Ole' for Soup Season

OK ladies. Here's the recipe for the White Chili I raved about before.

I wanted to take a picture but the soup didn't stay around long enough (& alright, I couldn't stop eating it to bother grabbing the camera) to snap a pretty picture of it (Update: I poached it off the website where I found the recipe).

But, trust me. This is a soup I could eat every single week.

It's that good.

The original recipe can be found on Melanie's website www.melskitchencafe.com but this version is different.

Different in a very good way. A very good way.

White Chili

This is a Great tasting soup served with cornbread. Good pantry dinner, too. Most ingredients are food storage items so it's a good last minute meal. Yields: 6 Servings Ingredients 1 can or bottle of chicken or leftover cooked chicken or turkey meat OR 1 pound boneless chicken breasts 1 medium onion chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic finely minced (I like the bottled minced garlic) 1 tablespoon oil 2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth or 2 cups of stock or broth 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add 1 can) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 cup sour cream 1 can evaporated milk
Instructions In a large saucepan, saute onion, garlic powder (add fresh garlic, if using, at the last minute so it doesn't burn) and (chicken, if using raw meat),in oil until translucent. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and evaporated milk. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired, but I don't really like cilantro with this (can't believe I'd say such a thing!). Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips or cornbread. Slow Cooker Option: In a medium round slow cooker, place 1 pound chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) without cubing them. Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or evaporated milk yet! Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (if using frozen chicken you'll cook on the longer end of that spectrum, fresh chicken will cook in less time). Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces. Stir back into the slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and milk until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the soup cook until heated through. Serve.
from melskitchencafe.com & adapted by Kristine Hipps

Quick Note

I made the White Bean Chili again last night and noted the changes made from the original recipe. It was So-o-o good (for those who like that kind of meal - sorry Kelsey) and I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture!

I'll do it soon and post the changes but just couldn't wait to "brag" about it.

Your fat mama

Mmmmm...

What an appropriate comment for a mummy.

Yummm

This is the dinner I made for Dad's birthday. The recipe came from Allrecipies - huge number of reviews and ratings (I think the highest I've seen) and VERY simple... Taste was so good I'll actually make it again! You can also make this in a pressure cooker if you didn't get it done earlier! I think I like it that way the best.

1 chuck roast 5-6 lb. fat trimmed (this really is the best cut of meat, but others will work, too)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 can water

1 bouillon cube or1 t. beef soup base

sliced mushrooms (my choice) - mushrooms really deepen the flavor of the gravy! Don't omit!!

1 pkg onion soup mix

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Combine all ingredients in bottom of crock pot. Add roast and spoon "gravy" on top of it. Cover and cook for hours! I like to cook it at least 12 hours.

1 onion quartered

1 bag baby carrots

yukon gold potatoes, quartered (as many as you want)

Veggies I cooked separately in the pressure cooker.

** I personally don't really like the way the gravy tastes when the carrots are cooked with the meat. I think it gets a little sweet and not as rich and savory. That's why I cooked them separately, but that's strictly my personal preference.

If the gravy is too thin, add a little slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken it up.

Wonderful!!!!!

Blog Stalking

My search for the perfect rama chicken recipe was put on hold after discovering this beauty of a website. It isn't necessarily a great resource for us unless we suddenly find ourselves in the Chicago area, but it's still a fun idea. I was thinking we could do something similar, allowing our own recipes to count as well. What do you guys think?

Temptation

For some unexplainable reason, I was trying to divert my attention from my chocolate craving by reading blog posts about chocolate. Crazy, I know. Nevertheless, I just discovered the single most incredible thing in the universe. Homemade chocolate hazelnut spread. I repeat, homemade chocolate hazelnut spread.

http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/2009/10/homemade-chocolate-hazelnut-spread.html

She says it's tastier than nutella. More flavorful. I don't even know what to do with this information. Who wants to fly out and try this recipe with me??? Any takers? It won't be the same without you.