Quick Easy 25 min Homemade Chili

This is a go to recipe for our family! We love chili but just flat out don't have the time to do all that soaking the beans etc that a traditional chili would take. This recipe is adapted from a cooking genius friend of mine who taught me a lot of domestic things in my earlier years whom will forever be thankful for!! 

Quick and Easy 25 min Chili

3lbs ground meat 

(we used chicken we had ground ourselves but hamburger or turkey works great too!!)

1 onion diced

2 cloves diced garlic or to taste

4 cans of chili beans undrained

1 15oz can of tomato sauce

2 TBS cumin or to taste

1/2 TBS chili powder or to taste

2 tsp liquid smoke

1/2 tsp chipotole powder

6 drops Tabasco or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

grated cheese for garnish

Brown meat with onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink and onion is translucent. Drain if it is needed. Add chili beans and tomato sauce. Add all seasonings to taste. :) Serve with a little cheese on top. PS this makes a huge pot,  Feel free to adjust the amounts to fit your needs.

Asian Inspired Salad

I am one of those people that loves salad once I am eating it but I rarely go out and choose it. You know what I mean? We had dinner with some friends the other night and she made this awesome asian-esque salad to balance the ribs she made. The tang really cut the fat of the ribs in the perfect way. It was delicious!! So the next day I made my own version. 

Mmmmm, right? So pretty!

Asian Inspired Salad

Salad:

1/2 head Napa cabbage

1/4-1/2 head of red cabbage 

1 yellow pepper 

1 red bell pepper 

2 cups sugar snap peas

1 bunch cilantro

Dressing:

1 tbsp sugar

1 knuckle ginger

3 cloves garlic

1-3 tbsp soy sauce

1/2-1 cup sesame oil

1/2-1 cup rice wine vinegar

Chop all the salad ingredients into bite sized pieces and mix in a large bowl. For dressing put garlic and ginger in food processor and chop until fine. Add all other dressing ingredients and blend until combined. Pour dressing over salad greens and serve immediately. 

*this salad lasts in the fridge without the dressing on it for a couple days. Just throw a moistened paper towel over the top and store. 

*chopped up rotisserie chicken is awesome in this salad

*ingredients in dressing are to taste. I use more like a thumb sized piece of ginger because we love it so much.

Black Bean and Yam Enchiladas-A great recipe for meatless monday!

I found this recipe from the wonderful shrinking kitchen! She has super duper, healthy recipes and you should totally check her blog out! Click here!! we love Black Bean Enchiladas at our house! Especially the homemade enchilada sauce! Wonderful and no stuff I can't pronounce in it! Yay! Totally meatless too. Sweet! 

Here's the recipe!!

Black Bean and Yam Enchiladas

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons flour
2 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce
3 cups lower sodium chicken broth 
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/ t2easpoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
3 cups of the enchilada sauce
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups yam, cooked and mashed
2 15 ounce can black beans, drained
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
18 small corn tortillas

To make the Enchilada Sauce
In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chili powder and flour whisking constantly to combine. Mixture will be a thick paste (roux).
Slowly add in a small amount of tomato sauce whisking until the roux has dissolved.  Once the roux is combined, add the rest of the tomato sauce and chicken broth. Whisk to combine.
Add in the rest of the spices, stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and use in your enchilada recipe, or cool and divide into containers for storage.

For the Casserole
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions, saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove the onions from heat and throw in the beans and the yam. Mix well.
Measure out 3 cups of the enchilada sauce you just made. Set the rest aside - it freezes well. Save it for your next batch!
In a 9x13 baking dish, lay out six of the corn tortillas. You may need to tear one up - you just want to make sure you're covering the bottom of the dish.
Spoon some of the enchilada sauce onto the tortillas and spread around.
Dot 1/2 of the bean/yam mixture over the tortillas and sauce, then spread as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese over the bean/yam mixture.
Repeat the layers EXCEPT the cheese.
To finish, do the final layer of tortillas, then pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top.
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
PS only 239 calories per serving!!

LOVES!!

Emily

Award winning homemade Crock Pot Pasta Sauce

This sauce is GOOD! We use is as our sauce for lasagna, baked ziti, cheese ravioli etc. It makes a lot so its likely you will have left overs to throw in the freezer which is always nice.

Crock Pot Pasta Sauce

 1 pound sweet Italian sausage

 1 pound lean ground beef (we use ground turkey)

 1/2 cup minced onion

 2 cloves garlic, crushed

 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

 1 12oz can tomato paste

 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce

 1/2 cup water

 2 tablespoons white sugar

 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

 1 tablespoon salt

 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned and place in your crock pot.

 Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning,salt, and pepper.

 Simmer in crock pot, for approx 3-4 hours on high, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!!

Taco Pizza!!

I love finding great recipes on pinterest! Especially when they end up being as good as they sound! My family really enjoys this recipe for taco pizza!  Especially my dear daughter Lindsay. This pan was actually made by her to take to a friend.  

Doesn't it look tasty?

Taco Pizza Serves 12

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
2 (8 oz.) cans crescent rolls
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans 
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced black olives
4 green onions, chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning to the ground beef according to the package directions.

Unroll crescent rolls into rectangles. Place in ungreased 11 1/2 inch x 16 1/2 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Press dough over the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust.  Bake at 375 oven for 11 to 13 minutes or just until golden brown.

  Carefully spread beans over warm crust creating a thin layer.
Top with cooked beef mixture, sprinkle with cheese followed by tomatoes, black olives and green onion.  Return to oven for 3-6 more minutes until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.  Makes 12 main dish servings or 48 appetizers.

Yummy Sour Cream Enchilada Bake

This recipe is a lazy person looking to have the yummy tastes of A good sour cream enchilada with out having to roll individual enchiladas. HAHA! It is just as yummy and My family loves it! And it is my own. Yep this my friends is my own original recipe and I am sharing with you today. WOW! We must be great friends...I don't share recipes with just anyone. :)

Seriously.

Emily's Sour Cream Enchilada Bake

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs cooked and cubed Boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bag 9-10oz of tortilla chips crushed (kids love to crush the chips) 

I 16oz tub of sour cream

1 family size cream of mushroom soup

1 7oz green chili can undrained

1/2 C of milk

1 lb grated med to sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Reserve about 1 cup of cheese. Mix the remaining ingredients together and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Top with reserved cheese. Bake for approx 30 mins or until cheese is melted and the bake is bubbly. 

LOVES!!

Emily

Two thumbs up, slap your Mama Ribs-A Fathers Day Dinner Idea

We baked these up for our "after church meal" Sunday and they were unbelievably good! My kids were thanking me over and over again for the awesome deliciousness.  It is going to make a wonderful Fathers Day meal too! 

What dad wouldn't enjoy a marvelous rib dinner? 

INGREDIENTS
1 rack of pork ribs (ours was about 5 lbs of spareribs) It needs to be able to fit on a broiler pan)
1 box chicken broth (32Oz)
Rub mixture
improved BBQ sauce 

Preheat oven to 250, Fill the bottom of a broiler pan with the chicken broth and replace the slotted top. Place the ribs on the slotted top.  Sprinkle rub mixture all over the ribs and rub in. (rub recipe below) Seal the ribs air tight in the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 12 hours. Once they are out turn on the broiler to high and spoon and spread the improved BBQ sauce (sauce instructions below) over the ribs.  Place them back in the oven or out on the grill to broil just barely long enough for the sauce to start to caramelize. Serve and ENJOY!

PS Don't have 12 hours? Raise the temp to 300 and you could go 3-4 hours and be good. Although the longer the better of course. :)

Jason's RUB
1/2 C Brown sugar
2 TBS Salt
1 TBS Smoked Salt
1/2 TBS chili Powder
1/2 TBS onion powder
1/2 TBS garlic powder 
Mix all in an air tight container. Store extra for future needs. 

IMPROVED BBQ SAUCE
Just simply add brown sugar and honey to taste to your favorite BBQ sauce. (we used sweet baby ray's this time) This makes it really easy to caramelize. This also code for watch it closely so it doesn't get over done which can happen rapidly.

Be on the look out for the potato salad recipe and the country baked beans recipe and also how to make your own smoked salt!! 

LOVES!!

Emily
  

Spaetzle-A German Dumplings dish I learned from my Mama

This is a dish my wonderful mom would make for us often and I love it.  It is German and so are we. (at-least partly)Its fairly reasonable in price and definitely a feel good food.

 I think you'll love it! 

(we quadruple this baby because it 

tastes even better the next day)

Spaetzle Casserole

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 pinch freshly ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 gallon hot water

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 LLB smoked sausage sliced

1 can green beans

1 family size cream of mushroom soup

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.

2. Meanwhile pan fry sliced smoked sausage

2.Press dough through spaetzle maker, or a large holed sieve or metal grater.

3.Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

4.Saute cooked spaetzle in butter or margarine. 

5. Mix in the soup, green beans and smoked sausage and serve

ut