Crockpot Chili for Halloween Night

This recipe turned out so yummy! Secret Ingredient: Just a kick of Cinnamon

There's nothing like a warm meal on a cold night!

Every Halloween we have been having Chili around the time we go trick or treating, as a tradition. This year we had mandarin oranges for snack before we left and Chili, Healthy Caramel apples, my homemade wassle in the cauldron with dry ice, and healthified popcorn when we got back. It was a great night. The kids were full on good food, so they only had a few pieces of candy with their popcorn as they watched their scary Scooby Doo movie.

Recipe:

On the stove in a pan on medium heat add:

1 Tbsp. Coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

1 C. carrots, chopped

1/4 C. celery, chopped

1 sweet red pepper, chopped

1 tsp. garlic, diced

Cook until the onions are translucent. 

Transfer to a crockpot.

Then add:

1 can diced tomatoes in juice

15 oz cans, drained: 

Great White Northern Beans

Pinto Beans

Kidney Beans

Black Beans

1 15 oz can of your favorite chili

2 C. water

Then add:

1 Tbsp. Chili powder

1 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Stir and let cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on High. 

Can serve with corn bread or chips with cheese, chopped green onions, etc. 

Enjoy!

Recipe by: Becky

Vegetable Coconut Curry over rice

We love Curry at our house. So, I thought I would make it tonight for dinner. It was delicious!

This is just vegetables, but you can also add chicken, lamb, pork, or any other meat you would like. 

Chop up you favorite veggies into bite sized pieces. I added: Red onion, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, red pepper, bell pepper, and potatoes. 

In a large frying pan add 1 Tbsp. oil (I used coconut oil), Cook vegetables for about 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp. chopped garlic, Dash of sesame seeds, and 1 tsp. salt.

Add 1 can coconut milk.

Add 1 can evaporated milk, or about 2 C. any milk you prefer.

Add 1/2 tsp. Turmeric

Chop up some ginger and add it to the veggies. 

Add 1 Tbsp. Curry powder.

A dash of Cayenne gives it an extra kick! (We like spice!)

Chop up some basil leaves and add them (optional).

Add a dash of black pepper, 1 Tbsp. vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar), and 1/4 C. sweetened coconut flakes.

Let simmer until veggies are tender and ready to eat. 

Serve over rice. We like to use Jasmine rice for this dish (cooked with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt). We served ours with corn on the cob and watermelon juice (watermelon, honeydew, water, ice, mint leaves, and vanilla).

 

Vegetable Coconut Curry

3-4 C. Vegetables (cabbage, red onion, potatoes, carrots, red pepper, bell pepper, ginger, cauliflower), chopped into bite sized pieces

1 Tbsp. Coconut oil

1 tsp. Garlic, chopped

Dash of Sesame seeds, optional

1 tsp. salt

1 can coconut milk

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 Tbsp. Curry powder

Dash of Cayenne pepper

5-6 basil leaves

Dash of black pepper

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1/4 C. sweetened coconut flakes

This is totally off the top of my head, and I used what sounded good. I hope it makes sense. :)

Enjoy! Recipe by: Becky

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I followed it exactly including the toppings. I would consider this mild spicy. You may want to go lighter or heavier on the chili powder depending on your spice level.
Serves 6. Hands-on Time: 25 minutes. Total Time: 60 mintues.
chili:
2 Tb oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp orange zest
Salt and Pepper
Toppings:
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
sour cream
1. Heat oil in a 4 to 6 quart dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cumin, then add the broth andsweet potatoes and stir well to combine.
2. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is heated through and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more. Stir in the orange zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Serve the chili topped with green onions, cilantro, and sour cream.

Not only is it delicious, it's beautiful too with the bright orange, red and black, sprinkled with white and green on top.


Recipe by my friend: Kristen


We didn't prefer the orange zest in our soup. I guess it just depends on your preference. 

Artichoke with garlic lemon butter

I grew up eating artichokes with the fam. It was funny, because there were a lot of kids in my family. So, we each got a little bit, especially of the "heart". My mom loves Artichokes too. Now that I am grown, me and my middle son are the only ones that like these, in my little family. They are so tasty. I feel a Nostalgic feeling when I eat them.

Trim off thorny ends on each leaf and at the top.

Rinse off & place in a pot of boiling water. Make sure it's covered. Boil for 25 minutes. Then remove with tongs, shake and let water drip out of the artichoke. 

  

Place on a plate. Have another one next to it for the "eaten" leaves.

 Make butter by melting: 2 1/2 Tbsp. butter in the microwave. Then add 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/8 tsp. garlic salt. Stir well. (Sorry I didn't take a close up picture of the butter!)

Take off each leaf one at a time, dip in butter mixture, scrape off the soft bottom with your front teeth, and chew. Ha ha!

 Me & my boy

  

When you get all the leaves eaten up, (be careful about the little soft leaves. They have little thorns on the top of them, just eat carefully), cut off all the little "hairs". 

  

Then you get to the "heart" of the artichoke.

  

Cut off the stem. Then cut the heart into pieces. Dip & enjoy. This is the best part!

Recipe by: Becky
Got recipe idea and inspiration from my mom Pat. Thanks mom!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a nice refreshing salad. Great to have for lunch!

Ingredients:
3 C. spinach leaves, washed
1/2 C. strawberries, sliced
1/4 C. green onions, chopped
1/2 C. mushrooms, sliced, optional
Top with: Honey roasted sunflower nuts
Top with dressing.
Toss together.

Dressing:
1/2 C. oil
1 tsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. dill
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Whisk together well & store in an airtight container.

Recipe by: Becky

Garlic Greens

I've been trying to eat more healthily lately. This is a great recipe to do just that.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
4 C. greens (Kale, Collard Greens, spinach)
2 cloves garlic, smashed & diced
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
3 Tbsp. honey sunflower seeds

In a skillet heat olive oil.
Add greens & garlic.
Cook for 5-10 minutes, until greens are wilted.
Top with salt & pepper, and sunflower seeds.

Recipe by: Becky

Crispy Asparagus

Cut off ends of Asparagus.
Place in a 8X8 inch or 9X13 inch baking dish
Add:
1 C. water
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of Lemon Pepper
Cover with Tin Foil
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crispy you want it.

Recipe by: Becky

Vegetable Beef Soup

Growing up we would have vegetable beef soup, but from a can. I thought I would try to make it homemade and it turned out very hearty and delicious!
I had some left over roast beef that I needed to use up. So this is how I did it.

In a pot start boiling about 5 C. water and 1 tsp. salt.
Chop up:
2 C. roast beef
3 lrg. carrots, peeled
1 onion
2 Celery stalks
3 lrg mushrooms (shhh, my family doesn't like mushrooms. They had no idea I put them in it. :) Lets keep it that way.)
1 clove garlic
1 lrg. potato or 2 small ones
1/4 C. rolled oats or barley

Put in water and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are soft.
Then add:
1/2 C. cooked pinto beans, optional
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1 C. frozen peas
1 tsp. Italian Seasoing
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Cook for another 10 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Great served with Garlic Bread.

Garlic Bread
In a bowl mix:
1/2 tsp. garlic salt or garlic powder
1/2 C. olive oil
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash, original
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

Mix well and spoon over sliced bread or rolls.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Recipes by: Becky

Sweet Coleslaw

This was a huge hit at our house. Even my husband loved it and he usually doesn't like coleslaw. (I usually just buy the coleslaw dressing and pour it over the mix).

In a salad bowl add:
1 pkg. coleslaw mix (you find it in the produce section at the grocery store).
2 Tbsp. onion, diced
2 Tbsp. diced green and red pepper
Stir together well.
In a separate bowl mix:
1/3 C. mayo
2 Tbsp. oil
1/4 C. sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dill
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Whisk together and pour over coleslaw mix.
Then add:
1/4 C. sliced almonds
1/4 C. peanuts
Toss together and there you have it.
Enjoy!
Store in the fridge.

Recipe by: Becky

Vegetables & Beans

This actually turned out to be a great side dish. The picture looks a bit foggy, but it is actually steam coming off the vegetables. I am always trying to find a way to incorporate beans into our diet, they are so good for the body. So, this is what I came up with.

In a pan on the stove add:
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Heat.
1/2 C. onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3-4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4 green and red bell pepper, chopped
Cook until vegetables are soft.
Then add:
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of black pepper
Dash of Mrs. Dash original seasoning, optional

Serve.

Recipe by: Becky

Honey glazed Carrots

In a pot on the stove put:
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to Medium low.
Cover with a lid and cook about 15 minutes, or until soft.
Take lid off and drain excess liquid.
Top with:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. honey
Dash of salt and pepper.
Stir until evenly coated. 

Tasty!

Recipe by: Becky

Mashed Cauliflower

I have heard a lot about this instead of mashed potatoes, I guess it is a healthier alternative.

In a pot on the stove add:
3 C. cauliflower, chopped

Cover with water and boil until soft.

Add:
2 garlic cloves, smashed and diced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
Dash of Black pepper
Dash of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning

Mash this mixture all up with a fork or put it in the food processor.

Enjoy!

Recipe by: Becky

Healthy Vegetable Hash

The other day I wanted to use up a bit of items in the fridge and I wanted a healthy snack, so this is what I made.

In a pan on the stove add;
1 tsp. oil
Heat.

Then add:
1 C. mushrooms, chopped
1 C. Cauliflower, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 C. ham, chopped
Dash of salt and pepper
Mrs. Dash Seasoning of Choice

Cook, stirring frequently until golden brown.

Recipe by: Becky

Green Salad

In a large bowl add:
3 C. chopped Romaine lettuce, washed
2 C. baby spinach leaves, washed
1/2 C. cherry tomatoes
1 avocado, chopped in bite size pieces (cut avocado in half, remove pit, cut long wise once and horizontal twice, scoop out with spoon)
1/2 C. grated carrots
1/8 C. green onions, chopped

Serve with light salad dressing:
1 C. canola oil
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash, Garlic and Herb

Recipe by: Becky

Vegetable Curry with Sticky Rice

I love the taste of Curry, but wanted something vegetarian for the night.

For the Rice:
I just made Jasmine rice. To make it more flavorful add chicken stock in place of the water. Just follow the recipe on the back of the bag.

For the Vegetable Curry:
In a skillet on the stove add:
3-4 Tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Lrg.  carrots, chopped
3 Lrg. Potatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 can coconut milk
Cook until vegetables are tender.
Add spices:
1 Tbsp. curry powder
Red Pepper flakes, just a pinch
Ginger, 1/4 tsp.
Salt, 1/2 tsp.
Black pepper, 1/4 tsp.
Cook for about 10 more minutes.
Serve over rice and with Indian Bread.

Recipe by: Becky

Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is one of my new favorite side dishes.
Peel squash with a potato peeler. Cut with a firm knife into cubes. Put in a pan with 2 Tbsp. butter. Brown on both sides. Then add about 1 C. water, salt, pepper, and seasonings to taste.

Spinach Salad

Salad
1 bunch Green Leaf Lettuce
1 bunch spinach
3/4 lb. Swiss cheese, grated
3/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 can mandarin oranges= 1 C. or 1 C. sliced strawberries
1/2 C. slivered almonds
3 Tbsp. sugar

Stir and cook sugar and almonds over low heat in a non stick pan until caramelized. Be patient it takes about 10 minutes, just make sure to constantly stir with wooden spoon. Mix lettuce and spinach in a large bowl. Layer cheese, mushrooms, onions, bacon, oranges (or strawberries), and almonds on top.

Feeds about 10-12 people

Recipe by: Pat


Best served with Poppy Seed Dressing

Broccoli Salad

This salad is very enjoyable to eat. I love the crunch.
What you will need:
1 Head of broccoli, cut up
1/2 C. red onion, diced
2 Tbsp. Salted sunflower seeds or nuts
1/3 C. mayo
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
Dash of Salt & Pepper
4 slices of bacon (I didn't have any bacon, so I just cut up a few pieces of ham and fried it up)

Rinse and trim broccoli, cut it up in chunks. Cut up onion. Put broccoli and onion in a bowl with nuts. In a separate bowl mix mayo, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper. Mix up and pour over items in the bowl. Mix. Top with bacon and stir a bit.

Veggie Medley

Mix your favorite veggies in a glass baking dish. Put 1 cup of water in the bottom. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and seasonings. Cover with foil and place in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. After cooked put butter on top.

Recipe by: Becky