Pumpkin Black-Bean Chili with chicken

I love the addition of pumpkin to this chicken chili. I've used this recipe with the exceptions noted below:

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped (I used a green bell pepper)
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used chicken and sauted it with the veggies)
  
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fresh tomatoes)
  
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender (I sauteed the chicken with these veggies). Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. (I cooked over low on the stove for about half the time)
  
• Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Excellent served with this:

Sweet Cornbread

1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour

Combine in a bowl and blend. Pour into buttered 8 inch square pan. Bake at 375ºF for 35 minutes or until done.

Posh Joes

Sloppy joes charged up a notch and made more healthy with red wine and veggies, sandwiched in whole wheat toasted pita bread.

1 3/4 cup hand-pureed fresh tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 -2 carrots, finely chopped
1 rib of celery chopped
1 1/2 lb mixture of your choice: ground beef, lamb, chicken, pork, etc.
1 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp mustard powder
3/4 cup red wine
2 T Worcestershire sauce (made from tamarind)
1 1/2 T brown sugar
Salt, to taste
Whole Wheat Pita Bread, lightly toasted

Cook onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in olive oil until done. Add ground meat/poultry and cook until brown. Add seasoning and salt. Add tomatoes, wine, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Boil until thickened (about 8 minutes). Fold toasted pita bread around meat filling.

Crustless Spinach-Cheese Quiche

My confession is that I love pie crust and I love quiche WITH a crust. However, I'm trying to cut back a bit on lard and butter, so I've developed this quiche that has so much flavor, it hardly needs a crust.

Recipe makes 2 quiches. Hint: cut each quiche into 8 pieces and freeze them for quick breakfasts.

8 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
Black pepper to taste
12 oz cottage cheese
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (you can use seasoned feta if you wish)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp chopped fresh dillweed
1 bunch of spinach, chopped. Stems mostly removed
1 cup lower-fat shredded cheddar (or favorite brick cheese)


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease two quiche pans (or pie pans). Combine ingredients and divide between pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until set.

Simple Greek-Style Pizza

This is for those with a taste for the strong and beautiful flavors of Greece. I really like this pizza dough recipe. It's one I haven't tried before and the texture turned out perfectly. It comes from these gal's website right here. My one complaint is that it only makes one pizza, which in a family with teenage boys is never enough! Next time I'll try doubling the recipe. I've also made a few alterations to the instructions, including baking at a higher temperature which creates a more authentic Italian crust texture.

Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups unbleached flour (I used 2 1/2 cups of unbleached bread flour)

Toppings:
Olive oil
Dried & ground herbs (your choice)
Feta cheese with tomato and basil
Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
Fresh Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Preheat the oven with pizza stone to 525ºF
Add yeast to warm water with a pinch of sugar until it bubbles. Add remaining ingredients with the first cup of flour and mix for at least a minute. Add more flour until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball, not too sticky, but not firm. Allow dough to rise until double. Stretch or roll dough to form a medium size pizza. Place on a pizza peel (or baking sheet) and brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with your favorite dried and ground herbs. Top with remaining ingredients. Slide onto stone (or keep on baking sheet). Bake, watching closely, until pizza dough it done.

Tangy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The flavors in this heart-healthy chicken salad are addicting. This recipe is adapted from several other similar recipes I've seen on the internet, and similar to one from the Sonoma Diet.

4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken
15 oz roast peppers (either roasted at home or from a jar)
6 oz marinaded artichoke hearts
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all the above ingredients, chill in the refrigerator for several hours, wrap in dark green lettuce leaves and eat!

Roast Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Olives & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is a heavenly side-dish. It comes from the Sonoma Diet. The roasted green beans taste so sweet in contrast to the tart feta cheese, kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place beans on prepared baking sheet.

2. Drizzle the beans with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Spread the beans in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.

3. Stir beans. Roast about 15 - 20 minutes more or until beans are dark golden brown in spots and have started to shrivel.

4. In a large bowl combine dried tomatoes, pitted kalamata olives, fresh oregano and lemon juice. Add roasted green beans; toss gently to coat. To serve, sprinkle with 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese.

Adara's Pad Thai

My Daughter worked for the summer in Thailand in a refugee orphanage for ISV. While she was there she took a cooking class with Asian Scenic Thai Cooking School in Chiang Mai. I am the one who was privileged to eat the dish in the photo... and it was fabulous! Absolutely delicious.

For each serving:
2 tbs cooking oil
5 chunky pieces chopped garlic
several pieces tofu
several pieces sliced chicken breast
1 egg
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
dry rice noodles
1 cup chicken broth
chopped chives (1 inch)
bean sprouts
chopped roasted peanuts
chili powder





You want to prepare and lay out the ingredients in the portions you are going to use. Working quickly, add oil to the wok, then add garlic, chicken & tofu, and cook, stirring, for a few seconds until chicken is almost cooked through. Pour in the egg and scramble. Sprinkle in the sugar. Add the sauces and then the noodles, covering with the chicken broth. Allow the broth to be absorbed by the noodles until noodles are tender. Finally add the bean sprouts and chives, cooking for only a few more seconds. Serve immediately, topped with peanuts and chili powder to taste.







Adara at the Asian Scenic Thai Cooking School in Chiang Mai: