Hearty Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This may just be my favorite soup! If your looking for healthy, this isn't it. The creamy, gnocchi, and flavors all go so well together. I got this recipe straight from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fat free half-and-half
• 1 cup lowfat milk
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 16 ounce package gnocchi
• 1-2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken breasts
• 1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the chopped onion, carrots and thyme. Cook until the onion is translucent and carrots are slightly tender, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking or stirring constantly, until the flour is lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.
3. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the uncooked gnocchi and simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup should thicken up quite a bit while the gnocchi is cooking. Stir in the chicken and spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Main Dish

Creamy

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/05/white-and-green-chicken-enchiladas.html

my take on her recipe

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

YIELD: SERVES 6-10

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

3 cups cooked, chopped chicken (I marinate mine with Chipotle Marinade from McCormick (in the sauce packet section, $1.00) and grill it

2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained

2 can black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)

6 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon salt or to

3/4 teaspoon pepper

2 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce or my tomatillo salsa..save some for topping later 

1 cup sour cream

Assembly:

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded or as much as you like

14-18 uncooked tortillas...cook before assembling the enchiladas 

 2 Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish.

In a medium bowl, combine green chiles, chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.put in creamy sauce (leave about two cups to go on the top...about 3/4-1 cup for each 9x13 pan) add red salsa and more green salsa if desired and add as much cheese as looks good.  

 Fill each tortilla with above  mixture. 

(Cheese and sauce gauge 1/2 cup of sauce in each tortilla and Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas.)

 Roll the tortillas up and place seam 

side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Green salsa

Boil in pot 

1 lb tomatillos 

2 Serrano peppers

When tomatillos change to an army green and are softer drain from pot and put on blender with 1/2 onion.  Pulse til smoother.  Add salt and splashes of lemon juice to taste.  Doesn't take much.  

You can  charbroil peppers to for smoked flavor. Put in aluminum foil and turn every 4-5 minutes on medium until softer and squishier. Put in blender and follow remaining steps.