White Chicken Chili

Folks here in Georgia are cold…..colder than normal, and over the next couple of days the forecast states we are going to have a short period sleet/freezing rain that will be followed by a dramatic drop in temperatures and high winds. Temperatures are going down, down, down below freezing and are expected to stay there for two to three days.

So…

It’s PERFECT soup weather.

The Mister tried this recipe yesterday. We had it for dinner last night night and again for lunch today.

It’s a keeper!

Ingredients

2 (14.5-ounce) cans white beans

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced

2 medium poblano peppers, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 limes, juiced, plus lime wedges, for serving

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Sour cream, for topping

Tortilla chips, coarsely crushed, for topping

Directions

Drain and rinse the canned white beans. In a medium bowl, mash half of the beans with a potato masher until chunky. Reserve the beans until needed.

Add the canola oil to a large Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt, and pepper, to taste. Add the cumin, coriander, and chili powder and continue to saute for 1 more minute to toast the spices. Stir in the chicken stock, and lime juice and bring to a simmer. Add the beans and continue to simmer for 20 more minutes.

After 20 minutes of simmering, taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary. Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken and cilantro and simmer until heated through, about 5 more minutes. Serve the chili in individual bowls topped with a dollop of sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and lime wedges.

A little shredded Monterey Jack added to your bowl or cup is nice, too! 

Serves 4-6

Prime Rib Soup

So when you have prime rib for Christmas Day dinner what do you do with the bones?  Well, you make Prime Rib Soup, of course.

Ingredients:

4 beef ribs, trimmed from a cooked prime rib roast

2 cups beef stock

1 potato, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Place the ribs in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is falling from the bones, about 2 hours. Remove the ribs and allow to cool. Trim the meat from the ribs and cut into bite sized pieces; refrigerate. Continue simmering the broth until reduced to 1 cup; refrigerate until the fat congeals to the top.

Skim and discard the congealed fat. Pour the broth into a saucepan along with the meat trimmings, beef stock, potato, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives to serve.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 T. Olive Oil

2 stalks celery, diced small

2 medium carrots, diced small

1 medium onion, diced small

Salt and Pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 ¾ pounds  boneless chicken breast

6 ounces vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into 1 ½ inch pieces

In a large pot heat oil over medium-high heat add celery, onion and carrots and cook till celery and carrots are crisp tender; about five minutes.

 

Add salt and pepper. Add broth and 4 cups water and bring to boil.

Add chicken, reduce heat to simmer and cover.

Cook until chicken is cooked through, about ten minutes. With tongs remove chicken and chop or shred into bite-size pieces.

Add pasta to pot and cook until tender, about four minutes. 

Stir in chicken pieces and serve.  

A Quick Soup for a Busy Day....

At some point during the holidays you need a quick home cooked meal…..something that can be prepared with little muss and fuss.


Sooooo…….you are busy with the tree, decorating the house, stringing lights, wrapping gifts or you have even had a very busy day shopping. Then you realize you need to prepare something for lunch or dinner. You want to stay away from the drive-thru, but you don’t want to slave away over the stove.

My husband whipped out a package of Alessi Tuscan White Bean Soup and added some leftover white butterbeans we had had the night before.

Perfect.

Then the Mister took a package of Pillbury Pizza Dough and flattened it out on a baking stone. He brushed the dough with olive oil and added minced garlic and shredded parmesan cheese before baking it. The bread was the perfect pairing with the soup.

Yum!

Sometimes you just have to open a package and forego the "homemade" stuff.......

The Bistro at Biltmore Estate

Over the New Year holiday I had a chance to eat at The Bistro….at the Winery on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

Oh my!

The Potato, Bacon, and Leek Soup....pictured above.... with a glass of Chardonnay was the perfect light lunch before heading off to a seminar regarding chocolate and wine as well as an hour of wine tasting.

Because of the generosity of my dining companions I also sampled the Baked French Onion Soup, the White Cheddar Pimento Cheese, and the Low Country Shrimp and Grits (with Tasso Gravy and Grape Tomatos. The Tasso Gravy was so good….I’m looking for a recipe, so I can experiment with it soon.

The Bistro menu can be found here and more information about the restaurant can be found here

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