Tuesday, March 9, 2010

White Chicken Chili

Another new favorite adapted from a recipe by the editors of Cook's Illustrated.  We like this brothier than they propose, and I add extras of the garlic, onions, chiles, cumin, lime, and cilantro.

2 quarts chicken broth
1 (14 oz) can white hominy, rinsed
salt and black pepper
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 + onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 Anaheim chiles, cored and cut into large chunks
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 + Tbsp cumin, ground
2 Tbsp flour
2 + Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 + Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

Pat chicken dry.  Brown in 1 Tbsp oil in hot Dutch oven (chicken won't cook through - will just brown on outside).  Remove to plate and set aside.
In a food processor combine onion, chiles and garlic.  Pulse until roughly chopped, about 10 pulses.
 after chopping:

Saute chopped onion/chile/garlic mixture in 1 Tbsp oil in Dutch oven with 1/2 tsp salt.  Cook until vegetables are dry and beginning to brown (6-8 minutes).  Stir in cumin and cook about 30 seconds.   Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned (about 1 minute).  Stir in broth, and bring to simmer.  Add chicken pieces, cover, cook until chicken cooked through.  Remove chicken to a plate, shred with 2 forks.  Add rinsed hominy to broth mixture and continue to simmer to let broth mixture thicken slightly.  Stir in shredded chicken.  Off heat, add lime and cilantro.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tuesday dinner

(not every Tuesday.  just this past Tuesday)

Inspired by my cousin, Matt Vandre, who cooked something like this for us when we visited him in Bristol.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp thai curry paste (I used green - the stuff in the tub by Mae Ploy)
1 can coconut milk
carrots, sliced into thin "coins"
chicken breasts, maybe 12 oz, sliced fairly thin
1 onion, sliced (1 cut across equator, rest o cuts longitudinal)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 small head broccoli, florets only
8 oz snow peas
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
ginger, minced - about a marble-sized piece
juice of 1 lime plus more for garnish

Cook curry paste, coconut milk, carrots, and chicken until carrots are soft and chicken is done.  Add onion & ginger.  Add everything else. Serve over rice.

If I have fresh basil on hand, I'll use it next time.
Cilantro would also make a nice garnish.
All 3 Wilands liked it.  Spice level good.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Socks

Scene:  Getting ready for school.
[Charlotte]  "These are both left socks, Mom!"
[Lisa] "There's no such thing as a 'left sock'!"
[Charlotte]  "What, so you think they're all right socks?"