Butternut Chili & TFRecipes.com Menu Mailer

Last night it got a bit chilly in our house....it was down in the 40's overnight with our windows open. For those who don't live in Central FL....this is what we call "chilly". I wanted to make some chili for dinner tonight to warm us up.

I remembered reading a yummy recipe in my recent Traditional Food Menu Mailer. Kerry Ann is now offering all the favorite recipes from Volume 1 of her Menu Mailer in a NEW BOOK! Check it out.

We used the recipe below...of course with some of my own changes.

I am doing a fast from red meat this week so I made this vegetarian. So...first no beef, no liver and no beef broth (subbed water). Second I used canned (lazy) beans...1 Kidney and 1 Black. I always add more spices on top of what is listed...I doubled the cumin & chili powder then added in oregano, cinnamon & a little cocoa powder. I served it over sweet cornbread with sides of shredded cheddar cheese & sour cream.

Families Verdict: I LOVED it. I may add more spices next time...I like things HOT. My DH liked it and wouldn't mind it again. The others kids..can take it or leave it....they enjoy the cornbread, butter & sour cream more than the beans/veggies.

Beef and Butternut Chili

Hands-on: 20 minutes
Hands-off: 15 / 15 minutes
Serves 4

1/3 pound dry small red or kidney beans or 1 can, drained
3 Tbs coconut oil, tallow, butter or ghee
½ - 1 pound ground beef of stew meat
2-4 ounces ground beef liver, optional
1-2 onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 (14½-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Anaheim chili, chopped or 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies
½ butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup beef stock
½ Tbs cumin
½ Tbs chili powder (adjust to your preference)
1 tsp salt
Dash pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed, optional

In a crock-pot, cover the beans with water and place on ‘keep warm’
overnight with the lid off. The next morning, drain and rinse then recover
with water. Cover and cook until tender. Drain and set aside.
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook
the beef, liver and onion while breaking up the beef until it is no longer
pink. Stir in the reserved beans, garlic, tomatoes, green chilies, squash,
stock and spices and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer
for 15 minutes. Stir in the corn and cook another 15 minutes or until the
squash is tender and the chili is thickened.

Serve with cornbread. Stretch this meal by using a half-pound of meat,
add extra beans, use a large butternut squash and add an extra can of
tomatoes.

Chicken Taco Soup

This is a great easy meal to make with leftover chicken.

Ingredients

* 1 onion (small), diced
* 1 can pinto beans
* 1 can kidney beans
* 1 can black beans
* 1 can corn (or equiv. frozen corn)
* 1 bottle of beer
* 2 cups stock (chicken or beef)
* 1- 32oz can Fire Roasted tomatoes, diced
* 3 tbs Fajita seasoning (or taco seasoning)
* 2-3 chicken breasts(frozen bagged) or 3 cups leftover diced chicken

Put canned stuffs in cooker, mix with seasoning, place chicken on top covered by liquid, cook 4 hours on low, take out chicken to cool to cut up, add back in for 2 hours then serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese and serve over sweet cornbread.

If using leftover chicken, start after you cut up the chicken...mix everything together.......only takes 2 hours.

This is easily doubled, tripled and freezes great.

Roasted Veggie Wrap

Ingredients:
1 cup Diced Fresh Tomatoes
1 cup Eggplant Cubes (salted & drained)
3/4 cup Diced Turnips (1 medium)
1/2 cup Diced Fresh Onions
1 cup Sliced Red & Yellow Pepper
1/3 cup Fresh Zucchini Cubes
1 cup sliced Portabello mushrooms
1 Tbs Dried Oregano Leaves
1 Tbs Dried Basil Leaves
2/3 tsp Dried Rosemary Leaves
1 tsp Dried Thyme Leaves
1 Tbs Celtic Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked black pepper
1 cup Northern Beans, canned
1 cup Chickpeas, canned
Virgin Coconut Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
4 oz Sundried tomato/basil feta, crumbled
4 Tortillas (spinach is best)

Grease large stoneware bar pan with VCO. Toss veggies in VCO. Spread veggies evenly on pan. Sprinkle with seasonings.

Roast vegetables at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse beans. Add beans to roasted vegetables and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and browned. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar. Spoon 1-cup vegetables and 1 oz. cheese on each tortilla. Fold and serve hot.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or avocado dip

Black Beans & Rice

If using dry beans...Soak over night and then add all the ingredients in the crockpot in the AM cook on low the whole day.

For those who use canned (which I do). I just do it on the stove in my cast iron dutch oven.

Sautee 1-2 onions in butter until caramelized
Add 1 diced red pepper and sauté until cooked.

Add in 3 cans of black beans
2-3 tbs of cumin
1-2 tbs of thyme
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 cups of beef stock
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper

Simmer all for 2 hours until starting to thicken.

Serve over cooked brown rice (I cook mine in beef stock in my rice cooker). I serve with hot salsa, more diced onions and LOTS of sour cream.

Chicken, Bean & Summer Veggie Casserole

We made this for dinner tonight. Acutally my 12yo made it and it was really easy and YUMMY.
Great way to use up leftover roasted chicken and leftover rice.

Chicken, Bean & Summer Veggie Casserole

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (soaked, cooked in broth)
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 medium yellow squash, thinly slice
  
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste
• ground cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained
• 2/3 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups shredded cheese (we used monterey jack but you could use whatever your fav is...Swiss would be yummy too)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in the zucchini, squash, chicken, and mushrooms. Season with cumin, salt, and ground cayenne pepper. Cook and stir until zucchini and squash is lightly browned and chicken is heated through.
3. In large bowl, mix the cooked rice, onion, zucchini, chicken, mushrooms, beans, chiles, carrots, and 1/2 the cheese. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4. Cover casserole loosely with foil, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and continue baking 10 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown
5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
   

Note: We did find it a little bland. We like this pretty spicy....so feel free to spice it up the way you like it. I am thinking some fresh basil or oregano would be yummy next time.

Crockpot Creamy Chicken & Blackbeans

I love this recipe for two reasons...one...my family loves it and two because it is so easy to make!

Ingredients:
4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can blackbeans
1 (15 ounce) can corn (or frozen)
1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

4 servings

1. Take 4-5 frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into
crock-pot.

2. add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn
drained.

3. Keep in crock-pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken
is cooked.

4. Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let
sit for about 1/2 hour.

5. All done and enjoy!

4 hours 3 minutes 3 mins prep

Note: You can easily use thawed chicken breasts too. I adjust to cook on low high for 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hrs. I also have cubed the chicken first so it is easier to serve. Best served over yellow rice.