White Chicken Chili

It may seem odd to post a recipe for a warm bowl of chili just as the weather finally shows signs of long, long awaited spring, but this is a recipe I didn't want to forget! I found it on Jenna's blog, Eat Live Run, and it was really good- the best I have had to-date! It has a pretty mild spice to it so if you want really spicy, I would kick up the amount of cayenne. Also, just FYI it freezes well so it is a great make-ahead meal. I made a couple minor changes to lighten it up a little, and those changes are reflected below. (Click on the link for the original version). I can't wait to make this again next winter... or during the inevitable cold front that always comes as soon as I think we are safe into spring!

White Chicken Chili ( adapted from Eat, Live, Run)
Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 medium onion, small diced
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
• 14.5 ounces chicken broth
• 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 6 ounces light sour cream

Directions:  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken and onion and cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken is seared and the onion is translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Add the beans, spices, chicken broth and green chilies and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and add the sour cream and milk.
5. Enjoy

Southwestern Chicken Soup

I LOVE making soup in the winter. It is just so hearty, warm, filling, and healthy! I make it pretty often (and by "pretty often" I mean Nick is probably sick and tired of it!), but I have so many recipes that I like such as this one and this one that I don't try all that many new ones. I am really glad I tried this one as it will probably go into the regular rotation :) It is slightly spicy from the jalepeno but not at all too hot (you could add more if you really want spicy), and the sweetness of corn was a great addition! It is also great for feeding a crowd. I tripled the recipe below for our community group, and I think everyone liked it :) The recipe is from Cooking Light, but I made a few changes which are reflected below. 

 Southwestern Chicken Soup (adapted from Cooking Light)

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

• Cooking spray
• 1  cup  diced onion
• 2/3  cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1  pound of chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1  (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1  cup  diced avocado
• 1 cup of frozen sweet corn

Directions:

1. Heat a small nonstick Dutch oven over medium-heat. 

2. Coat pan with cooking spray or a little olive oil. 

3. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; sauté for 2 minutes. 

4. Add chicken; cook 3-5 minutes. 

5. Add broth and next 6 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

6. Add corn and cook until corn has thawed.

7. Remove from heat. 

8. Serve with avocado.

Creamy Roasted Corn Soup

Summer is my favorite season, and one of the best things about it are the delicious fruits and vegetables. It seems that summer is coming to an end way too quickly, and I didn't want to miss the chance to take advantage of the fresh corn at the farmer's market. When I saw this recipe, I knew it was the perfect recipe to showcase the natural sweetness of the corn. I also loved how healthy it was. Generally thick, creamy soups like this are made with cream and butter, but this one is thickened with rice and pureed corn and squash. The corn we bought was so good that I had to restrain myself from eating all of it raw! And the soup was so delicious that I wanted to eat the whole pot myself. Unfortunately, I had to share it with Nick... I topped it with some leftover roasted okra, but really it was lost in the soup so no worries if you don't have any!

Creamy Roasted Corn Soup (adapted from Naturally Ella)
Serves 2
Ingredients:

• 3 ears of sweet corn
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 Anaheim pepper, diced (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
•  2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup white rice
• 1/2 cup skim milk 
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the husk and silk from the corn and cut off the kernels. I found it helpful to put it in a bowl and cut so the kernels don't fly everywhere.  
3. Dice the squash, garlic and peppers and toss with olive oil.
4. Spread vegetables on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 30-35 minutes.
5. Meanwhile combine broth, water, and rice in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until rice is cooked.
6. When the vegetables are done roasting, add them to the broth and rice. 
7. With an immersion blender, blend mixture until it has very few chunks left in it. 
8. Add milk and blend until thoroughly incorporated. Reheat soup if needed. 

Ellie Krieger's White Chili

After coming in from an afternoon of sledding, this white chili was the perfect thing to have for dinner! We had never had a white chili before, but when I saw this recipe from Ellie Krieger and all the good reviews it had gotten, I thought it might be time to try it. I love her recipes because they are always healthy- unlike most of the other Food Network chefs. This recipe did not disappoint- it was delicious and really filling! I did make a couple of changes, which are reflected in the recipe below. Although, I will say that it did need a little more salt so we just seasoned our individual bowls to taste. If you're looking for a new twist on chili, you should try this!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 large poblano pepper, seeded and white ribs removed, finely diced 
• 1/2 of 4.5 oz can of diced green chiles
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound ground white meat turkey
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans white beans such as cannelini, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
• Lime wedges

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, celery, poblanos, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink about 2 minutes. Add the white beans, broth, green chiles, and oregano. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.

Add the hominy and salt and more cayenne pepper, to taste, and continue cooking, partially covered, 10 minutes longer. Ladle into individual bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Super Bowl Chili

I have been wanting to try this recipe from Cooking Light for a while so I figured the Super Bowl would be the perfect occasion. Nick and I both liked it a lot, and I will definitely be making it again. I especially liked the flavor the black beans added to it. I did make a couple of changes to the original- the main one being that I added some ground beef to it because Nick claims that it can't be chili without meat in it. It would be good either way. The recipe as I made it is below.


Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 lb 96% lean ground beef
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 (16-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
* 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Easy Beef Stew

I don't quite know who to give credit to for this recipe because I got it from my mom and I don't know where she got it, but this is a really easy and delicious beef stew- perfect for a cold, icy Kansas day :) The recipe below is as I made it (slightly adapted from the original):



Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
12 baby carrots, diced
l small onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
2-3 stalks diced celery
4-5 diced new potatoes
1 can roast beef (I had to use Hormel but Costco's Kirklands brand is best)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
12 oz V8 vegetable juice

Directions:
1. Microwave carrots, onion, celery, and potatoes for about 2 minutes so they will slightly soften.
2. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven (or other soup pot) over medium heat.
3. Add vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes. (Salt and pepper veggies when you put them in)
4. Add can of diced tomatoes and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Add roast beef, garlic powder, V8 juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Stir and break up beef so it shreds into smaller pieces.
7. Continue simmering until vegetables are cooked to desired "doneness".

This is also good as leftovers :)

Vegetable Beef Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound 96% lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
16 ounces tomatoes, canned
1 cup celery, diced
2 medium carrot, diced
1 large potato, diced
8 ounces frozen corn kernels
8 ounces frozen okra
16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
12 ounces vegetable juice
chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a 5-quart pan, over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in a small amount of oil until tender. Add the ground beef and cook until brown, stirring to break up meat. Drain if necessary, then add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, vegetable juice to the meat. Add enough chicken broth to cover . Add the carrots, potato, and celery to the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes. Then add the frozen corn and vegetables and cook for about 10 more minutes or until potatoes are tender. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Lentil, Sausage, & Sweet Potato Soup

I found the original recipe for this soup on Kalyn's Kitchen. It was a good fall soup. The recipe with my modifications are below. All measurements are approximate.



8 oz. lb. raw chicken or turkey sausage links (preferably spicy)
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. olive oil
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 can diced tomatoes
1 medium sweet potato diced (bite size diced)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil or just cooking spray in heavy soup pot, then saute celery and onions for about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, lentils, sage, thyme, and a bit of fresh ground black pepper, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

While soup is simmering, cut sausage lengthwise and then into slices. Cook in a skillet until browned. Remove from skillet onto paper towels to drain.

After 30 minutes, add canned tomatoes, chopped sweet potatoes, and cut sausage pieces and cook at a very low simmer about 30-60 minutes more (until sweet potatoes are tender). Season soup with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.

Chicken, Corn, Okra and Edamame Stew

I found this recipe which was adapted from Everyday Food on Culinary in the Country blog. It was tasty and easy to make to branch out from my two soups that I always make. I did make a couple changes by using cooking spray to eliminate the oil and adding okra. Photography courtesy of NCPilkington.



Cooking spray
1 1/4 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 plum tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
10 ounces frozen corn kernels, thawed
10 ounces frozen shelled edamame, thawed
3/4 cup frozen okra, thawed

Heat dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Stir in onions, bell pepper, thyme, salt and pepper - cook until onion begin to brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste - cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chicken, tomatoes, chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil - reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until chicken is completely cooked, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Pull chicken out from the pot and place on a cutting board. Stir in corn, okra, and edamame - simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place the chicken back into the pot and allow to heat through for 1 minute.

Makes about 4 servings.

Quick Tomato Vegetable Soup

This is an easy and tasty soup that I adapted from a Giada DeLaurentis recipe. I made it this weekend for Mom and Granny's visit to Wichita :)

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
* 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
* 1 medium squash, halved and sliced
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: Newman’s Own brand)
* 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
* 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 cup small pasta such as macaroni
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, zucchini, squash and garlic and saute until softened a little. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.