Chicken Barley Chili

Chicken Barley Chili
Perfect On A Cold Winters Night!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup onions, diced

1  14oz. can diced tomatoes

1  14oz. can stewed tomatoes

1 cup tomato sauce

3 cups chicken stock 

1 cup quick cook barley

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp chipotle powder

2 clove garlic, minced

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed & drained

3 cups cooked chicken, diced

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

lime wedges, garnish

salt

pepper

Cooking Tool

Medium stock pot 

Directions
On medium heat, add olive oil to pot and saute onions for a few minutes. Add in all the ingredients except the cooked chicken and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook for additional 10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Garnish with lime wedge and squeeze lime juice into the chili.
Serves 4

Hush Puppies

Hush Puppies
Perfect Accompaniment To Any Seafood Platter!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 (8.5 oz.) box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 1/2 cups self rising flour

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin + garnish

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

vegetable oil for frying

Cooking Tools

Medium mixing bowl

Deep frying pan

Small ice cream scoop

Directions
In a mixing bowl, add; corn muffin mix, flour, eggs, milk, green onions, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  whisk well, making sure there is not lumps.  Pour enough oil in deep fryer, or pan, so the hush puppies can float. Heat oil to 325 Degrees F.  Using a ice cream scoop, dollop 3-4 into the heated oil and cook for 4 minutes, turning to cook evenly.  Remove and drain on some paper towels. Cook in batches, do not over fill. Garnish with green onions.
Yields 2 dozen

Mexican Huevos & Carne Tortilla Bowls

Mexican Huevos & Carne Tortilla Bowls
Pretty To Look At And Yummy To Eat!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
6 Tortillas
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
8 oz. filet of tenderloin, diced
1 cup green pepper, diced
1 cup red onion, diced
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
pinch of chili powder
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
minced parsley, garnish
sour cream
hot sauce

Cooking Tools

6 count muffin tin

2 medium skillets

Small mixing bowl 

Directions
Preheat oven to 370 Degrees F.  Place each tortilla into each muffin insert and creat a bowl.  Place tortillas in oven and bake for 15-20.  Let cool slightly to harden in place. In a medium skillet on medium heat, melt butter.  Add in, green pepper, onions and garlic and saute until tender.  Whisk eggs and milk together and pour into the skillet with the green pepper, onions, salt and pepper, fold gently until a soft scramble.  Remove eggs from heat until ready to assemble.  In a skillet on medium high heat, add olive oil and diced beef and saute very quickly, season with salt, pepper and chili powder. Place some scrambled eggs in the bottom of the tortilla bowls.  Top with beef, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and garnish with minced parsley.  Hot sauce is optional.
Serves 6

You Can Easily Omit The Beef!

Cranberry Corn Muffins

Cranberry Corn Muffins
A Holiday Twist For An Old Staple!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients 

2 (8.5 oz.) Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 cup prepared cranberry sauce (not the jelly)

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup walnut bits

2 eggs

1/2 stick butter, melted

zest of 1 orange

Cooking Tools

Muffin Tin

Muffin liners (optional)

Medium mixing bowl

Directions
Preheat oven 350 Degrees F. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until well incorporated. Pour evenly into muffin tins. (the total numbers it yields depends on the size of the muffin tin).  Pour 3/4 the way up and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes.
Serve with some honey butter.
Yield 8-12

Serve Warm With Some Honey Butter!

Pan Seared Halibut On A Potato Galette

Pan Seared Halibut On A Potato Galette 
With Sauteed Kale And Tomatoes In A Orange Butter Reduction!
Difficulty:Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
4 Halibut Filet
2 large yellow potatoes, sliced thin
2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
4 cups baby kale
juice of 1 orange
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
olive oil for drizzle
salt
pepper

Cooking Tools

Parchment lined sheet pan

Mandolin

Medium skillet

Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Slice the potatoes on a mandolin and place slices on the sheet tray, creating a bed of potatoes by slightly overlapping each other. Drizzle potato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place in oven and bake 20 minutes.  In a skillet on medium high heat, melt butter.  Dry off any moisture from the Halibut and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Pan sear halibut a few minutes on each side.  Remove potatoes from oven and place seared Halibut on the bed of potatoes and place back in oven and bake for additional 10 minutes.  In the skillet that the fish was seared, add in a drizzle of olive oil with the butter and quickly saute the baby kale and tomatoes. Pour in the orange juice and allow to to reduce for a minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove Halibut from the oven and place on serving dish and top the the saute kale and tomatoes and drizzle with the orange butter reduction.
Serves 4

Artichoke Salad

Artichoke Salad
Very Light And Satisfying!
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: No cooking required

Ingredients

1 canned 8.5 oz. artichoke, quartered, drained

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved

2 tbsp capers, drained

2 tbsp Pignoli nuts

1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp dried & fresh oregano 

pepper

Cooking Tools

Medium mixing bowl 

Directions
Place all ingredients into the mixing bowl and gently fold in the olive oil.  Can be chilled before serving.
Serves 4

Key lime Cheesecake

Key lime Cheesecake
With a Heavenly Candied Gingersnap Nut Crust!
Difficulty: Moderate
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Cooling Time: 3-4 hours

Key Lime Pie Is My Favorite, So Why Not Make It Into A Cheesecake!

Ingredients
4 packages of cream cheese, room temperature
zest of 6 key limes
juice of 6 key limes
1 cam sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs

Crust
Ingredients
10 gingersnap cookies, crushed
1 cup candied pecans, crushed
1/2 cup Macadamia nuts, crushed
1/2 stick butter, melted

Key Lime Is Essential For This Dessert!

Cooking Tools

Bottom & side release pan

Food processor

Large mixing bowl

Electric hand mixer

Foil

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 Degrees F.  In a food processor, add in candied pecans and macadamia nuts first and pulse until it resembles crumbs.  Then add in the gingersnap cookies and pulse to medium size crumbs before adding melted butter.  Place buttered crumbs into the bottom and line the bottom evenly.  In a large mixing bowl, add; cream cheese and zest and whip cream cheese on high for a minute.  Add in the key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk. sugar, vanilla extract and whip until smooth.  Add in one egg at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Line some foil at the outside bottom of pan, just in case it leaks.  Place cheesecake mixture into your crumb lined pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave the oven door slightly ajar and keep cheesecake in the oven for additional 20 minutes.  Remove cheese cake and set aside to come to room temperature.  Release sides and remove before chilling in the refrigerator for a few hours. Garnish with whip cream and a slice of key lime (optional).
Serves 8-10