Three Bean Ground Beef Chili Recipe

Tweet this!

Now that we've changed the clocks and the nights are getting darker and darker, there is nothing more comforting to come home to than a big bowl of chili (okay, and a superbly adorable dog, but that's beside the point here).

Last weekend, my husband requested chili. We stocked up on ground beef and beans and made it happen. It lasted us through lunches and a few dinners all week, and was an easy way to make dinner happen on a moment's notice.

Three Bean Ground Beef Chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6-8 hours

Ingredients:

• 2.5-3 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can roasted tomatoes
• 1 can tomato paste
• 2 cans kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 4 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Italian seasoning, to taste

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and onion together. My crock pot has a saute setting, so I browned the beef inside the crock pot. Depending on how lean your beef is, you may need to drain it.
2. Puree all tomato items (paste, diced tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, etc) in a blender. If you want the tomato chunks, feel free to skip this step, but my husband is anti-tomato-chunks, so we pureed it.
3. Combine all remaining ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
4. Serve topped with cheese of choice and a sprinkle of italian seasoning. Store in a glass container and it should be good for up to two weeks!

Notes:

• Feel free to half the recipe if you aren't looking for such a large batch. This makes somewhere between 8-16 servings, depending on whether you serve it in a large bowl or small mug.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• Do you have a special, tried-and-true chili recipe?
• Have you ever topped chili with a fried egg? I am dying to try it!

Italian Overnight Kale Salad with Sea Salt

Tweet this!

When I was in High School, I used to get sick a lot. A lot. Like I missed 28 days of school one year. So, in the interest of boosting my immune system, my mom decided to force me to start juicing (at 17 years old, I was very opposed to the idea and thought it tasted like garbage sludge). The key ingredient she continued to put in these garbage sludge smoothies? Kale.

Five years later, I started putting Kale in my salads. Though my immune system is now near teflon (thanks to consistent exercise and healthy eating), I am always looking for the next healthy element I can incorporate into my life. After reading about the seemingly never ending health benefits of Kale, I was sold.

Only I wasn't eating it right. I was just throwing it in a salad and eating it immediately. Little did I know that there really is a better way to eat Kale. It needs a bit of... coaxing.

Enter this new method. By letting the Kale marinate in olive oil and lemon juice overnight (or at least for a solid few hours), the Kale begins to break down just slightly, enough to get rid of the bitter flavor Kale tends to have when eaten on its own.

Combined with Italian toppings and Sea Salt, this is officially my favorite salad ever. I love it so much that, when I couldn't find pre-cut Kale at the grocery store this week, I was legitimately upset. It's just that good.

Italian Overnight Kale Salad with Sea Salt

Servings: 2 (Feel free to cut in half for only one serving, but keep in mind that this salad keeps very well in the fridge, so making it ahead of time doesn't hurt!)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Kale
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• 1/3 Red Pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 Cup Shaved Parmesan
• 2 tbsp Purple Onion, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, and a sprinkling of sea salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk.
2. Rinse Kale and cut into ribbons (or any bite size pieces) and pour mixture over the Kale. Toss.
3. In a small tupperware, combine shaved parmesan cheese, chopped red pepper, and chopped purple onion.
4. Cover both bowls and store overnight. 
5. To serve, put marinated Kale on a plate or in a bowl and drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the salad. Then, spoon cheese/pepper/purple onion on top. Top with Sea Salt and Black Pepper, if desired.

P.S. Looking for more Kale in your life? Check out Sea Salt Kale Chips, Sriracha Polenta with Kale Chips, and The Ultimate Salad of Health

Avocado Grilled Cheese

Tweet this!

Crispy bread. Melted, delicious, sharp cheddar cheese. Avocado, cilantro, and onion spread. And tiny bits of spinach in between. It's like Guacamole and Grilled cheese had a baby. 

Avocado hipsters. Let's face it. They're everywhere. I'd like to assert that I've loved avocados since long before they were cool. Ask my mom. She'll tell you I loved guacamole even as a baby. That's proof of my eternal coolness, I'm pretty darn sure. I'm also darn sure that I loved corgis before they were trending. My family is now on their third corgi. We're corgi-obsessed. We have corgi coffee mugs, corgi t shirts... you get the jist. Well, all of these avocado and corgi hipsters can come beg me for love. I am the original, okay?!

Nothing like a good rant, amirite? [No. You're not. You need to move on.] Okay...

ANYWAY. Back to reality. I love avocado. I love cheese. I especially love grilled cheese. So it seems as though I should have created this easy concoction long ago... 

Avocado Grilled Cheese

Servings: 1 (but you will have enough leftover avocado spread for 2-3 additional sandwiches... or lots of chips!)

Calories: 215

Ingredients:

• 1 Avocado
• 1 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp Feta Cheese
• 1 tbsp Onion, chopped
• 2 pieces bread (I use Sara Lee's 45 Calories and Delicious bread... yes, that's the actual name... but feel free to class it up and use Sourdough if you don't mind the calories)
• Thinly sliced white cheddar cheese, to taste (or use a pre-sliced piece... but I promise you that white cheddar cheese will WOW your tastebuds!)
• 4-6 leaves of Baby Spinach

Directions:

1. Remove avocado skin and seed. For those of you who are sick of making a mess while skinning and seeding avocados: Cut a ring on the whole avocado, cutting it into two long halves. Then, on each half, carefully cut the inside (but do NOT cut the skin) into a tic-tac-toe pattern (intersecting lines). Then, use a spoon to spoon out the squares and put them into a bowl.
2. In a bowl, use a fork or large spoon to mash avocado 'meat' into a spread.
3. Add cilantro, feta, and onion, then mix well.
4. If using cheese that is not pre-sliced, cut thin pieces of cheese and set aside.
5. Spread a layer of avocado on one piece of bread.
6. Put this piece of bread down on a grill, stovetop grill, or panini press. Add a layer of spinach on top of the avocado spread, then add sliced cheese and top with the second piece of bread.
7. If making this on a stovetop grill, be sure to cover the pan and occasionally use a spatula to press down on the sandwich. Once the bottom side begins to brown, flip the sandwich and continue cooking until the other side browns as well. If using a panini press, cook until you see the browning lines on the bread and the cheese is melted.
8. Remove from heat, cut in half, and serve! 

Notes:

• We dipped these in Sriracha (which I am obsessed with, making my tongue really tired of the heat).

Slow Cooked Chili Con Carne

Tweet this!

As the weather gets colder and colder, my mind is shifting into winter mode. Skiing and gloves and whatnot. The last few years, my family has taken an annual ski trip up to Granite Peak, WI. We get three families together and spend a day on the slopes. The interesting thing to me is that, while it's obviously a ski trip, it's not just a ski trip. It's also the night before, playing cards, and coming back from a cold day of skiing to jump into a warm hot tub. In the middle of that process is ski lunch. You've been on the slopes all morning and you're freezing, tired, and in need of replenishment before hitting it again. The answer: Chili. Well, chili and beer. But I can't brew beer. At least not yet. So, for now, here's some good old home cooked chili.

Ingredients:

• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (I used garlic & rosemary flavored)
• 1 can Kidney beans
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1 purple onion
• 3 tablespoons Chile Powder
• 1/2 tablespoon Cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:In a pan, brown ground beef with chopped onion.

1. Transfer to a large pot (I used a wrought iron from Martha's Collection like this one) and add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and kidney beans.
2. Add chile powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and then reduce to a simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.
4. Serve with grated cheese.



Pumpkin & Lentil Soup

Tweet this!

[Recipe 7 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

[Recipe 7 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

When it comes to fall and my toes start to get chilly, soups are a favorite meal. When it comes to soup, lentils are a favorite ingredient. This is for three reasons:

First, the word is particularly fun to say. Lentils. Lentils. Lentils! You get it. 

Second, according to this youtube video, lentils are what Marcel the Shell wears as a hat (really though, if you've got a few minutes, this video will make you smile and you'll be quoting it for months). 

Third, and this is probably the reason you were waiting for, lentils are darn healthy. Instead of adding noodles or rice, which are carb centers, lentils are jam packed with protein and dietary fiber. Add to that a cup of pumpkins, the Vitamin A rock star, and you've got a delicious and good-for-you meal, indeed. Oh, what a wonderful world it is! Now, if only we could have make lentils a bit prettier... 

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:

• 2 cups Lentils
• 4 cups Water
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Pumpkin Cubes
• 1/4 cup Green Onion
• 1 tablespoon Curry
• 1 tablespoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 1/2 Chopped Purple Onion
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Sage
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Pepper
• 1/4 cup Grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 Tomato

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Peel pumpkin using a potato peeler.
3. Cut about 1 cup of the pumpkin into small cubes, about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch.
4. Toss pumpkin squares with Olive Oil, Sage, Salt, and Pepper.
5. Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.
6. Meanwhile, on the stove, boil water and add lentils, cumin, curry, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt.
7. After 20 minutes, add chopped purple and sliced green onion, pumpkin cubes, and chicken broth.
8. Cook for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Serve with freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese and a slice of tomato.

[You're Reading Recipe 7 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

[You're Reading Recipe 7 of The 12 Days of Pumpkin - Click Here To Catch The Whole Shabang]

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Tweet this!

[Day Two of The Twelve Days of Pumpkin - Keep up with all 12 days!]

Good morning :)

It is cold in Chicago already and half of the city seems to have the "ick" virus - the one where you don't have much of an explanation other than that you feel "ick" -- or "ugh," depending on your pronunciation.

So, in short, Chicago=Cold+Sick. But not me. Not with this soup :)

The colder it gets outside, the more heat this girl wants in her soup. Gotta get warm from the inside too, you know?

This soup reminds me of a butternut squash soup I was once obsessed with. I used to add cayenne pepper to that one to get the kick I like -- definitely not going to need to add any to this baby! The onion and curry really pop and the thickness of the soup makes it feel like a heavy cream based luxury - without actually being cream based (cream based = bad for you).

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients:

• 1/2 Pumpkin
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 1/2 Yellow Onions
• 3 cloves Garlic

• 1/2 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Curry Powder
• 1/2 tablespoon Cumin
• 2 cups Skim Milk
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 5 cups Cubed Cooked Pumpkin

Cooking Directions:

1. Rinse pumpkin
2. Using a serrated knife, cut the pumpkin in half
3. Using an ice cream scooper, scoop out strings and seeds
4. Cut pumpkin into 6-10 pieces, small enough to fit numerous pieces into a steaming basket.
5. Place in steamer on stovetop. Add water and steam for 15-25 minutes, checking regularly to replace water. Pumpkin is cooked when a toothpick easily pierces its skin.
6. Let cool, then peel or cut skin off and discard.
7. Cube 5 cups worth of pumpkin "meat." Size is not particularly important, as it will all be blended in the end.
8. In a large pot, add butter, onions, and garlic and stir for 5 minutes.
9. Add Chicken Broth, Pumpkin, Curry, Cayenne, and Cumin and cook for 15 minutes.
10. One blender-full at a time, transfer soup to blender and blend, then transfer to a new pot of similar size.
11. In new pot, add milk and additional Curry to taste.
12. Serve. (Optional: Garnish with sour cream, cayenne pepper, and/or basil leaves).

[Day Two of The Twelve Days of Pumpkin - Keep up with all 12 days!]

[Day Two of The Twelve Days of Pumpkin - Keep up with all 12 days!]