Chicken Ala King - YUM!

This is compliments of Rachael Ray with a few additions

One tube jumbo bake-off biscuits (recommended: Pillsbury brand "Grands"), available on dairy aisle
A sprinkle cayenne (spicy) or sweet paprika (mild)
1 cup dry white wine (80/20..... 1/4 cup sherry)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used chopped 3 cups of Rotisserie Chicken.)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound small white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chopped pimentos (80/20 skipped this item.)
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf or curly parsley
Preheat oven according to package directions for biscuits. Arrange biscuits on nonstick baking sheet and sprinkle with a little ground cayenne pepper or sweet paprika then place biscuits into a preheated oven. Bake until golden, remove biscuits from oven and then cool.

In a medium skillet, bring 1 cup white wine and 2 cups chicken broth and 1 bay leaf to a boil. Slide in chicken breasts and gently poach them in simmering broth and wine for 10 to 12 minutes.

Preheat a second skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into oil, add mushrooms and onion and cook 5 minutes until tender. Add flour and cook another minute.

Pull chicken from broth and set on cutting board. Ladle cooking liquid into the mushrooms, whisking it in. Add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of liquid and discard the bay leaf. Add pimentos and peas to the sauce. Dice chicken into bite-size pieces and slide into bubbling sauce. (I also added about 1/4 cup heavy cream and I did not have white wine, so I added 1/4 cup Sherry.)

Split the biscuits, place bottoms on dinner plates and cover with ladles of Chicken a la King. Cap with biscuit tops and garnish with chopped parsley.

Easy soup for a cold winter day...

I love soups that are essentially a meal in themselves. This one is really easy and great with store-prepared rotisserie chicken. (Or leave it out and make a veggie version)





Chicken Tortilla Soup
6 tablespoons Vegetable oil
4 10" to 12" corn or flour tortillas
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 small bunch of cilantro
1 - 8.5 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
4 cups broth – veggie or chicken
14 ounces of canned or frozen corn
3/4 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon chili powder
4 bay leaves
2 cups Rotisserie Chicken
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice from 1 lime

Cut up 2 of the tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and fry them in 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. You want them to be a golden brown. Remove the strips from pot and transfer to some paper towels to drain. Season with a little salt. (Kitchen essential – tongs for flipping)

Heat the remaining oil over medium high heat and sauté the onions for a couple of minutes. Then add garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Tear the remaining 2 tortillas into bite size pieces and add to the pot.

Now add the cilantro, stir, and cook for a minute more. Add the canned tomatoes and the stock, cumin, chili powder, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the corn, chicken, and cayenne.

Add your lime juice and adjust spices. Reheat, and serve with the fried tortilla strips..

I served this soup with the fried tortillas, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream. You could also add some avacado.