White Chicken Chili

This weekend, I will be cheering for the New England Patriots. I do like the Patriots but it isn't like I even have a choice. My Uncles are ecstatic. My Maine friends are excited. It is the only professional football team I have watched in person. Are you going to watch the game? Or will you be watching the commercials? I think my daughter will only be watching the game for the Halftime show. Since chili is a great dish to make while watching football, I decided to make the dish our cousin made this past summer. It is a little spicy with tender chicken and beans. It is perfect for a cold day.

White Chicken Chili
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
2 (14.5 oz.) cans Northern beans (drained and rinsed)
5 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups salsa
8 oz. pepperjack cheese, grated

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock, beans, chicken, chili powder, and salsa.
4. Allow the dish to simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.

Recipe adapted from Food.com.

One year ago...............................I made Pepperoni Cheese Bread.
Three years ago...........................I made American Beauty Cake.

Did you already know..................
-The New England Patriots have won the most consecutive games in one season.
-The Carolina Panthers lost the most consecutive games in one season.
-The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost the most consecutive games.

Queso Blanco Cheese Dip

Here is the serious question: are you allowed to cheer for a different team then your favorite team? I'm just asking. Now, I always cheer for the Denver Broncos but they will not be heading to the Superbowl. Then I cheer for my husband's favorite team which is the Dallas Cowboys. Well, my husband's friends tell me I can't cheer for his team since they aren't my favorite. Then I made the mistake of posting Go Patriots! They told me I can't cheer for the Patriots either. Well, I disagree with their logic. Since we have four children, then I would only be allowed to cheer for one child. Right? Well, I will cheer for the team I want to take home that Superbowl ring this weekend even if it isn't my beloved Broncos. If you are heading to a Superbowl party, you really should make this dip. It is cheesy and easy. My kids couldn't get enough of this recipe.

Queso Blanco Dip
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup white onion, diced
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
12 oz. white American cheese, shredded
6 oz. Pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/4 to 2/3 cup half and half

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium low heat.
2. Add the onion and tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the American cheese, Pepper jack Cheese, and the 1/4 cup half and half. Stir until mostly melted.
4. Add additional milk until the desired consistency.

Recipe adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride. 

One year ago..................................I made Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken.
Two years ago................................I made Hash Brown Potatoes.
Three years ago...............................I made Mushroom Burgers.

Did you already know..................
-The NFL team with the most revenue is the Dallas Cowboys.
 -In 1989, Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys franchise for $150 million.
-In 2014, the average NFL team is worth over $1.4 billion.

Buffalo Chicken with spicy blue cheese dip

After the Superbowl, I'm unsure what my husband will be doing with his weekends. He is always watching the NFL network. When he talks to his best friend, they are talking about which team will win. Since they have rival teams, it is a fun to listen to them talk smack to each other. I guess they will need this down time to recover from football season. I am hoping their jerseys can be put away for at least a couple of months. I don't even have a t-shirt with my favorite team but I do have a t-shirt of my husband's team. He even tells me how nice I look in the shirt. Since it is the end of football season, I wanted to make some buffalo chicken. This chicken isn't dipped in the traditional butter but I couldn't tell. It is so tender and I really liked it. My son made the dip for me. I must be influencing him since he asked where the cayenne pepper was since the recipe called for it. I told him it is with the spices and he said forget about that and he added hot sauce instead. I really liked the dip. If you are hosting a party, definitely make this recipe.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken
 3 Tbsp butter milk
3 Tbsp Frank's Redhot Original cayenne pepper hot sauce, divided
3 Tbsp distilled white vinegar, divided
2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, chopped into bit size pieces
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided 
2 cups carrot and celery sticks

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, 2 Tbsp hot sauce, and 2 Tbsp vinegar.
2. Add the chicken to the buttermilk mixture and toss to coat. 
3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
4. On a plate, combine the flour with the cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 Tbsp hot sauce and 1 Tbsp vinegar. Set aside.
6. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat. 
7. Remove the chicken from the marinade and evenly coat in the flour mixture. 
8. In the skillet, cook the chicken in batches until golden brown about 4 minutes per a side. Add additional vegetable oil if need. 
9. Once cooked through, remove the chicken and place onto a paper lined plate.
10. Drizzle the chicken with the hot sauce and vinegar mixture. 
11. Serve with the Spicy Blue Cheese Dip (recipe below), carrots, and celery.

Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
2/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup blue cheese, chopped
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp Frank's Redhot Original hot sauce

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, blue cheese, vinegar, and the hot sauce.
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Note: I buy the solid blue cheese block and then I chopped it. I notice the quality of taste for the blue cheese is so much better. 

Recipe adapted from Eatingwell.com.

One year ago.....................................I made Fried Rice.
Two years ago...................................I made Cheddar Biscuits.
Three years ago.................................I made Fluffy Dinner Rolls.

Did you already know..........................
-In 1948, the Los Angeles Rams were the first NFL team to put logos on their helmet.
-The only NFL team to have their logo on one side of their helmet is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
-The NFL team Cleaveland Brown do not have any primary logos on their helmets.

Mango Rice

To me, a mango is a complicated fruit. It has a crazy large seed inside of it. When I first buy it, it doesn't seem ripe enough but then I wait too long and it is past ripeness. When I made this recipe, I picked the perfect mango. My children ate all the mango and then they ate all of my mango garnish. I liked the mango rice which is sweet with a coconut flavoring. I did skip garnishing it with coconut cream since I liked the flavor without it. The mango is used only for a side and not to flavor the rice. It is the perfect way to end a meal.

Mango Sticky Rice
2/3 cup sticky white rice
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 mango, sliced

Directions:

1. Rise the rice to clean.
2. Soak the uncooked rice in water overnight. 
3. Drain the rice. 
4. Steam or cook the rise accordingly to the package.
5. In a medium pan, heat the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt. 
6. Stir consistently until the sugar is dissolved. 
7. Bring the mixture to a boil. 
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 
9. Place the sticky rice into a bowl. 
10. Slowly add the coconut mixture over the rice and stir. Do not over drench the rice since the rice should absorb the coconut mixture without a wet porridge. 
11. Serve with the sliced mango on the side. 

Recipe adapted from Thaifood.com.

One year ago....................................I made Steamed Buns.
Three years ago................................I made Orange Chicken.

Did you already know................
-The color of the mango is not an indicator of ripeness since some mangos are green.
-Some 300 old mango trees have been known to still bear fruit.
-The mango is native to India and Burma.

Thai Rice Soup Khao Tom

At the grocery store, I stood in front of the fish sauce. I knew I needed it for this recipe but I walked away. Then when I returned to the grocery store, I attempted to buy it again. I had so many thoughts going through my head like it will smell. Does my sister really eat dishes with fish sauce in it? How could it possibly make a dish better? I think I would rather buy anchovies. Then I walked away again. I couldn't do it. This dish is suppose to have fish sauce. This time I omitted it but I will keep it in the recipe just for you. See you may like fish. You may eat it on a regular basis. I avoid it. I will eat seafood just not fish. I remember my Dad taking us fishing. I remember staring at their unblinking eyes. I remember how the house smelt but most of all I remember how it tasted. So, yes I walked away.

Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom)
8 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 large shallots, minced
1 celery, chopped fine
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cups rice
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
garnish: fresh scallions chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock, ginger, celery, shallots, lemon grass, and rice.
2. Bring to a boil and then reduce low to a simmer for 3o minutes or until the soup is a porridge like consistency.
3. In a large skillet, brown the pork. Remove from heat and set aside.  
   
4. Dischard the lemon grass. 
5. With a slotted spoon, transport the pork from the skillet into the saucepan. Mix well.
6. Add the cilantro, soy sauce, and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with the scallions.

Recipe adapted from Food.com. 

One year ago...........................I made Breakfast Cookies.
Two years ago.........................I made World Peace Cookies.

Did you already know.........................
-Fish sauce is the extraction from salted, fermented fish. 
-It takes about six months to ferment the fish.
-In several cuisines, fish sauce is used as a condiment.

Chicken Pad See Ew

This recipe called for sweet soy sauce. I had never heard of sweet soy sauce so I goggled it. Sure enough, there is a product called sweet soy sauce. Also, I found a recipe for sweet soy sauce but it had spices in it that I was unsure if it would be correct. I asked my husband about it but he had never heard of it so we went to several stores. Of course, I couldn't find it. I asked a store employee who was working the shelves about the product. She told me that she had never heard of sweet soy sauce and she even lived in Japan. I told her my husband had never heard of it too and he had lived in Japan too. The store employee or my husband didn't seem to know much about Thai cuisine but the employee told me just add sugar which I did. Hopefully, you will have better luck in finding sweet soy sauce. Since I didn't want to order it online and have to wait, I went ahead with the recipe. My youngest daughter loved this dish especially the chicken. I would make this dish again. We do have a Thai restaurant near us, I think I will have to order it and compare. Hopefully, my dish tasted close.

Chicken Pad See Ew
2 chicken breast, sliced into long thin strips
1 egg white
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
1/4 tsp ground pepper
16 oz. package Rice Noodles
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups broccoli, cooked al dente
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken breast, egg white, minced garlic, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and the ground pepper.
2. Chill the chicken mixture in the refrigerator from 30 minutes to an hour.
3. In a medium bowl, place the rice noodles.
4. Cover the noodles with hot water. 
5. Allow the noodles to soak until the noodles turn white and soft about 10 minutes.
6. Drain the noodles before mushy and set aside. 
7. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. 
8. Add one egg and whisk.
9. Add 2 Tbsp soy sauce and whisk. 
10. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is partially cooked. 
11. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
12. Add the other egg and whisk. 
13. Add the noodles and combine. 
14. Return the chicken to the wok/skillet.
15. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 Tbsp soy sauce with the sugar. 
16. Add the oyster sauce and vinegar to the sweetened soy sauce.
17. Combine the sauce with the noodles and chicken . 
18. Add the broccoli and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
19. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from the Cooking Channel. 

One year ago.........................I made Baked Oatmeal.
Three years ago....................I made Banana Bread. 

Did you already know...................
-Thailand was formally known as Siam.
-Bangkok, the capital, is the largest city in Thailand.
-Buddhism is the leading religion of Thailand.

Quiche Lorraine

Since I can't eat healthy all the time, I handed my son a cookbook and asked him to pick a dessert recipe. My son picked the only savory dish in the whole cookbook filled with desserts. I will admit this dish is my favorite dish I've made this year so far. My son even helped make it. He has been helping in the kitchen more which I love. I know this isn't a healthy meal. I know it is full of cheese and bacon but it is great. Since making this dish, my son has asked for me to make it again. Yes, it is that good.

Quiche Lorraine
1 unbaked pie crust
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) Swiss Cheese, shredded
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
3 large eggs, well beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
toppings: crumbled bacon and chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line the bottom of a deep dish pie pan with the pie crust. Set aside. 
3. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat. 
4. Sprinkle half of the cheese onto the bottom of the pie crust. 
5. In a small bowl, mix the evaporated milk, eggs, salt, pepper, green onions, bacon, and the remaining cheese. 
6. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. 
7. Bake the pie for 35 minutes or until the quiche is cooked through and the crust is cooked.
8. Allow the quiche to cool for 5 minutes. 
9. Garnish with additional bacon and green onions. 

Recipe adapted from Very Best Baking cookbook.

One year ago....................................I made Cookies and Cream Cookies.
Two years ago..................................I made Italian Ranch Dip.
Three years ago................................I made Creme Brulee.

Did you already know..............
-Quiche Lorraine is quiche with cheese.
-In Lorraine, France, the typical quiche doesn't contain cheese.
-Quiche Alsacienne is quiche with onions.

Tomato Basil Soup

My husband hasn't been feeling good. So when he is sick, my husband requests soup for supper. He wanted some tomato soup. The best thing about soup is normally there are some servings of vegetables in it. Plus it tends to be a lower calorie meal. This soup is really good. I actually think the leftovers tasted better the next day. Since this recipe made a lot of soup, I even placed some in the freezer. My husband said they heated up really well. I did forget to add the cream and I liked it just the way it was made.

Tomato Basil Soup
2 tsp vegetable oil
4 large carrots, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp dried basil
3 (28 oz.) cans of Roma tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
light cream, if desired

Directions: 

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the carrots and onion. Stir occasionally and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the basil and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth. 
5. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Mash or puree the tomatoes. 
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add cream if desired.

Recipe adapted from The Sister's Cafe.

Two years ago...................Banana Bread Cookies.

Did you already know...............
-China is the largest producer of tomatoes. 
-In Spain, the La Tomatina Festival is held the last Wednesday of August.
-At the La Tomatina Festival, participates throw over 150,000 tomatoes at each other.

Honey Raisin Bran Muffins

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions? Are you still keeping them? I'm am trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. Yes, we seem to eat a lot of vegetables but we should be eating more fruit. So, I made these muffins and served them with oranges. Well, my children told me they do not eat raisins. They did eat the oranges. I liked these muffins. I thought they would be more dense but were actually light. I liked the subtle honey flavor and they weren't too sweet. If you are still keeping your New Year's Resolutions, keep going! If you have already stopped, well start again. It is still January so you have a whole year to keep going.

Honey Raisin Bran Muffins
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 cups Raisin Bran cereal
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Set aside. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cereal and milk. Set aside for 3 minutes.
5. In a small cup, combine the egg, oil, and honey.
6. Add the egg mixture to the cereal. Mix well.
7. Add the flour mixture and combine until just incorporated.
8. Evenly distribute the batter into the twelve muffin cups.
9. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Kelloggs.

One year ago...............................I made Bourbon Bacon Burger.
Three years ago..........................I made Empanadas.

Did you already know........................
-In 1906, W.K. Kellogg formed the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company.
-On Independence Day in 1907, a stray firework destroys the Kellogg's plant. 
-In 1907, Kellogg paid their workers $2 a day since workers were scarce.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Sometimes my husband does something that will surprise me. We have been married forever-alright 12 years. I think I know him pretty well but when he asked me to make him stuffed pepper soup, I was surprised. I didn't know this man in front of me. Make what? Something with green peppers? I thought he didn't like green peppers. He must not been feeling good. Maybe he was cloned by aliens and the imposter thought he could pull one over on me? I love green peppers so I had to make this soup. I loved it. My husband had tried it when he was at the poker room. Since the poker room has such a limited selection, he tried it. He was even surprised he liked it. Being such a good husband, he even told me that my soup was even better than the soup he had tried.

Stuffed Pepper Soup
2 cups rice
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 jar (14 oz.) tomato and basil pasta sauce
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian diced tomatoes sauce
4 cups chicken broth

Directions: 

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Brown the hamburger with the chopped onions and green peppers. 
4. Cook until the hamburger is cooked through. 
5. Add the pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and the chicken broth. Heat through.
6. Before serving, Scoop half a cup of rice into a bowl.
7. Ladle the soup over the rice and stir. 
8. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home. 

One year ago.............................Sausage Wonton Appetizers.
Three years ago........................Burgundy Mushrooms.

Did you already know..............
-In 1840, Queen Victoria created the tradition of wearing a white bridal gown according to Women's Day. (I wore baby blue since blue is my husband's favorite color.)
-To give a betrothed a ring has been around since Roman times.
-Since 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria was the first recorded history to give a fiancee a diamond ring.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Since I've been baking more, I've been making easier dinners. So, I made this chicken dish. While we were eating, my son told me that it wasn't done since the middle was pink. I told him the pink was the ham. Then my daughter asked why I put ham in the middle of chicken. I said it was suppose to be like that. I make new dishes all the time but boy my children didn't like the idea of ham inside their chicken. My husband said it had a nice taste and he liked it. The kids said they liked it besides the ham. I guess I will have to make more dishes stuffed so it isn't such a foreign idea to them.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup milk
1 egg,whisked
2 lbs. chicken breasts
8 slices of swiss cheese
4 slices of ham
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup broccoli, chopped

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper onto a plate. Set aside.
3. Slice the chicken horizontally. Flatten the chicken out.
4. Place one slice of cheese and ham on top of the chicken. Fold the chicken over in half.
5. Dip the chicken into the egg and then coat with the bread crumbs. 
6. Repeat steps 2 through 4 with the other pieces of chicken.
7. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
8. Brown the chicken on each side for 3 minutes. 
9. Remove from the pan and place into a baking dish. 
10. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of cheese. 
11. In a small bowl, combine the milk with the cream of chicken soup. 
12. Mix the broccoli with the soup mixture. 
13. Evenly distribute the soup mixture over the chicken. 
14. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Recipe adapted from Food.com

Two years ago.........................I made Bran Banana Muffins.
Three years ago.......................I made Lemon Frosted Cupcakes.

Did you already know.............
-Cordon Bleu means the highest class.
-In the 16th century, the highest order chivalry knights were awarded a medal on a blue ribbon.
-Cordon blue means blue ribbon.

Steak Fajita Quesadilla

I decided to combine two of my sister's favorite dishes: steak fajitas and quesadillas. Oh, this dish was so good. What a great combination. The cheese melted over the steak, onions, and green peppers. My youngest daughter ate her whole quesadilla. Normally, she doesn't eat her whole quesadilla. The steak was tender. The dish was cheesy. Supper was fast. I know my sister will be making this dish real soon.

Steak Fajita Quesadilla
2 tsp vegetable oil, plus additional for the quesadilla
1 green pepper, cut into long thin strips
1 large onion , cut into long thin strips
1 lb. top sirloin steak
4 tsp butter
1 cup Mexican cheese blend
8 large flour tortillas

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat.
2. Add the green pepper and onion. Stir occasionally. Cook for about 8 minutes.
3. Place the cooked onion and green peppers onto a plate. Set aside.
4. Add the steak to the pan. Saute for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the steak is cooked to the desired doneness. Set aside onto the plate with the green pepper and onion.
5. Reduce the heat to medium.
6. Add 1 tsp of vegetable oil and 1 tsp of butter to the pan.
7. Add one tortilla to the skillet.
8. Top the tortilla with 1/4 of the green pepper, onions, and steak.
9. Sprinkle some cheese blend over the steak. 
10. Top with another tortilla. Press down and allow to cook for a few seconds before flipping.
11. Allow the other side to cook until golden brown before removing from the pan.
12. Assemble the next tortilla as in step 6.  Add additional oil if needed.
13. Top the quesadillas as desired with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, etc.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago...........................I made Winter Savory Chicken.
Three years ago.......................I made Lemon Curd.

Did you already know............
-Very rare steak is called blue rare.
-Rare steak has an internal temperature of around 125 degrees F.
-The USDA recommends the internal temperature for steak to reach medium doneness at 145 degrees F.