As soon as the weather is warm enough, the cover comes off our outdoor grill, and my husband is out on the back deck as often as possible, cooking dinner for our family. He was a little exuberant one night, grilling copious amounts of chicken. Once it was determined everyone had enjoyed as much grilled chicken as they could stand, I constructed a couple of dishes with the leftovers that cleverly camouflaged the original bird.
PEPPER AND CHICKEN NACHOS
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
mini bell peppers, cut in half and seeds removed
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Combine garlic, vinegar, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Reserve 3 tablespoons of garlic mixture. Pour remaining garlic mixture into a resealable plastic bag. Add peppers. Cover and chill for 15 minutes, turning once. Remove peppers from marinade, place on a cookie sheet, reserving marinade for basting.
Heat oven to 400F.
Place cookie sheet in oven, cook 8 to 10 minutes or until peppers are tender, turning occasionally and basting with marinade.
Combine chicken and black-eyed peas with reserved 3 tablespoons of garlic mixture. Top each pepper with chicken mixture and grated cheese. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cilantro.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Southern Living, July 2011
www.southernliving.com/
CHICKEN PAPRIKASH SOUP
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of flour
1 can (14.5-ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
3/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley
In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the paprika over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and broth. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pepper is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook just to heat through. Stir in the sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, season with salt and pepper. Top with the parsley before serving.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
www.rachaelray.com/
