Because Its Fall

I bought broccoli last week and couldn't decide what to do with it. I thought about just eating raw or steaming it with some fish; the usual. Then I remembered I had a recipe for cream of broccoli soup from last fall. Since the weather is getting cooler I thought it would be perfect. Again I got this recipe from allrecipes.com and tweaked it.

Ingredients

4-5 cups of chicken broth
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom, cream of celery, or cheddar soup
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 or 2 stalks of chopped celery (depending on your taste or leave it out if you use the soup)
1 pinch ground white pepper
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 crowns of fresh broccoli
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Directions

In large saucepan, combine broth, cream of mushroom soup, onion, celery and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add milk and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add mixture to soup, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add broccoli and cheeses, mixing until melted.

                           

 

White Chili

Since fall is right around the corner I wanted to share a fall favorite of mine, white chili. This recipe was inspired by Rachael Ray's Lazy Turkey Jerky Chili.

My Jerk Chicken Chili

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3 medium sized ones)
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped (I used ground ginger not fresh)
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 scant palmful sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
Fresh cracked pepper and seasoning salt (very little salt)
1 can chicken stock (14.5 ounces)
1 can diced tomatoes (depends on how much you like tomatoes, but I used the large I think its 28 ounces)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of your fav jerk marinade (anything made in the Caribbean is good)
2 cans of canelli, great northern, and navy beans (6 cans altogether)
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Sour cream for topping

Preparation

Marinate your chicken (no more than 24hrs). Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or small stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until done, remove from pot and allow to cool before cutting (you can also cut it before but its easier to get smaller pieces once its cooked). Add all the beans (drain first for thicker chili), the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir in the thyme, paprika, seasoning salt and cracked pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, brown sugar. Drop the chicken back in and simmer to combine the flavors, about 30 minutes. Serve in bowls and top with sour cream and scallions.

Rachael's Lazy Turkey Jerky

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds ground turkey or turkey breast
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
2 Scotch Bonnet chili peppers, finely chopped (for a milder jerk, use 1 chili pepper, seeds and ribs removed; for a very mild jerk, use a red Fresno chili pepper)
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 scant palmful sweet smoked paprika or sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground allspice (about 1/2 palmful)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
About 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (14.5 ounces)
1 bottle lager beer (12 ounces) or omit the dark brown sugar and add 1 cup cola
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chili peppers. Stir in the thyme, paprika, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, beer, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and vinegar; simmer to combine the flavors, about 5 minutes. Serve in bowls and top with the scallions.

*Note: This freezes very well!