White Chicken Chili & David Nail

I got into an argument with my husband about soup/chili/chowder and whether they are all soup or outside of the soup category. I figured soup is soup which includes chili, which you also eat out of a bowl. He said no, chili and soup are two totally different things. Then chowder got threw into the mix and he also argued that chowder is not soup, but just chowder. I have a hard time comprehending that chowder and chili are not soup, but maybe all my life I have considered soups that weren't in fact soups. 

If you understand any of this, let me know what you think and where you stand. 

Someone's got to end the debate and neither of us are going to give in unless some outside party claims one of us as wrong. 

Haha, anyway, this chili is incredible and I've been making it for quite awhile now. I love the taste and the warm homey feel of it. It's also pretty easy to throw together! 

And since it was suppose to rain yesterday but didn't… Let it Rain by David Nail is getting recognized in hope it will call the rain to this three year serious drought in California.

White Chicken Chili
Recipe from: Guru to the Outdoors

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, diced into bite size pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbl olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
30 oz of chicken broth
1 (5 oz) can of chopped green chilies
1 1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 (8oz) Neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese)
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 (15 oz) cans of Cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbl fresh lime juice

Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Tortilla Chips

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the chicken to your pot and diced onion. Sauté the chicken for about six minutes, then, mix in your garlic. Cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in your chicken broth, green chillies, and spices: cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 
Add the Neufchatel cheese and stir until it has mostly melted, the cheese will look chunky, but the heat will eventually mix it in. Toss in your corn and beans. Simmer your soup for another 15 minutes. Stir in your lime juice and serve into individual bowls. Top with the Monterrey Jack cheese and tortilla chips, Enjoy!

Chicken Udon Noodle Soup & Kings Of Leon

Comeback Story by Kings of Leon…. LOVE this song.

If you're looking for something that's not too heavy, but still flavorful--make this soup! It was exactly what we were hoping for the other night. We didn't want to turn on the oven or eat anything overly hearty. We just wanted this brothy, gingery, chickeny soup.

Yep, those are words.

That I chose to describe my meal.

Don't hold it against me, I just really liked what I ate. 

Chicken Udon Noodle Soup
Adapted from: MyRecipes

Ingredients:
2 Tbl canola oil, divided
4 cups chicken broth
6 (1/4 inch) slices of peeled ginger & 2 tsp of fresh minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 packages of udon noodles (refrigerated, recipe-ready)
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups cubed chicken breasts
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl honey
salt to taste

Directions:
Add canola oil to a saucepan and heat over medium-high. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the white wine, next, and cook down for 4 minutes. Then, add your chicken broth and ginger. Bring pot to a boil, and then reduce to a medium-low heat, cook for ten minutes and then let rest for ten minutes off heat to infuse the flavors into the broth. Next, pour the broth through a strainer, into a bowl to reserve your liquid. 
Bring your saucepan back to the stove and heat your pan back up. Cook your chicken in 1 Tbl of oil. Once your chicken is cooked all the way through, add your reserved liquid and toss in your udon noodles, soy sauce, honey, and salt. Heat your liquid back up to temperature, cooking for about ten more minutes. Now that your soup is nice and hot, divide it into bowls alongside a soup spoon and chopsticks. Enjoy!

Asian Inspired Chicken & Kenny Chesney

If you listen to a country station lately--any country station--you will have heard Kenny Chesney's American Kids. I just about know every word to the song because I sing it to our baby every day. She has a smile that spreads from ear to ear once you start singing to her, and I believe this song makes that smile even wider. Follow it up with Whiskey in My Water by Tyler Farr and you've got one happy baby… or just a good start to a playlist. 

Chicken is often the only type of meat in our home because it's lean and so versatile. I also don't eat red meat, I'll gladly cook it for the husband, but he prefers enjoying it every once in awhile. Such as an In-n-Out trip or steaks while throwing a BBQ. We've got pretty good at cooking it without drying it out or taking it off to early. I guess practice does make perfect because this chicken was soooo tender and juicy. Give it a whirl, it was a nice blend of spice and flavor. I ended up trying to soak up some sauce off my husband's plate with my rice because I cleaned my plate of it… ;)

Asian Inspired Chicken
Found at: MyRecipes.com
1 1/2 pound chicken tenders
1 Tbl cornstarch
4 tsp canola oil, divided
1 onion, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbl Sriracha
1 Tbl sugar
1 lime, halved
2 Tbl fresh cilantro, chopped
Rice

Directions:
Cook your rice according to the package's directions.
Heat one tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the chicken in cornstarch and cook in pan for about 5 minutes, not cooked all the way through yet. Remove chicken and set aside. Heat the other tablespoon of oil in the pan and cook onions, garlic, and ginger for about a minute. Add the chicken back into the pan, cook for another minute, and then stir in the coconut milk, Sriracha, sugar, and squeeze juice from one half of the lime into the sauce. Once everything is heated pull off the stove.
In the rice, mix your fresh cilantro. Serve chicken and sauce over the cilantro rice. Enjoy!