Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

David loves this soup.

 5 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup hopped carrots (about 2 medium)
2 cups roughly chopped portabella or baby bella mushrooms (don't always have this)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (don't typically have, I used chicken flavor base)
1 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
8 cups chicken broth or 8 cups water plus 2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chicken base
1 cup wild rice
2 (6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (can also use leftover rotisserie chicken--and honestly I like mixing dark meat with breast meat)
1/2 teasopoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I usually don't add because Kim doesn't like pepper, add at table)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk

1. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in large stockpot over medium heat. Add oonion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and poultry seasoning and satue until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add rice and chicken, reduce heat, cover and simmer 50-60 minutes or until rice is tender. When rice is tender, remove from heat and add salt and pepper. (I find that it takes even longer than 50-60 min to fully cook the wild rice, so pre-cook it or buy it pre-cooked at Trader Joe's. I found it's hard to find enough just plain wild rice so I bought it in bulk, can cook a batch up and freeze some for future use.)

2. When the soup has about 10 minutes left, melt remaining 4 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in four to make a roux. Slowly add milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly to remove lumps, until smooth and thickened to the consistency of thin pudding. Slowly whisk milk mixture into the soup and stir until combined.  Simmer 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened. (I usually use powdered milk in cooking.)

Note: sometimes add additional cooked rice by putting warm rice in the bowl and addition the soup. I seem to recall we cooked additional rice in it one time and the rice cooked up too much, kind of like when rice becomes rice pudding, so don't recommend addition it to the soup while cooking.

This recipe is from "Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites" by Sara Wells & Kate Jones

Quick and Easy Chicken Tikka Masala with Rotisserie Chicken

 

Quick and Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe By: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Serving Size: 3

CHICKEN:
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken — approximately, chopped
1/2 cup yogurt — whole-milk preferably
MASALA SAUCE:
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion — diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 medium garlic clove — minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger — grated
1/2 serrano pepper — ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above), or one large jalapeno [optional]
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
14 ounces canned tomatoes — use chopped or chop yourself
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup heavy cream — or whole milk
1/8 cup fresh cilantro leaves — chopped (or mint, if preferred) for garnish

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne and garam masala in medium bowl. Add the cooked chicken pieces and stir until the chicken has picked up all the dry spices. Then add the yogurt and combine; set aside.
2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm. If using milk instead of cream, don’t allow the mixture to boil or it will separate.
3. Add the chicken yogurt mixture to the pan. Allow the mixture to warm up gently and when it’s hot, taste for seasonings. Add chicken broth if needed if the sauce is too thick. Stir in cilantro or sprinkle it on top as a garnish and serve over hot basmati rice.