Kitchen Sink Chili

Does anyone out there not like chili? Okay, there are a few of you. And you have my special permission to skip over this post (Oh don't, your call...), but if you do enjoy the rich tomatoey flavor of chili, and the buttery bread which you may dip into it, take note!

This one is a keeper.

I have posted about chili before (see here), and that recipe is still a great standby for me. It takes less ingredients and only about an hour from start to finish. It's very forgiving.

But for tonight's dinner I pull another recipe from theBite Me files, (Cookbook by Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat). Just wait until you see what lies behind it's rich flavor! I'll give you a hint...it rhymes with BOGO.

Can you guess??

The rich flavors are enhanced by many spices including cumin, chili powder (of course!), oregano, cayenne, Aaaaaaaaand....

Cocoa powder. If you can believe it. The cocoa gives the chili, not a chocolately taste, but a deepened rich flavor.

It's meaty (if you want--vegetarian works too!), vegetab-ly(?) and delicous, and I had a simple time preparing it. You can do it over the stove top if you prefer, or if you're like me and don't have time to spare, the slow cooker works perfectly fine! (Just remember to pre-cook your meat and onions.)

Serve with caesar salad, a ciabatta loaf, cheddar cheese, and red wine.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

2 c sliced white mushrooms

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 c canned chopped green chili peppers, drained

1 (28oz/796ml) can diced tomatoes with juice

2 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 c mild salsa

1 c vegetable broth

1/2 c cous cous (optional)

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Shredded Montery Jack or cheddar cheese, for topping

Directions:

1. This recipe can be cooked either in a large soup pot over medium heat, or in a slow cooker on high.

2. For a meat version (optional), brown ground beef prior to placing into the slow cooker. Also brown the onions in a small amount of canola oil. Add to the slow cooker/pot and season with chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

2. Next add the red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, minced garlic and chopped green chili peppers. (If using a pot, cook approx. 5 minutes before going on to the next step, stirring occasionally). Stir in diced tomatoes, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, salsa, vegetable broth, couscous, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat/allow to simmer in slow cooker. On the stove reduce heat to low, and in the s-cooker, to medium. Simmer gently covered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn and serve in bowls, topped with shredded cheese.

Downtown Market Day

Summer days are wonderful. And summer days where they call for non stop thunderstorms but it ends up looking like this:

are even better!

So, I'm taking a trip to the market to buy some spring rolls and fresh local ingredients for more yummy dishes.

Weeeeee're off to see the Market, the wonderful market of oz (london).

photo courtesy of http://media.photobucket.com/image/sunny%20day/kris879/Backgrounds/SUNFLOWER.jpg

Wine and Cheese

Fiesta Bowl Salad

I've never been one for salads as a entrée. Gimme a caesar salad or garden on the side of something substantial like pasta or chicken, but on it's own I won't feel like my hunger has gone anywhere.

Accept maybe back into the pantry for some munchies.

I usually pitty the girls who order, "a small caesar with chicken, please" because not only are they missing out on what could be a bowl of saucy noodles or grilled steak, they are paying 15 dollars for lettuce. Laaame.

Sorry, I digress slightly.

My point is to draw your attention to a change of heart I had recently. This salad...this crazy delicious salad which I decided to get seconds of! It was yet another recipe from Bite Me, and it clobbered my perception of entrée salads.

Sweet and salty and savory and filling. Believe me, I wouldn't be saying that if it weren't true. And this homemade dressing had me cleaning out the bowl.

The contrasting texture of tortilla chips added crunch, and an avocado, freshness.

Note to vegetarians: you could easily ditch the chicken and add chickpeas or black beans!

Ingredients:

1 head iceberg (I used romaine because it was all I had at the time)

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 avocado

1 roasted deli chicken breast meat shredded (I used sliced ham because I didn't have chicken)

3/4 c shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (Why is Monterey Jack capitalized?)

Salad Dressing:

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c salsa

1/4 c mayonnaise

1/2 c canned chopped green chilies

1 lime, juiced

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

2 c crumbled tortilla chips, for topping

Directions:

1. Place lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, chicken, and grated cheese in a large bowl. (Or put into serving bowls. I did this so that everyone got equal toppings. Optional)

2. For the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk sour cream, salsa, mayo, chopped green chilies, lime juice, sugar, cumin, and chili powder.

3. Add dressing to salad bowl tossing well to coat. Sprinkle salad with crumbled tortilla chips.

Serves 4

Wholesome Honey-Baked Granola

This recipe comes from a deeeelectable cookbook which my mom and I have been enjoying lately. It's called Bite Me, by Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat.

Every single recipe we pull from it has been easy to prepare and very tasty, not to mention that the recipes are comprised of lots of awesome (sometimes quirky!) ingredients. Sometimes I find recipes that only have simple items can be missing a certain je ne sais quoi, but these recipes make up for it! (Coco powder in chili!? Awesome.)

The book's brunch chapter features this delicious homemade granola, which is not only good on your digestive tract, but also good on your pocket book. Prepared granola in the grocery stores can run for $10 or more, depending on the brand. And for HALF of the portion you get here.

That's a no brainer if you ask me.

Granola is such a light yet hearty, crunchy yet soft, food. Yummy served over yogurt, ice cream, with milk and bananas (as seen above), as a muffin/crisp topping, or just on it's own. It's a huge money saver for lunches: Pack 1/2 cup in a re-sealable dish and pour it over fruit and yogurt when you are ready to eat.

Fun to prepare, and oh-so satisfying, I know you will love it.

Ingredients:

4 c old-fashioned large flake oats (not quick cooking)

1 c slivered almonds

small handful of ground flax seed (this was my addition--just because I try to add flax seed to everything possible)

1 tsp kosher salt (I found this to be slightly salty for my taste)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 c melted butter (I used canola oil instead)

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c dried cranberries

1/2 c raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F--Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, flaxseed, salt, and cinnamon.

3. In a small bowl, combine melted butter (or oil), brown sugar, honey, and vanilla. Whisk well and pour over oat mixture. Toss to combine and spread granola over prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake 20 minutes, stir carefully and then continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to large bowl. Add dried cranberries and raisins, mixing to combine. Cool completely and store at room temp. in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

Yield: 7 cups

Cookbook photo courtesy of http://www.torontolife.com/daily/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/BiteMeCookbook.jpg

Boyfriend Banana Bread

This is my boy:

And this, is his banana bread:

My boyfriend likes banana bread.

No, I don't think you understand. I mean he really, really likes banana bread. To the point that he would probably eat an entire loaf if left unattended. Which is why absolutely must join him in eating it:)

Where oh where my dear did you learn of your love of banana bread? You may not even recall. I however most certainly recall when I learned of your love for banana bread. It was approximately 3 months ago, when we spotted some spotty bananas on a counter top. I was, naturally, outraged at their state. Ew. (I do not like brown bananas). You however were swooning. So I did what any normal brown banana hating person would do...I made bread with it.

And I believe the rest is history. Along with that loaf and many others after it.

The secret to this recipe is one very strange ingredient: Miracle Whip. You can ditch the shortening and replace it with miracle whip ladies and gentlemen, because it makes this bread moist and yummy!

I was iffy before we tried it but I will now endorse it, for what it's worth. And my BF? I'd say he would endorse it too. (If eating it really quickly is a sign of approval anyway).

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 1/3 c mashed fully ripe bananas (about 3)

1/2 c Miracle Whip dressing

1 1/2 c flour

1 c sugar

1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional) and/or chocolate chips

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 F

2. Beak egg, bananas and dressing in a large bowl with whisk until well blended. Mix remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Add to banana mixture; stir just until moistened.

3. Pour into greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.

4. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes.; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Or you know, eat it warm:)

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Many of you know that pasta is one of my favourite things to make! I think it is because there are unlimited ways to make it, and most of the time my attempts are fairly successful. Oh, and it's deeeeeeeelicious. Ahem.

I've tried pasta carbonara (you'll see this post soon), rose sauces, creamy alfredo, meatless vegetarian concoctions, oil and spice, meatballs...and the list goes on!

I took a chance tonight on a chicken pesto pasta sauce. I say chance because I haven't made one before and I wasn't using a recipe. But how hard can it be? Right?

Chicken, milk, pesto, parmesan cheese...these are all familiar ingredients.

In the end it turned out quite nicely! Familiar ingredients, which I always like, and no time at all. Serve yours with toasted garlic bread. Mmmmm....

Ingredients:

1/2 (16 ounce) package spaghetti/linguine pasta

1 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 c butter

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 c milk

1/2 punch salt

1/2 pinch pepper

3/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1/2 c basil pesto

chicken, sliced and cooked (about 3oz person)

• 
  

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until el dante; drain.

2. Heat canola oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Sautee onions until tender. Stir in garlic and butter, and sauté until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Disolve flour in milk and then stir in. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for approx. 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in pesto.

3. Add cooked chicken (I used precooked, frozen, and reheated) and pasta to sauce, and serve.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Is there a better way to enjoy a kitchen full of strawberries, than to dunk most of them into melted chocolate? I think not.

They are elegant, sweet, photo friendly...see?

And they are so easy to make it's ridiculous. Literally just melted a good handful of chocolate chips and poured in a dab of cream to smooth it out. Then kept them in the fridge to harden up slightly.

If you have any extra berries lying around, try making these for desert! They will be quick to prepare and you can enjoy the excited faces of your family members as you pull them out of the fridge. We don't have desert too often around my place but whenever I can, I really like to make something small.

We really liked these...

I think I ate 5.