Cookin' with Carol recipes on NBC5 - September 2001

Green Chile and Chicken Stew

Serves 8

6 cups chicken broth
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 ounces baby carrots
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 (7-ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon cumin

Place all ingredients in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. (Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.) Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat setting for 4 to 5 hours, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and vegetables are tender. Top each serving with shredded cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, and corn chips, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes:

Cannellini beans are Italian white kidney beans. If you cannot find them canned, great Northern beans or navy beans will substitute. Yukon gold potatoes have a golden-yellow flesh and buttery taste. Russet or red potatoes will substitute.

(Air Date: September 1, 2001)

Easy Pasta Salad

Serves 8

1 (12-ounce) package pasta spirals (rotini)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 (5-ounce) package pepperoni, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3/4 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions or until tender; don't overcook. Drain and place in a large bowl to cool. While pasta is cooling, prepare vegetables. When pasta is cool, add vegetables pepperoni, olives, and Italian dressing. Stir to combine. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top to serve.

Notes:

This salad can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated to allow flavors to mix. Use any combination of vegetables to suit your liking. Stir a little dressing into the pasta as it cools to loosen it and keep it separated.

You can easily prepare your own Homemade Italian Dressing: Combine 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a covered container. Shake to blend and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Shake before serving. Makes 3/4 cup Italian dressing.

(Air Date: September 8, 2001)

Tailgate Oatmeal Chipper Cookies

Makes 3 dozen

3 cups old-fashioned oats (or quick-cooking oats)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter flavored chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, stir together old-fashioned oats, flour, baking powder, and salt; reserve. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until mixture is creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and milk and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, until combined. Add reserved flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 minute, or until mixture is combined. With a rubber spatula or sturdy spoon, fold in pecans, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and peanut butter flavored chips. Drop tablespoon-size cookie dough portions 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed with vegetable oil spray. Flatten cookies slightly---you can use the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped first in water, then in sugar, to flatten the cookies. The sugar helps to keep the glass from sticking to the cookies, and of course, flavors the cookies as well. Bake cookies for 11 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are light golden brown on the edges. Remove cookies to a cooling rack and repeat baking process with remaining cookie dough.

(Air Date: September 22, 2001)

Honey Biscuits (Honey Cookies)

Makes about 12 dozen cookies

In response to the recent tragic events, we often ask, "What can we do to help?" In addition to donating money and volunteering our time, we can also help lift someone's spirit with a gift from our kitchen. This special keepsake recipe was shared to me by my friend, Veronica Kummerow of the Barossa Valley, South Australia. It is perfect for families to prepare together and wrap in patriotic packages to share with volunteers, friends, or loved ones. These are ideal cookies for shipping.

1/2 cup water
1 pound sugar (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 pound honey
1 tablespoon lard or butter
8 cups flour, divided use
1 teaspoon each: ground cloves, ginger, allspice, cinnamon
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 egg lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine water and sugar. Stir in honey and microwave, uncovered, on 100% power for 1-3 minutes (stirring after 1 1/2 minutes) until mixture is warmed through and sugar starts to dissolve. Stir in lard or butter, and let mixture cool to lukewarm. While mixture is cooling, combine 4 cups of the flour with cloves, ginger, allspice, and cinnamon in a medium bowl (reserve remaining flour). Add eggs to the honey/sugar mixture, stirring with a sturdy mixing spoon to combine. Dissolve baking soda in white vinegar and add to honey/sugar mixture, stirring well to combine. Stir the 4 cups flour/spice mixture into the honey/sugar mixture until flour is just moistened. Add remaining flour, 2 cups at a time, gently stirring and lifting mixture up from the bottom with the sturdy spoon until flour is combined. You may gently knead dough 3-4 times (in bowl) to incorporate the flour. Do not over-mix, or dough will be too sticky. Leave dough in mixing bowl and seal top tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove one-quarter of the dough from the mixing bowl and using a rolling pin, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on baking sheets that have been lightly sprayed with vegetable oil spray (leave at least 1 inch between cookies). Brush tops of dough lightly with beaten egg/water mixture if a glaze is desired. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are slightly browned. Remove cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Like many rolled cookie recipes, the dough scraps can be combined, formed into a disk, and rolled out again to cut more cookie shapes.

Notes: In Australia, cookies are called biscuits.

(Air Date: September 29, 2001)