Beans Beans

Clearly I'm not reinventing the wheel since this is probably the most widely used chili recipe there is.  It's sold at every supermarket for goodness sake. But in a way I feel like I am since I've made a significant ingredient leap that takes this simple chili to the next level. That's right folks and it's all in the beans.  The recipe calls for plain kidney or pinto beans (how boring) but I said to heck with that and used Busch's Vegetarian Baked Beans and now this is my new Old Faithful.  Oxymorons rule and so does this chile!

And thank you to Rebecca for letting me in on the bean secret.  I won't tell anyone.

McCormick's 'Original' Chili:

Servings: 3-4 (I recommend doubling the recipe)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pkg McCormick Seasoning Mix

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey

1 can (14 1/4) oz diced tomatoes, undrained OR 2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce (I use 1 can of diced tomatoes)

*1 can (16 oz) Busch's Vegetarian Baked Beans  OR 1 (16 oz) can of pinto or kidney beans.

1) Brown the meat in a large skillet on medium-high heat.  Drain fat.

2) Stir in seasoning mix, tomatoes, and beans.  Bring to a boil.  Cover.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve with toppings (liked chopped onion, american cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or corn bread). 

Here's what to look for at the store:

PC: Mccormick.com

Hanukkah 2010

I absolutely love celebrating the holiday season.  So in honor of Hanukkah, I decided to prepare a beautiful meal inspired by the season for my husband, sister, and good friend Laura, who's one of my oldest friends from Ohio. Since I grew up in a town with a very small Jewish population, my friends and I would always include each other in our different holiday traditions... Ie. I would join them for Easter brunch while they would join my family for Passover seder.  It was an experience that I loved that not only made me appreciate their traditions more, but also serve as an eye opener to show how similar we all are despite our religious labels.

Like all of those years growing up, some things never change... (thank goodness). We had a wonderful night filled with good food, good spirits, and good friends/family.  Isn't that what the holidays are all about?

Here's what was served:

Latkes with Apple Sauce/Sour cream to start:

Spicy Pumpkin Soup:

This soup is out of this world-it is now my favorite soup of all time.

Zomick's Challah:

This challah is equally delicious.  I bought it at Whole Foods and it's one of the best challahs I've ever had! It's great dipped in the soup.

Roast Chicken with Dried Fruit:

Also a wonderful dish-the chicken is moist and succulent and the dried fruit is the perfect accompaniment.

Double Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:

Marshmallows, butter, & brown sugar-need I say more?

Store-Bought Jelly Donuts:

Who doesn't like donuts?

Happy Holidays!

PC: Latkes: diana's desserts, Soup: Junior Master Chef Australia, chicken: Bon Appetit, Food Network, Park East Kosher, & KosherMart

Green with Envy

I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to make more soup! The following recipe can be altered by using celery root or cauliflower (with or without the broccoli).

Last night I made Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Crisps (from my post 'One Pot Wonders') and it was awesome! I had to add a lot of salt/pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a tablespoon of light cream, but otherwise than that, it was delicious and healthy. The cheddar crisps were a synch and can be used with any semi-hard cheese. I used reduced fat shredded cheddar.

For dinner I made 'buffalo' chicken wings (skinless, boneless chicken tenders marinated in hot buffalo sauce, and baked at 350 for 35 minutes covered in foil).  Annie's Organic White Cheddar Mac n' Cheese (topped with panko and parmesan cheese) and some celery sticks on the side. 

I think next time I'll bread the chicken tenders but they were still really good.

Recipe: Food &Wine

One Pot Wonders

One of my New Year's resolutions for '10 is to make more soup (must admit I miss saying the '0' followed by a #). I know, I'm so unoriginal but nonetheless here are some soups that have worked for me in the past (Celery and Apple Root) and some I intend to try.  Let me know if you make any of these...

Cream of Broccoli with Cheddar Crisps

White Bean Soup with Bacon and Herbs

Celery Root And Apple Soup

*I recommend sprinkling pomegranate seeds on the celery root & apple soup.

Food & Wine, Gourmet, & Martha Stewart

Turkey Time (Sung to the tune of 'Cookie Time')

Although Thanksgiving is just a few days away, it's never too late to talk turkey.  Whether you're thankful for your health, your family, your friends, or even that your health is just ok and Thanksgiving is only a few hours long in case you can't stand your family/friends, it's time to gear up that menu to make this year's turkey time a good time.

Here is a menu that is outrageously easy and savory and made last year's Thanksgiving a memorable one.  I omitted my husband's Stuffed Jalapenos that almost landed my Mom and me in the hospital. All I can say is thank goodness for medicated oral rinses. Otherwise than that, it truly was a success!

Happy Turkey Day and email me if you need anything.

To start:

Rosemary Flatbread with blue cheese, grapes, and honey

Butternut Squash Soup with Pancetta (I also top with pomegranate seeds)

Main:

Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Turkey

Corn Bread & Chorizo Stuffing

Baby Brussel Sprouts with Buttered Pecans

Dessert:

Inverted Apple Toffee Upside Down Cake

or

Pumpkin Pie from 'Oh my Pumpkin'

Happy Thanksgiving!

PC: Gourmet (cornbread & brussel), Food & Wine, Tyler Florence, Inn Cuisine,

Chili Chili Bang Bang

There's nothing like a hearty bowl of chili to warm your heart and soul and on a cold Winter (or Fall) night. Wanting to try something new yet healthy, I decided to try a new recipe by Cooking Light and it was delish!

The recipe: Beef, Black Bean, and Chorizo Chili
Toppings: Fresh avocado, chopped onion, crushed tortilla strips and low-fat cheese

I cut the recipe in half since I was only cooking for two and reserved the leftovers for lunch this week. I also served it with organic corn bread and used skim milk and corn oil rather than whole milk and vegetable oil. As for the chili, I used half turkey meat/half ground beef + sliced chorizo and used a ground cocoa mole powder and added fresh red peppers.

Finally, I was able to use my adorable Apilco Lion's Head Soup Bowls from Williams-Sonoma and feel like I should invest in a few more since I'll deifnitely be serving this meal at my next group or family dinner.

Williams-Sonoma is my home away from home.