Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup

Miss F is a huge fan of the Food Network. Her favorite shows are Cake Wars and Chopped Junior.  She also really enjoys watching Pioneer Woman, most of her recipes are right up Miss F's alley.  When she saw this recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup on a recent episode, she insisted we put it on the menu for the following week.  She thought it would be much like her favorite soup, Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup, or as she calls it, "Crocky."  This soup was a huge hit!  She devoured a couple of bowls and then ate all the leftovers for lunches.  I keep chipotles in the freezer, then I can just take one or two out as needed.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
One 28-ounce can whole or diced tomatoes, with juice
3 ½ cups chicken broth
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 10-ounce can Rotel
4 ounces tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo (you may add 2 to 3 if you like)
½ lime, juiced
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Place the chicken in a crockpot. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, Rotel, tomato paste, onion, bell peppers and chipotles to the crockpot and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours. Stir in the lime juice. Serve, topped with cheese.

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Crockpot Pot Roast

It seems like there is never enough time for dinner on nights when Miss F has dance class. By the time we get home from dance, it is nearly 6 pm and dinner still needs to be made. Enter the crockpot. I am a huge fan of the crockpot for soups, any sort of shredded meat and one dish meals like pot roast. The best part of this meal is that it lasts for a couple days worth of meals.  C had a last minute happy hour, so Miss F and I enjoyed the first serving of it and C had leftovers the next night when I went out.  This dish was inspired by Yummy Healthy Easy.

Crockpot Pot Roast

6 to 8 new potatoes, quartered
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, cut into chunks
3 pound chuck roast
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf

Spray the liner of the crockpot with cooking spray. Add the potatoes, carrots and onions to the bottom of the crockpot. Coat the roast with the flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear the roast on both sides, about 5 minutes a side. Place the roast over top of the vegetables. Deglaze the skillet with the red wine and cook for 2 minutes, until reduced by half. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire and basil; bring to a boil. Pour over the roast, cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Serve.

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Hearty Beef Stew

I find Tide and Thyme to be my cooking kindred spirit. She lives in Maryland, which is where I am from originally, and even better, lives on the wonderful Eastern Shore.  I have several beef stew recipes, two years of Colorado living will do that, but as soon as she posted this recipe, I knew I needed to try it.  Even though "winter" now means a cold snap in the 60s (brrrr...) is rolling through town.  Miss F picked out all the potatoes, naturally, but C and I really enjoyed this aptly titled hearty beef stew.

Hearty Beef Stew

1 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt and ground pepper
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 cup frozen peas

Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the meat so that pieces are not touching and cook not moving until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs and rotate pieces until all sides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer beef to medium bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and the remaining oil to now empty pan and swirl to coat bottom. Add onions and ¼ tsp salt and cook, scraping bottom of pan for brown bits until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored, about 1 minute more. Add wine, scraping the bottom and stirring until thick and flour is dissolved. Slowly add the beef broth, stirring constantly, scraping up the remaining browned bits on bottom of pan. Add bay leaves and thyme and return to simmer. Add beef, return to simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Add potatoes and carrots, leave uncovered, increase heat to medium and cook for additional hour. Add the peas, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 min. Discard bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

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Crockpot Chicken and Corn Chowder

This recipe originated from Damn Delicious, but I kept very little except the ingredients the same.  I didn't see any need to prep the bacon hours in advance, especially since whenever I cook bacon I smell bacon for hours and I want to eat everything in my sight.  I was also wary of adding cut up chicken to the crockpot, it's much easier just to shred it after it is done simmering away all day.  Chop up some carrots, onions and potatoes is all the morning prep work necessary and you come home to a warm crock of soup.  It couldn't be any easier!

Crockpot Chicken and Corn Chowder

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 ounces red potato, diced
½ onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
4 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup half and half
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 slices bacon, chopped
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Add the chicken, potato, onion, carrots and corn to the crockpot. Stir in the broth, garlic, thyme, oregano, cayenne, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

30 minutes before done, remove the chicken breasts and shred with two forks and return to the crockpot. In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half and corn starch, stir into the crockpot. Raise the heat to high if you have been cooking on low. Sauté the bacon in a small skillet over medium heat, drain. Serve, topped with bacon and cheese.

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Chicken Pancit Canton

Canton noodles are my most favorite noodle. Our grocer sometimes has them in stock, but I can always count on Ranch 99 for having a huge selection of Canton noodles. So when my mom wanted to go to Ranch 99 to get some dishware, I knew I would get at least a couple bags. The noodles are traditionally served with shrimp, but that wouldn't fly with C. I found this recipe for chicken and adapted it a bit to better suit my taste. This dish is amazing. It is a perfect weeknight meal and you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand, it would be great with carrots, zucchini, broccoli or even yellow squash.

Chicken Pancit Canton

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
½ small onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup snow peas
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
8 ounces canton noodles
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 lime

Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, sauté for 20 seconds. Add the chicken, sauté for 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper and snow peas, sauté for 3 minutes more. Pour the soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar over top. Toss well to coat. Add the noodles and chicken broth, simmer for 5 minutes, until the noodles have softened. Serve with lime wedges.

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Crockpot Balsamic Pot Roast

We have had a cold winter this year, it was 75 degrees yesterday, but overall, it has been cool for Houston. On Mondays, I don't get home until after 5pm because of Miss F's dance class. Crockpot meals are such an easy way to have a home cooked meal even when we get home late in the evening. I thought for sure C would call out the vinegar usage, but he didn't recognize it at all, thank goodness. He even took leftovers for lunch the next day.  This makes a large amount of food, so we both got to enjoy leftovers. I adapted this recipe from Julie's Eats and Treats.

Crockpot Balsamic Pot Roast

1 cup beef broth
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 pound beef roast
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 pound red potatoes, quartered
1 small onion, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together the beef broth, brown sugar, balsamic, flour, soy sauce, red pepper and garlic. Set aside. Spray the bowl of the crockpot with cooking spray, place the roast in the bowl. Top with the carrots, potatoes and onion. Pour the broth mixture over top, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

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Braised Short Ribs with Parmesan Gnocchi

This recipe was a compilation from Martha Stewart and The Hopeless Housewife.  I love gnocchi, so does C.  Miss F took some convincing and I still don't think she was sold on it.  She just isn't a fan of potatoes, she doesn't even love French fries!  No worries, she didn't go hungry at all.  She calls short ribs, "more meat!" because that is what she always proclaims whenever we have it.  I don't think I will ever eat leftover mashed potatoes again, they will always be reserved for making gnocchi.  I have this nifty gnocchi roller that works perfectly for adding the grooves to the pasta.

Braised Short Ribs with Parmesan Gnocchi

1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless short ribs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 ½ cups red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 large egg
1 cup flour
¼ cup grated Parmesan
¼ teaspoon salt

fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat and sear all sides of the short ribs, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the short ribs and set aside. Pulse the carrots, onion and garlic in a food processor four or five times, until roughly minced. Add the carrots, onion and garlic to the dutch oven and saute until tender, about two minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and saute for a minute more. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the beef broth, thyme and bay leaf. Return the short ribs to the pot and cover. Place in the oven and cook for 3 hours, until tender. Remove the short ribs from the pot and shred the meat with two forks. Return the meat to the pot and stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste.

Boil 6 quarts of water in a large pot. Stir together the mashed potatoes and egg yolk, then stir in the flour, Parmesan and salt. If the dough it still quite sticky, add more flour a tablespoon at a time. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead a couple times. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, then roll each into ½" diameter logs. Cut into 1" long gnocchis, the use a fork to add grooves to each. Place the gnocchi into the large pot and cook until they rise to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and top with the short ribs and basil.

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Baked Three-Cheese Penne with Chicken and Peas

We took a lovely trip to Barcelona, Spain for a week. Miss F did amazingly well, but re-adjusting to central time has been a bit of a challenge. I finally served this dinner at 7:30 pm, she was still napping. She started her nap at 1:30 pm. She did wake up eventually, helped me decorate the Christmas tree and had some leftover pasta. C thought the pasta tasted great, but smelled strange. Who knows what he was smelling, I thought it smelled great. I especially enjoyed the crispy topping, I wasn't sure I was going to like it when I read the recipe initially.  I adapted this recipe from Tasty Trials.

Baked Three-Cheese Penne with Chicken and Peas

8 ounces dried penne pasta
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
½ small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup cream
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated gruyere cheese
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 ½ cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the pasta per package directions, drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions, cook until 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more. Remove the chicken, onions and garlic to a dish. Stir in the chicken broth and scrape brown bits off bottom of pot with a wooden spoon. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stir in the cream. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir in the gruyere, mozzarella, cheese and the peas into the chicken mixture and the drained pasta. Add the pasta mixture to a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, dot with butter. Bake for 20 minutes, serve.

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Balsamic Braised Short Ribs with Cheddar Polenta

I will admit, I totally tried to pull one over on C with this dinner. He hates vinegar, not sure what the issue is there, but I am guessing it all boils down to the smell (add it to chocolate, bread, garlic, whatever smells delicious...) As soon as I served this, he asked if there was vinegar in it. He loves my usual short rib recipe, I was hoping I could pass this off as the same. I couldn't. Which meant Miss F also complained of the funny tasting carrots. The good news was that he loved the polenta. The best news was that I adored this even more than my usual recipe. I love vinegar. I don't understand not enjoying it. Growing up, we put it on all sorts of things. I poured it on broccoli, dipped crabmeat in it and even had it on my baked potato. We had a cruet that sat on the dinner table like any other condiment. If you like vinegar like I do, then be sure to try this recipe. It is amazing. Thanks to Gastronomical Sovereignty for the recipe inspiration.

Balsamic Braised Short Ribs with Cheddar Polenta

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless short ribs
1 onion, chopped
4 to 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup polenta
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup cheddar cheese

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ribs to pan; cook approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side or until browned, turning occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and carrots. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and sauté a minute more. Add the broth, vinegar and sugar, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes and nestle the short ribs with their accumulated juices into the pan. Cover and bake at 300° for 3 hours.

Make the polenta about 30 minutes before ready to serve. In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring milk, water, and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 20 minutes, until creamy, lifting the lid and stirring every 3 or 4 minutes to prevent sticking. Remove pot from stove, stir in pepper and butter. Gradually stir in cheese. Serve the short ribs over the polenta.

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Cajun Shrimp Pasta

I was going to make my new favorite Cajun Chicken Pasta for dinner, but Miss F ended up napping until 6:30 pm and I needed something that could get to the table a little quicker. I had been eyeing this recipe from the wonderful Tide and Thyme for quite some time.   since the shrimp cook so quickly, the whole meal took about 15 minutes to get to the table.  When you have a grouchy and hungry four year old, every second counts.  Miss F had two helpings and was a huge fan.  She really loves bell pepper, especially if she gets to select what color we buy at the grocer.  The recipe calls for a green and red bell, but I halved the recipe and only used the red bell.  You can really use whatever color pepper you like.  This dish was amazing and absolutely perfect for a weeknight.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
½ onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup cream
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pound cooked linguine

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Cajun spice over the shrimp, toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to skillet, and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp over and cook for 1 minute more. Remove to plate and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over medium high heat until peppers and onions are tender. Remove all vegetables from the pan to a plate, and set aside.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream and cheese, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until the mixture thickens. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetables to the sauce. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained linguine and toss to combine. Serve spicy shrimp on top of pasta.

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Lasagna

I am generally not a huge lasagna fan. C is a huge lasagna fan, so I figured I would make him a large pan on our last day in Aspen so he could have it for leftovers. The plan was to freeze some for the future. He liked the lasagna so much, there wasn't any leftover to freeze.  And I must say that I really enjoyed it as well.  I usually don't like ricotta, but the ricotta in this recipe works.  Mainly because I think there isn't a ton, so what is there really melts in with the mozzarella.  Miss F had never had lasagna and she loved it.  C has requested that I make a pan of lasagna every time we visit.  Or at least until he gets sick of it.  I adapted this recipe from All Recipes per a recommendation that it was the best ever.  And it was!

Lasagna

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup minced onion
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
½ cup water
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
18 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with basil, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or use no-bake noodles dry. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with shredded mozzarella, egg, and ½ teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To assemble, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one third of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice more ending with the mozzarella slices on top. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese starts to brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

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Crockpot Beef Stew with Dumplings

One of my most favorite things that my mom made as a kid was stew with dumplings. It wasn't the stew I loved, it was the dumplings. They were so good. I tolerated the stew in order to get more dumplings, I dipped the stew in ketchup in order to better suit my tastes. I bought a crockpot for the condo in Aspen because I figured it would be a useful tool in the winter. We can ski all day and come home to a nice, hot dinner. Miss F does not share my same love for dumplings, she much prefers the beef (no surprise there!) Which is fine by me, more dumplings for me! This stew is rich and hearty, I cannot wait to make it again once it is ski season. We had been playing in the snow all day, so this was the perfect meal to end the day. It turns out playing in the snow wears Miss F out as much as swimming, and makes her just as hungry. This recipe is adapted from The Magical Slow Cooker.

Crockpot Beef Stew with Dumplings

2 pounds stew beef
½ cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup red wine
14 ounce can beef broth
6 ounce can tomato paste
1 ½ pounds red potatoes,
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
½ pound button mushrooms, quartered
1 white onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups frozen peas

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme in a Ziplock bag. Seal, shake to combine, then add the stew meat. Shake to coat the pieces evenly. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Brown the meat on all sides and add it to the crockpot.

Return the pan to the stove; de-glaze the pan with the red wine, scrape up any browned bits of meat and flour into the sauce. Whisk in the beef broth and tomato paste. Simmer for two minutes. Add the sauce to the crockpot. Add the potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and onions to the crockpot. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Stir in the peas for the last 20 minutes of cooking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, egg, milk and oil. Drop the dumplings by ¼ cup onto the top of the stew after you have stirred in the peas. Cover, turn heat to high and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted into the dumpling comes out cleanly.

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Slow Baked Salmon with Lime Cream

Slow baked salmon was served at my wedding, that is how much I adore it (recipe here.) My friend Courtney had a dinner party for my birthday and prepared this amazing slow baked salmon. It was cooked on a bed of onions, which added this wonderful flavor to the fish. She prepares it with lemons, but I had a bunch of limes leftover from Key Lime Pie, so I decided to switch it up. It was equally good. And drumroll....Miss F tasted it AND liked it. I am so thrilled she finally tried fish and that it was my favorite fish, salmon. Courtney got the recipe from Steamy Kitchen, which provides a multitude of ways to prepare slow baked salmon.

Slow Baked Salmon with Lime Cream

1 onion, sliced
2 limes, one sliced and one juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ teaspoons cumin, divided
½ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. While the oven is preheating, set the salmon out to come to room temperature. Arrange the onion slices and lime slices on the bottom of a baking dish. Place the salmon on top of the onion and limes. Brush each filet with oil. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Bake for 30 minutes.

Whisk together the sour cream, lime juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cumin and sugar together. Top the cooked salmon with the lime cream.

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Crockpot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I saw frozen noodles on Pioneer Woman's show on The Food Network. They looked so much better than dried egg noodles and I knew I wanted to try them in something.  The noodles (Reames brand) were a bit tricky to find.  They were in the ethnic food part of my grocery freezer.  I can't wait to use them in other recipes, they were so amazing.  Miss F loved this recipe, of course she loved the chicken the most.  So we made a couple chicken for noodles trades during dinner.  How did I end up with a kid who isn't obsessed with carbs?

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
inspired by Key Ingredient

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk, divided
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
½ onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound chicken breasts
1 package frozen egg noodles (12 ounces)
½ cup half and half

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add 1 cup milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens.

Whisk together the sauce, remaining 1 cup milk and chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Add to the crockpot with the carrots, onion, celery and chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Remove the chicken and shred with two forks, return to the crockpot. Increase the heat to high, add the egg noodles and cook for one hour more. Stir in the half and half, serve.

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Chicken Picasso

Oh my this was delicious. I adapted it quite a bit from Let's Dish.  My main goal was to reduce the number of dirty dishes.  Our condo has a Le Creuset Dutch oven, I love it so much and I try to use it as often as possible.  I figured the sautéing and baking could all be done in one vessel and it worked beautifully.  Miss F was a huge fan of the bell pepper, she gobbled up a ton of it.  C said this was the best pasta ever, excluding the fettucine alfredo at Carmine's of course.  This was after he made fun of the name while I was cooking.  Miss F is equally obsessed with "daddy pasta" at Carmine's so it looks like next on my to do list is to make fettucine alfredo with homemade pasta.

Chicken Picasso

3 bell peppers (1 each of red, yellow or orange)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup grated mozzarella
1 pound linguine, or pasta of your choice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Seed the bell peppers and cut them into rings. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large oven safe Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides and remove to a plate. Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Arrange the onions over the chicken. Add the bell peppers to the pan and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Arrange the peppers over the chicken and onions. Add the garlic to the sauté pan and cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping any browned bits on the bottom. Pour the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and cream into the sauté pan with the garlic and broth; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and put the bell peppers and onions over top. Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the chicken from oven and uncover. Sprinkle with cheese and return chicken to oven, uncovered, for another 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and chicken is cooked through. Serve with pasta.

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Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Warm Cherry Salsa

I made this during my parents visit to Aspen, thank goodness since neither C or Miss F was interested in the cherry salsa at all. In fact, C requested gravy with it. He was welcome to have cherry gravy if he liked. He also wanted skins on his potatoes, but since my family was over, I got to serve potatoes the way I grew up eating them.  Extra creamy, lots of butter and whipped to perfection.  The original recipe called for a fresh cherry salsa, but I think cooking the cherries really intensified the flavor.  The best part of this recipe for me was that it didn't require any adapting to the altitude...thank goodness!

Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Warm Cherry Salsa

1 pound cherries, pitted and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded fresh jalapeño
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl stir together cherries, lime juice, zest, onion, jalapeño, and parsley. Season pork with salt and press peppercorns into it. In a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown pork on all sides. Transfer pork to a shallow baking dish and roast in oven until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees, about 20 minutes. Sauté the cherry mixture in the skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest covered with foil for 10 minutes. Slice pork into ½ inch thick medallions and serve with salsa.

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Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta

I had pinned this recipe awhile back, totally forgetting that I had already made a version of Chipotle Chicken Pasta that we love. Bumbleberry Notebook's version was very different and very complicated. I try to make things as simple as possible when cooking in Aspen since I don't have my full pantry or kitchen tools on hand.  I made this dish our first night in town, so C had been sent to the grocer to do the shopping.  So we ended up with tri-colored penne pasta and no onions.  He insisted he had bought a onion and I just wasn't seeing one in the fridge.  Turns out he was thinking of the lemon.  Luckily there is a grocery store next to his office, so I got a 34 cent onion while we were picking him up from work.  C had two helpings and so did I, it is really good!

Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces penne pasta
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
2 cups cream
1 cup parmesan cheese

In a small dish mix the juice of one lemon with sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper until well blended. Place the chicken in a small dish and pour the marinade over, let marinade at room temperature while you prep the vegetables.

Cook the penne pasta in a large pot of salted water per package directions. Drain and set aside.

Add the olive oil to a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion and bell pepper, sauté for 5 minutes. Add the peas and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more.

Stir the chipotles and the cream into the chicken and vegetables. Turn heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan cheese and pasta, serve.

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Jalapeno Corn Chowder

I adore soup. I had this on my menu plan, which I had made while we were in Colorado from Books n Cooks. It was perfect soup weather while we were skiing in Colorado. Too bad the weather at home was not. It was 90 degrees the day I made this soup. 90 degrees. In March. I know I prefer the warm weather, but 90 degrees is insane for March. No matter the weather, this soup was satisfying and delicious. It was pure perfection. I may not make it again until November, but at least I have another wonderful soup to add to my recipe collection.

Jalapeno Corn Chowder

6 slices bacon
½ onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 potatoes, cubed (with skin left on)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
½ jalapeno, chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups frozen corn
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Cut bacon into lardons (small strips). Place the bacon lardons in a Dutch oven and cook until crisp over medium heat. Once the bacon is cooked through, remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Add the diced onion to the Dutch oven and allow onions to cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds longer. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to cook for about 3 minutes.

Stirring continuously, slowly pour in the chicken broth to avoid clumps from forming. Add the potatoes, carrots and jalapenos and bring to a boil. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Add the corn, heavy cream and cheese; stir to combine. Allow the mixture to cook about 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

Spoon soup in bowls, top with more cheese and bacon.

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Chipotle Chicken Pasta

I have been having a minor pasta obsession of late. Pasta was on sale for less than 50 cents a package, so I stocked up. And the pile of pasta in my pantry calls to me every night...cook me...cook me...add cream... And I do! I think we have random versions of creamy pastas weekly.  C ate every last bit, but Miss F wasn't as big of fan.  She complained that it was too spicy, but she usually enjoys spice, so I am not sure what her deal was.  This recipe was adapted from Homemade by Holman.  Feel free to add cilantro if you like it (we don't!)  I will probably add fresh tomatoes at the last minute next time I make it.

Chipotle Chicken Pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
juice of one lime
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pasta (I used linguine)
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup corn kernels
1 red onion, sliced
1 chipotle pepper + 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce, minced
¼ cup white wine
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Trim fat from chicken breasts and cut into bite-size pieces. Combine lime juice, ½ of minced garlic, chili powder, and salt and mix together. Pour over chicken to coat and marinate chicken about 30 minutes.

Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add generous amount of salt and add pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add olive oil to large sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add chicken, bell peppers, corn, onions and remaining garlic and cook about 6-8 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are softened. Add wine, chicken stock and chipotle pepper and adobo sauce and cook until stock is reduced by about 1/3. Reduce heat to low and add cream and cheese. Stir to combine and return pasta to sauce pan and toss to evenly coat with sauce. Cook about 5 minutes and serve.

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Beef Tenderloin and Vegetable Pot Pie

I sort of love pot pie.  Sort of isn't right...I down right love it.  I get beef tenderloin from the Asian grocer Ranch 99 Market.  It is less than $5 a pound and works perfectly for any recipe needing beef.  The original recipe was a lot more complex and involved making broth with short ribs.  That sounds lovely, but my adaptation works without having to get two types of beef.  Everyone at the table went back for seconds and Miss F ate every vegetable on her plate, even though there was some bribery involved with the puff pastry crust.  At what age is bribery not needed?  And let me tell you how puzzled I am that the bribery was not over the peas and carrots, but over the potatoes.  Miss F is just not a potato fan.

Beef Tenderloin and Vegetable Pot Pie

4 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped new potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup quartered mushrooms
1 cup peas
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 pound beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten (for glaze)

Add beef stock, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt and pepper to a large sauce pan and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes and onion to pot. Simmer until carrots and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and parsley. Mix flour and 2 tablespoons butter in small bowl until paste forms. Stir paste into stock mixture; simmer until gravy thickens, about 3 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter four custard cups or soufflé dishes or one large oven safe dish. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Sprinkle beef tenderloin pieces with salt and pepper. Add beef to skillet and cook just until outside of beef is brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer beef to prepared custard cups, dividing equally or into the large dish. Ladle vegetable gravy over beef in cups, dividing equally. Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet on floured surface to 12-inch square. Using small plate as a guide, cut out four rounds from sheet. Brush edges of pastry rounds with egg glaze. Place 1 round, glazed side down, atop each filled custard cup; press overhang firmly to outside of each cup. Cut 3 vents in each pastry round. Brush pastry with remaining egg glaze. Bake beef tenderloin pies until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

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