White Chicken Chili

Original Recipe HERE

 

I simplified the original recipe a lot, both for convenience (I didn't feel like hunting down a variety of peppers) and the sake of hoping my kids would eat it (because they don't like super spicy things).  So it's really just a basic white chicken chili recipe now.  But that's OK, because everyone loved it.  Even my picky *J* said he, "LOVED it!"

 

My kids aren't big meat eaters, and they turn their noses up to chicken most of the time.  I knew I'd have better luck getting them to eat it if I incorporated it into the dish better than cubing it would.  So I cooked the chicken that afternoon and shredded it with the KitchenAid paddle.  No one complained at mealtime.

 

I ran out of cumin and couldn't find my chili powder, so I added a few shakes of Cuban seasoning to make up for it.  It was still pretty mild, but I could taste a hint of the jalapenos so it wasn't too bland.  Spices and seasonings and heat factor can be easily tweaked.  As expected, the kids added plenty of sour cream and cheese on top. 

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons chili powder
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups broth
3 cans (15 oz) cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chopped cooked chicken [I used shredded]
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ cup heavy cream [optional; I forgot it]

garnishes: lime wedges, shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream

rice [optional]

 

Ingredients

(1) Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

(2) Add onions, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt.  Cook until vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes.

(3) Meanwhile, drain and rinse one can of beans.  Mash thoroughly.

(3) Add garlic.  Cook an additional minute (do not allow garlic to brown).

(4) Add flour; stir in thoroughly.  Cook for about 1 minute.

(5) Add mashed beans.

(6) Stir in remaining 2 cans of beans, chicken, and lime juice.  Bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low; cook about 20 minutes.

(7) Add heavy cream.  Serve with garnishes and by itself or over rice.

 

Kid Participation: None, other than require me to grate several rounds of cheese for toppings.  Kids like them some cheese.

Slow Cooker Lentil Chili

Original Recipe HERE

 

This almost filled my entire 5.5 quart (I think?) slow cooker.  Therefore we ate it for two dinners, plus we had leftovers for lunches.  Good thing everyone liked it, though it looked like it would've frozen well.  Or, instead, you could just cut the ingredients in half (or maybe just use less canned beans) and adjust cooking time slightly.  As long as the lentils are sufficiently softened, it's ready to go.  I served it with cheddar dill biscuits.

 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño, diced, seeds removed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced [I didn't have one]
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes
1 bag (16 oz) brown lentils, rinsed
2 cans (15 oz each) small red beans, rinsed and drained [I used 1 black and 1 great northern]
2-3 tablespoons chili powder [I used 1-1/2 Tablespoons]
1 tablespoon cumin [I omitted]

1 to 2 Tablespoons seasoning of choice [I used a Cajun mix]
Salt and black pepper, to taste

"Mexican-style" toppings of choice

 

Directions

(1) Dice onion, peppers, and carrot.  Mince garlic.

(2) Remove seeds from jalapeno; finely chop.

(3) Add all ingredients to slow cooker.  Stir to combine.

(4) Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.

(5) If desired, blend a small portion of the soup to thicken it.

(6) Serve warm with sour cream, shredded cheese, diced green onion, etc.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Meatless Burritos

Original Recipe: Better Homes & Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes

 

There wasn't anything spectacular about this meal: it was certainly perfectly "fine" and will surely be made again because I always have the ingredients on hand.  Everyone seemed to like it, although rolled tortillas stuffed with filling usually don't mix well with little kids.  Next time I'll probably serve it with Tostitos and let them dig in, scooping style.  Also, I think it needed a little more flavor, which is easily fixable with some garlic, smoked paprika, green chilis, cayenne, cumin (if you like that sort of thing, and I don't, so I avoid using it whenever possible), etc.

 

Ingredients

3 cans (15 oz each) black beans and/or red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained [I used petite cut]

1-1/2 cups salsa

1 cup corn [I used frozen]

1/2 large jalapeno, seeded & finely chopped

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

16 8- or 10-inch flour tortillas

* Optional Toppings:

shredded lettuce

shredded Mexican cheese blend

sour cream

cooked rice

green onions, sliced

 

Directions

(1) In 3.5-, 4-, or 5.5-quart slow cooker, combine beans, tomatoes, salsa, corn, jalapeno, chili powder, and garlic.

(2) Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

(3) To serve, spoon bean mixture onto tortillas.  Top with desired toppings.  Roll.

 

Kid Participation:

* dump all ingredients into slow cooker

* activate slow cooker

* make a massacre of the meal and earn yourself a bath

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde

Original Recipe HERE

I love enchiladas because they're hard to screw up, can be frozen, make good leftovers, and can be adjusted to suit the tastes of those you're feeding.  They can also be healthy or a heart-attack-in-a-pan.  I tried to make these relatively healthy by using low fat chicken broth, light sour cream, low fat cheese, and whole wheat tortillas (because if you look at how bad just one regular tortilla is, it's astounding).  These were a little more labor-intensive than I'd expected, but they made enough for dinner for two, lunch for two, and lunch for one.  So I guess they actually saved me time in the long run.

Ingredients for Chicken and White Bean Filling

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup minced white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 can (15.5 oz) Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)

2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded [canned chicken can be substituted]

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tsp cumin

Ingredients for Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

1 tsp butter

1/2 cup chopped white onion

2 tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth

2 cans (4.5 oz each) chopped green chiles

1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded & finely chopped

salt

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese

8 to 10 10" tortillas

chopped fresh cilantro and/or scallions [optional]

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375.

* For the Filling

2) In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes.

3) Add green chiles, beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes.

4) Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Remove from heat.

* For the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:

5) In a large nonstick pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

6) Add flour and stir well. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

30 Slowly whisk in chicken broth until sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes.

7) Add green chiles, jalepeños, and salt to taste. Cook 1 minute and remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

* To Assemble

8) Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.

9) Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the filling. Roll tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of tortillas.

10) Pour enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese.

11) Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes until enchiladas are hot and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

Notes: Next time I'll try to make the filling and sauce ahead of time and refrigerate them so that I can just throw the enchiladas together and put them in the oven.  I'll also throw in some brown rice or quinoa (or a can of black beans) to make even more so I can try freezing a few.  And I'll also mix some salsa into either the filling or sauce just to see how it adjusts the taste.

Kid Participation:

* Pour beans and chiles into bowl

* Stir filling

* Spread sauce on bottom of pan

* Pour sauce over enchiladas

* Sprinkle cheese over enchiladas

Shakshuka

Original Recipe HERE

This recipe seemed a bit exotic...different from what I normally fall back on for weeknight meals (ahem, chicken and veggies...).  The egg step was what provoked me to bookmark it.  As did the fact that it's actually not complicated at all but looks like it could be to those you serve, so maybe they'd think you spent more time in the kitchen than you really did.

The eggs didn't turn out as I'd expected.  However, upon re-reading the instructions, I see I didn't put the lid on - maybe that would've helped them cook more quickly.  The whites sort of ran all over the pan, and I poked the yolks with a fork so they'd spread a bit into the whites so they'd cook as well (because I just can't do the runny yolk thing without gagging).  Due to a screaming *J* in one ear and a poor *N* pitifully complaining of hunger pains in the other, I tried flipping the eggs because it was taking forever for them to cook.  Do not do this.  It just made a mess.  Then again, by the time it was done, the whole thing looked like a pile of tomato-based slop...but it tasted really good.  Probably not recognizable (in appearance, at least) to anyone in-the-know about shakshuka, but that doesn't matter.

It was also fun to listen to *N* try to pronounce shakshuka.  I heard shachuka, chakchuka, shatuka, katuka, and several other variations that made me smile.  I may have to seek out more dishes with unfamiliar names just to provide some entertainment while I'm cooking.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped [I used 1.5 large ones; next time I'll use at least 2]

1 small yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

Kosher salt, to taste

Minced garlic or garlic salt, to taste

6 eggs [to serve 4-6 people]

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Brown rice, for serving

Pitas or naan, for serving

Directions

1) Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes.

2) Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

3) Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with a potato masher or similar tool [I wonder whether a can of crushed tomatoes would've omitted the need for this step]. Add tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and garlic salt.

4) Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve over rice and with pitas or naan for dipping.

Notes: I'll try different techniques with the eggs - maybe fry them in a separate pan until they just set and then transfer them to the shakshuka to finish cooking.  I forgot to add the feta when reheating leftovers the next night, and now I realize that it definitely adds some good flavor.  I was surprised at how mild the dish was - using a little more of each spice, as well as additional jalapeno and garlic cloves, would up the "wow" factor (which I can't believe I just wrote).

Kid Participation:

* Smash garlic with meat mallet.

* Add spices to pan.

* Crush tomatoes in bowl.