White Chicken Chili

Last Year's Post: Baked Potatoes with Broccoli Cheese Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Sausage and Lentils

Chili is a great way to entertain a crowd, especially if you get together with a few friends who bring a couple of different kinds.  Set up a condiments bar, provide some beverages, and you're good to go.  This is a twist on your normal chili that both adults and children love because it's mild but flavorful.  In fact, The Lawyer had a standing request for many years to bring this chili to every pot luck at work  because his co-workers loved it that much. He usually made a triple or quadruple batch in a slow cooker at work and almost never had any left to bring home.  I brought it to work myself for a chili pot luck and noticed more people went back for seconds of this chili compared to the other, more assertive recipes.

Quick story:  The Lawyer had the brilliant idea to add green food coloring one time when he brought it for a St. Patrick's Day pot luck.  For some unknown reason the food coloring was sucked up by the chicken pieces with the result that the chili looked absolutely normal in color except it contained brilliant green chunks of chicken.  His co-workers ate it anyway. (You just can't make this stuff up.)

The nice part about it is that the people who like spicy chili can spice theirs up with minced jalapenos or shredded pepper jack cheese from the condiment bar, so everyone gets what they like.  Other suggested condiments (or garnishes) include minced red onion, chopped cilantro, shredded Cheddar, sour cream, corn chips, and crumbled toasted corn bread.  People always have fun at a party when they can pick and choose their own ingredients, right?

This is very easy to make on the stovetop or in a slow cooker; I've included instructions for both.  You'll notice that it calls for low-sodium chicken broth and a lower sodium brand of beans if you can find it - the reason is that canned beans have a significant amount of sodium and you're going to dump in the whole can undrained (the liquid in the can adds flavor and helps thicken the sauce).  People can always add salt later if they want.

print

White Chicken Chili

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes

¼ cup chopped onion

1 cup less-sodium chicken broth

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles, drained

1 can (19 oz) cannellini beans, undrained (look for a lower sodium brand if possible)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

Suggested Garnishes:

Chopped cilantro

Minced red onion

Shredded pepper jack (or other hot) cheese

Shredded sharp Cheddar

Minced jalapeno

Crumbled toasted cornbread

Sour cream

Corn chips

Heat oil in a 2-3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until just cooked through.  Remove with a slotted spoon.

Add onion to saucepan and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in broth, green chiles, spices and cilantro; simmer 30 minutes covered.

Stir in cooked chicken and beans; simmer 10 minutes.  Serve with optional garnishes.

Slow cooker version:  cook chicken separately in advance.  Add remaining ingredients (except the chicken and beans) to a slow cooker and cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 2-3 hours.  Add the chicken and beans in the last half hour or so of cooking.

Split Pea Soup

Last Year's Post: Brussels Sprout Leaf Salad

Two Years Ago:  Thai Lettuce Wraps

I'm surprised that I'm posting a recipe for split pea soup, because for most of my life I avoided it like the plague.  I can't remember actually ever trying it but I think I was put off by the whole green glop thing.  Well, I got brave a few years ago (actually I couldn't refuse when it was served to me at a friend's house) and to my surprise, it's really good!  Yes, it still has that green glop thing going on, but a mature person can get past that.  It's rich and comforting on a chilly night, not to mention good for you.

This recipe is particularly easy because you just throw everything in a slow cooker and forget it for 8 hours.  If you want to serve it during the week and will be gone longer than 8 hours, just make it on the weekend and refrigerate it to reheat.  It also freezes well.

The one ingredient that gave me pause was the ham hocks.   I had a dim idea of what a ham hock is, but fully expected to have to make a trek to the local meat shop to find them.  I was so surprised to find them at my local Fry's grocery store that the meat counter employee started laughing at me.  She pointed them out in the meat display and they looked like this.

Mildly disgusting, I know, but they're traditional and they impart great flavor as the soup cooks plus you end up with some ham to shred and add at the end.  

As good as the soup was, the garlic toast really sent it over the top.  All you do is slice up some french bread (seeded baguette worked particularly well), brush it with olive oil, grill (or broil) for about a minute per side, then immediately rub each slice with a cut garlic clove.  Rubbing it after toasting gives it a much fresher garlic flavor and aroma.  The garlicky crisp bread was the perfect accompaniment to the hot creamy soup.  Must. make. the. toast.

One last tip:  I used a manual potato masher to partially mash the soup at the end because I thought an immersion blender would go too quickly and turn everything into a puree.  I wanted some texture.  I think you could also serve it without mashing at all, it's up to you.

print recipe

Split Pea Soup

Serves 8

Note:  this soup freezes well.

1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed and drained

1 ½ cups cubed peeled Yukon Gold potatoes

5 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped peeled carrot

1 large bay leaf

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 pounds smoked ham hocks

6 cups water

½ cup sour cream

Parsley leaves, for garnish

Extra black pepper, for garnish

Layer peas and next 9 ingredients (through ham hocks) in the order listed in a 6-quart electric slow cooker.  Gently pour 6 cups water over the top.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove the ham hocks from the slow cooker.  Remove meat from bones and cut into bite-sized pieces; discard skin and bones.  Discard bay leaf.

Coarsely mash soup to desired consistency, adding additional hot water to thin if desired.  Stir in chopped ham. Divide soup evenly among 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.  Garnish with parsley leaves and additional black pepper if desired.

33 Recipes for Hot Summer Days

Slow Cooker Indonesian Brown Sugar Chicken

Last Year's Post: Shrimp Fried Rice
Two Years Ago:   Farm Stand Salad

I had an inspiration a few months ago when I was browsing food websites and came across a compilation of slow cooker recipes for summer. The author explained that the slow cooker is great for summertime meals because it doesn't heat up your house and you don't have to go outside to grill when it's really too hot even for diehards like The Lawyer.  That made sense to me, but the key seemed to be selecting slow cooker meals that were lighter than, say, your favorite tailgating chili recipe or a big old meatloaf.  Summer slow cooker recipes should (in my humble opinion) be reasonably light and able to be eaten not only as-they-are, straight out of the cooker, but also as an ingredients in the foods of summer like tacos, sandwiches or salads.  Having given myself those criteria as my marching orders, I spent the next few months trying recipes to come up with a list, albeit short, of slow cooker recipes for summer.

And while I was at it, I wanted to add a list of other salads, entrees and sandwiches that I've posted previously that are particularly appropriate for the hottest days where you can do what little cooking that might be needed:
a)in advance (earlier in the day or week before it gets bad)
b) in a small appliance that doesn't heat the house (like a panini press), or
c)not at all.

I hope you find something you want to try, and stay cool!

Abbreviations:
NCR = no cooking required
IA  = cook in advance
SA   = cook in small appliance

Slow Cooker
Char Siu Chicken
Turkey and Gruyere French Dip
Slow Cooker Indonesian Brown Sugar Chicken  (Pictured above)

Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken

Salads and Other Entrees
Summer Salad with Nuts, Fruit and Cheese  NCR
Chicken Pasta Salad with Fresh Herbs and Corn  IA
Wild Rice Salad  IA
Broccoli, Cabbage and Brussels Spout Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette NCR
Very Lemon Chicken and Fruited Couscous IA
Spinach Salad with Spicy Orange Dressing NCR
Tabbouleh and Greek Chicken IA
Chicken Salad with Fruits and Peppadews IA
Pesto Pasta with Spinach, Edamame and Almonds IA
Farm Stand Salad IA
Summer Pasta Salad with Fresh Tuna IA
Gazpacho IA
Seafood Cobb Salad IA 
Shrimp, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad IA
French Chicken Salad IA
Orzo and Radicchio Salad IA
Grilled Shrimp with Cucumber Horseradish Dipping Sauce IA
Farro, Kale & Smoked Mozzarella Salad IA
Spinach, Blueberry & Goat Cheese Salad NCR
Watermelon Gazpacho NCR
Lentil Salad with Bacon and Walnuts IA
Grilled Lobster Cobb Salad IA
Spinach Strawberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette  IA

Sandwiches
Smoked Turkey Apple Panini  SA
Pan Bagnat IA
Grilled Cheese with Pesto, Spinach and Avocado SA
Banh Mi IA
Smoked Turkey, Kale and Blue Cheese Sandwiches IA
Italian Tuna Sandwich (No Mayo) NCR

Italian Sausage Soup

Last Year's Post: Rosemary-Lemon Grilled Ahi with Pearl Couscous
Two Years Ago:  Broccoli, Cabbage and Brussels Sprout Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Having spent far too many years of my life in cold climates, I can sympathize with everyone who has been shivering their way through the polar vortex during the past week or so.  "Polar vortex" sounds so dramatic, like you're going to get sucked in and end up in the middle of the earth or on another planet, don't you think? Or maybe you'll pop out in the Bermuda Triangle, which would be a nice change of temperature except for the little problem of needing a boat.

Although I now live in Phoenix, I promise never to be one of those people who wait until the absolute coldest day of the year and then call you to gloat.  I mean really, talk about kicking someone when they're down and cranky.

Instead, I extend my warmest thoughts to you along with this hot and hearty soup recipe.  Is anything better when it's cold or you have a cold than soup? (And it doubles as a great hand-warmer.)  This is absolutely the best Italian sausage soup ever, featuring zucchini, fettuccine and sausage in a beef broth seasoned with tomatoes, red wine, basil and oregano.  Serve it with a loaf of hot crusty bread and you have a feast for the coldest night.

I particularly like spicy Italian sausage in this recipe, but of course you can use mild sausage or half and half.  To cut calories and fat I recommend turkey sausage, but any Italian sausage will taste great.  If you use pork sausage just be sure to drain off most of the fat after browning.  You could also add some baby spinach if you want to bump up the nutritional value even further.

Those of you who read this blog regularly are probably sick of hearing me talk about sodium levels, but I checked the sodium levels of all the beef broth products in the store and they vary wildly.  Be aware of the sodium level you choose, and adjust seasonings at the end.  Many years ago before I became aware of sodium levels I used a common high sodium broth to make this soup and thought it tasted great without adding salt.  When I started cutting down on sodium I tried a beef broth with no sodium added and thought the soup tasted flat without salt, which was easily fixed after I tasted it. When did life become so complicated?  Anyway, start with lower sodium broth and add a little bit of salt at a time when the soup is done until you're happy.

This is a slow cooker recipe, but you could easily make it in a big pot on the stove and simmer it for a hour or two instead.  Don't be tempted to cook the pasta in the soup - it will soak up too much of the broth and is likely to become mushy.  Several people who have tried this recipe over the years have commented that they prefer to use a short-cut pasta such as penne or shells rather than fettuccine for ease of spooning up.  I like the fettuccine broken into short lengths but feel free to use whatever type of pasta you prefer or have on hand.

I grated some parmesan that I had on hand for an optional topping, which was very good but not necessary.

Stay warm and out of the Bermuda Triangle!

printable recipe
Italian Sausage Soup

Serves 8

Note:  This recipe could also be made in a soup pot on top of the stove, simmered for an hour or two.  Do not add pasta until shortly before serving.

1 tablespoon olive oil

19.5 oz pkg mild or spicy turkey Italian sausage, removed from casings

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

32 oz canned whole peeled tomatoes

1 ¼ cups dry red wine

5 cups beef broth

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 zucchini, cut in half length-wise and sliced into half-moons

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

8 oz dried fettuccine, broken into shorter lengths

Salt and pepper to taste

While still in the can, snip the tomatoes with a kitchen scissors into smaller pieces. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook, crumbling with the edge of a spoon, until browned.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. 

Add onion to the same skillet and cook for 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 additional minute.  Transfer to a slow cooker and stir in tomatoes and their juices, wine, broth, basil, and oregano.  Add sausage, zucchini, bell pepper, and parsley.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta in boiling water until barely al dente accordingly to package directions.  Drain and add pasta to slow cooker.  Simmer for a few minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings prior to serving.

Note:  If you save some of the soup for later you may want to add additional beef broth as the pasta will absorb some.

Banh Mi

Last year's post:  Special Dinner - Chicken Gruyere and Fig in Puff Pastry

This is an installment in my "famous sandwiches of the world" occasional and erratic series.  Banh Mi (banh mee) is a famous Vietnamese sandwich with distinct French influence.  I'm a Banh Mi fanatic and search it out at restaurants wherever I go, so I've had plenty of experience with great and less-than-great examples.  At its best, it's a sublime combination of flavors and textures.  It's deceptive because the assembled sandwich seems pretty simple, but it's the quality, preparation (and proportions) of the individual ingredients that makes all the difference.

The essential ingredients of a Banh Mi sandwich are as follow:  a light, crisp french roll or baguette, mayonnaise, meat (char siu pork is common), pickled carrots and daikon radish, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno.  Some traditional Banh Mi also include pate but I decided against it to make the sandwich lighter and because a lot of people don't like pate. Banh Mi can also be made with roast pork, chicken, or even tofu if you so desire.  The reason why I like Banh Mi so much is the interplay of flavors and textures - crisp bread, creamy mayo, rich meat, crunchy tart vegetables, and the warmth of the jalapenos.  Interestingly, the jalapenos don't taste very hot at all even though they're raw - I think it's partially because they're seeded and partially because of all the other ingredients.  You can spice it up further by adding some Sriracha sauce, one of the uber-trendy ingredients you see in restaurants these days.  Sriracha is a hot chili sauce from Thailand that's closely associated with Vietnamese foods, and readily available in the Asian aisle of your grocery store.  I like to serve it on the table so each person can add it to their liking.

Daikon radish is the other unusual ingredient - a very large, white Asian radish that can be found in most grocery stores.  It resembles a giant carrot in shape.  Because they're so big, I bought one that was just a partial and it was plenty.  It's crunchy but very mild compared to regular radishes.  The taste somewhat reminds me of jicama, if that's at all helpful.

Since we had invited friends for dinner and they had never had Banh Mi sandwiches before, I decided to go all out and even made homemade mayonnaise.

You certainly don't have to do that, but I included a recipe here in case you want to (it's actually very easy).  I made char siu pork a day in advance in a slow cooker, then brought it to room temperature over very low heat the next day.  (Be sure to drain the meat for a moment before adding it to the sandwich or you'll end up with a pretty messy sandwich.)

Finally, I made the carrot and daikon pickles an hour in advance and sliced the fresh ingredients. That's what makes Banh Mi so great for entertaining - all the ingredients can be made in advance and the sandwich is served at room temperature.

A note about the bread - Vietnamese baguette is light and crisp, not chewy or rustic.  If you don't have a local Vietnamese bakery you can use any petite or regular baguette you find that doesn't have a hard crust and isn't heavy.  And about the meat - Banh Mi sandwiches usually contain meat with relatively strong flavor as a balance to the vegetables, but you can use any leftover meat you want.  As I mentioned, I chose to make Char Siu Pork but I think roast pork or shredded Char Siu Chicken (which I posted previously) would also be excellent. Finally, proportions are important - go lighter on the meat and heavier on the veggies than in a normal sandwich - no more than 50% meat compared to the vegetables.

click here for a printable recipe

Banh Mi

serves 4

½ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup water

¼ cup white sugar

1 large carrot, cut into thin matchsticks

1/3 daikon radish, cut into thin matchsticks

4 petit baguette rolls or a long baguette, cut into four  pieces (the bread should be light and crisp, not chewy or rustic)
Mayonnaise (good quality purchased or homemade*)
Your choice of Char Siu Pork*, roast pork, cooked chicken, or tofu, sliced and at room temperature
½ English cucumber, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh cilantro leaves
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and cut into thin rings

Sriracha sauce

Place rice vinegar, water and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute.  Allow the mixture to cool. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the carrot and radish in a bowl, and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes.  Drain after the vegetables have marinated.

Slit the bread lengthwise, and then use your fingers or a bread knife to hollow out the insides, making a trough in both halves. Generously spread the inside with mayonnaise. Layer in the cucumber slices, meat, carrot and radish, cilantro leaves, and jalapeno rings.  Note: go sparingly on the meat; the vegetables should be 50% or more of the filling.

Serve with Sriracha sauce to be added to the sandwich by each diner as desired.

* See recipes at the links above in the blog post

Turkey and Gruyere French Dip

French Dip Au Jus is a classic sandwich normally made with beef.  This is a twist on the classic that has melted Gruyere and spinach in addition to tender turkey served with a delicious onion dipping sauce.

Although the recipe starts by cooking a turkey breast in a slow cooker, I'm publishing this post now because many of you probably have leftover turkey in your refrigerator at the moment.  This is a great way to use some of the turkey - just buy and prepare a packet of french onion soup as the dipping sauce.  Or make it even easier by buying a container of french onion soup at a local soup and salad bar.  I love turkey enough that I make this any time of the year and the slow cooker method ensures the turkey is moist and tender every time.  (Another recipe idea for leftover turkey: Wild Rice Salad )

As with many classic recipes, it's the combination of flavors and textures that makes a French Dip great - crisp french roll, rich meat, and flavorful dipping sauce that infuses everything with onion flavor.  This version is just that much better with the cheese and spinach.  Cheese makes pretty much anything better in my opinion. The baguette is briefly toasted under the broiler to melt the cheese, which also makes the bread nice and crisp. You could also certainly make this recipe by substituting leftover thin sliced roast beef or pork.

For those of you who didn't take high school French, you might not know that "au jus" actually means with juices.  Don't ask me why the name French Dip au Jus is half English and half French.  I decided to simplify and leave the au jus part off altogether.

Not only did I take French for a few years in high school, I took two ill-fated semesters of Russian in college (the second semester is the only class I've ever actually dropped out of) and a couple years of Spanish to complete my college language requirement.  All I remember as a sum total of all those years is Si, Da, Nyet, Oui, and Au Jus.   Augh.

 click here for a printable recipe

Turkey and Gruyere French Dip

Serves 6

Note:  if using leftover roast turkey, just purchase French onion soup as the dipping sauce.

 For the turkey:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (3-pound) bone-in turkey breast

For the sandwiches:

6 individual (demi) French baguettes, sliced in half lengthwise
2-3 cups fresh baby spinach
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
12 slices Gruyere cheese

For the turkey: in a small mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter and fresh herbs.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  Spread the chopped onions over the bottom of a slow cooker.  Pour the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce into the slow cooker.  Sprinkle the turkey with salt and pepper, then slather it with herb butter, spreading half under the skin.  Place the turkey on top of the onions, breast side up.  Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, checking the temperature after 4 hours. Once the internal temperature reaches 170d, remove the turkey from the slow cooker, transfer to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes before removing the skin and slicing thinly.

Remove the juices and onions from the slow cooker and keep warm as a dipping sauce.

For the sandwiches:  preheat the broiler.  Brush each cut side of the baguettes with softened butter and place on a baking sheet, buttered side up.  Top one side of each baguette with 2 cheese slices.  Place under the broiler until the cheese melts.  Remove from the oven and place a layer of spinach and turkey on the other half of each baguette.  Close the sandwich and serve with dipping sauce on the side.