Chicken & Corn Chili

Ok, let me start off by saying that I have been in a dinner rut for a while now. I never know what to make, deciding what to make for dinner is the most annoying decision of the day!  Ugh! I flip through my recipes and am always missing a key ingredient (usually produce or milk products), nothing sounds good, or it takes too long to make (since I usually have two adorable little boys pulling on my legs and demanding attention when I make dinner).  The key ingredient problem could probably be solved if I made a weekly meal plan but I tried that a while ago and when I made my lists the food sounded good but it didn't always sound good on the day I scheduled to make it, or we would unexpectedly be invited to dinner, or we would go out because I didn't feel like cooking, or bla bla bla.  The point is I would greatly appreciate some new dinner ideas!  I would also prefer quicker ideas, but I really just need some new ideas and will take anything.  Pretty PLEASE?!!

Let me also state that this tastes A LOT better than it looks!  I actually didn't think it looked appetizing but it sure tasted yummy (especially once you put the cheese on top).  I also didn't think to take a picture until I had dinner cleaned up, so you get a picture of Josh's lunch in Tupperware.

2 TBS Olive Oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped (I used colored peppers)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander (I could have sworn I had this but I couldn't find it in my spice cupboard so I substituted for cayenne pepper which is probably not even close but hence it is what I used)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn
2 cans (15 ounces) cannelli beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern cuz it is what I had. Also it wasn't until I went to type this that I realized it called for two cans. I only put in one, must have read the instructions wrong.)
salt to taste
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and pepper. Cook, stirring 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander and chili powder; cook 1 minute.

2. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir corn, beans and salt into pot. Heat through. Spoon into bowls and top with shredded cheese.

This recipe came from the FEB 2011 familycircle.com magazine that I ripped out quite a while ago but just made. Glad I finally got around to making it.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

From Betty Crocker International Cookbook. Fresh mushrooms are key here. Just rinse them under water and pat dry. DO NOT soak them.

INGREDIENTS:

* 8 ounces FRESH mushrooms (not canned or dried)

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium diced onion

1/4 cup white all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 can condensed chicken broth (~10 oz)

1 soup can water

1 cup half & half (or cream if you want a real creamy soup)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Slice enough mushrooms to measure 1 cup.
• Chop remaining mushrooms.
• In 3 quart saucepan, saute sliced mushrooms 2 Tbs of the butter until golden brown & remove from pan & set aside.
• Cook remaining chopped mushrooms and onion in remaining butter until onion is tender.
• Stir in flour, salt, and white pepper.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute then remove from heat.
• Stir in chicken broth and water
• Heat to boiling stirring constantly - boil for about 1 minute.
• Stir in half& half & sliced mushrooms & heat (but not boil).

Makes about 5-6 servings of the best mushroom soup you ever had.

This was delicious! I know a lot of you won't make this because way too many people don't like mushrooms and think of them as "fungus." Even my picky eater Zach ate and LOVED it! I gave him some in a bowl and gave him stick pretzels and told him it was "dip," but soon after he saw mom and dad eating with a spoon he also picked his up and ate with his spoon. He kept asking for more which is saying something. Yum Yum Yum :)

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscano

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups chicken stock
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken bouillon and stock to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

(Give your beef a good coating of flour. Make sure your pan & oil are hot and brown those edges good!)

(This is what it looks like after all the ingredients are combined and ready for cooking)

YUM!! If I think back to my favorite dinners as a child my Grandma Liz's beef stew was one of the top five. She would make it on cold snowy days along with cheese biscuits. I remember the smell filling her house. I remember my Grandpa in his hoody sitting in his recliner saying it was a good day for stew and a fire as he would watch the snow falling in the morning. I remember setting the table with the stone colored bowls rimmed with a light brown stripe. I remember us girls fighting over who got the brown cup. I remember my Grandma never sitting down until everyone was served and ready to eat. I remember the feelings of comfort and love, especially on beef stew nights. I have searched high and low for a recipe that could even slightly compare to my Grandma's stew. She never had actual recipes for a lot of her famous dishes. This one was the most similar to the ingredients I remember her using. It's from the Get off your Butt and Bake website. Ingredients: 2 lbs. of stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/2 cup flour 2 tablespoons of oil 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 onion chopped (optional) **I used onion flakes to taste instead so my kids wouldn't freak out. 2 beef bouillon cubes 1/2 tsp pepper 2 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 6 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 cup celery, sliced (optional) **I love celery but she said you can use 1 tsp of Bon Appetit seasoning instead. 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 cups of water Directions: Coat meat with flour; set excess aside. (I didn't have excess. I used 1/2 cup to coat and 3/4 cup later to thicken) In large skillet heat oil. Brown meat on all sides. In crock pot, combine browned beef, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, bouillon cubes, pepper, salt, and vegetables. Pour water over all of it. It will be almost to the top of your crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. After that time turn your crock pot to HIGH. Thicken with flour left over that has been dissolved in a small amount of warm water. (I just took out some of the broth from the crock pot and used that to dissolve the flour before adding it back to the stew) Cover and cook on high for 15-20 more minutes or until slightly thickened. Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with a green salad and bread.....or cheese biscuits! (My Grandma's stew was a little thicker than this recipe makes it. The flavor however was extremely close. YaY!! That is why I used more flour to try for the thicker broth. Next time I will be making it even thicker.)