I have been wanting to try this for a while now... so tonight I did. I made a trail mix with all of the things I like, and none of the things I don't!
The first step is hitting the bulk bins at the grocery stores. Then, you must find all your favorites and get a little of each. Finally, mix them up and eat them!
Ingredients 1 pound ground beef
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2- 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes (maybe blend)
1- 15 oz can chili beans
1-2 dashes tabasco sauce (opt.)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1- 15 oz can tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt *Adjust spices to taste
Instructions
In dutch oven, brown ground beef; drain. Add red pepper & onion; saute in with drained beef until vegetables start to soften. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili beans, and spices. Stir well. Simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Serve with grated cheddar cheese & sour cream.
Saute the vegetables with the ground beef
Summer over low heat for 20-30 minutes
ta da!
***
I followed the recipe almost exactly; I did use turkey instead of beef and left out the salt. This chili is chunky and pretty tasty. I do not own a dutch oven, so I took care of the meat and vegetables in a saute pan, then transferred everything to a crock pot before adding in the other ingredients. You could also put it it in a large pot and keep it on the stove.
There is a lot left over, so I plan to refrigerate some for lunches and dinners, and freeze the rest. I was recently enlightened to the idea of freezing soup in ziplock bags, so I am planning to try that method out. I'll let you know how that works out.
If you're interested in something a little simpler (and smaller in portions), I will post the "Rush Hour Chili" recipe that I tried a while back. It is quicker and less chili, but not as tasty. If you choose the "Rush Hour Chili" instead, I would highly recommend adding some of the spices from this recipe.
INSTANT POT:
Use the same ingredients, but follow these steps:
Brown the meat on the "saute" setting.
Drain the liquid.
Add the pepper and onion, and saute for a few more minutes.
Add the remainder of the ingredients and use the "slow cooker" or "bean/chili" for the remainder of the cooking time:
Slow Cooker: 2-3 hours
Bean/Chili: 25 minutes, with a 5-10 minute natural release
One thing that I have learned, cooking as a single girl, is that I can't do everything the way my mother does. My mom is a wonderful cook and baker, and always fed us well, but let's face it: I don't have the army to feed... one person cannot eat all that food, and sometimes it seems kind of silly to make something from scratch, when you're going to have way too much and there's a reasonable alternative.
I learned very quickly that I like wheat pancake mix (I have not gone whole wheat yet... I tried it and I just didn't like it). This mix is one I get from Hy-Vee or Dillons and all you have to do is add water. Simple. Perfection. Sometimes I make them just the regular way, but I love to add fruit to my pancakes (usually it's frozen fruit). I have learned that blueberries and raspberries do really well. Strawberries seem to have a few issues... sometimes they don't get warm and the batter around them doesn't always cook. I think that cutting the strawberries up into small pieces would probably help the cause. I always thaw the berries a little bit in water before adding them to the already-mixed batter, and then just cook them.
I realize that this isn't a real "recipe," but it does serve my other purpose which is to throw ideas out there for people who need quick and easy and more reasonable amounts of food in their recipes. Breakfast is always a good, quick meal at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
One thing I will tell you is that most pancake mixes I have found will make more than I can eat by myself. I have sometimes cut the recipe in half, but mostly now (since I've been doing it for a while), I mix a little of the mix and water together until I know it's the right consistency. It's a good idea to make it once or twice as called for on the box so you know what that consistency is supposed to be.
So, to make the pancakes:
*prepare the batter as directed on the box
*thaw some fruit (or use fresh fruit - or for those chocolate-lovers out there, pull out the chocolate chips)
One of my favorite food blogs is the Pioneer Woman. (The website has a food blog, a section on photography, homeschooling and more.) She has a book, "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" (not about food, but so great!), and now a cooking show on the food network. The woman knows what she's doing! Recently, she posted (and talked about on her show... which I can't watch bc of lack of cable) about how to stock up your pantry. Now, this is not all going to be necessary if you live in/near town or if you are not cooking for a family (can I get a hey-o!). I thought I'd share it for any who might be interested. Even if you're not stock-piling, she gave some great tips for how to store different types of foods that we all buy. Enjoy!
Ingredients Dressing - Mix:
2/3 cup light italian dressing
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3-5 dashes of hot sauce
Salad:
1/2 pound cooked, diced skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/2 cup carrot, julienned
1/2 cup green pepper, julienned
1/2 cup water chestnuts, julienned
Instructions
Combine dressing ingredients. Chop salad ingredients. Combine dressing with remaining ingredients. Serve over shredded lettuce.
**This is one of my favorite meals to make. I have been eating it for years, and have been cooking it for a few myself. The trickiest part of this is making sure that you cook the chicken ahead of time (not absolutely necessary, but this ensures that the salad is completely cooled when you eat it), and choosing the spiciness. Using the amount of crushed red pepper and hot sauce in the recipe, you will get just a little bit of bite. If you like less-spicy food, use just a little of both, if you like spicier food (like me!), you can about double the amount of each, and it will come out with a healthy kick. This is so yummy! I hope you make it - and enjoy!
Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola or olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)
1/2 cup apple juice
2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots
2 tablespoons sweet honey mustard
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped honey-roasted peanuts
Instructions
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5-8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is browned on both sides.
Add apple juice. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 5 minutes. Add carrots; cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until chicken is fork-tender, its juices run clear when center of thickest part is cut (170 degrees) and carrots are crisp-tender.
With slotted spoon, remove chicken and carrots from skillet; place on serving platter and cover to keep warm. Stir mustard into liquid in skillet. Spoon mustard sauce over chicken and carrots; sprinkle with peanuts.
**This recipe was pretty yummy. I think I over-cooked the chicken a bit, so be careful of that. Also, I do not like cooking with oil for several reasons, but I did the first time I made this. Next time, I will probably do what I normally do and cook the chicken in with a little water instead of the oil. I may even add the apple juice and a little honey mustard a little sooner so that the flavors are able to get into the chicken a little better. Generally, this recipe is pretty tasty as-is - the sauce is very yummy.
This is one of my favorite easy-to-make-gluten-free recipe. I have made it once or twice with a friend who eats gf, but this time I made it for my gf new sister! She's coming over for dinner tomorrow night and I can't wait for dessert! {pictures coming tomorrow}
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
{allrecipes.com} serves about 12
Ingredients
2 cups crushed pretzels (opt. gluten free pretzels)
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter and 3
tablespoons sugar; mix well and press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13
inch baking dish.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until set. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl cream together cream cheese
and 1 cup sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Spread mixture onto cooled
crust.
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in still
frozen strawberries and allow to set briefly. When mixture is about the
consistency of egg whites, pour and spread over cream cheese layer.
Refrigerate until set.
Gluten Free: Use gf pretzels instead of regular ones. You can find them in the organic or gluten free section in almost any store. An easy and quick fix that tastes just as good and accommodates your gf friends and family! :)
Today, I tried a new recipe and, for the first time, used fresh ginger. I had to look up online how to prepare it, and found this handy little video. Here's my first piece of gingerroot ever!
This recipe was very simple, and quite yummy. I only used two chicken breasts (it's all I had, and there's only one of me - so I ate some and have a few leftovers), but kept the rest of the ingredients the same. It's a little spicy and very tasty.
Spicy Chinese Chicken Tacos
{Pillsbury Fast & Healthy Cookbook}
Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add
chicken, gingerroot and garlic; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until
lightly browned.
Stir in soy sauce, honey, onion and pepper flakes to coat.
Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until
chicken is no longer pink the center.
To serve, place slightly less than ¼ cup chicken mixture in
each taco shell. Top each with lettuce. Serve immediately.
Here's a little action shot. It looked so good even while it was still cooking!
And here's the finished product! Yum!
I made a few minor changes... I didn't actually measure the ginger... I used a romaine mix instead of iceberg. Make it. It's yummy!
{edit} I used the leftover chicken on a salad with some honey mustard. It was fabulous, so for a slight twist on the serving options, topping a salad with this chicken would be another great option! :)
Gluten Free: Make this gluten free by using gf soy sauce.
I have left you hanging for a little too long now... I apologize. With Christmas and vacation I haven't been home and cooking enough to give you anything good. I do have big plans for the next several days, though... Coming soon:
*Spicy Chinese Chicken Tacos
*Honey-Mustard Chicken with Carrots
*Baked Apples with Cinnamon
