What's For Dinner: Turkey Pinto Bean Chili


I made our first batch of chili of the season in the slow cooker last night. I pretty much had to, as there was a chill in the air and the Packers were playing in the Sunday Night Football game. (Go Pack go!) In the past, I've made massive pots of chili -- meaning we end up with at least a week's worth of leftovers. It seems I have a tendency to go a little overboard with the beans and veggies. This time around I restrained myself, and only added just one can of beans (crazy, I know!) and just 1/2 of an onion and 1/2 of a red pepper. My restraint paid off, however, as I ended up with four servings of chili -- perfect for one dinner and two single servings for lunch.

Turkey Pinto Bean Chili (printer-friendly version)
makes four hearty servings

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 oz ground turkey, browned
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 medium red pepper, diced
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 15-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can no-salt-added pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt to taste

Toppings:
fresh cilantro
shredded cheddar cheese
cubed avocado
plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
chopped onion

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned. Drain the turkey and place in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker bowl.
2. Add the onions into the skillet and saute until lightly brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the diced red pepper and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker bowl.
3. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, pinto beans, and vegetable broth into the slow cooker. Add in the ground cumin, dried oregano, cocoa powder, and chili powder. Stir to combine.
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker bowl and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Before serving, season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve the chili with toppings such as fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese, or plain Greek yogurt.

SHARE:

Made From Scratch: Salted Caramel Sauce


I'm totally two years late to the salted caramel sauce game. But who cares -- even if it's old news, it's still delicious, right? (Right.) Making caramel sauce can be an ordeal; truth be told my first batch went straight into the rubbish bin. A candy thermometer is definitely your friend when it comes to making caramel sauce. Pay close attention to the temperature (the magic number is 350 degrees F), as the sauce can go from "delicious" to "burnt" in an instant. Secondly, although you should stir the sugar as it begins to melt to ensure even heating, stop stirring once the sugar has completely melted. I did not heed this advice in my first go-around and my caramel seized (clumped) up when I stirred in the butter and heavy cream. Choose your ingredients wisely; since there are only four ingredients, you should use the best-quality (and freshest) options that you can find. Also, take the time to let your butter cubes and heavy cream come to room temperature before you begin. Doing so will help prevent consistency issues with your caramel sauce. Though it takes a bit of work, when done correctly, the resulting salted caramel sauce is sumptuous -- and the perfect decadent topping for ice cream, brownies, or cupcakes, or swirl in a spoonful to your morning latte or use it as a dip for freshly-cut apple slices. Oh man, I can't wait to give all those options a whirl!

Salted Caramel Sauce (printer-friendly version)
makes about 1 cup

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
1/2 cup organic heavy cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes

1. Add the granulated sugar in an even layer into a 3-quart heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Heat over medium-high heat. Stir with a whisk as the sugar melts. The sugar will be clumpy, but keep stirring. Once the sugar has completely melted, stop stirring. Instead, carefully swirl the pan over the burner to prevent uneven cooking.
2. Continue cooking until the sugar reaches 350 degrees. (The melted sugar will be dark amber in color.) Carefully stir in the butter (the mixture will bubble up) until completely melted and incorporated. Turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat. While stirring constantly, slowly pour in the heavy cream (the mixture will again bubble up). Continue stirring until the cream is completely incorporated. Stir in the sea salt flakes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
3. Pour the salted caramel sauce into a jar with a lid and let cool to room temperature. The salted caramel can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. Reheat the caramel sauce before using.

(adapted from this Brown Eyed Baker recipe)
SHARE:

What's For Breakfast: French Toast for Two


True story -- I always pronounce "challah" like "holllllla" (sometimes with a choked c, sometimes without). And it makes me laugh every time I do it. What can I say, I have a low threshold for humor sometimes. Long story short, I couldn't help but buy a loaf of challah (holllllla!) the other day at Golden Harvest, which meant that French toast was on the menu this past weekend. I went with a simple recipe for two -- you can easily scale this recipe up by using 1 egg and 1/4 cup milk for each serving you'll need (and making the appropriate additions of vanilla and cinnamon as well). Even though this French toast recipe is no-muss, no-fuss, it doesn't skimp in the flavor department at all.

French Toast for Two (printer-friendly version)
makes two servings (obvs)

2 eggs
1/2 cup organic skim milk
1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
6-8 slices challah bread, preferably slightly stale [see note below]

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
2. Melt the butter in an electric skillet set to 350 degrees.
3. One at a time, dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, evenly coating both sides and carefully shaking off any excess. Place the battered bread onto the heated skillet. Repeat this process until the skillet is full. Cook each bread slice until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook the other side. Place the cooked French toast in a warm oven or serve immediately.

Note: If your challah loaf is fresh, you can either (a) leave the bread out overnight (or just leave the bread bag open) or (b) lightly toast the bread in a 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly crisp to the touch. 
SHARE:

What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Curry


Now that the days are becoming shorter and the temperatures are cooler, I've been craving some warm and spicy foods of late. Since we haven't had Indian cuisine in a while, I figured it was time to add another Indian(ish) dish to my repertoire. A quick search led to a chicken curry recipe, and the fact that it was cooked in the slow cooker sealed the deal. This chicken curry is mildly spiced (sub in a hotter curry powder or add in a chopped jalapeƱo if you desire more heat), and in addition to chicken also features the flavors of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, and sweet potatoes. However, this curry dish would lend itself well to a variety of flavors, so feel free to substitute in your favorite vegetables or whatever veggies you have on hand. (I'm thinking fresh pumpkin this time of year could be an awesome addition or substitution.) 


Slow Cooker Chicken Curry (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

1/2 cups light coconut milk
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons curry powder 
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder 
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen green peas
15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For garnish:
cilantro
chopped roasted cashews

1. In the bowl of your slow cooker (I used my two-quart bowl), whisk together the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Stir in the diced tomatoes, curry powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Add in the chicken thighs, diced onion, and diced sweet potatoes. Stir to combine, evenly coating the chicken and veggies in the spice sauce.
2. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Five minutes before serving, stir in the frozen green peas and drained chickpeas.
3. Serve over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro and chopped cashews, if desired.

 (lightly adapted from this recipe from The Lemon Bowl)
SHARE:

What's Baking: Ground Cherry Coffee Cake


I first discovered ground cherries last year (kind of in the same way that Columbus "discovered" America...except without any of the associated genocide, enslavement, or syphilis...but I digress). Last year I made a ground cherry pie, so this time around I wanted to do something different with these sweet yellow fruits. Of course, my recipe interests lie firmly in the carb-friendly camp, so once I found a recipe on The Kitchn for ground cherry coffee cake, I knew I didn't have to search any further.

This coffee cake comes together rather quickly and if you don't happen to have ground cherries on hand (which, let's face it, is quite likely the case), you can easily substitute in your favorite berry or other chopped fruit. The cake portion of this coffee cake is particularly delicious and tastes rather sinfully more like a yellow cake than your typical coffee cake. I think a large amount of butter has a lot to do with providing a richer flavor -- and you won't find me complaining about that one bit. Just add a cup or two of coffee on the side, and you've got a brunch-worthy breakfast cake that's perfectly sized for sharing.

Ground Cherry Coffee Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes one 9" coffee cake

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1 1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup filtered water
1 large egg
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups ground cherries, husks removed
1 cup chopped pecan pieces
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 9" springform cake pan. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter cubes until the mixture resembles shaggy peas. Remove 1 cup of the flour-butter mixture, place it in a separate bowl, and set aside (this will be used for the crumble topping).
3. Whisk the baking powder and baking soda into the main flour mixture. Stir in the yogurt-water mixture, egg, and vanilla.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepped cake pan. Scatter the top evenly with the ground cherries.
5. Add the chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the reserved flour-butter mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the ground cherries; it will be thick.
6. Bake in the oven for 60-75 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. Carefully insert a knife around the edge of the pan before releasing the cake from the springform pan.

 (lightly adapted from this recipe from The Kitchn)



SHARE:

What's For Breakfast: Baked Eggs in Individual Ramekins


We have the tendency to go a little overboard every time we make hash browns from scratch 'round these parts. Following a breakfast-for-dinner the other night, we had quite a bit of sweet potato hash browns left over. Rather than let them fester in the back of the refrigerator (a terrible thought, indeed), I put them to use over the weekend in a baked egg breakfast dish for D and myself.

In addition to our leftover hash browns, this egg dish also features sauteed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and spinach. (A vegetable hash is a great way to use up odds and ends in the refrigerator and/or on the countertop!) Herbs (I used a bit of thyme) add fresh flavor to the dish -- feel free to use your favorite herb combinations.

Baked Eggs in Individual Ramekins (printer-friendly version)
makes two servings

butter for the ramekins
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 - 1 cup cooked hash browns, reheated
1 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes, seeds removed
1/4 cup (handful) fresh spinach
2 eggs
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, plus additional leaves for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of two 3" ramekins and set aside.
2. Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cherry tomatoes and saute until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add in the spinach and saute until wilted, 45-60 seconds. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves and remove the skillet from the heat.
3. Add the reheated hash browns to the bottom of each ramekin, slightly pushing it up around the edges. Add in a layer of mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach to each ramekin, making a small divot in the center.
4. Crack an egg into each ramekin.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the whites have set. Season with salt and pepper and garnish each baked egg with a few fresh thyme leaves.



SHARE:

What's For Dinner: Tomato and Caramelized Onion Cobbler


All sorts of beautifully-hued cherry tomatoes have popped up on the shelves of our local natural foods store, and I couldn't help myself, as three types found their way into my shopping basket -- standard red cherry tomatoes, small orange tomatoes, and little red-green tomatoes. These little multi-colored morsels are sweet and full of delicious tomato-y flavor; something I must savor before we enter the winter doldrums once more and yummy-tasting fresh tomatoes are nowhere to be found.

I was paging through (well, literally swiping through, given I read many of my magazine subscriptions on my Kindle Fire) a recent issue of Midwest Living when I came across a recipe for a cheddar tomato cobbler. I instantly bookmarked the recipe to give it a try later. Given the large amount of cherry tomatoes on my kitchen countertop, and the imminent threat of a fruit fly coup, I figured now was as good a time as any to give the tomato cobbler recipe a whirl. The caramelized onions and fresh herbs give this dish a savory flavor, and the just-roasted-enough tomatoes provide plenty of sweetness. Top it all with cheddar biscuits, and boom!, you've got quite the spectacular dish on hand. 

Tomato and Caramelized Onion Cobbler (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium white onions, cut into 1/8"-thick slices 
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt 
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (I used a mix of rosemary, sage, and thyme)
6 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut up
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
1/2 cup organic skim milk

1. Add the olive oil and butter to a 10" oven-safe skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add in the onions, brown sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover the skillet and saute the onions for 10-15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and softened. Remove the cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and spoon the onions into a bowl. Stir the balsamic vinegar and chopped herbs into the onions.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes in the oven-safe skillet and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes have popped and released their juices. Remove the skillet from the oven and stir in the onion mixture.
3. While the tomatoes are cooking, make the dough mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles shaggy peas. Stir in the shredded cheddar and milk. 
4. Drop the dough onto the tomato mixture in six mounds, spacing them evenly around the skillet. Bake the cobbler for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and a toothpick or skewer inserted into a biscuit comes out clean. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

(lightly adapted from this Midwest Living recipe)




SHARE:

What's For Breakfast: Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal


It is officially apple-pickin' season up here in the Northwoods, and this weekend D and I plan to harvest our share of apples at a local orchard (and pick up a pumpkin for our doorstep, to boot). In anticipation of our upcoming weekend activities, I made a hearty baked apple cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast today. What with the colder mornings of late (it was 34 degrees at 8a the other day!), a hot breakfast is an excellent way to entice yourself out of bed or take off the chill after a brisk walk outdoors with the dog. 


You can easily customize this breakfast dish with your favorite oatmeal toppings. I imagine this baked oatmeal dish would be dreamy with pears or stone fruits. And given whatever dried fruits or nuts are in your pantry, the flavor options are endless, really.


Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

2 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into quarters, and diced
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 cups organic skim milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the apples, oats, raisins, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sea salt flakes, and brown sugar. Drizzle the melted butter over top and stir to combine.
3. Spoon the apple-oat mixture into a baking dish (I used a 9-inch pie dish; any deep baking dish should do). Pour the milk over top the oats.
4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until most of the milk is absorbed. Serve warm with additional toppings such as brown sugar, raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped nuts. Cover and store any leftovers in the refrigerator; simply reheat before serving.


SHARE:

What's Baking: Chocolate Chip Pecan Skillet Cookie


Our friends came over to check out our new home the other night (though our house is totally not yet ready for primetime viewing), and although D and I totally bailed on making dinner (we ordered pizza from our favorite local place, though this time the margherita pizza inexplicably arrived with chicken on top, le sigh), I did want to at least make a nice dessert to share. My first thought was to make a skillet brownie (Midwest Living recently featured a delicious-looking recipe for a caramel-pecan skillet brownie), but alas, one member of our household does not like brownies (and it's not the furry member that can't eat chocolate anyway).

So ... still with a skillet in mind, I decided to make a ginormous skillet cookie instead. Given its size, it's perfect for sharing, and given that it's a cookie recipe, it's super simple to make. (Seriously, how many times have I typed the phrase "super simple" this week? I do love me some simple recipes, though. I can't deny that.) The only ingredient I needed to pick up for this dessert was a pint of good vanilla ice cream, as we typically do not have any on hand (since I cannot be trusted around an open container of ice cream, it's really for the best).

All this to say that this chocolate chip pecan skillet cookie is delicious, and I can imagine that slathering it with a caramel or hot fudge sauce before serving would make it even more decadent. In fact, I think I might have to try that option tonight. Thank goodness for cookie leftovers.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Skillet Cookie (printer-friendly version)
makes eight servings

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of an 8- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet with a neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola oil).
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attached, cream together the butter and sugars at high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add in the egg and beat to combine, scraping down the sides as necessary with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla extract. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Then, stir in the chocolate chips and chopped pecans by hand.
5. Turn the dough out into the prepped skillet and use your fingertips to press the dough evenly into the bottom of the skillet.
6. Bake in the oven 40-45 minutes, or until the sides are lightly browned, and the middle has set. Remove the skillet from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 (adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)
SHARE:

What's For Dinner: Honey Dijon Chicken Breasts


And, voila! Here is the first dish baked in my new oven. My new oven that actually heats to the temperature you set it to -- and stays there! A miracle, indeed. (Technology!) Perhaps a honey Dijon chicken breast isn't the most exciting or innovative inaugural dish -- but I can assure you it was mighty delicious. I suppose I have plenty of time to cook more extravagant meals in my new oven, right? As per my MO, this chicken dish is super-simple to put together and is ready to be put on the table in less than 30 minutes, making it an ideal option for an easy weeknight meal. I served our chicken breasts over rice; you could also serve it over quinoa or couscous, or even a simple salad.

Honey Dijon Chicken Breasts (printer-friendly version)
makes 2 servings

2 six-ounce boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the honey and Dijon mustard until smooth.
3. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and set them in the prepped baking dish. Spoon the honey mustard mixture over the chicken. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the chicken with the sauce. Add more sauce with the spoon if necessary. Avoid contaminating the sauce with the raw chicken so that you can add more sauce after the chicken has baked.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top of each chicken breast.
5. Bake the chicken in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the interior temperature reaches 165 degrees.
6. Serve the chicken alone or over a bed of rice alongside your favorite vegetable side.

SHARE:
© A Less Processed Life. All rights reserved.
BLOGGER TEMPLATE MADE BY pipdig