Halloween Crock Pot Chili

   Every Halloween it's our tradition to make chili.  There are literally hundreds of recipes to choose from!   Some chili's are spicy, some mild, some are made with chicken, some with beef, the list goes on and on.  This year I decided to make my own version of chili using a variety of ingredients that lend themselves to my palate (and my boys) and was crock pot friendly at the same time.  

2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 lb. ground beef, (I used Grass Fed Beef)
1 lb. mild Italian sausage
2 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon pepper
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin seed
2 teaspoons mustard powder
2 tablespoons ground oregano
1 28oz. & 1 14oz. can Muir Glen fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 6oz. can tomato paste
3 tablespoons salt
1 cup dry white wine
2 14oz. cans dark Kidney beans
1-2 14oz. cans light Kidney beans
2 teaspoons Ancho (ground chile's)
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley

Method:

1) Saute together onions, green pepper, sausage, and beef until they begin to brown.  Drain off as much fat as possible.
2) Next, add garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin seed, mustard powder, oregano, salt, tomato paste and the two cans of tomatoes.  Transfer this to a crock pot and set the temperature to low.
3) Meanwhile, de glaze the pan you cooked the above ingredients in with the 1 cup of white wine.  Cook the wine down to 1/4 cup and then add to the crock pot.  At this point the chili can cook on low for 5-6 hours.
4) An hour or so before serving add the kidney beans, fresh parsley and Ancho.  Continue to cook!
5) Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, pumpkin seeds, black olives, fresh parsley, or whatever else you please.  Enjoy!

Oh...and yes our pumpkin seeds are HUGE! 

Because our pumpkin was HUGE!

Potato & Leek Soup with a Kick

 Today's recipe comes to you from a good friend of mine, Donna.  She loves quick meals containing fresh, organic ingredients.  Her travel schedule leaves her little time to cook, therefore she is always in need of meals that are incredibly easy.  This meal is wonderful because all of the cutting and most of the time consuming preparing is done for you, not to mention it was not expensive to make!  All you have to do, is buy the ingredients, saute, blend, and serve with salt & pepper to taste.  Talk about... As Easy As Salt & Pepper!!! 
 Did I mention if living in Minnetonka, Minnesota you get to visit the new Whole Foods???

Ingredients:


1 quart organic Chicken Broth
1 Package Potato Leek Soup kit, see photo below
1 package Apple and Pear Salsa, see photo below
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1) Pour potato and leek soup kit ingredients in a saute pan and saute for 2-3 minutes. 

2) Pour container of chicken broth, and allow the potatoes to soften, 7-10 minutes.

3) Pour mixture in blender along with apple, pear salsa.  Blend until desired consistency and serve with Salt and Pepper.  

Enjoy!

Pesto & Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

  With the days getting shorter and colder I find myself looking for foods that are warming to the soul.  This is a quick dinner that doesn't call for many ingredients  and at the same time warms you up from the inside!   

5 cups vegetable broth
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, for a jar
3 tablespoons homemade pesto, see note below
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup ground parmesan

NOTE: Every year I harvest the basil leaves from my small garden and make pesto, the recipe can be found on this blog...Check it out!  You can always use store bought pesto but you can definitely taste the difference.

Method:

1)  In a medium sauce pan, warm the broth
2)  In a large pot, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat.  Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3)  Add the rice to the pot and stir until it begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.  Add the wine and salt and cook, constantly stirring, until all the wine has been absorbed.
4)  Add the sun-dried tomatoes and 3/4 cups of the broth, continue to stir until all has been absorbed.  Keep adding broth in this manner until you have used all the broth.  Rice should become tender in 20-25 minutes.
5)  Stir in the pesto, parmesan & pepper and serve at once.

Printable Version

Olive Basil Infused Salmon

  Again, I have been a delinquent blogger...so sorry about that!  I most likely realistically will be able to blog once a week or so with my schedule.  Here is a Salmon recipe I have made a couple of times now that I truly believe is wonderful and worth typing up for you all!  I hope you are able to try it, now is the perfect time with all the basil growing like crazy in the gardens!  Enjoy!

2 lbs. Salmon fillets
1/3 cup pitted black olives
5-7 large basil leaves, more for serving chopped
Zest and Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, + 1/4 cup for frying pan
Extra salt and pepper to lightly dust over Salmon


Method


1) Heat oven to 425 degrees.


2) In a small food processor blend olives, basil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, zest and juice of lemon, along with salt and pepper.

3) Make 1 inch slits in the flesh of the salmon and shove as much of the mixture as possible into the slits.
 (NOTE:  This does not look pretty at first but once sauteed the appearance becomes better.)


4) Place Salmon, flesh side down, in heated saute pan which contains the remainder of the olive oil, listed above, (1/4 cup).  Saute until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

5)  Gently, flip the salmon over into a oven safe pan that is lined with parchment paper.  Now, the salmon will be flesh side up for the remainder of the cooking time.  Poor the oil from the saute pan in as well and place in preheated oven.  Cook until Salmon becomes opaque, 4-6 minutes.  Serve with basil sprinkled over top!  

Printable Version

Chaat??? Kind of...Well, not really!

  If you don't know what Chaat is then... I guess I'm not alone.  Chaat is a term that is used to describe snacks that are usually served in stalls or carts, typically, in India!   No, I did't go to India!  I wish!  Instead, over spring break this year our family had gone to Washington D.C.   I ordered Chaat in a restaurant having no idea it was a deep-fried food (my bad).  When I came home I decided I could make a "Healthy" version of Chaat with absolutely nothing bad for you!  In this version I kept the Chickpeas, added a seasonal corn (yum), and opted out of the fried bread and potato pieces.  I also made a Yogurt garnish but decided to take it up a notch and used plain greek yogurt for the extra protein benefit.   So... without further a-due, here is the Scandinavian (a.k.a me) version of Chaat!

Base

1 cup Chickpea's (I used canned organic)

1 teaspoon curry (Use more if you really like the taste of curry)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 small purple onion, diced
1 fresh tomato, diced
1 small cucumber, diced
1 large ear of corn, boiled and cut off of cob
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped


Probiotic Yogurt Topping (a must)

1 single serving container of plain Greek Yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh dill (I used the dill flower from the garden to decorate:)

Method

1)  Warm the chickpeas on top of the stove on low.  Add the sesame oil, curry, salt and pepper.  Keep warm until you cut up the vegetables.
2)  Place all the other ingredients in the base layer and toss to combine.  Add the chickpeas and sauce to the fresh vegetables and toss to combine.
3) Meanwhile, mix the greek yogurt, honey and fresh dill in a small blender until well combined.
4) If you want you can serve this over rice ( I would make more yogurt topping if you were to do so)
5) Place Chickpea mixture on a plate and top with Yogurt topping, Enjoy!

"The Emperor Moth," the story we all need to remember!

  
Sorry I haven't blogged about food lately!  It seems life always brings struggles to overcome.  Everyone has at least one... or at least I would like to believe that is true.  I came across a little story that really has seemed to hit home and help me remember that there is "light" at the end of this tunnel.  Hope this story finds you well.  If not, maybe it can help you look at the bright side today.  


  "A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. he took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On that day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.    What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health."

Fresh Tuna Salad

  I always like the idea of having fresh meals at your fingertips.  You all know what I mean...The kind of food one can take out of the refrigerator and not spend anytime thinking about... what to eat, or the health benefits.  This is a quick and easy recipe that you can make in advance and eat for a few days.  You also can have fun with it, by adding or subtracting ingredients you can make it your very own!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:


2 cans tuna (in water)
3/4 cup spectrum canola mayonnaise
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (Optional)
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 green onions, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced (Optional)
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground


Method:


Mix all ingredients above and refrigerate until ready to enjoy!  Serve with cracker of your choice, I used The Works...a wheat free chip!