Mom's Super Bowl Chili

I'm a huge sports fan. And by huge sports fan, I mean that I asked my husband the colors of the two teams playing in the Super Bowl so that I could make coordinating cupcakes.

I do love a great sporting event- if not for the entertainment factor. We're attending a Super Bowl party at my brother's house this weekend and I'm really looking forward to my mom's fabulous Chili. She serves it over rice, while I prefer to eat it plain and spiced up.

Ingredients:

2.5 lb. ground beef
1/2 fresh sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped

large can of tomato juice (64 oz)
1 large can whole tomatoes (or 1 quart-I used a quart of the tomatoes we canned last fall)

1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans
1 can Red Beans
1 can Black Beans

1 can corn (I used a 2 cup package of the corn off the cob we froze last fall)

1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup jalapenos (optional)

Directions:

Brown ground beef in a skillet with chopped peppers and onions. Drain the fat.

Drain and rinse the Dark Red Kidney Beans, Red Beans, and Black Beans in a colander.

Add ground beef, pepper and onion mixture to a large soup pot. Add the drained, rinsed beans. Add the large can of tomato juice, then add a half a can of water to the pot.
Add the can of whole tomatoes to the pot, breaking them up with your fingers into bite-sized chunks. Finally, add the corn, chili powder, salt, pepper and jalapenos and stir to combine.

Heat the chili through, then serve with rice or plain with hot sauce and crackers. Enjoy!

This Week for Dinner: January 23 - 29

This week's menu is probably the favorite menu that I've put together. Mostly Pinterest-inspired, with a few budget-conscious picks, I'm super excited to try these five new recipes this week.
Next week, I'll begin going through submissions for the recipe contest-please be sure to submit your favorite recipe! I'll be making one reader recipe each week for the next eight weeks, with a giveaway for the best recipe on March 31.
I'm also excited to share that I'm working on a re-design for the blog-I'm currently in the process of getting quotes to give the blog a new look! I'm hoping to roll out the new design in April, and in the process I'll be adding more functionality, including searching recipes by ingredient. Stay tuned! :)


Stromboli with Salami, Capicola and Provolone

Stromboli just makes me happy. Italian meats and cheeses, stuffed in a savory crust, with marinara dipping sauce-what's not to love?

http://www.blissfullydelicious.com/2012/01/stromboli-with-salami-capocollo-and-provolone






Panko Crusted Salmon with Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Salmon is my family's favorite fish. Versatile and yummy, I'm always looking for new ways to prepare a nice piece of salmon. I was so excited to run across this recipe on Pinterest, and even more excited to taste what I'm sure will be an amazing dish!

http://annies-eats.com/2011/04/13/panko-crusted-salmon

And how cute are these? I picked up some fresh green beans the other day-we're beginning to grow weary of the canned version-and I'm hoping for a nice taste of summer in the middle of winter.

http://www.justcookalready.com/2010/11/bacon-wrapped-green-beans.html







Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese with Tomato Basil Soup

I've been on a giant grilled cheese kick this winter. There is so much inspiration out there on creative grilled cheese-this might just be my favorite.

http://bsinthekitchen.com/baked-potato-grilled-cheese/

http://plumdeliciousrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/recipe-file-super-simple-tomato-basil.html





Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumsticks with Onion Potato Gratin

I don't make Chicken Drumsticks very often, but this recipe caught my eye- and you can't beat the price!
http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2012/01/devilled-drumsticks-for-the-gojee-virtual-pot-luck/

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/onion_potato_gratin/






Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce ($1.15 per serving!)

Another great budget conscious option, this coconut chicken is a take on one of my restaurant favorites, Red Lobster's Coconut Shrimp. Very excited to see how this translates using chicken!

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/01/coconut-chicken-w-sweet-chili-sauce-691.html

Have a great week, and Happy Cooking!

Southwest Salad

Ingredients

3-4 cups fresh greens
1/2 cup corn (frozen is fine, just defrost)
2 scallions, light green parts only, chopped
1/2 avocado
1 red or yellow pepper, cut into matchsticks
3 slices jalepeño from a can, diced
1/2 tomato, diced, or 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, diced
1/2 recipe cornbread (see below), or 3 thick slices of store-bought cornbread
2 slices jalepeño jack cheese
Tomato-cilantro dressing (see below)

Directions:

Make the dressing and the cornmeal croutons.

Cut the avocados into large chunks and toss carefully with a few spoonfuls of the dressing to prevent browning.
Arrange the greens in a bowl with the corn, scallions, avocado, pepper, jalepeño, tomato, and cilantro artfully arranged on top. Add the warm or room-temperature croutons. Sprinkle with the dressing and toss just before serving.

For the croutons:
Cut the cornbread into 1-inch squares. If you have time, let them dry uncovered for about a day. Then preheat the oven to 375°F and toast for about 10 minutes. Dice the jack cheese and sprinkle over the croutons, pushing them into one corner of the pan, so not too much cheese misses the croutons. Return to the oven until the cheese is melted. Cool slightly, then add to the salad.

For the dressing:
In keeping with the spirit of “healthy choices,” this tasty dressing uses a light hand with the oil. Agave nectar is a sweetener that dissolves really well into liquids.

Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 scallions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
juice from 1/2 a lemon
dash cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon agave nectar of 1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup canned tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a blender or mini food processor, combine the cilantro, salt, scallions, lemon juice, cayenne, and yogurt. Blend until smooth, adding 3-4 tablespoons of water as needed. Put in the sweetener and the tomatoes, and continue to blend until very smooth (the mixture will turn a balsamic-vinaigrette-type brown). With the motor going, slowly add the olive oil. Taste for salt. Keep covered in the refrigerator until serving.

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps with Capers and Tomatoes

(Makes about 4 servings or 8 individual wraps; recipe adapted from The Ultimate Low-Carb Cookbook by Mary B. Johnson.)

Ingredients:
10-12 oz. good quality canned tuna (I used Tonno Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil.)
1/4 cup mayo or light mayo
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. Vege-Sal (or a slightly smaller amount of salt)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 T capers, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
8 large lettuce leaves, washed and dried (romaine, iceberg or butter lettuce will work for this)
1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes (optional)

Instructions
Drain tuna into a fine-mesh strainer and press down to drain out the oil (or water if you use water-packed tuna.) While tuna drains stir together the mayo, Dijon, lemon juice, celery seed, and Vege-Sal or salt.

Cut lettuce apart and pick out 8 large leaves. (I used two heads of romaine and kept the smaller inner leaves for salad greens.) Wash lettuce and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels. Chop the celery and capers and thinly slice the green onions. Chop tomatoes if using.

When the tuna has drained, put it in a bowl (with a snap-tight lid if you won't be eating it all at once.) Stir in the dressing until it's well-distributed in the tuna, then mix in the celery, capers, and green onions.

Fill lettuce leaves with the tuna mixture, garnish with cherry tomatoes, and eat with your hands.

This kept well in the fridge for several days.

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf

1 lb ground chicken (ground turkey can be substituted)

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 small onion, grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup pasta sauce (homemade or store bought)

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

minced parsley for garnish


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. To not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.



Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the meatloaf mixture as directed and place in a disposable loaf pan. Cover and freeze. When ready to prepare and serve, defrost the meatloaf completely and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Top with pasta sauce and place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken

If you need a meal that will impress your dinner guests, look no further because here it is!

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
seasoning salt
6 slices bacon, cut in half
1/4 cup mustard
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayo
1/2 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups shredded Colby/Jack cheese
Directions:

Sprinkle and rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayo and dried onion flakes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the skillet and saute for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Move chicken to an 11x7 inch or 9x9 inch pan.
Apply the honey mustard to each breast, then layer with mushrooms, bacon, and shredded cheese.
Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done.

**When my mom makes this, she makes tops each individual chicken breast with sauce, bacon, mushrooms, and cheese so it looks pretty . . . I made mine "casserole style" and just spread out the sauce, bacon, mushrooms, and cheese all over the place (I'm lazy like that). Either way, it tastes the same! :)

Serve with honey mustard sauce.
Recipe from Amy's Finer Things

Honey Mustard Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Mix the mayo, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, onion flakes and lemon juice together in a bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator overnight. Serve with chicken.

This Week for Dinner: January 8-14

January has been a whirlwind so far! One of the things I’m hoping to accomplish this year is to post weekly menus, and this week’s is sadly behind due to a rush of work…but here goes!

Not surprisingly for the month of January, most of these recipes come from Cooking Light Magazine, in an effort to lighten up a bit. As it’s Wednesday, I’ve made three of these dishes already and have to say they are all fantastic! 

Cheesy Potato Soup with Mini Ham Sandwiches

This is the first of the Cooking Light recipes. Very excited to be trying a lower-fat, lower-calorie version of one of my favorites- potato soup. The mini ham sandwiches on Hawaiian bread are sure to make it even better!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cheesy-potato-soup-50400000118571/

Chicken with Pepperoni Marinara Sauce

Another Cooking Light recipe, I made this dish tonight and it was fabulous. I think this one may make it into the regular rotation. Think Chicken Parmesan, without the breading, but with pepperoni. Five stars!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-pepperoni-marinara-sauce-50400000118566/

Slow-roasted Pork with Onion and Mozzarella Sandwiches with Potato Salad

Super yummy pork roast simmered for hours with herbs and spices make for an amazingly tender and flavorful sandwich topped with grilled onions, peppers and mozzarella. This was another great find, and as the pork roast was only a dollar a pound, a cheap one at that!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Slow-Roasted-Pork-Onion-and-Mozzarella-Sandwiches-233921

Chicken and Steak Fajitas

I’ve never made fajitas without the benefit of a seasoning packet, and this recipe from the Cooking Light archives will be the week’s newest challenge. 

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sizzling-chicken-fajitas-10000001097039/

Korean Pork Tenderloin with Asian Slaw

Korean Pork is a family favorite and the leftovers never go to waste! It’s become a tradition in our family to grill this marinated Pork Tenderloin on Christmas Eve-and since we didn’t seem to get enough the first time around, I made it again this week. I used my mom’s recipe this time-and I’ll be sure to post it soon-but the following online recipe is pretty similar.

http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2008/11/korean-style-pork-tenderloin.html

Have a great week, and happy cooking!

Recipe File: BBQ Grape Jelly Meatballs

I absolutely adore appetizers. In fact, I regularly make a meal of apps when eating at a restaurant. And I also secretly love family events or carry-ins which feature bbq meatballs, but I’d never even entertained the thought of making them at home. I was so happy when I came across this recipe on Pinterest-and I’ve made these at least three times in the past couple of months. They are perfect to eat by themselves, or these also make an awesome meatball sandwich.

This recipe is so simple-perfect for a Monday! If you prefer, you can make your own meatballs from scratch-but for the purposes of this post, let’s say you’re going to take the frozen meatball route.

Ingredients:

(2) 12 oz jars Heinz chili sauce

 (1) 32 oz jar grape jelly - (I usually use between 1/2 and 2/3 of the jar)

1 bag frozen meatballs (about 80 in a bag)

Directions:

Put chili sauce and jelly in a large pot, heat until jelly is melted and sauce is smooth, stirring often. Add frozen meatballs; heat until meatballs are thawed and then simmer for 3 hours. Enjoy!

Recipe File: Green Smoothie

I’m super excited to share my green smoothie recipe. After weeks of baking, cooking and generally indulging in sweets and other high calorie treats over the holidays, I was feeling sluggish and tired. I’m not generally one for New Year’s Resolutions, but this year I decided to try green smoothies as a way to “reset”. 

To start, I decided to drink the smoothies for breakfast and lunch for 7 days. I really thought it would be harder than it was! I found the smoothies super-tasty, and as a result wasn’t craving sugar as much. For those 7 days, I didn’t drink a regular soda, and I didn’t really miss it that much. 

If you have five minutes in the morning, these smoothies are a great way to start your day while getting your vitamins from fruits and veggies. There are so many ways to make the smoothies-you can pretty much customize them to your taste. Some people like to add yogurt, flax seeds, chia or a variety of other ingredients to increase health benefits. My recipe is pretty basic, and you can expand on it as you like.

The 7 days are over now, but I’ll keep drinking the smoothies for breakfast. I’m feeling revitalized, happy, and have dropped five pounds in the process. Here’s to a healthier 2012!

PS-I’m still eating dinner as usual, so stay tuned for new recipes!

Green Smoothie (8 cups raw, 6 cups blended)

Ingredients:

2 cups spinach

1 carrot

1 banana

1 apple

pineapple chunks, handful of blueberries, strawberries or any other fruit you have on hand

1/4 cup (more or less) 100% orange or cranberry juice

2 cups (more or less) ice

Directions:

Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until well incorporated. Enjoy!

Recipe File: Easy Homemade Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets

A super simple recipe for weeknight meals, these homemade hot pockets are sure to please! I used slightly more ham and cheese than this recipe called for. You can also add 1/2 cup broccoli or other vegetables to this recipe to create a more well-rounded meal, with fewer preservatives than the frozen original.

Ingredients

1 cup grated swiss or gruyere cheese

1 cup deli-sliced ham, chopped

2 tsp dijon mustard

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Vegetable oil

Flour

(1) 11 oz. can refrigerated French bread dough

1 large egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the cheese, ham, mustard, and cayenne in a bowl until combined. Squeeze the mixture together with your hands to make it compact.

Brush a baking sheet lightly with vegetable oil. On a floured surface, roll out the dough and fill the dinner pockets.

Place the pockets seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Beat the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; brush the pockets with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

This Week for Dinner: January 1-7

Happy New Year!

It’s been a great past few weeks here. Not only were my two older stepkids home from college, but my husband was off for eleven days straight-which hasn’t happened since I’ve known him. Between Christmas, New Year’s, and our epic painting project (master bedroom and bath)-we’ve been busy. 

We did a lot of reveling, food-wise. I figure I consumed my entire ration of cookies and chocolate for 2012 in the last two weeks of 2011, so in order to help “reset”, I’ve been making green smoothies for breakfast. Surprisingly, I’m really enjoying them and I think it’s something I can safely say will be a new part of my morning routine. In the meantime, however, we’ll be eating dinner as usual!

I’ve taken a decidedly different route than I recently have for this week’s menu. The past few months have been full of crockpot meals, casseroles and other comfort foods, so I think it’s time to lighten up just a little. But while I’m all for lightening up, I’m keeping it in moderation. Along with a fabulous pizza and steak sandwiches, I’ve included a few salads that are pretty fabulous in their own right. Enjoy! 

Steak Baguettes with Pesto Mayo and Roasted Garlic Fingerling Potatoes

I made these tonight, and they were awesome! I used pesto that I had frozen using leftover basil from the garden last fall, which was a nice taste of summer in the midst of pretty much the first snow we’ve seen this winter. This recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine, and one serving size equals only 350 calories-but it’s still incredibly yummy! I did adjust the recipe a bit by marinating the steak in balsamic vinegar and sprinkling with Adolf’s Meat Tenderizer (which I think is magic on steak-I use it on everything but filet mignon). On the side, I made the roasted fingerlings which were a wonderful accompaniment.  

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/steak-baguettes-pesto-mayo-50400000114450/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_356414_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

Chicken Satay with Ponzu Sauce

One of my perennial favorites, Chicken Satay, gets lightened up with a super flavorful ponzu sauce. Can’t wait to try this one!

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/quick-easy-grill-recipes-00400000049369/page8.html

Cheapskate Salad

This salad is from Food Network Magazine, in an article which compared the cost of purchasing items from a salad bar vs. purchasing items individually for a salad. Fortunately, I had all the ingredients on hand and plan to serve this with a honey-vinaigrette dressing. The salad calls for mesclun greens, cooked chicken, bacon, dried cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese (which I’ll be omitting-my homage to the “Cheapskate” name-I don’t have any!) I’m excited to make this hearty salad later this week.

Chicago Style Italian Sausage and Pepper Pizza

One of my favorites from Beer Barrel gets a homemade spin with this recipe by Emeril Lagasse:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicago-style-italian-sausage-and-pepper-deep-dish-pizza-recipe/index.html

BLT Sandwich Salad

I thought this was a fun take on salad-and as I’ll be making bacon anyway this week, why not?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/blt-sandwich-salad-recipe/index.html

Fried Shrimp with Tartar Slaw

Definitely a splurge-but we have so much leftover shrimp from Christmas that I really need to use. And what better meal to end the week than batter fried shrimp? :)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/fried-shrimp-with-tartar-slaw-recipe/index.html

Have a great first week of 2012-and happy cooking!