Mulligatawny Soup

My friend, Erin, makes this soup, and it is delicious. She shared the recipe, and oh, is it so good!!

Mulligatawny Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, diced

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 apple, cored and chopped

*1/4 cup white rice

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half - cut into cubes

salt to taste

maple syrup to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1 pinch dried thyme

1/2 cup heavy cream, heated

Saute onions, celery, carrot, and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour. Add apple, potatoes, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes. About 20 minutes before serving, I add the rice and cream (so the rice doesn't absorb all the liquid).

**Optional: Add cooked rice or serve together with cooked white rice

Sprite Chicken

I got this recipe from my friend Tania!  It's an easy one to make for a small or large group of people.  Boy, is it delicious and addicting.

Sprite Chicken

Marinate

1 cup of sprite

1/4 cup of soy sauce

Cut large chicken breasts into 2” or 3” pieces and marinate overnight or the morning before you need it.

 

 

Dressing (sauce)

1/2 cup mayo

1 TBP honey

2 TBP dijon mustard

 

Grill chicken pieces, while grilling the chicken brush on the dressing. Reserve a little of this sauce to brush one last layer on when the chicken is done cooking.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the grill and lay tinfoil down.  Put the chicken on the tinfoil, laying it very close together (this is when you can brush on extra dressing.)

Top the chicken with sliced mushrooms and bell peppers. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the whole thing (I usually just use a Mexican blend, but you can use anything.)

Close the grill top and let sit until the cheese melts.  Then move the tinfoil to a platter and serve.

Broccoli Chicken

This was probably my favorite meal growing up and it's still one of my favorites today.

Broccoli Chicken
broccoli, cut into medium-size chunks
chicken, cooked and shredded/chunked
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 - 2 tsp. curry powder
1 cup cheese
1 cup bread crumbs mixed with 2 tsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Steam broccoli. Mix soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder together. If it seems too thick, add a little milk. Spread broccoli and chicken evenly into a 9X13 pan. Pour sauce over. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with rice.

Green Chicken Curry

Wow! This curry was so good. I LOVE curry and Indian food, so I was pretty excited to try this recipe. I saw Aarti Sequeria make this on The Next Food Network Star and knew when Bobby Flay, and a table of foodies, said he loved it, that I had to give it a try. I stayed pretty true to the recipe (I even used an onion!, but not the shallots), except that I used chicken breasts instead of thighs (be careful to cook it slowly so the chicken doesn't get tough) and regular vinegar instead of malt vinegar. Also, I used Fage Greek yogurt. It is pretty spicy, so I served it with rice AND naan (the Trader Joe's naan is delicious).

Green Chicken Curry

2 small bunches cilantro, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 bunch fresh mint, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 red onion, chipped
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
salt
pepper
1/4 cup water, plus 1 1/2 cups
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. turmeric
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1 3/4 pounds, halved
1/2 tsp. malt vinegar
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt, whisked until smooth
rice/naan

Add the cilantro, mint, onion, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper to a food processor. Puree until smooth. With the processor running, add about 1/4 cup water and blend until the mixture is the consistency of a thick paste (masala). Set aside.

In a large pot or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until golden brown. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the masala mixture into the skillet and cook, stirring often until it deepens in color and aroma. You'll know it's ready when it looks shiny, little droplets of oil will appear on the surface, and the masala will hold together as a cohesive mass.

Add the chicken, coating every piece in the masala and stirring often. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, so the masala really adheres to the chicken. Add 1 1/2 cups water, just enough to cover the chicken, and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Serve over rice and/or naan.

Asian Wonton Salad

Can it still be considered a "family favorite" if half the family didn't like it? I think so. I had no idea my husband didn't like Chinese food. Anyway, I loved the salad and my husband graciously tolerated it for a few nights (I thought he loved it too, so I made LOTS), so I think it's worthy of a post.

Asian Wonton Salad

romaine lettuce (iceberg is fine, too)
cabbage (I used green cabbage, but purple would be delicious)
carrots, shredded
jicama, cut into matchsticks
wontons, cut in half, then in thirds and deep-fried
rotisserie chicken, cubed

*Dressing:
2/3 cups rice vinegar
1 cup oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2-3 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Cucumbers, onions and tomatoes could all be added, if desired. Throw everything in a bowl and toss with dressing.

*As written, this make A LOT of dressing! Unless you're serving a [BIG] crowd, I'd scale it down. Also, make sure your sesame seeds are fresh; otherwise, the salad will have a bitter taste. Finally, I read at least a dozen dressing recipes looking for the perfect one, and I'm sorry to say I have no idea where this one came from.

Roast Chicken

I've wanted to make roast chicken for years, but it seemed like every time I went to the store to buy a roaster, I always talked myself out of it. Until July 12--my wedding anniversary.

I've watched enough Barefoot Contessa to know I wanted to use one of her recipes, and let me tell you...it didn't disappoint. The chicken was delicious! I left out the bread cubes and served it with roasted veggies instead. I also couldn't find kitchen twine anywhere (truly, three stores later...), so I opted for natural hemp instead (thank you, JoAnn's). I also added a few sprigs of fresh rosemary to the cavity. Yum!

Lemon Chicken with Croutons
Barefoot Contessa (Barefoot in Paris)

1 (4- to 5-pound) roasting chicken
1 large yellow onion, sliced
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
6 cups bread cubes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the onion with a little olive oil and place in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper. Place the lemons (and rosemary) inside the chicken. Pat the outside dry, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken.

Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear between the leg and thigh. Cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

For bread cubes: Heat a large saute pan with 2 Tbsp. olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium-low and saute the cubes until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more oil as needed and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it, plus all the pan juices, over the croutons. Enjoy!