Chipolte Chicken Chilli

A few min of chopping and then let it simmer and you have a great dinner.  It would work great in a slow cooker. 

1 bottle of beer (Mexican works great but any kind works.  I used hard cider which is great too)
1 can of kidney bean
1 can of pinto beans
1 onion
1ish pound of chicken breasts (I buy tenders)
a couple chipolate peppers in adobo
3ish tablespoons of masa (mexican corn flour) but regular all purpose would work too
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of chilli powder
salt to taste
juice from two limes
desired topping like sour cream, cilantro, cheese, tortilla strips would be great too

Dice up an onion and add it too a large pot with some hot oil.  Press in the garlic and cook until tender and translucent.

Add diced chicken to the pot.  I used my kitchen sheers and cut right into the pot.

Add beer and bring to a simmer and then add a large can of diced tomatoes with juice and simmer.

Rinse the beans and add to the pot

Chop up a 3 or less adobo peppers.  It came out a little spicy or probably start with one or two and check spice and add more.  Toss in the cumin and chilli powder.

Bring to a simmer and then simmer for an hour or so.

Mix the masa or flour with about a cup of water and add to pot and simmer for about 10 min

Add in the lime juice

Top with whatever toppings you like.

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites with Salted Caramel Sauce

These were much easier and quicker than I thought they would be.  The caramel sauce was not as hard as people say it is.  I've tried it before and burned it but no such problems this time.

1 1/2 cups of warm water
4- 4 12 cups of flour
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2/3 cups of baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons of salt
6 tablespoons of butter
1/4ish of cinnamon sugar
oil for coating dough

Melt the butter and mix the sugar, butter, warm water, and yeast and let rest for five min until bubbly.

Slowly incorporate flour until it comes together and then knead for 5 min until smoothly and glossy.  Then coast with oil and place in a warm place until doubled about an hour.  I like to turn my oven on 200 while kneading the dough and then turn off and place covered dough in there to rise.

While the dough is rising now we can move on to the caramel sauce.

2 cups of white sugar
12 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of cream
1 tablespoon of sea salt

 Place the sugar in a dry large sauce pan over medium high heat and whisk.  The sugar will start to clump but just keep whisking.

It will start to melt and change color.  Just keep whisking.

Once it pretty much melted (a few clumps are okay) and a medium amber color start whisking in the butter about a tablespoon at a time until all the butter is whisked in.

Whisk in the cream

Whisk in the salt and pour in a mason jar or other container and keep in the fridge.

Keep in fridge.  It will thicken in the fridge and just warm in microwave to thin in out.

Now back to the pretzel bites

Once the dough has doubled pat it into a round disk.

Cut the disk into eight pieces and then roll into ropes about 1 1/2 feet long.

Cut into inch sized pieces. Preheat oven to 425.

Bring a pot of water to a full boil and then add the baking soda.  It will foam up and add bagel pieces in batches and boil for 30 seconds.

Remove with a slotted spoon and bake for about 15 min or until golden brown.

Toss hot pretzel bites with a pat of butter and cinnamon sugar

Serve with warm caramel sauce for dipping.  They are best fresh but they can last a few days.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/3 cup of unpopped popcorn
1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional)

Pop popcorn.  I have a nifty microwave popcorn bowl but you can use an air popper or pan if you want.  Or a microwave bag too.  you want about 6 cups of popped popcorn.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler

Stir in peanut butter and corn syrup. 

Drizzle and gently stir chocolate mixture and then spread out on a cookie sheet to cool so it will not clump together. Then let it rest and cool.  It will still be soft if you want harder chocolate you can toast in a low oven for a little bit.

Hearty Chicken Soup

I prepped and simmered chicken before I went to work and then quickly reheated and cooked the noodles when I got home.  It made for a nice quick dinner.

4-5 pieces of chicken thighs
2 carrotts
4 stalks of celery
1 onion
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 package of egg noodles
3 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of chicken base (Optional)
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of tumeric
1/2 teaspoon of thyme

Cover the chicken with four quarts of water in a large heavy pot.  Simmer for 25ish min.

Remove chicken from broth and dice up and return to pot. While the chicken was simmering you could prep and the veggies.

Finely dice up an onion

Peel and dice up two carrots.

Dice up the celery

Remove stems from parsley and roughly chop

 Add seasoning and veggies to pot with simmering chicken and simmer for 10 min

Cook noodles in simmer pot and whisk in flour and then in chopped parsley.

When the noodles are tender stir in a little half and half and lemon juice if desired.