Cilantro-Chutney Chicken

Ingredients

2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, cut in 1-1/2 inch pieces
2-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2" pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T minced, peeled, fresh ginger
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, sliced, plus more for serving
4 C packed cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 C roasted peanuts
2 tsp. packed brown sugar
1 T fresh lime juice
Steamed rice and sour cream or yogurt, for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add oil and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper; stir into slow cooker with ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. Cover and cook on high 2 hours.

In a food processor, pulse cilantro, peanuts, brown sugar and lime juice until finely chopped; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice, top with sour cream or yogurt.  Add peanuts, cilantro leaves & lime wedges, if desired.

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs: 

¾ pound ground chicken
½ pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup ¼-inch diced carrots (3 carrots)
¾ cup (¼-inch diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups homemade chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
¼ cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1- to 1¼-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don’t have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese. 

(Recipe taken from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa.)

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Recipe adapted from Clinton Kelly's recipe on The Chew.

Clinton made his own enchilada sauce here, but I took the easy way out and bought El Paso's in the can.  It was delish!

Ingredients

2 10 oz. cans El Paso Enchilada Sauce, warmed

24 Corn Tortillas
1-2 Rotisserie Chickens (shredded) **I wanted more chicken, so used 2
1 cups Mexican Crema or Sour Cream
1 pound Jack Cheese (shredded; 1 cup reserved for topping)
2 cups Salsa Fresca
1 cup Cilantro (chopped)

Heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a medium skillet to 350º F. Using tongs, dip the Tortillas into the oil one at a time for 10 seconds. Set aside and keep warm. Then dip each tortilla into the warm Enchilada Sauce. In a 13x9 baking dish, lay 6 of the smothered Tortillas in an even layer. Then spread half of the shredded Chicken on top of the Tortillas. Continue to build even layers with one-third of the following ingredients: Mexican Crema, Jack cheese, Salsa Fresca and Cilantro. Repeat the layers starting with the Tortillas. Top the casserole with another layer of Tortillas and sprinkle the reserved Jack Cheese over.

Bake casserole for 20 minutes, or until the Cheese has melted.

Serve with any or all of the following toppings:

Remaining Enchilada Sauce

Queso Fresco
Mexican Crema
Chopped Avocados
Pickled Jalapenos
Lime Wedges to serve; optional