Poblano Chicken Chowder

Stephanie and I both like to cook, so we decided to cook some soup together as a date...tres romantique, n'est-ce pas? The reason we chose this soup was because I really, really wanted to make a chowder, and Stephanie really, really didn't want a chowder that had either corn or seafood in it. So we stumbled on this one. The recipe and the description are from Paula Deen and were taken from here on Foodtv.com. We both thought it was awesome...the only thing we added when it was done was a bit of salt. This recipe makes a lot of soup...we froze the extra in individual plastic bags to use for lunches.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/8 cup minced garlic
2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
3 quarts chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.

When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.

Agave Lime Chicken Enchiladas

A friend at work let me try some of the enchiladas that his wife had made for him...and I knew that Stephanie would love them (ok, I liked them too). I asked him for the recipe, and he told me that he would email me the link to his wife's cooking blog. I couldn't wait, though, and did an internet search on my own. I found a recipe on The Sister's Cafe blog. The recipe listed here has been modified to match our taste. Most of the recipes I found (including that of my friend's wife) use honey instead of agave, and it works well too. Some recipes call for adding cream to the enchilada sauce that is poured over the top...neither Stephanie or I liked this addition since it made the enchiladas a bit soggy.

Ingredients
5 Tb agave nectar (or honey)
4 Tb lime juice
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb cooked chicken, shredded
flour tortillas
pepper jack or monterey jack cheese, shredded
14 oz. can green enchilada sauce

Instructions
Poach the chicken, then shred while it is still warm. Mix first 4 ingredients with shredded chicken. I like to do this in a zip top bag. Marinate for at least a half hour, you can also make this ahead of time and leave it in the fridge overnight. Pour some of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9X13 pan, just enough to coat the bottom. Fill the tortillas with the chicken mix and some cheese. Roll them up and then place them in the pan. Don't be afraid to squish them in...you've got to get 10 of these in there. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top. A note about the sauce...the original recipe called for 10 ounces, I thought it was too dry and so switched to a larger can, which I thought led to a better result. Add more cheese to the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. For the last few minutes, turn on the broiler to crisp up the top.