Chicken Corn Chili

I came across this recipe last summer and knew it would be the perfect winter dish. I went ahead and adapted it and it comes out great every time. Pair it with Pamela's Gluten Free cornbread muffins and the family will continually ask for more!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large jalapeno pepper (1/2 chopped and ½ sliced; remove seeds for less heat)

1 – 4 ounce can chopped green chiles; drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (12 ounces)

2 – 15 ounce cans large white beans or pinto beans (1 undrained; 1 drained and rinsed)

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup shredded Monterey jack or white cheddar cheese

Sour cream and cornbread (optional)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, Add the onion and cook, stirring, until slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chopped jalapeno, green chiles, and cumin and cook, stirring until the cumin is toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, chicken and beans along with the liquid from one of the cans of beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Using a potato masher, mash the chili until about half of the beans are broken up. Stir in the corn, cilantro and ½ cup cheese. Divide the chili among bowls and top with the remaining ½ cup cheese and the sliced jalapeno. Serve with sour cream and cornbread, if desired.

Cooking Time: 70 minutes

Serves: 4+ (8 cups)

Picture Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

(Almost) Spanish Chicken

Rainy days always inspire me to bring out the crock pot. I've had my eye on a particular recipe for awhile but was waiting for the perfect day to cook it. With the blustery weather outside, I decided that today was a great day to try it out. As I quickly glanced over the recipe, I realized three things: 1) My refrigerator hasn't been stocked in awhile and I'm missing some major ingredients; 2) I'm home alone with my toddler; 3) It's disgusting weather outside and the thought of taking my toddler to the grocery store in the rain makes me want to gouge my eyes out. So, I did the next best thing - adaptation! Here it goes...

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 bell pepper, chopped or sliced (red, yellow, or orange)

4 plum tomatoes

2 tablespoons green pimento stuffed olives + brine (the olives and brine brought out a great flavor in the crock pot but did not mix well when eaten with the finished product. In the future, I will add the olives to the slow cooker but will remove before serving the dish).

8 ounce can tomato sauce

¼ teaspoon Italian Seasoning

¼ teaspoon cumin

½ lemon, juiced

salt to taste

cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Place chicken, onion, garlic, pepper, and tomatoes in the crock pot. Season with salt, cumin, and Italian Seasoning. Mix well so everything is seasoned. Add tomato sauce, olives along with 1 tablespoon of olive brine, lemon juice, and ½ cup of water. Mix well and set crock pot to LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2 hours. When done, shred chicken, taste for salt and seasoning and adjust spices as needed. Add chopped fresh cilantro and serve over rice (optional). For the non-rice eaters, like myself, serve it over freshly steamed broccoli and/or cauliflower, or eat it plain.

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

I came across this recipe on Food Network's website, prepared it over the weekend and cooked it last night. It was absolutely amazing and the family couldn't get enough. It calls for an unnecessary amount of olive oil and although I followed the recipe, in the future I will cut the olive oil in half. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

2 - 3 Pork Tenderloins (~2 pounds)


1 lemon zest grated


¾ cup lemon juice, preferably fresh (~6 lemons)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves minced garlic (2 tablespoons)

1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Marinade:

Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, salt into a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade - discard the remaining marinade but leave the herbs clinging to the meat. Salt and pepper tenderloins. Heat cooking spray or olive oil in an OVEN PROOF sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloins on all sides until golden brown. Place the sauté pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until meat is done. Once done, allow tenderloins to rest for 5-10 minutes on a plate covered with tinfoil. Pour remaining sauce in sauté pan over tenderloins.

Cooking Time: 4 hours – 1 day+

Serves: 4-5

(Picture courtesy of www.inspired2cook.com)