Ridiculously Easy Vegetarian Chili

 

This recipe came from CNN correspondent Candy Crowley, who won the veggie division of the annual CNN Chili cook-off. I found it here at Rachael Ray's website. I love that it's simple, has hominy in it, and is vegetarian. The taste was a little lacking, but come on, it's vegetarian. The cheese greatly improves it's taste though. It's the best vegetarian chili I've tasted...

Ridiculously Easy Vegetarian Chili


Ingredients

• 2 28 ounce can  crushed tomatoes
• 2 28 ounce can  hominy, rinsed
• 3 15 ounce can  pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 4 ounce can  chopped green chiles
• 2 small zucchinis, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

• In an 8-quart pot or Dutch oven, combine all of the ingredients except the cheese. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the chili has thickened, about 35 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and serve more on the side.

Easy Grape Salad

I brought this to my family's Easter Party yesterday. I kind of feel bad even putting this on my blog because it was just an OK recipe. Nobody asked for the recipe, but it was all gone when we went home. I didn't get a picture, but if you click on the link, you'll see the pics other people have taken at allrecipes.com. It was REALLY EASY like the title said. Whipped it together in about 7 minutes.

Easy Grape Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound seedless green grapes

1 pound seedless red grapes

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,softened

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme

1 (6 ounce) package slivered almonds

Directions:

1.Wash grapes in a colander under running water, and remove all stems. Place in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together the cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture over the grapes. Using a rubber spatula or large serving spoon, fold the mixture into the grapes until well coated. Fold in the almonds.

3.This salad may be served immediately, or covered and refrigerated for 1 hour to set slightly, and to allow flavors to blend.

Rice Pilaf

 Rice-a-Roni is  my good friend. Whenever I need a rice side dish, most of the time it's Rice-a-Roni that gets served. Obviously I love to try new things so making pilaf from scratch was on that list. Here's I recipe I adapted from my Food Nanny Cookbook:

Rice Pilaf
Ingredients

• 2 TBS unsalted butter
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 1/4 C long-grain white rice
• 2 1/2 C chicken broth

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir until the onion is soft but not brown. Stir in the rice until it is well-coated. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
2. Cover, decrease the heat, and simmer until the rice is tender and teh liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

It was good but I don't know if it's worth the effort for a side dish. I usually like to spend most of the time on the main course and then just do quick things for the sides. Anyways, here are my results:

Shepherd's Pie V

I was looking for an easy recipe for Shepherd's Pie and came across this one on allrecipes.com. It was quick and easy but lacked something in my opinion. I used instant potatoes which I would NOT do again. Homemade potatoes are the best thing in this world. I might use this again if I'm in a pinch, but for now, my search continues for that perfect Shepherd's Pie.

Shepherd's Pie V

Ingredients:
7 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pound ground round
1 cup water
2 cubes beef bouillon
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon steak seasoning
1 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
3. In a large heavy skillet, saute meat until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Drain excess fat and return meat to pan over medium heat. Pour in water and season with beef and chicken bouillon, rosemary, salt, pepper, steak seasoning and onion flakes. Stir in frozen vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated.
4. Pour meat mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Cover top with mashed potatoes. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top begins to brown.

Here are the results:

Irish Potato Candy

With St.Patrick's Day coming up, I decided to try a little Irish themed treat. Irish potato candy is not what you think, there are no potatoes used. It's a sweet treat made to look like potatoes. They turned out way cute, but I didn't like the taste, which was just pure sugar to me, BUT everybody else, including my husband, sister, and coworkers, said they were yummy. They would be really cute for a party!

Irish Potato Candy
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I used cinnamon sugar)

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar; beat until smooth. Using your hands if necessary, mix in the coconut. Roll into balls or potato shapes, and roll in the cinnamon. Place onto a cookie sheet and chill to set. If desired, roll potatoes in cinnamon again for darker color.

It was hard to get a good picture but here are the results:

Lime Cilantro Rice

Rice has always been a "blah" side dish for me. Don't get me wrong, I love Rice-A-Roni but homemade rice just doesn't float my boat. I tried a new recipe the other night and it was OK, but I was glad I tried it just because it was something different. I might try it again when I want a light and Mexican-ish side dish.

Lime Cilantro Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup long-grain white rice 1 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. Bring the water to a boil; stir the butter and rice into the water. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Stir the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro into the cooked rice just before serving.

Here are the results:

Tuscan Lentil Stew

My dear Mom gave me a little crock pot cookbook from Pillsbury the other day. I love using the crockpot and quickly thumbed through it to see what I could make with the ingredients I had on hand. This stew turned out pretty good. It was a recipe I'd make again but nothing that blew me away. It was very flavorful and reheated nicely too. Good way to get your lentils in also.

Tuscan Lentil Stew

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Progresso chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup dried lentils, sorted, rinsed
1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (I used red because it's all I had)
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes,undrained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes(I omitted because I'm a sissy)
fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped
fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:
Spray 4-to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix all ingredients except spinach and cheese.
Cover, cook on Low heat setting 8-10 hours.
Stir in spinach. Cover about 5 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Here are the results:

Scalloped Cheese Potatoes

I didn't get a picture of the Scalloped Cheese Potatoes I made the other night for dinner but I did try them and they turned out OK. It was a basic recipe for side of easy potatoes. I needed something fairly easy with the ingredients I had on hand, and this did the trick nicely.

Scalloped Cheese Potatoes:

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine potatoes and soup. Layer half of the mixture in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Dot with half of the butter and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I LOVE CHINESE FOOD! Just so you know. Anyways, the first time I had lettuce wraps was at P.F. Changs and they were dang good. So I began my own quest to make delicious lettuce wraps. The first recipe I tried was this one for Asian Lettuce Wraps. They turned out very good, but unfortunately I do not have a picture, but both me and my husband enjoyed them very much.

Since I had such luck with Rachael Ray's last recipe I tried, I decided to give her a shot again. I made her Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I can't decide if it was the hoisin sauce or the ginger that made it hot, but it was a little too hot for my taste. (Keep in mind that I am a wimp when it comes to spiciness though) It was the very first time I cooked with Shitake mushrooms and that was an experience. They had a very strong flavor before they were cooked that I do not recommend trying, but after they were cooked they taste just OK. Overall, I'm glad I tried the recipe because it was good, it was just not something I'd order again if I went to a restaurant.

Here's the final results:

Here's a better look at the ingredients:
Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
2 cups, 4 handfuls, fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds thin cut chicken breast or chicken tenders
2 tablespoons light colored oil, such as vegetable oil or peanut oil
Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger root, finely chopped or grated, optional
1 orange, zested
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
1 small tin, 6 to 8 ounces, sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 scallions, chopped
3 tablespoons hoisin, Chinese barbecue sauce, available on Asian foods aisle of market
1/2 large head iceberg lettuce, core removed, head quartered
Wedges of navel orange -- platter garnish
Directions
Remove tough stems from mushrooms and brush with damp towel to clean, Slice mushrooms. Chop chicken into small pieces.
Preheat a large skillet or wok to high.
Add oil to hot pan. Add chicken to the pan and sear meat by stir frying a minute or 2. Add mushrooms and cook another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to season, then garlic and ginger. Cook a minute more. Grate zest into pan, add bell pepper bits, chopped water chestnuts and scallions. Cook another minute, continuing to stir fry mixture. Add hoisin Chinese barbecue sauce and toss to coat the mixture evenly. Transfer the hot chopped barbecued chicken to serving platter and pile the quartered wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce along side. Add wedged oranges to platter to garnish. To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves, wrapping lettuce around fillings and squeeze an orange wedge over.

First Day!

I love reading other people's blogs but I'm not sure how good I will be at my own. I have decided to post what my hobbies are for a few reasons:
A. To show myself what I have done so I can pat myself on the back!
B. To encourage others to try new and different things!
C. To have fun!

My first order of the day was to bake some bread. Bread brings back many memories for me and one of my favorite types of bread is Dilly Bread. Some of it's unusual ingredients include: cottage cheese, dill, and salt but it all comes together and makes it so fabulous. Here's the link to the recipe.

And here's the final product:














Photography is definitely a hobby I need to work on. I'm hoping that the more I cook and photograph, the better I get!

I also thought of making this lovely Poppy Seed Chicken casserole but I didn't have all the ingredients. I decided to go out on limb. Those who know me, know I NEVER have done this before. I usually follow recipes very strictly and I NEVER make up my own recipe. This was a first and it didn't turn out bad surprisingly. I had to use what I had in the cupboards and the fridge. Can I name it Sunday Surprise or is that taken yet? Oh well here it is:
Sunday Surprise:
1 large can chicken
1 small can mushrooms
2 T poppy seed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C. sour cream
1 package Stove Top Stuffing

Mix the first five ingredients together and bake in the oven @350 degrees for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare Stove Top Stuffing according to directions. Once chicken mixture is done, remove from the oven and top with stuffing. Put mixture back into the oven for another 15 minutes until bubbly.

Here's the final product:
My Dear Husband ate it and said it was good. He usually gets fed much better than cream of chicken but he is grateful for anything. He's so wonderful!

Thus concludes our Sunday dinner. I was very happy with the results and can't wait to try something new!