Green Chili...Favorite Recipe!

by Rachael Ray

1 box (32 oz) chicken broth
1 1/4 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used 2 lg. chicken breasts)
4 large handfuls tortilla chips, plus more for serving (I used "Baked Scoops")
2 Tbls vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/2 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 (15 oz) can small red beans, drained
1 cup jarred green salsa (I used Herdez Salsa Verde from Walmart...its really good!)

1. In a deep skillet, bring the chicken broth and chicken breasts to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly and poach the chicken, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. (I am always prepping last minute, so I took frozen chicken breasts and boiled them for about 10 minutes instead. Then in a seperate saucepan, I brought the chicken broth to a boil. If you want to you use your homemade chicken broth from boiling the chicken, you will need 4 cups of broth.). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a place and let cool.

2. Crumble the 4 handfuls of tortilla chips into a food processor and add 3 cups of the hot broth; let sit to soften. Reserve the remaining 1 cup broth.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the scallions, oregan, and cumin; cook until the scallions are softened, about 2 minutes. Pour the remaining cup of broth into the scallion mixture, then stir in the beans and salsa and bring to a simmer.

4. Puree the chips and broth in the food processor until smooth, then whisk the chip mixture into the bean mixture. Shred the chicken, add to the chili and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until heated through. Serve with extra tortilla chips.

___________________________________

This was SUPER good! And it was really easy. From prepping to cooking to simmering to eating to dishes in the sink....all in less than an hour!!!! It was fabulous and the flavor was really great! Its got a good kick to it! :) We will definitely have this again.

Beef Stew

from Weight Watcher New Complete Cookbook

4 tsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. finely chopped carrot
1 Tbsp. finely chopped celery
1 pound beef round, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, with juices
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 frozen pearl onions
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup hot water
1 cup thawed frozen peas
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano or marjoram

1. In a medium nonstick Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, heat the oil. Saute the finely chopped onion, celery, and carrot until translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the beef and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, partially covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

2. Add the pearl onions, carrot chunks, potatoes and water. Cook, covered, 40 minutes.

3. Stir in the peas; cook 4 minutes, then add the parsley and oregano and cook 1 minute longer. Discard the bay leaf.

1/4 of stew = 1 serving
4 servings at 356 calories per serving
7 points per serving
_____________________________________________
What I changed:
-Instead of beef round that I had to cut up, I bought stew meat that was already cut into chunks. I did have to cut some of them to make them smaller.
-Used 1 small can of diced tomatoes b/c I couldn't find chopped plum tomatoes
-Instead of wine, I used beef broth...and used about 3/4 of the can.
-I added more salt (to our taste) during the 2nd step.
-None of my herbs were fresh...they were all dried.
-I added one celery stalk, sliced into 1-inch chunks and added them at step 2.
-Used 2 large potatoes instead of the 4 medium
-Added 1.5 cups of canned green beans at the same time as I added the peas in step 3.

I also didn't realize the time commitment of this recipe, so I made a few adjustments:
Step 1: After reducing heat, I only turned the heat to medium-low and simmered for 10-15 minutes, partially covered.
Step 2: Covered and let it boil SLIGHTLY (stirring occasionally) for 20 minutes...or until potatoes are soft.
Step 3 stayed the same.
_____________________________________________
Will I make this again?
YES!!! It was really good...even with all the changes I made. Loved it!! So did Ken! :)

Hearty Chicken-Vegetable Soup

From Rachael Ray's Magazine

1 lb. plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, separated
Salt and pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 onions, chopped
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 lb. yellow fleshed potatoes (yukon gold), peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
One (32 oz) box of chicken broth (or 4 cups)
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Arrnage the tomatoes cut side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and drizzle 2 tbls olive oil on top; season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes and any juices to a bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes; transfer to a work surface. Let cool, then shredd the meat.

3. In the same saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a simmer; cook for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and tomatoes with their juices, partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir the chicken and parsley; season with salt and pepper.
____________________________________________
What I did:
1. The only thing I changed in step one, was I used "Pam" instead of olive oil.

2. Instead of cooking chicken in olive oil, I boiled the chicken until cooked. Then transfered it to cool and shredded.

3. In the same saucepan, I used about 2 tbsp of the left over broth from boiling the chicken instead of the olive oil to saute the onion. It took a lot longer to cook the potatoes. I followed the directions, but after I added the green beans and it all simmered for 10 minutes, the potatoes still weren't finished. I brought it to a slow boil and left it like that (partially covered) for 10 more minutes. Than I added the chicken and let it simmer 10 more minutes. The pototoes were finally done. I also didn't use the parsley b/c the grocery store was out!
____________________________________________
Will we make it again?
YES!!! We both loved it!!!! Great flavor from the roasted tomatoes! Its even a good summer meal with all the veggies. I also made garlic cheese bread to go with it. It was really good!!!

Fiery Chicken Chili

From "Everyday with Rachael Ray"

2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped, sauce reserved
3 lbs chicken, boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
Two 28-oz cans diced tomatoes with their juice
Three 15.5-oz cans pinto beans, rinsed
Chopped avocados, cilantro leaves, grated cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, and sour cream for serving

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the spices are fragrant, about 7 minutes. Stir in the chipotle and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until the meat begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat and simmer the chili briskly, stirring often, until thickened, 25-30 minutes.

2. Add more adobo sauce to taste. Serve with avocados, cilantro, cheese, scallions, and sour cream.
_____________________________________________
This is what I did:

1. Halfed the recipe
2. Used one can of pinto beans
3. I brought the entire chili to a boil after I added the tomatoes and beans. Then I just simmered it, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes. Then served. (This step wasn't on purpose...you will realize that I don't always follow the directions perfectly. I skimmed it and thought I was doing it correctly. It worked out better though b/c Ken wasn't home for dinner by the time it would have been done. Hence, why I let it simmer for 30-45 minutes.)
_____________________________________________
Did we like it?

Yes. There are other soups and stews that I would prefer, but it was good. I think if I try it again (or for left-overs), I will serve it over rice.

Taco Soup

I got this recipe from my Secret Sister at church

2 cans pinto beans, not drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernal corn
1 can rotel
1 large can petite diced tomatoes
1 pound shredded chicken or ground beef, cooked
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can cheddar cheese soup (optional)

In large stock pot, boil chicken and shred OR brown ground beef, then drain the meat of water or grease. Once meat is cooked, add the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water. Then add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

This recipe can also be put in a crockpot. Once the meat is cooked, just add all ingredients into crock pot. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or high heat for 4-5 hours.
_____________________________________________
What I did:

1. I actually had the ingredients written down and no directions, so the directions above are how I cooked it. Haven't tried it in the crock pot yet, but I'm a crock pot lover....so I'm sure that's how I will do it next time.

2. I did NOT add the cheddar cheese soup. I probably will next time, but I felt like I had made too many high calorie meals that week, so I left it out to save on calories.
_____________________________________________
Did we like it?

YES! It was really good and really easy!!! I served it with cornbread. I will definitely make this again!