Warm Chili

I love chili, in fact it's in my top ten favorite foods. It always makes me happy, I never think "oh no, not chili again...."! I've been to a couple chili cook-offs and I LOVE tasting all the chili's. It gives me so many ideas, of course I never follow through with them... but I do love them! I wish my husband shared my love of chili so we could go to more cook-offs and eat more chili!

Which brings us to this recipe. My husband. He just doesn't love my chili. I've been making my chili for YEARS! I first shared it on the blog 6 years ago! Check it out here. Well, husband has become less of a fan of spicy than he ever was, and honestly I think some of the foods have become a little spicier? Like the chipotles in adobo, anyone else think they have gotten hotter over the years? Or maybe it's just my husband rubbing off on my tastebuds and I am not as tough as I used to be. 

I needed to find a chili we could agree on. I found it! Just walking through the grocery store yesterday, I saw a can of enchilada sauce and was inspired. A couple tweaks to my old recipe, and this recipe was born. And approved.

Enough spices to warm and give amazing flavor, but nothing to set you on fire. We have finally found the compromise with this "Warm Chili". Not bland, not hot, but warm!

As a side note, I am proud to say the canned tomatoes and tomato paste used in this recipe were canned by me, from my garden! So proud!

Warm Chili

1 lb. lean ground meat (turkey, venison, or beef would all work well)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons chili powder

2 Tablespoons cumin

1 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 can medium red enchilada sauce
2 (15 oz) cans chili beans ( I used 1 can mild, and 1 can medium)

1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes

1 - 2 cups water

Optional

Crushed tortilla chips
Shredded cheese

Sour Cream

Green onion

In large pot over medium-high heat, cook ground meat until brown.  Drain.  Stir in onion and peppers; cook until vegetables are tender.  Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Stir in tomato paste, beans, and enchilada sauce. 

In blender, puree tomatoes with one cup water. 

Simmer about 1 hour before serving. Add additional water if needed.

Garnish as desired!

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Rustic Italian Chicken and a Giveaway!

The awesome folks over at Red Gold Tomatoes sent some tomato products for me to try, and I have to honestly say I love them all. I am really fussy about tomatoes and have been pleased with everything I have tried. Even better, Truckin' Man has liked everything too!

 We tried out the Rustic Italian Chicken recipe. I had to make one change to the recipe. We can not buy boneless skinless chicken thighs in our little local stores. So, I bought regular chicken thighs, and removed the skins myself. I do NOT debone chicken, so I cooked the thighs with the bone in, and it turned out beautifully!  Delicious recipe, and amazing moist flavorful chicken. Try it, I bet you will love it too!

Right now, Red Gold is working to help us all out in the kitchen and make things easy with Slow Cookers!  They have some delicious recipes for us to try, AND...  they are giving away 44 custom Red Gold branded slow cookers beginning September 17 on their Facebook page!  2 winners will be chosen every day through October 8th, so you need to sign up for this ASAP!

Another great thing that Red Gold is doing is providing an apron for one of you!! To enter for a chance to win this apron, tell me what Red Gold Crock Pot recipe you would most like to try!  

Click here to see the recipes.

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment with your email address the recipe you most liked. If you prefer, you can email me for your recipe choice at  bigrigsnlilcookies@gmail.com   Open to U.S. residents only.

Deadline:  Wednesday, October 8th 11:59 pm CST
Winner: I will randomly choose a winner and announce it at the top of this post. The winner will also be notified via email; if the winner does not respond within 24 hours, another winner will be selected.
Congrats to Stacie G!

Disclaimer: Red Gold provided me with tomatoes and an apron for participating in the 

"2-a-Day Crock-Pot Giveaway", but all opinions are my own.

Rustic Italian Chicken
12 chicken thighs, skinless
2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
1 - 14.5 ounce can Red Gold Diced Tomatoes
2 - 15 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
3 cups pasta
Parmesan Cheese, grated (optional)

Spray Slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker, and top with remaining ingredients, except pasta.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve over your favorite pasta. Garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Enjoy :)

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White Chicken Chili with Hatch Chilies

When my sister and I were VERY young, my parents took us to San Antonio, Texas. Do you know what I remember most about San Antonio? The smells! Food smells everywhere, and it was delicious! I guess maybe I had a little bit of "Foodie" starting me back then. 

What other seven or eight year old in Iowa was asking for tortillas! 

Sadly, there weren't any tortilla's to be found in Iowa in the 70's!

 (Do you love my soup pot? It was my GREAT Grandma's!)

The Hatch Chile Store sent me some of their Roasted Hatch Green Chile to try. I wanted the perfect dish to try these in, and bring back the flavors I remember from my childhood.  I thought chili would be perfect. White Chicken Chili was their destiny.  Oh my gosh... This turned out better than I could have imagined. Just one more bowl please! 

The Hatch Chile Store has me so excited to create more dishes, and enjoy the flavor of their roasted Hatch Chile.  They even hand peel them.  I have a new foodie love!

White Chicken Chili with Hatch Chile (Source: Food Network)

1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed
1 large onion, peeled
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Bay leaf
Thyme, several sprigs
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp oregano
1 cup ground tortilla chips (finely ground)
1 Tbsp masa flour
6 roasted Hatch Chiles, stemmed, deseeded, and chopped
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Garnish suggestions
Sour cream
Cilantro
Jack Cheese, shredded

In large stockpot, add chicken, whole onion, 4 whole garlic cloves, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.  Slowly bring to boil over medium heat, skimming foam off the top. Reduce heat and simmer for about one hour, until chicken is completely cooked.  Add more water if necessary during cooking to keep chicken covered.

Remove chicken and transfer to 9 x 13 pan to cool.  Strain and reserve broth.  When chicken has cooled, remove chicken from bones and skin, then shred.

Heat olive oil in stock pot or dutch oven.  Add chopped onion, and minced garlic.  Saute about 5 minutes, until softened.  Sprinkle cumin, coriander and oregano over top of the onions and garlic. Stir, continuing to cook for another couple minutes. Add ground tortilla chips. Add reserved chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Add Hatch Chiles, shredded chicken, and cilantro.  Simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Enjoy!!

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Jamaican Jerk Chicken

I love when you go to a friends house for dinner, and love the food so much that you know you absolutely have to get the recipe! That is what happened when I tried my friend's Jamaican Jerk Chicken. It was sooo out of this world amazing!

I've been holding on to this recipe for over a year, and had to have it again. Plus, Truckin' Man has been learning all about the grill, and wanting to get more into the prep work, so this was his turn! I got all the ingredients together, and turned it all over to him. Being relatively new to the grilling scene, this was the first time he made a marinade, but he rocked it out, and the chicken was amazing! No doubt, it was the best chicken to ever come off of our grill!

We did skip the spicy peppers my friend used, but if you like heat add them back in! 

Jamaican Jerk Chicken (Source: Diana's Kitchen)

1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon sage
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
Juice of one lime
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2-3 green onions, finely chopped
1 habernero pepper, optional (we did not use this)
4 - 6 chicken breasts

In large bowl, combine all of the spices, and the sugar. Add olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice, whisking until all ingredients are combined.  Add in onions, and pepper (optional).

Cut each chicken breast into 3 to 4 equal sized pieces. Add chicken to marinade, and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.

Remove meat from marinade, reserve marinade. Preheat grill. Grill chicken for about 5 minutes per side. Baste with reserved marinade while grilling, if desired. Remove from grill when fully cooked, and juices run clear.

Enjoy!

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Lemon Thyme Chicken Stew

Finally! It's time to start enjoying foods that are better for warming you up. Who needs more warming up in the summer??  I hope this is a long and mild fall! It is truly my season. Winter is too cold, and summer is too hot. Spring... well, it's good, but we didn't get one this year. So... I hope fall is here for a long time!

This recipe is perfect for a cool fall day. Throw it in the crockpot and you are good to go about your day.  All you need to go along side of this is some crusty bread, and you will be lovin' what just happened in your crockpot!  I absolutely love all the flavor combinations in this dish. The combination of the thyme and lemon make for some of the best potatoes and chicken and I have ever made in the crockpot. 

Lemon Thyme Chicken Stew (Source: Taste of Home)

1 lb small red potatoes, halved or quartered (depending on size of potato)
1 large onion, diced
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp lemon peel, grated
2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, skin removed
2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves

Place potatoes, onion and carrots in 3 qt slow cooker.  Sprinkle with flour, garlic, lemon peel, thyme, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.  Place chicken over top.  Add broth and bay leaves.

Cook, covered, on low for 7 to 9 hours, or until chicken and potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaves.

Enjoy!!

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Chicken Taquito's

When you are a household of two and make large quantities of any food, you sometimes have to get creative on using it in different ways. Honestly, when there is a food that I really like, I could eat it meal after meal, until it's gone. That isn't the case with Truckin' Man. He isn't quite so big on leftovers. I suppose it comes from eating so many repeated meals in the truck, so I do try to keep him happy and change things up on the meals as much as I can.

This was the case with my Tex Mex Shredded Chicken. We both loved it, but it made such a large amount, that I had to get creative. I had a memory of one of my old favorite foods from the days when I always had my deep fryer and the huge boxes of "fryer food" on hand.  Taquitos! I LOVED taquito's. I hadn't had them once since I gave up the fryer, and I missed them! So with a lot of yummy chicken on hand, I gave this a shot, and the whole thing was a huge hit! I rocked them out, and haven't been so proud of a meal in a long time!

For my vegetarian friends, I would suggest trying this with some re-fried beans as the filling in these. I think that would be phenomenal!

Chicken Taquitos

Corn Tortilla's
Tex Mex Shredded Chicken
Vegetable Oil (or your favorite frying oil)
Seasoned Sour Cream (See Recipe Below) - Optional
Cilantro, Avocado, Salsa - Optional


Warm corn tortilla's in microwave. Keep tortilla's covered with towel while you are working. (I am slow at rolling, so I heat a few tortilla's at a time. The warmer they are the easier they roll!) Spoon one to two tablespoons of Tex Mex Shredded Chicken down center of tortilla. Roll tortilla's as tightly as you can, and secure with toothpick.

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Use enough oil to to cover pan to about 1/8 inch deep. Once hot, place taquito's in skillet.  Do not overcrowd the pan, you need room to turn these over easily, and the tooth picks take up space! Cook each side 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on papertowel.

Serve immediately with Seasoned Sour Cream, Cilantro, Avocado, Salsa.



Seasoned Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic powder

Combine and mix well. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.



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Tex Mex Shredded Chicken

I made a new chicken recipe last week, that I totally fell in love with. Sad part is, I can't share that one yet. With the monsoon season we have been having, I never had enough light to get a decent picture. So, until next time. . . .  But, the other cool part is, I fell in love with chicken thighs in the slow cooker. I see enough recipes and watch enough shows, that I know chicken thighs are really popular.  With dark meat not being the healthier choice, and with chicken breasts going on sale so often, I just don't bother with a variety of chicken pieces. BIG mistake on my part.

I am in love with chicken thighs.. L.O.V.E., love! They have so much more flavor, and they are so moist! So, my new recipe was born.  You really can modify this to what chicken you have on hand. I added some chicken breasts to the mix since I have a freezer full. So, use a mixture, or use all thighs. But please, oh please, use at least half dark meat in this!

You could cut out some of the work and use boneless chicken for this, but I wanted all the flavor from cooking this chicken on the bone. You can enjoy this wrapped up in a tortilla, on rice or any other way that sounds good to you!

Tex Mex Shredded Chicken


5 chicken thighs (skinless)
3 chicken breasts (skinless)
24 oz crushed tomatoes
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
5 garlic cloves, sliced
2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper


Place chicken in slow cooker. In bowl, mix tomatoes, green and red bell pepper, and seasonings.  Stir until combined. Pour over chicken, making sure chicken is coated with veggies and seasoning. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Remove chicken from slow cooker. Remove bones. Shred chicken, and add back to cooker juices. Cover slow cooker, and let chicken simmer in crockpot, on low, for 30-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Crazy BBQ Chicken

Many many years ago, when I was still in the banking world, I had the pleasure of sharing my cubicle with a new hire. The bank was going through merger after merger, and we were expanding beyond belief. I trained in the new guy, and since we got along, and were short on desk space, we were assigned to share. It wasn't all bad sharing such close quarters, he liked talking food too! 

In all our bank time together, he shared one recipe with me, that I have kept with me to this day. It's simple, but perfect. It is my all time favorite way to grill chicken.

Here is the recipe, as he gave it to me.  Enjoy!

Crazy BBQ Chicken

1 Large Bottle 7-Up (I use the 2 liter bottle)

2 red onions - diced

4 large garlic cloves-diced

1 bottle soy sauce ( adjust to your taste on how much you want to use!)

Hot sauce (Optional)

2 chickens cut into pieces

Put all ingredients into an old paint bucket (I use 2 of my largest bowls for this part!).

Marinate for 5 or more hours.

Grill-Basting Once.

***Note*** This recipe is easily cut in half, if you aren't feeding a crowd!

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Rotisserie "Chicken Scratch" Chicken

It seems like it has been so hard to get any cooking accomplished the last two weeks.  Adding a flock of chickens to our lives has definitely been an adjustment. Hmmm . . . . Does a dozen chickens make a flock? Not sure, but in my book it does!

Add to the chickens, the fact that truckin' man has been having mechanical issues. I had to take off at midnight one night last week to go pick him up. I spent an hour drivin' to get to the repair shop he was going to, only to have him not be there. Checked all the local truck stops.... not there either... and believe me, even though this isn't exactly a high population area, trolling around the truck stops at 2 a.m. was NOT my favorite thing to be doin'! Super long story short, I gave up and headed for home. Please note that during all this, I am ringing his phone every five to ten minutes.  Well, his phone finally decided to start working about 2:30 a.m., once I was about 5 miles from home. Since I hadn't called him, he parked at an empty lot while he was waiting for me. I think it is finally time to quit talking about getting him a new phone and just do it!!! I was then late for work the next morning, and still had to get our youngest Hazel in, to get her spayed. Yikes, was I beat!

After a week of lots of pizzas, frozen foods and fast foods, I finally was able to get back in the kitchen this weekend. Sunday, I was able to try a couple recipes that have been on my list from South Your Mouth.  I just LOVE southern food, it may not always be the healthiest, but you can count on it tasting the best!  For dinner, we had Chicken and Greasy Rice, adapted to fit my timing issues.  Then for dessert Suck It, Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake. I didn't get a pic of this cake, I didn't get it frosted either. Sometimes, there just isn't time to do anything but grab a fork!  If you like chocolate, you have to try it :)

I really wanted to try the Slow Roasted Oven method in the recipe, but by the time I got my act together, I didn't have enough time. So, I pulled out my Baby George Rotisserie.  Rubbed down my chicken with this amazing Chicken Scratch Recipe. Set the timer for 90 minutes, and done! YUM! I can't wait to use this seasoning blend again! 

Chicken Scratch (Source: South Your Mouth)

2 T. salt

2 T. paprika

2 T. garlic powder

1 T. dried thyme

1 T. onion powder 

1 T. white pepper

1 T. black pepper

1 T. cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together, and store in an airtight container.  

Red Chile Chicken with Rice and Black Beans

This dish has been a long time coming for me. I first saw the recipe back in October, and it immediately went onto my must try list. The delay was due to the spice it called for, "Ancho Chili Powder".  I'd never tasted or heard of Ancho Chili Powder before, so I was not about to substitute. I was now on a mission to find that spice. Living out in the middle of farm country, that was not an easy task. I finally found that Penzey's sold it, so I sent for it in my most recent order. I am so glad I waited, its a lovely smokey chili flavor, without much heat....in my opinion :) But I like things with a little kick, so most don't always agree with my thoughts on what is hot or not. You try it and decide! 

Red Chile Chicken with Rice and Black Beans (adapted from Smells Like Home)

2 T. canola oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 1/2 T. ancho chili powder, divided
1 large onion, diced
1 c. white rice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 c. chopped cilantro
Salt

Heat oil in a large heavy pot, over medium high heat.  Season chicken breasts with salt and 1 Tablespoon of ancho chili powder.  Place chicken in hot oil, and brown on each side, about 3 minutes.  Remove chicken to plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.  

Add onion and rice to pot. Stir for several minutes, until the rice turns from translucent to opaque.  Add garlic and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of ancho chili powder. Cook one minute, and then add broth and salt, to taste.  Stir well.  Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat to medium low.  Cover, and cook for 10 minutes.  

Cut chicken into 1" pieces.  Add them to the pot along with beans.  Cover and cook 12 minutes longer, or until rice is tender. 

Top with additional cilantro, sour cream and cheese and desired.

Tortilla Soup

Many many years ago....  When I was stilling working for the bank, in downtown St. Paul, I had my choice of so many places to lunch at.  We would take the skyway system to our choice of the day and get whatever flavor or food group it was we were craving.  One day when out on our daily lunch hunt, my friend Nancy and I, went to a sub joint in the Depot building.  This particular place always had homemade soups, and on this day they were serving Tortilla Soup.  I had never had this kind of soup, so of course I ordered it. It was just amazing, and I was in love.  The flavor was like no soup I had ever had.  It was just the perfect Mexican flavorings and veggies all pulled together in one little bowl. YUM!

And then ....this sub place closed. I really was just about devastated. From then on, any time I went to a restaurant, diner or deli that was serving Tortilla Soup, I had to order it. None of the soups I tried have ever compared.  I have tried cooking various recipes myself, but just couldn't find that flavor combination that rocked my taste buds like that first bowl.  Until now that is!! I was so excited when I read the recipe for Tortilla Soup that Sweet Pea's Kitchen had on her blog.  It sounded amazing just reading it!  

Like everything else this month, it was complicated getting ready to make it.  Can't keep the vehicle running to get to the store.  Can't go shopping with all the ice, you know... one thing after another.  Well, finally all ingredients in hand, I made the soup, and it was delicious. The right balance of spices, and I really think the cilantro is what pulled it together with that amazing flavor combination! Next time, I will save just a little bit of Cilantro for some garnish.

Tortilla Soup 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

2 1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (10.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 cup whole corn kernels

1 cup white corn (I used Green Giant Chipotle White Corn)

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2-3 boneless chicken breast halves

Tortilla chips, crushed

Optional

1 avocado, sliced

Shredded Cheese (Cheddar or Colby)

Green onions, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Sour Cream (I topped with Greek Yogurt)

Heat oil in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, tomatoes, broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove chicken and shred. Return to pot and continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, green onion, cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.