Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice

When I'm in the mood for comfort food, I reach for this recipe. And as the weather gets colder, who isn't in the mood for comfort food?

Ingredients:

6 pieces bone-in chicken (we use legs or thighs)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
salt & pepper to taste
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbs sour cream

Place chicken in crock pot. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Cook 6-8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High. 20 minutes before serving, remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Remove cooking liquid from the heat and whisk in sour cream until smooth. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones. Place shredded meat into the gravy and return to the heat. Serve warm over brown or white rice.

Enjoy!

Red Pepper Chili

Fall is the season for comfort food. When the weather turned brisk this past Sunday, this was the perfect recipe to make use of our bumper crop of Sweet Red Peppers. It warmed us inside and out.

Ingredients:

3-4 Red Bell Peppers, seeded and diced
1 white onion, diced
2 chopped dried or fresh serrano chiles, with seeds
olive oil

1 lb chuck steak, cut into cubes and browned
or
1 lb leftover steak or beef pot roast, cubed

1 large can tomato puree
or
2 cups fresh pureed tomatoes from the garden

1-30 oz. can of pinto beans, rinsed
2 cups water
1 1/2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
Scant 1/2 tbs dried oregano
Scant 1/2 tbs dried basil
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Gently sweat peppers and onions with a sprinkle of salt until translucent. Add chiles and beef and stir. Add tomato puree, beans, water, and spices. Stir to combine. Bring chili to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat, cover, and simmer gently for one hour. To thicken, remove lid to let liquid reduce and stir occasionally to keep beans from sticking. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve hot with sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Tante Dedi's Porkchops with Dill Gravy

When I was seventeen, I spent a summer in Northern Germany. It was my first trip outside North America. I was fortunate enough to spend part of my time with a friend's Great Aunt in her beautiful home called the Hahnheider Hof. She prepared this recipe for us, and took the time to teach it to me (as I spent time learning German from the local children, Silke, Ole, and Jan.) It remains one of my favorites to this day. I cannot prepare it without thinking of her.

Ingredients
4 boneless center-cut pork chops
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 egg
2 tbs water
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tbs fresh dill weed (or 2 tsp dried)
1 tbs corn starch
1 cup sour cream
1 lemon, sliced

Lightly tenderize the pork chops -- I pound them to about 3/4 inch thickness, thinner if I want them to cook faster. Beat the egg with the water and set aside. Dredge the chops in seasoned flour, dip them in the egg mixture, and bread them with the breadcrumbs. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes on a platter. In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil. Brown the chops over medium heat until golden, about 4 minutes per side. (If chops are thick, you may want to finish them in the oven. If thin, skillet cooking will be enough.) Place chops on a heat-proof dish and place in a warm oven. Pour chicken stock into skillet and heat, scraping up any bits left on the cooking surface. Reduce by half. Mix dill, corn starch, and sour cream. Remove pan from the heat and gently whisk in sour cream mixture. Return to the heat and gently heat through until thickened and bubbling.

Squeeze lemon slices over breaded chops and serve with dill gravy on top or on the side. I always prepare boiled potatoes with this dish. Potatoes with this gravy are to die for (even though it is definitely a diet-buster, it is so worth it.)

Enjoy!