Tag Archives: beans

Sweet Chili Rolls

Have you had one of those weekends where you either have too much to do or don’t feel well enough to do anything at all?  That was me this weekend.  After taking Friday off and laying in bed all day because the pesky cold virus that was threatening me most of the week final showed it’s ugly face, I still didn’t feel up to much the rest of the weekend.  When you have a food blog and do almost all of your cooking on the weekends though, this doesn’t make things easy when all you want to do it lay in bed.  So thank goodness for the slow cooker.  Normally, I don’t have the patience to wait for food to cook in a slow cooker.  But when every physical activity becomes exhausting and all you want to do is rest, the slow cooker is a life saver.  And these Sweet Chili Rolls were worth the wait.

Ground turkey is mixed with a blend of water, pinto beans, ketchup, dijon mustard, garlic and chili powder in the slow cooker and cooked low and slow for 6 hours.  The result is healthier version of a sloppy joe which is topped with cheese.  I love the addition of the pinto beans here because the slow cooking process make the turkey meat tender and texturally perfect with the beans which also provides a boost of fiber.  I substituted some of the chili powder with chipotle chili powder to add a little kick so consider adding in additional spices if you choose.  I really don’t think you can go wrong here with other flavors like dry mustard or smoked paprika also.  Whether you have a lot to and have no time to cook or just need keep your feet up instead of standing in the kitchen, these sandwiches are a happy no-brainer.

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The ingredients:

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Blend chili powder, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Add ketchup and mustard and stir to combine.

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Pour ketchup mixture into slow cooker and stir in 1 cup water, beans, onion and garlic. Crumble in half the turkey and gently stir to combine. Repeat with remaining turkey.

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Cover and slow cook on HIGH for 6 hours or on LOW for 8 hours.

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Uncover and add salt. Spoon 1/2 cup of the mixture onto a roll. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Vidalia onion

Substitutions:

  • Chipotle chili powder

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Family Circle Magazine

Crunchy Chickpeas

For the second weekend in a row, I’ve gotten completely sucked into the 80’s miniseries North and South staring Patrick Swayze.  Last week was North and South Book 1 and yesterday was North and South Book 2 (based off of John Jakes’ book Love and War).  I remember watching both of these miniseries when I was a kid and have managed to get sucked right back into it all over again like I’ve never seen it.  I’ve always slightly been fascinated by the Civil War but it might be because I grew up in the Land of Lincoln, 30 minutes away from Springfield, Illinois where every field trip I went on in school was somehow related to Abraham Lincoln.  As if dedicating two Sundays in a row to the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln wasn’t enough, I proceeded to watch Killing Lincoln on Nat Geo last night before bed which let me tell you – was not a good idea.  At some point, I did manage to make myself a snack of Crunchy Chickpeas, to keep me going through hours of, well, death.  I guess it’s fitting since today is President’s Day, right?

I’ve seen these chickpea snacks nearly everywhere – in magazines, on Pinterest and in food blogs so I figured, why not give them a try?  They aren’t the simplest things to make but now I get the hype.  Canned chickpeas are tossed with garlic and seasonings and baked low and slow for a long time until crunchy on the outside but slightly chewy on the inside.  Sounds simple enough but the beans first have to be drained and de-skinned.  Hah..wahh?  I never really paid attention to the fact that chickpeas have skin but they do.  Lay them out on a paper towel, top with another paper towel and gently roll.  Yes, roll.  Those little pesky skins will slide ride off.  But take my word for it, do this process in batches.  Otherwise, you’ll be rolling and plucking skins all day.  My first bite of these chickpeas, I wondered what was so great.  But then, there I was, watching 80’s TV and popping these obsessively into my mouth.  I can’t explain it what it is about these snacks but they are slightly addictive.

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The ingredients:

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Wrap chickpeas in a towel; lightly roll to loosen skins. Discard skins.

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Combine chickpeas and remaining ingredients.

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Arrange on a baking sheet.

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Bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Poblano-Turkey Sausage Chili

The beautiful fall weather seemed to be a topic of conversation amongst everyone all weekend.  Blue skies and cooler temperatures seemed to put a pep in my step and I’m quickly becoming obsessed with fall weather, fall clothes and fall food.  I’ve already bought my second bag of apples that I’ve been eating everyday and I’m chomping at the bit to break out pumpkin recipes and scary movies.  Yesterday, with the windows wide open and football on the television, I was excited to make a bit pot of chili.  I typically make chili the first weekend of football season but it had been too warm so when I woke up yesterday to a chilly breeze, I knew it was time to make Poblano-Turkey Sausage Chili.

Turkey sausage is mixed with vibrant spices, diced tomatoes, poblano peppers and two different kinds of beans to make for a thick and spicy chili.  Using sausage instead of regular turkey gives this chili another layer of flavor and if you use hot sausage instead of sweet sausage (like I did), it creates even more intense, firey burst.  If you don’t like so much heat, you might want to stick to regular chili because the poblanos really do pack a punch but the older I get, the spicier the better.  Adding a touch of sour cream or plain yogurt helps to tame the heat a bit and a topping of cilantro gives a fresh element.  I’m obsessed with this chili.  I plan on eating it all week and might just make it again next weekend.

If you like this, also check out Jerk Chicken Chili.

The ingredients:

Add oil to a Dutch oven pan heated over medium-high heat; swirl to coat.  Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until browned.

Remove casings from sausage; add sausage to pan.  Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, poblanos, and bay leaf; cook 4 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble sausage.

Add 1 cup stock, tomatoes, and beans.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Combine flour and the remaining 2 tablespoons stock in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk to form a slurry.  Add slurry to chili, stirring with a whisk.  Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened.

Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and black pepper.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve with sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Hot sausage

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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