Beef and Pinto Bean Chili

by scott wardellJanuary 26, 2015

Warm up with a bowl of chili. This recipe is chock full of protein and veggies to keep your family energized and healthy this winter. If you want to give your bowl a kick, leave the seeds and membrane of the peppers in, but if you prefer a more mild taste, cut them out. Serve this steaming dish with a helping of cornbread.

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup minced jalapeño peppers (about 2 large)
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Garnish (optional)
1/2 cup thinly sliced radish
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
6 tablespoons small cilantro leaves
6 tablespoons sour cream
6 lime wedges

Method:
1. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle beef evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan.

2. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in paprika, cumin, and tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.

5. Add broth, tomatoes, beans and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick and beef is very tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

6. Ladle 1 cup chili into each of 6 bowls. Divide radish and avocado evenly among bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cilantro and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Serve with lime wedges.

photo courtesy of Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Crock Pot Tuscan Chicken & Beans

by Erin LemJanuary 15, 2015

Beans have teamed up with their pal chicken to create a super easy crock pot meal. With a few simple steps you can do in the morning (you can open a can, right?) this dish will be ready to go by the time you get home. Serve it with pasta, rice and veggies for a complete meal. Oh, and did we mention that this kid-approved recipe only requires five ingredients?

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, with sauce
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp dried basil

Method:
1. Place chicken in crock pot and sprinkle with basil.

2. Place bell peppers, beans and tomatoes over the chicken evenly.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

4. Serve with pasta or rice.

Recipe adapted from momswithcrockpots.com. Check out their collection of recipes!

For more of our crock pot recipes click HERE

Meatball Calzone

by writerredriDecember 15, 2014

Pizza can get old real quick. For a welcome change of pace make these calzones courtesy of Melanie of Keep It Simple & Fun. The shape and size of the calzones make them super transportable and act like like pita pockets filled with whatever “toppings” you like. Great for picnics, day trips, or whenever you need a bite on-the-go, your little chefs can even get in on the prep and fill their calzone with the toppings of their choice. For a tasty addition: heat up some marinara sauce and practice your dunking skills.

Ingredients
pizza dough
1/2 c chopped red pepper
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1 c diced mushrooms
pre-made frozen meatballs (defrosted)
1/4 c chopped onion
1 1/2 c mozzarella (fresh or shredded)
Olive Oil with Italian Seasoning

Method
1. Roll out the dough and cut it in half.

2. Add half of the ingredients to both of the rolled out dough pieces.

3. Fold the dough in half then pinch all around to close the seam.

4. Brush the olive oil mixture over the calzones.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Melanie and Keep it Simple & Fun , photo courtesy of Jerry Pank via flickr

Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos

by writerredtriNovember 30, 2014

Make it a meatless Monday with this recipe that comes to us from Kids Cook Mondays and Alysa of Inspired RD. With winter’s root vegetables in season, grab a few sweet potatoes (roasting gives them a hint of smoky flavor) and pair with black beans. Your kids will have fun customizing their own tacos with their favorite combination of avocado, lettuce and green onions.

Ingredients:
1 15 ounce can black beans
2-3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 fresh or canned, roasted green chilies, diced
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
10 corn tortillas
1/2 head lettuce or spinach*, chopped
1 avocado*, diced
1/4 cup cilantro*, chopped
2 green onions*, chopped

*Optional.

Method:
Adult: Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Open the can of black beans.

Kid: Spread the diced sweet potatoes on a baking sheet in one layer. Pour the black beans into a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Adult: Place the baking sheet in the oven. Roast the sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Together: Add the tomatoes, black beans, green chilies and garlic to the bowl. Mix well and season with the lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Taste for seasoning and adjust if desired.

Adult: Place a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla onto the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until that tortilla becomes browned. Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes more, or until the other side browns. Fold the tortilla in half, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Together: Place 2 or 3 browned tortillas on each person’s plate. Place a few spoonfuls of the sweet potato black bean filling inside each tortilla. Allow each person to top their tacos with their choice of lettuce, avocado, cilantro and green onions and enjoy!

Serves 4

Source: This recipe comes to us from Alysa of Inspired RD.

We’ve teamed up with the Kids Cook Monday initiative to bring you a weekly recipe that encourages families to set aside the first night of every week for cooking and eating together as a family. Be sure to check out their website for more great ideas on how to empower your kids in the kitchen!

Easy Greek Quinoa With Roasted Tomatoes

by Erin LemNovember 3, 2014

Forget brown rice. Quinoa is enjoying its time in the limelight. When prepared with the right seasonal ingredients, this grain is delicious and pairs well with pretty much any protein or as a standalone dish for an easy weeknight meal. This recipe from our friend The Kitchen Snob uses vegetable stock to give the quinoa flavor. Add in a bit of garlic and some veggies and you’ve got a great dish the whole family will love.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dried quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup sliced red onions
¼ cup sliced kalamata olives (or more if you prefer)
¼ cup chopped roasted tomatoes with garlic (from a jar)
2 cups chopped baby spinach
½ cup crumbled feta + more for sprinking

Method:
1. Rinse dry quinoa with water with a fine mesh strainer.

2. In medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add quinoa and stir occasionally for a minute or two. This will toast the quinoa and let it soak up the oil and garlic.

3. Add stock/water and salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. [Note: If there is still water in the bottom of the pan, you can put the quinoa back on the heat (covered) for a few minutes.]

4. Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool for a few minutes. Add onions, olives, tomatoes, and cheese. Toss together. Add spinach and mix together. Serve with additional feta crumbles.

Recipe and photo courtesy of The Kitchen Snob. Visit thekitchensnob.com for more great recipe ideas!

Pizza Stuffed Peppers

by Erin LemOctober 20, 2014

Alexa of Simple Roots Wellness (and mom to three girls) knows that creating healthy alternatives to favorite foods is a must. She offers up this recipe for pizza stuffed peppers that features all of the great flavors of pizza without the unhealthy components. Scroll down for the low down on how to make this dinnertime eat and then check out Simple Roots Wellness for more great meal inspiration.

Seres 4-6

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp coconut oil (butter)
1 yellow onion
2-3 cloves, garlic minced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 lb ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Salt & pepper, to taste
8 peppers
Mozzarella cheese

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Chop onion and mushrooms.

3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot add onion and mushrooms. Saute until tender.
Add garlic and saute until fragrant or 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set-aside.

4. In same skillet cook beef and sausage until done. Remove and place in bowl with onion and mushroom mixture.

5. Add peeled and chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices. Mix thoroughly. Prepare peppers but washing, cutting top off and removing seeds.

6. Fill peppers with meat and onion mixture and place in oven.

7. Bake for 30 minutes, remove and add mozzarella cheese continue baking 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove and enjoy!

This recipe and photo come courtesy of Alexa over at Simple Roots Wellness. Alexa, a mom of three, blogs about healthy versions of recipes you know and love. Check out Healthy Roots Wellness to find more great recipes for your family.

Mexican Lasagna

by writerredriOctober 2, 2014

One dish dinner. Music to our ears. Packed with protein, this lasagna doesn’t take long to prepare and is ready in no time. Courtney of NeighborFood says that this recipe is more of a pantry lasagna supplemented with a few fresh ingredients, so it’s a snap to serve during the week. Best of all? It won’t leave you feeling like you’ve overeaten.

Ingredients
9 lasagna noodles
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c frozen or fresh corn
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 c chopped cilantro, plus more for topping
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz. shredded Mexican blend cheese
28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
Smoked Chipotle tabasco sauce (or regular hot sauce if you can’t find Chipotle)
Sour Cream (optional)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. You’ll need a casserole dish that’s somewhere between 9 x 9 and 9 x 13. You can use whatever size dish, just cut your noodles to fit.

3. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine black beans, frozen corn, green onions, cilantro, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and salt.

5. Layer a small amount of tomatoes on the bottom of your baking dish (about a 1/4 of the can). Top with noodles. Layer 1/3 of the bean mixture on top of that. Spread another 1/4 of the tomatoes on top, sprinkle with hot cheese, then spread with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat 2 more times following the same pattern (noodles, bean mixture, tomatoes, hot sauce, cheese).

6. Cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5 minutes more or until cheese is nice and melty. Allow to set up for 10 minutes before serving.

7. To serve, sprinkle with cilantro and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Bake. Eat. Repeat. These are the words by which food blogger and photographer, Courtney lives. She combines her love for food with her passion for photography and writing to bring people together and share in communal meals. Her blog, NeighborFood captures recipes that go beyond “a few lines scribbled on a note card.” Visit her website to discover her classic standbys, sweet treats, and savory dishes that demand to be shared with friends and loved ones.

recipe originally adapted from A Couple Cooks

Hanger Steak with Gremolata

by writerredriSeptember 26, 2014

The below is a guest post from Yummy Supper written by Erin Scott.

Years ago, my French uncle, Jean Louis, turned us on to the delectable hanger steak, and we’ve been buying these beauties ever since. Hanger steak, sometimes called onglet, is a lesser known cut of beef, but butchers have long been hip to its great flavor and lovely marbling. It’s no surprise that you’ll sometimes find hanger steak referred to as “butcher’s steak.” A quick stint on the grill and a rub of brightly flavored gremolata make this steak an easy and flavorful weeknight dinner option.

Tip: If you can’t get hanger steak from your local butcher, a juicy rib eye is delicious grilled and topped with gremolata.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1-11/4 pounds hanger steak
Salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Remove the steak from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Season the meat generously with salt and let it come to room temp.

2. In a small bowl, toss together the parsley, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Give the ingredients a good stir, taste for seasoning, and you’ve got your gremolata ready to roll.

3. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Pat the steak dry and rub with olive oil. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side; you want hanger steak to be medium-rare, or it can get tough. Pull the steak off the grill and immediately season with another light sprinkling of salt and some freshly ground pepper.

4. Rub with the gremolata and let the steak rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice the steak thinly and against the grain.

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Slow Cooker Chicken With Balsamic & Tomatoes

by writerredtriSeptember 19, 2014

This is a super flavorful, savory dish with juicy, tender chicken that’s delicious over some whole grain spaghetti, rice, you name it. Grate some fresh Parmesan over the top of this dish and viola, dinner is ready in a flash. Be sure to hop on over to Mom’s Kitchen Handbook for more great recipe ideas.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large red onion, very thinly sliced
4 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 26-ounce box chopped tomatoes (such as the POMI brand) or use 28oz can tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried, chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed, roughly chopped

Method (Makes 4 to 6 servings):
1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

2. Put onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes (juice included), rosemary, thyme, basil, and oregano into the crock pot and stir well.

3. Nestle the chicken pieces into the tomatoes. Turn crock pot to high.

4. Cook until the chicken is very tender, about 4 hours.

5. Add chard to the pot and stir so that it is covered with liquid. Cook 15 to 20 minutes longer until the chard is tender.

6. Serve over cooked whole grain spaghetti, brown rice, or farro.

Note: feel free to substitute kale, spinach, or other dark leafy green and adjust cooking time accordingly

Katie Sullivan Morford is a mom, food writer and registered dietitian. You can find her family-friendly recipes and kitchen wisdom at Mom’s Kitchen Handbook

For more easy and delicious crock pot recipes click HERE

Greek Stuffed Chicken

by writerredriSeptember 5, 2014

Dress up your chicken breast with a filling that’s full of fresh ingredients and flavors. The trick to this easy recipe courtesy of Susan over at Our Family Eats is butterflying the chicken. Simply pile the butterflied chicken with your ingredients and then fold back over and stick it in the oven. Susan likes to serve this dish with roasted grape tomatoes and fresh spinach.

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup (packed) fresh parsley, chopped
4 ounces black olives, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, thinly sliced, green parts only
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
drizzle of olive oil

Method
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place chicken breasts on your baking sheet and fold back to top portion.

3. In a bowl mix together the remaining ingredients (feta through olive oil). Spoon into chicken breasts, then fold top over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until completely done. Serve warm.

Susan Schuman is a working mom with two small kids and a hungry husband. She writes Our Family Eats to share ideas for fun, wholesome meals that anyone can fit into their hectic schedule. You can connect with Susan on Twitter @ourfamilyeats.

ML Interest Tag: chopped

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