Quick Chicken and Dumplings Arizona Style

I love when you have a quick dinner recipe, this fits the bill. You could have this all ready in 20 minutes. I love Chicken and Dumplings but changing to tortilla makes it so much quicker and lowers the calories.


1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup prechopped onion
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (10-ounce) box frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
PreparationMelt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and vegetables; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.
While chicken mixture cooks, combine water, flour, and broth. Gradually stir broth mixture into chicken mixture. Stir in salt, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in tortilla strips, and cook 2 minutes or until tortilla strips soften. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.

Coconut Fried Shrimp

If you were cooking last week you have two of these ingredients in the house already. You can save your oil after you fry (the Super Bowl wings). And if you made Banana Bread, you have left over coconut flakes. Coconut shrimp is a staple at sushi restaurants, but a great hors d'oeuvres even with steaks for dinner. You can serve it with all sorts of sauces depending on the rest of the meal, for Asian flare use sweet & sour, traditional use a cocktail sauce. Hope you enjoy!

1/2 pound medium-size fresh shrimp

3/4 cup pancake mix (Bisquick)

3/4 cup beer

vegetable oil

1/4 cup flour

1 cup flaked coconut

Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Devein, if needed. Rinse well and drain thoroughly. Pour oil to depth of 2" into a Dutch oven or deep fryer; heat to 350F. Combine pancake mix and beer in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Dredge shrimp in flour; shake off excess. Dip shrimp into batter; dredge in coconut. Fry, a few at a time, 45 seconds on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

For a different sauce try:

1 cup of orange marmalade

3 Tbls prepared horseradish

3 Tbls of hot Chinese mustard

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New England Lobster Chowder

Traditionalists may not like this but I had a reader comment that they were not a fan of clams, so we needed an alternate chowder recipe for the Pats fans. In my humble opinion a team with out a losing game all season deserves a swankier chowder & lobster fits that bill.

2 live 1-pound lobsters or have the butcher steam them for you (my choice!)

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

4 ounces slab country bacon

sea salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium onions, diced

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

1 pound red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 cup heavy cream

Freshly ground pepper

About 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Parboil the lobsters in plenty of boiling water for 3 1/2 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the tails, knuckles and claws. Cut into large pieces, about 3/4 to 1 inch. Cover and refrigerate. Split the carcasses in half and discard the head sacs. e shells and carcasses in a 6- to 8-quart pot and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, pick the leaves off the thyme and add just the stems to the stock. Also add the peppercorns and bay leaves. Trim the rind from the bacon and add the rind to the stock. Cut the bacon into 1/2-inch dice. Turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Lightly salt the stock and taste for strength. Simmer for up to 30 minutes, more if needed. Strain the stock. You should have 3 to 4 cups.
Fry the bacon in a heavy 4-quart soup pot over medium heat until crisp and browned and most of the fat has been rendered. This will take about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat, leaving the bacon in the pot. Add the butter, onions and thyme leaves. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the onions are tender but not browned. Stir in the paprika. Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover them (about 3 1/2 cups; add a little water if you do not have enough stock). Turn up the heat and boil for 15 or 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. This hard cooking will break up some of the potatoes so that their starch is released and the chowder becomes slightly thickened. Remove the pot from the heat.
Add the lobster meat and heavy cream. Season with salt (very little will be needed) and pepper. Let the chowder sit off the heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you let it sit longer than 1 hour, cover and refrigerate it. You can make this a day in advance if desired.
Reheat the chowder, check the seasoning and divide evenly among 4 large soup plates. Sprinkle with chives and parsley and serve at once. Serves 4 as a main course or 8 to 10 as a starter.

Pray that your chowder is lucky & don't forget to enter the first ever cooking with Jessie contest ever that ends tonight!

Super Bowl Food:Six Layer plus Chips Dip

Well the Super Bowl is in Arizona, so you best make some Mexican style snacks too, everyone who knows me knows I would want you to make Baked Brie , Crab Cakes, or Bruschetta, but the Super Bowl calls for simple & filling. This dip is a great healthier update to 7 layer dip. Hope your team wins. And for the happiness of all my family I hope the Pats win :)

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1(15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups lowfat shredded Cheddar

2 ripe avocados

1 jalapeno, stemmed, finely chopped, (with seeds for more heat)

2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 1/2 cups nonfat yogurt, preferably Greek (it tastes more like sour cream)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and some stems, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish

3 ripe medium tomatoes, diced

5 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced
Baked tortilla chips, for dipping
On a cutting board, smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Put the garlic, beans, chili powder, water, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Spread in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole or gratin dish, or in individual sized dishes, as desired.
Scatter the cheese over the beans. Halve and seed the avocados, then mash with the jalapeno and another teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Spread a layer of the avocado over the cheese, and then scatter the lettuce on top.
Mix the yogurt with the cilantro and then spread over the lettuce. Add a layer of tomatoes and finally scatter the scallions on top. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with a few cilantro sprigs and serve with baked chips.

Enjoy your dip & don't forget to enter the contest!

Super Bowl Snacks: Wings, Nachos, Potato Skins

I had a request today for Super Bowl food. (How funny is the new stadium, people in town call it the toaster!) I admit I have never thrown a Super Bowl Party or any sports party for that matter, but here are somethings I think you should eat:

-Wings-

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons Cavender's

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 chicken breast fillets

4-6 cups vegetable oil

1/4 cup Crystal or Frank's Louisiana hot sauce

1 tablespoon butter

On the side: bleu cheese dressing (for dipping) & celery sticks

Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl.

In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.

Slice each chicken breast into 6 pieces. Preheat 4-6 cups of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.

One or two at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the breading blend; then repeat the process so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.

When all chicken pieces have been breaded, arrange them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.

When the chicken is done resting, drop each piece into the hot oil and fry for 5-6 minutes or until each piece is browned.

As chicken fries, combine the hot sauce and butter in a small bowl. Microwave sauce for 20-30 seconds or just until the butter is melted, then stir to combine. You can also use a small saucepan for this step. Just combine the hot sauce and butter in the saucepan over low heat and stir until butter is melted and ingredients are blended.

When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a plate lined with a couple paper towels. Place the chicken pieces into a covered container such as a large jar with a lid. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the container, cover, and then shake gently until each piece of chicken is coated with sauce.
Pour the chicken onto a plate and serve the dish with bleu cheese dressing and sliced celery on the side. Serves 2-4 as an appetizer.

-Nachos-

1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casings and crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups cooked pinto beans

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Water

Large, restaurant style corn tortilla chips

1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar

1 small white onion, sliced into thin rings

5 large jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, or to taste

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

In a large skillet, cook the chorizo, garlic, and cumin, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. To the fat in the pan, add the pinto beans, chili powder, salt, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water (depending on the moisture in the beans). Cook over medium heat until warmed through, smashing with the back of a heavy wooden spoon or potato masher until chunky/smooth. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a large, oval ovenproof platter or in a large baking dish, spread 1 layer of chips. Top with a layer of 1/2 of the beans, then 1/2 of the sausage, cheeses, onion rings, and chopped jalapenos. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, sausage, cheese, onions and jalapenos. Bake until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is hot, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lime juice, with a pinch of salt. Drizzle over the nachos, garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.

-Loaded Potato Skins-

4 large potatoes, washed
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
8 tablespoons Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
16 ounces sour cream
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with a knife and bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Cool.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop potato out, leaving a 1/4" of potato on the skin.
Halve potatoes again then brush the inside of the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place under broiler for about 5 minutes or until light brown.
Fill skins with cheese, scallions and bacon. Broil until cheese melts and serve with sour cream.

Have fun watching the game!

New England Patriots Clam Chowder

Super Bowl week is in full swing here in Scottsdale & if you combine that with the FBR/Phoenix Open that is also happening this week, the town is ready to party. The town is full of Patriots fans & every girl in town has Tom Brady fever. (Except me I reserve my Man Candy fevers for Matt Buechel or Clooney)

If you are a faithful reader you may remember that my super fan parents believe in food good luck charms for their favorite teams. Tonight my mom sent over her New England Patriots Clam Chowder recipe, she mentioned that all the Rally Pies made help the Sox win the World Series, so if you truly love the Pats you will be cooking up some Chowder pregame.

New England Patriots Clam Chowder Donna Minch

3 cans chopped or minced clams
Drain the clams & put just the juice in a 4 to 6 quart pan (depending on the size of your pans)
Prepare the vegetables:

2 C diced potatoes (I like Red potatoes with the skins on)
1 C diced onion
1 C chopped leeks (about 2 small or 1 large leek)
1 C. chopped celery

Put the vegetables in the pan and put in just enough water to cover them
Add the seasonings

1 t. ground pepper
1 ½ t salt
¾ t thyme
6 bay leaves
1 t. Tabasco

Simmer the vegetables until cooked about 15 – 20 minutes

¾ C Butter
¾ C (minus 1T) flour
Melt the butter and blend the flour to make a rue. Wisk it constantly until it’s bubbly.
Add
1 quart half and half

To the vegetable pot add
3 cans drained clams
¾ C Sherry
the milk mixture.

Heat through and serve.
Remember to warm the bowls either in the oven or by putting hot water in them.
Go Pats !

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