Ride Home Recipe: Chicken Corn Chowder

With the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers being consumed this week, we found an amazing soup …

Ingredients

1 chicken carcass
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
3 shallots, diced
2 cubes chicken bouillon, crumbled
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons heavy cream
salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

We used our leftovers turkey carcass, in place of the chicken carcass, and it was phenomenal.

Get all the instructions HERE (courtesy of AllRecipes.com)!

Ride Home Recipes: Most creative use of leftovers at your house?

After a great Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, we’re already 3 days into leftovers … how are you faring at your house?

We used the turkey in our grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch today, and coupled with hot barbecue sauce, very tasty!  What about you – your best use of leftovers?  Any creative recipes to share with us?

Ride Home Recipe: Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

Since it’s still Vegetarian Awareness Month and the temperature dropped 25 degrees overnight, we went searching for a fantastic “warm-me-up” recipe …

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (more for garnish)
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh, grated ginger
1 large apple
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped (about 5 cups)
4 cups vegetable broth (we used full sodium)
Pinch of nutmeg
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper (used to your taste)

Instructions

Using a large pot, add the olive oil over low-medium heat. Then add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add minced garlic and ginger, cook for 2-3 minutes on low. Add chopped apple and carrots, cook for 2-3 minutes more.

Now add the vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Carefully transfer this mixture into a blender (or you can use an immersion blender), add the pinch of nutmeg and blend until smooth. You might need to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of your blender. Also, make sure to allow steam to escape through the top of the blender lid too.

Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also thin the soup out a bit, with more broth (personally, we liked it thicker). Serve and garnish with freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. It goes great with fresh bread too, makes 5 delicious cups!

(adapted from OhSheGlows.com & Joy The Baker)

Ride Home Recipe: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

Since it’s Vegetarian Awareness Month, we went searching for some yummy recipes & received this tasty treat from our good friends in Arizona …

Ingredients

1 large red onion, diced
1 big green pepper, diced
1 big red pepper, diced
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (more if you love garlic)
3 small sweet potatoes, diced
2 teaspoons of Cumin
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
3 cups tomatoes, diced (fresh if available)
3 cans no sodium, drained and rinsed, black beans
2 cups frozen corn
5 cups vegetable stock
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Using a large pot, saute the onions and peppers for roughly 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1 minute). Then add the sweet potatoes, cumin & cilantro  - stir well to coat all the vegetables with the spices.

Continue to saute for another 5 – 7 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices (stir throughout). Next, add in the tomatoes, juices and all, stir again thoroughly.

Once everything is incorporated well, it is time for the stock.  Bring the pot to a boil, and right before boiling, add the black beans (avoids them becoming over-mushy in a full boil). After 1 minute, bring pot down to a simmer and monitor, until the sweet potatoes are to your desired liking.

If cut small, should not take them long to cook. Add in the corn during the simmer. Taste test to adjust seasonings (salt & pepper), and serve.

*** Bonus serving suggestion: whip up a little greek yogurt, lime juice, and lime zest with a pinch of salt and pepper. Garnish with leftover fresh cilantro, if you have it. Same with salt & pepper.

Once mixed nicely, add a dollop on top of your chili bowl and stir it in (result is a nice cream texture).

(adapted from Stacey Shaffer’s Phoenix, AZ kitchen)

Ride Home Recipe: Sweet Potato and Corn Soup

Since it’s Vegetarian Awareness Month, we went searching for some yummy recipes & found this favorite from last fall …

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds sweet potatoes
2 cups water
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups yellow or white sweet corn kernels
1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
1 small fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 cup milk
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of cayenne
2 – 3 tablespoons cream

(garnish: chopped cilantro leaves)

Instructions

Cook the onion slowly in the butter, with a little salt, stirring often, until it is golden brown.   At the same time, peel & dice the sweet potatoes, combine them in a pot with the water and the vegetable broth, and simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 20-30 minutes).

Add the caramelized onions to the soup, deglaze the onion pan with a bit of the broth, add it back, then puree this mixture (in batches) in a blender.

Return the puree to the pot and add the corn, the red pepper, the chopped jalapeno and the milk.  Simmer until the peppers and corn are tender.

Stir in the lemon juice and cayenne, then taste.  Correct the seasoning as desired.  Finish the soup with a little cream.

Serve hot, with the cilantro garnish.    Recipe serves 8.

(adapted from The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas)

Sunshine means it’s time to grill!

After a beautifully sunny day, we fired up our new Weber grill last night …

This grill (Weber Genesis S 330) has EVERYTHING on it … a side burner, a sear station burner, and a huge prep area to help me out!

We decided on grilling spicy Italian sausages to add to our favorite pasta dish – what is YOUR favorite Weber recipe?

E-mail it to me HERE and we’ll post them online!

Ride Home Recipes: Chili Chicken Tacos

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

A new spring means enjoying new meals, and the CrockPot Chili Chicken Tacos don’t disappoint!

Ingredients

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup prepared tomato salsa, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles, in adobo
1 tablespoon chili powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 hard corn taco shells
Cilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

In crockpot, combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chiles, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or on low for 8 hours).

Transfer chicken to a serving bowl and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells, with toppings, as desired.

Serve immediately.

(adapted from Martha Stewart’s Slow Cooker Chili Chicken Tacos)

More snow means we need a good crockpot meal!

Jill fired up the Chicken Pot Pie crockpot recipe again yesterday, before I left for downtown … the smells are amazing!

Ingredients

3 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken broth
1 package (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 bay leaf
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust

In Crockpot Slow Cooker, combine chicken, potatoes, chicken broth, mixed vegetables, onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and bay leaf.  Cover; cook on Low 8 to 10 hours or on High 4 to 6 hours.  Remove bay leaf.

Preheat oven to 400F. In small bowl, mix milk and flour. Gradually stir flour mixture into Crockpot.  Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, poultry seasoning and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. If using a removable Crockpot, carefully place 9-inch pie crust over vegetable-meat mixture. Place removable crock inside preheated oven; do not cover. Bake 15 minutes or until crust is browned.

For a non-removable Crockpot, spoon vegetable-meat mixture into 13 x 9-inch casserole dish. Roll out pie crust and carefully place on top of vegetable-meat mixture.  Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until pie crust is brown.

Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

Trying a new Bears recipe this weekend!

Got a tasty recipe from listener Alia in northwest Indiana … sounds perfect for the Bears-Packers game!

Crescent Roll-Ups

Ingredients

1 package crescent rolls
1 package Philly Cream Cheese with chives
1 package thinly-sliced lunch meat (either turkey or ham, your preference)

Directions

Unpackage the crescent roll and roll it out completely.  Spread the cream cheese over the entire roll, then add the meat on top (as little or much as you’d like).

Roll it all up and cut into individual slices (your choice on the size, whether thin or fat).   Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees, for 12 minutes or so, until golden brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Alia notes: I’ve had more success with whipped cream cheese.  Hope you love this treat as much as I do.

My gift to you this holiday weekend!

In anticipation of possibly needing one this weekend, before or after visiting with your relatives … here is my Perfect Bloody Mary recipe, with special thanks to sister-in-law Katie for her masterpiece special ingredient!

Ingredients

Ice cubes
1-1/4 shot Absolut Vodka (or your brand of choice)
1 11.5-oz can of Guinness
Bloody Mary mix (the spicier, the better)
Pickle juice
2 pickle slices, or 1 mini dill
3 pepperoni slices
Sliced cheese, in small cubes (pepperjack or swiss the best)
4 squirts Tabasco sauce (chipotle the best)
2 shakes each, salt & pepper

Pour 1/4 glass of ice cubes into a pint glass. Now add the 1 1/4 shots of Absolut, then the Guinness, which should bring the glass to half-full. Guinness is the special ingredient, make sure you have it!  Now add the bloody mary mix to fill the glass, leaving just enough room at the top for the last few ingredients.

Next add a shot glass of pickle juice, the tabasco sauce, and the salt & pepper.  Stir to mix.

Garnish with the pickle slices, pepperonis, and sliced cheese.

You now have the best Bloody Mary ever. Enjoy!