white chili and a family gathering

 We had out of town family who came to see a basketball game so i made white chili to have on hand. everyone wanted the recipe so i quickly wrote it down  and promised to blog it . there will only be a picture of the finished product however. i made a ton and used more meat than one would need to use. we had 15 of us around so i made a large batch.

white chili ingredients:
1 pound of cannelloni beans, soaked overnight
5 pounds of of boneless chicken breasts and thighs, cubed in 1 inch pieces
2 onions, chopped
8 cloves of garlic,minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
32 ounces of chicken broth
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can of niblet corn( frozen could be used)
2 orange peppers, diced
2 poblano chili peppers, dice(for heat)
1 tablespoon ground oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 bunch fresh cilantro(dried could be used)

i sauted the garlic and onions in the olive oil , then added the peppers followed by the chicken stock , tomatoes with juice corn with juice, and the seasonings except for the cilantro which will be saved till the very end. when this comes to a boil, add the drained beans. i cooked them for about an hour and then added the chicken. when it returned to a simmer, i turned the stove on low and cooked for another 2 hours, covered. i turned the stove off and let it sit for several hours. i reheated it and added the cilantro. i did not add any salt or pepper. it had quite a bite from the poblano peppers and cajun seasoning. it was a big hit!

we had a family birthday.  the birthday girl requested finger food and CAKE. our 12 year old granddaughter made these fresh spring rolls all by her self. we request them from her frequently and they are so good. 

       our son made 2 kinds of venison sausage. low in fat and very tasty. the large slices have cheese in them.

one of our favorites from kristi. turkey sausage stuffed in those tiny peppers that are in the deli sections

 my personal favorite from kristi...she layers pesto, tomatoes and cheese on good local bread and places it under the broiler for a few minutes...soooooooooo good!

 i neglected to take a picture of the tzatziki which was made by our grandson drew to go with his mom's falafel
  
and last but not least...birthday cake...chocolate,chocolate and chocolate...i tried something different for the glaze...bittersweet chocolate and seedless raspberry jam. i will do that again. so have a piece and enjoy!!

italian sausage sandwiches for after the ?

we are lucky enough to have our family all in the same community. there are many events that occur around dinner time. so, out comes the slow cooker again! this recipe is more about technique and advance preparation. the amount of the ingredients is not critical.  we were serving our usual dozen.

ingredients: italian sausage, sauce, onions and peppers, olive oil,and rolls...i also used some fresh garlic, fresh tomatoes and some red wine
this time i used 48 ounces of  commercial sauce that we doctored with 8 fresh cloves of garlic, some fresh tomatoes, and 1 cup of red wine. my helper granddaughter is sauteing the garlic and tomatoes in a touch of olive oil. the hot pan will be cleansed with the red wine and all will go in the pot with the sauce

the sausage is a combination of regular italian and 4 long links of hot sausage. i line a large roasting pan with foil. spray it lightly and place the sausages in the pan. i put the sausages in a preheated 500 degree oven for 20 minutes. this browns the sausages and releases most of the fat. the sausages are then placed on paper towels to  get rid of any fat that is lingering on them.

 what a job my 'prep chef' husband did on the onions and peppers. he does not cook but he is a great help with the chopping. for this amount of sausages we used 2 very large onions, 2 each of red, yellow, orange and poblano chili peppers. after the peppers and onions were prepped, they were placed in a plastic bag and refrigerated till after the game.

 we were going to be gone for 4 or 5 hours so shortly before we left the house we turned the slow cooker on low

when we returned , all we needed to do was saute the peppers and onions in a small amount of olive oil

                                        make yourself a sausage sandwich and enjoy!

deviled eggs

super bowl sunday gathering and i brought smoked salmon and deviled eggs...lots of deviled eggs and they were gone in a heartbeat and everyone wanted to know my 'secret'. years ago my friend marg maurer told me that she used chopped sweet pickle in her eggs. i tried it and loved the combination of sweet with a bite and have done that ever since with one small change. i switched to sweet pickle relish which is a little easier.

 i boiled 14 eggs for this batch and for the first time ever, measured the ingredients. they measurements will    vary depending on the size of the eggs and also the number of eggs  but if the proportions are close it should work

ingredients:
1 cup light mayo
2 heaping tablespoons dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped and drained pickle relish
1 teaspoon creole seasoning

boil, chill and peel the eggs and cut in half.( i put them in ice water immediately after they are hard boiled to stop the cooking time. it also makes them easier to peel.) place the yolks in a bowl and crumble with a fork. add mayo, mustard, relish and seasoning and blend.

i place the relish on paper towels to get rid of the excess moisture. i even chop it on the paper towels. scrap it off with the chopping knife.

i filled the eggs with a pastry bag because they were 'going out' otherwise i just fill using 2 spoons. add a sprinkle of cajun seasoning and enjoy!