Sweet n Spicy Pumpkin Chili

It's October and that means Pumpkin! I love finding and making new pumpkin recipes.  I also love chili.  Why not combine the two for Pumpkin Chili!   A touch of sweet, also spicy with oodles of pumpkin and it is vegan to boot.  The first time I made it I took it to a chili cook off at my church and it took Second Place.  (First Place went to my other entry Chipotle Chocolate Chili ).  I love this fresh take on chili and hope you do too!  

Spicy n Sweet Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon coconut oil 

1/2  large onion, finely chopped 

1 carrot, finely chopped 
1 stalk celery, finely chopped 

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped 
1-2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 serrano pepper, minced
1 habanero pepper, minced 
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 
1/2 large onion, rough chopped 

2 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons soy sauce* 

1 cup vegetable broth 
1 can coconut milk
4 cups pumpkin puree
4 medium to large fresh tomatoes, chopped 

1  15 ounce cans diced fire roasted tomatoes, with liquid

1 14.5 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 
1 14.5 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
1 14.5 ounce can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed 
2-3 cups uncooked cubed pumpkin
salt and pepper to taste 

garnish 

chopped green onions

shredded cheddar cheese

light sour cream or Greek Yogurt 

Directions

Heat coconut oil add 1/2 onion, carrot and celery, saute until caramelized
Add chopped peppers and remaining onion and saute about five more minutes 
Meanwhile combine chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cayenne 
Add the seasoning blend and soy sauce, saute five more minutes 
Add vegetable broth to deglaze the pan
Mix in coconut milk, stir to blend well and simmer five minutes
Stir in the pumpkin puree and blend well 
Add chopped tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes and all beans, mix well
Add cubed pumpkin 
Bring to a simmer and reduce heat
Simmer, covered until the pumpkin is tender 

Serve with desired toppings 

Tips and Hints

• I recommend fresh pumpkin puree
• *Use LaChoy or Tamari sauce to make this gluten free
• Can be cooked in a crock pot by transferring to the crock-pot right after deglazing the pan, then following the directions except cooking on low 6-8 hours 
• If you like a bit less spicy omit the habanero and use only one jalapeno, removing the seeds.  You can also use other chili peppers of varying heat depending on your preference

Madras Lentils

Costco sells these delightful little packets of Tasty Bites Madras Lentils.  They are delicious, but a bit pricey.  I decided that I'd learn to make them myself so I  can have larger quantities to share with others and do it more cost effectively (though it is hard to beat those little packets for a quick meal) 

Madras Lentils

Ingredients:

I Tablespoon coconut oil 

1 onion, finely diced

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced

5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small cinnamon stick 

2 Tablespoons curry powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

1/4 teaspoon allspice 

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon Garam Masala 

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

3 cups water 

1 cup dry lentils
2 cups red (kidney) beans, cooked 
1 bay leaf 

1 1/2 cups (or one can) coconut milk* 

Directions

In a large stockpot heat the coconut oil, add onion and saute until it begins to turn dark and caramelize.  
Add  garlic and saute about five more minutes
Add ginger and saute about three more minutes
Add cinnamon stick and saute one more minute
Mix all other seasonings together in a small bowl, add all together to onion mixture
stirring to coat well.  
Saute about ten minutes stirring constantly 
Add tomato paste and stir to combine
Add water, lentils, beans and bay leaf 
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes until lentils are tender
You may need to add more water as it cooks and the lentils absorb water
Add coconut milk and simmer about 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through 
If it is too thin cook longer to reduce, stirring frequently
Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick 
Serve alone, over rice and/or with naan

Tips and Hints

• *Cream or Half and Half may be substituted for the coconut milk, and is more traditional, but less healthy.  
• The recipe originally called for black lentils, I used red lentils and loved it.
• This will work well as a side dish, but paired with rice can be a main dish.
• The original Tasty Bites aren't spicy, but if you like spice in the food add cayenne pepper when you add the water and lentils. You can play with the cayenne to achieve the spicy level you like, I actually prefer this particular dish a bit milder. Use as much as your personal taste enjoys.  I'd suggest 1 Tablespoon for a good kick. 

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

I love chili, I love chipotle, and I love chocolate! 
So what's not to love combining them all into one hearty, slightly sweet, slightly savory, slightly smokey and somewhat spicy pot of deliciousity.  (yes I did just make up a word, but it fits!)  I found this recipe a while ago and have been waiting for a cold snowy day to try it out, but the persnickety Utah January weather is not cooperating so I decided to just jump in and make it, then freeze some until we get that cold snowy day, probably in late March!  I am most definitely bringing this to my next chili cook off! 

So here is my rich, spicy, gift to you:

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean ground turkey 

1 large onion, chopped 

1 red bell pepper, minced

3-5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

3 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon Ancho Chili powder

1 Tablespoon Chipotle Chili powder 

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed chipotle pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

2  cups beef broth

2  15 ounce cans diced tomatoes, with liquid

2  14.5 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

1  7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke 

1/2 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate (1/2 a cube), chopped 

3-4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 

garnish 

chopped green onions

shredded cheddar cheese

light sour cream or Greek Yogurt 

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add turkey, onion, garlic and bell pepper until turkey is cooked through, stirring frequently

Mix together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, chili powders, cumin, crushed chipotle, paprika, black pepper and salt together. 

Stir seasoning mix into meat mixture until well coated.  

Heat another few minutes until the seasonings just start to brown. 

Add beef broth and de-glaze the pan. 

Add tomatoes and beans

Remove the chipotle chilies from the adobo sauce and add the sauce to the pot, reserving the chilies. 

Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened. This should take about 45-60 minutes.

Add the liquid smoke, cook 5 more minutes

Now it is time to play with the flavor a bit

Dice some of chipotle peppers and add to the pot

Stir in some of the red wine vinegar

Stir in some of the chocolate

Keep adding a little of these ingredients at a time until you find the flavor balance you like

Remember: the chocolate adds depth, the vinegar cuts some of the sweetness and the chipotle add smokey heat 

Simmer about 30 more minutes until chocolate is fully melted and flavors blend.

Serve with desired toppings 

Tips and Hints

• Make sure you use real cocoa do NOT use Nesquik or similar powder 
• I discovered I was out of red wine vinegar and substituted apple cider vinegar with success
• Look for a brand of Chipotle in adobo that doesn't have wheat added for a gluten free version 
• If you don't like a lot of heat decrease the chili powder and omit the extra chipotle peppers, you'll still want to use at least some of the adobo sauce for the flavor depth
• Too much of the chocolate will make the chili bitter, so add with caution 
• Feel free to use beef. sausage or other meat for a less healthy version, but I promise the turkey is delicious! 
• Consider doubling or even tripling the batch because, trust me, people will come back for more.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Savory Lime Dressing

As part of my new quest to be more healthy lifestyle and maintain weight loss I am seeking a plant based diet more diligently.  I can see quinoa being a new staple of my cuisine.  I've gone a bit nuts with quinoa recipes on my Quinoa-derful pinterest board.   Many of them seem to be a bit southwestern in nature.  Quinoa seems well suited for these types of flavors, so it just makes sense to me.

I wanted to take something quinoa to a neighborhood potluck and picked one of the plethora of quinoa recipes to try.  No big surprise, I tweaked it, added some things, omitted some others and came up with something that got rave reviews from all who tried it, even those who claim they don't like "healthy" choices over foods like brisket and ribs.

This is definitely a "keeper"

Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Savory Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad

1 cup quinoa 

2 cups vegetable broth

1 red bell pepper, chopped into small dice

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
I avocado, diced (optional) 

1 cup frozen corn

drizzle olive oil

sprinkle sea salt

sprinkle garlic powder

Dressing 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
zest of one lime

2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon Spike Seasoning

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground Ancho chili powder

fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 - 3 drops doTerra* Lime essential oil (optional)

Directions:

Combine the quinoa and broth in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed.  20-25 minutes.

Drain the beans into a small colander.  Rinse until the water no longer foams.  Drain.

Meanwhile, dice the red bell pepper into pieces about the size of the beans. 

Slice green onion into thin slices.

Toss the corn with olive oil.  Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder.

Place on baking sheet and broil, stirring frequently, until corn begins to brown.

Allow the quinoa and corn to cool.  

Stir all of the salad ingredients together.

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together until well blended.

Toss the dressing into the salad.

Tips and Hints:

• I use a blend of equal parts red and white quinoa
• You can use chicken or beef broth for a different flavor, but obviously it won't be vegetarian if you do.
• I like the flavors of this dish and don't find it needs heat, but if you want to add heat dice some jalapenos or other chili and add it with the bell pepper.
• This keeps well in the fridge for several days, not that it lasted that long, but may need a bit more dressing to moisten it up since the grain tends to absorb the moisture. 
• The avocado adds great flavor to this dish, however since avocado is a fat (albeit a good fat) you might not want to eat is in large quantities and this is fabulous with or without the avocado. 
• *doTerra essential oils are therapeutic grade and can be taken internally.  You can use another brand oil of similar quality. Please do NOT use an essential oil that has not been approved by the manufacturer for internal use. 
• Therapeutic grade essential oils are safe for internal use, but degrade impurities in our bodies.  They will degrade the unnatural substances in plastics, citrus oils especially so.  Be sure to ONLY use the lime oil if you've prepared and stored your salad in a glass or ceramic container. 

Peanut Sauce Chicken

Confession time.  I realize this will sound odd to most people but I must admit that I do not like peanut butter.  I love lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, but do not like raw peanuts or (gasp) peanut butter.  That being said I do adore this dish.  With my known aversion to peanut butter I cannot remember why I tried this initially, but now it is a family favorite.  Oh and for the record I do like peanut satay (which this is slightly reminiscent) and Reese's peanut butter cups and Reese's Pieces, but not Peanut Butter M&M's.  Weird I know...

Peanut Sauce Chicken

Ingredients

 2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 C peanut butter 

1 C milk

1/2 C soy sauce* 

1/3 C brown sugar

1/4 C cooking sherry

6 dashes red pepper sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 C chopped peanuts 

Garnish:

chopped peanuts

green onion

red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook the chicken in a large skillet in the oil until lightly browned.

Add the onion and garlic and cook another couple of minutes.

Remove the chicken, onion and garlic from the pan.

If you have some chicken browning stuck to the pan just add a bit of the milk and scrape off the chicken.  This add a lot of rich flavor to your sauce. 

Add the rest of the milk, peanut butter, and soy sauce.

Stir constantly until well blended and smooth. 

Add the brown sugar, sherry, pepper sauce and pepper flakes and 1/4 C peanuts.

Stir until smooth.
Return chicken, onion and garlic mixture to the pan.

Cook on low, stirring occasionally until the sauce begins to thicken.

Cook about five more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice or oriental noodles.  

Garnish with more chopped peanuts, green onion and red pepper flakes for a festive flair.

Tips and Hints 

• You can use creamy or chunky peanut butter depending on your preference.  
• *To make this gluten free use La Choy or another brand of soy sauce that does not contain wheat.  These are a bit tricky to find, but are out there if you look.
• If you are really timid you can cut down on the red pepper, but I'd say to leave a bit in, the slight kick is awesome.
• If the dish is too salty go for a lower sodium soy sauce or peanut butter.

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

I recently found a different pumpkin curry that called for diced fresh pumpkin.  Since this was between Halloween and Thanksgiving there was nary a pumpkin to be found at the regular stores.  Finally as a friend and I were out and about we found a roadside stand with pumpkins so I bought a small one.  It had a skin that would have done well for a shield for Iron Man as it was practically impervious.  I did manage to get the seeds out and roast them, but mourned the loss of the potential to use the flesh for cooking.  (Steaming it to soften it ruined the texture and the recipe was a flop).  About a week later I saw a neighbor ready to toss her pumpkins from her porch and asked if I could have them, as they were still in prime condition.     Now with a whole new batch of freshly roasted pumpkin seeds and a whole lot of diced pumpkin I decided to find a new pumpkin recipe. Of course I did my own tweaking and this is the yummy result.  It is even better the second day.  

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

2 pounds cubed fresh pumpkin*

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

3 cups vegetable broth

1-2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon - 2 Tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes 

1 can coconut milk

Directions:

Put 1 1/2 pounds of the pumpkin in a baking dish, toss with the olive oil and sea salt.  

Roast in a 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

In a large pot add the coconut oil and heat until melted.  Add the onion, carrot and celery to make a mirapoix.  Allow the veggies to caramelize as directed in the mirapoix.  

Add the garlic and saute a couple more minutes. 

Deglaze the pan with the broth.     

Add the curry powder, red pepper flakes and remaining half pound of uncooked pumpkin.

Simmer about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked pumpkin and simmer 10 minutes more.

Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth

Return to the pot.

Shake the can of coconut milk well and pour into the blender.

Blend on high for about 60 seconds to remove the soup that is still clinging to the sides of the blender.

Pour into the pot and continue to heat another 5-10 minutes while stirring until all is heated through and well incorporated 

Tips and Hints

• *You can substitute canned pumpkin in this soup when fresh pumpkin is not available, just add it after you've pureed the rest of the ingredients.
• You can use an immersion blender rather than a traditional blender.
• If you are familiar with this blog at all you know we love spicy in our family so I ampped up the red pepper flakes, feel free to adjust to your taste.
• The crackers in the photo are delicious with this soup and anything else you care to use them with.  They are Kirkland Signature Ancient Grains Crackers from Costco and have Millet, Amaranth, Quinoa and Teff grains in them. 
• Since vegetable broth is not as readily available in forms such as  bullion powder, soup base, paste etc.  You can easily substitute chicken broth, it just won't be vegetarian.  

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

I adore quinoa as an idea.  I know that it is a super grain and mega-healthy for you.  Since I struggle a bit as how to implement it I am always in search of new delicious quinoa recipes.  I found this one recently (and of course tweaked it a bit) and it is definitely a keeper.  Particularly as the weather cools off and I start craving a rich, hearty, flavor packed chili! 

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup water or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/4 cup water or vegetable broth 

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1-3 Tablespoons chili powder 

1-2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper (optional) 

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan combine the quinoa and 1 cup broth. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes.

In a large pot heat the olive oil add the onion, carrot and celery in a mirapoix.  Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup broth.  

Add the garlic, peppers and zucchini to the pot.  Cook about 10 more minutes until the vegetables are heated and beginning to soften.  

Add the beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Mix well.

Season with the cumin, chili powder, cayenne and salt and pepper.

Simmer chili on low for at least 30 minutes.

Serve hot.  

Tips and Hints:

• If you are timid with heat remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno.

• Do NOT omit the chili powder, if you don't like the heat level just use only 1 Tablespoon.  This adds a depth of flavor that makes the chili taste good.

• You can add optional toppings such as: green onion, diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, crackers, etc. to your bowl when serving.

• This would be fantastic with a good corn bread. 

Self-Dressing Stacked Spinach Salad

I admit that this is not the most attractive dish, but it is super easy and super delicious and  super healthy!

I discovered the secret to this self dressing salad by accident when I took it to work one day.  The flavors melded perfectly and it was divine! 

Self-Dressing Stacked Spinach Salad

Ingredients

Baby Spinach

Feta Cheese Crumbles

Fresh Tomato, chopped

Bacon crumbles (optional) 

Directions

Place desired amount of spinach in a bowl.

Pour feta over the spinach.

Cover with the chopped tomatoes, include any excess juice from the chopping process.

Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours, five is even better.

Remove from fridge and sprinkle in bacon.

Toss and serve.

Tips and Hints

• Letting this salad sit is key.  If you just toss everything together fresh it is not even close to as delicious.  
• The natural juices from the tomatoes drip over the feta and spinach making the self dressing part work.
• Just eyeball the amounts of ingredients to your taste, but be sure to have enough tomato to drip over the rest of the salad

Quinoa with a Kick

Several years ago I attended a class at BYU's Education Week on Great Grains.   The presenter talked about a super grain called Quinoa and its amazing health properties.  Including his belief that Helaman's Stripling Warriors were able to march all day and all night powered by this awesome grain indigenous to Central America.    Since then I'd been wanting to try it.  

One day at work our school cafeteria (voted Best in State) served quinoa.  I was stoked and got school lunch for the only time that year.  I was hooked! and asked our cafeteria manager for the recipe.  The downside was that his recipe made 100 servings.  I had to do some dreaded math.  

Of course, as you would expect, I tweaked it, added a few things and kicked up the spice level.  The result was this amazing quinoa dish that I get rave reviews on and friends asking for the recipe.  Now I am sharing it with all.

Quinoa with a Kick

Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1-2 Chili Peppers, diced (variety depends on your preferred heat level)

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth (including liquid reserved from the tomatoes) 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste if you like heat)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

pinch salt

1 cup frozen corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, drained with liquid reserved

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in the onion and garlic, saute until lightly browned.

Add peppers and saute another few minutes.

Mix quinoa into the pan and heat slightly.

Pour in the vegetable broth, including tomato liquid.

Season with the cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the "tails" of the quinoa pop out.  (You'll know it when you see it, it is a very distinctive feature of this amazing grain)

Stir the frozen corn into the saucepan and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until the corn is heated through.

Mix in the black beans and tomatoes and heat another 5 minutes, until heated through. 

Tips and Hints

• I use an equal mixture of red and white quinoa
• Quinoa is getting more popular as a gluten free wonder grain, if you don't see it in your local market check at a health food store.  Red quinoa is a bit more rare and this will be your best source for it.
• If you like somewhat mild make sure you remove the seeds from the chili peppers, for a more spicy kick leave the seeds in and increase the number of peppers used.
• This is great as a side dish, or pared with a cool salad a great meal. 
• Also great as left-overs the next day

Amish Baked Oatmeal

When my sister Ruth got married in August of 2001 I went the Washington D.C. area for her open house.  We stayed with her in-laws, Mike and Jeanne.   Jeanne is a total doll  and served us one of her special breakfasts, Amish Baked Oatmeal.  She shared the recipe with me and said that she serves it on special occasions.   In keeping with the "special occasion theme, this is a new Christmas tradition at our house.   My husband likes it so much that he doesn't always want to wait for Christmas so after our recent Christmas Breakfast  in July I thought I'd share with all of you too.

Jeanne apparently got the recipe from the wife of a Mennonite minister who had grown up in a family that was old order Amish, 
I think this must have been their family recipe.

Amish Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients 

1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup oil

1 cup milk

3 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

Optional:

fresh or frozen fruit

brown sugar

milk

Directions

Mix the butter and sugar by hand until well mixed. 
Add the eggs and mix well, add vanilla 

Add the baking powder and salt, mix in.

Add the oil and milk and mix well.

Stir in the Oats.

The batter will likely look a bit lumpy and not combined.  That is normal.

Pour into a 2-quart casserole or other similar sized baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Tips and Hints

• Best served warm, you can reheat in the microwave if needed
• You can serve it with fresh or frozen (thaw first) fruit and a bit of milk.  My very favorite with this is frozen raspberries that have been thawed so they are a bit "juicy"
• You can also serve it with brown sugar on the top.  
• Jeanne said this will keep several days in the refrigerator, but it never lasts that long at our house.

Hot Spinach Artichoke with Parmesan Dip

Who doesn't love a good spinach artichoke dip?  But buying that stuff is expensive and you can't always run to Chili's when a craving hits.  So of course, I did a bit of Google-ing and found a few recipes.  With a big shout out to Alton Brown for his basis and some tweaking of my own I have developed a Hot Spinach Artichoke with Parmesan Dip that is stellar!  We all like it far better than any from any restaurant. 

Hot Spinach Artichoke with Parmesan Dip

Ingredients  

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

1/4 cup Alfredo sauce 

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup fresh spinach

1 1/2 cup artichoke hearts

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

Use a food processor to roughly chop spinach and artichoke hearts.  You'll want to do these separately from one another.

Warm the cream cheese in the microwave, on medium for about a minute or until it is very soft. (Don't use high as that will "cook" it).

Stir the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, Miracle Whip and Alfredo sauce.  Stir until creamy and well blended.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Mix until well blended.  Add the spinach and artichoke.  Mix well.  Stir  in the Parmesan cheese.

Turn mixture into a casserole dish.  Sprinkle with the additional cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.   

Serve with your favorite chips, crackers or bread. 

Hints and Tips

• You can substitute mayo for the Miracle Whip if you prefer the taste.

• Add extra red pepper flakes if you like a bit more of a kick, you can also reduce the amount if you are wimpy about spice.

• For a pretty browned finish to the top of the dish sprinkle with a bit of additional Parmesan cheese, then at the end of the baking process broil for about 7 minutes until the top is to your desired brownness. 

• NEVER use the powdered Parmesan in the green can.  You can grate your own or use the pre-grated cheese in a bag. 

Chicken Tika Masala

A while back our oldest son and his wife talked my husband and me into going to a fantastic local Indian restaurant.  They raved about the Chicken Tika Masala and after tasting it I could totally see why. It is delicious!   Naturally I wanted to go again, frequently!, but my husband is... shall we say, thrifty and resists paying a lot of money at restaurants on a regular basis.  So I decided I needed to learn to make this on my own.  A few different recipes, some suggestions from other cooks and some tweaking and I have achieved Chicken Tika Masala perfection! 

Now I just need to learn to make my own naan. 

Chicken Tika Masala 

Ingredients: 

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt (I prefer Greek)

juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoon cayenne pepper 

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 Tablespoon Garam Masala

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

Sauce

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons smokey paprika

1 Tablespoon Garam Masala

1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 - 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 cups heavy cream

Directions

In a large bowl combine the marinade ingredients, blend well, until the powders and yogurt are smooth.  Add the chicken pieces, mix well so that chicken is thoroughly coated.  Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour.  I like to go overnight.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil on low until done.  Time will vary depending on the size chunks you have.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion and the salt, heat over medium heat until the onion starts to caramelize. Add the garlic and jalapeno, heat an additional minute or two until the pepper is slightly cooked.  Add the spices (you'll want them pre-measured so you can add them all at once) and stir to coat the veggies. 

Stir in the tomato sauce to deglaze the pan slightly, then add the cream.

Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce starts to thicken, about 20 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and heat an additional 10-15 minutes.

Serve with your favorite rice.

Tips and Hints

• Garam Masala is an Indian seasoning blend.  I picked up a bag big enough to last a lifetime for just a few dollars at a local "Bollywood" market.
• If you like your food more mild, omit the cayenne pepper from the marinade and the crushed red pepper from the sauce.  The heat of the jalapeno can also be controlled by the seeds, the more seeds the more heat. 
• You can cut fat and calories by subbing some of the heavy cream for half-and-half.  I did a 50/50 split and it still tasted fantastic.  You could probably cut back even more by using milk in place of the half-and-half, but I haven't tried that yet. 
• A more traditional approach would be to skewer and grill the chicken then remove from the skewers before adding to the sauce, but I like the simple and year round broiling option. 

Chunky Bean Dip

Several years ago I went through a healthy eating kick. I diligently searched and made only "healthy" low-fat foods. As you can tell by my recipes I am over that phase. There are only a few hold-overs from those days and they are so yummy my kids don't realize they are one of those "good for you" foods. This is one of the best and it disappears almost instantly.

Chunky Bean Dip

Ingredients:
Beans
4 cups dry pinto beans
1 whole potato
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoon salt

Dip
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon Cholula or other red pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy or Southwest Chipolte seasoning
1/4 cup fresh chili (hot) peppers, chopped
1/4 cup fresh onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Hot Shot (equal parts black and cayenne pepper, you can mix your own)
Directions:

Sort and rinse beans at least twice.
Cover with a lot of water and soak overnight.
Pour off the water and rinse well.
Place beans in a large pot and cover with water
Scrub potato clean and add, whole, to the beans and water
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender.
Add the remaining ingredients for the beans and simmer another 35-45 minutes to blend flavors.
Remove potato and discard.

Place 2 cups of beans in a flat bottomed bowl and mash with a potato masher.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
You can serve immediately or wait a while for flavors to blend.

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Tips and Hints

• Pouring off the rinse water and cooking with the potato are both methods to decrease flatulence. The potato absorbs the gas.



• You will have extra beans use them for something else or freeze them.



• If you like mild food use fewer peppers, or peppers of a more mild nature such as Anaheim, also remove the seeds and membranes, since that is where a lot of the heat is contained.



• If you love it hot, hot, hot use spicier peppers like jalapenos and serranos if you are really adventurous try a habanero.



• Another way to turn up the heat is to leave the seeds in.



• I use two or three different types of peppers per batch.



• I never make just a single batch of this, it goes too quickly. I use up all the cooked beans



• You can use canned beans, but the flavor will not be as rich.


• If you like your dip smoother, you can process the completed dip in a food processor or blender.

General Tso's Chicken

We love Chinese food at our house. General Tso's chicken with its slightly sweet, slightly spicy, slightly tangy sauce is a favorite. This version, though a bit of work is fantastic!

General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks

Cornstarch Batter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce*
1 cup cornstarch
water (as needed)

Sauce
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
5-7 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cooking sherry or white cooking wine
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes

4 green onions, chopped

Oil for frying

Directions:

Mix sauce ingredient together, cover and set inside fridge until ready to use.
Beat the egg well, add the soy sauce and cornstarch, mix well. If it too solid add a tablespoon of water at a time until the batter is thick and half-way between a solid and a liquid. (If you ever made cornstarch oobleck as a child this is the consistancy you need). This mixture seems strange, but trust me it will work.
Heat oil to 350 degrees.
Add some of the chicken to the batter and stir the pieces into the batter.
Using a fork lift ONE piece at a time out of the batter and allow the excess to drip off.
Place chicken into the hot oil one piece at a time and allow to cook until crispy.
Remove from oil and drain on paper towel, continue until all the chicken is cooked.
In a separate skillet or large wok heat a small amount of oil and add the green onion, fry a minute or two.
Mix the sauce ingredients until smooth add to the hot pan and cook until thick, stirring constantly.
Sauce should be the consistancy you would get if you ordered this in a restauant, if it gets too thick add a bit of water.
Add chicken to sauce and stir until all chicken is coated and the sauce is thick and bubbly.
Serve over hot rice.

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Tips and Hints

• Be sure the chicken in coooked through when cooking in the oil.


• If you like this less spicy add fewer pepper flakes, more spicy add a bit more.


• I used a deep fryer (similar to a fry daddy) to cook the chicken with excellent results


• As the sauce cools it tends to gel and is not as good rewarmed. Not to worry though, as tasty as this is, you probably won't have leftovers.

• *LaChoy is a gluten free soy sauce.  You can find other gluten free soys if you look.  Tamari is also a great substitute to make this gluten free. 

Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love cream of broccoli soup with cheese. I searched for recipes and didn't find one I liked so I asked my friend Andrea for her recipe. She invited the whole family to dinner for my birthday and we cooked it together. Delish!

Best Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
3 onions
6 Tablespoons butter
salt
3 cloves garlic

3 potatoes, peeled and shredded or finely chopped
thyme
12 cups chicken broth
48 ounces broccoli
1 1/2 cups cream or half and half
1 pound each sharp cheddar, medium or mild cheddar and fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
black pepper

Directions:
Make mirapoix. With this soup you'll have double onion instead of equal portions of each of the veggies. You'll also use the butter rather than olive oil for a richer and creamier flavor.
Add garlic just before de-glazing
De-glaze with about a cup of chicken broth, add rest of broth and potatoes along with a pinch of thyme.
Simmer until potatoes are soft.
Put veggies and some of the broth in a blender or food processor.
Process until very smooth. You'll probably have to do this in multiple batches.
Pour back in pot and add broccoli lightly simmer until broccoli is tender.
Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes, until slightly cooled
Add cheese and stir well until melted
Add cream and mix well
If the soup is to thin you may thicken it with cornstarch or heat just to steaming, no simmer or boil, and allow to reduce.

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Tips and Hints

• Do not allow soup to get too hot or boil after adding the dairy products or it will curdle.


• Feel free to adjust the amount of cheese based on personal preference. If you love cheese add more, if you want the soup more "cream of" use less cheese.


• You may add or substitute other favorite cheeses.


• Never use that fake, dried Parmesan in a green can, it will not work properly or give good flavor.


• This soup is excellent served in a bread bowl.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love Chicken Tortilla Soup on a cool day, but a great version is hard to find and tends to be pricey at a restaurant. Once again I searched online, found a version that seemed good and tweaked it to make this savory and a bit spicy version.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

6 corn tortillas
olive oil
salt
favorite seasonings (optional)

3-4 carrots, diced
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed


32 ounces beef broth 
32 ounces chicken broth 

1 4-ounce can green chilies
2 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 can Rotel 
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups cooked chicken


1 cup cheddar-jack cheese, grated
1 avocado, diced (optional)
1 lime (optional)
sour cream (optional)
other toppings as desired

Directions:

Warm the tortillas slightly (about 30 seconds in the microwave) to soften them. Slice tortilla into thin strips. Toss with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt and other seasonings. (I use Cholula Chili Lime and/or Mrs. Dash spicy). Place on a baking sheet and place in a 250 degree oven until crispy, about 40 minutes.

Mix together the celery, carrot and onion. Put in a large pot with the olive oil and salt to make mirepoix. When the veggies are caramelized add the garlic and sauté one or two more minutes.

Deglaze the mirepoix with some of the beef and/or chicken broth.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese, tortilla strips, avocado and lime.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Serve hot, In each individual bowl stir in a squeeze of lime and top with a sprinkle of cheese, a few pieces of avocado, sour cream, and some tortilla strips.

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Tips and Hints

• Shredded rotisserie chicken is my favorite 
• In addition to Rotel, I like to use diced tomatoes with chilies for at least one of the cans 
• To add some extra spiciness add a can of El Pato hot tomato sauce to the soup.
• You can also add cayenne pepper to spice it up. 
• To make it less spicy use mild green chilies
• Feel free to improvise, if you love corn add two cans, if you don't like it leave it out. Same goes for any other ingredient.
• Adding the lime to the whole pot and heating it tends to produce bitterness so make sure you just add it to the individual bowls.