chicken and lime soup

CHICKEN AND LIME SOUP

image & recipe via budget bytes

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium jalapeno, seeded & diced
4 cloves garlic
3/4 lb chicken breast
6 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes w/chiles
1 tsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1 medium lime
1/2 bunch cilantro

Dice the onion, celery, and jalapeno (scrape the seeds out of the jalapeno before dicing). Mince the garlic. Cook the onion, celery, jalapeno, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, canned tomatoes with chiles, oregano, and cumin to the pot. Bring the whole pot up to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on top, and let simmer for one hour.

After simmering for an hour with a lid on, carefully remove the chicken breast from the pot and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup. Get as much juice as possible from the lime by using a spoon to scrape the inside of the lime.

Rinse the cilantro and then roughly chop the leaves. Add to the pot, give it a quick stir, and serve. 

pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe & image via Half Baked
(makes 30 cupcakes)

Super yummy cupcakes for Fall entertaining!  I prefer mini cupcakes, especially for parties. I halved this recipe and it yielded about 50 minis. Just change the baking time to 9-11 minutes. Delish!

For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
3. In bowl of stand mixer cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add dry ingredients and milk, alternating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
6. Mix in pumpkin puree.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
10. Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing.

*Mini Cupcakes: Fill mini cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter; bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

For the icing:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

1. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well combined.
2. Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
3. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined.
4. Place icing in piping bag fitted with a large round tip and frost cupcakes.

so bad, but so good!

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
image & recipe via Plain Chicken

1 lb hot sausage, uncooked
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix all ingredients until well combined (a mixer works great).  Roll into 1-inch balls.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Sausage balls may be frozen, uncooked.  If baking frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time.