#5

so, i hadn't considered counting this, but my mom said, "why not? creating is creating!" ok, maybe not those exact words... anyway, here is a new recipe i came up with. and hey- this time it will be written down so i can make it again! i made a quiche once (the only time i've ever made one) and i have no idea now how i even made it. sucks, cuz i'd really like to have it again sometime.

here's the deal with me and cooking. i don't really like following recipes. here's what i usually do when i think of something i want to make. first, i look up recipes so i get the basic idea of what i need. for example, with the quiche, i had no idea how many eggs i needed or how much other stuff, how long to bake it, or at what temp. i THINK i did sausage, mushroom and asparagus... that combo sounds yummy to me. i don't even know what cheese i used. anyway, after i get the basic idea, i get to work and i do what looks, smells, and tastes right to me. i add or subtract or substitute and eventually, i have a delicious meal but the "recipe" is often lost forever in the cobwebby part of my crazy brain.

anyway, a few nights ago i decided i wanted white chicken chili. but again, i had no idea how to make it. my aunt had written a recipe for it in our family cookbook, but when i read it (and i read it over and over), i just couldn't get my head around it. so i got online and looked it up and most of the recipes i found were pretty much the same. apparently, there's a few basic ingredients in chicken chili and that's really all anyone puts in it- chicken, white beans, green chilis, and chicken broth. some people start with onion and garlic and some add some spices. that's it. it didn't seem like what i wanted but i started with the 4 basic things. i knew i wanted it spicy so i added chili powder. then i thought it needed "brightening" so i added lime juice and cilantro. then i added corn cuz i add corn to everything- i love the slight crunch it gives. that all helped but it still wasn't right... then it hit me! i wanted it creamier! i only had 1/2% milk so i thought for a minute and then proceeded to dig out a can of cream of chicken soup from the pantry. ahhh! perfect! the only thing i would have done differently is, for the amount of soup i made, i'd have added another can of green chilis. here is the recipe:

3 cans (undrained!) of white beans
1 1/2 cans chicken broth
1/2 (or so) rotisserie chicken- already cooked
2 tiny cans chopped green chilis
juice from 1/2 lime
handful minced cilantro
1/2 bag of frozen corn
1 can cream of chicken soup
as much chili powder as you want

just get it all in a big pot on the stove and let it cook for a little while. it doesn't need to be on the heat too long. that's it! so yummy. i melted some cheese on top in the bowls and dropped a dollop of sour cream on top. i like both those things on regular chili. what do you think? did i create a recipe??