Corn & Potato Chowder [Slow-Cooker]

CORN & POTATO CHOWDER

(low calorie, about 220 per serving)

3 medium red potatoes, finely diced
2 (14.75-oz) can cream-style corn
1 (1.5-oz) can chicken broth
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 (11-oz) can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Cracked black pepper
Soup or saltine crackers
Dollop of sour cream

• In a 3-1/2 to 4-qt crock-pot, combine potatoes, cream-style corn, broth, garlic powder, corn with peppers, and ground pepper.
• Cover and cook on low-heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 
• Serve with crackers and dollop of sour cream on top.
• Makes 6 servings.

Creamy Nutmeg Chicken [crock-pot]

CREAMY NUTMEG CHICKEN

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tblsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 (10-3/4 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 Tblsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

• Brown chicken in skillet in the oil. Reserve drippings and place chicken in the slow cooker.
• Saute onions and parsley in dripping until onions are tender.
• Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour over chicken.
• Cover. Cook on low 3-4 hours, or until juices run clear.

recipe from "Fix-It and Forget-It" Christmas Cookbook @2010

Beef & Black Bean Chili

BEEF & BLACK BEAN CHILI

1/4 cup olive oil 
2 pounds beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 large red onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoons ancho chili powder 
1 tablespoon ground cumin 
1 bottle dark beer 
5 cups chicken stock, or canned low-sodium or water
1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained and pureed
1 tablespoon honey 
2 cups cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a plate and remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. 
• Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ancho powder, pasilla powder, and cumin and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the beer and cook until completely reduced. 
• Return the beef to the pot, add the chicken stock, tomatoes and honey, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes. 
• Add the beans and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice, and adjust seasonings.

AVACADO RELISH

2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and diced 
1/2 red onion, finely diced
Lime juice 
Salt and pepper 
Cilantro leaves, chopped

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

CUMIN SOUR CREAM

8 oz sour cream

1 tsp cumin

• Mix sour cream and cumin together in small bowl.
• Serve a dollop in each bowl of chili.

recipe derived from FoodNetwork.com Bobby Flay

Smokey Chicken & Pepper Paprikash

SMOKEY CHICKEN & PEPPER PAPRIKASH

1 large onion, sliced
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 assorted bell peppers, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
2 tblsp all-purpose flour
1 tblsp smoked paprika (or regular)
12oz wide egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley

• Put onion in lightly oiled slow-cooker pot. Add chicken in one layer. Top with peppers. 
• Whisk together broth, flour, and paprika. Pour into pot.
• Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or high for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
• Prepare noodles according to package directions and toss with sour cream. Serve with chicken mixture over noodles in bowls and top with parsley.

Chocolate Banana Coffee Cake

Can you tell I've had an access of ripe bananas in stock?

CHOCOLATE BANANA COFFEE CAKE

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 bananas, soft and mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 packet Starbucks Instant Coffee "Via"
1 tsp vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350F, and grease a 10-inch Bundt pan. 
• In a large mixing bowl, combing flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 
• In another small bowl, mix bananas and sour cream. 
• In yet another bowl, beat butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs to the butter mixture, 1 at a time, mixing in between. Beat in espresso and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with the banana mixture.
• Pour batter into bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.

PW's Twice-Baked Potato

This is one of my favorite recipes from Pioneer Woman. I saw one of her episodes on TV and this was one of them she cooked on it, and it "reminded" me. Love it when that happens. =)

Pioneer Woman's

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

This image is my own!

Baked Potato Soup & Tips {linky}

Earlier this year, I made Paula Deen's Baked Potato Soup. It is my FAVORITE soup recipe to date. With the cold weather recently, I decided to make it again. And then I also took it to a potluck for a bible study I'm in. Its always a huge hit. HOWEVER, the hardest thing I have found is actually taking the picture. How do you take a picture of a bowl of soup? For some reason this is a huge challenge for me.

Old picture...

2-11-2011

New pictures from the last batch I made...

Sure, they have significantly improved since last shot, but still....not where I want to be.
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RECIPE:
8 slices hickory smoked bacon
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup flour
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
5 potatoes, baked, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 cups half & half
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream
salt & pepper to taste (optional)

In a duth oven, cook bacon until crisp; remove and crumble, reserve drippings.

Cook onion in bacon drippings until tender; stir in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add chicken broth; cook, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Put in the diced potatoes, parsley, bacon and half & half; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in cheese and sour cream.

Garnish with cheese, bacon and sour cream.
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As humans, asking for help can be the hardest thing EVER for us to do....but I'm asking you now...HELP! Do you have any tips and tricks?

Link up your soup recipes and show me how you've taken your pictures!

Turkey Burgers with Avocado Sauce

This is a very simple recipe and every bite is delicious! I used Kaiser rolls for the buns, and I wish I made the patties a little bigger. So take into mind what size your buns are to the size of the patties. (that sounds really funny!)

TURKEY BURGERS WITH AVOCADO SAUCE

Click HERE for printable recipe

1 cup canned corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lb ground turkey
Sauce:
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
Serving:
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split
shredded lettuce
sliced tomato and red onion, optional

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute the corn, onion and peppers in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in the lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder and oregano; cook 1 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into 4 burgers. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For sauce, in a small bowl, mash avocado with the sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt. refrigerate until serving.

Lightly oil grill pan and heat on medium-high heat. Cook on each side 5 to 7 minutes, or when juices run clear and meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F.

Place on buns; top with 1/4 cup sauce. Serve with lettuce, tomato and onion if desired.

Click HERE for printable recipe

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Daring Kitchen Challenge: Potato Salad

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

LOADED BAKED POTATO SALAD

7 to 8 whole medium sized red potatoes
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (shred from a block for best results)

Clean and cut red potatoes into quarters, and boil for 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain. Place in large bowl and toss with melted butter and S&P. Place in the fridge, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix sour cream, mayonnaise and milk. Stir the sour cream mixture, bacon and cheese with the potatoes.

Serve immediately or cover a refrigerate until serving.

Sprinkle shredded cheese and bacon bits over top for garnish and even more flavoring! =)

Serves 6 to 8 (or 4 if you're my family)

Carrot Cabbage Slaw

CARROT CABBAGE SLAW

4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
2 medium Golden Delicious apples, chopped
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup (8oz) sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 to 1/4 ground nutmeg, optional [go more less rather than more--it has a very strong flavor in the slaw]

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, apples, raisins and walnuts.

In a small bowl, combine the honey and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in sour cream, salt and pepper and nutmeg if desired. Stir into cabbage mixture.

Chill until serving.

Corn Casserole

This is one of my "classics" and one I don't need a "recipe card" for. Its easy, simple and amazing delicious. I learned to cook this in college before I even knew how to cook anything else. My Aunt was the one who introduced me. I would cook this dish, and only this dish, and eat it for lunch the whole week. Its a perfect leftover--and sometimes its best as a leftovers (if it isn't entirely consumed during the meal--which happens!). Its very versatile, and easy to double for large clouds. I especially like to make it around "holidays" and I'll defiantly make it for Easter lunch.

CLASSIC CORN CASSEROLE

I didn't think about "pictures" when I stuck my fork in it to test its doneness. Ooops =)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
8oz sour cream
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 box jiffy corn muffin mix

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, then pour in into a 9x9 or 9x13 GREASED pan. Cook on 375 degrees for 45 to 1 hour.


MY TIPS AFTER YEARS OF PERFECTING:
Try lesser time with larger (9x13) pan. If doubling, make sure the "batter" isn't more than 1 1/2 inches high. However, nothing in this dish is "harmful" if not cooked all the way--so if the center is a bit gooey--eat up anyway! Also, if doubling, only add an extra 30 min. I sometimes like cooking it longer until the edges are really browned--it makes for a few crunchy bites! Make sure your pan is greased. Just trust me on this one. Just keep an eye on it in the oven and look for the brown edges and the center isn't "jiggly" when you move it.

I will be at my parents all weekend for the Easter holiday, so I won't be posting until Monday. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and please remember the reason for the season.

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.Had no army, yet kings feared Him.He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Paula Deen's Baked Potato Soup

I have tried many baked potato soups, and this one is by far the best.  I'm not really a "soup"  person, but I'll eat the entire pot of this. Absolutely YUMMY. And the best part? It is sooooo easy!

PAULA DEEN'S BAKED POTATO SOUP

8 slices hickory smoked bacon
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup flour
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
5 potatoes, baked, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 cups half & half
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream
salt & pepper to taste (optional)

In a duth oven, cook bacon until crisp; remove and crumble, reserve drippings.

Cook onion in bacon drippings until tender; stir in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add chicken broth; cook, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Put in the diced potatoes, parsley, bacon and half & half; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in cheese and sour cream.

Garnish with cheese, bacon and sour cream.

BREADED CHICKEN AND AVOCADO

BREADED CHICKEN AND AVOCADO

One of my really old, and classic recipes. Everyone in my family loves this, and I've giving out the recipe many time. So its defiantly a keeper! This is wonderful especially when avocados are in season. It has taken many times to really perfect this dish. I'll try to explain as much as possible, so you can perfect it too!

Mix together in a large zip-lock bag, or large bowl:
       6 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
       2 tablespoons cornstarch
       1 teaspoon garlic salt
       1 teaspoon ground cumin
In a small dipping dish, whisk together:
       1 egg
       ¼ cup water
In a large heavy duty skillet, heat on medium to medium high: [stay close to medium heat so it won't burn the crust while cooking the chicken]
       2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil (depending on size of skillet)
Dip in egg mixture then add to zip-lock bag or bowl, one at a time until completely coated:
       4 boneless chicken breasts
Then add to skillet. When all four breasts are in skillet, cover and cook for 6 minutes each side, lower heat if it starts to burn before done cooking.
When done, sprinkle over top of each breast:
        1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Cover and continue cooking for 1 more minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from skillet to serving tray. Slice and add on top of each chicken breast:
       1 large avocado
Then top with a scoop for each breast:
       Sour cream
Option: Top the sour cream with chopped green onion.

Keep the sides very simple, you don't want to overload all the flavor. Rice is my favorite side with this, but simple mashed potatoes would be wonderful as well. 

Have extra slices of avocado and a bowl with more sour cream. Its wonderful when you have enough of each with every bite!