Chilly Night Chili

Gonna start breaking out my crockpot recipes, even though it's mid-Nov and was 75 degrees out today.  Maybe by doing this I'll help bring out the lower fall temps.  I'm so ready for lower temps, 75 is great for the summer, but I want my chili and hot chocolate, dammit!

I've been making this chili for years now.  I think it was originally based on a SBD recipe somewhere, but I've tweaked and modified it so much over the years that I don't remember anymore. This recipe is also easy to modify based on what you have on hand.  I've posted my "basic" recipe below, but tonight (in the photo) I made a variation based on what I had in my pantry.  Black beans instead of great northern beans, ground sirloin instead of ground turkey, and I added a chopped carrot.

I don't eat spicy food, but if you want a spicier chili, you can use cans of diced tomatoes with jalapenos or chiles (like Ro*Tel) instead of the plain ones.

Chilly Night Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tray (1.25 lbs.) ground turkey (I used ground sirloin tonight)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced (I added a dice carrot tonight)
• 1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained
• 1 can (15 oz.) great northern bean, drained (I had black beans but no GN beans tonight)
• 1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained
• 3 cans (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• a few generous dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a skillet, heat the olive oil and brown the meat.  Drain and then place the browned meat into your crockpot.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally.

This chili keeps really well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  It actually is delicious the day after, once the flavors have fused together overnight.  It freezes well too and makes good "frozen meals" to take to work on mornings when you realize you've forgotten to prep lunch the night before.

Roasted Tofu and Okra

I came across these on the KERF blog.  Two different food items, but I thought I'd put them in the same entry since the method is exactly the same, and I served them both together today.  They came out DELISH!

I never would have thought to roast tofu or okra.  I usually just use tofu in soups or stir-frys.  It really is very good roasted.  I kept it in a little too long, next time I'll reduce the baking time to 25 mins as opposed to 30 mins, which I reflected in the directions below.

In the past, I've only ever had boiled okra (per my mom), fried okra (I grew up in TN and AL), and the occasional okra in gumbo.  I'm a fan of okra in general, but when you roast it in the oven, the flavors are concentrated and are so delicious.  The seasoning keeps the outside nice and savory, while the yummy slimy insides and seeds are sweet.  MMMMM!

Roasted Tofu and Okra
Tofu recipe from here and okra recipe from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (12 oz.) extra firm organic tofu, drained
• 1 lb. fresh whole okra (even better if it's from the Farmers Market!), washed and drained
• extra virgin olive oil
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the block of tofu into bite-size pieces.  (I did approx 1" x 1" x 1/2").  Put tofu in a bowl, drizzle on some olive oil and sprinkle with TSSS.  Toss to coat.  Place i n a single-layer onto a baking sheet.
• Put the okra in a separate bowl, drizzle on some olive oil and sprinkle with TSSS.  Toss to coat.  Place in a single-layer onto a baking sheet.
• Bake tofu for 25 minutes and okra for 20 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Portabellas

I've been making these for years now, don't remember where I got the recipe/idea from. They are YUM.


Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Portabellas

Ingredients:

• PAM
• 2 large portabella caps, cleaned and dried
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 4oz. log of goat cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with PAM.
• Place portabella caps upside-down (gills facing up) on baking sheet and sprinkle with TSSS.
• In a bowl, combine goat cheese and spinach.  Stuff each portabella cap with the cheese mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the mushroom is tender.

Braised Pork Chops with Apples

A few years ago I was walking through Home Depot's garden center when I saw a tiny grafted ultra-dwarf Fuji apple twig in a pot.  "Grows to 6' tall" it said on the tag, "Can be kept smaller if in a pot."  Hmmm....  I love Fuji apples.  And I have a patio.  So I bought it.

The first year we got no fruit, which was as expected.  Last year we got 4 tiny, sour but flavorful apples.  This year, well, check out the picture.  The tree is about 5' tall and bore us 12 large, juicy, crunchy, uber-sweet apples!  We'd already eaten 1/2 of them by the time I got around to taking this photo.

They are awesome eaten freshly-picked off the tree.  But then I wondered, what else could I do with them?  Not enough for a pie.  And I have some pork chops in the fridge.  So why not braised pork chops with apples?  Genius!


Braised Pork Chops with Apples

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless pork chops, all visible fat removed
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• olive oil
• 3/4 cup chicken broth 
• 1 large fresh-from-the-patio-tree Fuji apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• Tastefully Simple Onion Onion
• Dijon mustard

Directions:

• Season both sides of the pork chops with TSSS.
• In a large pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, sear the chops on both sides on medium-high heat.  Transfer the chops to a plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and deglaze the pan with the chicken broth.  Add in the apple slices and a couple shakes of TSOO.  Cover and cook for a few minutes until the apples are tender.  Add a large dollop of Dijon mustard and stir until fully incorporated.
• Move the cooked apples to the sides of the pan and return the pork chops to the pan.
• Cover and braise for 10 minutes. 
• Remove cover, flip the chops and continue braising for an additional 5-10 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

I think next time I'll use 2 apples instead of 1, they were so yummy! Also, if you like a little sweeter flavor and are not tied to South Beach, you can use apple cider or juice in place of the chicken broth.

Skillet Pasta with Chard and White Beans

Swiss chard -- I've had it in restaurants before, but I've never cooked with it and don't even know what to do with it.  But it was in the CSA sample box of goodies that my Moms Group organizer shared with me, and what a beautiful bunch with its different color stalks (yellow, orange, red and purple) against the dark leafy greens.  So I did a quick Google search for recipes and came across this.  I only modified the recipe because of what I had available in the kitchen (fusili pasta instead of gnocchi, diced onions instead of sliced, Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic instead of fresh cloves, etc.).  I also added the avocado on top b/c, well, I just love avocado.  :-)  This dish turned out pretty scrumptious.

Skillet Pasta with Chard and White Beans
Taken from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of dry whole wheat fusili (or other shaped) pasta
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 smallish-medium onion, diced
• Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 smallish-medium bunch of Swiss chard, washed and chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) Great Northern Beans, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Prepare pasta to al dente according to package instructions.  Set aside.
• In a large skillet, sauté onion in olive oil for a couple of minutes.  Add TSGG and water and stir.  Cover and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
• Add Swiss chard and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until it starts to wilt.
• Stir in beans, tomatoes and seasoned salt.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in pasta and sprinkle with cheeses.  Cover and continue to simmer for a few minutes until cheese is melted.  
• Serve immediately.

Baked Onion Rings

My Moms Group is thinking about joining a local CSA.  The farm kindly sent our organizer a free sample box of produce to try out, and she, in turn, kindly shared some of it with me.  One of the items I got was a giant Maui onion.  If you've never had a Maui onion before, let me tell you this sucker is SWEET!  It's great for sauteeing to put on top of steaks, and it's great as onion rings.

But of course we all know that deep frying is not SBD-approved.  So baking it is.  This recipe yields crunchy, sweet-savory onion rings.  We ate it all straight up with dinner, no ketchup or mustard needed.  Even the toddler had seconds (and thirds).

The key is the whole wheat panko bread crumbs.  Japanese panko style crumbs make it extra crunchy. 

Baked Onion Rings

Ingredients:

• PAM
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup EggBeaters
• 1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt (or your favorite fry seasoning such as Old Bay, etc.)
• A Maui onion, sliced into rings, 1/3" thick (I had a giant one, so only used 1/2 of it)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spray a baking sheet with PAM.  Set aside.
• Place the flour, EggBeaters and panko bread crumbs each in their own separate shallow bowls.  Add some seasoned salt to the panko bread crumbs and mix together.
• Dip an onion ring into the flour, then the EggBeaters, then the seasoned bread crumbs.  Place onto baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake for 20 minutes until onion is soft and coating is golden brown and crunchy.

Meatball-Stuffed Zucchini

This is more of an assembly idea than an actual recipe.  I found these beautiful, large zucchini at my local Sprouts yesterday, perfect for stuffing.  But I was also in the mood for a meatball sandwich.  Thus the open-faced turkey meatball zucchini sandwich.  Too long for a title?  Okay, Meatball-Stuffed Zucchini it is, then.

Meatball-Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients:

• 4 large zucchini
• PAM
• a batch of turkey meatballs
• whole wheat spaghetti, cooked to al dente per box instructions
• shredded mozzarella

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Wash the zucchini and cut in half, lengthwise.  Scoop out a little of the seed innards.  You don't have to scoop out a lot, since the seeds are tender and very edible.  Just enough to make a little indentation bed for the meatballs.
• Spray a baking dish with PAM.  Place the zucchini cut-side down in the sprayed dish, in a single layer.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until zucchini are tender with just a slight bit of firmness.
• On an oven-proof serving plate, make a bed of cooked spaghetti.  Place zucchini on top and fill with meatballs and sauce.  Top with shredded mozzarella. 
• Place into oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
• Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Tacos

Let me start off by saying I got this idea from here. It is such a brilliant idea, I only wish I'd come up with it myself. And her presentation of the dish is just gorgeous. I love her blog.

I decided to go vegetarian tonight, so I made the tacos with beans instead of meat, but you could easily use ground beef or turkey, or sliced steak, etc.  I also am not good with mixing seasonings, so I just used a packet of Lawry's taco seasoning instead of making up my own.

I decided to copy Kath in her blog and used the butternut squash "bottoms" as the "taco shells" because the presentation is so gorgeous.  I sliced up the leftover squash "tops" -- the long thin part without seeds inside -- and boxed them up to use for something else later in the week (maybe roasted?).

Butternut Squash Tacos
Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 2 smallish-medium butternut squash "bottoms", washed, halved and seeded
• 1/4 onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced or sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained
• 1 can (15 oz.) great northern beans, drained
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• cinnamon powder
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt (or salt & pepper) to taste
• Whatever toppings you like (today I used diced avocado and Greek yogurt)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray the bottom of a baking pan with cooking spray.  Place the butternut squash "bottoms" in the pan, cut side down.  Bake until fork-tender, usually about 30 - 40 minutes, depending on the size of your squash.
• In the meantime, sauté the onion and carrot in olive oil until onion is translucent and carrot is soft.
• Add the beans and taco seasoning and cook per instructions on the seasoning packet.
• Once the squash is soft, remove from heat and flip them over (skin side down) onto a serving plate.  Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon and Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt.
• Fill each squash half with the taco bean mixture and top with whatever you like.  
• Serve immediately while still warm.

The diced avocado and Greek yogurt I used tonight was a delicious creamy combo that was a perfect match for the beans.  You could also use guacamole, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.

ETA on 10/21/11: If you're pressed for time and don't have 40 minutes to bake the squash bottoms, you can put them (already halved and seeded) in a microwave-safe bowl with a couple tablespoons of water, cover and nuke on high for 5 - 7 minutes until mostly soft.  Then place the squash onto a baking sheet misted with olive oil, and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I remember when I did my internship in Lille, France, I lived "on campus" and the cafeteria served Brussels sprouts about twice a week. But they were the gross over-cooked, mushy, tasteless boiled kind. I'm not a big fan of boiled anything (except eggs).

A few years ago when I started following the South Beach Diet, I figured I'd give Brussels sprouts a second chance. But this time they were to be oven-roasted, not boiled. Wow, what a difference a technique makes! And these are so good, even the hubs loves them!


Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. fresh Brussels sprouts, washed and drained, halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Spread the sprouts out, single layer, onto a baking sheet.
• Roast in oven for 20 - 25 minutes.

If you like them slightly firm (like me), aim for 20 minutes.  If you like them soft, aim for 25 minutes.  Be careful not to burn them.  Burnt Brussels sprouts = burnt cabbage = le yuck.

Grilled Ginger Salmon Brochettes

I thought I'd already posted this recipe, but after looking through my archives, I see that I have not.

This week Henry's had fresh (not frozen!) wild (not farm-raised!) king salmon fillets on sale for $6.99/lb.  Six dollars and ninety-nine cents per pound!  That's an awesome deal!  So of course I had to snatch some up.

Grilled Ginger Salmon Brochettes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh wild salmon fillet, skinned, boned and cubed
• a couple tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Soak some wooden skewers in water for a few minutes.  This will help prevent them from burning on the grill.
• Place cubed salmon fillets in a mixing bowl.  Add rest of the ingredients and toss.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Skewer the salmon onto the soaked skewers.  I like to use double skewers so they're easier to flip on the grill without having the salmon rotate and spin on the axis.
• Place onto a hot grill and cook on high for a few minutes on each side.  Serve immediately.

Eat more fish!