Brown Ale Chicken Chili

Brown Ale Chicken Chili (serves 6)
1 chicken leg quarter, with skin and bone
1 dried cayenne pepper
1 dried California chili pepper
4 c. water

8 oz. dried black beans

2 medium carrots, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 c. brown ale

1 can of corn, drained

Salt and Pepper to taste.

1. In a crockpot, place chicken quarter, dried peppers and water.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Remove chicken to cool.  Remove peppers and discard.  Keep the water in the crockpot...it is now similar to a chicken broth. 
2. After chicken has cooled, remove and discard skin and bones.  Shred meat and return to crockpot.
3. Sort and rinse the black beans.  Quicksoak beans according to package directions. Then add beans to crockpot.
4. Add carrots, onion, bell peppers, spices and beer to crockpot.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours.
5. Add corn to crockpot and heat till corn is warmed through, about 10-15 minutes.
6. Serve over cornbread and garnish with sour cream and cheddar, if desired.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Info (per serving)
212 calories
29 carbs
2 g fat
17 g protein
85 mg sodium
3 g sugar

Taco Rye PA Soup

Weekends usually involve a crockpot meal, most likely a soup.  I'm a busy bee on the weekend and try to avoid standing over the stove for too long.  I mean, I'd rather be taking a stroll around a lake, walking along where the ocean meets the sand, visiting museums, or swinging by Wilmington Homebrew for a brewing demo and chitchatting with fellow homebrewers.  The solution to the dilemma of being chained to the kitchen is the trusty old crockpot.  This soup is going for a taco flavor but is doing double duty by cleaning out some goods in my pantry/freezer.

The great thing about this type of soup, you can really customize it to your tastes.  Add a can of whatever kind of beans or chopped tomatoes.  Make it as spicy as you want with adding more or less spices or hot sauces.  Have fun with it and in the process get rid of some of those cans that have been in your pantry for a while.

Taco Rye PA Soup (yields 6-8 servings)
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 can of black eyed peas (I actually used some leftover black eyed peas from New Year)
1 can black beans
1 can creamed corn
1 can tomato soup
1 (12 oz) bottle of Rye PA

1 tbsp. chili powder*
1/4 tsp. garlic powder*
1/4 tsp. onion powder*
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes*
1/4 tsp. dried oregano*
1/2 tsp. paprika*
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin*
1 tsp. salt*
1 tsp. pepper*
*(OR you can use 1 pkg of taco seasoning)

1/2 lb. ground turkey, browned

Topping:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Sliced jalapenos
Tortilla chips, crushed

Put all ingredients, except for toppings into a crockpot.  Cover with lid.  Turn on low for 5-6 hours. 

Serve in bowls and top with any of the desired toppings.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Black Bean Burritos with Pumpkin Cheese Sauce

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I know... it sounds weird, but I really enjoyed it.  Besides, I still had a little bit of pumpkin puree leftover from Halloween.  It is inspired by Closet Cooking's pumpkin and black bean burritos.

Chicken and Black Bean Burritos with Pumpkin Cheese Sauce (Yields 8 - 10):
1 recipe for spent grain tortillas

2 chicken leg quarters, cooked, deboned, deskinned and shredded
1/4 to 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
salt & pepper, to taste

1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 of a large onion (approx. 3/4 c.), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 c. beer
salt & pepper, to taste

Pumpkin Cheese Sauce
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. dried cilantro or 2 tbsp of fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 to 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. cheese (I used a mix between American and cheddar)
salt & pepper, to taste

Garnish
sour cream
chopped tomatoes or salsa
fresh cilantro, chopped

In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook till softened and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook a minute longer.  Add black beans, beer, and spices and let cook till most of the liquid has reduced.  When the liquid has reduced, do a rough mash on the black beans.  Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

In a medium bowl combine cooked chicken, spices and broth.  You may need to microwave this just before assembling the burrito to ensure it is hot.

In a medium saucepan, combine pumpkin puree, spices, and milk over medium heat.  When mixed well and heated through, turn heat off and add cheese.  Stir till cheese has fully incorporated with the pumpkin sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Now for assembling the burritos.  Take a freshly made spent grain tortilla and place onto a plate.  Spoon the black bean mixture onto the center of each tortilla.  Place a spoonful of the cooked shredded chicken on top of the black beans.  Roll into a burrito (or enchalada style - with the ends open).  Top each burrito generously with the pumpkin cheese sauce and then garnish with a dallop of sour cream, tomatoes, and cilantro.

Enjoy!