Smoky Sweet Potato Chicken Stoup

Stoup has broth like soup but it's so full of chunky goodness that it's almost a stew!  Double this one-it's that good.  It's also a good way to use up extra chicken and stock from homemade chicken soup (from a roast chicken).


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 ribs celery
1 large onion, peeled and halved
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 2 chipotle chili in adobo, finely chopped, plus a spoon of sauce from the can
Salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon dry thyme, eyeball it
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine, eyeball it (you can sub grape juice, but it will be much sweeter)
5 cups chicken stock
1 large sweet potato
3/4 to 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, a generous handful, roughly chopped
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish, optional

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 turns of the pan. While soup pot heats, chop carrots in half lengthwise then slice into thin half moons. Add the carrots to the pot while it heats, stirring to coat the carrots in the oil. Chop and drop in celery and onion, chopping as small as you can, but don't make yourself crazy.. Add the garlic, chipotle, and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Season the veggies with salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook the veggies together 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce a minute. Add the stock to the pot, cover the pot, and raise heat to high. Bring the stoup to a boil, remove the cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into quarters lengthwise, then thinly slice into bite size pieces. Add the cut chicken and sweet potatoes and simmer 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat off and add the scallions and cilantro. Serve each portion of stoup with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Marie-Therese Gown

Marie-Therese Gown

Wouldn't it be fun to take pictures in a dress like this? Isn't she talented? Check out her generosity and talent!

Thai Thighs-What a crock!

Dinner tonight....mmmmmm. I hope it turns out as yummy as it sounds! I'm a sucker for crockpot recipies on Sunday mornings.

Crockpot Thai Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 (16 ounce) jar cilantro salsa (or any salsa you prefer)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons lime juice

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. (does it GET any easier??)
   
2. Garnish with cilantro, scallions, and peanuts. (optional)
3. Serve over rice
   

Total Cost (4 servings):
Chicken Thighs - Appx $4.00
Salsa - $0.80 (store brand, nothing fancy!)
Peanut Butter - $1.60
Ginger, soy sauce, lime - negligible
Rice - $0.30

Grand Total - $6.70, or $1.68 per serving!

Cranberry-Pumpkin Muffins

I'm a big muffin fan...almost cake, but no guilt. Sort of. Maddy and I had a nice morning where she helped make this with me and then we celebrated by having a tea party with "cake". Bake a muffin in a mini cake tin and you have an instant party!
I'd only change it by adding more cranberries and cinnamon.

2 eggs
2 Cups Sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup pumpkin (No clue what to do with the tiny bit left in the can.)
2 1/4 cups flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
Pumpkin Pie spice-lay it on! I use cinammon, ginger, nutmeg
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped cranberries (soak in hot water 10 min)
1 bag chopped walnuts (I dont' know what size bag. I didn't use any)
1 tsp vanilla
*I also threw in a bit o'almond extract too.

This might be interesting with some orange peel...

Anyway, mix wet. Mix dry just till moistened. Fold in berries and nuts.

Bake muffins for 30 min at 350. Makes 1 1/2-2 dozen. or a dozen and several mini-cakes.

Serve with butter or whipped cream cheese or (our favorite) dusted with powdered sugar.

Battle of Banana Breads

I can't find the recipe for my favorite banana bread...all I remember was that it had pinapple in it (wierd but oh, so good!)

So I'm off to find a new banana bread recipe.

Here are the ones that will be tested this weekend. IF you think you have a better one, please share....I'll test it out!

Banana Oatmeal Bread
1 egg
1/2 cup oil (I'll test with applesauce)
5-6 bananas (holey cow! That's a lot!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking pdr
1 tsp cinnamon (I'll probably dump a bunch more than THAT in!)
1/3 cut nuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisens (soaked in hot water and drained)

Standard directions, Beat wet, stir in dry. Fold nuts and raisens in.
Bake in greased and floured pan for 45-55 min at 350. Cool 10 min then remove to rack.

Banana Bread
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (can I use applesauce for butter?)
2 large eggs
3-4 mashed bananas (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup milk add couple drops of lemon juice
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix sugar and butter, add eggs. Mix wet till smooth. Mix dry in just till moistened. Fold in nuts. Bake 60-75 min at 350. 2 loaves.

Since I don't have a bazillion bananas, someone else can test that. I found this online and I'll see how it works out.
Hawaiian Banana Bread
3 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. each - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. nuts (optional)

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. salad oil (ugh. I'll use applesauce)
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (almond might be fun too!)
2 c. mashed bananas

Sift dry ingredients, add remaining ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon only until well blended. Pour into two greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes

Low-Fat Whole Wheat Banana Bread

4 T margarine (or butter), softened
¼ C applesauce
2 eggs (2 T. Dehydrated Eggs +1/4 C. Water)
2 T skim milk or water
¾ C packed light brown sugar
1 C mashed banana (2-3 medium bananas)
1 ¾ C Whole Wheat Flour
2 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt (optional)
¼ C coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
(optional)

Beat margarine, applesauce, eggs, milk, and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until smooth. Add banana and blend at low speed; beat at high speed 1 to 2 minutes. Combine flour, baking
powder, baking soda, and salt; mix into batter. Mix in nuts. Pour batter into greased loaf pan, . Bake at 350º F until bread is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (55
to 60 minutes). Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool to room temperature.

Chicken Enchilads Piedras by Dad

3 or 4 boned chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
14 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon flour
your favorite medium strength green salsa
2 small cans chopped green chilies (peeled are best)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup each cheddar and Monterrey jack cheeses
1 cup milk

Meat: Preheat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in large skillet. Chop chicken and put in skillet with one can of chilies (drained) and the onion. Add chili powder and salt and pepper. Stir-fry until a good simmer gets going, reduce heat and cover. Insure the chicken doesn't dry out, add small amounts of water if needed. It should simmer until the meat is almost flaky and the aroma is driving you crazy. About 45 minutes.
Sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and a dash of salt, stir until well mixed. Slowly add milk and stir over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken. Add Monterrey jack cheese, 1 small can of green chilies, drained, and green salsa to taste, set aside. Don't make the sauce too soon (I always wait until the enchiladas are assembled before making the sauce so it doesn't thicken too much).
Assembly: In a small skillet on medium-low heat, warm about a quarter cup of vegetable oil. I assemble enchiladas in a glass 13x9 inch baking dish; seems to work best for me, warm tortillas one at a time in the oil until pliable, drain, then put about a fat tablespoon of meat in the tortilla and roll it up. Place in the baking dish. You may have to vary the amount of meat depending on the size of your tortillas. When the pan is full, about 14 enchiladas, cover them with the sauce. Cover sauce with the cheddar cheese. I sprinkle sliced black olives over the cheese, you can add whatever you think you will like. Bake at 350 about 30 to 45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and there is bubbling around the edges.