Slow Cooker Healthy Version Chili

I first had this chili when my family had dinner by the firepit of the home of my hiking buddy. A few months later my oldest asked me if I had the recipe. My friend had shared it on her own blog (I'll share the link to her blog if I get permission.) Since then it has become one of our favourite chili recipes to have. Enjoy some versions of chili that my family enjoy. We have a delicious quick chili, a variation of the quick chili, a sweet maple chili and a delicious white chicken chili.

Slow Cooker Healthy Version Chili
(image courtesy of Betty Cr*cker website)

Ingredients:

                1 pkg Gardein brand Ultimate Beefless Ground

                    or 1 pound of Ground Organic Bison

                1 c. Yellow Onion, chopped 

                1 c. Green Bell Pepper, chopped 

                1/2 c. Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped 

                1/2 c. Red Pepper, chopped 

                2 cloves Garlic, chopped

                2 cans Tomato Soup (do not add milk)

                1 can of Low-Sodium Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), do not rinse or drain

                2 Tbs Chili Powder

                1 Tbs Vinegar

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Brown the ultimate "beef" or bison until no longer pink.
3. Once the meat is just beginning to brown, add in the onion, garlic, and peppers. 
4. Cook on low until peppers are just getting tender.
5. Transfer to a lightly sprayed CrockPot. 
6. Stir in the soup, the chickpeas and its liquid. Stir well.
7. Add in the chili powder and vinegar.
8. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. 
9.  Serve with: 
• shredded cheddar cheese (or a vegan "cheddar" option)
• crushed tortilla chips
• sliced green onions (scallions)

Tips:

• If using vegan "meat" this step only takes about 4-5 minutes.  
• Bison takes about 8 minutes to brown.

       

 Dinner Menu Ideas:

• Fruit Salad 
• cut up melon, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and honeydew
• Honey Cornbread or regular Corn Muffins
• Tossed Salad 
• Greens, cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, raw broccoli florets tossed,with a drizzle of Tuscan Italian Dressing, low fat.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Maple Chili

It's that time of year again. Maple sugaring season! One of my family's favourite things to do when the sap starts running is to attend the NYS Maple Weekend activities.

We first began attending Maple Weekend while living in Lewis County (Home of the NYS Maple Museum in Croghan). Sugar houses were few and far between in Chautauqua County that we didn't go to any while we were there. Since moving to the Capital District we have gone west to Fulton and Montgomery Counties and East to Washington County where from the driveway of one sugar house we were almost a stone's throw to Vermont. New York State syrup is better.

While in Fulton County we had the delight to have some Maple Chili fresh from the crockpot. This has quickly turned into one of our family favourites. Another favourite is my Quick Chili that I threw together after being told by our cheerleader that she signed me up to bring chili to the high school football game (that started in two hours). A variation of this has more ingredients and delicious flavour. One of the thousand ways I know how to cook chicken is this delicious White Chicken Chili. The last, but not least, favourite is the healthy version that we got from my hiking buddy.

      Maple Chili

Ingredients:

        1 lb. Ground Beef

        1 large Chopped Onion

        2 cans Cream of Tomato Soup

        16 oz.can Kidney Keans

        (2) 14 oz. cans Diced Tomatoes

        1/3 c. pure NYS Maple Syrup

        2 tsp Salt

        ½ tsp Pepper

        1 Tbs Chili Powder

Directions:

1. Brown together the ground beef and onion in a soup pot. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients 
3. Simmer together for two hours or cook all day in a CrockPot.
4. Serve with these corn muffins.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Mom's Tuna Over Rice

I grew up on Tuna Over Rice. This was my Mom's every-other Wednesday night special. I have a theory on how it came to be a bi-weekly dish. My Mom grew up during the Great Depression. Canned tuna had already been around for a few decades by then (1904), and Campbell's created Cream of Mushroom in 1934. In 1950 my parents married and for a few years money was tight while Dad finished his military carrier. As the years went by their children began marrying and moving out while my folks financial situation went to upper middle class. I feel like Mom kept cooking that dish because of it's simplicity and because it darn tasty. 

As mentioned before in a previous blog my Mom never let us near the kitchen while she cooked so we had to figure out her recipes after she passed. I never attempted to try this recipe because I was never given the opportunity. I tried once but my children's father kept asking for tweaks as I cooked and it turned into Tuna Noodle Casserole. The other day my oldest decided that he was interested in trying it. I had been lucky enough to have talked to Mom about this recipe before she was gone and knew it was only three ingredients. Out of curiosity I did look up variations but they seemed like cooks were trying too hard. The recipe is perfect on its own. Maybe you could add some garlic. It doesn't need it but my family believes "when in doubt add more garlic."

So here it is, at long last, my Mom's Tuna Over Rice.

Mom's Tuna Over Rice

Ingredients:

        2 Cups Uncooked Rice

        4 Cups Water (technically this is a fourth ingredient but I don't think it counts)

        2 Cans Cream of Mushroom

        2 Cans Tuna, drained (of course the liquid goes to the cats, that's the rule)

Directions:

1. Combine rice and water in a rice cooker (or however you prefer to cook it). Cook until done.
2. Mix cream of mushroom and tuna in a bowl.
3. Plate the rice and pour the tuna mixture over the top. 
4. Serve with side of choice.

Makes 5 servings.

 Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Delicious Broiled Torsk

I rarely can get my family to eat fish. They like to say "Fish are friends, not food". My response is always "Fish are friendly food." If the fish is disguised under breading they are more likely to eat it. So, I decided to try Torsk. Torsk is a Scandinavian dish dish of poached and broiled cod with butter. This simple recipe was a hit with the gang. 

Broiled Torsk

Ingredients:

        6 (6 ounce) Cod Fillets
        6 cups Water

        1 cup Sugar
        2 Tbs Salt
        1 1/2 cups Butter, melted
        1 dash Paprika


Directions:

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
3. Place the fish in a large saucepan.
4. Mix together the water, sugar, and salt.
5. Pour the water-mixture over the fish. The water-mixture should fully cover the fish, if it doesn't add more water.
6. Bring the water to a boil over a medium-high heat.
7. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes.
8. Remove fillets from water.
9. Blot on paper towels to remove excess water.
10. Brush with 6 tablespoons melted butter.
11. Sprinkle with paprika.
12. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until the fillets are golden brown.

Serve with the remaining melted butter.

Serves 6

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Plant-Based Tacos

I'm one for simple and quick recipes. This version adds healthy to the mix. so it's a win - win for all of us. I'm sure everyone knows how to make a basic taco. Here's where it gets healthier. Not totally healthy since we used regular sour cream but much better that it was. The best part to make this easy? My youngest daughter cooked the meal, and cleaned the kitchen afterward!

The family all agreed that this is just as good as with real meat.

Plant-Based Tacos

Ingredients:

        2 bags Gardein Ground Be'f

        2 pks Taco Seasoning

        1 can Refried Beans

        1/2 cup Sour Cream

        1/2 head Iceberg Lettuce, chopped

        1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

        1 cup Mexican Cheese, shredded

        Taco Sauce to taste

        12 Taco-size Tortillas

Directions:

1. Brown ground Be'f until no longer pink.
2. Stir in taco seasoning and cook for two minutes.
3. Add refried beans and mix in well.
4. In tortillas, layer ingredients however you prefer. For me, I like to spread on the sour cream before adding the meat mixture. Then I put the cheese on so it melts and the sauce to blend in. The lettuce and tomatoes go on last. It's really a matter of preference.

  Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Cheese & Bell Pepper Quesadillas

This delicious recipe, based on one I found somewhere on Pinterest, has become a family favorite. It's quick and easy and so, so good! Made from seven ingredients it can be added to your menu rotation for those busy nights. For the best color use all four colors of bell peppers (green, red, orange, and yellow).

Cheese & Bell Pepper Quesadillas

Ingredients:

        1 Tbs Olive Oil

        1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced into thin strips

        1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced into strips

        1 Orange Bell Pepper, sliced into strips

        1 Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced into strips

        1/2 tsp Cumin

        Dash Kosher Salt, to taste

        Black Pepper, to taste

        1/2 tsp Lime Juice

        2 1/2 cups Monterey Jack, grated

        2 Large Flour Tortillas

Serve with:

        Sour Cream

        1 cup Salsa

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3. Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Cook all of the bell peppers in oil.
5. While the peppers are cooking, add the cumin, kosher salt, a bit of fresh ground black pepper and the lime juice and cook just until peppers are just soft, about 3 to 5 minutes; do not overcook.
6. Place two of the flour tortillas flat on a lightly greased baking pan to assemble your quesadillas.
7. Place a thin layer of peppers on a flour tortilla.
8. Add a thick layer of cheese and cover with another flour tortilla, and assemble all of the veggie quesadillas in the same manner.
9. Bake the quesadillas for about ten minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
11. To serve, slice each quesadilla into fourths or. 
12. Serve with sour cream and salsa for dipping.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Delicious Quick Chili Variation

We had a cooler snap after a wonderful rainfall so I decided to take the opportunity to make chili. Okay, so maybe it was more like I defrosted ground beef and forgot to do anything with it until it was almost time for people to come home.

I was thinking about chili but decided to try something different. The family seemed happy with the change. This one wasn't far off from the family favourite but had a few modifications done to it. Check out our other favourite chili recipes, like a healthier version, Maple Chili with added sweetness, and White Chicken Chili for a lighter take on the dish.

Quick Chili Variation

Ingredients:

        2 lbs Ground Beef

        1 Onion, finely diced

        3 Cloves Garlic, minced

        3 (14.5oz) cans Diced Tomatoes

        1 (15oz) can Kidney Beans

        1 (15oz) can Pinto Beans

        1 can Green Chili Peppers

        1 (8oz) can Tomato Sauce

        1 cup Water

        2 Tbs Chili Powder

        2 Tbs White Sugar

        1 Tbs Ground Cumin

        1 Tbs Salt

        1 Tbs Hot Pepper Sauce

        1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Cook and stir ground beef until browned and crumbly. Drain.
2. Add onion and garlic to beef and cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes until done.
5. Sprinkle with Shredded Cheddar.
6. Serve with Corn Muffins.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Quick Chili

This family favourite came about during a moment of panic. I was told that my daughter had signed me up to bring chili to the high school football game. And I needed to bring it in within one hour! I threw together some ingredients and it became a hit!  Afterward, I was asked to bring this every home game. Feel free to try some of our other favourite chili recipes. We have a variation of this one, a healthy version, a sweet maple chili and a delicious white chicken chili.

Quick Chili

Ingredients:

        2 lbs Ground Beef

        1 Onion, finely chopped

        3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

        1 cup Diced Tomatoes

        8 oz Tomato Sauce

        1 cup Water

        1 can Kidney Beans

        1 can Pinto Beans

        2 Tbs Chili Powder

        2 Tbs Sugar

        1 Tbs Hot Sauce

        1 Tbs Ground Cumin

        1 Tbs Salt

        1 tsp Pepper

        Shredded Cheddar

Directions:

1. Lightly brown ground beef, drain if necessary.
2. Add onion and garlic, cook until onion is translucent.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes until done.
5. Sprinkle with Shredded Cheddar.
6. Serve with Corn Muffins

Enjoy!

            Ingrid