Brunswick Stew

Atlanta? Georgia? Peaches? Peach Cobbler Soup?? Nah...not so much! Here's where I went with this one...Brunswick, Georgia for some Brunswick Stew. There is some debate on the true origination, but most agree that there are various versions of the stew. So, I went with the "Georgian" version.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups cooked, diced chicken

2 cups pulled pork

1 can whole tomatoes

1 cup onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped

3 yellow potatoes, diced

1 can creamed corn

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup bbq sauce

2 tbls butter

Worcesterchire Sauce to taste

Sweet Chili Sauce to taste

Cayenne Pepper to taste

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

vegetable broth

2 bay leaves
Saute onions, celery, and potatoes in butter until tender; puree tomatoes and garlic in a food processor, add to onion mixture along with the creamed corn. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add pork and chicken. Simmer for about an hour. Transfer mixture to a slow cooker, add seasonings and sauces to taste. Add enough vegetable broth to reach your desired consistency. Throw in the bay leaves, set on low, and enjoy throughout the day! Serve with Fried Green Tomatoes and you'll take a trip down south!

Roasted Chicken Tortilla Soup

In honor of our Southwest opponents, the Arizona Cardinals, I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light Magazine. It was good and definitely a repeater! There was a bit too much heat for my kids, so next time I will go a little easier on the cayenne!

Here's the recipe:

4 chicken breasts, seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper; broil, rest then dice
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, roasted and peeled
1 onion, sliced and roasted
2 ears of corn, roasted and kernals removed
1 large can of green enchilada sauce
32oz chicken broth
1 can southwest style diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
Throw it all together in a pot or slowcooker
Season with paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper

I like to serve it with sour cream, cilantro, and avocado. I also prefer homemade tortilla strips, but tortilla chips work just as well!

Chicken Tetrazzini Soup

So, apparently the woman who created the dish known as Chicken Tetrazzini lived in San Francisco. http://http//members.cox.net/jjschnebel/chicktet.html

Well, of course I was going to turn this delicious meal into a soup! Turns out, it is a favorite in our house and I can't wait to make it again!

Here's the recipe:
2-3 chicken breasts, seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and pepper-broil and let rest, then dice

2 tbls butter

1-2 tbls olive oil

1 onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry sherry or white wine

nutmeg

3-4 tbls fresh herbs-lemon thyme, oregano, flat leaf parsley

1 cup heavy cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

32 oz chicken broth

zest and juice of 1 lemon

Saute onions in butter and olive oil. When soft and transparent, add garlic and cook about 1 minute Add about 1/2 cup of dry sherry or white wine, reduce for about 10 minutes.
Add heavy cream and cream of chicken soup to onion mixture. Bring to a low boil and add a few dashes of nutmeg. Add fresh herbs and diced chicken. Bring to a boil. Transfer mixture to a slow cooker and add 32 oz of chicken broth and the zest and juice of a lemon. Turn to low and enjoy whenever!

Souptastic Sundays

I've decided to start a new tradition in my home during football season. Since my husband loves football and I love food, I figure there's no better way to join forces than to combine the two. How does that work, you ask? Well, I take an original dish from the team we (the Seattle Seahawks) are playing and turn it into soup. Why soup? Because it's the perfect meal to have ready to go on those chilly, football Sundays. I don't plan a big get together, no formal invitations, just the warmth of goodness soup brings for anyone who shows up at our door! I want my children to grow up and know that if there is a football game on, Mom's got soup to serve! My hope is that they will continue to come home and enjoy the beauty of family, the fun of football, and goodness of soup!

Island Yumminess!

I'm Back, I'm Back! I really am back! Okay, so I took a bit of a sabbatical, but I'm back with a vengence! For today at least. What I have for you here is just some plain yumminess on a stick! I found this recipe when I was planning a get-together with kabobs. I will definitely be repeating this recipe over and over! Oh, and if you are wondering where all my pictures went from my other posts??? Long story, I'll get them back up soon enough! For now, enjoy this next recipe!

Shrimp, Pepper, and Mango Kabobs

2 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup lime juice

2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

2-3 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

sweet onion, bell pepper, and mango-kabob ready

Whisk together ingredients for marinade, add shrimp, and refrigerate for about an hour. Remove shrimp from marinade and if desired, boil the remaining marinade for basting or dipping. Thread shrimp, onion, bell pepper, and mango onto wooden skewers. Grill 4-6 minutes, until shrimp turn pink.

Pineapple Mango Salsa

1 mango, diced

1 can crushed pineapple, including juice

1 red bell pepper, diced

zest and juice of 1 lime

1-2 tbsp chopped pineapple mint (can use regular mint or cilantro if preferred)

Combine all ingredients and use over citrus rice, chicken, or seafood

Citrus Rice

(I've posted this recipe before, but here it is again with a few modifications)

Jasmine Rice

chicken broth

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 tbsp minced onion

olive oil

chopped pineapple sage (again, use cilantro or regular mint if preferred)

zest and juice of 1 lime

Saute onion in oil until soft and transparent; continue cooking rice according to package directions, adding chicken broth to the sauteed onion mixture in place of water. When rice is done cooking, add pineapple sage and lime zest and juice, stir, and re-cover.

Enjoy each of these dishes separately, or do what I did and mix them all together! No matter how you eat them, I promise, they will make you feel as though you are on a tropical island vacation!

Lemon Love Fest

Lemon Coconut Scones

Yes, that's right...lemon in the middle of a cold front! Well, when your neighbor brings you homemade lemon curd, how could you not go into a lemon frenzy! I suppose when you absolutely love the flavor of lemon, it's a bit harder to resist! So, as my children lay on the couch all weekend with the yuckies, I went to town imagining all the yummy things I could do with lemon. I discovered I could top a sour cream/cream cheese pie with lemon curd and toasted coconut. I could spread it on toast. I could mix fresh squeezed lemon juice, orange juice, honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper to marinate chicken...oh wait, there's not lemon curd in that, but it was tasty! Needless to say, the winner of the weekend were these delicious lemon coconut scones drizzled with a lemon icing and paired with a splash of lemon curd. YUM!

Scones

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup butter

1 tblas lemon zest (I used one lemon)

1/2 lemon yogurt

1/2 cup water

Combine dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add coconut and process a few seconds. Add cold butter cut into chunks and process just long enough to resemble coarse meal. Combine yogurt, water, and zest in a separate bowl, then gradually add to butter mixture. I found the dough to be a little too wet, so I added more flour. You may want to add less of the yogurt mixture. As dough comes together, scoop out onto a baking mat or wax paper that is lightly covered with flour. Pat into a disk about 1/2 to 3/4 in. thick and cut into desired shape and size.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool.

Lemon Icing

Juice of one lemon (as in the one you zested)

Enough powdered sugar to reach desired consistency

Drizzle onto cooled scones and let dry.

Feel free to enjoy these delicious scones as is, or cut in half and spread on some lemon curd that your lovely neighbor shared with you! Either way, they will hit the spot on any given morning, afternoon, or evening :-)

http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com/category/link-up-the-theme-is/

Zesty Popcorn

Looking for a tasty way to enjoy that popcorn? Something snacky for the big party? Well, here's something to try! Zesty Popcorn. It's really quite simple, and not all that fancy, but it's the perfect way to spice things up!

Ingredients:

Cooking oil

Jalepeno slices, from a jar

Popcorn Kernals

Garlic and Seasoning Salt

Butter

In a large pot, add just enough oil to cover the bottom. I like to use Canola, but I've seen it done with olive or vegetable oil. Place a couple jalepeno slices in the pot, more if you want it spicier, and turn the heat to about 7 (medium high).

When you start to hear a sizzle, add just enough popcorn kernals to cover the bottom, and place the lid on.

While you wait to hear a pop, get out your garlic salt, seasoning salt, and butter. Make sure to give the pot a few good sliding shakes every now and then, to keep the kernals loose.
Just as with microwave popcorn, when you hear the popping slow to one every 2-3 seconds, remove the pot from the heat.

Remove the lid, add the butter and let it slide to the bottom of the pot. This will help it melt. Stir the popcorn until the butter is melted and the popcorn is coated. If you want this step to be easier, simply melt the popcorn in the microwave, however, I think it tastes slightly different.

Add your seasonings to taste, pop in your favorite movie, and snack away!!

Before I finish, I have to credit my husband for the popcorn in our house. He does a much better job of making it, and apparently learned it from his good friend and roommate in college! Thanks Kevin for the delicous idea!!