Madras Lentils

Costco sells these delightful little packets of Tasty Bites Madras Lentils.  They are delicious, but a bit pricey.  I decided that I'd learn to make them myself so I  can have larger quantities to share with others and do it more cost effectively (though it is hard to beat those little packets for a quick meal) 

Madras Lentils

Ingredients:

I Tablespoon coconut oil 

1 onion, finely diced

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced

5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small cinnamon stick 

2 Tablespoons curry powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1/4 teaspoon allspice 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon Garam Masala 

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

3 cups water 

1 cup dry lentils
2 cups red (kidney) beans, cooked 
1 bay leaf 

1 1/2 cups (or one can) coconut milk* 

Directions

In a large stockpot heat the coconut oil, add onion and saute until it begins to turn dark and caramelize.  
Add  garlic and saute about five more minutes
Add ginger and saute about three more minutes
Add cinnamon stick and saute one more minute
Mix all other seasonings together in a small bowl, add all together to onion mixture
stirring to coat well.  
Saute about ten minutes stirring constantly 
Add tomato paste and stir to combine
Add water, lentils, beans and bay leaf 
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes until lentils are tender
You may need to add more water as it cooks and the lentils absorb water
Add coconut milk and simmer about 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through 
If it is too thin cook longer to reduce, stirring frequently
Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick 
Serve alone, over rice and/or with naan

Tips and Hints

• *Cream or Half and Half may be substituted for the coconut milk, and is more traditional, but less healthy.  
• The recipe originally called for black lentils, I used red lentils and loved it.
• This will work well as a side dish, but paired with rice can be a main dish.
• The original Tasty Bites aren't spicy, but if you like spice in the food add cayenne pepper when you add the water and lentils. You can play with the cayenne to achieve the spicy level you like, I actually prefer this particular dish a bit milder. Use as much as your personal taste enjoys.  I'd suggest 1 Tablespoon for a good kick. 

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

I love chili, I love chipotle, and I love chocolate! 
So what's not to love combining them all into one hearty, slightly sweet, slightly savory, slightly smokey and somewhat spicy pot of deliciousity.  (yes I did just make up a word, but it fits!)  I found this recipe a while ago and have been waiting for a cold snowy day to try it out, but the persnickety Utah January weather is not cooperating so I decided to just jump in and make it, then freeze some until we get that cold snowy day, probably in late March!  I am most definitely bringing this to my next chili cook off! 

So here is my rich, spicy, gift to you:

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean ground turkey 

1 large onion, chopped 

1 red bell pepper, minced

3-5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

3 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon Ancho Chili powder

1 Tablespoon Chipotle Chili powder 

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed chipotle pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

2  cups beef broth

2  15 ounce cans diced tomatoes, with liquid

2  14.5 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

1  7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke 

1/2 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate (1/2 a cube), chopped 

3-4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 

garnish 

chopped green onions

shredded cheddar cheese

light sour cream or Greek Yogurt 

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add turkey, onion, garlic and bell pepper until turkey is cooked through, stirring frequently

Mix together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, chili powders, cumin, crushed chipotle, paprika, black pepper and salt together. 

Stir seasoning mix into meat mixture until well coated.  

Heat another few minutes until the seasonings just start to brown. 

Add beef broth and de-glaze the pan. 

Add tomatoes and beans

Remove the chipotle chilies from the adobo sauce and add the sauce to the pot, reserving the chilies. 

Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened. This should take about 45-60 minutes.

Add the liquid smoke, cook 5 more minutes

Now it is time to play with the flavor a bit

Dice some of chipotle peppers and add to the pot

Stir in some of the red wine vinegar

Stir in some of the chocolate

Keep adding a little of these ingredients at a time until you find the flavor balance you like

Remember: the chocolate adds depth, the vinegar cuts some of the sweetness and the chipotle add smokey heat 

Simmer about 30 more minutes until chocolate is fully melted and flavors blend.

Serve with desired toppings 

Tips and Hints

• Make sure you use real cocoa do NOT use Nesquik or similar powder 
• I discovered I was out of red wine vinegar and substituted apple cider vinegar with success
• Look for a brand of Chipotle in adobo that doesn't have wheat added for a gluten free version 
• If you don't like a lot of heat decrease the chili powder and omit the extra chipotle peppers, you'll still want to use at least some of the adobo sauce for the flavor depth
• Too much of the chocolate will make the chili bitter, so add with caution 
• Feel free to use beef. sausage or other meat for a less healthy version, but I promise the turkey is delicious! 
• Consider doubling or even tripling the batch because, trust me, people will come back for more.

Peanut Sauce Chicken

Confession time.  I realize this will sound odd to most people but I must admit that I do not like peanut butter.  I love lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, but do not like raw peanuts or (gasp) peanut butter.  That being said I do adore this dish.  With my known aversion to peanut butter I cannot remember why I tried this initially, but now it is a family favorite.  Oh and for the record I do like peanut satay (which this is slightly reminiscent) and Reese's peanut butter cups and Reese's Pieces, but not Peanut Butter M&M's.  Weird I know...

Peanut Sauce Chicken

Ingredients

 2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 C peanut butter 

1 C milk

1/2 C soy sauce* 

1/3 C brown sugar

1/4 C cooking sherry

6 dashes red pepper sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 C chopped peanuts 

Garnish:

chopped peanuts

green onion

red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook the chicken in a large skillet in the oil until lightly browned.

Add the onion and garlic and cook another couple of minutes.

Remove the chicken, onion and garlic from the pan.

If you have some chicken browning stuck to the pan just add a bit of the milk and scrape off the chicken.  This add a lot of rich flavor to your sauce. 

Add the rest of the milk, peanut butter, and soy sauce.

Stir constantly until well blended and smooth. 

Add the brown sugar, sherry, pepper sauce and pepper flakes and 1/4 C peanuts.

Stir until smooth.
Return chicken, onion and garlic mixture to the pan.

Cook on low, stirring occasionally until the sauce begins to thicken.

Cook about five more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice or oriental noodles.  

Garnish with more chopped peanuts, green onion and red pepper flakes for a festive flair.

Tips and Hints 

• You can use creamy or chunky peanut butter depending on your preference.  
• *To make this gluten free use La Choy or another brand of soy sauce that does not contain wheat.  These are a bit tricky to find, but are out there if you look.
• If you are really timid you can cut down on the red pepper, but I'd say to leave a bit in, the slight kick is awesome.
• If the dish is too salty go for a lower sodium soy sauce or peanut butter.

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

I adore quinoa as an idea.  I know that it is a super grain and mega-healthy for you.  Since I struggle a bit as how to implement it I am always in search of new delicious quinoa recipes.  I found this one recently (and of course tweaked it a bit) and it is definitely a keeper.  Particularly as the weather cools off and I start craving a rich, hearty, flavor packed chili! 

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/4 cup water or vegetable broth 

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1-3 Tablespoons chili powder 

1-2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper (optional) 

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan combine the quinoa and 1 cup broth. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes.

In a large pot heat the olive oil add the onion, carrot and celery in a mirapoix.  Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup broth.  

Add the garlic, peppers and zucchini to the pot.  Cook about 10 more minutes until the vegetables are heated and beginning to soften.  

Add the beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Mix well.

Season with the cumin, chili powder, cayenne and salt and pepper.

Simmer chili on low for at least 30 minutes.

Serve hot.  

Tips and Hints:

• If you are timid with heat remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno.

• Do NOT omit the chili powder, if you don't like the heat level just use only 1 Tablespoon.  This adds a depth of flavor that makes the chili taste good.

• You can add optional toppings such as: green onion, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, crackers, etc. to your bowl when serving.

• This would be fantastic with a good corn bread. 

Chicken Tika Masala

A while back our oldest son and his wife talked my husband and me into going to a fantastic local Indian restaurant.  They raved about the Chicken Tika Masala and after tasting it I could totally see why. It is delicious!   Naturally I wanted to go again, frequently!, but my husband is... shall we say, thrifty and resists paying a lot of money at restaurants on a regular basis.  So I decided I needed to learn to make this on my own.  A few different recipes, some suggestions from other cooks and some tweaking and I have achieved Chicken Tika Masala perfection! 

Now I just need to learn to make my own naan. 

Chicken Tika Masala 

Ingredients: 

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt (I prefer Greek)

juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoon cayenne pepper 

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 Tablespoon Garam Masala

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

Sauce

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons smokey paprika

1 Tablespoon Garam Masala

1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 - 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 cups heavy cream

Directions

In a large bowl combine the marinade ingredients, blend well, until the powders and yogurt are smooth.  Add the chicken pieces, mix well so that chicken is thoroughly coated.  Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour.  I like to go overnight.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil on low until done.  Time will vary depending on the size chunks you have.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion and the salt, heat over medium heat until the onion starts to caramelize. Add the garlic and jalapeno, heat an additional minute or two until the pepper is slightly cooked.  Add the spices (you'll want them pre-measured so you can add them all at once) and stir to coat the veggies. 

Stir in the tomato sauce to deglaze the pan slightly, then add the cream.

Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce starts to thicken, about 20 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and heat an additional 10-15 minutes.

Serve with your favorite rice.

Tips and Hints

• Garam Masala is an Indian seasoning blend.  I picked up a bag big enough to last a lifetime for just a few dollars at a local "Bollywood" market.
• If you like your food more mild, omit the cayenne pepper from the marinade and the crushed red pepper from the sauce.  The heat of the jalapeno can also be controlled by the seeds, the more seeds the more heat. 
• You can cut fat and calories by subbing some of the heavy cream for half-and-half.  I did a 50/50 split and it still tasted fantastic.  You could probably cut back even more by using milk in place of the half-and-half, but I haven't tried that yet. 
• A more traditional approach would be to skewer and grill the chicken then remove from the skewers before adding to the sauce, but I like the simple and year round broiling option. 

Chicken Spaghetti

This is kind of the "signature dish" of a friend and former neighbor. The name and look are not super appetizing, but the flavor is wonderful! It is quick and easy. It makes quite a bit so is great for a crowd.

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 stick butter

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans whole tomatoes
1/2 pound Velveeta, diced

Directions:

Saute onion, bell pepper and mushrooms in butter until tender
Add tomatoes with juice, stir in and use spoon to break them up.
Add mushroom soup and mix in well
Add Velveeta and cook on medium heat until melted
Serve over favorite hot pasta

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Tips and Hints

• This is a really versatile recipe. If you feel like lots of veggies you can throw in more of whichever. If it is a chicken craving day use more chicken and less veggies. Leave out veggies you don't like. Experiment! Enjoy!


• I haven't tried it, but this would likely be good over rice.


• Add a green salad and hot french bread for an easy meal

Pepsi Chicken Sandwiches

When I was in high school I lived with my cousins, the South family. Nanette is the same age as I and we were/are cousins, sisters and best friends. She is an amazing woman and also has a great cooking blog, A Cooking Legacy. In search of an easy meal I decided to try her Pepsi Chicken recipe. I was a bit hesitant since I am not a huge Pepsi fan and detest ketchup, but I trusted her that it was good and tried it. I tweaked it a bit to make sandwiches. We were not disappointed, it is delicious.

Pepsi Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
5 chicken breasts
1 small bottle ketchup (14 ounces)
14 ounces Pepsi
garlic salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish.
Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.
Mix ketchup and Pepsi together, until well blended and ketchup looks dark and smooth.
Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven, take chicken out of sauce allow to cool a few minutes until you can handle it.
Shred the chicken and replace into the baking dish. Stir chicken back into sauce.
It seems like the sauce is way too plentiful and runny, but the chicken will absorb it.
Return to oven and cook about 15 more minutes so the shredded chicken can soak up the sauce and the flavor.
Serve hot in your favorite bun or just eat it alone.

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Tips and Hints

• This also works great in a crock pot.   Throw everything in and set to low for about 5-6 hours, remove chicken breasts, shred and place back in the crock pot another 1-2 hours. 
• Tip to shred chicken quickly and easily.   Put the cooked breasts in a Kitchen Aid (or other stand mixer), using the paddle attachment turn on lowest speed until shredded about 1 -2 minutes 
• I poured some of the Pepsi into the ketchup bottle to help rinse it out
• This recipe works just great with caffeine free Pepsi too
• 
  

General Tso's Chicken

We love Chinese food at our house. General Tso's chicken with its slightly sweet, slightly spicy, slightly tangy sauce is a favorite. This version, though a bit of work is fantastic!

General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks

Cornstarch Batter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce*
1 cup cornstarch
water (as needed)

Sauce
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
5-7 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cooking sherry or white cooking wine
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes

4 green onions, chopped

Oil for frying

Directions:

Mix sauce ingredient together, cover and set inside fridge until ready to use.
Beat the egg well, add the soy sauce and cornstarch, mix well. If it too solid add a tablespoon of water at a time until the batter is thick and half-way between a solid and a liquid. (If you ever made cornstarch oobleck as a child this is the consistancy you need). This mixture seems strange, but trust me it will work.
Heat oil to 350 degrees.
Add some of the chicken to the batter and stir the pieces into the batter.
Using a fork lift ONE piece at a time out of the batter and allow the excess to drip off.
Place chicken into the hot oil one piece at a time and allow to cook until crispy.
Remove from oil and drain on paper towel, continue until all the chicken is cooked.
In a separate skillet or large wok heat a small amount of oil and add the green onion, fry a minute or two.
Mix the sauce ingredients until smooth add to the hot pan and cook until thick, stirring constantly.
Sauce should be the consistancy you would get if you ordered this in a restauant, if it gets too thick add a bit of water.
Add chicken to sauce and stir until all chicken is coated and the sauce is thick and bubbly.
Serve over hot rice.

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Tips and Hints

• Be sure the chicken in coooked through when cooking in the oil.


• If you like this less spicy add fewer pepper flakes, more spicy add a bit more.


• I used a deep fryer (similar to a fry daddy) to cook the chicken with excellent results


• As the sauce cools it tends to gel and is not as good rewarmed. Not to worry though, as tasty as this is, you probably won't have leftovers.

• *LaChoy is a gluten free soy sauce.  You can find other gluten free soys if you look.  Tamari is also a great substitute to make this gluten free. 

Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love cream of broccoli soup with cheese. I searched for recipes and didn't find one I liked so I asked my friend Andrea for her recipe. She invited the whole family to dinner for my birthday and we cooked it together. Delish!

Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
3 onions
6 Tablespoons butter
salt
3 cloves garlic

3 potatoes, peeled and shredded or finely chopped
thyme
12 cups chicken broth
48 ounces broccoli
1 1/2 cups cream or half and half
1 pound each sharp cheddar, medium or mild cheddar and fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
black pepper

Directions:
Make mirapoix. With this soup you'll have double onion instead of equal portions of each of the veggies. You'll also use the butter rather than olive oil for a richer and creamier flavor.
Add garlic just before de-glazing
De-glaze with about a cup of chicken broth, add rest of broth and potatoes along with a pinch of thyme.
Simmer until potatoes are soft.
Put veggies and some of the broth in a blender or food processor.
Process until very smooth. You'll probably have to do this in multiple batches.
Pour back in pot and add broccoli lightly simmer until broccoli is tender.
Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes, until slightly cooled
Add cheese and stir well until melted
Add cream and mix well
If the soup is to thin you may thicken it with cornstarch or heat just to steaming, no simmer or boil, and allow to reduce.

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Tips and Hints

• Do not allow soup to get too hot or boil after adding the dairy products or it will curdle.


• Feel free to adjust the amount of cheese based on personal preference. If you love cheese add more, if you want the soup more "cream of" use less cheese.


• You may add or substitute other favorite cheeses.


• Never use that fake, dried Parmesan in a green can, it will not work properly or give good flavor.


• This soup is excellent served in a bread bowl.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love Chicken Tortilla Soup on a cool day, but a great version is hard to find and tends to be pricey at a restaurant. Once again I searched online, found a version that seemed good and tweaked it to make this savory and a bit spicy version.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

6 corn tortillas
olive oil
salt
favorite seasonings (optional)

3-4 carrots, diced
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed


28 ounces beef broth (2 cans, or water and bullion)
28 ounces chicken broth (2 cans or water and bullion)

1 4-ounce can green chilies
2 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cheddar-jack cheese, grated
1 avocado, diced (optional)
1 lime (optional)
sour cream (optional)
other toppings as desired

Directions:

Warm the tortillas slightly (about 30 seconds in the microwave) to soften them. Slice tortilla into thin strips. Toss with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt and other seasonings. (I use Cholula Chili Lime and/or Mrs. Dash spicy). Place on a baking sheet and place in a 250 degree oven until crispy, about 40 minutes.

Mix together the celery, carrot and onion. Put in a large pot with the olive oil and salt to make mirapoix. When the veggies are caramelized add the garlic and saute one or two more minutes.

Deglaze the mirapoix with some of the beef and/or chicken broth.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese, tortilla strips, avocado and lime.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Serve hot, In each individual bowl stir in a squeeze of lime and top with a sprinkle of cheese, a few pieces of avocado, sour cream, and some tortilla strips.

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Tips and Hints

• I like to use diced tomatoes with chilies.
• To add some extra spiciness add a can of El Pato hot tomato sauce to the soup.
• You can also add cayenne pepper to spice it up. 
• To make it less spicy use mild green chilies
• Feel free to improvise, if you love corn add two cans, if you don't like it leave it out. Same goes for any other ingredient.
• Adding the lime to the whole pot and heating it tends to produce bitterness so make sure you just add it to the individual bowls.  

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

My Mother served a mission in Taiwan and has a very good friend, Mazie, from that country. As a child I enjoyed some of Mazie's authentic Chinese food. This Beef and Broccoli stir fried and served over wet chow mein noodles was one of my favorites.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1 - 2 pounds beef (roast or other nice, but not too expensive cut)
1 pound broccoli florets
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons oil (approx)
1 handful Chinese style chow mein noodles (about 1/2 pound)

Sauce for Noodles: (optional)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Directions:
slice beef into thin strips cutting across the "grain" of the meat
sprinkle with cornstarch and pour soy sauce over it.
Mix well until the sauce and cornstarch form a paste that coats the meat.
Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. The cornstarch paste helps tenderize the meat so soaking longer is good. I usually marinate overnight.
In a large pot heat water to boiling and add noodles, cooking to desired consistency
Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan. Non stick works well. Stir the meat with the cornstarch and soy sauce paste well and add to the heated oil.
Cook, stirring frequently until mostly cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
Add broccoli to pan and stir-fry adding water as needed until almost tender. Add meat back into the pan and continue to cook until both are done.

Serve over hot chow mein noodles.
If you want to make a sauce for the noodles mix the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan over low heat until slightly thickened. Stir into noodles before topping with the beef and broccoli

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Tips and Hints

• Cutting the beef across the grain makes it more tender.

• If you can't find chow mein noodles you may substitute spaghetti noodles or rice.

Chicken and Dumplings

We've all heard of this traditional dish. On a cool rainy day I was looking for some good old fashioned comfort food I did some searching, combining and tweaking and came up with a this thick, creamy chicken soup with fluffy dumplings. Our family loves this scrumptious version of this wonderful comfort food.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
Chicken Soup:

2 pounds chicken breast

3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil
salt

8 cups water
chicken bouillon powder or cubes
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

Dumplings

3 cups flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups milk


Directions:

Dice the chicken into chunks and sauté in a large pot using a small amount of olive oil and desired seasonings (I use salt and a touch of pepper) until no longer pink. Lift from pot and set aside.

Combine the celery, carrots and onion in the pot with more olive oil and salt to make mirapoix. Combine the water and correct amount of bouillon to make 8 cups of chicken broth. Deglaze the pan with a bit of the broth.

Add the cream of chicken soup and mix well, slowly add the remaining broth, stirring carefully to incorporate into the cream soup. Add the cooked chicken and bring to a slow simmer.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk to make a soft dough, may be a bit sticky.

Drop by spoonfuls into simmering stew and cover. Simmer 15-20 minutes without lifting lid.

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Tips and Hints

• The soup will start out a bit thin but the dumplings should thicken it up nicely.

• Smaller dumplings will cook through easier and be less doughy. If they are a bit doughy just let them cook a bit longer.

• You can omit the dumplings and add homemade noodles instead to make a creamy chicken noodle soup.

• You can use a whole chicken and boil it in 4 quarts of water. Then remove the chicken from the pot and take the meat off the bones. The water used to cook the chicken will replace the water and bouillon broth.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

The first time I ever heard of this soup was in an e-mail from Sweet Tomatoes. Since I love baked potatoes and I love soup I was very excited and made the 35 mile trip to try it with eager anticipation. I was so disappointed! Their soup had so little flavor. I still wanted to try a good loaded baked potato soup so I looked online, found a recipe and tweaked it a bit.
Sheer Loaded Baked Potato Bliss!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
12 oz thick sliced Applewood smoked bacon
13-15 med/lg. potatoes, baked

3-4 stalks celery finely diced
2-3 large carrots, peeled, finely diced
1 large onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4-8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup thinly sliced ham or Canadian Bacon (or mini cubed ham)

6 cups (or 3 cans) chicken broth
2 cups (or 1 can) vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ - 1 cup milk, warmed
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (optional)

1 pint heavy cream
1 small carton sour cream
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Garnish
½ cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup thinly sliced green onion (green part)

Directions:
Cut bacon into chunks, cook in large stock pot until crisp.
Remove the bacon, set aside.  Also remove grease, and discard, reserving about 2-3 Tablespoons
Chop carrots, celery and onion. Use to make mirapoix, in the bacon grease.
While the mirapoix is cooking mash 10 of the potatoes adding warm milk, salt and pepper. You can saute the two cloves of garlic in the butter and add them to the potatoes if you would like. I dice the potatoes with the peel on and toss it all in a stand mixer to mash them.
Peel the remaining potatoes and cut them into bite size chunks, set aside.
This is a slight change from the usual mirapoix step. Before de-glazing the pan add the diced peppers, garlic and ham and saute about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Scoop out most of the veggie and ham mixture. Add a small amount of the broth to de-glaze the pan. Once the pan is de-glazed add the rest of the cooked veggies and ham back to the pot along with the rest of the broth and cream.
Stir the mashed potatoes into the soup mixing until well combined. Add potato chunks. Heat about 10 minutes.

Add sour cream, cheese and most of the bacon, stir well, heat until sour cream dissolves and cheese is melted.
Stir in half and half
Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until ready to serve.
Spoon into bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle each of bacon, cheese and green onion.

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Tips and Hints

• If you are timid about spicy food still use the jalapeno, but be sure it is seeded with the membrane removed. The dairy products really diminish the heat so you shouldn't need to omit it. To turn up the heat toss in a few more and leave in the seeds, I use about 3 jalapenos
• Try pre-baking the potatoes and pre-cooking the bacon to save time when making the soup.


• Served with some hot crusty bread this soup is hearty enough to make a perfect meal.

Kung Pao Chicken

Our family loves Chinese food and spicy food so Kung Pao is a favorite. James made it a few times before leaving for a mission to Guatemala. Unfortunately I don't know what happened to the recipe he used so when we got in the mood for it I had to search online. I found a couple that looked promising so I combined, adapted and added a touch or two of my own and came up with a version my family really enjoyed!

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Marinade:

1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Tablespoons soy sauce*
4 Tablespoon white cooking wine
2 Tablespoon rice vinegar

4-5 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon olive oil


Sauce:

4 Tablespoons soy sauce*
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons white cooking wine
1 Tablespoon hot chili paste
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons brown sugar
4 green onions chopped

1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
dried red pepper pods

Directions:
Mix the ingredients for the marinade and add the chicken, mix well to cover thoroughly cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes.

While chicken is marinating mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Lift from marinade with a slotted spoon, place in a medium size bowl and sprinkle with the cornstarch stirring until a thin paste covers the chicken.

Heat the oil in a wok** or sturdy pot, add the chicken in small batches and cook until no longer pink and chicken pieces are a bit crispy. Remove cooked chicken from wok as you cook and before adding more. 

 Remove chicken from wok. The cornstarch mixture may stick to the wok in some places, scrape off excess and discard, some will incorporate into sauce.

Add sauce ingredients to hot wok and heat to a slow simmer. Add chicken back into the sauce mixture and mix well to coat. Add peanuts and red pepper pods to taste.
Serve over hot oriental noodles or rice.

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Tips and Hints

• I am not a big fan of sesame oil, if you like it you could replace the olive oil and use only sesame.

• Be careful with the red pepper pods. Some tend to be very hot and a few can go a long way.

• You can get the small pods at an asian specialty store and they can be a bit pricey. I've seen some that are a bit larger in most grocery stores in the Mexican section for a much better price.

• *LaChoy is a gluten free soy sauce.  There are others out there as well, just make sure you keep looking.

** For best results use a real wok.  Trust me, it makes a huge difference