Chilli

First, I'm from Illinois, so I spell chilli with two L's and I make it with beans. Now I understand, living in Texas, this is risky business. But, I grew up helping my grandpa make this kind of chilli. When he would make chilli, it would be an all day affair. The unfortunate thing is that he never wrote the recipe down. And I was just young enough to not pay attention to how he made it. But, I must say, this version turned out very good.


Chilli
2 lbs. ground turkey breast
1/4 c. chilli powder
1 T. paprika
1 T. oregano
2 t. cumin
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. ground red pepper
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper
1 bottle Budweiser
29 oz. can tomato puree
1 can petite diced tomato
2 cans dark red kidney beans

Put poblano on baking sheet and broil in oven until all sides are black and blistered, rotating pepper to blister all sides. Remove from oven, put in glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes, wipe the skin off pepper, remove seeds and chop. In large soup pot, brown up turkey. As it is browning, mix in chilli powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, ground red pepper, salt and pepper. Add onions and poblano peppers, cook for 5 minutes. Add beer and simmer until the liquid is almost gone. Add tomato puree, diced tomatoes and beans. Let chilli simmer, stirring occasionally for 2 hours.

Seared Scallops and Shredded Brussel Sprouts

I live around the corner from Central Market. And I love Central Market. Me going there is like a kid in the candy store. I could walk around in there for hours, and I could easily come out broke every time. So, I have decided to allow myself only one shopping trip there a month. And this is one of my Central Market meals.

Seared Scallops and Shredded Brussels Sprouts

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adapted from EatingWell.com

3 sea scallops

1 c. Brussels sprouts, halved and thinly sliced

2 scallions, chopped

1 slice turkey bacon, chopped

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 t. red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

In small skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat and remove. Add Brussels sprouts and scallions. Stir in mustard, vinegar, a splash of water, salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until tender. Top with bacon. Pat scallops dry. Salt and pepper both sides. Cook scallops in skillet over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes per side.

Orange Chicken Broccoli with Cashews

I used two different recipes to come up with my version of this chicken dish. My nephew, Luke is a little foodie like his aunt Leah. And he was just too cute (can a 10 year old boy still be cute?) describing the flavors of this dish. He said that it had just a little bit of sweet from the orange, but not too much. He said it all worked well together. And I agree.

Orange Chicken Broccoli with Cashews
adapted from Rachael Ray and Aida Mollenkamp

2 T. oil

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. honey

4 chicken breasts, cubed

1/4 onion, thinly sliced

2 c. broccoli florets

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 oranges, zested and juiced

1 c. salted cashews

Marinate chicken with oil, soy sauce, orange zest and honey for at least 30 minutes. In large skillet, cook onion for 2 minutes. Add chicken and marinade, cook for 6 minutes, or until cooked through. Add broccoli and garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in orange juice and cashews. Serve with rice.

Rosemary Tilapia with Wilted Spinach

I had every intention of posting this recipe yesterday, but my boyfriend, Stephen and I ended up going out to watch the Saints-Vikings game with friends. It was a great game, and now I'm already planning what kind of Saints and Colts inspired meals I'm going to make for the Super Bowl. This was a super-healthy, super-yummy Sunday dinner with the fam.


Rosemary Tilapia with Wilted Spinach
4 tilapia fillets
Dried rosemary
Salt and pepper
1 bag fresh baby spinach
1 pint cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 large red-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Pistachios, chopped

Put sun-dried tomatoes in bowl with hot water and let rehydrate for 5 minutes. Toss potato slices with oil, salt and pepper. Lay in thin layer on baking sheet and roast in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Season tilapia with salt, pepper and rosemary. Roast in 500 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through. In large skillet, brown mushrooms for 5 minutes. Chop sun-dried tomatoes. Add garlic, spinach and tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Top fish with chopped pistachios.

Roasted Edamame Salad

I'm watching American Idol right now. And I just saw the guy who did the splits and ripped his pants. Wow. My stomach hurts from laughing so hard. Let me see if I can stop laughing long enough to post this recipe. I actually made this a while ago for my mom and she loved it.

Roasted Edamame Salad

adapted from Alton Brown

2 c. frozen shelled edamame, thawed

1 c. frozen corn, thawed

1/2 onion, diced

1 c. carrots, diced

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 T. red wine vinegar

Toss the edamame, corn, onion and carrots with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until vegetables start to brown. Let vegetables cool for 10 minutes, mix in tomatoes and red wine vinegar. **This would be great with shredded chicken.

Shrimp Stir-Fry

Because I am a teacher, I had yesterday off of work for Martin Luther King, Jr Day. My boyfriend, Stephen, unfortunately did not have the day off. So I made him a meal that includes two of his favorites, spice and coconut rice. These things help disguise those dreaded vegetables...

Shrimp Stir-Fry

1 lb. raw shrimp

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. crushed red pepper

2 carrots, cut on bias

1/4 onion, diced

1 container button mushrooms, halved

1 c. snow peas

1 can sliced water chestnuts

1 T. hoisin sauce

1 t. soy sauce

1/2 t. fish sauce

1/2 c. chicken broth

Salt and pepper

Season shrimp with chili powder, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the snow peas and water chestnuts and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, cook for 4 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and chicken broth. Serve with coconut rice.

Baked Chicken Strips

My friend, Corley, introduced me to the Hungry Girl newsletters. One of my favorite ideas that she has is her use of Fiber One cereal. You grind the original Fiber One cereal up in a food processor, and use it to coat meat and vegetables to create a oven baked crispiness. It workes amazingly.

Baked Chicken Strips

adapted from Hungry Girl

1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenderloins

1 1/2 c. ground Fiber One cereal

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. salt

Black pepper, to taste

1 egg

Cooking spray

Beat egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Mix cereal with parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with egg mixture, then cereal mixture. Place of greased baking sheet. Coat chicken strips with thin spray of cooking spray. Bake in 390 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Roasted Vegetables

Italian Turkey Burgers

I don't set New Year's resolutions, because they just get broken. But I am trying to get back into my previously healthier habits of going to the gym and eating less fried food. So yesterday, my friend, Kelly and I went to the gym and then I made this yummy meal while we watched American Idol.


Italian Turkey Burgers
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 onion, diced
1 clove garlic
2 basil leaves, chopped
2 t. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Spring mix
Baby spinach

Feta cheese
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil

For bruschetta topping, mix together tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Let mixture sit for at least 30 minutes so favors can meld. For burgers, mix together ground turkey, parsley, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Form into 4 equal sized burger patties. Cook burgers in skillet for 6-7 minutes per side, or until done in the middle. Toss spring mix and spinach with a small amount of balsamic vinegar and oil. Top salad with feta, burger, and top burger with bruschetta.

Chicken and Rice Soup

Last week, we had the coldest weather in Dallas that we have had in over 12 years. So, of course, I had to make some soup to keep us warm. This recipe I found was so simple, I was afraid it wouldn't be very flavorful. It was simple and straight forward, but really good.

Chicken and Rice Soup

Five-Spice Coconut Chicken

My boyfriend, Stephen, loves coconut. And I have to admit, ever since he asked me to make coconut rice, it is my favorite way to eat rice. And I make it all the time. So, I now keep my eye out for recipes that include coconut milk. We both really enjoyed this meal.

Five-Spice Coconut Chicken

adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

1 can coconut milk, divided

2 T. plus 1 t. honey

1 T. plus 1 t. lime juice

2 T. soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

3 t. Chinese five-spice powder

Salt and pepper

6 boneless chicken thighs

2 c. rice

1/2 lb. snow peas

1 pint mushrooms, sliced

3 scallions, chopped

In small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon coconut milk, 1 teaspoon honey and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Set aside. In large bowl, combine 1/3 cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, five-spice powder, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes. With remaining coconut milk, add enough water to equal 2 cups. Bring mixture to a boil, stir in rice, cover and remove from heat. In skillet, cook mushrooms and snow peas for 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms are browned and snow peas are tender. Toss snow peas and mushrooms with reserved coconut-honey dressing. Stir in rice. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Top chicken and rice with scallions.

Kahlua Brownies with White Kahlua Sauce

I love cookbooks. I will look through my cookbooks just for pleasure. So I was very excited when my best friend, Kelly, gave me a new cookbook for Christmas. So I made these brownies for dessert on Christmas. I swapped the coffee in the recipe for Kahlua, and they were the best brownies we have ever had. I'm not even kidding.

Kahlua Brownies with White Kahlua Sauce

adapted from Cupcakes, Cookies, & Coffee Cakes

1/4 c. butter

4 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

2 T. Kahlua

1 1/4 c. sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 c. flour

1/3 c. milk chocolate chips

Sauce

1/2 c. heavy cream

3 oz. white chocolate chips

1 T. Kahlua

Place butter and semisweet chocolate and Kahlua in a pan over low heat. Stir until just melted and combined. Let cool slightly. Whisk in sugar and eggs. Mix in flour and chocolate chips. Pour batter into 9x13 inch greased pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. While brownies are baking, make sauce by combining cream, white chocolate and Kahlua in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until melted. Cut brownies and spoon sauce over brownies.

Roast Beef Phyllo Rolls

I'm typing this while watching The Cowboys' game, so I will try my best to pay attention to what I'm saying. These rolls are so easy and really good. They would be great as a party snack too. I didn't add measurements to these, because you can adjust the engredients to your liking.

Roast Beef Phyllo Rolls

Thinly sliced roast beef

Onion, sliced

Mushrooms, sliced

Grill seasoning

Swiss cheese

Phyllo dough, thawed

Cooking spray

In skillet, cook onions over medium heat, stirring frequently, unitl carmelized. Add mushrooms and grill seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned.

While onions are cooking, lay out 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a cutting board. Spray phyllo with a thin layer of cooking spray. Lay a second phyllo sheet on top of the 1st. Spray with cooking spray and top with thrid sheet of phyllo dough. Lay a small amount of roast beef along the long side of the phyllo dough. Top the roast beef with onions and mushrooms and then swiss cheese. Roll the phyllo dough over the filling. Cut the rolls in fourths. Spray rolls with cooking spray. Bake on greased sheet pan, in 350 degree oven, for 18-20 minutes, or until phyllo dough is browned.

Chocolate Cupcakes

I'm sure like everyone else, my December was extremely busy. And when you are that busy, something's got to give. Unfortunately, that 'something' for me was my blog. I made these amazing cupcakes for my friend, Edith, for her birthday. The cupcakes, by the way, didn't last more than 2 days...

Chocolate Cupcakes

* I didn't make the coffee filling, and they were great without it.