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.

Double Chocolate Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding

1 (16 oz) French bread loaf, cubed

1 C white chocolate morsels

1 C dark chocolate morsels

4 large eggs

3 C half & half

1 C sugar

1 T vanilla extract

Sauce:

1/2 C butter

1/2 C packed light brown sugar

1 C whipping cream

1/4 C coffee liqueur

Combine bread pieces, and white and dark chocolate chips in a lightly greased 13 x 9" pan.  Whisk together eggs, half & half, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture, pressing down to soak all pieces of bread. Let stand 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Bake 40 minutes or until edges are golden brown and center is set.  Let cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine butter, brown sugar and whipping cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in coffee liqueur.

Spaetzle

4 servings

4 egg yolks
1 egg
1 3/4 C milk
1 lb flour
1/4 t nutmeg, freshly grated
1 t salt
1/4 t black pepper, freshly grated
1/2 C peanut oil
1/2 C butter, melted
1 T parsley, minced

In small bowl, beat together egg yolks, egg, and milk.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix with wooden spoon just until well blended (do not overmix) Refrigerate, covered, at least one hour up to overnight.

Bring large pot salted water to boil.  Fill large bowl with ice water. Place spatzlemaker, perforated sheet pan, or large-holed colander on top of pot. Force 1/3 of batter through holes into water. Cook until spatzle float to surface, 4-5 minutes. Transfer immediately with slotted spoon to bowl of ice water. Make 2 more batches in the same manner.

When spatzle are cool to the touch, drain well and toss with 1/4 C oil. (Spatzle can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days)

In large saute pan over high heat, heat remaining 1/4 C oil. Add spatzle and cook, without moving pan, until undersides are brown, about 2 minutes. Add butter and saute until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Wiener Schnitzel

4 servings

8 slices white bread, torn into large pieces

1/2 C flour, AP

2 large eggs

1 1/2 C vegetable oil, plus 1 T

4 veal cutlets (about 4 oz each) 1/2" thick, cut from the round

Salt, coarse, to taste

Pepper, black, to taste

4 T butter, unsalted

1 lemon, cut in wedges (for serving)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 300.

Process the bread in a food processor to very fine crumbs, about 30 seconds.  Transfer crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried but not browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Process crumbs again in food processor until finely ground, 5 to 10 seconds.

Prepare a standard breading setup with one pan for flour, one for the egg wash made with beaten eggs and 1 T oil and one pan for bread crumbs.

Place the cutlets between two sheets of plastic and pound to a thickness of 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Season cutlets with salt and pepper.

Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge the cutlets thoroughly in the flour, shaking off the excess, then coat with egg wash, and allow to drain and then a final even and thin coat of bread crumbs.

Place the coated cutlets on a wire rack and allow to dry for 5 minutes.

Heat 3/4 C of the oil and 2 T of butter in a 12" skillet over high heat to 375

Fry 2 cutlets until light golden brown on both sides, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side.

Place cutlets on rack and keep warm

Clean skillet and start over for remaining two cutlets.

Portuguese Chicken

1 C flour, AP
1 T Hungarian sweet paprika, plus 1/4 t
1 (3 lb) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 T EVOO
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
4 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced and chopped
12 pearl onions, blanched 1 minute and peeled
2 large red peppers, fire-roasted, peeled and halved, cut in 3/4-inch strips
6 large cloves garlic, pressed
4 sprigs Italian parsley
4 bay leaves
1/2 C dry white wine
1/2 C tawny Port
1 T dijon mustard
1 T tomato paste
1 T butter, room temperature
1 small baguette

Preheat oven to 350

Whisk 1 C flour, 1 T paprika, 1 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper in large bowl.

Add chicken pieces to seasoned flour, 1 at a time, and turn to coat

Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and saute until brown, 3-5 minutes per side.

Transfer chicken to plate, reserve skillet.

Arrange chicken in single layer in large ovenproof pot. Top with tomatoes and juice, prosciutto, onion, peppers, garlic, parsley, and bay leaves. Sprinkle with 1/4 t paprika.

Add wine and Port to reserved skillet.  Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.  Remove from heat, whisk in mustard and tomato paste.  Pour mixture over chicken and bring to boil.  Cover and transfer to oven

Braise chicken until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours

Discard bay leaves and parsley.  Using tongs, transfer chicken and toppings to platter.

Return sauce in pot to simmer.  If thicker sauce is desired, stir in 1 T flour and butter in small bowl until smooth paste forms.  Add flour paste to sauce and whisk to blend. Simmer until sauce thickens to desired consistency, whisking often.

Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Spoon over chicken and serve with crusty bread.

Paella

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt, coarse, to taste
Pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Olive oil, as needed
8 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chicken thighs
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut pole to pole into 1/2-inch strips
8 oz Spanish chorizo, sliced 1/2-inch thick on the bias
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again
2 C arborio rice
3 1/4 C chicken stock
1/2 C dry white wine
1/2 t saffron, crumbled
1 bay leaf
1 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 C peas, frozen, thawed
2 T parsley leaves, chopped
1 lemon, cut in wedges for serving

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 350.

Toss the shrimp, 1/4 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, 1 T oil, and 1 t of the garlic in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat 2 t oil in a 15-inch paella pan or skillet oven over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking.

Add the pepper strips and cook, stirring occasionally, until the skin begins to blister and turn spotty black, 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the pepper to a small plate and set aside.

Add 1 t oil to the now empty paella pan, heat oil until shimmering but not smoking.

Add chicken pieces in a single layer and cook, without moving the pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes.

Turn the pieces and brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer and transfer chicken to a medium bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and add the chorizo to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until deeply browned and the fat begins to render, 4-5 minutes

Transfer the chorizo to the bowl with the chicken and set aside.

Add enough oil to the fat in the paella pan to equal 2 T. Heat over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking.

Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes, cook until the mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the rice and cook until the grains are well coated with the tomato mixture, 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the chicken broth, wine, saffron, bay leaf, and 1/2 t salt.

Return the chicken and chorizo to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the rice absorbs almost all of the liquid, about 15 minutes.

Remove the paella pan from the oven.

Uncover paella and scatter shrimp over the rice. Insert mussels hinged-side down into the rice (so they stand upright), arrange bell pepper strips in a pinwheel pattern and scatter the peas over the top.

Cover again with aluminum foil and return to the oven. Cook until the shrimp are opaque and the mussels have opened, 10-12 minutes.

Set the paella pan, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating the pan as needed for even browning.

Discard any mussels that have not opened and the bay leaf, if it can be easily removed.

Sprinkle the paella with parsley and serve, passing the lemon wedges separately.

Potato, Pepper, and Chorizo Empanadas

Empanada Dough

2 1/4 C flour, AP
1 1/2 t salt
4 oz butter, unsalted, cold and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 C ice water
1 T distilled white vinegar

Filling

3/4 C Spanish chorizo, finely chopped (3 oz)
2 T olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1/4 t dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 lb Yukon gold potato (about 1 large)

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 T water

Make the dough:
Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-sized) butter lumps.

Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork.  Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. Mixture is meant to look a little shaggy

Turn out mixture onto lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together.

Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least one hour. In the meantime...

Make the filling:
Cook chorizo in oil in a 2 1/2-3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, 2 minutes, then transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add onions to saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and very soft, about 15 minutes.

Add garlic, bell peppers, bay leaf, salt, and oregano and cook, stirring frequently until peppers are very soft, about 15 minutes.

Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, then stir into onion mixture and cook over moderately low heat, covered, stirring frequently, until potatoes are just barely tender, 10-12 minutes.

Add potato mixture to chorizo and stir to combine.

Cool filling to room temperature and discard bay leaf.

Form and Bake empanadas:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 400.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and form each into a disk.  Keeping remaining pieces covered, roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 5-inch round (about 1/8-inch thick)

Spoon about 2 T filling onto center and fold dough in half, enclosing filling. Press edges together to seal, then crimp decoratively with your fingers.

Transfer empanada to baking sheet.  Make 11 more, arranging on 2 baking sheets.

Lightly brush empanadas with some of the egg wash and bake in upper and lower thirds of the oven, switching halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes

Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Serves 4

30 minutes

1/4 C flour

Coarse salt

Black pepper

4 chicken breasts

4 slices prosciutto

4 large sage leaves, plus about 20 smaller leaves

1/2 C vegetable oil

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

8 oz oyster mushrooms, sliced

1 C Marsala wine

1 C chicken stock

4 T butter

2 T parsley leaves, chopped fine

Season flour with salt and pepper.

With a meat mallet, pound the chicken breast to 1/4 inch thickness.  Season with salt and pepper, lay one sage leaf, and one slice prosciutto on each breast. Roll each breast and secure with toothpicks or kitchen twine. Dredge breast in seasoned flour.

In a small saute pan, heat oil to 375.  Fry the small sage leaves and reserve for garnish.

Add chicken and saute until golden brown on both sides. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add shallots and mushrooms to pan and cook until the mushrooms have sweated, about 5-6 minutes.

Add Marsala and chicken stock and cook over high heat until reduced by half.

Swirl the butter into the pan, add the parsley. Return chicken to pan until warm. Serve garnished with fried sage leaves.

Italian Tomato Sauce

2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 cans plum tomatoes, with their juice, pureed in a blender
1 bay leaf
1 bunch parsley
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt
black pepper
6 basil leaves, torn

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan.  Add onions, garlic, and carrot and cook until soft.

Add pureed tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley, pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 30-40 minutes until sauce has thickened.

Remove bay leaf and parsley, add the basil and serve.

Chicken Fricassee

Serves 6

2 lbs chicken breast

Salt

White pepper

1 oz vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 oz AP flour

4 oz white wine

8 oz chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 t thyme leaves

4 oz heavy cream

1/2 lb small-dice carrots, blanched

1/2 lb small-dice leeks, white and green parts, blanched

2 T chopped parsley or minced chives

Season chicken with salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large rondeau or brasier over medium-low heat.  Add onions and garlic to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent - about 5 minutes.

Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until onions are well coated and slightly browned.

Add wine to the pan, stirring to release any drippings.  Add stock, bay leaves, and thyme and bring to a simmer.  Add chicken pieces and cover pot. Cook until chicken is fork-tender and cooked through, 30-40 minutes.

Transfer chicken to plate with a little cooking liquid and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add cream to remaining cooking liquid and simmer until sauce has thickened slightly, 5-7 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Return chicken to the sauce, along with carrots and leeks.  Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.  Serve garnished with sauce and parsley or chives.

Spiced Lamb Chops

30 minutes, serves 4

8 lamb loin chops

Coarse salt & Coarse black pepper

1 t cumin

1 t coriander

1 t paprika

4 T EVOO

2 bell peppers (any color), 1" chop

1 large yellow onion, 1" chop

1 C grape/cherry tomatoes

1/2 C fresh parsley, chop

3 garlic cloves, fine chop

1 1/2 C chicken stock or broth

1 1/2 C couscous

5-6 sprigs mint, fine chop

3 T pine nuts, toasted

Cover chops with wax paper and whack each with heel of hand to flatten. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Combine cumin, coriander, and paprika and sprinkle evenly over chops. Let chops stand 15 minutes.

Heat large skillet over high heat and add 2 T of EVOO. When oil is hot, add peppers and onions. Season veggies with salt and pepper and cook together for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until skins begin to burst. Add 1/2 of parsley to skillet and toss. Transfer to platter and cover with foil.

Place tablespoon of EVOO in a small pot. Heat oil over medium and add garlic. Saute 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add couscous, remove from heat, cover pot. Let stand 5 minutes.

In skillet you already used, add one tablespoon EVOO.  Add lamb chops and sear 2-3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Arrange chops on top of the peppers and onions. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in remaining parsley, mint, and pine nuts.