Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

(modified from Recipe Zaar) Easy and delicious, just set it, forget it, and serve with some cheese and tortilla chips.

Ingredients

5 Frozen Chicken Breasts

1 lb. bag Great Northern Beans (soaked, rinsed and drained)
2 cans (15 ounces each) of white corn , undrained

1/2 envelope taco seasoning
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can of chopped green chilies
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

chopped green onion (optional)

monterey jack cheese (optional)

Directions
Place chicken in a 4 quart slow cooker.

Top with beans and corn.

In a medium bowl, combine taco seasoning, chiles, condensed soup, and chicken broth. Pour over top of ingredients in the crock pot.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Before serving, stir gently to break up chicken, then stir in the sour cream.

Serve topped with green onions and jack cheese, if desired.

Indian Lamb & Spinach Curry

This was delightful (adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: Slow Cooker).  And it didn't hurt that it was in the CROCK POT!!!  Set it and forget it, baby!

1/3 c. oil
2 vidalia onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 inch piece of ginger peeled and grated
2 tsp. cumin
1.5 tsp. cayenne pepper (more or less for heat, this was just right for us)
1.5 tsp. turmeric
2 c. beef broth
3 lbs. boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 inch cubes
6 cups baby spinach
1 1/3 c. plain yogurt

In large frying pan over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic in oil.  Stir in ginger, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric and stir until fragrant.  Pour in broth and deglaze pan by scraping browned bits on the bottom.  When broth comes to a boil, remove from heat.

Place lamb in slow cooker, sprinkle with 1 TBS (I used less) of salt.  Add contents of frying pan.  Cover and cook on high heat for 4 hours, or low heat for 8 hours.

Add baby spinach about 5-10 minutes before ready to serve and replace lid on crock pot until spinach wilts.  Just before serving, stir in yogurt.  Serve over rice with naan.

Stacie's Blueberry Pie (Courtesy of Lion House Desserts)

Pastry for 2-crust pie

1-16 oz bag frozen blueberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
1/4 t salt
4 T cornstartch

If the pie filling doesn't fill the pie tin than I make more filling. I adjusted the last pie recipe to 25 oz blueberries with corresponding adjustments.

Preheat oven to 375. Mix sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Poor on top of thawed berries (with their juice from thawing) and mix. Poor in crust, add top crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. 45 is best. I brush the top of the pie with milk and then sprinkle sugar on it.

Dutch Apple Turtle Cheesecake

I made this cheesecake in honor (or copy cat) of my favorite cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory.  It tasted very similar!  Not too hard to make, and so decadent - you won't believe it.
Ingredients
1.5 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:
3.5 packages cream cheese, room temperature
a little less than 1 cup sugar
3.5 eggs, lightly beaten (yes, you'll have to only use half of one egg)
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
2 1/2 cups peeled apples, diced (I used Granny Smith)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Caramel Sauce (see below)
chopped pecans or walnuts (optional - you decide how much you want)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a small bowl, combine the crackers, sugar, pecans and cinnamon; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place pan on a wire rack (leave oven on).

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust. Toss apples with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon; spoon over filling. Sprinkle with desired amount of pecans. Return pan to baking sheet.

4. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel topping. Cool for 1 hour. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

5. Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, drizzle with warmed caramel sauce. Store in refrigerator.
Caramel Sauce: (OR use a jar of store bought caramel sauce)

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salted butter (if you don't use salted, add 1/4 tsp. salt)
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. To make the caramel sauce, whisk sugar and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until it melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. It can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.  I drizzled my sauce over the cheesecake while it was cooling.

Emeril's Linguine alla Carbonara

Tried this tonight to carbo-load for a race tomorrow.  It was quick, simple and tasty.

Ingredients


1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, minced

4 ounces pancetta or prosciutto, diced  (I used regular bacon)

1 pound fresh linguine

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, at room temperature

Freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and pancetta and cook until the onions are translucent and the pancetta is beginning to crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander (reserve a small amount of the cooking liquid in a small bowl) and return pasta to the pot. Return the pot to the heat and add the reserved pancetta and onion mixture. Stir over high heat until pasta is coated with the pancetta mixture.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream and add to the pasta, along with the Parmesan. Remove the pot from the heat and toss the pasta until it is well-coated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. If needed, add a bit of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to help toss the pasta if it is dry. Serve immediately.

Delicious White Wheat Rolls

1 TBS. wheat gluten
3 c. white flour
1 TBS. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 TBS. yeast
mix together in mixer, set aside. In separate bowl combine:
2.5 c hot tap water
1 egg
1/2 oil
Pour into mixer and begin incorporating.  Add approximately 4-5 more cups of flour - you can use wheat, white or a combination of the two.  I made mine with 2 c. wheat and 2.5 white.  Add a sprinkling more of flour until dough pulls off of side of bowl.  Auto knead for 5 minutes.  Let rise until double (about an hour).  Punch down.  Form into golf balls size balls and place on buttered cookie sheet (this recipe yields 2 large cookie sheets).  Let rise again until doubled (about an hour).  Preheat oven to 400.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with butter.

Alaskan Salmon Chowder

It's soup season!  With all the rain we've been having from Tropical Cyclone Ida, we've been doing a lot of soup.  Here's a different one to try.  It's delicious, and tastes similar to clam chowder.  This is also good to make ahead of time, since the flavor is better after it sits a while.

1 can Alaskan Salmon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dill weed
1 onion, chopped
2 TBS. oil
2 tsp. minced garlic (or one fresh clove)
2 c. chopped carrots
2 c. potatoes, peeled and diced
2 c. chicken broth
1 pint half & half
1 c. evaporated milk
16 oz. frozen corn.

Place oil, onions and garlic in a large stock pot and cook until translucent.  Add chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, salt, pepper, and dill weed.  Simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes become tender.  Add salmon, half &half, frozen corn and milk.  Stir until heated through.  Let sit overnight, all day, or serve  with warm rolls.