Election Night Chicken

Lately I have had a hankering for chicken piccata, so tonight I decided to do a repeat of Ina Garten's chicken picatta that I made before here. I tend to not repeat many recipes as there are always so many new ones that I want to try, however, tonight I decided to go back to one that we enjoyed once before since I knew it was quick, easy, and tasty. One of the things I love about chicken piccata is the tang and bright fresh flavor from the lemon and that was what I was really craving. It was also a perfect meal for tonight since it is quick with it being election night. We ended up with plenty of time to not only enjoy a home cooked meal, but also watch all the exciting election coverage. Tonight's repeat chicken piccata was just as yummy as the last time we had it! A wonderful repeat. Russ gives it a 9 once again.

A Tasty Repeat in Telluride

If you have been reading this blog since it started then you may remember that last March I went with Russ and his family out to Telluride, Colorado to go skiing. This year we were blessed to be able to all go again (plus a few newer significant others). I did not grow up in a skiing family, so last year was my first time ever to go skiing. Since I am still new to skiing I am still learning lots about how to ski and the skiing lifestyle. One thing that struck me odd was that despite it being after daylight savings that the lifts close at 4 pm. It stays light for several hours after 4 pm and while I know that certain things have to happen after the lifts close such as ski patrol making a last run and the snow “cats” grooming the runs it still seemed like they would at least run until 5 pm. Well, by the second day I was thankful that they did close at 4 pm. Skiing is a lot of fun, but it is totally exhausting and by 4 pm each day I was ready to take off my ski boots and find a cold beer.

I was especially happy to have the lifts close at 4 pm on the night that Russ and I cooked dinner for everyone. Last year and again this year each of the four Chambliss “kids” and their respective significant other take one night to cook for everyone. Last year Russ and I did a Mexican theme with tortilla soup and tacos, here. This year I debated about what to make… Being a planner I wanted to know what we were going to make before we went, so this meant I wanted to stay away from dishes that I thought might be prepared by the other siblings in order to not duplicate. I finally decided on a simple, yet hearty dish that makes a great presentation and everyone loves – Chicken Vegetable Braid. It is a repeat on the blog that Russ and I made once before here.

The Chicken Vegetable Braid is pretty when it is whole like a present all wrapped up. Once you cut into it you see all the bright and pretty colors of the vegetables. It is a delicious and filling meal. I really like how all the flavors and textures play together in this dish. Russ and I were especially pleased that everyone seemed to enjoy it! Russ rates it a 9.

Chicken and Vegetable Braid (Mom from Pampered Chef)

1 cup broccoli, diced

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1/3 cup red pepper, diced

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tsp. dill mix
½ cup mayonnaise (I use reduced fat)

¼ tsp. salt

2 packages crescent rolls (I use reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 375 F.Mix everything except the crescent rolls together in a bowl (this can be done the night before if you want). Then roll out the rolls and cut slices. Put the mixture in the middle and then wrap the slices cris crossing at the top (to form the braid). Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes. (My notes: To serve 10 I made two braids and did a little more than double the chicken / veggie mixture.)

My Bone to Pick with the Weather...

It is early January and yesterday it went up to 70 degrees! It felt like Spring and while Cash, Russ and I enjoyed being outside I was disappointed as I had planned to make a pot roast for dinner but it just didn’t feel right with the warm weather. So, I decided to wait and make it when the weather turns colder. Today it goes up to 70 again! While the warm weather may still control what I wear I have decided will no longer be a factor in what we have for dinner. Well, I have been craving meat loaf for a while now and I decided that just because it feel like Spring outside today and is too warm for sweaters or fires that I am still going to prepare a hearty, winter meal tonight. The weather may have postponed the pot roast, but it won’t postpone the meat loaf, so take that weather!

This is actually a blog repeat as I have not just been craving meat loaf, but craving Cooking Light’s Chipotle Meat Loaf which I made earlier in the blog here. Russ and I both really like this meat loaf. It is nontraditional and a little firmer texture than more traditional ones, but it is packed with great flavors and a little bit of a kick. We topped it with Elizabeth’s Mom’s homemade ketchup which is super yummy and a perfect complement to the meat loaf. The only changes I made from last time were that included three chipotle peppers and I did the meat loaf in little individual pans. It was yummy and my meat loaf craving has been satisfied! Russ rates it a 9.

The First Blog Repeat

If you are a regular follower of this blog (which to be perfectly honest I am not sure if anyone outside of my parents, Russ, and Jess is – hey guys!) then you’ll know that most recipes don’t get repeated in our house. It is not that we don’t find recipes that are tasty enough that we would want to have them again, but quite frankly there are just too many recipes that I want to try to take the time to repeat an old one. As with most blanket statements there are exceptions such as a few dishes that are quick and easy for a weeknight meal when I don’t want to be in the kitchen very long (such as chicken taco salads, spaghetti sauce etc.) and then there are those that we love so much that we bypass the recipes that are waiting to be tried to repeat an old one. A few weeks ago one of these showed up on the blog, the Cheddar, Chicken Chowder, however, I had not made it since I started this blog. So, tonight the first true repeat shows with its second blog entry… drum roll please… for the second time….Tortilla Soup!

Now if you think the fanfare for this Tortilla Soup is silly then you obviously have not tried it since I last blogged about it in March. Like the cookies in my last post this is for me the look no further best ever recipe for Tortilla Soup. It is simple to make with only a few ingredients, but the chopped corn tortillas that are added at the beginning and break down as you simmer the soup make this soup fantastic. The tortilla pieces add a richness and thickness to this soup that for me makes it stand above other recipes. It also has the right amount of chicken and seasonings to it. The cayenne pepper gives it some heat without making it too hot. This soup also reheats really well, so Russ and I plan to enjoy it for lunch this week. It really is the best tortilla soup I have ever had. Russ rates the soup a 10.

(I've included a few pictures from Thanksgiving at the beach.)








Here is the recipe and the link to my previous post on it:

Tortilla Soup ("Stop and Smell the Rosemary" - with a few changes I made)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used a little less than 3)

8 corn tortillas, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 bay leaves

6 cups chicken stock (I used reduced sodium)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (start with a half and then add more only if needed)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. Garnish with monterey jack, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips. (I cut some of the leftover corn tortillas into strips and bake them. I then salt them when they are done and serve them with the soup.) Serves 6 (1.5 cup servings)