White Bean Chicken Chili

It's time for another edition of Fantastical Food Fight, where every month a theme or ingredient is chosen, and we all choose a recipe - from a cookbook, blog, or our imaginations - and then share on the same day. 

This month's theme is Slow Cooker Soup, and what could be better during the cold month of January? I love being able to throw some ingredients into the slow cooker first thing in the morning and have a yummy soup by dinner time. Talk about easy! I could probably eat nothing but soup all winter.

I've made this particular soup twice so far, and we really enjoy it. It's very simple and the flavors are fantastic.

White Bean Chicken Chili
from Burnt Apple

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans (Great Northern or Cannellini), undrained
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

Directions:

1. Place one can of the Great Northern beans into the slow cooker and smash with a potato masher or back of a fork. Add the second can of beans and all other ingredients to the slow cooker, stirring to combine.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred, then return to the slow cooker and stir until combined.
3. Serve topped with sour cream, grated cheese, and tortilla chips if desired.

The first time I made this soup, I used a can of Great Northern beans and a can of Cannellini beans because that's what I had. I also used a can of diced chipotle tomatoes, which gave the soup a really nice flavor. The second time I used home cooked Great Northern beans - 1-1/2 cups of beans and 3/4 cup liquid = 1 can of beans. And I used the tomatoes with green chilies. Both soups were yummy, and of course that's the beauty of soup - ingredients can be adjusted according to your tastes and/or what you have on hand.

Also, though the theme of this Fantastical Food Fight is Slow Cooker Soups, this soup is just as good when made on the stove; it just needs more attention than when throwing everything into the slow cooker. (and sometimes I just don't get everything together early enough in the day to use the slow cooker) For a little extra flavor when cooking on the stove, cook the onions in a bit of olive oil until translucent then add the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or so, until chicken is cooked.

An InLinkz Link-up

Cilantro Lime Quinoa and Bean Salad

I made this Curried Chicken and Barley Salad last week and added some red quinoa along with the barley, just because it sounded good.  But, since I had cooked a cup of quinoa - and only used 1/4 of it - I had 3 cups of quinoa left and wanted to find something to make with it.  I started searching for a simple salad and found a lovely cilantro lime black bean and quinoa salad.  While there may be no better flavor combination than black beans with cilantro and lime, my quinoa was red (and I had other plans for my last can of black beans), so I decided to switch up the beans and use some Cannellini beans.  I think it turned out great.

Cilantro Lime Quinoa and Bean Salad
adapted from Simply Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked red quinoa
• 1 (15 oz.) can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
•  drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.
2. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

This salad is simple to make, definitely yummy, and can be made ahead so it's ready when you want it.  I'd say it's definitely a winner!

Southwest Zucchini Patties

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month is pizza rossa, a lovely blog written by Rachael.  Rachel has lived in Switzerland since 2001, and she and her husband have been vegetarians for many years.  She loves sharing delicious and healthy recipes, along with some decadent sweet treats, and encouraging people to try something new.

Looking through Rachael's blog, I found several recipes I really want to try. Tuscan Style Roasted Vegetables, Spinach & Zucchini Pie, and Potato and Spinach Waffles are just a few that caught my eye.

But I eventually decided on these zucchini patties.  They just sounded so good. (Mine got a little extra browned, so the picture does not do it justice, but trust me, these are good.)

Southwest Zucchini Patties
adapted from pizza rossa

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. zucchini, 1 medium or 2-3 small
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 can (15 oz) can kidney beans
• 2 green onions, minced
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• about 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Grate the zucchini on a box grater and spread over a couple of sheets of paper towels; top with more paper towels and put a heavy cutting board on top. 
2. Rinse and drain the corn and kidney beans in separate strainers.
3. Lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl.  Add kidney beans and roughly mash with the back of a fork or a potato masher. Mix in corn, zucchini, minced onions, and cilantro.  Add cumin, cayenne, salt & pepper.
4. Stir in enough breadcrumbs so the mixture becomes quite stiff.  Use damp hands to shape the mixture into patties.
5. Heat about two tablespoons of oil in a skillet and cook the patties until well browned on both sides, 4 – 5 minutes per side.

Makes about a dozen large patties or 20 small ones

These smelled so good as soon as I mixed the ingredients together.  And then, when they were cooking - even better.  I added the cilantro and cut the cayenne down because my husband does not like things too spicy.  Other than that, I pretty much stuck with Rachael's recipe - except I just wrote 'bread crumbs' when I copied the recipe instead of dry bread crumbs, so I ended up using more bread crumbs than the recipe called for, and the mixture never did get very stiff.  So next time I'll be sure to make sure my bread crumbs are nice and dry and see if that makes any difference.  It still formed nice enough patties that cooked up really well.  I cooked them for 5 minutes on the first side without disturbing them, just to be sure they held together, which is why mine ended up a bit over-browned. 

Rachael served hers with some gorgeous pico de gallo, which would have been great, but we just topped them with salsa and sour cream  So good!  I wasn't sure how my husband would respond to having these for dinner and no meat (Gasp!), so I made some Spicy Avocado Chicken too, as an alternative option.  He ate some of both, and then went back for two more of these patties.  I'd say that's a win.

The leftovers heat up really nicely, and I have eaten a few of them cold too.  They're pretty much good however you eat them, and I'll definitely be making these again.

An InLinkz Link-up

Southwestern Turkey and Hash Brown Casserole

I was searching for a recipe for "Turkey Breakfast Casserole" on Pinterest, because I had some cooked turkey in the fridge, and I was looking for a good way to use it for dinner.  Makes sense, right?  But I just wasn't finding anything interesting by just looking for a turkey casserole.

Anyway, I'm not sure why this particular recipe came up because it had absolutely no turkey in it, but it sounded really good so I went with it.  I just substituted my turkey for the sausage in the original recipe, added some corn, and used roasted red pepper instead of the diced green chilies.  It's pretty much the same...

Southwestern Turkey and Hash Brown Casserole
adapted from Julia's Album

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 a bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced roasted red pepper
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked turkey
• 1 tsp chili powder, divided
• 1 tsp ground cumin, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 3 cups frozen hash browns 
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can black beans (15 oz), drained
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.  Generously butter a 13x9" baking dish.
2. Heat oil in large skillet; add chopped onions and cook on medium heat 2-3 minutes. Add chopped pepper and cook until onion is translucent, stirring often. Add roasted red pepper, turkey, and half the spices (1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt) and cook until fragrant.  Add hash browns, corn, and  black beans; mix well.  Turn off heat.
3. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and the remaining spices (1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt - and a dash of black pepper).
4. Mix 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and the shredded mozzarella cheese into the hash brown mixture.  Cheese will start to melt.
5. Spoon half of hash brown mixture into prepared baking dish and pour half of egg mixture on top.  Repeat with remaining hash brown mixture and then egg mixture.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar on top.
6. Bake, uncovered for about 40-45 minutes, until eggs are set and casserole is nicely browned. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

This turned out really well.  It's good either just the way it is, or with some salsa and sour cream on top.  I love the browned edges.  And the flavors are all really good together.

I thought about adding some crushed tortilla chips to the mix, but since I was planning to serve this with some cornbread muffins, I decided to skip the chips. I also think a green salad would be great with this, but we'd just finished our salad for lunch, and I didn't feel like making another one.  So we had peas instead.  I think it just needs something green to go with it.  Of course, I think that about a lot of things.  Every meals deserves some green.

Tuscan Chicken Soup

When I saw the recipe for Tuscan Chicken Stew on South Your Mouth, I knew I had to try it.  It just looked so good.   Of course, I didn't quite follow the original recipe, but I did use basically the same ingredients, and I kept all the seasonings the same.  I think it turned out great.

This soup is sure to become a favorite around here. I will definitely be making it again. It's super flavorful and easy to make.

Tuscan Chicken Soup
adapted from South Your Mouth

 Ingredients:

• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 3 carrots, diced
• 5 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 15-oz. can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven (6 quart); add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add onion, garlic, and celery; cook until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are soft, stirring frequently.  Add seasonings and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.  Stir in carrots, potatoes, beans, and tomatoes and then add broth, water and bay leaf.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes with lid slightly cracked, stirring occasionally.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Cook a few minutes longer if needed, until carrots and potatoes are done.

I made this soup one day and then reheated it the next.  I think all soups get better when you reheat them, and some absolutely have to be made a day before you want to eat it.  I think this one would be good either way.   I made fresh cornbread to go with the soup, which was really good.  It would also be good with some nice crusty bread.

I used the1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, and the soup had a nice kick to it.  My husband, who does not like his food very spicy at all, didn't complain and really liked the soup, but if you don't like a lot of spice you'll probably want to cut the measurement down to 1/4 tsp. - at least the first time.

Black Beans and Rice

I made this a while back to go with some crockpot chicken fajitas (not the exact recipe, but similar).  Normally I just make some cilantro lime rice, but I didn't have any cilantro so I figured I'd try something different.  The fajitas definitely need some kind of rice because they always turn out so juicy.  I just put some rice on my plate and then hold over the rice while I eat, and all the juices go into the rice and make it even more yummy. (and keep me from having to just lick all those juices off the plate, because they definitely should not be wasted)

Black Beans and Rice
adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• water

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high.  Add onion; cook and stir until tender.
2. Add oregano, garlic powder, cumin, and rice; cook for a few minutes, until fragrant.
3. Drain liquid from tomatoes into measuring cup; add water to equal 2 cups.  Stir tomatoes and beans into saucepan; then add water.
4. Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

This rice had a really nice flavor on its own and was especially good with the juices from the chicken.  I really love the addition of the beans.  Cilantro stirred in would have been excellent, but since I didn't have any we just had to do without.

I ended up mixing the leftover chicken fajita mix with the leftover rice and adding a can of tomatoes or so - it's been a while; I can't remember exactly - and we had soup.  It made really good soup, too.

Chard and White Bean Stew

I'm still getting a few things from my garden.  The tomatoes are ripening, and I've been picking a few every couple days.  There are plenty of green ones still needing to ripen.  There are also quite a few small jalapenos on the plants and some bell peppers, too.  We had to cover the tomato and pepper plants for a few nights this weekend to protect them from frost, but it's warmed up again so we should be good for a while.  I've also got carrots and chard still out in the garden.  I read somewhere that carrots will taste better after a couple of good freezes, so though I've pulled several of the carrots, I'm going to leave the rest of them for a while.  Chard can survive a frost, so I should be having that for a while, too.

With all the chard and tomatoes, I started searching for a recipe that would use some of them.  There are quite a few good sounding recipes, but this one won out.  She served this with crusty bread, and a poached egg on top, but I skipped the poached egg.  It does look interesting, though.  Perhaps next time?

Chard and White Bean Stew
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pound Swiss chard (or another green), stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup dry white wine (or juice of half a lemon and water to make 1 cup)
• 2 15-ounce cans (or about 4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup chicken broth (or 2 cups broth and not bean liquid)
• 1 cup bean liquid (if using home cooked beans)
• 1-2 cups pureed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables.  Heat olive oil in 5 to 6 quart pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and saute for 15 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add chard and cook, stirring, until chard begins to wilt. 
2. Add wine (or lemon water), scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot and cook until it has reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. 
3. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with crusty bread.  Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar if desired.

I really enjoyed the flavors in this. My husband didn't drizzle any of the vinegar on his, but I thought that really added a nice touch.  I really love when the broth soaks into the bread.  So good!

This whole grain sourdough is the perfect complement to so many things!  I used 1 cup of the bean liquid in this batch, instead of the water.

Southwestern Black Bean and Barley Salad

I've had a thing for barley recently, and really love this Curried Chicken and Barley Salad, though my husband mentioned that he isn't a huge fan, so I went looking for another kind.  I came across this one on Pinterest and just had to try it.  I'm a huge fan of all these flavors together, so I'm hoping he'll be liking it too.  Now that the weather has started to warm up, I need some good salads to serve for dinner - instead of the soups I rely on in the winter months.

I made this to take for a potluck, so I haven't done much more than just taste it - to adjust for seasonings, of course - but the couple bites I had were amazing.  So good!

Southwestern Black Bean and Barley Salad
adapted from BetterRecipes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked pearled barley
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced small
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded & finely chopped
• 1 handful cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• Juice & zest of 1/2 Lime

Directions:

1. Toss cooked barley, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, red pepper, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in large bowl, 
2. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, cumin and chili powder. Add lime zest and juice and mix thoroughly.
3. Taste and add more salt as needed. Refrigerate.

I used more barley than the original recipe called for.  Did I mention that I'm a huge fan?  I also used garlic powder and salt instead of garlic salt - mainly because I couldn't find the garlic salt when I looked for it.  I didn't think it needed any additional salt when I tasted it, but it's still a good idea to taste it and adjust according to your tastes.  I'm thinking this will be really good served with some tortilla chips, for some crunch and a little added salt.  Also, I bet this would be great wrapped up in a tortilla. With avocado.

Serve with some grilled chicken - with taco seasoning - maybe?  So many options.  He better like this stuff.

Related articles

• Southwest Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Chicken and Sweet Potato Chili

Southwestern Hummus

I only recently discovered hummus. Well, in the last few years anyway.  I'm not sure why I never tried it before that, but I'm crazy about it now.  Of course, the best hummus is the kind you make at home, and this recipe for Really Smooth Hummus is my favorite.  I love it with with pita chips and celery especially.

But sometimes (OK, a lot of the time) I just have to try something new.  I had pinned this recipe on Pinterest, and when my friend Jennifer asked me to bring an appetizer when we went over to their house for dinner, I had the perfect opportunity to try it.  (Note: when trying new recipes, it's always good to try them when you're taking food to share with lots of people.  That way, if it's not good, you don't have to eat it all yourself.  And if it is good, everyone thinks you're a great cook.  It's a win-win situation, really.)

This was definitely a win!  This recipe is one of my new favorites.  It's a variation on the traditional hummus, made with Great Northern beans and southwestern spices, and it is yummy and so smooth.  The Great Northern beans blend up so nicely, and this comes together quickly and easily.

Southwestern Hummus
from an Aldi recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 15.5-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• Zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 1 lime (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 tsp each - garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, black pepper
• 1 T chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Garnish:
  1/2 Roma tomato, diced
  1 tsp chopped cilantro
  1 tsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients except garnish and process until smooth, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Transfer hummus to a serving bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine garnish ingredients and place on top of hummus. Serve with vegetables.

This would probably also be good with tortilla chips or maybe pita, but the veggies were perfect.  I especially loved it with the red pepper, celery, and broccoli.  It looked pretty, too!  Of course, I won't always put together an entire veggie tray when I make this, but it was a special occasion.

The original recipe called for an entire Roma tomato in the garnish, but 1/2 was enough.  I guess it depends on the size of your tomato.  This hummus would be good on its own, but that garnish adds a touch of freshness and makes it really special.  A bit of finely diced jalapeno might be nice, too - if you're feeding people who like a little spice.

The consensus is that this recipe is a keeper.  I'll definitely be making it again. 

Southwest Barley and Black Beans (Slow Cooker)

I've made this a couple times so far, and it is really good.  I love all the flavors, and I especially love how easy it is.  Slow cookers are the best!  I usually mix all the ingredients in the slow cooker and refrigerate overnight - or longer - and then start it cooking the next day or whenever needed.  It's great for potlucks or taking food to share.  It would also make a great weeknight meal.

Southwest Barley and Black Beans(Slow Cooker)
adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken (or turkey), chopped
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup pearl barley (NOT quick)
• 1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (red is prettiest)
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 3/4 cup salsa
• 2 cups chicken (or turkey) broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• salt & pepper
• juice of a lime
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cook 4 hours on High, OR 6-8 hours on Low, until barley is cooked and tender.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.
3. Serve with desired toppings: cheese, sour cream, additional salsa, cilantro, avocado, and/or tortilla chips.

The original recipe called for less liquid and none of the veggies.  I just had to add some corn because it goes so well with chicken and black beans.  And then I had a pepper I needed to use and some onions and cilantro, and I just had to add those too.  And cilantro goes with all of it!  It looks really pretty too.  This is before I added the broth and salsa:

If you want to keep it really simple (not that this isn't simple) you can skip any or all of the added veggies and just use the chicken, barley, black beans, broth, salsa and seasonings.  Either way it will be good.  The seasonings are great.  I will definitely be making this again - in one way or another. (It depends on what I have in the house, but don't all recipes?)

Pasta e Fagioli

We've always loved Olive Garden's Paste e Fagioli Soup, and it was a happy day when my friend Peggy found a copycat recipe that tastes almost exactly like Olive Garden's. I have modified it slightly by only using 1/2 lb. ground beef, cutting the pasta way down, and adding a bit more liquid.

Pasta e Fagioli
adapted from Top Secret Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
• 3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
• 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained
• 1 15-oz. can great northern beans, drained
• 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 12-oz. can V-8 juice (OR 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce and 1 can vegetable broth)
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 T white vinegar
• 1 cup water (use it to rinse tomato and tomato sauce cans and then add to pot)
• 1/2 cup ditali pasta

Directions:

1. Begin browning ground beef in 6-quart pan over medium heat. 
2. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery and continue cooking until beef is browned. Drain fat if necessary.
3. Add all remaining ingredients, except pasta; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook pasta in boiling water over high heat, just until it is al dente.  Drain.
5. Add pasta to soup pot; simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and serve

In the past I have used the V8 that the recipe calls for, but V8 is not something that I usually buy or have on hand.   So, this last time I made it I substituted a can of vegetable broth and an additional 8-oz. can of tomato sauce, and it turned out great.  I also didn't have the exact pasta so I used Creamette Rings instead.

I warmed this up several times - yay for leftovers! - and added a bit of water each time, just to keep the consistency right.  Some soups I love as they get thicker and thicker each time they're reheated, but I'd rather not let this one thicken up too much.  This is also a good reason not to use too much pasta.  The original recipe called for 8 oz. of pasta, and that is fine the first day, but as the soup sits the pasta soaks up the liquid, and pretty soon you have something more like goulash.

If you like the Paste e Fagioli Soup from Olive Garden, you'll definitely want to give this recipe a try.  So yummy!  Sprinkle with some Parmesan, serve with some crusty bread, and enjoy.

Red Bean Turkey Chili

I love this cooler weather because it's the perfect weather for soup! And boots and sweatshirts, fires in the fireplace, and snuggling up under the covers at night.  I mean, I would be OK if it wasn't quite so cold already in November, but I'm just going to enjoy it.  And make soup.

I made this one last week, and it's very tasty and satisfying.  I love all the beans.  I can't believe there was a time I didn't like beans.  Now I adore them.  The original recipe called for 2 cans of beans.  I ended up using 4!  I was really only planning to put 3 in, but I accidentally opened a can I didn't mean to open.  The beans were on top of the diced tomatoes I meant to grab, but somehow I moved the beans to grab the tomatoes and then put the tomatoes back and kept the beans - and then I opened them without looking at the can.  Oh well - lots of beans in this soup!

Red Bean Turkey Chili
adapted from Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1 T cumin
• 1 T dried oregano
• 2 T chili powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 cans (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (15 oz.) red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
• 1-1/2 cups frozen corn
• 4 cups turkey broth
• 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 to 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; optional

Directions:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add and the bell pepper and season with the cumin, oregano, chili powder, and salt & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beans, kale, corn, turkey broth, and tomatoes.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until some of the liquid has reduced. Add the shredded turkey and red pepper flakes (if using) and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!

Like most soups, this is a great make ahead meal. Make it one day, cool and refrigerate, then reheat the next. Soups just get better and better the more times you reheat them. I did end up adding a bit of water the second time I reheated this, because it thickened up a lot and there wasn't much broth left.

The flavors were really good in this.  The combination of seasonings was really good. (I did not use the red pepper flakes because I was afraid it would make it too spicy for my husband, though I think it would have been fine.) 

The original recipe used white beans, chicken stock and rotisserie chicken, Swiss chard, and added some diced zucchini, but I had just pulled some red beans and kidney beans out of my freezer - to make just a regular old pot of chili, except I then realized I had no tomato sauce so I needed another recipe for the beans - so I used the red beans.  I think any beans would work, whatever you like or have on hand.  I used turkey and turkey broth because I had those in my freezer too, and with Thanksgiving coming up and turkeys on sale, I will soon be cooking another turkey and replacing some of that cooked turkey and broth.  I'm cleaning out the old to make room for the new!

Anyway, that's a long way to say - the seasonings are really good in this, but you can mix, match, and substitute the ingredients you have and the ingredients you like, and you're still going to come out with a very good soup perfect for a cool weather meal.   Serve with a pan of cornbread fresh out of the oven, and you have perfection!  Or something very near.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

It's time again for  Secret Recipe Club (Secret Recipe Club) reveal!  This month I got to choose a recipe from Beth's blog It's Good To Be The Cook.  Beth lives outside Philadelphia, loves her family, her wonderful (and cute) boyfriend Dave, and her dog Stella.  Her posts are so much fun to read.  They're not just about the food - though the food is definitely front and center with recipes and loads of mouth-watering pictures.

So I started looking at the recipes - Oh, Beth!  So many great recipes.  How am I supposed to choose?  I love all the spicy stuff and that there's spinach in practically everything.  OK, maybe not everything, but a lot.  It looks like she's almost as obsessed with fresh spinach as I am.  I love it in practically everything!  Also, she has all her clipped and saved recipes organized in a binder - something I've thought about/wanted to do for ages, and never got around to it.  Yep, I still have boxes of magazine and newspaper clippings, recipes I wanted to try but may never find again.  I'm kinda jealous of her organizational skills.

Anyway, I started looking through the recipes, and I wanted to try the Buffalo Chicken Soup, the Black & White Bean Quesadillas w/ Avocado Ranch Dip, the Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Baked Potato, the Chicken and Bean Burritos, and several more, but I finally decided on these Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. And it was a very good decision.  These things are yummy!!!

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
slightly adapted from It's Good to Be the Cook

Ingredients:

• 2 Sweet Potatoes
• 2 T Olive Oil
• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 1 T Garlic, minced
• 1 Jalapeno, chopped (seeded for less heat)

  

  just some Spinach

• 4 or 5 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup frozen Corn, thawed
• 1 T Cumin
• 1 T Chili Powder
• a bunch of fresh Spinach (sorry, I didn't measure)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed (1-1/2 cups home-cooked)
• 1 T Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
• 1 cup (or less) Cheddar or Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
• Parsley Flakes & Paprika for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Wash potatoes and pierce a few holes or slices in the top. Pat dry and place on foil or a baking sheet in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, checking at the 1 hour mark. They will be cooked when they can be easily pierced with a fork.  Set aside while you prepare the filling.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the onions and saute for 3 minutes then add the garlic, jalapeno and mushrooms and saute another 3 minutes or so. Now, add the corn and saute for another 3 minutes and then stir in the seasonings. Let that saute for a bout a minute and then add the spinach and saute until it’s just cooked and wilted. Season with the salt and pepper. Turn heat to low.
3. Add cream cheese to skillet and stir until it is melted.  Stir in the yogurt and beans.
4. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out most of the potato with a spoon, and add it to the skillet.  Stir to combine, and taste and add seasoning if necessary.
5. Evenly spoon the filling back into the sweet potato boats and top with shredded cheese.
6. Turn the oven to broil and slide the potatoes back in until the cheese is just lightly browned and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
7. Garnish with a shake of Paprika and Parsley and serve immediately!

I didn't actually pay attention to how long I sauteed the onions, garlic, peppers, etc.  Just added the onion to the skillet, cooked it a bit, then started adding all the other ingredients.  It's basically what looks good to you.  It does look good, doesn't it?  Oh, and I only used 1/2 of the jalapeno because I thought the whole thing would make it too spicy for my husband, but it didn't turn out spicy at all, so I'd suggest sticking with the whole thing.  Or using the pickled ones like Beth did in hers.

Onions, garlic, jalapeno, mushrooms and corn

And then I added the cream cheese - the heat from the skillet melted it very nicely - and the yogurt and beans.  Doesn't this look yummy?  For some reason, I didn't taste it, but it certainly smelled amazing.  I'm thinking this mixture right here would be perfect for something.  I'm not sure what yet - over pasta?  With some pasta mixed in?  Spread over tortilla chips, topped with shredded cheese and baked like nachos?  Yeah, there's something...  I should've tasted it, though, because I forgot to add the salt and pepper like I was supposed to.

Creamy!

My potatoes were so done that I had to be careful not to scoop all of the flesh out of them, leaving nothing but the peel behind.

Sweet potatoes scooped out

I put as much filling as I could into the scooped out potato skins, and I had some left over, so I saved that for later.  It was great warmed up and wrapped in a tortilla and also just scooped up with tortilla chips.  This is good filling!  I added some salt right before I sprinkled the cheese on - because I forgot to taste and add it earlier. 

Ready to go under the broiler

The filling is already hot, so it doesn't take long to melt the cheese under the broiler, and they're ready to eat.

Ready to eat!

These things are really filling.  We had one potato half with some salad, and that was enough!  That means we got to enjoy them for another meal.  I just put them into a Corningware dish and baked them, with the lid on, for 20 to 30 minutes at 350°.  Perfect!  My husband just ate the filling both times and threw the potato skin away.  I ate the skin, and I liked it much better after it was baked.  It kind of crisped up a bit.  I'm thinking that next time I make these I'm going to bake them until the cheese is melted and browned, instead of broiling.  Either that or scoop absolutely all of the potato out of the skins, mix the filling, and put it into some kind of baking dish to broil and melt the cheese.

So many yummy flavors.  I am definitely making these again!  And trying some of those other recipes from Beth's blog.  Be sure to check it out for yourself.

Chicken and Black Bean Pizza

Chicken, black beans and cilantro.  On a pizza.  What's not to love about this?

Chicken and Black Bean Pizza
Inspired by this Pillsbury Bake-off recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• garlic powder
• pizza crust for 1 pizza
• 1/2 cup thick & chunky salsa
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 t. cumin
• chopped onion
• green or red pepper strips
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Sprinkle chicken breast with garlic powder and broil for 15-18 minutes, or until done, turning halfway. (or cook on your George Foreman Grill)
2. When cool, dice chicken.
3. In medium bowl, combine salsa, chicken, black beans, cilantro and cumin; mix well.
4. Bake pizza crust for 5-7 minutes; remove from oven and spread bean and salsa mix evenly over pizza crust.
5. Top with onion, pepper strips, and cheese.
6. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.
7. To serve, garnish with sour cream and guacamole (or avocado). 

Makes one pizza.

I like to use a pizza crust I make in my bread machine, but you can also use a packaged crust mix or a pre-made crust you can find in the store. My bread machine recipe makes enough dough for 2 pizzas so I just double the recipe.  One chicken breast also seems to be enough for two pizzas.

The ingredients can be varied to suit your own tastes. Mushrooms and green onions are really good on this.

 

Crockpot Chicken and Salsa

Copying this from my old recipe blog (it's about time).  I wanted something easy for potluck tomorrow and went looking to find where I'd posted the recipe.

Recipes are kind of like the Pirate Code - more like suggestions than actual rules. Here's the original recipe:

Crockpot chicken with salsa and cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 cup bottled thick and chunky salsa, your favorite
• 5 or 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a 3-1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker, mix together the black beans, corn, and 1/2 cup of the salsa. Top with the chicken breasts, then pour the remaining 1/2 cup salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until the chicken is tender and white throughout; do not overcook or the chicken will be dry.

Sprinkle cheese on top; cover and cook until the cheese melts, about 5 to 15 minutes.

Here's how I actually made it, and it turned out very good:
Saute one sliced onion and one clove of garlic in olive oil.  Add 2 chicken breasts, cut up; cook until almost cooked and add 2T taco seasoning.  Add beans, corn, salsa - cook on low for several hours then add cheese.

Serve over rice and with tortilla chips.  Cilantro is very good with this, and sour cream.

Because I wanted this for tomorrow's potluck, I went pretty much with the original recipe, except I used 2 cups frozen corn and added some taco seasoning to the chicken breasts.  Oh, and I tossed some chicken broth on top because I was cooking other stuff and had some extra. So it'll probably be kinda soupy - but I bet it will be good.

My friend Peggy makes something very similar to this all the time.  We call it Crockpot Chicken Ole.  I suppose I could call this the same thing?

Related articles

• Slow Cooker: Southwestern Chicken & Beans

Happy Hummus Day!

Vitamix posted this recipe on Facebook today - in honor of National Hummus Day. Did you know it was National Hummus Day? Me either, but I love some good hummus, so I thought I'd grab the recipe.  I know there are plenty of hummus recipes available online, but so many of them call for tahini, and I haven't been able to find it.  Should it be in my local grocery store?   This recipe doesn't call for it, so I'm gonna give it a try.

Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chick peas (garbanzos), one drained, one with liquid
• 1/4 cup (35 g) raw sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt

Directions

1. Place all ingredients, except salt, into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 1 minute, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.
5. Season to taste with salt.

  Of course, I'll have to use my Ninja, since I don't have a Vitamix, so no Variables, but....

Do you have a favorite go-to hummus recipe?  Please share!  Know where to buy tahini?  Share that too.   Maybe I should have though to buy Tahini on Amazon! because there's plenty available. Now to figure out which one...

Italian Style Chicken

I found this recipe in the Food section of my newspaper. It's a keeper!

Italian Style Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 large thinly sliced onion
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 T quick-cooking tapioca
• 2 cans (15 oz.) rinsed cannellini beans Great Northern beans
  
• 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup fresh basil torn into small pieces

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Scatter onion over chicken.
2. Stir together tomatoes, broth and tapioca; pour over onions.  
3. Cover and cook on high 4-1/2 hours or on low 6-1/2 hours.
4. Stir in beans and spinach; cook 30 minutes more on low.  Stir in basil and serve.

The flavors in this were so good together!  It turned out soupier than I was expecting, but I think that was because I used pearl tapioca instead of instant - it's what I had - and I think I messed it up by soaking it in hot water instead of cold.  Looking back on it, I could have just mixed the tapioca with the cold broth and tomatoes and let it soak in that overnight - since I mixed this up the day before and then cooked it in the morning.  Either way, I'll try it again, whether with instant tapioca or the same kind - to see if there's a difference.  It didn't really matter, because it tasted great.  I just cooked up some fettuccine and served it with that and some sliced sourdough bread.

The original recipe called for bone-in chicken thighs, but I read it wrong and got the boneless thighs out of the freezer.  I don't really like boned chicken in crockpot recipes because it ends up falling apart, and you always have to be on the lookout for bones.  So, I stuck with the boneless.  It was great, because it did fall apart, and there were pieces of chicken all through.  I cooked it on high most of the time, and probably got closer to the 6-1/2 hours than the 4-1/2.

I used Great Northern beans, which I cooked in my crockpot, instead of the cannellini beans - because that's what I had.  The original recipe called for 1/2 cup sliced black olives instead of the spinach, but at least one of the people who would be eating this doesn't like olives, so I left them out.  And the spinach?  The original recipe didn't call for it, but it just seemed like it should have spinach - so I added it.  I didn't actually measure, but a 10-oz. package ought to be about right.  You can add olives instead of the spinach or along with the spinach.

Update (1/29/16) -  This recipe was Lori's September 2015 SRC pick over on lori's culinary creations.  She added a handful of orzo to the crockpot along with the beans and spinach.  I just finally got around to making this again, and followed her suggestion and added 1/2 cup orzo.  I could have added a bit more, but it was really good.  I am going to have to do that from now on.

Also, I used chicken breasts, because that's what I had.  They aren't as good as the thighs, so I will definitely use thighs from  now on.  And, Great Northern beans are better than cannellini.  I will use those from now on, no matter what the recipe says.

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Soup

I found this recipe in the paper a couple weeks ago and made it for dinner last night. It was amazing! Really. So, so good!

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. (about 2 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 T paprika
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups turkey broth (or chicken or vegetable stock)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 can (15-oz.) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In large soup pot (5-qt.), heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, garlic, and sweet potato and saute until onion becomes translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add paprika, turmeric, basil, cinnamon, and cayenne. Stir to combine.  Add stock and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil; turn down heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, garbanzo beans and green pepper.  Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes (or longer) or until potatoes are tender and soup is heated through.  Season with salt to taste.
4. Serve with crusty whole grain bread, and brown rice if desired.

I will definitely be making this again.  It's really easy, and the flavors blend so well.  Also, I can't remember why I thought I didn't really like Garbanzo beans - until I tried roasting them - but they are absolutely perfect in this soup.  I might have to try them in other things...(see related articles)  The recipe said, once the potatoes are cooked and the soup is hot, to add additional stock or water if needed to reach the desired consistency, but I thought it was perfect just the way it was.  I guess it depends on how you like your soups.

The recipe didn't say what to serve this with - crackers, biscuits, bread? - so I  had mine with a bit of brown rice, which was wonderful, and we had some nice whole grain sourdough bread.  Oh!  the broth soaked into the bread!  Amazing!!  (so I added my own suggestion to the recipe - because I can't imagine anything going better with this soup)

Related articles

• Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) Soup Recipe with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Basil (kalynskitchen.com)
• Tomato Veggie Garbanzo Soup (nancycreative.com)
• Meatless Monday: African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup (Vegan) (thetraceyshow.com)

Bean and Pumpkin Chili

I cooked a pumpkin last week and used part of it in this chili.

Bean and Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. hamburger
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 t. dried parsley flakes
• 2 t. chili powder
  
• 1-1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1-1/2 t. ground cumin
• 1 can (15-oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15-oz.) red beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cooked pumpkin
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. In 6-quart pan, brown hamburger with onion, pepper, and garlic; drain fat if necessary.  Add spices.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer until heated through and flavors have blended. (1 to 1-1/2 hours on low heat)

Serve hot.

The original recipe was supposed to be meatless, using soy crumbles, but I didn't have anything like that, so I used hamburger.  Ground turkey would probably be good in this too.  I made some cornbread muffins to go with it.  My husband just put crackers in his.

I've never used pumpkin in chili before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.  It adds a richness and a thickness to the chili, but you really don't taste pumpkin.  So why put pumpkin in chili?    Any ideas?  I'm thinking it's a good way to get some extra nutrition into your soup.  Pumpkin - it's not just for pies!

Related articles

• Vegan Pumpkin Black Bean Chili (absolutelyravenous.wordpress.com)
• More pumpkin. More soup. More yum. (evaskitschenart.wordpress.com)