White Chicken Chili

1 clove garlic, sliced
4 large chicken breasts
6 T butter
1 white onion, diced
1/4 C white flour
8 oz diced jalapenos
1 qt half and half
40 oz chicken broth
1 t white pepper
1 very large dash cumin
1 very large dash chili powder
4 oz diced green chiles
24 oz Pepper Jack cheese (must be grated by hand)
32 oz Great Northern beans, boiled

In 12" skillet place garlic slices in one inch water. Place chicken in skillet, cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and place in bowl of ice water 5 minutes. Discard poaching liquid. With hands shred chicken.

Using 3T butter sauté onions until clear.

In dutch oven, begin a roux - melt 3T butter and mix flour in slowly on low heat.

Move onions into pot with roux.

In skillet, heat jalapenos on low.

After 2 minutes add half of cream and half of chicken broth to dutch oven.  Add dry spices. Add chicken. After 10 minutes add the rest of the cream and chicken broth. Add jalapenos and green chiles. After 5 minutes add half cheese and all beans.

Simmer 35 minutes.

Add the rest of the cheese. Simmer at least 2 hours up to overnight on LOW.

Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Candied Bacon
8 slices center cut thick bacon
1/2 C brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Place bacon in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet.

Sprinkle brown sugar on top of bacon strips. Bake 20-30 minutes or until crispy, turning bacon over
     after 15 minutes

Remove bacon from the oven and place on a wire rack for cooling.

Once bacon has cooled chop it finely.

Cookies
2 1/4 C flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
3/4 C butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 T vanilla
2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Reduce oven temperature to 325

Sift flour and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, cream butter with the white and brown sugar.

Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk.  Beat until light and creamy.

Add flour mixture and mix well.

Add diced candied bacon and chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.

Place golf ball sized balls of dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are browned.

Remove from oven and let cookies sit on cookie sheet a few minutes before transferring to wire rack.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Billy Joel's Tuna & Cucumber Salad

"Billy Joel's" because I got it out of some magazine featuring celebrity's favorite recipes.

2 servings

1/4 C Teriyaki sauce
1/4 C Fresh lemon juice
1 T chopped parsley
2/3 C & 1 t olive oil
2 (8-oz) fresh tuna steaks
2 small cucumbers, peel, seed, and slice thin
1/4 C white wine vinegar
1 T chopped cilantro
1/2 small red onion, slice thin

In glass pie plate or bowl combine teriyaki sauce, lemon juice, parsley, 2/3 C oil and 1/4 t black pepper. Add tuna steaks, making sure fish is completely covered by marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

In another bowl, combine cucumbers, vinegar, cilantro, 1 t oil, 1/4 t each salt and pepper and onion. Refrigerate at least one hour and up to overnight.

Remove tuna from marinade and discard marinade. Preheat ridged grill pan on medium-high. Cook tuna 4-6 minutes or until browned on both sides but still pink in center, turning once.

Drain cucumber salad. Break tuna into chunks and add to cucumbers.

Egg Curry

4 Appetizer portions

3 T corn oil

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

1 t minced fresh ginger

1 C fine-chopped onions

3 scallions, white only, sliced thin

1/2 C chopped tomato

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t ground fennel seed

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 t ground turmeric

1/2 t salt

1 C water

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet and brown the eggs on all sides over moderate heat for about 3 minutes. Remove the eggs and set aside.

Add the ginger, onion and scallions to the oil and stir fry until the onions are light brown.  Add the tomato and stir fry for 2 minutes to make a sauce.

Add the cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, turmeric and salt.  Stir fry the mixture for 1 minute and add the water.  Bring to a boil, stirring rapidly for a minute and add the eggs.  Cook the curry over moderately low heat for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve with rice (or don't)

Pico de Gallo

4 plum tomatoes, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced

1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lime, juiced

1/4 C olive oil

1 t salt, coarse

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together.  Toss thoroughly.  Let sit 15 min - 1 hour for flavors to marry.

Beans a La Charra

3 C dried pinto beans
3 qt water
6 slices (about 8 oz) uncooked bacon, coarsely chopped
1/2 C diced onion
1 T chopped garlic
1/2 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 T chile powder
2 t ground cumin
1 T salt

In a stockpot, soak the beans overnight in the water - covering beans. Do not drain beans.

The next day, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6-8 minutes.

Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir the chile powder and cumin and cook for 1 minute more.

Add reserved soaking water while stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen all brown bits adhered to pan.

Add beans and remaining water and bring to a rapid boil.

Decrease heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until the beans are soft

When beans are cooked through, add the salt and cook 1-2 more minutes

Keep warm until ready to serve, or cool, cover, and refrigerate up to three days.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

5 large roma tomatoes, whole, not cored or cut in any way

1 serrano chile or jalapeno

2 cloves garlic, skin-on

1/4 C white onion, minced

1 t salt, or to taste

1/2 bunch cilantro

Put a piece of aluminum foil  in a heavy saute pan (preferably cast iron) and set it over medium high heat.

Place the whole tomatoes, chile, and garlic cloves in the pan and dry-roast them on all sides until well charred and soft.

The garlic and chiles will be done quickly, the tomatoes may take 10 minutes or longer to cook.

Peel the garlic and stem the chile.

Place the tomatoes, garlic, and chile in a food processor with the onion, salt, and cilantro.

Pulse until salsa is smooth and adjust for seasoning.