Chicken Chili Tacos
Who says that you have to sacrifice your New Year’s diet to enjoy a hearty Mexican meal? This is a great recipe for the weekend, weeknights or if you’re feeding a crowd.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Ground Chicken
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Seeded & Minced Jalapeno
3 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
8 Ounces Tomato Sauce
14 Ounces Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
5 Cups Cooked Kidney Beans
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
12 Medium Size Tortillas
1 Cup Low-Fat Sour Cream
2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 Cups Guacamole
In a large soup pot sauté the ground chicken over a medium high heat until no longer pink.Drain off any fat. Add the chopped onions and minced jalapeno.Cook for 5 minutes until softened.Stir in the ground cumin, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans and chicken broth.Mix well.Season with the salt, pepper and cayenne.Continue to cook over a medium high heat for 45 minutes.Stir often.Ladle into a large bowl.Spoon into the tortilla and top with sour cream, guacamole and shredded cheddar cheese.Serve 6
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
This cake is so light and not too sweet that it can be eaten for breakfast. You could also turn this recipe into muffins.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
3 Eggs
4 Teaspoons Lemon Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a large size bowl add all of the ingredients and beat with a mixer on low for 3 minutes. Stir in the poppy seeds. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Pour into the prepared Bundt pan and place into the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer to a cake plate. Serves 12
Winter Potato Salad
I really love potatoes and think that a winter potato salad is true comfort food. No mayonnaise in this Winter Potato Salad that is to get served warm or at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Boiled Potatoes
4 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Wine Vinegar
8 Sliced Celery Stalks
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Scrub the potatoes and put into a large pot of water to cover the potatoes. Boil for 25 minutes until cooked, but still firm. Remove from the pot and cool for 2 minutes and then peel the skin while the potatoes are still warm. Cut into medium size wedges and place into a large size bowl. Add the celery, garlic, oregano, kosher salt and pepper. Gently toss. Add the olive oil and wine vinegar and toss again. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4
Lamb Meatball Sliders
These sliders are delicious. If you’re having trouble finding slider buns then just use dinner rolls for the buns. I like using a good potato roll.
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Diced Yellow Onion
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Tablespoon Fennel Seeds
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1 1/2 Pound Ground Lamb
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Sauce:
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Diced White Onion
3 Diced Garlic Cloves
28 Ounces Crushed Tomatoes
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Herbs de Provence
To make the meatballs heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Stir constantly. Add the fennel seeds and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium size bowl. Set aside. In a large size bowl add the ground lamb, eggs and breadcrumbs, kosher salt and pepper. Add the onion mixture that was set aside. Mix all of the ingredients with your hands. Form the lamb mixture into 10 golf ball size meatballs. Place the meatballs back into the large sauté pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side. You will want the meatballs to be slightly browned on each side. Remove from the sauté pan and place onto a large plate.
To make the sauce heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1 minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes and their juices. Stir in the red pepper flakes, kosher salt, pepper, oregano and herbs de Provence. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs to the sauce and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes until cooked through.
To assemble the sliders just place 1 meatball on each slider bun or dinner roll and add extra sauce. Place the top on and repeat until you have assembled all of the sliders. Serve the extra sauce on the side. Makes 10 sliders.
Cherry Pumpkin Bread
This pumpkin bread is so moist and the dried cherries really add a little zip to the bread. It’s easy to make and holds up well. Sometimes if I have leftover I make it into French toast.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Grapeseed Oil
3 Eggs
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 Cup Dried Cherries
1/4 Cup Water
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a large size bowl combine the sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, grapeseed oil and eggs. Beat until well blended. In a separate large size bowl combine the unbleached flour, kosher salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Fold In dried cherries.Spoon the pumkin batter into a 9x5x3 parchment paper lined loaf pan. Place into the oven for 70 minutes or until done. The bread should be golden brown. Remember that all ovens are different so it may take a bit longer or a bit shorter time for the bread to be done. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove the bread from the pan by pulling the sides of the parchment paper. Set on a wire rack and cool completely. Makes 1 delicious Cherry Pumpkin Bread! YUM YUM!!
Double Ginger Gingerbread
Here is a perfect holiday dessert for after meals and parties. You can top with powdered sugar, whipped cream or ice cream. The crystallized ginger gives this gingerbread something a little extra.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2 1/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/3 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Molasses
3 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
6 Tablespoons Crystallized Ginger
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper letting the paper hang over the edges of the pan. In a large size bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground allspice and ground nutmeg. Set aside. In a large size bowl beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses. Add the eggs one at a time making sure to beat after each addition. Add the flour mixture a bit at a time followed by a bit of the milk after each addition. Do this until you have added all of the flour mixture and the milk. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Pour into the parchment paper lined loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes until done. Remove from the oven and let cool. Lift out by the parchment paper sides. Slice and serve. Serves 8
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
I had a ton of vegetables in my fridge that were close to expiring so I decided to make Shepherd's Pie vegetarian style! To make this a vegan dish swap out the butter for a non-dairy butter.
INGREDIENTS
3 Diced Parsnips
1 Chopped Onion
2 Cups Mixed Vegetables (Chopped Carrots, Corn & Peas)
2 Pounds Potatoes
1 Stick Salted Butter
1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Peel and quarter potatoes. Boil in water until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large frying pan. Sauté the onions in butter until tender over medium heat for about 10 minutes. If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put the parsnips and carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas at the end of the cooking of the onions. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add half a cup of the vegetable broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add more vegetable broth as necessary to keep moist. Mash potatoes in a bowl with remainder of the butter. Season with the salt and pepper. Place the vegetables and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. Cook in a preheated 400° F oven about 30 minutes or until bubbling and brown. Broil for last new minutes if necessary to brown. Serves 4
Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
I love dark chocolate much more than milk chocolate. Here is a great easy recipe for dark chocolate chip cookies.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
2 1/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large size bowl mix together the butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the dark chocolate chips and mix for another minute. Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper. With a teaspoon scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the parchment paper. Place 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until done. Remember that each oven is different from the next so you may want to check the cookies at 9 minutes. I like to take the cookies out a bit early so they are nice and soft because the cookies will continue to cook after removal from the oven. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Repeat until you are finished cooking all of the dough. Makes 54 cookies
Ridiculously Easy Turkey Gravy
Here is the trick to making this gravy so easy just make it ahead of time and then add the drippings later.
INGREDIENTS
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
4 Cups Chicken Broth
Turkey Pan Drippings
1/4 Cup White Wine
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a large saucepan heat the butter over a medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add the flour while whisking and cook for 1 minute. Whisk constantly. Heat the chicken stock and pour in the hot stock while continuing to whisk. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 2 minutes. Whisk occasionally. Remove from the heat and refrigerate if you are not using immediately. This gravy can be made for up to two days ahead of time. When you are ready to finish the gravy reheat the mixture over a medium heat. When the turkey is done remove it from the roasting pan and let it rest before carving. Pour out the fat from the pan, but leave the drippings. Put the roasting pan on the burner over a medium heat. Pour the white wine into the pan with the reserved drippings. Stir and scrap with a spoon to loosen the browned bits. Pour into the warmed gravy mixture that you prepared ahead of time and cook for 10 minutes on low. Add the salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and serve hot. Makes 4 cups.
Cranberry Sauce
I am thankful for cranberry sauce that doesn’t come out of a can.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
12 Ounces Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
2 Tablespoons Grated Orange Zest
In a medium size sauce pan combine the sugar, water and orange juice. Bring to a boil and add the cranberries. Bring back to a boil and then reduce the heat and gently boil for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in the orange zest. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Place in the fridge until time to serve. Makes 2 1/4 cups.
