Chicken Curry Soup

Indian food is something I’ve never tackled, nor have I had in many years. I love it, but I think my husband is just “never in the mood” for it unfortunately. Or that is his excuse anyways. Well luckily I got a free cookbook with my latest Pampered Chef order so I chose the Soups book. I figured it’s almost winter and they might come in handier than a dessert book (although I seriously considered that one but didn’t want to totally ruin my husband’s P90X plan). So I got the cookbook and all of the soups and chilis look absolutely wonderful. Luckily here in Indiana the weather could be 70º F one day and 50 º F the next so I can plan out burgers and stews in the same week.

This soup was not exactly as spicy as I thought it would be. I don’t think it’s anything like traditional Indian food but it does have a great taste. It reminded us more of a beefed up version of chicken noodle soup more than anything. It has more spices and is more flavorful than the traditional soup. Thus, this would be a great weeknight dinner for guests or just the family. I would still stick with traditional chicken noodle soup for when you are feeling a bit under the weather though.

Indian Chicken Curry Soup
Adapted from: Soups, Stews & Chilis (Pampered Chef)
Serves: 8

1 large onion, diced
1 large Yukon gold potato, unpeeled and diced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
dash salt and pepper
1 ¼ Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ginger root, peeled and grated
1 ½ Tbsp curry powder
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
6 cups chicken stock (1.5L)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cold water
1 ½ cups carrots and corn mixture, chopped (originally called for peas and carrots)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt

Combine chicken and a dash of salt and pepper in a small bowl and toss to coat evenly. Set aside. Heat ½ Tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes, or until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook evenly for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The chicken will not be done yet, but remove it from the pot and set aside on a plate.

Add the remaining oil to the pot and add the onion, cooking until it is browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch more of black pepper and the minced garlic, ginger, curry, and coriander. Cook and stir 1 minute until fragrant. Whisk in stock. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water. Whisk to combine and add to the pot. Add in the chicken and potato to the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook an additional 8-10 minutes or until the potato pieces are tender.

Stir in the carrots/corn mixture, cilantro (if using), mint and a pinch of salt. Remove pot from heat. Place yogurt into a medium sized mixing bowl and carefully ladle 2 cups of the pot mixture into the bowl with the yogurt. Whisk together the mixture in the mixing bowl and slowly return back to the pot. Whisk until completely incorporated. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

If my husband and I are eating out at a restaurant, we typically splurge a little bit. Spinach and artichoke dip is one thing we never disagree on when it comes to ordering an appetizer. I never really thought I could replicate any dip recipe, but this is a healthier and just as tasty spinach and artichoke dip. I actually baked these in smaller ramekin's so that we could bring them in our lunches. My husband absolutely loved them! According to the website these little guys are about 100-110 calories per 1/4 cup (about the size of my rammekins). I added a tiny bit more cheese so it's a little over 100 calories.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Adapted from: Food Network

Serves: 4-6

Pinch salt

10 oz baby spinach leaves
fresh basil (1 cup); or 4 Tbsp dry basil
¾ cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz Neufchatel cream cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup chicken broth
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained, squeezed dry, and finely chopped
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
pinch ground pepper, to taste
chips, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 450-degrees. Boil water and salt stovetop. Prepare an ice water bowl while water is heating up by placing very cold water and lots of ice cubes into a large mixing bowl. Stir the spinach leaves into the boiling water and keep immersed for 30 seconds, until the leaves turn bright green. Remove spinach from boiling water and place into ice water bath. Drain and squeeze dry, then roughly chop.

Puree the beans, cream cheese, garlic and broth in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to medium mixing bowl and fold in the chopped spinach, artichokes, parmesan and ¾ cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Toss to combine.

Place mixture into oven-proof, greased individual ramekins or large serving bowl, about 1-quart. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until bubbly, about 20-25 minutes at 450 degrees.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

I was a little hesitant to originally make these cookies because of the sunken-in appearance of the butterscotch chips. Not that the cookies have to be pretty, but it just made them look kind of hard to make. I was completely shocked by how many cookies this recipe yielded and how fluffy they were. Because of that, you really want to make sure to have plenty of milk for dipping these little lovelies into. This would make a great treat to bring to the family for the holidays and they will be astonished to see that you have found canned pumpkin puree. Too bad they don’t know that you actually made the puree yourself at home. I know that really helped me to try all of my pumpkin recipes this year. Plus if you find pie pumpkins pretty cheap, then that is all it will cost you, besides time.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Adapted from: Annie's Eats, originally Joy the Baker

Yields: 25 cookies

2 cups plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup canola oil (or vegetable)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat on medium-high until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the oil, puree and vanilla. Mix well.

On low speed, add dry mixture into the stand mixer a little at a time. Mix until well incorporated and then fold in the butterscotch chips. Drop the dough balls with a small ice cream scooper onto a silicone-lined baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. Make sure to rotate halfway through the cooking time. When they are done, a toothpick should come out clean from the middle of the cookies. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

The pumpkin taste really didn’t set in until the second day so store these in an airtight container for up to 5 days and enjoy them from the fridge or heated for a brief 10 seconds in the microwave. Don’t forget the milk!

Meatloaf

Meatloaf. Every child's nightmare. As it is with most children, it was with me. I hated my mom's meatloaf and wouldn't even try it. Once I did, I was hooked. She lured me into it by tricking me and making me think that the process to make it is fun. She was right, it actually is pretty fun. Mixing everything in a bowl and being able to smash and squeeze the life out of it is really fun and a good stress reliever for a long, hard day (not that I know about those anymore being unemployed). This meatloaf is a basic, delicious and easy recipe for any family. My husband tends to devour it leaving no slice behind. It goes really well with a teeny tiny bit of ketchup, too. For my husband's benefit, I also only put a ton of onion on one side so he doesn't have to eat them as he doesn't like them.

Meatloaf

Kelly's Kitch original

Serves: 3-4

1lb ground beef

½ cup onion (more or less for preference)
1/3 cup ketchup
2 pieces of bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 egg
2 pieces of bread, for baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl by hand, except the two bread pieces for baking. Grease a glass baking dish and place the two bread pieces on the bottom of the pan. Place the meatloaf mixture on top in the shape of a loaf of bread and bake, uncovered. Make sure the meatloaf is not touching the sides of the glass baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the center is no longer pink.

Garlic Knots

I've always been afraid to make dough, breads, etc. Recently I have discovered just how easy they all are to make. I still didn't really have a great roll recipe, but I knew I was going to really need one with the cold weather approaching. I can't describe just how amazingly delicious these little rolls are. If you don’t believe me, make them yourself (please do, they are so tasty). I’m all about easy and buying store-bought items for a big holiday or get-together, but I definitely will not skimp on the rolls ever again! I even had a roll by itself for dessert later the night I baked them. They are just that good.

Garlic Knots

Adapted from: Annie’s Eats, originally King Arthur Flour
Yields: 10 rolls (or “knots”)

For the dough:
3 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 ¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup milk
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp warm water

For the glaze:
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp butter, melted
½ tsp Italian Seasoning

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients for the dough (flour, sugar, yeast, salt). Mix briefly to combine. Add the oil, milk and water and mix until dough forms. Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead the dough on low until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the dough to an oiled mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm area for at least 1 hour (to rise). Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10-inch long rope and tie a knot in the middle. Fold the ends of the dough into the middle where the knot was just formed (top end goes underneath and bottom end comes up on top). Transfer to a stone baking sheet or cookie tray lined with a silicone mat. Allow to rise, covered lightly with a kitchen towel, for 45 minutes. Knots should be puffy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the glaze, mix: cloves, butter and seasoning in a small bowl. Brush mixture onto the knots on the cooking sheet. Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes until they are lightly browned on the tops. Allow knots to sit on the baking sheet for 3 minutes to cool and transfer to wire cooling rack or serve immediately.

Sugar Grapes

Thumbing through my great-grandmother's recipe book, I came across this recipe. Sugar, egg whites and grapes. Simply from intrigue I pulled out the ingredients from my fridge and starting making these little guys. I only did a few, just in case they didn't taste all that good. Well, the result was interesting. The sugar did harden on the skins of the grapes although some had too much sugar (never thought I'd say that). My advice to anyone that wants to make these is to not put too much sugar on the grapes. The sweetness of the sugar and juiciness of the grapes are a perfect combination. I might even suggest mixing the grapes in the egg whites and then tossing with a small amount of sugar in a small bowl. Although they are a little sweet, they make for great finger food or a sweet side dish to your holiday meal. Another idea is just for a centerpiece or visual effect, these are adorable!

Sugar Grapes

Kelly's Kitch Original

20-30 grapes

1 egg, yolk removed

Sugar to coat

Dip the grapes in the egg white and then into a small bowl containing the sugar. Place the grapes on a cookie sheet to dry. If you want to speed the process a little, dip the grapes into the egg white and place in a small bowl. Then, add a little sugar at a time and coat the grapes, until desired coverage. Allow the sugar to harden on the skin of the grapes for at least 1 hour.

Chicken Empanadas, revisited

I first made these quite some time back but the picture was dull, lifeless and let's be honest: unappetizing. I absolutely turn to these empanadas whenever I have the craving for Mexican but don’t have a lot of time (or energy) for a complete meal. These would be perfect for an appetizer as well since they qualify as “finger food” and are small. Whatever the occasion, these little bites are sure to please anyone!

Chicken Empanadas

Adapted from: Paula Deen

Serves: 4-6

2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed small

8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese blend
4-6 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
3 pie crusts, unbaked
water

I cooked the chicken ahead of time by boiling 2 parts water, 1 part chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except water and pie crust. Mix well. Unroll one pie crust onto lightly floured surface and roll into a 15-inch circle (a bit thinner than what the package comes in). Cut rounds using a large cookie cutter (or I used the rim of a can from a 28-ounce jar of diced tomatoes). I am all about reycling! ;) As the rounds are cut, place a generous 1 tbsp of the mixture in the middle. With a clean fingertip, lightly brush the edges of the crust with the water. Fold dough over and seal gently with a fork.

Repeat and re-roll all dough until all empanadas are made and placed on baking sheets. Bake for 15-17 minutes and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before serving. They will be hot!