Savory holiday dishes: readers' recipes tested in Sunset's kitchens - Kitchen Cabinet

Sunset, Nov, 2003

Mexican Chicken and Dumplings

Katie McRae, Portland

Katie McRae adds some spicy touches to traditional, homey chicken stew with dumplings. She always makes a few of them without jalapenos for family members who don't enjoy spicy food.

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PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

MAKES: 4 to 6 servings

 tablespoon olive oil

  1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and diced

  1 green bell pepper, rinsed, stemmed,
    seeded, and diced

  1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

  3 pounds skinned chicken thighs

  1 can (15 oz.) fat-skimmed
    chicken broth

  1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Mexican-style
    stewed tomatoes

  1 can (10 oz.) red enchilada sauce

  1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

  2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

  2 tablespoons chopped pickled
    jalapeno chilies

  3 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup milk

1. Pour oil into a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and stir often until limp, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Rinse chicken. Add broth, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), about 40 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and jalapenos. In a small bowl, whisk butter into milk; stir into flour mixture until well blended. Drop batter in tablespoon portions into simmering chicken mixture; cover and simmer gently until dumplings are cooked all the way through (cut to test), 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Ladle chicken, dumplings, and sauce equally into wide, shallow bowls and serve immediately.

Per serving: 477 cal., 26% (126 cal.) from fat; 40 g protein; 14 g fat (5.7 g sat.); 47 g carbo (3 g fiber); 1,456 mg sodium; 121 mg chol.

Turkey Chowder

Betty Jean Nichols, Eugene, OR

Leftover turkey and mashed potatoes are the main ingredients in this quick, hearty chowder devised by Betty Jean Nichols. She prefers to use canned corn with red and green peppers, which add flecks of color to the soup.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes

MAKES: About 3 quarts; 6 to 8 servings

  2 slices bacon (about 2 oz. total),
    chopped

  1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped

  1 quart low-fat (1%) milk

  4 cups cooked mashed potatoes

  3 cups 1/2-inch chunks cooked turkey

  2 cans (11 oz. each) corn, drained
    (see note, preceding)

  2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon pepper

    Salt

1. In a 4- to 5-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon often until browned around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and stir often until onion is limp, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in milk, mashed potatoes, turkey, corn, cilantro, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until soup is hot and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Per serving: 343 cal., 34% (117 cal.) from fat; 24 g protein; 13 g fat (4.3 g sat.); 36 g carbo (3.2 g fiber); 572 mg sodium; 52 mg chol.

Cranberry-Pepper Salsa

Tom Cooper, Kennewick, WA

Tom Cooper modified his grandmother's recipe to make this spicy salsa.

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PREP TIME: About 10 minutes, plus at least 4 hours to chill

MAKES: About 6 cups

  8 ounces fresh cranberries,
    rinsed and sorted

  2 apples (about 1 lb. total), rinsed,
    cored, and cut into chunks

  1 orange (about 8 oz.), rinsed and
    cut into chunks (including peel)

1/3 cup sugar

  1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper (8 oz.
    each), rinsed, stemmed, seeded,
    and diced

  1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and diced

  2 fresh jalapeno chilies, rinsed,
    stemmed, seeded, and minced

  2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a food processor, pulse cranberries, apples, and orange until coarsely pureed. Scrape into a bowl; stir in sugar, bell peppers, onion, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, and salt. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Per 1/4 cup: 38 cal., 3% (1 cal.) from fat; 0.4 g protein; 0.1 g fat (0 g sat.); 10 g carbo (1.3 g fiber); 49 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Southwest Stuffing

Naomi D'Abbracci, Cave Junction, OR

Naomi D'Abbracci collaborated with a friend on this Southwest-style Thanks-giving recipe. Bake an 8-inch square pan of cornbread from your favorite recipe and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/4 hours

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

3/4 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds

  1 tablespoon cumin seeds

  1 pound ground spicy pork sausage

  1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped

  4 stalks celery, rinsed and chopped

  2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped canned peeled
    roasted red peppers

  1 can (7 oz.) diced mild green chilies,
    drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes (optional)

  9 cups cornbread cubes
    (see note, preceding)

  1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth

1. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir pumpkin seeds until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes; pour into a large bowl. Add cumin seeds to pan; stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cumin seeds to pumpkin seeds.