Corn & Potato Chowder (Slow Cooker)

E: This chowder recipe is amazing and was perfect to serve when it started to get cooler in DC. It's a slow cooker meal so the work to make this soup is minimal. However, BEWARE: this recipe will make enough soup to feed a family of 4 for a month! Haha



Ingredients:

8 ounces (1/2 pound) bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (approximately 5 medium sized potatoes), NOT peeled, diced in 1/4 inch cubes
8 cups (about 2 pounds) kernel corn (I used frozen)
1 medium/large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped celery
6 - 8 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (my favorite is Aunt Cora's)
32 ounces (4 cups) chicken stock
16 ounces (2 cups) half & half or heavy cream
salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT half & half in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.
3. Blend about half the soup using a food processor or blender
4. Add half & half or heavy cream and continue cooking, uncovered, for about another 15 minutes, until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Southwestern Eggrolls

E: OMG, you know those southwestern eggrolls at Chilis?? Probably one of my favorite foods of ALL TIME. I found this recipe on pinterest and knew I had to try it. I'm so glad I did, it was AMAZING!!



Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts – diced

1 medium-large onion, minced

1 cup frozen corn

1 (14.5)oz can black beans, rinsed & drained

2.5 cups fresh baby spinach

2 jalapenos, seeded & minced

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

salt & pepper to taste

10 taco sized flour tortillas (I think I used 8)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium. Add in the chicken, season with salt & pepper to taste, & saute for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the diced onions & cook until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the spices, jalapeno, black beans, corn, & baby spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted.

4. Remove from the heat, and stir in the pepper jack cheese.

5. Spoon about 1/4 cup of filling into the center of each taco sized flour tortilla, and roll up like a burrito. (I watched a YouTube video to learn how to "fold like a burrito" hahaha) 

6. Brush each side with a good coating of olive oil, and place in a baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy.

Spinach & Artichoke Pasta

Erin: Spinach. Artichoke. Pasta. OMG, it is so good. (and apparently, pretty healthy!) It tastes just like spinach and artichoke dip but in pasta. YUM!  The recipe calls for reduced fat/low fat products but I didn't have any on hand so I just used regular. It wasn't as healthy as the original but still tasted great!



Ingredients:
1 12-oz box pasta (I used bowties)
1 tsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and chopped
10 oz chopped, frozen spinach, thawed, with as much excess water squeezed out as possible
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Additional Parmesan for serving

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Slowly stir in milk, then add sour cream, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, and parmesan cheese.
4. Drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. Toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. Serve with additional shredded Parmesan.

Chick-fil-a Sandwiches!

Erin: Whenever the whole Chick-fil-a controversy came out a few months ago, this recipe for making Chick-fil-a sandwiches began floating around. I loooooove Chick-fil-a but there isn't one around here so I decided to make them at home. And oh, wow. So delicious! So easy! Tastes the exact same! This recipe is a winner!

Ingredients

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

¼ cup pickle juice

1 egg

¼ cup milk

½ cup flour

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon celery salt

¼ teaspoon dried basil

Oil for frying (about a cup)

 

For serving: Buns (buttered and toasted) and pickle slices!

Instructions

1. Wrap the chicken loosely between plastic wrap and pound gently with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until about ½ inch thick all around. (I don't have a tenderizer so I just put the chicken breast in a zip loc and pounded it with a hammer, works like a charm!)
2. Cut into two pieces, as even as possible.
3. Marinate in the pickle juice for 30 minutes to one hour (add a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce now for a spicy sandwich).
4. Beat the egg with the milk in a bowl.
5. Combine the flour, sugar, and spices in another bowl.
6. Dip the chicken pieces each into the egg on both sides, then coat in flour on both sides.
7. Heat the oil in a skillet (1/2 inch deep) to about 345-350.
8. Fry each cutlet for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.
9. Blot on paper and serve on toasted buns with pickle slices. (I melted butter in a skillet and toasted the buns, it was fab!)

 

The Pioneer Woman's Coffee Cake

Er: For our anniversary, I made Sam a coffee cake (his favorite breakfast) and it was a hit! It really doesn't take too many ingredients but it was so good. I may even make this for Christmas. This coffee cake will change your life :)

Ingredients:

FOR THE CAKE:
1-1/2 stick Butter, Softened
2 cups Scant Sugar
3 cups Flour, Sifted
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1-1/4 cup Whole Milk
3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff  

 FOR THE TOPPING:
1-1/2 stick Butter, Softened
3/4 cups Flour
1-1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don't overbeat.
3. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9 x 13 (or LARGER!) baking pan.
4. In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm---delicious!

Sauteed Spinach

Er: Here is the recipe for the spinach we made while you were here. It is so good, I have eaten it almost every night since... :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon
• Sea or kosher salt, optional

Directions:

 1. Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean.

2. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

3. In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned.
4. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cook it for 2 minutes.
5. Turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted.
6. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt.

Fried Chicken

Erin: Sorry, I haven't posted in forever! I have a lot of catching up to do. Here is great and easy recipe for fried chicken. It's super easy and you probably have most of the ingredients around the house.

 

Ingredients

 

(I used two chicken breasts and cut the recipe in half, but you can use chicken breasts/thighs, etc or a whole chicken)

 

•2 cups buttermilk

•1 large onion, sliced

•1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, thyme) or a teaspoon each of the dried herbs.

•1/2 teaspoon paprika

•1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

•2 cups flour

•1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

•1/2 teaspoon onion salt

•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

•Salt and pepper

•2 cups canola oil

 

 

Directions 

 

1. Soak chicken overnight (at least 8 hours and up to two days) in buttermilk with onions, herbs, paprika, and cayenne pepper. (I didn't have buttermilk, so I combined 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 10 minutes) 

2. Drain in colander, leaving some herbs on chicken. 

3. In large plastic bag mix flour with seasonings.

4. Meanwhile, heat 2 cups oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet on medium high heat until a pinch of flour starts to sizzle when dropped in the hot oil

5. Place chicken pieces in bag with flour and shake until thoroughly coated. Add chicken to hot pan and fry on 1 side for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown, and then use tongs to turn the pieces over and fry for another 10-12 minutes, again until golden brown.