Chicken Tortilla Soup, version II

First off, I'm a big believer in giving credit where credit is due. This is my second chicken tortilla soup recipe - see my first blog entry for the recipe I made awhile ago. It was good but, as I said, it just didn't do it for me. A friend of a friend had this second recipe on her cooking blog. I think it's so fun to try different recipes for the same thing until one just jumps off the plate. I can't honestly say that I will go hunting down new chicken tortilla soup recipes in the future because it doesn't get much better than this. Be warned, it's pretty spicy. It's the kind of spice that hits in your throat rather than on your tongue..had I gone to chef school, I probably would know some sweet french word to describe what I mean.

I thought of "Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee" while making this soup. It's basically different cans (such as Rotel, refried beans) put into one big stockpot. Not counting the joy of shredding chicken, its super simple, lasts all week.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Medium onion
3 Tbsp Butter or olive oil
3-4 chicken breasts, shredded
1 can Refried Beans
3 cans Chicken Broth
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 can Rotel
1/2 block Velveeta

Crushed tortilla chips
Sour Cream
Chopped Avocado
Shredded Cheese

Saute onion and butter/oil. Add remaining ingredients except Velveeta. Cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Add Velveeta and stir until melted. Add toppings as desired.

Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts and New Potatoes with Caper Sauce

Well, I've officially done 4 new recipes for the month of January - that NY resolution is 1/12 complete!

I spent way too long trying to decide what to do for dinner last weekend when Brett was in town. I was aiming for something seafood, but The Seafood Shop wasn't answering the phone and I didn't want to make the drive without knowing they were open. I had also planned on Creme Brulee so I could use the porcelain dishes and torch that Brett's mom Ellen bought me for Christmas. But, I read that it takes 4+ hours to set, and by mid-afternoon we had not even gone grocery shopping. So, I am hoping that next month, I can work in some seared scallops and creme brulee!

The dish that I ended up doing was really inspirational. I definitely re-worked the recipe a bit to cut down some fat and incorporate more color and flavor (original recipe is here.) The reason I found it to be so inspiring is because I realized...I could butterfly, then fill, chicken or pork with ANYTHING. One of my first thoughts was asparagus, cream cheese, garlic and herbs. Maybe I could even hold a drawing - throw dozens of ingredients in a hat and pick four! Seriously, though, it's endless.

Brett gives the potatoes a 5, his highest (and rarest!) rating. Eat up!

Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 C. sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg white
4 slices bacon

1. In a medium bowl, mix sundried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, garlic and egg white until well blended. Set aside.
2. Carefully butterfly chicken breasts, making sure not to cut all the way through. Spoon spinach mixture into chicken breasts. Season chicken breasts with a bit of salt and pepper. Cut each slice of bacon in half, and wrap each chicken breast with both halves, securing with toothpicks. Cover.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until chicken is no longer pink. Spoon some of the juices in the pan over the chicken before serving.

New Potatoes with Caper Sauce

12 small new potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
1 tablespoon minced green onion
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used 1 TBS dried)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine the softened butter, capers, green onion, Parmesan cheese, parsley and vinegar in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. If potatoes are large, cut into halves or quarters. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
3. Add the caper sauce to the pot of drained potatoes and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

Time's gotten away from me and this morning I realized it's been eleven days since I posted a recipe (and I think I promised one per week.) The truth is, I planned on baking something new this weekend - I still have two recipes left for January if I want to meet my NY Resolution - but I haven't decided what or when to make it, so here is something for now.

I found this on Allrecipes, oh, maybe a year and a half ago? I didn't pay it much attention until my mom called one day and said she had found an amazing apple pie - and it was the same pie I'd checked out - so I decided to give it a go. This is officially the first pie I ever made - and it turned out so beautifully and so delicious. I use the refrigerated roll-out Pillsbury crust (shame, I know) but someday when I have the time (excuses, excuses) I will attempt a crust from scratch.

As you'll read below, it's a bit tricky pouring the sugar/butter mixture over the lattice crust, but please give it your best shot. The best part about this pie is that the mixture which doesn't quite make it through the lattice carmelizes on the crust while baking, so you have a deliciously crispy, buttery crust.

Kinda like this:

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

9-inch double pie crust (for top and bottom) - design lattice into the top crust
1/2 C. unsalted butter
3 TBS all-purpose flour
1/2 C. white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. water
8 granny smith apples - peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, cinnamon, brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil and reduce temperature, simmering for 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with apples, mounding slightly. Drizzle 1/2 of the sugar/butter mixture over the apples. Cover with the lattice crust. Gently pour the remaining 1/2 of the sugar/butter mixture over the crust. Pour slowly so that the mixture seeps through the openings in the lattice and doesn't run off the side of the pan.
3. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Over Rice

Welcome to one of the most delicious meals you will ever make: Spicy Peanut Chicken. I pulled this recipe from Cooking Light, Nov. '08, and have made it twice...it's deliciousness is far more than beginner's luck! For those of you who enjoy perusing cookbooks as much as I do, you might know what I mean when I say that it was one of the recipes where you flip the page, take a quick look at the picture and ingredients, and say "yes!" Everything about it just works. Some recipes have bizarre ingredients ("Swiss Chard, huh?") and others, odd flavor combinations like salmon and rhubarb. I don't want to come off as ordinary or predictable, but I generally don't give those things a shot (my mom is retired and she's another story!) I like simple ingredients that you just know will go perfectly together. Everything needed for this Spicy Peanut Chicken is probably in your pantry right now, and I swear it will make your house smell exactly like the thai restaurant down the street (assuming it's a good thai restaurant...)

Promise me you will make this with jasmine rice and add more kick than calls for. Oh, and it goes lovely with a cold beer.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Over Rice

1 TBS. peanut or olive oil
1 C. chopped medium onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 C. crunchy peanut butter (I used 1/2 C., will do again)
1.5 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I dare you to add cayenne, too)
salt and pepper to taste
1 6-oz can. tomato paste
3 C. chopped plum or roma tomatoes (~6 tomatoes)
2 14-oz cans chicken broth
hot cooked rice
3/4 C. greek-style yogurt (I omitted)

1. Heat oil in dutch oven or large saucepan. Add onion and garlic, cooking until tender. Add chicken, cook until chicken is done and no longer pink. Stir in peanut butter, curry, red pepper, salt/pepper, and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute. Add tomato and broth. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Serve over rice and top with yogurt.

I served with steamed broccoli, and also cooked my rice in chicken broth. I would serve this for important guests, it is THAT delicious!

Happy eating! :-)

Carmelized Sweet Onion Dip

On New Years Eve, I had over my 8 best friends, plus a handful of others. It was a bit tight in my apartment but we managed!! It turned out to be a blast and of course I planned some appetizers a few days in advance - first, yummy tortilla wrap-ups, then this carmelized onion dip, and finally, Prince Edward Island mussels (oh, and chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert.) The tortilla wrap-ups are technically my own recipe, but the different ingredients came from about 4-5 other recipes. The carmelized onion dip is from Cooking Light. The mussels were steamed in white wine, butter and garlic - they actually turned out really good, and were super easy to make.

I served this dip with all kinda of crackers - Melba toasts, triscuits, wheat thins, etc. I do think it's a bit too mayonnaise-y, and will reduce it next time. The onions are truly the most delicious part, so I think next time I will "up" the amount of onions, too. Oh, and believe it or not, Wal-Mart carries Peruvian sweet onions! If you can't find sweet onions, the recipe says to add 1 TBS of sugar. To save time, you can also carmelize your onions early in the day, and finish the dip that evening. If you end up using more than 3 C onion, don't forget to add more butter to sautee them in - otherwise, the pan will dry out and your garlic will burn.

Carmelized Sweet Onion Dip

1 TBS butter, divided
3 C. diced Rio or other sweet onion (about 2 large onions)
1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 C. mayonnaise
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce (I used 1 tsp., I like the flavor it added)
cooking spray
1/3 C. panko or bread crumbs
1 TBS chopped fresh parsely (I omitted)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt 1.5 tsp butter in large skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt; cook 15 minutes or until tender and onions are light brown. Add garlic and cook several minutes, ensuring garlic doesn't burn. Onions should be very tender and golden. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
2. Combine remaining salt, mayo, sour cream, garlic powder, pepper and worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth. Stir in onion mixture. Transfer to 1-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Melt remaining butter and combine with panko. Sprinkle evenly over onion mixture. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with parsely.

Happy 2009 !!!! It is going to be a great year!