#114 :: White Bean and Chicken Chili

It's been quite a while since we tried out some new recipes. Jamie was on vacation from work this week, so while he was home we had a chance to spend some time in the kitchen. We caught a show on Food Network with this chili and immediately went out to the store to buy a few things so we could make it. It's definitely something we're going to make regularly through the chilly winter months!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds ground chicken (we used diced chicken breasts instead of ground chicken)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (we omitted these because I don't like them)
  
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained (we used Great Northern beans)
  
• 1 bunch (about 1 pound) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Optional: Serve with Cheddar and Scallion Bread



Makes 4-6 servings (we considered it 4 servings)

Recipe from Giada at Home on Food Network

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

#105 :: Steak & Chicken Fajitas with Poblano Peppers

Tonight was experimental dinner night! I'm beginning to try my hand at selecting my own spices and ingredients, rather than follow a recipe. I'm sure it will end up in disaster eventually, but tonight it was perfect! I read so many recipes about what to marinate fajita meat in, and I didn't like any one in particular. So, I chose my own ingredients that I knew I liked and created my own marinade. The steak was amazing! The chicken was good, but I think it needed to marinate longer to pickup more of the flavors. I let them all marinate for about 2 hours.



Ingredients

For Fajitas:

1 lb. flank steak
2 small chicken breasts
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Poblano Pepper
1 Large Onion, sliced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
1 Tbsp. Oil
Sour Cream
Quesadilla Cheese, grated

For Marinade:

Make your marinade in two separate freezer bags. In each bag, add:

1 garlic clove, smashed
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. Oil (Olive, Vegetable, your choice...)
1 Tbsp. Coarsely Chopped Cilantro
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste


Directions

Mix marinade ingredients in two freezer bags. Add the chicken to one and the steak to the other. Let them marinate for at least one hour.



Using tongs, broil (or roast over an open flame) all of the peppers until charred on all sides. Seal the peppers in a ziploc bag for about 15 minutes so they can steam and soften the skin. Remove the charred skin, using a paper towel if necessary. Remove the veins and seeds, then slice into strips. Slice the onion into strips as well. Remove the seeds and veins from the jalapeno and dice.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a pan. When hot, add the onions and peppers. Cook until the onions are caramelized and remove from heat.



Remove the chicken and steak from the marinade and grill them. The steak only takes a few minutes on each side, and the chicken should take a few minutes longer on each side than the steak. Our steak took 5 minutes, the chicken took 15. Let the meat sit for a few minutes before slicing into fajita strips.



Pile your meat, peppers & onions, jalapeno, sour cream and cheese into a flour tortilla. Roll it up and enjoy.



Makes 2-3 servings

Recipe from Amy :)

Star Rating: -- Steak: 5 out of 5 stars -- Chicken: 4 out of 5 stars

#104 :: Mexi-Burgers

This was just a "throw it all together and throw it on the grill" recipe. We had some red bell peppers and onions, plus some leftover Avocado Aioli from another meal, so we decided to create some Mexi-Burgers. They were definitely good... and no recipe was required!



Ingredients

1/2 lb. hamburger beef
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced (small)
1/2 small yellow onion, diced (small)
Salt, Pepper & Chili Powder to season
Quesadilla Cheese
Lettuce and Tomato Slices
Avocado Aioli


Directions

Saute the diced red bell pepper and onion just until the onions are translucent. Allow them to cool. Season the beef patties with salt, pepper and chili powder (to your own taste).

Add the peppers and onions to the beef and mix in with your hands. Separate the meat into two patties. Grill until done (8-10 minutes) or longer if you like yours well done.

Tip: Add the quesadilla cheese to the burger just a few minutes before it's done grilling, so it will begin to melt.


Makes 2 servings

Recipe by Amy :)

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars