Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Amazing Chili

I think I have a new favorite chili recipe! This recipe is not for the itty bitty's at home, but the mommy's and daddy's are sure going to love it! This recipe come from Cookin' Canuck and it caught my eye because of the ground turkey and also because of the chipotle peppers. (I had some in the fridge I needed to use up.) I wanted to eat this without tears streaming down my face, so I toned down the heat factor by scraping the seeds out of the peppers before I added them to the chili. If you want more heat, leave the seeds in. So, make the kids a pot of spaghetti and enjoy a bowl of amazing chili!
Turkey Chili with Chipotle Peppers
cookin canuck


1 tbsp canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 lbs ground turkey meat
1/4 cup chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes (including juices)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
2 tsp adobo sauce (from pepper can)
3 cups chicken broth
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can small white beans, rinsed and drained
sour cream
Fresh cilantro, chopped


Heat oil in a large, heavy pot set over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender and light brown, about 10 minutes. Add cumin and oregano. Stir for 30 seconds, then add garlic cloves. Stir for an additional 30 seconds. Increase heat to med-high. Add ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it is cooked through. Add chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Add whole tomatoes, including their juices. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon while cooking. Mix in tomato paste, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaves. Add black and white beans to the chili. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with sour cream and chopped cilantro.
Serves 8

Monday, January 25, 2010

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

I know meatloaf is not the most exciting thing to eat, but I worked a ton of hours this weekend, so this is about as exciting as it got around here. This is my favorite meatloaf recipe though-I love the ginger in it!Brown Sugar Meatloaf

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or turkey-don't be afraid of it Jodi!!)
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers


Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease a loaf pan. Mix ingredients (except brown sugar and ketchup) in a mixing bowl and then shape into a loaf after putting mixture in loaf pan. Press sugar on top on loaf and spread ketchup on top of sugar. (You can also put ketchup and sugar on the bottom of the pan before putting mixture in if you wanted to change it up a bit, or do both-bottom and top.) Bake 1 hour or until juices run clear.

Serves 6-8

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Coconut Chicken

We eat a ton of chicken in our house cause it is cheap, so I am always looking for new ways to serve it. I have had this recipe in my file to try for a while now and I wish I had a a better picture of it. It was so good! I think this is my new favorite "easy" chicken recipe.
Coconut Chicken
anna can cook

2 eggs, beaten
water
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (whole or cut into strips)
melted butter


In a shallow dish mix together, flour, coconut, salt, pepper and garlic powder. In another shallow dish, beat 2 eggs with some water.
Dredge chicken in egg wash, then in coconut mixture. Depending on what crunch you like, you may want to dry dip, wet dip, dry dip.
Place chicken on sprayed cookie sheet. Drizzle each piece with a little melted butter. Bake at 400* for 25 minutes.
The best part of this is the dipping sauce-combine orange marmalade and Dijon mustard. Play around with the portions until you get the flavor you like. So good!!!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce


Dear Pioneer Woman,
Thank you for sharing your talents with with the rest of us! You are truly amazing!!
I wish I were as talented as you are.
Love,
Me

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
adapted from pioneer woman

3 whole red bell peppers
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cups heavy cream
flat leaf parsley, mined
Parmesan, shaved or grated
1 lb penne pasta


Roast red peppers under the broiler until charred. Once charred, place in a Ziploc bag to sweat. Peel charred skin from the peppers, then remove seeds. Puree peppers in blender until sauce forms.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add salt to taste.
Pour in cream and stir to combine. Add cooked pasta, then stir again to combine. Place pasta in a bowl and top with chopped parsley and cheese. OH SO GOOD!!!!
Serves 4

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Kit Kat Bars

Some people calls these homemade Kit Kat bars. I call them sugary goodness!!! I don't think these taste like a real Kit Kat bar-but whatever they taste like, they are good! Believe me, you won't be able to stop after one...two, three or four for that matter!
Kit Kat Bars
Grandma's Desserts

80 club crackers
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips


Line a 9x13 pan with foil, making sure you leave it hanging over the sides. Line bottom of pan with a single layer of crackers. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once that is done cooking, pour half of the mixture over the crackers. Make another layer of crackers over sugar mixture. Pour rest of sugar mixture over crackers and top that with another layer of crackers.
In a small saucepan over med-low heat, melt butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Stir constantly to make sure it doesn't burn.
Pour melted chocolate mixture over crackers and make sure to distribute evenly. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
Remove foil from pan and cut into pieces with a sharp knife.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Kielbasa and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Sorry about the lack of posts. I cooked myself sick the week of Christmas and while I have been making some really good things that I really wanted to share the last two weeks, I have had a hard time getting back into the swing of things. I think life is somewhat back to normal now and I am back to posting.
I have been promising my husband I would make this pizza for about 3 weeks and I finally made it last night. Eric gave it one hundred thumbs up. I think we will be adding this to his "favorite dinner's" list. That list is getting to be a bit long:) If you like meat or have a man in your life-this is the pizza for you!

(sorry about the picture-I pulled it out of the oven and ran out the door to get to work on time.)

Kielbasa and Caramelized Onion Pizza
adapted from Rachael Ray

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
pizza dough

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to skillet and heat over med heat. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining olive oil and onions to same skillet and cook until onions are golden brown, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kielbasa back to skillet and season with salt, pepper and thyme.
Prepare your pizza dough (whatever kind you like to use) and arrange on baking sheet or pizza stone (worth the money!!). Arrange kielbasa/onion mixture over dough and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425* for about 14-17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Lasagna Burgers

All I need to say about this recipe is....YUMMY!!! If you love lasagna, you will love this burger. You get the flavors of lasagna without feeling like you are eating pasta on a burger. Pair this up with some homemade fries and you have a new favorite meal!
Lasagna Burgers
adapted from Rachael Ray
1 lbs ground turkey
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 hamburger buns


In a large bowl, season the meat with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties, thinner in the middle for more even cooking. Drizzle with olive oil. In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil over med heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes; stir in the basil.
In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over med-high heat. Add patties and cook, turning once, about 7-8 minutes.
While patties are cooking, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over med heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. Season with salt and pepper and the nutmeg, then cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and the parmesan.
Spoon some of the red sauce on the bottom bun, then top with the patties. Dollop the cheese sauce on the patties and set roll tops in place.


Serves 4