Pumpkin Chili

Serves 8 to 10

3-pound pie pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash such as butternut, Red Kuri, or Golden Hubbard
2 medium turnips, about 3/4 pound
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups vegetarian broth
2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel
2 16-ounce cans chili beans, drained
2 cups frozen corn
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
Several dashes vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
Chopped green onions, to serve
Shredded cheddar cheese, to serve
Sour cream, to serve

Peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into 1-inch pieces. To make it easier to peel the pumpkin, cut in half, remove the seeds (and set aside for roasting!), then microwave each half cut-side down in a shallow dish of water for 5 minutes, or roast the halves at 450°F for about 15 minutes. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, shave off the skin with a sharp knife. (See our directions here on how to roast pumpkin and squash seeds.)

Peel the turnips and cut into 1-inch pieces.

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (it should hold at least 6 quarts), heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When melted, whisk in the cornmeal until smooth, then stir in the chopped pumpkin, turnip, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.

Add the broth, diced tomatoes, beans, and corn. Stir in the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring back to a simmer then reduce the heat and cook for at least 1 hour, or until the pumpkin and turnip are tender. (It gets even better if simmered longer — a whole afternoon, if you have the time.)

Before serving, taste and season with salt and pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Serve hot with chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

Recipe Notes

• Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chili: Substitute olive oil for the butter and offer dairy-free toppings to make the chili vegan. The chili is naturally gluten-free, as long as all prepared ingredients are gluten-free.
• Storage & Freezing: This chili freezes well, but it's also a crowd pleaser, so we rarely have any left!

Find original recipe here

Zupas Chicken Enchilada Chili Soup

• This is Kinsey's absolutely favorite soup at Zupas and she says this copy cat recipe tastes just like the real thing. This is the link to the recipe http://burntapple.com/2014/03/19/zupas-chicken-enchilada-chili-soup/
• 
  
• Ingredients2 cups cooked chicken, cut into very small bite sized pieces small onion, chopped
• 1 10oz can mild green chile sauce
• 1 10oz can mild red chile sauce
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1 15oz can black or white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (for dairy free this can be omitted)
• 2 tbsp flour (for gluten free, substitute cornstarch or arrowroot powder)
• 2 tbsp butter (can use non dairy vegan butter for dairy free)
• 1 15oz can evaporated milk (can substitute non dairy milk if needed)
• 2 cups broth

Instructions

1. In a large pan set to medium low heat, stir together the chicken, onion, green chile sauce, red chile sauce, tomato sauce, green chiles, beans, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cover and allow mixture to warm while you make the sauce. Stir occasionally.
2. In a small saucepan set to medium heat, stir together the 2 tablespoons flour and butter until a smooth lump forms. Stir in the milk and continue cooking until mixture thickens.
3. Slowly add the milk mixture into the chili, stirring to combine. Stir in the cheese if using and continue cooking until melted.
4. Slowly add up to two cups of broth if needed to thin. You will want this recipe to have the consistency of soup which will be thinner than a traditional chili recipe.
5. Serve garnished with additional cheese, tortilla strips, cilantro, or sour cream

Honey Lime Chicken

1 pound chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T honey
juice of one small lime, or half a large lime (2-3 T)
zest of one small lime, or half a large lime
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1.) In a large ziploc bag, combine all the marinade ingredients. When everything is well-combined, add the chicken, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag, and close it up. Place it in the fridge.

2.) Let the chicken marinate for 60 minutes to overnight, flipping the bag around, so that all the chicken stay evenly covered in the marinade.

3.) When you’re ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; there is no need to add any oil or butter to the pan, as the marinade has enough oil in it to keep the chicken from sticking to the pan. (If you would prefer to use the grill for these, you can thread them onto skewers and toss them on the grill at this point.)

4.) Add your chicken to the pan in a single layer, making sure they are not too crowded; you can always cook them in more than one batch. Cook until no longer pink on the inside, flipping once. Remove from the pan, and serve immediately!

Corn and Tomato Tart

From JoAnn Williams

Ingredients

4 Cups low sodium chicken stock
1 pound of Bacon cooked crispy and broken into small pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup Polenta (corn meal)
2 Tbsp butter (or bacon fat or other oil of your choice)
3 medium sized cobs corn (or the equivalent amount of frozen corn)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated fine
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese) drained VERY well
2 Large eggs
1 1/2 lb. Heirloom tomatoes (about 2 large tomatoes), sliced (about 1/4" thick)
Sea salt to taste
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Rosemary, oregano, marjoram, crushed red peppers, and extra parmesan to sprinkle on top.
Instructions

Preheat Oven to 400
Prepare the bacon
Cut the corn kernels off the cobs.
Melt the butter (or your choice of fat) and toss in the corn. Cook with the chili powder, garlic, rosemary, and oregano until the corn is slightly caramelized and smelling yummy.
Mix the bacon into the corn and set aside.
Mix the drained Ricotta (or cottage cheese) with the two well beaten eggs, salt, and pepper, and set aside
Bring the broth to a boil.
In a steady stream slowly pour in the cornmeal continuously whisking.
Bring back up to a boil then reduce to a low simmer stirring OFTEN for 30-40 minutes.
When the polenta is done stir in the parmesan cheese and the corn/bacon mixture.
Pour the polenta into a greased 9" glass pie pan.
Gently push into the center and raise the polenta up the sides of the pie dish. (the polenta should cover the whole dish but have a deep enough well to hold the ricotta and have some "crust" around the edge)
Pour the ricotta mixture into the well, spreading to about 1 inch from the edge so that a polenta crust is left.
Top the tart with slices of tomato- use all the different colors to make it pretty and give variety of flavor
Sprinkle with sea salt, parmesan cheese, herbs, and crushed red peppers
Bake for about 60 minutes
Allow it to cool and set for 15-20 minutes.
Notes

The polenta bakes up firm and makes a fabulous crust but do NOT skimp on the wait time (no matter how yummy it smells) or you will get runny tart.

Skinless Chicken Thighs in Red Wine Vinegar

Ingredients:

8 skinless chicken thighs with skin removed
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1 tbspn honey
1 tbpsn tomato paste
1 tspn butter
1 onion sliced thinly (she used shallots, I couldn’t find any)
2 cloves garlic sliced thinly
1/2 cup dry white wine (or you can just use more chicken broth)
2 tbspn Light Sour Cream
2 tbspn Parsley (fresh)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Pat your chicken dry and season it well with salt and pepper
Meanwhile combine the red wine vinegar, 3/4 cup of the chicken broth, honey and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Bring down to a simmer and reduce down to about 3/4 cup. Remove from heat


Melt the butter in a large skillet and brown the chicken on both sides. About 6-8 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until tender and browned.


Return the chicken to the pan and pour the red wine vinegar sauce over the chicken. Add salt and pepper, remaining broth and wine to the pan and cover. Let simmer 20 minutes
Remove the chicken and add the sour cream in. Stir until thickened and add parsely. Serve over chicken.
I served this with veggies and mashed potatoes. The sauce made an amazing gravy for the mashed potatoes and this was even good as leftovers the next day. This is definitely a keeper recipe in our household and I love that it uses simple, basic ingredients.

Chicken-Mango Curry

This recipe I found in a Family Fun Magazine. I tried it and it is FANTASTIC! If you like Indian food then you will love this recipe. AND it is so easy because it is a crock pot meal!


Ingredients:


1 (14oz) can coconut milk (I use the lite)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 inch section of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 TBS tomato paste
1 1/2 TBS curry powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups frozen mango cubes (I use 2 fresh mangos)
1/2 cup roasted cashews
juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup chopped cilantro




Stir together the first nine ingredients in the slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn it over a few times so that it is well coated. Put the sweet potato, onion, and peppers on top of the chicken.
Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 7-9 hours on low.
Stir the mango, cashews, and lime juice into the curry, then cover and heat just until the mango is no longer frozen. (About 20 minutes)
Serve the curry with cilantro.

Quinoa Pizza Bites

These are awesome! I only used what I had on hand so I didn't add the pepperoni. My kids wouldn't have liked it much if I had. The best part of this yumminess is that they are gluten free!!!

Author/Source:
Heather @ Onceamonthmom.com, adapted from So Very Blessed
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup chopped turkey pepperoni slices
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
pizza sauce for dipping

Quinoa is a great source of protein and dietary fiber.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients (except pizza sauce) together in a medium bowl. Spray mini muffin tin with non-stick spray, fill each up with mixture, pressing down gently to compact. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool and serve with pizza sauce for dipping.
Freezing Directions:
Prepare as directed above. Allow bites to cool completely. Remove from muffin tin, place on cookie sheet and flash freeze. When frozen, place in freezer bag. Label and freeze. To serve: Thaw, heat in microwave for 30 seconds-1 minute. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 onion, diced
2 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced, pressed or grated
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Put chicken into crock pot. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken and mix,
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from the slow cooker leaving the sauce. Whisk the cornstarch into liquid in the crock pot, cover and cook the sauce on high for ten more minutes or until it just starts to thicken.
Shred chicken or cut into bite size pieces, return to the sauce and stir together. Serve over rice and with your favorite green vegetable.

Scrapple

Boil Together:

2 quarts water
1 package ground pork sausage

When sausage is cooked through, add:

2 cups corn meal (I use an electric mixer to avoid lumps)

Stirring constantly, add:

2 tsp salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp black pepper

Lower heat and let it get thick. Pour into loaf pans. Chill. Cut in slices and pan fry.

Christmas Morning Casserole

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Slice 8 pieces of bread into cubes and spread in a 9 x 13 pan

Sprinkle with:
1 cup cubed ham
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Mix together in a bowl:
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard

Pour milk mixture over casserole. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

You can prepare this the night before and then pop it in the oven in the morning.

Apple Pork Chops

This recipe is from Bryan's Aunt Jeanne. I made it last night for the first time. We enjoyed it quite a bit. Best part is that it's super easy, so on days I'm not up to making a big meal, it can "look" like I put a little effort into dinner!


Prepare one package of Stove Top Stuffing (I used cornbread because it was all I had. Worked great)- set aside

Brown pork chops - salt and pepper to taste - set aside

Put 1 can of apple pie filling in a baking dish (I used my home canned -quart size)
Put pork chops on top of filling
Cover with prepared stuffing

Bake covered at 350 for 35 minutes
Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Cauliflower crust

This is a recipe I modified from a bunch of different cauliflower pizza crust recipes I found. I've never tried it with pizza, but was sure I could use it with a quiche. I could. It was awesome. The pizza crust included oregano mixed in the crust, but I left it out for the quiche crust.

1/2 LARGE head cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
1 large egg
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic (or fresh garlic)
1/2 teaspoon onion salt

I grated my cauliflower. Cook the cauliflower, dry, for 8 minutes in the microwave. Let it cool. Mix in rest of the ingredients and press into greased pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. (you can bake it longer for pizza crust. It just all depends on how crunchy you want your crust.) Top with whatever toppings you are using. (pizza toppings, quiche filling)
For pizza: broil until cheese is melted.
For quiche: bake @ 400 degrees until egg mixture is set. 45 minutes- 1 hour.

Mexican Casserole

Recipe from my mom

1 cup chicken, chopped
1 dozon corn tortillas, chopped (you can use less)
1 cup cheddar or jack cheese, shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can chopped chilies
1 onion, chopped
3/4  cup taco sauce
1 16oz can stewed tomatoes, chopped

Mix all ingredients together. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into pan. Sprinkle with:
1 cup shredded cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

Tropical Pork Chops

2/3 cup ketchup
4 tbs prepared mustard
4 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs cider vinegar
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 can pineapple tidbits in its own juice
1/3 cup water
dash cayenne pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops
hot cooked rice

Mix all ingredients except pork chops and rice. Pour sauce over pork chops in crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8. Serve over hot rice.

The SAUCE is 9 WW Points (not Points +)

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Recipe from my mom

1 cup soy sauce
1/8 tsp garlic (I usually add more. I love garlic!)
1/2 cup butter (I don't usually put this much in)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup water

Cook on stove top until warm. Pour over 3 pounds chicken wing pieces in crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Chicken Tostadas

2 tbs butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
8 tostada shells
Toppings: lettuce, tomato, olives, onions, sour cream, cheese, refried beans, avacados, etc

Saute onion in butter. Add shredded chicken. Add tomato sauce, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Simmer 20-30 minutes or until flavors blend. Put on shells and top as desired!

Chicken Pot Pie

1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground thyme (or 1/4 tsp if not ground)
1/8 tsp pepper
14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 1/2 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 egg beaten (optional)

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 1 tbs olive oil/ Add onion, celery, and chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and veggies from skillet. Melt butter in same skillet. Stir in flour, garlic powder, thyme, and pepper. Cook until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add chicken broth, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Add cooked chicken mix and frozen mixed veggies. Simmer until heated through. Spoon into pie pan. Place pie crust on top of chicken mixture. Flute edges and cut a few slits in several places. Brush on egg if desired.  Bake @ 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Chicken with Rice and Pecans

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup butter
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup uncooked rice
2 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup drained, chopped, canned tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until light brown. Stir in remaining ingredients, except nuts. Cover and simmer 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in nuts before serving.

Thai Chicken Pizza

From Rachael Ray

This is Gluten Free only if you use a gluten free crust

Ingredients

• 1 pizza dough, any brand
• 1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce (I've always used plum sauce. Dynasty brand is best)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 package shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese (2 cups)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons grill seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning) (eyeball it)
• 4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls (Optional- I don't)
• Palmful cilantro leaves, chopped (Optional- I don't) 
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Serves 4

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 425°F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15-17 minutes.

Pre-heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. *Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2-3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.

Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.


* I dice the chicken into very small pieces before putting it in the marinade. Then I dump the marinade and chicken into a saute pan and cook it until the chicken is no longer pink and the marinade has started to get crispy on the chicken. It is seriously yummy.

Chicken and Dumplings

3-4 Chicken Breasts
Water to Cover
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder or minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Carrots. chopped

Dumplings  I usually double or triple this part because my kids love the dumplings
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk


In large saucepan, cover chicken with water. Add seasonings as you like. Typically I don't measure the seasonings or veggies. I just use what I have. Simmer until chicken is cooked and tender. Remove Chicken. Cool and shred or chop.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Add milk slowly stirring to a soft dough. Bring the water chicken stock to a boil. Take a tablespoon or so of dough and roll into a ball. Drop it into the boiling stock. Repeat with all the dough. Reduce heat, cover. Simmer gently until the dumplings are cooked though. Add chicken back to pot. Stir and serve!