Veggieful Beef Chili

Background: I needed, as in, NEEDED a good, relatively easy chili recipe this autumn that had lots of veggies, so I checked out some of the best rated ones on allrecipes.com and made up my own.

Serves ~12  (I can usually get 12 out of it for our family of four eaters, including 4- and 6-year-old boys who eat like teenagers. They will eat us out of house and home in 10 years...)

Approximate time, from prep to table: ~1 hour, plus simmering time as desired

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef (I use ground round), browned (could also use leftovers from a pork roast)
3 big stalks of celery, chopped finely
3 huge carrots, chopped finely
1-2 green peppers, chopped finely
4 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic
16 oz can of tomato sauce (2 8 oz)
30 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 cans rinsed beans (black, chili, navy, great northern--whatever)
15 oz can of pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar)
(or, leftover sweet potato, mashed up)
1 tsp bouillon
4+ Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cloves
~1 cup of water
Shredded cheese to garnish
Serve with corn bread, tortilla chips, crackers, fritos, etc.

Directions:
Brown the beef in your stock pot, adding S and P to taste.  Transfer to a medium bowl.  Pour the grease back into the stock pot if you want your chili to taste good.  Any leftover bacon grease that you happened to save?  Add some! Those depression-era grandmas know what they're doin'! Yum!

before onions are added

Saute the celery, carrots, green peppers, onions, and garlic in the good stuff, or use coconut oil or butter or whatever.  I chop as I go on this step, but always chop from celery down to onions because of how long it takes the celery and such to cook.

sauteed veggies!

When your onions are translucent and even the celery seems soft, stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, and pumpkin/sweet potato (optional).

just veggies so far

Stir in bouillon (or 1 cup stock, if you have it!), chili powder, cumin, cloves, and browned beef.

Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base is my fave.

before adding water

Add water as needed so that you can simmer it properly for as long as you want.  I prefer a stew-ish chili.

De-liiiii-cious!

Serve with shredded cheese to garnish and corn bread, tortilla chips, crackers, fritos, etc.  I have to say, Jiffy Corn Muffin mix is easy, delish, and cheap!

Enjoy!

Note/Tips: This freezes well and is great for making to take to someone with a new baby because you'll still have dinner for your own family! Win-win!

Indian Harvest Shepherds Pie

Background: I enjoy finding ways to incorporate seasonal ingredients and tastes into many of my dishes, replacing more common ingredients with new and interesting ingredients, and mixing themes from different cultures into the same dish. This recipe has all of those elements! The Indian Harvest Shepherds pie is a twist on a traditional shepherds pie, but uses ground turkey instead of beef, sweet potatoes instead of traditional, and it incorporates quinoa as a low carb/high protein grain. The spices are a mix of American harvest spices and traditional Indian Spices. The combination is a textural and palatable adventure that is low carb, low fat, and full of flavor.

Originally from: Inspired from plain ground turkey meatloaf!

Serves ~ 4 -5

Approximate time, from prep to table: 1:15

Ingredients:

- 1 to 1.25 lbs of ground turkey

- 4 large sweet potatoes

- 1 large red onion, chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped, or 1 Tbs garlic powder

- 1 pint grape tomatoes

- 1/2 cup of quinoa, uncooked

- 1 egg, beaten

- 1.5 cups of raisins (best if mix of golden and red)

- 2 Tbs finely chopped fresh ginger, or 1 tsp powdered ginger

- olive or canola oil

- 2 Tbs butter

- 1 cup whole milk, or cream

- 1.5 tsp cury powder

- 2 tsp salt

- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, or clancy's fancy hot sauce (optional)

- 1.5 tsp cinnamon

- pinch of nutmeg

- 2 cups of water

Directions:

Cut the Sweet Potatoes into quarters, or another chunky shape, and set them on a baking sheet drizzled with oil. You will be mashing or blending them later, so how you bake them is up to you. Bake the potatoes at 375 for 35 min.

In a large pan, saute on medium high heat 1/2 of the chopped onion, the chopped ginger (if powder add later), chopped garlic in oil. Saute until the onions begin to become translucent and the garlic is lightly browned. Garlic will brown faster than onions so you may wish to add it later. Once the onions are translucent, stir in the quinoa and 1 cup of raisins, and let them absorb some of the oil and flavors for 1 minute, then add the 1 cup of water and let it cook down on medium high heat - it should be bubbling. Once most of the water has simmered off, test the quinoa, if it is still hard, stir in 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer until the quinoa becomes softer but still somewhat firm (it will never be as soft as rice, it is more like couscous). Once the quinoa is ready and all water is simmered away, set the pan off the heat and to the side.

In a large glass mixing bowl, mix the ground turkey, egg, salt, cinnamon, curry powder, red pepper flakes or clancys fancy hot sauce (optional heat and yum). Now add the saute mix from the pan you set aside and stir until all is evenly mixed. Take out a 8x12 to 8x16 inch baking pan, lightly coat the base in butter or oil, and spread in the turkey mixture - it should be about 1.5-2 inches thick.

By now your potatoes should be done baking, and out of the oven. Place them into a blender or mixing bowl (I prefer a submersion blender for this part), pour 2/3 cup milk or cream, butter (optional), nutmeg, and a dash of salt and cinnamon. Blend or hand mash until nice and soft. Take the mashed potatoes and spread them evenly over the turkey in the baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 F, and then broil for 1-2 min on High, until the top of the potatoes have a very light browning on top.

While the shepherds pie is baking, saute the remaining 1/2 onion, pint of grape tomatoes, pinch of cinnamon and salt, and raisins in a pan with oil. Add a little cream or whole milk for consistency if you desire once the onions start to brown. Cook this until the grape tomatoes "pop" and their skin visibly breaks in one spot. This is your "chutney" base.

Once the shepherds pie is done baking take it out and allow it to cool briefly. Put a few scoops of the chutney in the base of a large bowl or plate, and place a few square of the pie on top and serve!

Moroccan Chicken Casserole

***We interrupt the quest for seasonal recipes with this newly discovered dish.***

Background:  Does anyone else love a good casserole?  Three days worth of dinners?  I can't be the only one. I just made this for the first time on Sunday and it was a hit in a major way.  I don't want to build up your expectations too much, but I had done two days of teeth whitening and even though I was already in minor agony from sensitivity, I still ate this citrus-y, pepper-y dish because I couldn't not eat it!  I changed up the directions a little for efficiency, but it is pretty much the same as on the original website.

Just ignore that pan... I am not the neatest cook when I'm trying to get dinner done on schedule!

Originally from: Mark's Daily Apple (see here for prettier pictures than I took)
Serves ~ 6-8
Approximate time, from prep to table: ~ 90 minutes, 55 of that is baking time

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds of chicken (I used 6 chicken breasts)
2+ Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp ginger root, finely chopped or grated (let's be real: less than 2 Tbsp of powdered ginger)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (don't be a food snob: 1/2 tsp minced or powdered garlic)
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional: only add the cayenne if you want a really spicy dish)
1 green pepper, chopped (generally cheaper than red pepper)
28-ounce can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1/2 cup minced parsley or cilantro
2 tsp salt
1 head cauliflower
1 lemon

Directions:

Salt and pepper the chicken. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a deep pan over high heat. Add the chicken, browning well, about 3-5 minutes a side.

Remove the chicken from the hot pan, cover to retain moistness, and set aside. Turn heat down to medium and add onion, ginger, garlic and carrots and as much butter or olive oil as needed to saute. Cook until the onions are soft. Add remaining tablespoon of butter and all spices. Stir well. Add red pepper, the can of tomatoes, and minced parsley or cilantro. Don't forget the salt (like moi)! Simmer during the next step.

Preheat oven to 375. Meanwhile, chop the head of cauliflower into small pieces. Push the pieces through a food processor using the grating blade to create a nice rice-like texture. (Alternatively, shred with a grater by hand or just grate in a food processor until cauliflower is the size of rice.)

Pour the cauliflower into the vegetable mixture and mix well, so that the cauliflower is completely covered by the sauce.

Coat the bottom of a 9x13 pan with some of the vegetable mixture. Place the chicken pieces on top with space in between them.  Pour the remaining vegetable mixture over the top, pushing it down in between the chicken pieces.  Slice a lemon into thin slices and lay on top of the casserole. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and cook for 25 more minutes.  Enjoy!


Note/Tips:
-I think this will be great for leftovers over the next few days because these types of spices combine well over night.
-Don't let the ingredient list intimidate you--it is mostly spices or easily prepped vegetables.
-Check out penzeys.com for a great variety of spices at good prices.  For more expensive spices, I buy a larger quantity from Penzey's in a bag and then store in my fridge or freezer to retain freshness.  It is generally less expensive than a small container from the grocery store.  I love Penzeys Spices!

Sweet Potato Fries

Background:  I really needed a sweet potato fries recipe after Grant mentioned how much he loves them! Besides, baked sweet potatoes are good, but mine like to leak out of the foil and onto the bottom of the oven.  How annoying! I make these as a side to cheeseburgers or salmon.

Originally from: a website I don't remember...
Serves ~3
Approximate time, from prep to table: ~40 minutes, including 10 minutes of prep

Ingredients:
3 large sweet potatoes
1+ Tbsp of olive oil or melted butter
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
dash of cayenne pepper (I do not eat spicy things, so this is a good "heat" for me, although it would probably be negligible for most people)

Directions:
Combine cumin, salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.


Preheat oven to 400. Peel sweet potatoes.

After destroying my old peeler on butternut squash, my new peeler is amazing!

Cut into wedges. Dump sweet potato wedges into a large bowl, coat with olive oil or butter, and sprinkle with spices as close to evenly as possible.

If desired, line a large baking sheet with foil.  Place sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 400, longer for crispier fries.  I try to remember to turn them over at around 20 minutes, but they are still good if you forget.  Enjoy!

Delish!

Note/Tips:
-Best eaten immediately.
-Does anyone else have a spice concoction for sweet potato fries to share?

Vegetable Soup

Background: I have no idea how my Mom came up with this soup since she directed me to a cookbook that she "got" it from and the ingredients were totally different.  She explains herself by saying that she just uses what she has...  Mmm hmm.  I know better, Mom!  She keeps her secrets well. :) Anyway, I am sharing this amazing, thick, seriously easy, perfection of an autumn soup (stew?) with lucky you.  Enjoy!

Originally from: Mrs. Barr

Serves ~8

Approximate time, from prep to table: ~2:45 hours (2:20 for just simmering, the rest is easy prep)

So easy, right? Love me some Penzey's spices...

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter and/or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 Cup celery, chopped (~5 stalks)
20 oz veggie stock (love Better than Bouillon vegetable soup base!)
12 oz tomato juice
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
2 cups carrots, chopped (~2 big carrots)
16 oz bag frozen green beans or 15 oz-ish can
32 oz can diced tomatoes
2 zucchinis, chopped
1 tsp basil
10 oz of frozen spinach, defrosted in microwave (or just 4ish big handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped)
Optional: 2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:
Sauté onion and celery in butter/olive oil over medium heat in large stock pot.

Yes, only one pot! Score!

Add stock, tomato juice, garlic powder, pepper, carrots, green beans, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for about 2 hours.


Add zucchinis and simmer for another 20 minutes.

The deliciousness simply cannot be captured.

Then add basil, spinach, and optional beans. (I don't use beans because I always eat this with some protein. But, if you're vegetarian, add the beans for a protein source.)

Done! You can let it cool and then store it in the refrigerator.

If desired, make pasta in a separate pot.  Perhaps the same pot just before making the soup? (Can you tell I am currently suffering surviving without a dishwasher? That's right, paper plates at every meal, y'all.) Store pasta separately from the soup and add to the soup when ready to enjoy. (If pasta is stored with the soup, it will just soak up the broth.)


Note/Tips: This soup freezes relatively well, although the green beans get slightly rubbery. This is great to pack in an airtight container for lunch. I seriously eat it with lunch and dinner when I make it, which tends to be once a week during the cooler months.

"Karenitas"

Why, hello there...

Background:
I'm recently on a Primal kick when it comes to eating after running the gamut from Standard American Diet, Vegetarianism, and Veganism... We eat mostly primally (with awesome health and energy benefits!), but this is an exception to the rule with the flour tortillas I use instead of the egg white version from the original recipe.  I renamed them Karenitas because my Argentinian/Mexican sister-in-law (whom I adore! If you ever read this: Hi Nancy!) told me that they aren't enchiladas the way I make them. So, we're playing off of the carnitas word.

Originally from: Mark's Daily Apple, the "Easy Chicken Enchiladas" toward the bottom of the list.
Serves ~ 4-8
Approximate time, from prep to table: ~ 1.5 hours, but you can bake the chicken the morning of or the day before if desired.  This will get a few days' meals out of the way with leftovers!

Ingredients: 
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 Tbsp total of olive oil or butter
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3+ Tbsp chili powder
1 3/4 Cup water
8 ox tomato sauce
1 small onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
8 burrito-sized flour tortillas
1 - 1 1/2 cups cheese (cheddar, colby jack, mexican blend--whatever)
1-2 scallions, diced (optional)


Directions:
Chicken: I cook the chicken at 400 for 45 minutes: pat dry, rub with olive oil or coconut oil, season with pepper and garlic, bake for 45 minutes at 400.  When done, cover with foil and let sit 5 minutes before dicing. Store in an airtight or covered area so that it doesn't dry out before adding to karenitas.  I sometimes bake it the day before.

Reuse that 9x13 pan right after the chicken is done--put those karenitas right in to bake!

 Enchilada sauce:
Warm butter/oil over medium heat in a large, vertical-sided skillet.  Add all dry ingredients and whisk in water and tomato sauce.  Stir occasionally (to prevent burning) until sauce thickens, at least 10 minutes.

Whisk, whisk, whisk!
Reality check: Yeah, my stovetop gets dirty...I use it!

Meanwhile, in a second skillet, saute onion, zucchini, and squash in olive oil or butter.

Healthy additions!

Reserve about 1 cup sauce in a liquid measuring cup or bowl.

When veggies and sauce are done, preheat oven to 350.  Combine veggies and sauce in the larger sauce pan with the diced chicken.

Coat bottom of 9x13 pan with 1/2 cup of reserved sauce.

Place a tortilla on a plate. Fill with 1/8 of chicken mixture (to have an even amount of filling in each of the eight tortillas). Sprinkle some cheese over the filling and roll up.  Place in 9x13 pan.  Repeat for all tortillas.

Drizzle remaining 1/2 cup of sauce over karenitas, coating them to avoid drying them out. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with optional scallions.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Note/Tips:
-Great for leftovers and Mexican-themed parties!  Just make beforehand, refrigerate, and then stick in the oven at 350 until heated through and cheese is melted.
-If you want to use corn tortillas instead of flour, that should be fine. They just broke on me too often and annoyed me.
-About a pound of Ground beef or chopped steak is also delicious!
-Great to send in hubby's lunch for work.

Chicken Fajitas

Background: At the bridal shower hosted by my mother-in-law, she had each person write one of their favorite recipes on a 3-by-5 recipe card. This recipe comes from the book she made up of all the recipe cards.

Originally from: Sophie Hamberg

Serves ~4
Approximate time, from prep to table: ~2.5 hours (due to a 2+ hour marinade)

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 clove garlic
1.5 tsp. seasoning salt
1.5 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T lemon juice

Sliced Vegetables:
1 yellow pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 green pepper
1 onion
1-2 green onions (or more if desired)

tortillas
sour cream

Directions:

Preparation:
Cut chicken into thin strips; add garlic, seasoned salt, cumin, chili powder, red pepper, oil, and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Marinate at least 2 hours or longer.

Cooking:
Cook chicken until done in fry pan; set aside. Cook vegetables in fry pan with 1 T. oil and cook, covered, until done. Then add chicken and cook together for a few minutes.

Serve: Put on tortillas and serve with sour cream.

Note/Tips: Someone gave us a set of the sizzling platters that they use at restaurants. If you like this recipe, I highly recommend getting a couple of them and heating them in the oven until time to serve. They add that "wow" effect for guests. I wouldn't recommend marinading the chicken all day; it can become too strong.