set aside. Wash hands.

Place a large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, vegetables and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir broth or stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.

Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with 1/2 cup warm water and parsley. Drop tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pot, spacing dumplings evenly. Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to medium low. Steam dumplings 8 to 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit. Stir peas into the pan, remove chicken and dumplings from heat and serve in shallow bowls.

Elsa's Cider Beef with Smashed Cheddar Potatoes

My new claim to fame is that I met Rachael Ray! She has just come out with a new cookbook and kicked off her book tour this past Friday night at the Barnes and Noble in Union Square. She did a Q&A session and then a book signing. It was a long wait but totally worth it. She personalized our book by saying, "Jake and Beth, Keep your pots hot! Rachael Ray" Well that's exactly what we did. We chose a new recipe from her book to kick off our week and it was great!


Ingredients

2 tablespoons EVOO
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds top sirloin, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
salt and black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 pound turnips, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups good-quality apple cider-go dark and cloudy
1 (15-ounce) can of beef stock
3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped or snipped chives

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425.

Place a large stew pot or Dutch-oven with lid over medium-high heat. Add EVOO and butter. When the butter melts, season the beef with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Brown on all sides, 7-8 minutes total. Add onions, carrots and turnips and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and stir to combine and coat, 1 minute. Stir in apple cider and the beef stock, bring to boil, cover the pan, and transfer to the over. Braise the beef for 45 minutes.

Once the beef has been in the oven for about 15 minutes, place the potatoes in a large sauce pot with water to cover by at least 1 to 2 inches. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce the heat a bit, add some salt, and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the pot. Add the milk, sour cream and cheese. Use a potato masher to smash them to your preferred consistency. Season with salt and pepper and add the chives. Cover and keep warm until the beef it done.


To serve, ladle the stew into sallow serving bowls. Make a well in the center and fill with the potatoes. (It should be noted, however, that there are members of our family-like my brother-who would fill a bowl with potatoes instead, leaving a small well in the center to hold a few bites of stew.)

My tips: We eliminated the turnips, something we've never tried and we weren't daring enough tonight. My husband doesn't like white cheddar so we used regular sharp cheddar. We also forgot to buy the chives at the grocery store. We both enjoy a good amount of spice and felt this was lacking some spice. Note: This is one of her 60-minute meals and it serves 4.

Husband Rating: A+ He says it needs to be well seasoned when cooking but over all he enjoyed.

Wife Rating: A+ I really liked the cider, it adds a sweetness to an otherwise regular beef stew. I didn't love the onions but they add good flavor. We also opted to fill the bowl with potatoes and then pour the stew over top like Rachael's brother. I won't lie the potatoes are why I chose the recipe and they were amazing!

Recipe from: just in time! All-new 30-minute meal, plus super-fast 15 minute meals and slow-it-down 60 minute meals by Rachael Ray
Picture take by me