Chicken Chili

Submitted by T.B. Player

Ingredients

2½ lbs boneless chicken breast 1 lb bag frozen corn
3 large cans black beans (Goya recommended) 1 large can hominy (white corn)
2 small cans tomato paste 1 large can stewed tomatoes
3 whole limes 2 large red onions
1 large white onions 2 large green peppers
1 large red pepper 1 large yellow pepper
1 large orange pepper

Other Prep

chili powder cinnamon cumin
crushed red pepper black pepper onion powder
garlic powder olive oil corn starch
minced garlic in water 6 oz Jack Daniels 2 oz Jose Cuervo
8 oz orange juice brown sugar
Key West lime juice 2 sticks unsalted butter Yucatan Sunshine Habanero Pepper Sauce

The Day Before

  1. Take the all of the colored peppers & chop them into ½ inch cubes. Pop them in a covered container with a capful (about 2 oz.) of Olive Oil, 4 oz. of Orange Juice, 2 Heaping tablespoons of Minced Garlic, a dash of Cumin, the Jose Cuervo, a little black pepper, & a few drops of the Pepper Sauce (NOTE: This stuff is LEATHAL…1-3 drops is enough to produce a mild warmth, if you like hotter go a little more, but no more than about 10. You’ll be adding some more later, so if you really don’t want it too spicy this is a good time to think “less is more”). Shake until coated & then let sit overnight.
  2. Dice ¼ of the white onion, & then wrap & put aside the rest of it. In an oiled frying pan, sauté the onion until lightly brown, & then set aside. Do not drain it off.
  3. In a saucepan, melt ¼ stick of butter. When it is liquid, add in a dash of Garlic Powder, a dash of Onion Powder, a dash of Cinnamon, a small tbsp of Minced Garlic, & 4 oz. of Jack Daniels. Bring to a boil, & then add ½ c. of Brown Sugar to the mix, & stir rapidly. As the sugar dissolves, the mixture should begin to thicken considerably, but you my need to sift in some corn starch to get it to thicken up to a syrup-like consistency. Once it thickens, add in the diced onion with the oil, & stir rapidly. Pour the mixture into a container, cover & refrigerate.

The Morning Of

  1. Thoroughly wash & dry the chicken, cut it into bite size pieces, then place it in a container with the remaining 2 oz. of Jack Daniels, the other 4 oz. of Orange Juice, 2 heaping tbsp of Garlic, 2 oz. of Nellie & Joe’s Lime Juice, a dash of Black Pepper, & 2-3 drops of the Habanero pepper sauce. Slice one of the limes into ¼ inch thick slices, squeeze them into the mixture & then drop them in the container. Seal it. Shake well & let sit in the fridge for the next few hours.

The Time Is Now

  1. Open all of the canned vegetables. Drain everything except one can of black beans, & add them to a large stew pot. Mix the tomato paste with a few drops of the Habanero Pepper sauce, some crushed red pepper, some black pepper, a dash of cumin & some onion powder, & then stir it into the beans. Bring them to a low simmer, & stir occasionally.
  2. Take a large skillet, & wipe the bottom with an olive oiled paper towel, Bring the pan to a medium high heat & then add in the Frozen Corn (This will crackle, be careful). Cut the second lime into strips, & then add it to the pan as the corn sizzles. While the corn is frying, stir in 2 oz. of lime juice & some cinnamon, coating the corn thoroughly. If the corn sticks, add oil sparingly.
  3. Dice the remaining white onion, & add it to the corn, stirring rapidly until the onion beings to soften, pick out the lime slices & toss them, then add the mixture to the saucepot, & stir.
  4. Melt the remaining butter in a small sauce pan, & bring it to a low simmer with a tbsp of Garlic. Cut the Red Onions into quarters, along with a lime & then boil them in the butter until they become flaky & begin to separate. Drain off the butter into a separate container, toss out the lime & then add the onions to the beans & corn.
  5. Take the refrigerated pepper mixture & pour it into the saucepan, bringing it to a low simmer for 2-3 minutes, & then add the entire mixture into the pot.
  6. Pour a small amount of the butter that you drained from the onions, into the bottom of the frying pan & bring it to a sizzle. Drain the chicken off, & mix the chicken liquid with the remaining butter & set it aside. Blend the Jack Daniels sauce in with the chilled chicken, rolling it in the syrup so that it coats thoroughly. Add the chicken in small amounts to the butter, & once it is cooked add it to the vegetable mixture. As the chicken absorbs the butter, add more of the butter/marinade mixture to keep the pan moist (not soggy) while the chicken sears.
  7. Bring the chili mixture to a high simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, & then serve. Garnish with Cheddar cheese & sour cream to taste.

Mexican Beans & Rice

6 Servings
206 Cal; 1g Fat (6% calories from fat); 6g Pro; 41g Carb; 0mg Chol; 319mg Sod

Ingredients

1 c. long-grain white rice, uncooked ½ tsp olive oil
1 c. onions, chopped 1 c. celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced 15 oz. pinto beans, canned, drained, & washed
8 oz. no-salt-added tomato sauce ½ c. water
1 tbsp ketchup 1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp hot pepper sauce

Directions

  1. Cook rice according to package directions. 
  2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat add onions, celery, & garlic. Cook & stir until crisp-tender. 
  3. Add pinto beans, tomato sauce, water, ketchup, chili powder, & hot pepper sauce. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. 
  4. Serve over rice.

Pasta with Sausage & Vegetables

Pasta with Sausage and Veggies by Tom Ipri on FlickrSubmitted by Carli

Ingredients

1 lb. tube pasta (rigatoni, penne, etc.) 1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. kielbasa sausage, cut into 1″ chunks 2 bell peppers (1 red & 1 yellow), diced
2 c. broccoli florets, bite size 1 tbsp minced garlic
1 14oz. can chopped tomatoes 1 c. shredded mozzarella

Directions

  1. Cook pasta per directions until firm-tender. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. 
  2. Add sausage & heat through. Remove with a slotted spoon & set aside. 
  3. Add peppers, broccoli, & garlic & cook until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes & add sausage back. 
  4. Increase heat to high & cook uncovered until hot, stirring often. Drain pasta & return to pot. 
  5. Add sausage mixture, then toss to mix. 
  6. Spoon into serving dish & top with cheese.

Pasta with Clam Sauce

Submitted by Monica

Ingredients

3 6½ oz. cans chopped clams 6½ oz. can whole clams
3-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
2 tbsp fresh oregano 2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh parsley (flat leaf or Italian) 1 box pasta
Olive Oil salt & Pepper
Dry White Wine (Sauvignon blanc works well) Romano cheese

Directions

  1. On medium heat, in a large skillet, add olive oil & minced garlic. Cook until slightly browned , add Italian seasoning & toast for 2 minutes.
  2. Add 4 cans of clams (with juice), add salt & pepper to taste.
  3. Bring to a boil, add one full can of wine (or, if you don’t want to use wine, add the juice of 1 lemon), turn down heat to a simmer.
  4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until only about ¾ to 1 c. of liquid is left (about 30-40 minutes)
  5. Cook pasta according to directions on the pkg. in salted water (the water should have at least 1 full tsp of salt – NO OIL).
  6. When the pasta is al dente, add pasta to the pan with clam sauce to finish cooking.
  7. Add pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce (you’ll need anywhere from ½ to 1½ c.).
  8. Add fresh herbs & cheese, fold together. Serve with hot crusty bread & more cheese.

Fettuccine Alfredo To Kill For

Submitted by smalltownsongs
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 box Barilla brand fettuccine ½ stick butter
1 qt heavy cream 8 oz. Parmesan cheese
6 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano 1 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper olive oil

Directions

  1. In a big pot fill ¾ of the way with cold water. Dash some salt in there, & about a tbsp or so of Olive Oil. Bring that to a boil, & throw in your box of pasta. If it’s Barilla brand it will be about 11½ – 12 minutes to boil until done. Be sure to stir it every so often. Drain it, put it aside.
  2. In a good sized saucepan, throw in the garlic, basil, oregano, salt, & pepper with the butter. On low-medium heat, simmer until butter melts. Once the butter melts, sauté herbs for about 3-5 minutes (stirring constantly), any longer than that & the mixture will burn.
  3. Turn the heat up to medium level & splash a little heavy cream in there & get a good stir going. I’d say, maybe ½ c.. Keep that up every 5 minutes until you have about a ½ container left. Now you’ve got about ½ container of cream left, some unused cheese, & the herb mixture. Open the container of cheese. With a kitchen knife, stab at the cheese in the container & break the bigger clumps of cheese down.
  4. Put about a quarter of the cheese into the pot. Stir well, pour in ½ c. of the remaining cream, & repeat until you have no more cheese or cream left. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat & stir every 3-5 minutes for about 15 minutes The cream will eventually expand & “puff” up the whole thing, so don’t panic. When that happens, turn the heat to low, & get ready to serve. If it doesn’t happen, no worries, after your 15 minutes is up (after adding the last of the cream & cheese) just turn the heat down to low & prepare to serve.
  5. Put some pasta on the plate, dump some sauce on all over it, garnish with a basil leaf.