ARIZONA CHICKEN CHILI

This recipe came from a grocery store.  They were promoting a line of spices and had the recipe cards on a rack and this one sounded easy so I took it.  It has been a favorite for many years. 
This soup is so easy to make and it is perfect for a cold winter night!  And it goes together in less than 30 minutes. 



Start out with two chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a kettle.  Add the chicken breast cubes and 1/2 cup chopped onion. 

For the seasoning, I used 2 Tablespoons of Southwest seasoning.  Stir this up and cook on medium to high heat until
chicken is cooked.
   
You will need one can of each of these.  I like to use the white shoepeg corn, it just seems more fitting for this soup.

Dump all three cans into the soup pot.

Stir all this together.

You can leave it thick like it was or if you like your soup with a little more liquid, you can add 2 cups of chicken broth.  I rarely buy the cans of chicken broth, they are way too expensive.  I like to cook up a bunch of chicken backs & necks and strain it and freeze the broth to use in recipes.  But today I just mixed two cups of water with 2 teaspoons of chicken soup base. 
Now let this simmer on the stove for about 15-20 minutes.  I whipped up a skillet of cornbread to go with the soup.  Yummy!

Top with some shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. 

ARIZONA CHICKEN CHILI
2 TBL oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 TBL Southwest seasoning
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn
1 can (14.5 oz) chili beans
2 cups chicken broth
shredded cheese
sour cream
Heat oil in soup kettle.  Add chicken, onion and seasoning.  Stir and let cook over medium-high heat until chicken is done.  Add the tomatoes, corn and beans.  Stir in the chicken broth.  Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with cheese and sour cream.

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world."
Isaiah 12:4-5

Roast Beef Vegetable Soup

Fall is just around the corner and we had a slightly cooler day last week so soup was on the menu.  This soup is so quick and easy and it uses up that leftover roast beef.  You could also use roast pork.  

Start out with some leftover roast beef.  There is probably about a pound and a half of meat here.

Gather together some vegetable juice, diced tomatoes and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. 

Pour the vegetable juice into a kettle.  I used the Motts brand this time and it was very good.  Other times I have used the V-8, they are very similar in taste.

Cut the roast beef into small pieces and put into the kettle with the juice.

I like some tomato chunks in soup so add one 15 oz can of diced tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.

Now pour in your frozen vegetables, about 2 pounds of them.

Now you can stop here with ingredients but I like to add about half a cup of barley.

Or you can add these fun little ring pastas or even the little alphabet ones.

A few drops of hot sauce really gives it a great flavor.  And salt & pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil and cook until the barley is done. 

I like to serve it with cheese slices and these wonderful buttermilk biscuits. 

Roast Beef Vegetable Soup
Leftover Roast Beef
1-64 oz bottle vegetable juice
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 lbs frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup barley or pasta
hot sauce
Combine all ingredients in soup kettle and bring to a boil.  Cook until done.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2 Corinthians 5:1

BISCUITS AND GRAVY

When it comes to Biscuits and Gravy, you are either a lover of it or a hater.  I love them but would never order them at a restaurant because you never know what they are really made of.  So when I make them at home they are consumed in large quantities.  A single batch is never enough to go around. 

Start out with a good quality sausage.  I use the country mild or regular but if you like it to have some extra kick they make the hot kind.

Brown the sausage in a large pan.  Break the pieces up so there are no large chunks.

Add 1/4 cup chopped onions.  I had an onion hater in the group so I didn’t really dump these in.

Instead I fried them in a  separate pan and added them at the end after taking some out and setting it aside for him.

Add 6 Tablespoons of flour to the meat.

Stir and let this cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.

It should look like this, the flour is cooked into the meat.

Pour in 4 cups of milk.  Please use whole milk, its the right thing to do.

Add 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Now a couple dashes or worcestershire sauce.

And last a few dashes of hot sauce.  Put in as much as your taste desires, or none at all if you don’t desire it.

Stir together and cook over low to medium heat until it thickens.  Try to keep the heat on the lower side or it will start to stick on the bottom of the pan. 
While the sausage & gravy is cooking you have time to mix up the biscuits. 

Start with 2 cups of flour in the food processor.

Add 4 teaspoons of baking powder to the flour.

Now 3 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Cube 1/2 cup of cold butter (1 stick) and put in processor.

Blend until butter  chunks are gone.  If you do not have a processor you can just cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.

In a mixing bowl, pour 2/3 cup of buttermilk.

Add one egg and whisk until combined.

Dump the flour mixture into the bowl and mix with a spoon just until moistened.

The dough will be very sticky.
 
Generously flour your counter and dump the dough from the bowl onto the counter.  Now put a generous amount of flour on top of the dough.  Knead the dough about 20 times.

You should end up with a nice ball of dough. 

Roll out to 3/4 inch thick.

Cut with a round biscuit cutter.

And place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

To serve, place biscuits on plate and pour gravy mixture over top.  This isn’t a very good picture but my company had arrived and they were all hungry so I had to hurry to finish it up. 

BISCUITS AND GRAVY
1 pkg Jimmy Dean sausage
1/4 cup chopped onions
6 Tablespoons flour
4 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash Worchestershire sauce
dash hot pepper sauce
Brown sausage and onion.  Add flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.  Stir in milk.  Add seasonings and cook over low heat, stirring until thickened.

Biscuits
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter in food processor.  In separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg.  Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened.  Turn onto a well floured surface and knead 20 times.  Roll to 3/4 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 12 biscuits
This recipe makes enough to serve six people.  I usually have to double it.
The Law of Perseverance
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  Matthew 7:7