Chris didn't feel good and I got home early.... so.... Chicken Soup. Not quite chicken noodle soup, but much more hearty! This soup fills you up, has a kick to it that keeps your warm and made Chris feel good enough to go to work. (And finally... it's been a cold enough day in Southern Texas to make a soup with 'Cold Day' in the title!! - - like 50'! Woohoo!)
Cold Day Chicken Soup
2 Tbsp butter
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (eventually cut into small cubes)
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 1/2 C fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced (I like using the leaves from the celery as well. Adds to the aroma & 'spices'.)
3 Tbsp flour
2 cans (19 or so oz each) Cannellini beans, drained (aka White Kidney Beans)
7 Chicken bouillon cubes
2 envelopes of Garlic, Herb & Wine "Grill Mates Marinade" mix packets
1) Boil 4C water w/4 bouillon cubes and the 3 whole chicken breasts in a large pan on the stove. When chicken is cooked, remove and cut into cubes when cooled slightly. Add 4C of water to the pan with the remaining 3 bouillon cubes. Dissolve the 2 env of the marinade mix and the flour, boil. (This is where I add in the chopped up celery leaves - letting it boil & simmer with the chicken... then I make sure to leave it in the broth when I take the chicken out, later.)
2) Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add mushrooms and onions. When cooked, put into crockpot (or the large pan with the bouillon mixture, on medium heat). Then add the sliced carrots, celery and cut up chicken. Heat about 10 min, then add the beans.
3) Reduce heat to low and simmer, about 20 min or until the vegetables are soft. Serve & enjoy!!
** Note: I love serving warm croissants with soups for my dinners. Right before putting the rolled croissants in the oven; spread tops lightly with butter then sprinkle with a little garlic powder and a little chili powder. These croissants will match perfectly with this soup. Tastes great together and sure made Chris feel better!!
I was looking for a recipe that would give me a little holiday cheer and use up the pork chops I had in my fridge. I searched around and found a handful of recipe components I liked and put them together. This turned out SO good and definitely put me in the holiday mood!!
Savory Pork Chops with Holiday Dressing
6 boneless pork chops
4 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp corriander
1 tsp garlic powder
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary (stripped off the stem)
2/3 C Italian dressing
1/2 C maple syrup
5 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
4 green onions, chop'd
1 pkg stuffing, chicken flavor (water & butter according to package directions)
1 Red Delicious Apple, unpeeled & diced
3 celery stalks, chop'd
1) Mix together the Dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder & corriander... spread both sides of each pork chop with the mixture. Press the rosemary into both sides of the pork chops & set aside.
2) Heat half of dressing and half of the maple syrup in a large non-stick skillet, on medium heat. Add the chops and cook approx. 4 min on each side or until browned. Add the remaining dressing & syrup for the second half of cooking. Meanwhile....
3) Boil the water & butter according to dressing package. Once boiling - add the diced apple & sliced celery into the boiling water & cook until celery slightly tender. Finish the dressing according to package: Usually: add dressing mixture, cover & remove from heat.... then fluff with a fork.
4) Right before chops are finished, top with green onions & bacon crumbles for a few minutes. Place dressing on plate & top with the chops, with the onions & bacon on top.
(This picture isn't the best... the colors all kind of run together and look very similar, however the smells and tastes make it all worth it!!)
*** It happened by chance, however a perfect drink to go with this meal is something my husband bought me so that I wouldn't keep drinking Mt. Dew. He got me a "Fruit Punch Snapple".... I don't know if it was a special drink, new or old... but it was SOOOooooo good. It tasted crisp and clean... and the pomegranate taste went so well with the sweet pork chops with the great woodsy rosemary smell! Perfect combo!! ***
I really, really love mushrooms! Big ones, small ones, itty bitty sliced buttery ones! So I'm always looking for a new & yummy way to use them. This popped up in a cookbook called Young and Hungry by Dave Lieberman... and boy was it a hit with my boys! (I made this exactly per recipe then during the last few minutes, added in some cooked & warmed asparagus spears. Wow... it was great!)
Sherried Mushrooms
10 oz small white mushrooms, mostly with small caps (remove stems)
3Tbsp butter
1/4C chicken broth
1/2C Sherry
Chopped green onions
S & P
1) Melt butter in pan large enough for single layer of 'shrooms. When starts to foam, add 'shrooms w/caps down. Butter will brown and that's ok, just turn heat down a little. About 4 min later, turn over and let cook for a few more minutes.
2) Pour the broth and Sherry into pan, crank heat to high and boil. (This is where I added the asparagus spears.) Boil until there's just enough syrupy liquid left to coat the 'shrooms. Season them w/S&P to taste, then pour the 'shrooms into a shallow serving dish. Top with chives then serve warm.
ENJOY!
