Squash Parsnip Soup, by Diane

This recipe looked nice and warming to me, as it's been chilly here the last few days. I also had a bunch of squash to get rid of, and not that much time to cook in, so this recipe for the crockpot sounded perfect. Overall, this was not my favorite dish- I like parsnips a lot (roasting them with olive oil, salt and pepper until browned they are delicious!!) but they were overwhelming in this dish. I would either reduce them to one, or omit them altogether. Without this problem, the soup was great and I would definitely make this in the future! I added more chicken bouillon powder to give it more seasoning and a better taste, and used Hungarian Paprika because I like the taste better than regular paprika. And finally, I used an immersion blender- I have never understood why people don't buy this 10$ gadget that blends things right in the pot or container it's being cooked in rather than ladling batches out to a blender and transferring back and forth!


Ingredients:

2 cups chopped sweet onion (1 large)
2 cups chopped parsnip (3 large)
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 large)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water
2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
3 (12-ounce) packages frozen butternut squash, thawed
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup light sour cream (optional)
8 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (optional)


Directions:

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.

2. Place one-fourth of squash mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture. Stir in whipping cream, paprika, and cumin. Ladle soup into bowls; top each serving with sour cream and chives, if desired.

Indian Summer Chili, by Diane

This is another recipe I've been making for years and just assumed I posted it a while back. It turns out that I've never posted it! This week was a weird, warm one and to celebrate this kind of "indian summer" (even though we saw the first day of winter) I instantly thought of this chili. I love it because it is unique in it's flavors (BBQ sauce and beer- PERFECT for football games and I make it each superbowl), and very easy and healthy. It is originally a recipe from Rachael Ray, and then I added avocado in it because I just love the combo!

Also a note- instead of grill seasoning I always use Tony Chachere's which is an amazing seasoning blend that has a great kick to it. My Texas family introduced me to this years ago, and it has been my go to chili seasoning (along with anything else!) ever since. You simply shake it on until your food tastes salty to your liking, and the spice coincides with the amount of salt! Brilliant!

Recipe from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/indian-summer-turkey-chili-recipe/index.html (mine always looks chunkier and less liquidy than the photo, as do my friends')


Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan (I never use this, the fat from the turkey is good enough)
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey (85 percent lean) or ground turkey breast (99 percent lean), 2 packages
4 tablespoons dark chili powder, 2 palm fulls
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, any brand, 1 palm full
1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 palm full
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to extra-spicy
1 large onion, chopped
2 large peppers, any color combination, red, green, purple, yellow or orange, chopped
1/2 bottle beer (the alcohol cooks out), about 1 cup
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce
2 cups sweet corn kernels

 

Directions:

1. Heat a pot over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, and the turkey meat. Season the meat with: chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon into small crumbles. Brown meat 5 minutes, then add onions and chopped bell peppers and cook 10 minutes more.

2. Add beer and deglaze the pan, scraping up the drippings and cooking off the alcohol. Add tomato sauce and barbecue sauce and bring to a bubble. Add corn and let chili simmer 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and heat level to your taste.

Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey, Veggies, and Tomato Sauce, by Diane

This week for lunches I created this healthy combo off ingredients I had on hand and it was delicious!!! Fairly easy to make and packed with nutrients! Also, it keeps well for weekly lunches.


Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash
EVOO
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 pack sweet mini rainbow peppers, seeded and sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 large handfuls kale, chopped and deveined
1 15 oz. can tomato paste
2/3 cup water
Salt, pepper, italian herbs, and pinch of red pepper flakes


Directions:

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Drizzle with sea salt, pepper and olive oil and roast for 45 minutes until golden around 400 (I was rushed for time and microwaved it until it was soft enough to cut, then covered the squash halves and microwaved until soft). Shred squash with a fork into strands and set aside in a large bowl.

2. While the squash cooks, brown the turkey and drain then add to the bowl.

3. Cook the peppers and onions in olive oil over medium heat until softened, then add kale and cook until wilted. Add in squash and turkey, then add remaining ingredients and season as desired.

Warm Banana Chia Breakfast Pudding, by Diane

Necessity really is the mother of invention. This week, with all the snow and chaos of moving I went to make breakfasts and realized I had nothing. Then, seeing my giant bag of chia seeds, I remembered seeing recipes for chia breakfast pudding, and went to look online. This recipe was easy and quick to make. It has the consistency of tapioca pudding, as the chia seeds expand in liquid and become gelatinous. It is very versatile as well, and can be flavored in any way (I added chocolate vegan protein powder- Vega One is my favorite!) and the topping choices are endless (today due to lack of ingredients it was cacao nibs and pepitas). Also, I heated my breakfast up because it's freezing here and I needed something warm. Overall, this recipe was just alright for me, and unfortunately was not very filling despite the overwhelming amount of protein in the chia seeds and almond milk. But, it worked in a pinch!

Recipe from: http://ohsheglows.com/2013/02/18/chia-seed-breakfast-bowl/

Ingredients:

4 tbsp chia seeds
1 – 1.25 cups almond milk
2 small bananas, chopped small
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used the inside of a vanilla bean)
two pinches of cinnamon (I also added nutmeg for it's anti-inflammatory properties)

Directions:

Mash bananas in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and place in fridge overnight to thicken. Add toppings if desired in the morning.

  

Julia Child's Coq a Vin, Crockpot Edition, by Diane

At long last, a picture of a stew actually looks appetizing! I cannot say enough about how delicious this meal was. This was by far one of the best things I have ever made, and it was so easy. Not to mention, a great spin off of Julia Child's classic Coq a Vin. This dish is perfect for company as it is very impressive, and is great alone or with sides like mashed potatoes. My only suggestion- I may decrease the wine by 1/2 cup next time and sub chicken broth, as I am fairly certain everyone got buzzed eating this dish!! My other suggestion- double this and make more because you won't be able to get enough!!!

I did make three substitutes here- I used chicken breasts instead of thighs (preference), I skipped the cognac (didn't have it on hand), and added in herbs de provence (thanks to Cheryl's Egg Sandwich I am addicted!!).

Recipe from: http://www.thezenofslowcooking.com/slow-cooker-coq-au-vin-a-la-julia-child-2/


Ingredients:

2 ½ to 3 lbs skinless chicken thighs & legs
1/3 cup flour
salt & pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
4 slices lean bacon, cut into 1” strips
12 baby onions, (24 pearl) peeled and left whole
½ lb button mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup cognac
1 3/4  cup red wine
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large sprig thyme (or a generous 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Place the chicken, flour, salt and pepper in a gallon size ziploc bag and shake well ensuring the chicken is liberally coated with the mixture.
2. In a skillet heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil on medium high and add the chicken pieces.Brown the chicken for 2 minutes on either side until it turns a lightly golden color. Stir the remainder of the flour from the bag into the browned chicken and transfer to your slow cooker. 
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and saute the bacon, onions and mushrooms for 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until glazed and shiny. Drain any excess fat from the skillet and transfer the mixture into your slow cooker.
4. Stir the cognac, wine, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, oregano and bay leaf into the chicken mixture.
5. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3 1/2 – 4 hours.