Well winter decided to come in with a roar last night here in the great plains! The wind certainly came sweeping down over them, and we even saw some snow blowing around, enough to accumulate on our ice-covered lawn. Of course, in classic Oklahoma fashion, it didn't stick around long after the sun came up this morning. But it is still chili outside! And any time it's chili outside, that means it's time to make some chili inside.
Of course, my old-fashioned roots in old-timer recipes buck the idea of calling this 'real' chili. I mean, come one now, where's the cow? And the beans? Vegetables?! You have got to be kidding me!
The old stand-by meat'n'beans campfire favorite just got shoved aside. Not so unhealthy itself (lean beef, and please, limit the brown sugar!), this chicken counterpart still beats it in the nutritional value. And with the end of football season just around the corner, dieters everywhere are bemoaning the loss of their beloved buffalo chicken wings. So on a chili evening still in football season, this dish should satisfy all present! It surprised the husband and wowed the cook who, I admit, was skeptical of ground chicken. This is definitely a repeater!
The original recipe had less liquid, and since I wanted to stretch it a little further, I simply added more! Adjust as you wish to achieve your desired consistency. :)
Ingredients:
3 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
3 stalks celery, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used BIG ones... because more garlic is always better!)
1 pound ground chicken
1 Tbsp ground chili powder
1 Tbsp flour
3 cups spicy V-8
1/8-1/4 c Lousianna hot sauce
1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
- Coat a large pot with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Saute carrots and celery approximately 10 minutes, or until tender. Then add all that lovely garlic and saute for another minute or so.
- Add the chicken and cook through, breaking into small chunks as you go.
- Sprinkle the chili powder and flour over meat mixture, stirring quickly to distribute evenly.
- Add V-8 and hot sauce, bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Yields: 2 large servings
350 calories packed with 50 grams of protein?! I think YES!!!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Chipotle Chicken
Well here it is, my first kitchen experiment! I found the original recipe in a library cookbook and tweaked it so I could call it my own. Well... for that reason, and the simple fact that I didn't quite have everything I was supposed to have. :) We both agreed that this was a keeper and I will be making it again!
Chipotle Chicken
Ingredients:
4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned and trimmed of excess fat
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
6 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, no salt added
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 chipotle peppers
2 Tbsp adobe sauce
Liberally spray large pot with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat.
Use salt and pepper to season both sides of chicken thighs. Sear thighs in hot pan until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
Add 1/3 cup of chicken broth to pan and scrape up all those yummy crunchies off the bottom. (I personally didn't have many, but I only used 2 thighs, so maybe you with a larger family will have more.) Add the garlic, bell peppers, and onion and cook until the veggies are slightly softened. Add the oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper, cooking for another minute or two.
In a food processor, blend tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and adobe sauce. Add to the pan along with the remaining chicken broth and apple cider vinegar. Taste test, of course ;) and add any salt or pepper you would like!
Return the chicken thighs to that pot, submerging them under all that yummy red sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Then uncover the pot and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the rest of your meal is complete!
We ate this tonight served over a bed of whole grain brown rice alongside salad and a mixture of roasted veggies. :)
By the way, that picture up there? *shakes head* Not a good representation at all. Third try at uploading it and this is as good as it gets! Will have to figure this out as time passes... in my defense, this is the first picture I have ever used in a blog post! :)
Chipotle Chicken
Ingredients:
4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned and trimmed of excess fat
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
6 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, no salt added
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 chipotle peppers
2 Tbsp adobe sauce
Liberally spray large pot with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat.
Use salt and pepper to season both sides of chicken thighs. Sear thighs in hot pan until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
Add 1/3 cup of chicken broth to pan and scrape up all those yummy crunchies off the bottom. (I personally didn't have many, but I only used 2 thighs, so maybe you with a larger family will have more.) Add the garlic, bell peppers, and onion and cook until the veggies are slightly softened. Add the oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper, cooking for another minute or two.
In a food processor, blend tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and adobe sauce. Add to the pan along with the remaining chicken broth and apple cider vinegar. Taste test, of course ;) and add any salt or pepper you would like!
Return the chicken thighs to that pot, submerging them under all that yummy red sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Then uncover the pot and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the rest of your meal is complete!
By the way, that picture up there? *shakes head* Not a good representation at all. Third try at uploading it and this is as good as it gets! Will have to figure this out as time passes... in my defense, this is the first picture I have ever used in a blog post! :)
I Know... I Know...
Yes, I misspelled the word "kitchen" in my blog title. Okay... I misspelled the word "experiments" as well! I am fully aware of that and, while I am generally a snob when it comes to correct spelling and grammar in the printed word, I must admit that in this case, I think it fits. First, because the domain name "kitchenexperiments" was already taken. Second, because, just like the appeared mishaps in my attempt at spelling, you may be able to witness many other mishaps on this 'hopefully' fun, regular, adventurous-in-the-kitchen blog!
I started this new year with two plans to carry out in my kitchen, one of the favorite rooms in our home. The first was an agreed resolution with my hubby that we would start back on our eating healthy, working out regularly regime. It's a more difficult way to live, to be sure, but once we get past those first two weeks, we always suddenly wake up to the fact that we're feeling pretty darn good! Thankfully for me, my partner has an iron will that he uses to throw away the bad-for-you junk food while I whimper in the corner.
The second plan I adopted was of my own doing. Looking back on 2011 I realized that I have a huge repertoire of somewhere around fifteen to twenty-something main dish items that I rotate through when preparing supper. And of those fifteen to twenty-something there are, of course, my favorite few that get served a lot. Oh sure, I get the bug to make something new every once in a while, but time usually ends up demanding that I make a well-known dish instead of searching, studying, and shopping for a new one. And if I do end up making something new... it's usually a dessert. But not any more! This year is going to be different, frequented with afternoons of browsing online cooking websites and trips to the library for new cookbooks. The goal is to make a new-to-me, healthy, main course dish at least once every week. Of course, the whole point of this blog is to write about each recipe I try and share it with you, along with some iPhone pics of the finished product!
Here's to good food, good fun, and good laughs as I try to widen my kitchIN horizons and let you join in the fun! :)
Blessings,
Jessica <><
I started this new year with two plans to carry out in my kitchen, one of the favorite rooms in our home. The first was an agreed resolution with my hubby that we would start back on our eating healthy, working out regularly regime. It's a more difficult way to live, to be sure, but once we get past those first two weeks, we always suddenly wake up to the fact that we're feeling pretty darn good! Thankfully for me, my partner has an iron will that he uses to throw away the bad-for-you junk food while I whimper in the corner.
The second plan I adopted was of my own doing. Looking back on 2011 I realized that I have a huge repertoire of somewhere around fifteen to twenty-something main dish items that I rotate through when preparing supper. And of those fifteen to twenty-something there are, of course, my favorite few that get served a lot. Oh sure, I get the bug to make something new every once in a while, but time usually ends up demanding that I make a well-known dish instead of searching, studying, and shopping for a new one. And if I do end up making something new... it's usually a dessert. But not any more! This year is going to be different, frequented with afternoons of browsing online cooking websites and trips to the library for new cookbooks. The goal is to make a new-to-me, healthy, main course dish at least once every week. Of course, the whole point of this blog is to write about each recipe I try and share it with you, along with some iPhone pics of the finished product!
Here's to good food, good fun, and good laughs as I try to widen my kitchIN horizons and let you join in the fun! :)
Blessings,
Jessica <><
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