Slow Cooker Lentil Chili

Original Recipe HERE

 

This almost filled my entire 5.5 quart (I think?) slow cooker.  Therefore we ate it for two dinners, plus we had leftovers for lunches.  Good thing everyone liked it, though it looked like it would've frozen well.  Or, instead, you could just cut the ingredients in half (or maybe just use less canned beans) and adjust cooking time slightly.  As long as the lentils are sufficiently softened, it's ready to go.  I served it with cheddar dill biscuits.

 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño, diced, seeds removed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced [I didn't have one]
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes
1 bag (16 oz) brown lentils, rinsed
2 cans (15 oz each) small red beans, rinsed and drained [I used 1 black and 1 great northern]
2-3 tablespoons chili powder [I used 1-1/2 Tablespoons]
1 tablespoon cumin [I omitted]

1 to 2 Tablespoons seasoning of choice [I used a Cajun mix]
Salt and black pepper, to taste

"Mexican-style" toppings of choice

 

Directions

(1) Dice onion, peppers, and carrot.  Mince garlic.

(2) Remove seeds from jalapeno; finely chop.

(3) Add all ingredients to slow cooker.  Stir to combine.

(4) Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.

(5) If desired, blend a small portion of the soup to thicken it.

(6) Serve warm with sour cream, shredded cheese, diced green onion, etc.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Slowcooker Corn & Bean Soup

Original Recipe HERE

 

This is a standard, sturdy recipe that doesn't open new culinary horizons, but it's tasty and healthy and light enough that you don't feel like you have five gallons of soup sloshing around in your stomach afterward.

 

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can (28 oz) diced tomato

2 cans (15 oz each) beans of choice, drained & rinsed [I used black and pinto]

1 bag (1 lb) frozen corn kernels

1 medium zucchini, grated & drained

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 box (32 oz) vegetable stock

accompaniments

 

Directions

(1) Heat oil on medium heat in a large skillet.

(2) Add onions; cook for 3 minutes.

(3) Add garlic, chili powder, and cumin.  Cook 1 minute.

(4) Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker.

(5) Add remaining ingredients; stir to combine.

(6) Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

(7) Serve with accompaniments: sliced green onions, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Sausage, Pepper, & Potato Bake

Original Recipe HERE

 

I made some tweaks to the original recipe - namely, adding turmeric.  It wasn't sure if the dish would have enough flavor for my liking.  And there's only so many times you can dump garlic salt into something before your taste buds start getting immune to the flavor.  I fished around my spice shelf, opened a few containers and sniffed, and decided it was turmeric's night to shine.  I liked the result and resolved to use this unappetizingly colorful spice more frequently.

 

Ingredients

4 precooked sausage links [I used chicken]

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 cups red potatoes, cubed

1/4 teaspoon turmeric [or to taste]

2 peppers, diced [red, green, yellow, or orange]

1 leek [white part], cleaned and sliced

4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped

14-oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

salt & pepper

3/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice [I used garlic & herb]

 

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

(2) Slice sausage in half lengthwise and then into thin slices.

(3) Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage; brown.  Remove from skillet; set aside.

(4) Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil to skillet.  Add potatoes; cook 6-8 minutes or until a light brown crust forms.  Halfway through cooking, add turmeric.

(5) Add peppers; saute 2-3 minutes or until peppers are tender-crisp.  Remove mixture from skillet; set aside.

(6) Add remaining olive oil to skillet.  Add leek; saute 2-3 minutes or until tender.

(7) Add garlic; saute 1 minute.

(8) Add tomatoes to skillet; stir mixture well.

(9) Add broth; bring to a gentle boil.  Season with salt and pepper.

(10) Pour mixture into 2-quart casserole dish.  Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes.  Remove foil; sprinkle with cheese; bake an additional 10 minutes.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Risotto Primavera

Original recipe is from a box of College Inn chicken broth cans.

This wasn't as time-consuming or labor-intensive as I thought it would be, since the words "risotto" and "arborio" scare me off, especially on weeknights when I can't commit to standing over a stove and watching my masterpiece intently and constantly.  It turned out fine with just the occasional stirring from me, and I figured that if it wasn't absorbing the broth as it should, I could drain some off or add more, and the other tastes and textures in the dish would cover up any mistakes I made.  We ate it as our main dish (because I was lazy), but it's probably intended as a side.  I'm sure other vegetables could be substituted, such as asparagus or zucchini (but be careful not to let it get mushy).  The kids each ate a bowl and asked for a second, which neither finished.  I ate the rest for lunch the next day with no complaints.

Ingredients

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 Tablespoons butter

1 cup arborio or long grain rice [I used arborio]

2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth, divided

1 cup chopped fresh broccoli

3/4 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

(1) In large skillet over medium heat, cook mushrooms and onion in butter 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.

(2) Stir in rice; turn down heat if necessary.  Add 1 cup broth; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed.  Repeat twice, using 1 cup broth each time.

(3) Add remaining broth, broccoli, and bell pepper.  Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until broth is absorbed and vegetables are tender.  Stir in cheese.  Yield: 6 servings (about 4 1/2 cups total)

Notes: None.

Kid Participation: None.  I'm not trusting my four-year old to stand vigilant over (or even casually check in on) risotto.  And there's that little thing about not letting her use a stovetop yet, too.

Couscous & Feta-stuffed Peppers

Original Recipe HERE

I was nervous about this dish because I don't always like cooked peppers.  Roasted, yes.  But so often they're served as part of something else and are mushy, limp, and almost bitter.  I'm pleased to announce that this dish has assuaged my fear and will be made again.  I assume the trick is to use sweeter peppers instead of green.

*J* ate the filling but didn't like the pepper shell, which was not a surprise.  What did shock me was how much *N* loved the entire thing, even asking for seconds.  I was so excited that she was eating peppers for once, instead of fastidiously picking them out of her meal, that I even let her use a "grown up knife" (under eagle-eyed supervision) to cut the pepper into bite-size pieces.

Ingredients
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup couscous
4 extra-large or 5 large bell peppers [red, yellow, or orange]
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 zucchini or yellow squash [or a combination of both] peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced across thinly
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half [or one large tomato, diced with seeds removed]
15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.
(2) Bring the broth to a boil in a small pot.  Add the couscous; cover and remove from the heat.
(3) Cut stems and top half inch off peppers.  Scoop out seeds and membranes.
(4) Place peppers upright in the baking dish.  Roast for 15 minutes or until they soften.  Remove from the oven.
(5) Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion, zucchini, squash, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
(6) Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, chickpeas and tomato paste. Scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in crumbled feta.
(7) Fill peppers with the couscous mixture. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
 
Notes: Only change I would make is to make the tomato flavor more pronounced (via pasta sauce or more tomato paste) to fit my personal preference.
 

Kid Participation: None.

Veggie Pizza Appetizers

This is a dish for which I pulled inspiration from several sources...several years ago.  It's a "make it up as you go to suit your own taste" kind of thing.  But it's always a hit at parties because people feel good about themselves for eating something loaded with vegetables.  It justifies going back for seconds (or fifths) of the queso dip or barbecue meatballs.  Using a variety of colorful vegetables - and chopping them very small so no one veggie dominates a particular slice of the pizza - draws attention to this appetizer.

Ingredients for "Sauce"

2 tubes crescent rolls

8 oz low-fat cream cheese [or to taste]

4 oz low-fat sour cream [or to taste]

bottled ranch dressing [or powdered ranch dressing mix]

1/4 cup salsa [optional]

grated parmesan [optional]

seasonings [garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, smoked

paprika etc.]

Ingredients for Toppings

green onions

broccoli

carrots

red onion

radishes

peppers [red, green, yellow, or orange]

shredded Mexican cheese [optional]

Directions

1) Put cream cheese in mixing bowl and allow to soften slightly.

2) Unroll crescent rolls and spread onto baking sheet.  Distribute as evenly as possible and seal all seams.

3) Bake crescent rolls according to package directions.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely or until just slightly warm.

4) Add sour cream and ranch (and optional salsa) to cream cheese in several increments.  Mix thoroughly each time until desired consistency is reached (should be spreadable but not runny). 

5) Mix in optional parmsean and seasonings.  Evenly spread cheese mixture over crescent rolls.

6) Finely chop vegetables into smaller-than-bite-size pieces.  Toss together to mix well.

7) Scatter chopped vegetables over cheese mixture.  Top with shredded cheese (optional).  Gently press toppings to ensure they stay in place.

8) Cut pizza into pieces of desired size.  Refrigerate until serving.

Notes: None.

Kid Participation:

* Seal crescent roll seams

* Mix sauce ingredients together

* Spread sauce over crescent rolls

* Add toppings to pizza