March 21st-27th

CURRY CHICKEN

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 small onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 C. diced mushrooms
2 gloves sliced garlic
1 can chicken broth
1/4 C. tomato paste
2 tsp. Curry powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 C. coconut milk (Reg. is fine)
Salt & Pepper
Cooked rice

In a frying pan, coat with non stick cooking spray. Place chicken in pan and brown on both sides on Med-Hi heat. Chicken should be cooked half way through. Remove chicken and set aside. Immediately add diced veggies and saute till slightly tender. Add a little chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Add remaining broth along with the tomato paste, milk and spices. Cover with a lid and lower to Med. heat. Once it begins to simmer, add chicken back in and replace the lid. Let simmer for approx 10-15 min. or until chicken in thoroughly cooked through. Serve over rice.


WHITE BEAN CHILI

So I LOVE watching Paula Deen on the Food Network. Some of her recipes just look so easy and yummy that you almost want to lick the TV screen. This was one of those easy recipes that filled my house with such a wonderful aroma. Thanks Paula!!!

• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 small can chopped green chilies
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• Shredded Jack Cheese

Rinse beans well, cover with cool water, and soak for 2 hours. Drain. Put the beans in large pot with the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.

(I had a whole chicken that was cut up and used it to make home made chicken stock. I then removed the chicken and let it cool so I could shred it. Because the chicken was already cooked, I added it to the chili AFTER it was done.)

In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and chiles and saute for 5 minutes. Add chili mixture to pot with beans. Add the chicken, cumin, oregano, pepper, and white pepper. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 1/2 hours. (I simmered it for about 2 hours)


MARINADE FOR GRILLED STEAKS

Had some wonderful Rib Eye steaks to cook this week and wanted a yummy marinade for them. After looking up a couple of marinades, I sort of came up with my own idea for one. It was really good. I think I'll try it next time with chicken.

1/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
2 TBS. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Honey
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Mix all ingredients in a 9x13 casserole dish. Lay steaks in marinade and coat the bottom. Then flip over and marinate for approx. 2-3 hours. Flip 2nd time and marinade for another 2 hours at least. Adjust above ingredients according to your own taste.