Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

So, following up on the previous post, yesterday we had the leftovers of the Sauteed Chicken with Mixed Veggies & Wild Rice turned into soup. The only thing we had left over was the sauteed chicken & veggies, so you have to add extra wild rice to the dish. I also chopped up a few extra carrots and celery sticks to add in. I also had homemade chicken stock on hand, which I think helped add a depth of flavor.

As predicted, it was faaaaaaaaaabulous. Rich and hearty and perfect for a blustery fall day. Plus, is there anything easier than throwing a bunch of ingredients into a crockpot and letting it cook all day? I think not.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Leftover Sauteed Chicken with Mixed Veggies
3/4 cup wild rice, uncooked
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
garlic powder
ginger powder
parsley
thyme
oregano
savory
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot (herbs and spices to taste). Set crockpot on low and let cook 8 hours or until rice is done. Taste; adjust seasoning as needed. Serve piping hot.

Zinfandel-Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

Fall is here. The last two mornings we've woken up to frost on the grass and below freezing temps. The garden is pretty much officially done as a result - the collards can stand the freezing temps (if anything, they help improve them), but the rest is either compost or needs to be brought in soon.

So, in honor of fall, we had a tasty, hearty meal - braised country-style ribs finished in the crockpot.


This was also my first attempt at homemade polenta, which was fabulous. A bit fussy, what with the constant stirring, but I see much potential in the future.


Zinfandel-Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

4 country-style pork ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon each of chopped parsley, oregano and rosemary
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups Zinfandel
3/4 cup beef broth
Creamy Polenta

Season the ribs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the herbs.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a medium nonreactive roasting pan. Working in two batches, add the ribs to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning a few times, until richly browned, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer the ribs to the crockpot.

Add the onion, carrot and celery to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and beef broth and boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the liquid and vegetables over the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until the meat is very tender.

Transfer the ribs to a plate. Run the braising liquid thru a fat separator, reserving the vegetables. Transfer the liquid to a medium skillet and boil over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 3 minutes; add vegetables back in. Plate the polenta, add one rib per plate, and spoon sauce and vegetables over the ribs and polenta. Serve immediately.

Wine pairing: we had a merlot/malbec blend with this.

Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

I make a MEAN BBQ Beef Sandwich. Yesterday I came up with this variation on that recipe. You could add in some onions and peppers to the crockpot (or sautee them up separate). We topped them with swiss cheese. Yum.

Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

1 cup beef broth
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt-free italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
ground black pepper to taste
dash of worcestershire sauce
2 1/4 lbs beef roast, trimmed of excess fat

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Place beef roast in crockpot and pour sauce over it. Cover and cook 8 hours on Low.

Turn crockpot to WARM and remove beef from sauce. Shred beef by pulling it apart with 2 forks and place back in crockpot, stir to mix sauce in and heat thru. Serve warm on rolls.

Hot Mulled Cranberry-Apple Cider

This was incredibly easy to do and made a good drink for both the kids and adults.

Hot Mulled Cranberry-Apple Cider

1 lemon
1 orange
3 1/2 cups apple cider
2 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole allspice
6 whole cloves
1 (1/4-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced

Carefully remove the rind from lemon and orange using a vegetable peeler, making sure to avoid the white pith just beneath the rind. Cut citrus rind into 1- x 1/4-inch-thick strips. Combine the rind strips, cider, and remaining ingredients in a crock pot and set to low for 4 hours. Strain the mixture through a sieve over a bowl, discarding solids. You can keep the cider in the crockpot on low or warm throughout the party.

Lavender Chicken Chili - Crockpot Version

I few weeks ago I made this great recipe, Lavender Chicken Chili with White Beans, for the in-laws. I had planned to make it again this weekend but never got around to it.

So yesterday I modified it and made it in the crockpot. I think it actually turned out better this way.

Lavender Chicken Chili - Crockpot Version

1 lb great northern beans, rinsed and picked over
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb ground turkey
2 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp lavender
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp savory
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
dash of chipotle powder
6 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups chicken stock & 3 cups water)
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
3 cups grated White Cheddar cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough cold water so they're covered by 3 inches. Let soak overnight.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm thru. Add in ground chicken and brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno, sauteeing 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add contents of skillet to crockpot. Drain the beans and add to the crockpot as well. Add in cumin and spices thru chipotle powder and stir to combine. Add the broth, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Heat skillet over medium heat, add in olive oil. Add diced chicken breast to skillet and sautee about 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken to crockpot, turn heat to high, cover and cook another 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prior to serving, stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Ladle into bowls and serve with various garnishes (remaining cheese, cilantro, salsa, lime wedges, etc.).

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

It's a good thing we'd planned on a crockpot dinner yesterday anyway cause I was in no shape to stand at the stove cooking after getting no sleep. I even managed to ruin soup yesterday.

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can tomato sauce
3 tbsp red wine
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
celery salt
1/2 cup mozzarella (I used reduced-fat italian-blend cheese)
3 tbsp Parmesan

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat thru. Add chicken to pan, browning on each side, about 10 minutes.

While chicken cooks, combine tomatoes, sauce, wine and spices in crockpot. Add chicken. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Combine cheeses in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken. Do not stir. Cook until cheese is melted. Serve.

Crockpot Coq au Vin

This was inspired by Chef Sandy D'Amato's Coq au Vin at Coquette Cafe. The secret? Let the chicken marinade overnight. Mine's not nearly as good, but I'm not a world-renowned chef. :D

Crockpot Coq au Vin

1 pkg frozen pearl onions - thawed
1 pkg mushrooms - sliced
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cups dry red wine
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour

Mix thyme, salt and pepper together. Trim chicken. Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the following order. onions, mushrooms, garlic, spices, chicken, wine and broth. Let sit overnight in the fridge.

Remove crock from fridge and let warm. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours. Remove chicken and vegetables; cover and keep warm. Ladle cup cooking liquid into small bowl; allow to cool slightly. Turn slow cooker to HIGH; cover. Mix reserved liquid, tomato paste and flour until smooth. Return mixture to slow cooker; cover and cook 25 minutes or until thickened.

Irish Lamb Stew

Happy St. Paddy's Day!


Each year for St. Paddy's Day I try making a traditional Irish* dish. This year I decided that we'd be having lamb stew. We had some wonderful versions of this when we were in Ireland in 2006 and we both missed it. So I purchased a boned leg of lamb from our butcher and off I went. Had to do some at-home butchering myself - there was about 1/4" of fat coating the leg that needed to be removed. There are ways to lean down the recipe (like not frying the lamb in the bacon fat) but, hey, it's a holiday. Enjoy!

* Note: this does NOT include corned beef, which is pretty much an American invention....don't get me wrong, I love corned beef. But facts are facts - the Irish used mutton (LAMB) as their primary meat source - beef and salt were far too expensive for the average Irish household. It wasn't until the 19th century when Americans of Irish descent started making the dish popular - but even then not for holidays as it was considered too "poor" a dish to celebrate with.

Irish Lamb Stew
1 lb thick-cut bacon
3 1/2 lbs lamb meat (leg or shoulder) cut into 1" cubes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, crushed and coarsely chopped
2 large onions, diced
2 cups beef stock
1 tsp sugar
2 cups baby carrots
2 potatoes, scrubed and cut into cubes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup white wine

Fry the bacon in a large skillet, set aside on a paper towel to drain the grease; crumble. Toss lamb cubes in the flour, salt and pepper until well coated. Fry meat in bacon fat until browned.

Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Separate meat and veggies from broth. Pour broth into fat separator. Add decanted broth to skillet and warm. Mix 1/4 cup cold water with 2 tbsp corn starch. Add to broth in skillet, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Season according to taste. Mix broth back with stew, stirring well. Serve immediately.

Wine pairing: we had this with a wine my sister brought back from South Africa: Blaauwklippen Estates 2005 Barouche Blend

CD's Chili

There are very few times in my life that my oldest brother has deigned to compliment me. He's just not that sort of guy.

However, for our housewarming party 3 years ago, I made my particular version of chili. It's not soupy like Cincinnati chili, it's not made with chunks of meat like Texas-style chili. It's sort of in-between. My brother took a spoonful, looking dubious. His eyes widened, and he helped himself to a bowl, saying "This is excellent. Really great chili!" He liked my BBQ Beef Sandwiches better, but, as he said "If those were at the house, this is on the right street."

CD's Chili

1 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 tbs. ancho chili powder*
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2-3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2-3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Cook ground turkey in 12" skillet over med. heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. While turkey cooks, add onion, tomatoes and spices to the crockpot and mix well. Mix turkey and remaining ingredients in with the tomatoes. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hrs. (or HIGH 3 to 4 hrs.) or until onion is tender. Add in can of black beans. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15-20 min. or until slightly thickened.

* This is not the chili powder you find in the grocery store, which is actually a blend of spices. This is pure, ground ancho peppers. Follow the link to The Spice House for my source. If you can't get it in time and have to use regular store-bought "chili powder", reduce the amount of cumin, salt and pepper to compensate.

Chipotle @ Home

The Spouse has been craving flank steak lately, so I decided to just crock one for fajitas. While the meat was crocking, I decided to just go all out. The result was Chipotle/Qdoba @ Home.... for not as much trouble as you'd think!

Seasoned Flank Steak
2 pkgs taco seasoning
beef broth
red wine
fresh cilantro, minced

Add about 1 cup of beef broth and 1/2 cup red wine to crockpot. Mix in the taco seasoning and cilantro. Place flank steak in. Add broth and red wine to cover. Cook on low for 5 hours. Remove flank steak and shred. Separate fat from seasoned broth. Replace flank steak and decanted broth in crockpot and keep warm.

Cilantro-Lime Rice
1 cup uncooked rice
2 1/4 cups water
1 tsp salt
juice of 1 lime (about 1 oz)
~2 tsp fresh cilantro, minced

Combine all ingredients in a 3 quart pan. Bring to a boil, stir once, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is done.

I also served up black beans, sauteed onions and red and green peppers, cheese, more fresh cilantro and salsa verde. Yum!

Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole

DH has been working incredibly long hours lately. He gets home from work, logs on and works all night long, only taking a break to eat whatever I place in front of him. So I've been doing almost all of the cooking lately. It's exhausting.

Saturday he had to work all day at the office and I wasn't about to slave over a stove that evening for the 5 minutes of time I'd get with him. So I crocked this instead - huge hit for a long, miserable day.

Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pcs.
1 lb. turkey breast tenderloins, cut into 3/4" pcs.
1 med. onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 med. carrot, sliced (1/2 cup)
1 med. stalk celery, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 cans (14 1/2 oz.each) ready-to-serve chicken broth
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 box uncooked wild rice mix (keep seasoning packet)

Cook bacon and turkey in 10" skillet over med. heat, stirring occasionally, until turkey is brown. Stir in onion, carrot and celery. Cook, 2 min., stirring occasionally; drain. Beat 1 can of the broth and the soup in 3 1/2 qt. slow cooker, using wire whisk, until smooth. Stir in the remaining can of broth, the marjoram and pepper. Stir in turkey mixture, wild rice and seasoning packet. Cover and cook on HIGH 30 min. Reduce heat to LOW. Cook 6-7 hrs. or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Crockpot Beef Stew

I've been meaning to make this for ages. Mainly because I wanted to see how it would taste with lavender. Monday Night Football seemed appropriate (GO PACK!), so I whipped this up quick in the morning. I'd forgotten to add garlic to the roast itself, so I added it to the gravy. Turned out fantastic! The Spouse said it was better than his mom's (sorry Mom).

Crockpot Beef Stew

1 lb top round roast
3 medium potatoes, roughly diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 small bag baby carrots
1/2 package green beans
1 pkg onion dip mix
beef broth (about 2 cups)
fresh ground pepper
lavender sea salt

Gravy:
broth from crockpot
corn starch
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Coarsely chop up round roast into 1" to 1 1/2" chunks. Sautee in a pan until lightly browned. Drain and set aside. Combine beef broth and onion dip mix.

Layer in crock pot onions, potatoes, carrots, green beans and beef. Add pepper and salt to taste (I used a healthy dose of each). Pour broth mixture over beef and veggies. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Separate beef and veggies from broth and set aside. Place broth in fat separator and then pour into skillet. Warm over medium-high heat. Meanwhile combine 1/4 cup COLD water with 2 tbsp corn starch. Add corn starch mixture to warmed broth and season to taste. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil until you reach your desired thickness (about 1 minute). Pour gravy over stew, stir and serve.

Wine pairing: HRM Rex Goliath Central Coast Shiraz

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this up north last year for The Spouse and I and LOVED it. But the batch I made last night was MUCH better. This time I used diced tomatoes instead of stewed and the result was a much heartier, almost chili-like quality. Delicious. You can either dice the chicken breasts up before adding them to the crockpot or cook them whole and shred them afterwards. Add more broth if you want a soupy consistancy.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans diced tomatoes, mexican-style
2 cans black beans
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 cup salsa
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf

Extras:
cheddar or mexican-style cheese, shredded
tortilla chips, crushed
lime wedges
sour cream
cilantro

Add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. To serve, add a handful of tortilla chips to the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with garnishes as desired.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

I made these the first time for our first open house when we moved into the condo, along with chili. The Spouse didn't even get to have any, it was all gone - all of it, every last schnibble - within minutes (the chili was also a hit but the sandwiches were the clear winner). I make it at least once a year in a large batch and freeze about half of it.

The original recipe called for ketchup and liquid smoke flavoring. Uh. Ok. Instead I just use Rudy's Original BBQ Sause (no, that's NOT a typo). It HAS to be Rudy's - most BBQ sauces in the store are far too sweet for this to turn out right. Rudy's is tangy and a little sweet but smoky and spicy enough to give you a kick in the pants. There's nothing like it. You can order the "sause" online (I also recommend their rub!).

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

2 1/2 lb. lean boneless chuck roast
1/4 cup Rudy's Original BBQ Sause
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 garlic clove -- crushed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
10 French rolls or sandwich buns -- (10 to 12)

Place beef in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients, except rolls. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 9 hours. Turn crockpot to WARM and remove beef from sauce. Shred beef by pulling it apart with 2 forks and place back in crockpot, stir to mix sauce in and heat thru. Serve warm on rolls.

Wine recommendation: Screw the wine - BBQ calls for Beer. So crack open a Shiner Bock and enjoy!

Crockpot "Creamy" Chicken Enchiladas

Last night was a definitive "What Recipe?" moment in our house. I was going to make crockpot chicken enchiladas, using the broth that I was crocking the chicken breasts in to make the creamy sauce to add to the inside of the enchilada (with a bit left over to drizzle over the top).

Well, we got home later than I had planned and most of the sauce had baked away and what was left was already thickened. Time to make things up as I go along. I had also planned on making a corn salsa (corn, black beans, red peppers)... but our red peppers had gone bad and we didn't have any corn. So, uhm, mixed veggies were substituted instead.

What follows is definitely my best guess.....

Crockpot "Creamy" Chicken Enchiladas

Filling:
~1 cup chicken broth (I had measured out a cup, then decided I needed more once I put the chicken in)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 lb chicken breasts
cheese
green enchilada sauce

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
all-purpose flour (measure out about 1 1/2 tbsp)
chicken broth
milk
salt
poultry seasoning

Pour chicken broth into crockpot, whisk in taco seasoning. Add chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours until the chicken is done and sauce has thickened.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Shred chicken, mix in thickened sauce from the crockpot. Place in tortillas, top with with cheese and green sauce and roll. Place in baking dish, seam-side down.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add in butter and melt. Sprinkle in flour, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken and form a roux. Add in chicken broth, milk, more flour, allow to thicken, again whisking constantly. Add in salt and poultry seasoning to taste.

Pour sauce over tops of enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese and green sauce. Bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated through.