Food For Friday - Week 2

Food for Friday

Today I am featuring a cookbook given to me by a dear friend who lives in the Upper Peninsula of  Michigan.  I met her when we were living in Livonia, Michigan in 1989-1991.

Recipes and Remembrances

The cookbook was made by the Trinity Lutheran Church in Brevort MI.  It was published in 2010 for their Centennial Celebration. It has many stories of the Swedish immigrants that came to that town on the shore of Lake Michigan for the fishing.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken
2 14 ounce cans of chicken broth or 28 ounces of homemade stock
3 16 ounce cans of white beans
2 cups white onions chopped
1 Tbsp fresh garlic,minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 4 ounce can chopped green chilies with liquid
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 dash of your favorite hot sauce

Let's cook:
Start by preparing your chicken.  You have many options.  You could use chicken breast, cut up chicken, a store prepared rotisserie chicken or a whole chicken.  I bought a 3 pound organic chicken which I poached and then used the poaching liquid for my broth.

How to Poach a chicken:  
1   pound chicken
1 large onion unpeeled and halved
3 carrots, cut into chunks, unpeeled
2 stalks celery, but into chunks 
1 TBSP whole peppercorns.
Water to Cover

Place chicken in large pot with onion, carrots, celery and peppercorns, add water to cover.









Cover pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook for 90 minutes or until chicken meat is falling off the bone.  Remove chicken, let cool, remove the skin, shred or chop the meat.


    
 


      

 Chop onions and garlic.  This should be a fine dice.
Saute in olive oil until soft and translucent....you don't want to brown them.  About 10 minutes on medium heat.






Add to stock pot with the chicken broth.  I strained the poaching liquid from cooking my chicken discarding the vegetables and used it for my stock.

 Wash and drain the white beans.  I used white kidney beans.  You can use navy beans, great northern.....just any white bean will do.  If you want to prepare your own from dried beans....knock yourself out.  Today I didn't have time to do that.

Then add the beans to the stock pot along with the entire can of green chillies (do NOT drain) and the chicken.

 Stir in the cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and
hot sauce.  I also stirred in 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese to make it smooth and creamy.

Shred the cheese and add about 1 cup to the chilli now

                                                                   Heat until bubbly.

A  Heaping ladle full of delicious goodness.
I used over half of my chicken in the soup because I like it to be hearty.  I also shred the chicken into small pieces which makes it easier to eat.






 When serving the chili I like to put several toppings on the table so everyone can make their bowl the way they like it. 

Avocados diced and placed in a pretty bowl.

Shredded Pepper Jack and Monterey Jack cheese

Sour Cream and more cheese

                                            

Tortilla chips crunched over the top of the chili is the perfect topping.

 Make this delicious chili and top it your way!!  Please let me know what you like on yours!!  This is a great recipe full of fiber, protein and great flavor.  If you want to make it lighter use light sour cream or leave it  out all together.  You can also use light cheese.
I would love to hear back from you. Hope you try this Food for Friday.






White Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken
2 14 ounce cans of chicken broth or 28 ounces of homemade stock
3 16 ounce cans of white beans
2 cups white onions chopped
1 Tbsp fresh garlic,minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 4 ounce can chopped green chilies with liquid
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 dash of your favorite hot sauce
Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded)
Sour Cream
Salt (1/2 tsp) to taste unless topping with tortilla chips (Chips add enough salt)
Let's cook:
Start by preparing your chicken.  You have many options.  You could use chicken breast, cut up chicken, a store prepared rotisserie chicken or a whole chicken.  I bought a 3 pound organic chicken which I poached and then used the poaching liquid for my broth.
How to Poach a chicken:  
1   pound chicken
1 large onion unpeeled and halved
3 carrots, cut into chunks, unpeeled
2 stalks celery, but into chunks
1 TBSP whole peppercorns.
Water to Cover
Place chicken in large pot with onion, carrots, celery and peppercorns, add water to cover
Cover pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook for 90 minutes or until chicken meat is falling off the bone.  Remove chicken, let cool, remove the skin, shred or chop the meat.
 Chop onions and garlic.  This should be a fine dice.
Saute in olive oil until soft and translucent....you don't want to brown them.  About 10 minutes on medium heat.
Add to stock pot with the chicken broth.  I strained the poaching liquid from cooking my chicken discarding the vegetables and used it for my stock.
Wash and drain the white beans.  I used white kidney beans.  You can use navy beans, great northern.....just any white bean will do.  If you want to prepare your own from dried beans....knock yourself out.  Today I didn't have time to do that.
Then add the beans to the stock pot along with the entire can of green chillies (do NOT drain) and the chicken.
 Stir in the cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and hot sauce.  I also stirred in 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese to make it smooth and creamy.
I used over half of my chicken in the soup because I like it to be hearty.  I also shred the chicken into small pieces which makes it easier to eat.
Shred cheese  add about 1 cup to the chili now
Heat until bubbly.
Tortilla chips crunched over the top of the chili is the perfect topping

Happy Trails,

Mtn Mama























Happy Trails,
 Mtn Mama