Chicken Puebla Stew

I honestly know what kills my husband about my eating habits: when he asks what I want to eat, my answer is always the same - "something healthy, cheap, and delicious." Really, Leah? Yes, really. Even when cooking at home, that is a tough request. Following the decadence of the holiday season, this healthy and flavorful soup satisfies the part of you that wants to continue eating everything in sight, and the other part of you that swore to eat better/workout/fill-in-the-blank.

Don't be intimidated by the unique cooking style of this soup - charing the onions and garlic before pureeing. I promise that anyone can do it. Top the soup with some diced avocado (healthy fat), cilantro, sour cream (low fat, please), and a couple tortilla chips, and enjoy.

Chicken Puebla Stew

2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)

2 c broth/stock

2 t. salt

2 garlic cloves whole, not peeled
1 small onion, quartered

1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes in juice

1 chipotle in Adobo (1 medium chilie)

1 t. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

1 t. Cumin

½ t. Smoked paprika

1 (1 1/2-oz) link dried Spanish chorizo, finely diced

1  small onion, diced

1 T.  vegetable oil

1 c. corn (frozen)

1  14 oz can white hominy

1 avocado, diced

warm corn tortillas or chips
Sour cream
Cilantro

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and saute over medium heat until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; set aside. Once cool, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces or shred it. You can also use leftover chicken rather than making some - any cut of chicken will do.

In a large dutch oven, cook the chorizo and diced small onion in oil over medium heat until the fat is rendered, about 2-4 minutes. 


Meanwhile, heat a small dry cast-iron skillet over high heat and brown the garlic and quartered onion on all sides, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes. Peel the garlic, and transfer it and the onion to a blender. Add the tomatoes with juice, chiles, and oregano, then purée until smooth.


Add cumin and paprika to the large pot with chorizo and onion, cooking 2-3 minutes more. Carefully add the tomato purée (it will splatter and steam) and the hominy, and simmer, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes or until thick. Add the 2 cups of broth and return the soup to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken and frozen corn; let simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.  


Serve with sour cream, sprinkled with diced avocado and cilantro.

Adapted from Epicurious, original recipe available at www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Puebla-Chicken-and-Potato-Stew-109026

Macaroni & Cheese

I've had several people find my first post about macaroni and cheese, and tell me that they don't feel confident enough to try it without a more formal recipe. I am happy to help, so I have developed this recipe from my method.

Before you scoff at my adding mustard to this, it brings out the cheesinesses of the sauce, and guarantees you'll love it. Plus, over the summer I was at the Taste of Madison, and a comfort food style restaurant there was serving macaroni and cheese. It was amazing - oh, and tasted exactly like mine. Not only that, they had used the same pasta that I have come to use, cavatappi. But don't worry if you don't have that, any short pasta will do.

Mac & Cheese
1 lb short pasta
½ small yellow onion, minced
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
½ tsp Paprika
2 ½ cups milk (any percent; I use 1%)
1 ½ tsp Grey Poupon Country Dijon Mustard (or another coarsely ground mustard)
2 cups Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Grated Parmesan
salt
pepper

First, bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. If the water boils before you are ready to cook the pasta, just turn the burner off. Once you're ready to cook, turn the burner back on to high, and it will only take about 1 minute to boil again. It is much easier to have it waiting for you, than the other way around.

Meanwhile, sweat the onion in the butter over low heat until it is very soft; about 5-8 minutes. Add the flour and stir to make a roux – cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the paprika, a little pepper, and mustard. Then, whisking constantly, add about half of the milk, and continue to whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Once it is smooth, add the remaining milk and bring mixture to a boil. Once bubbles begin to break on the surface, the sauce is as thick as it will get. Waiting to add the cheese until you are ready to serve, take sauce off heat before adding cheese bit by bit until melted, making sure to stir constantly while adding. Wait to salt the sauce to taste until the cheese is added to the sauce.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, toss with the sauce and serve - this is a no-bake mac and cheese. There are a few reasons I don't bake it: 1) I can't wait that long to eat pasta or cheese, let alone both together; 2) I hate making more dirty dishes than I have to, and it doesn't add to the overall flavor of the dish; 3) I don't like over cooked pasta; and 4) I don't need crunch on it - it detracts from the creamy deliciousness. Feel free to disagree.

(If you add the cheese and then let the sauce sit, the cheese will separate in the sauce and the sauce will be grainy. If that happens, eat it anyway. It happens to me too, but it is still delicious.)

Gouda & Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken

This dish is so sinful, no one will believe that it's not bad for you. I adapted this from a health food cookbook! It is really good served with some sauteed asparagus.

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. Chicken breasts (3)
2 c. Buttermilk (use more if necessary to cover)
3 slices Prosciutto
3 slices Smoked Gouda cheese
1½ c. Italian breadcrumbs
EVOO

Method:

Place a chicken breast between plastic wrap, and pound until about 1” thick. Using a boning knife, slice the breast in half lengthwise, leaving one long side together. Repeat with all chicken breasts. Place the chicken in a bowl, cover with buttermilk, and allow to marinade for 20-30 minutes.

Heat a large non-stick skillet with a little EVOO over medium heat. Place breadcrumbs on a plate; set aside. Working with one chicken breast at a time, remove from the bowl and lay a piece of cheese and prosciutto in the middle of each one. Making sure the breast is still coated in buttermilk, dip it in the breadcrumbs to coat. Place the chicken in the hot pan.

Once all of the breasts are golden brown on both sides, place the pan into the oven for 18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Healthy Cooking by William-Sonoma; recipe created on 3/9/09.

Note: I found the best prosciutto and smoked gouda cheese slices at Trader Joe's.

Maccaroni & Cheese

What's better than macaroni and cheese when you need a little decadent comfort food? What I love about this version is that it tastes rich but it isn't - and its cheep to boot.

As I have said many times before, I am on a budget, and as of last week it became a tourniquet. Despite money being diverted to investments in my future, I must continue to eat like a queen, and queens eat cheese (this is speculation).

Last week, as loan documents were being processed and I was feeling poor, I opened the fridge and despaired that there was simply a bag of cheddar cheese, milk, butter, expired eggs, and a tube of tomato paste. What on earth was I supposed to do?!? After five minutes of dismay - duh. MC. So, off I set, only slightly concerned that the previous three times I had whipped this up I was disappointed at the grainy consistency and the lack of cheesy deliciousness. As it turned out, my lack of ingredients was my savior. I believe that my problem had been that I was trying too hard.

This time, I finely minced one small yellow onion and one clove of garlic, and added it to my saucier with butter and olive oil, over low heat. While that was becoming translucent, I added some salt, pepper and county dijon mustard - just a little because it intensifies the flavor of the cheese (yum), and a little sweet paprika, mostly for color. After about 5 minutes, I whisked in 2 tablespoons of flour and let it cook for a few minutes. Then I added about 1 and 1/2 cups of 1% milk and let that come up to a simmer. (This process of combining fats, like butter, with flour is called a roux, which is a thickening agent.) By the time the sauce reaches a simmer, the roux will be at its full thickening capacity; you may need to add more milk if the sauce is too thick. I then added about 2 cups of cheddar cheese and the sauce was done. This whole process takes about as long as boiling the water and cooking the pasta.

The final product was my best yet - even the leftovers were cheesy and delicious Next time you want Macaroni and Cheese - make your own!