Welcome to my Maryland Kitchen!

Hello dear friends! We have finally settled in enough, and have enough unpacked for me to start sharing recipes again! I'm so excited to be cooking again, it makes me feel so awesome. Being up here is nice albeit busy. Congratulations are in order to my little Sister and the arrival of her second child Autumn Belle. She graced us on March 7th, 2011 and she is just as gorgeous as her momma and her big sister! I am one blessed Auntie!

But now for the good stuff-- THE FOOD! I got a new cookbook from America's Test Kitchen  and I.love.it! I love every book I've come across from them, I'm so grateful to Val for introducing me! The Cookbook is called America's Best Lost Recipes and you can buy it here from Amazon. I actually just got a little booklet in with my Best Potluck Recipes Cook's Country sent me this month. Of the two recipes I'm going to share today, the first is from the Lost Recipes and the second is from the Potluck book. I hope you enjoy!

Black and White Chicken Chili

Since it has been a lot colder than we are used to, I have been really wanting a simple but hearty chili. This is made with meat but you can easily make this a meat free dish by substituting the chicken/broth with veggie broth and tofu or mushroom stock and baby bellas. It is a brothy chili, if you like yours thick, cut the broth by a cup.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (Northern Beans or Navy Beans are good substitutes for Cannellinis, as they can be difficult to find)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 small can chopped green chilies
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Step 1.

 Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with some salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven (or heavy bottomed stock pot) over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook the chicken until its golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Take the chicken out and let it rest on a plate.

** As a note, I only use sea salt in my cooking. I also use the fresh grinders for my pepper.. I love them and they come in many flavors!**

Step 2.

Heat the remaining oil in the pot over medium-low heat until simmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add in the garlic, cumin, oregano, and a dash of pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

Step 3. 

Add the chicken and any juices on the plate back into the pot and simmer (covered) for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Step 4.

Remove the chicken and allow it to cool. While it is cooling, add in the beans, corn and green chilies. Then shred the chicken into bite size pieces. Add that back to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes or so. 

Step 5. 

Serve topped with some freshly chopped cilantro! And enjoy!

Cheddar Cheese Ball with Parsley and Chives

This was my first ever cheese ball hors d'oeuvres made for my first Meet and Greet with some really wonderful ladies I met through Facebook here at Fort Meade.  It was SO EASY -- took about 5 minutes to whip together and about 2 hours to rest in the fridge. The original recipe calls for mayonnaise (which I left out... just as an oversight on my part but I left it out of the recipe below as well) and cayenne pepper. I didn't have any cayenne, so my substitution is below. 

Ingredients:

1 8oz package of cream cheese (softened) (and no, I didn't use the low fat variety, but you could!)

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

a couple of cloves of garlic, minced

a pinch of chipotle smoked pepper

Freshly chopped herbs of your choice. I chose parsley and chives to cover my cheese ball in.. but you could use any others you enjoy or go for some toasted almonds. 

Step 1.

Put all of the ingredients minus the fresh herbs into a food processor.

Step 2.

Pulse blend the mixture together until it is smooth, about a minute. 

Step 3. 

Spoon the mixture on to a big piece of plastic wrap. Wrap up the ball forming it slightly and twisting the top. 

Step 4.

Stick it in the fridge for at least 2 hours but no more than 2 days.

Step 5. 

When its firm, take it out, and smooth out the ball. Remove the plastic. Cover with your fresh herbs, pressing gently to get them to stick. 

Step 6.

Let the cheese ball sit out for a few minutes to soften slightly (especially if its been in the fridge for more than 2 hours) and serve with your favorite crackers!

I sure hope you have enjoyed my first selections from my new kitchen! Many many more to come! <3<3