Quick white chicken chili

I created this quick easy version based on the ingredients I can find here in Ghana

Simmer a chicken breast in chicken stock (I use the "Better than Boullion" brand we brought from the US) seasoned with medium chopped onion, 2 sliced garlic cloves, a bay leaf, and any herb that sounds good.

Remove chicken. Strain broth. These can be refrigerated until you are ready to make the chili.

To make the Chili:

Saute about 1/4 cup chopped onion in a little oil. Add 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp oregano. Sauté for a few minutes. Stir in 2 cups of chicken broth (reserved from cooking chicken breasts). Drain and rinse one can baked beans and add to broth. Chop chicken breast and add to soup.

Serve topped with grated cheese and chopped tomatoes.


This was so good - I will definitely double it next time - or triple.

And I might try adding some veggies - some pumpkin?

Sweet and sour sauce

Wow! Sweet and Sour Sauce

Reid loves this and I figure out a way to make it in Ghana - most ingredients are easy to find - especially nice fresh pineapple and juice. I made a 1/4 recipe to test it out and it served us both with some leftovers. I simmered a little cooked (tough) chicken in the sauce for 10 minutes and it was nice and tender.

This recipe is from Allrecipes

Rated:  Submitted By: Nana Nat Photo By: Sam Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 6

"This is a quick sweet-and-sour sauce you can serve over meat, vegetables, rice, pasta, or any combination thereof!"

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups water 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 cup ketchup 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, undrained (I used fresh pineapple and juice) 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 tablespoon steak sauce 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper hot sauce (I left this out) 3 tablespoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Stir water, sugar, ketchup, pineapple, vinegar, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, steak sauce, and hot sauce together in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce to a small bowl; whisk cornstarch into the sauce in the bowl. Bring the sauce in the saucepan to a boil, stir the sauce with the cornstarch into the boiling sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before using.

Homemade hot sauce

I love hot sauce!

I can't get it to copy/paste

but here's a link to the recipe

Vegetarian Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

I might try this one

It's from Kalyn's Kitchen

Vegetarian Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup with Lime

(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe adapted from Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes found in Fine Cooking Soups and Stews.)


1 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
1 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 - 1 tsp. ground cumin (I used a whole teaspoon, but I love cumin)
1/4 tsp. ground fennel
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch piece
2 cans (15 oz. can) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups homemade vegetable or chicken stock (or use 3 cans broth and just freeze the extra)
salt to taste
2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
fat free Greek yogurt or light sour cream for serving
lime wedges to squeeze into the soup, optional


Heat olive oil in heavy soup pot, add diced onion and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until onions are just starting to brown. Add minced garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground fennel and fresh-ground black pepper and saute 1-2 minutes more, or until spices are becoming fragrant.

While onions are cooking, peel and dice sweet potato and rinse beans until no more foam appears, then drain. After onions and spice mixture have been sauteed, add the diced sweet potatoes, black beans, and vegetable or chicken stock to the soup pot, along with salt to taste. Let soup simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are falling-apart tender. (There will be some foam from the beans that rises to the top during cooking; just skim off with a large spoon or stock skimmer.)

When sweet potatoes are tender, use a slotted spoon to remove 3 cups of beans and sweet potatoes; then use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the remaining soup. (Be very careful with the hot soup if using a regular blender; fill the blender container only about 3/4 full and hold the lid on the blender with a towel or hot pad draped over the lid.)

Add the reserved sweet potatoes and beans back into the soup and simmer about 15 minutes more. Taste to see if you want to add more salt; then add the lime juice and simmer about 5 minutes more.

Serve hot, with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt or light sour cream. If desired you can serve with lime wedges so people who want to can squeeze more lime juice into their soup.


This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com.

Key Lime Coconut Energy Bites

This looks good

It's from Spoon Full of Flavor

Key Lime Coconut Energy Bites

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1 1/2 cups Medjool dates*, pitted
• zest and juice from 3 key limes
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

Instructions

1. Add the almonds and cashews to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until nuts are finely chopped (but do not pulse too long, you do not want the nuts to turn into a paste). Add the dates, lime juice and zest. Pulse until the dates are finely chopped and the mixture starts to clump. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll in coconut to coat outside of the balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

If Medjool dates are not available, any other pitted date will work.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

This is good!

We can get a kind of squash/pumpkin here and it makes a great pumpkin pie. I peel, cube, and roast it (tossed with a little oil - 400 degrees until tender).

2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

2 eggs, beaten (Ghana eggs can be small so I often add an extra egg)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

Make your favorite pie crust recipe. I used McVites Digestive biscuits, crushed, mixed with a little melted butter. I patted them in the bottom the pie pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

I threw all the ingredients into a vitamix and blended until smooth. You could also use a mixer with speed on medium - beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. 

Pour into a prepared crust. Bake 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.

Serve with whipping cream!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - made with oil

I haven't tried these but I will soon

From The Best Ever Cookie Collection

Simple Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe for a Small Batch

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Grease a 8x8-inch pan with cooking spray.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Beat together the oil and sugar with a wooden spoon until well combined.
5. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
6. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring until well combined.
7. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using).
8. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (avoiding chocolate pieces as they will be melty).
9. Cool on wire rack.
10. Cut into desired size bars.
11. Store the cookie bars in the pan covered with foil or plastic wrap or remove them from the pan and place them in an airtight container. These chocolate chip cookie bars freeze well too.

This recipe for Simple Chocolate Chip Bars makes about 12 cookie bars.