Hey, vote for next week's recipe!

old tips

1) Trader Joe's has breaded eggplant for $2.49, comes in a box, use this for the moussaka

2) Well as long as you're a T Joe's pick up some Pita Cracker's $2.49 a box, there are so good, great with Cambazola cheese.
Welcome to my blog,the trusted site for tried and true recipes and tips, not just from a pro, but as my 3 year had once said, a "great cookermom"! I will be posting a new recipe each Monday and Wednesday and on Friday I will post a more "weekend" friendly recipe.
Happy cooking!

Cookermom's Weekly Fav Finds!

Again, Minor's base for all your stock needs, well this may just be on every week it is a "must have"! For all my Cookermom peeps www.soupbase.com is offering a discount. Enter CMBLOG in the discount code field near the top of the page that's shows the contents of the shopping cart and click 'apply'. Any order over $25.00 they'll give a 15% discount. The discount will show right on the cart page after it is applied. Chicken - $10.95
Beef - $11.95, 1 tsp. of the paste to 1 cup, each container makes 5 gallons.

If you have a Gorden Food Service near you they sell Minor's base there, I go to the GFS on Rand Rd. in Palatine (right next to Caputo's), find one near you at www.GFS.com
While you are there they have a couple items I really like; potato skin shells, nothing in them but they did all the work, great for the Bears game watching 50 count bag for $9.99. Also, they have their GFS 1/3 pound steak burgers in a box, they are individually wrapped, 15 count for $14.99.

For those of you that missed it...

White Chicken Chili

5 Tbls. olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 tsps. garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. chili pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
¼ cup flour; plus 1 Tbls.
1 Tbls. chili powder
½ Tbls. cumin
½ Tbls. oregano
2 cups mi1k

½ lb. dried navy beans, cooked in chicken stock until tender or (if you must) 2 cans white beans, rinsed well
3 cups chicken stock (I suggest the Minor's base here)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, poached & shredded
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies, undrained
¼ cup cilantro
shredded jack or queso cheese
sour cream

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat add onions and cook until tender; add the garlic at the end so it does not burn. Stir in chili pepper flakes, flour, chili powder, cumin and oregano and let cook a minute. Stir in the milk and let thicken.
Add remaining ingredients except cilantro (corn,beans, chicken stock, chicken and chilies); stir to combine;simmer 20 minutes. Before serving stir in chopped cilantro.
To serve ladle into bowl and top with shredded jack cheese and top with a dollop of sour cream.
Serves 8.

Cookermom Tips

If you want a thicker chili use more roux, which is equal amounts of fat (in this case olive oil) and flour, perhaps instead of 5 Tbls. olive oil you may want to use
8 Tbls. and then increase the amount of flour as well. You can always make the roux separately and then whisk it in later if you feel at the end it is not thick enough for your liking but NEVER just dump in flour, use only a cooked roux.

Also, it is the easiest to shred the chicken while it is still warm, just use a fork.

Use your crockpot for this one!
When I went to the Bears game with my girlfriend, I made the this chili before I left, I cooked it on low all day (normally, I make it and we eat it) but my hubbie said it was the best I ever made. Tip; still add the cilantro before serving!

Poached Chicken Breasts:
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1stalk celery, chopped
3 pounds chicken breasts; boneless
Put everything into a large pot and cover with cold water, bring to just a boil. Cover and remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes (if breasts are exceptionally large cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. If you do not have vegetables just use cold water.

By poaching the breasts you do not have to mess with raw chicken, it's the moistest way to cook chicken breasts and can freeze diced up chicken.

Happy cooking!
 

Made by Lena