Brunswick Stew on yet another snowy day

Another cold snowy day here, so I decided it was time for more stew to warm us up.  This northerner had not heard of Brunswick Stew until she married into a somewhat southern family.  Steve grew up eating it, so I decided to learn how to make it and carry on the family tradition.  My recipe is a combination of several recipes I researched to determine the basic ingredients.  I am using a crock pot today, you can also use a dutch oven on the stove.

Brunswick Stew

• 1 whole chicken (mine is from Dave Dietz's stand at York Central Market)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 1/2 cups of broth from the cooked chicken
• 1-28 oz. can of whole tomatoes peeled tomatoes 
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 quart yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1-14 oz bag of frozen lima beans (or fresh if you have it)
• 1-14 oz  bag of frozen corn (or fresh if you have it)
• 2 tsp medium hot chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves

Step 1 - Place the chicken and water in crock pot, salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the chicken in a crock pot on high for 5 hours or until internal temperature is 165 degrees
Cool.  This time I cooked the chicken the night before and placed in the refrigerator over night.

 Step 2 - Strain the broth from the crock pot.  Add to crock pot with tomatoes, bay leaves,chili powder, and cumin

Step 3 - Add the pepper, onion, and potatoes.  Crank up the crock pot to HIGH.

 Step 4 - While that is cooking pick the meat off of the chicken and set aside.

Step 5 - After 2-3 hours (to allow the potatoes to cook), add the chicken, corn, and lima beans.  Turn to low and cook for 2 more hours.

 

The snow continues...

Notes:
Tomatoes, you can use what you have - fresh, diced, whole with puree

Spotlight on Local and/or Organic:
Potatoes and chicken - local
Tomatoes and red pepper - organic
Do the lima beans count- they were Hanover??

Indian Butter Chicken

Last night Steve and I made some super yummy Indian butter chicken for dinner. For me the spices in this recipe are a perfect combo that left my mouth pleasantly warm, not too hot, just right. This recipe was originally from the Taste of Home cooking school, but I altered it a little to fit how we cook. I can't wait to make this for company!


Indian Butter Chicken

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped sweet onion
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons fresh or powdered ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder - I use Penzy's medium chili powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-14.5 oz can of tomatoes, I used whole and smooshed them with my hands or you can use diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste (1/4-1/2 teaspoon)
2 pounds of chicken breast
1/3 cup heavy cream (or you can use half and half)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon of minced cilantro
Cooked rice if you want, I eat it alone, Steve likes rice

• Cook chicken with 2 tablespoons of butter in large skillet on medium-high heat, if you want more flavor add some ginger, turmeric, and chili powder, just be adventurous and sprinkle some on! Set aside in bowl when cooked most of the way.
  
• In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add garlic and onions and cook until the onions are getting translucent. Add the ginger, chili powder, turmeric, and cinnamon and stir for a minute or so. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt, and pepper, stir until well combined.
• Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, it will start to smell really good. Stir occasionally.
• Add the chicken, sour cream, and cream (or half and half, use what you have) . Uncover and cook for 5 more minutes.
  
• Remove from the heat and add the cilantro and serve!

I really believe that if you use fresh, good ingredients your food will taste even better. I think that the free-range, hormone free chicken really tastes so much better and works with the flavors well. I love Penzy's Spices, they are my favorite. Don't use old spices that have been sitting in your cupboard or ones that came with your spice rack years ago!