Winger Chili

We had our ward Halloween party last weekend. Boy Howdy, there was a LOT of chili. I looked for a crockpot with a familiar name on it. See, I don't love chili. But I did love THIS chili, made by my neighbor Steph. It warmed my soul. I have no picture, sorry dudes. Use the Turkey Sausage, that's what made this chili outstanding!

Winger Chili

3 cans tomatoes, pureed

3 cans tomato sauce

1lb ground beef, browned (or turkey sausage)

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1/3-1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2-1 tsp basil

1/2-1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 medium onion, diced

3-4 Tbs chili powder

Cook in crockpot, or on stove until hot (about 30 minutes after boiling).

The turkey sausage recipe below is what we use entirely in place of ground beef. It's really yummy!

Homemade Turkey Sausage

3 lbs. lean ground turkey

2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon crushed fennel

5 dashes crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon basil

1 or 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon crushed rosemary

1 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Start browning sausage, add spices, and cook until turkey is done. We love to use this in place of pork sausage. Can use in stuffing, on pizza, in spaghetti, in eggs, etc.

Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

Thanks Janssen for recommending this great recipe from It's So Tasty Too. We left out the leeks because WHAT are they anyways? Other than that I followed the recipe and loved it, especially with the lime sour cream. Yum! We served with cornbread and an awesome salad that Katie brought and that I will try to obtain the recipe for ASAP!

The other good news about this soup is that I actually did the whole "soak beans overnight" business. I was so darn proud. And in the interest of my arteries I drained about half of the bacon drippings (because dang I had a LOT of bacon drippings), still tasted wonderful!

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) package dried black beans (about 2 1/2 cups) or 5 cans (15 oz.) black beans
1 lb. bacon, chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
3/4 cup finely chopped leeks
6 cups canned chicken broth
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chili, minced, seeds removed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (I used sherry)
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream:
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover by 3 inches. Let stand overnight. Drain and rinse well. Cook bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until done, about 8 minutes. Do not drain drippings. Add beans, chicken broth, tomato, cilantro, parsley, garlic, jalapeno, sherry or vinegar and cumin. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer soup until beans are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

(If you use canned beans, which is perfectly fine!, then just simmer for an hour.)

If you have an immersion blender, process until slightly chunky puree forms. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If you don't have an immersion blender, for Heaven's sake, go out and treat yourself to one - they are amazing! In the meantime, working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and process until slightly chunky and pureed.) Ladle soup into bowls. Place dollop of sour cream mixture atop soup.

Vegetable Barley Soup

Since we only have one month until our trip to Disney Blaine and I have made a resolve to eat super healthy this month and try to shed a couple of pounds so we can fit in the space mountain car thing together. We have a dream baby!

I also randomly bought some barley about a week ago.

So, I made this vegetable barley soup tonight and it was super easy and had incredible flavor. I wish it would have been brothier because dipping a warm roll into the soup was just a great combination of flavors. Mmmmm!

Beaker's Vegetable Barley Soup (from www.allrecipes.com)
2 Quarts Vegetable Broth
1 C uncooked barley (per reviews I only used 3/4 C)
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (14.5 oz ) can diced tomatoes with juice (I only had stewed tomatoes so I used those)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 onion, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 t garlic powder (I used refrigerated chopped garlic)
1 t white sugar (in the interest of being skinny in disneyland I left this out)
1t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper (important to use plain old pepper and not freshly ground peppercorns)
1 t parsley
1 t curry powder
1 t paprika
1 t Worcestershire sauce (I ran out so I used red whine vinegar with great results)

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium low heat for 90 minutes.

I forgot to cover it, whoops. Maybe I would have had more broth if I would have actually read the directions : ) Regardless add a few extra cups of broth, you'll be happier!

Remove bay leaves before serving

Frito Salad

My friend made this the other nite when we got together, and it was fabulous. In fact, I'm going to have it for dinner while my hubby is out of town, might make a good lunch or side dish also! Yum!

4 cans red or pinto beans (or a combo), drained & rinsed
1 grn. pepper, chopped
2-3 grn. onions, sliced
3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
12"ish" oz. bottle Catalina or French dressing*
1 reg. size bag Fritos or Fritos Scoops

Combine all ingre. except for chips. You can make it the day before & refrigerate until ready to serve. At serving time, mix in chips. It will keep fresh for about 1 1/2 hours or you can just let everyone add their own chips. :)

*For our recipe group she halfed the recipe, used Brianna's brand Zesty French dressing and used some "frito" like chips from Sun Harvest.

Lentejas

Since I am trying to base my recipes on what I receive in my bountiful basket I got myself into a real pickle this week. I didn't order one for last Saturday and here it is only Tuesday and my pantry is practically bare. Since I don't want to go to the store and have what happened to me two weeks ago happen again (I went to Costco on Wednesday and when my bountiful basket came on Saturday it was everything I had purchased already earlier in the week- not kidding- sweet potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, blackberries, tangelos, everything), I am trying to hold out and not go grocery shopping until Saturday after my BB arrives.

So, it's been kind of a stretch to make good meals. Janssen sent me a recipe for lentil soup and as I made it I realized it is something we actually have often at our house and Blaine usually makes it. It is something that he ate a lot of in Spain while he was on his mission- lentejas. Anyway, I will post the Janssen/Martha Stewart version here but just know, from Blaine's experimenting that you can add all sorts of things (pepperoni and red peppers are a favorite) to the mix and it makes it all the better.

3 srips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (duh, use more than this)
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4inch moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T tomato paste
1 1/2 C lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 t dried thyme
2 cans chicken broth (3 1/2 C)
1T red-wine vinegar
coarse salt and ground pepper

In dutch oven, or other large pot with tight fitting lid, cook bacon until browned and crisp. Pour off all but 1T fat. Add onion and carrots, cook until softened (5 minutes). Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about thirty seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add lentils, thyme, broth and 2 C water (oooooooohhh I totally forgot to add this, whoops, no wonder it didn't make much. Idiot). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are tender 30-45 minutes.

Stir in vinegar, 1 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Serve immediately. If you want to omit the bacon (weirdo) then you can and cook the onions and carrots in 1T olive oil.

This was really yummy and you should totally double it!

7-Layer dip or Taco Casserole

My friend makes this and serves for dinner. I never thought of 7-layer dip as a maindish, but it was fabulous!

7-layer dip:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
1 c. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can diced tomatoes
salsa (I replaced the tomatoes and salsa with a can of Rotel)
1 container guacamole (I make mine homemade)
mozzarella
black olives
Tortilla chips or wraps

Brown 1 lb ground beef and drain.
Add about 1/2 pkg taco seasoning (no water, though).
Meanwhile, spread 1 can refried beans into 9x13 pan.
Ground beef goes on top of that.
Mix together 1 c. sour cream with 8 oz cream cheese and then spread on top.
Next goes on 1 can diced tomatoes (drained) plus some salsa (as desired).
Then 1 container of guacamole
Top with mozzarella and sliced olives.

Bake 350 for 30min.

I like to serve with Hint of Lime chips, but my hubby likes to scoop his out into a tortilla for a burrito.

White Chicken Chili

1 lb. chicken, cubed
1 med onion chopped
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T. vegetable oil
3 cans great northern beans
1 can chicken broth -regular small size can
1-2 small cans diced green chilis
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. black pepper
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. whipping cream


Place vegetable oil in cooking pot. Add chicken and chopped onion and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Drain and rinse beans and add to pot. Add all other ingredients to pan except for sour cream and whipping cream. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add sour cream and whipping cream and serve.(Can use canned chicken for the chicken and omit the first step.)

For the beans I couldn't find canned, so I bought dried (which are cheaper anyway) and then cooked them on my own, according to package directions. It takes about half a small bag of beans, and they take about 2 hours to cook on the stove.


*Top with cheese, tortilla chips or avacodo. I served along side cornbread.

Brown rice and black bean casserole - three stars!

Okay the thing is, I felt so healthy making and eating this. We loved it! I am posting the recipe as was found on allrecipes and I'll put my modifications at the bottom. Definitely worth making especially because if you chop the veggies fine enough your kids won't know they are eating mushrooms, zuccini and carrots, and neither will you!

• 1/3 cup brown rice
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 cooked skinless boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste
• ground cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained
• 1/3 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1. Mix the rice and vegetable broth in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes, or until rice is tender.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in the zucchini, chicken, and mushrooms. Season with cumin, salt, and ground cayenne pepper. Cook and stir until zucchini is lightly browned and chicken is heated through.
4. In large bowl, mix the cooked rice, onion, zucchini, chicken, mushrooms, beans, chiles, carrots, and 1/2 the Swiss cheese. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
5. Cover casserole loosely with foil, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and continue baking 10 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

-------------------
Okay, I made this vegetarian style; which means I omitted the chicken (read: I am lazy), and added lots more veggies (I did two zuccinis, probably like three cups of sliced mushrooms). I doubled the rice (and consequently the broth), and actually I think it could have easily been tripled and still been great. I used a mexican blend of cheese. I think next time I will reduce the cheese, not because the recipe had too much cheese but because I feel like you could get away with a lot less cheese and have it still be good. I would also maybe just use plain ol' cheddar. I added a lot more thinly sliced carrots.

I had two leftover wheat tortillas and though this recipe was intended to be a casserole I served it like a burrito filling with those leftover tortillas, with a little sour cream (and salsa would be great too!). Then since we only had two tortillas we ate the rest like a casserole with a little sour cream.

What a great meal! I loved it.

Another note...be sure you realize that the brown rice has to cook for forty five minutes! I started making this dinner way too late in the evening and didn't realize it would take so long. It's not hard to make at all, just takes a long time to make the rice and also to bake in the oven.

Totally easy, healthy and inexpensive to make!!

mixed bean and portobello ragout

I know, gag right? But really? It's pretty good. Not like I would want it every night (especially not right now), but if you've eaten yucky fast food for three weeks this is a good meal to cleanse and make you feel all earthy and healthy again. Seriously, pretty good for being so darn good for you.


1- 10 oz package frozen baby lima beans
1 C fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces (let's be honest, frozen or canned work too, just doesn't taste as good)
1 1/2 C sliced and halved fresh portobello mushrooms or button mushrooms (we used canned one time, obviously it works but definitely not as good)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Cold water
2 tsp Corn starch
1 14oz can cajun or italian style stewed tomatoes, undrained (never have these so I usually use 1 can diced tomatoes and add several dashes of cajun seasoning, which you should get if you don't already have, it's yum)
1 Can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained

Cook lima beans and green beans in lightly salted water according to lima bean package directions; drain

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook mushrooms in hot oil over medium heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine water and cornstarch (try not to get distracted playing with this magical mixture); stir into mushrooms. Stir in undrained tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir two minutes more. Stir in cooked lima and green beans. Cook through.

Go eat ice cream, you deserve it with how healthy this meal was!

I served with cornbread!

Couscous and Black Bean Salad

I have just been too busy unpacking and getting my internet connected to actually post what I have been cooking (frozen lasagna, anyone?). Now we are finally back into the swing of things, and lest ye think that I never cook, I think I should finally contribute. Here is a salad my little sister sent to me that I made last week to go with some steaks Jim grilled up.

We give it 3 stars (Jim said he would have preferred less couscous and more of the "other stuff")!!! I thought it was super yummy!

Couscous and Black Bean Salad

1C uncooked couscous
1 1/4C chicken broth
3T olive oil
2T fresh lime juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
8 green onions, chopped (I didn't have any, so I threw in 1/4 red onion, diced)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4C fresh cilantro
1C frozen corn kernals, thawed
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (I did 1 can black beans and 1 can kidney beans)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2qt or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 min.

In large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, corn and beans and toss to coat.

Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any large chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt/pepper as desired.

Serve immediately or refridgerate.


Oh, FYI- we served this freshly made the first time and then for leftovers we never heated it up. It was just as good cold as when first prepared.

Pinto Beans and Cornbread

This is what we're eating tonight. Batten down the hatches!

Step by step instructions with photos are on this site:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/beans_and_cornb/

which, I guess you'll need to copy and paste into your browser. For the beans you just need pinto beans, salt, pepper, and bacon (or a ham hock, etc).

Very healthy and economical ... and ... you can use your food storage.
Oh! And pretty tasty as far as beans go. My husband says only 2 stars if you're comparing it to steak and potatoes. But, it's 3 stars if you're talking comparing to beans. The cornbread is 4 stars.

Taco Soup

I got this recipe from a very old friend back when we were roommates in college. I'd give this 3 stars.

This is the kind of recipe you can always have the ingredients for around the house. It's basically a long list of canned goods, so it's great for creating and cycling food storage.

1 lb ground beef (I know this isn't a can of something, but I always have some ground beef in my freezer)
1 small onion, diced (again, I know not a can but onions keep FOREVER in the fridge, so I always keep some around - I'm sure you could use dehydrated onions from food storage if you were so inclined)
1 can whole kernel corn (about 15 oz size and include the juice)
1 can pinto or black beans (about 15 oz size and include the juice) (the recipe originally said pinto but I've come to prefer black beans in this and I'm sure you could use soaked dry beans of either kind from your food storage, I've just never tried...yet!)
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes (about 15 oz size and include the juice) (again, the recipe originally said crushed but I've always used diced because we already have them around for other recipes)
1 can tomato sauce (about 15 oz size)
1 small can diced green chilies (about 4 oz)
1 pkg or about 1/4 cup taco seasoning (I buy this in bulk or you could be cool like Kristi and make your own!)

For preparation you have 2 choices:

Regular Prep -
Brown the thawed meat and diced onions in a large pot, then add remaining ingredients and cook until heated through, allowing ingredients some time to simmer.

Crock Pot Prep (the way I usually do it) -
Now here's where I get a little unorthodox. Crock pot recipes always tell you to brown your meat first, which basically defeats the entire point of crock pot cooking if you ask me. Maybe it's supposedly to protect against food poisoning or whatever, but we've never gotten sick. Or maybe it's to improve the flavor, but I've never noticed a difference. So if you want, go ahead and thaw your meat then brown it and the onion first and dirty that extra pan, then put it in the crock pot. Otherwise, try it my super lazy way and be done with dinner prep early in the day so you don't have to think about dinner during that horrid twilight zone in the evening when the kids are terrible and you're beat. You don't even have to remember to thaw beef this way! Stick your tube of frozen beef into the crock pot (with it turned on) while you chop your onions and collect your cans. By the time you're done, the outside of the meat should be thawed enough to slit the wrapper and squeeze the meat out easily into the crock pot. Then dump in all the other ingredients (no need to stir yet) and leave the crock pot turned on for about an hour. Then open up your crock pot and stir. The thawed beef will mix into the soup (scrape the sides of the lump of frozen meat if need be). Depending on how frozen your beef was and how high you turn the heat on your crock pot you may have to go back a couple times. And if you forget, and leave some of the meat until the clump has started cooking, just use a wooden spoon and cut up the chunk of meat right there in the pot. I don't even know how long I leave this, but once it's simmering nicely, you should be good.

We like to serve this with tortilla chips either on the side for dipping or crushed in your bowl and
a dollop of sour cream on top.