Slow Cooker Chili

Winter seems to have finally hit here in the South.  A little snow this morning, not much but it's just a teaser about what's on it's way.  I might be the only one happy about that.

Because of this cold weather, now is an excellent time to post this chili recipe.  I usually just wing my own chili and it always turns out well, so it was unusual for me to follow a recipe.  But it was going into the slow cooker so I thought a recipe might be helpful.  I'm so glad I tried it.  Talk about yummy.
I loved the texture and the fact that it wasn't overly soupy.  I used one regular Rotel can and one mild just in case but it wasn't too spicy at all.

We served ours with some sour cream and some shredded cheese but there are ton's of things that would be delicious on top.  I can tell you that crushed up Dorito's are also really good on top.  Don't ask me how I know that.

If you're looking for a basic chili recipe that will appeal to a large group, this is it!

Slow Cooker Chili

Recipe from CookingClassy

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (14.4 ounce) cans diced onion with green chili's
• 3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water or beef broth
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Cooking Directions

1. Add the oil to a large skillet, when hot add the diced onion. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add to a preheated 7 quart slow cooker.
3. Use the same pan to brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain all but 2 Tbsp of fat. Pour into the slow cooker with the onions.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans and stir. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
5. Add the beans and heat through about 10 more minutes. Add 1/2 more beef broth or water if you want it soupier. 
6. Serve with your choice of toppings.  Some recommendations are shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped chives, crackers, cilantro, red pepper flakes, hot sauce. 

Grandma's Goulash

My husband has so many stories about his grandma, he just loved her to pieces.  Every now and then he'll ask me to try to make something that she used to make him, and then it's just a mission of mine to find a recipe that he gives his approval on.

This is just such a recipe.

It's funny because he only recently started talking about his grandmother's Goulash.  I remember having it when I was young but ours had pea's and corn and other stuff in it that he didn't want.  So, Pinterest to the rescue.

I was lucky with this one.  It only took one recipe to find the one he says is most similar to his grandmothers.  Luckily it also just happened to already be named "Grandma's Goulash".  That sure helped the searching process.

I'm definitely a fan. This is a pretty classic version.  I topped mine with a little sour cream and some shredded cheese and it was delicious.  This recipe does make a lot, perfect if you've got a crowd to feed or if you want leftovers.

Grandma's Goulash

Recipe from Spend With Pennies

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups water
• 1 jar tomato based pasta sauce
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, undrained
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups uncooked elbow shaped pasta
• black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. In a large dutch oven or casserole pan, brown the ground beef, onions and garlic until the beef is no longer pink.
2. Drain any fat. Add the water, pasta sauce, cans of tomatoes and bay leaves. Add pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and continue to simmer until the pasta is tender (about 20-25 minutes). 
4. Serve with some shredded cheese or sour cream on top.

Cucumber Salad

I'm so looking forward to the weekend.  I'm just sayin', things have been tough this week.

I want it to be fall. Yet it's still like 90º here. Ugh.

OK, enough complaining.  Recently we had our Labor Day party in our neighborhood and I was too hot and tired to actually bake anything.  So I threw this together and brought it.  This was easy, and heat friendly.  Nothing in here will melt or go bad from the hot weather, making it a perfect picnic food!

I found that it was even better the next day.  The vinegar really has a chance to soak in and get better and better.  Very healthy and "diet friendly", definitely one to remember.

Cucumber Salad

Recipe modified slightly from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

• 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/3 cup cider or white vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• chopped fresh dill or parsley (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Refrigerate and stir or shake periodically.
2. Keep refrigerated for at least 3 hours, overnight is best.

Corn Salad

Eating seasonal foods is always best, you can guarantee that your family is eating the freshest foods possible.  They are at their peak flavor and ripeness.  

This recipe is something I came up with using just what I had in my pantry, refrigerator and garden.  My family loved it!  The fresh corn really put this over the top, but frozen or canned will work too.  The mayonnaise added creaminess and the hot barbecue sauce added spice with a little vinegar bite.  

Truly delicious! 

Corn Salad

From Alissamay's kitchen

Ingredients

• 4-6 ears fresh corn, cooked, cooled and cut off the cob (or canned or frozen but thawed)
• 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled, cooled
• 2 banana peppers, membranes removed and seeded, chopped
• 1/2 can black olives, sliced
• 1/2 - 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup hot vinegar based barbecue sauce (I used Scotts Barbecue Sauce, but it might be a Southern thing) 
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Make sure all the the ingredients are cold or no warmer then room temperature.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Serve cold and refrigerate leftovers.

Spinach and Tomatoes

How was your nice long weekend?

Do anything fun?

Are you still eating leftovers? Well we are but that's because we had Thanksgiving on Saturday so they are still welcome and we're not sick of them yet.

I hate to even call this a recipe because there are only two main ingredients involved.  A while ago my friend Amanda came over and had dinner with me.  One dish we made took like 5 minutes and was very good.  Also, please note the nice Christmas colors here.

It's as simple as opening a bag of fresh spinach and a can of diced tomatoes.  Seriously, that's it.  OK, well there are some other minor ingredients.  You can cook the spinach until it's totally wilted or you can barley heat it at all, it's up to you.

Spinach and Tomatoes

• 1 bag fresh spinach
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• Olive Oil for the pan
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese for garnish if desired

Directions

1. In a large skillet add some olive oil, about 1 Tbsp or so. Add the garlic and sauté briefly. 
2. Add the can of tomatoes and cook until heated through. 
3. Dump in the bag of spinach and stir around.  Cook until desired doneness. The longer you cook it the more wilted the spinach will become. 
4. Salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. 

Sherried Tomato Soup

I realize it's a little soon for tomato soup recipes, it's possible that I'm just ready for fall to get here. I love fall, it's my favorite time of the year.  Here's another thing I love, this soup.  I didn't know how I'd like it with the sherry in it but I LOVE it!

Want another little surprise?

My daughter LOVES it.  She does ask me to remove the "chunks" so I strain it and she gobbles it up. That was the most shocking part about this recipe for me.  She asks for it all the time and I can see why.  We all loved it.  The cream takes the acidic bite out of the tomatoes, the sherry gives a wonderful background without overpowering it.

I can't wait to try it with a recipe I saw for grilled cheese croutons.....YUM!

Definitely a new family favorite!

Sherried Tomato Soup
Recipe by ThePioneerWoman

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 whole medium onion, diced
• 1 bottle (46 oz) tomato juice
• 2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp (up to 3 Tbsp) chicken base
• 3 Tbsp (up to 6 Tbsp) sugar
• pinch of salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 cup cooking sherry
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• chopped fresh parsley
• chopped fresh basil

Cooking Directions

1. Saute the diced onion in the butter until it's translucent.
2. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, chicken base, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a near boil and then turn off the heat.
3. Add the cooking sherry, heavy cream, fresh parsley and basil to taste.

Tuscan-Style Cauliflower

I'm not gonna lie.  Cauliflower in this house usually just goes bad in my refrigerator.  I happen to love it raw but my husband isn't a fan of it in any form.  He is however part Italian so I decided to appeal to his heritage and try this recipe.  

We were both pleasantly surprised with this one. The tomato adds enough flavor that you don't feel like you're eating a big plate of cauliflower, even though that's exactly what you're doing. I topped ours with Parmesan cheese which added another element of flavor that we really enjoyed. 

This dish is very easy to prepare.  Chop the cauliflower head in advance.

Start with the garlic, add the tomatoes and then the cauliflower.

Let the mixture simmer for a while and presto, a healthy side dish.  I'm not going to say that I've reformed my husband into loving cauliflower but he eats this with no complaints so I count it as a victory!

Thanks Mario Batali!

Tuscan-Style Cauliflower
Everyday with Rachel Ray, September 2007, page 127 

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 pounds tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped, or 4 cups canned tomatoes, drained and chopped.
1 head cauliflower, broken into 1-inch florets
1/2 cup boiling water
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the crushed garlic and cook until soft and golden and then add the tomatoes.  Cook until they break down.

Stir in the cauliflower and boiling water and cook for about 30 minutes.

Add the salt and pepper to taste and the parsley.

Creamy Tomato & Herb Dressing

I know it's almost fall (or it is in my mind at least) but we're still focusing on eating healthier this year.  I don't know about you but I could really use a year long head start on next years beach body.  

If you're looking for a new way to dress up the boring salads that seem to make their way to you dinner table then try some new dressings.  The great thing about making your own dressings is that you know what exactly is in it and you can modify the flavors to match your tastes.  You can also only make a little at first so if you end up not caring for it you haven't committed to a huge bottle of it.  I don't think you'll have that problem with this dressing.  If you like tomatoes then you'll probably like this dressing. 

I made my own garlic oil by heating the oil in a pan and dropping a couple cloves of garlic to get slightly brown.  Let cool.

Add the ingredients into a food processor or a blender. Refrigerate.

Doesn't it look pretty? It tastes pretty darn good too.  This dressing is a nice change up from some of the  more common dressings like Ranch or Italian.

It definitely has a tomato base flavor. The herbs and vinegar make the dressing very flavorful and the mayonnaise makes it creamy.  Don't worry if you're not a mayonnaise fan because you can't taste it.  If you're still not convinced I'm sure you could substitute Greek yogurt.

Creamy Tomato and Herb Dressing
Modified slightly from "Down Home Cooking Pure Wesson"cookbook page 39

1 can (14.5 ounce) whole tomatoes, unsalted if possible (Original recipe calls for diced with garlic)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp dried parsley (original calls for 1/4 cup fresh, chopped)
(original recipe has 2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard) I didn't have any.
1 tsp sugar
2 large cloves of garlic.  I cooked mine in the oil on low heat until golden and then let it cool down before adding it to the dressing. (original calls for 1 tsp fresh minced)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

If you're using tomatoes that do not have garlic in them just do what I did.  Heat the 1/2 cup of oil in a fry pan and drop in 2 large cloves of garlic and let brown over low heat.  Let cool to room temperature.

In a food processor or a blender, add all the ingredient except the oil/garlic and salt and pepper.  Use the  pulse mode to slowly incorporate the ingredients.  Slowly pour in the oil/garlic while blending and then salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate for an hour or up to 24 hours.  Shake before serving.

Tomato Jam

When you make this think "gourmet ketchup" only way better.  It's sweet like a jam but the tomato flavor is concentrated and totally yummy.  I'm so glad I made this for two reasons.  I had a bunch of Roma tomatoes to use and I'm a huge condiment fan.  I usually put some sort of condiment on everything I eat.  I know, it's a problem.  Here's the other problem, I might never want to eat regular ketchup again after making this.  Seriously.  It's that good.

Dice up 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes.  You can leave the skins on, just core them.

Add all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan.

The aftermath of my prep work.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about an hour or so.

After about an hour, it's almost done.

The finished product.  I am super excited about having this in my refrigerator.  I can't wait to try this on some different items like biscuits, hot dogs, burgers and even on sandwiches.  Let me know if you try it and what you think!


Tomato Jam
Recipe from The New York Times

1 1/2 pounds of ripe tomatoes.  I used Roma, cored and coarsely chopped.
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp grated or minced ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 jalapeño or other pepper, seeded, stemmed and minced. You could also use red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste.  I used a jalapeño (the jarred kind).

Mix all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and cook over medium heat to a boil.  Stir consistently.

Turn the heat down to simmer and cook for about another 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the sauce is thick like a jam. Stir occasionally.  Mine was done after about an hour.

Makes about a pint, keep refrigerated and it will last at least a week.

Caprese Salad

Sorry for the delay in posts this week, I just got back from a wedding in Massachusetts and we hit the beach while we were there too. It was a fun quick getaway but I'm glad to be home.

This simple salad is always a winner whether it be a side at dinner time or for a party you've been invited to.  Three ingredients and you're done.  I grew the tomato and basil you see here so this is a great way to use up some of your garden harvests.  I used Roma tomatoes but Heirloom would be yummy here also.  This is a traditional Italian salad because of the colors, Green, White and Red are Italy's flag colors.

I've seen people add salt, pepper, garlic powder, Balsamic Vinegar or Olive Oil to the top of this to finish it off.  Simple and delicious.  Great for a summer barbecue.

This can be made as large or small as you need it to be so I'm not giving exact measurements.

6-12 Roma tomatoes, sliced
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
1/4 cup basil, julienned

Layer the cheese and the tomato and top with the julienned basil.  you can also leave the basil whole but I would use smaller baby leaves if you choose to leave them whole.  Drizzle with Olive Oil or Balsamic vinegar if you desire.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

I'm looking for lots of good ideas for fresh tomatoes.  Pass them my way if you've got some!  I have a recipe for tomato sauce coming soon too.  I don't remember having this many tomatoes in my back yard last year.  Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled.  We've been eating the heirloom tomatoes almost every night for dinner and these Roma's have been made in to this yummy salsa and sauce and given away to friends.  I'll take this problem any day of the week. 

In my quest to not let them go bad I found several yummy salsa recipes online and figured it wouldn't be very difficult to just make my own version so here it is.  Totally easy. Totally yummy. You can add some cilantro too if you've got it. 

10-15 fresh plum tomato's - diced
1/2 red onion - diced
3 small cloves of garlic - minced
2 Tbsp diced jarred jalapeno's (add as much or as little as you like)
Salt and Pepper to taste


Mix all the ingredients together and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Bruschetta

My neighbor and I share our enthusiasm over appetizers; in fact we would be perfectly happy to have an assortment of appetizers for dinner every night vs. a traditional dinner.  One night not long ago we decided to have a little appetizer get-together. Any excuse to let our kids play together while we eat. I made several appetizers and so did she.  We loved this Bruschetta.  It's full of ripe fresh tomatoes that have been soaking in a vinaigrette.  It gives the illusion of healthy eating and the satisfaction of yumminess.

I started with Plum tomato's and chopped them into tiny pieces - I seeded them too.  You can just cut them in half and then give them a squeeze over the sink to remove the seeds.

1/2 a cup of sun dried tomatoes, diced.

In a bowl combine the fresh tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, Olive Oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper and let sit for 10 minutes.

Cut a french baguette into 3/4 inch slices and lay cut side down on a cookie sheet; broil for a couple of minutes until they begin to turn golden brown. 

Add the tomato mixture to each slices of baguette and top with cheese. Broil until the cheese melts; about 5 minutes.

I loved this recipe! I love the tang the vinegar gives to the tomatoes and the sun dried tomatoes add a nice chewy texture.  One of my favorites for sure.

I found the recipe here.

Ingredients:
6 Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze to get rid of some of the moisture and seeds.  Dice them and put into a medium bowl. Dice the sun dried tomatoes; mince the garlic and add everything together with the tomatoes. Add the oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper and set aside for about 10 minutes.

Cut the baguette and put the slices onto a cookies sheet.  Broil for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Scoop about a tablespoon of the tomato mixture onto the toasted baguette slices and top with some cheese.  Broil for about 5 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Serve immediately.

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons

I tried this recipe for the first time last night after seeing it on one of my other favorite food blogs (www.smittenkitchen.com). As you know, I have an excess of tomatoes and basil in my garden so this was the perfect recipe to try. I'm sooooo happy that I did, it is delicious! It's sort of like a bruschetta casserole. Apparently its a recipe by Ina Garten from The Food Network, but who ever it's from originally is brilliant. You must try it.



I bought Italian bread from the bakery not realizing the original recipes calls for French bread, but I don't really think it makes a difference. Remove the crusts and cut into squares about 1" in size.



Put some olive oil in a skillet and brown the bread on all sides until they are golden and crunchy. Crunch is important here.



Dice up some tomatoes...



Chop up the basil - don't skimp on the basil, try to use the full 1/2 cup even if you're not that fond of it. Tomatoes and Basil were made for each other. I even read somewhere that if you're growing these two items in your garden you should grow them next to each other because the basil improves the flavor of the tomatoes. How cool is that?



In a bowl mix the tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic together - then add it to the browned croutons.



After cooking the mixture for about 5 minutes, turn off the heat and add the basil.



Now pour this mixture into a small shallow baking dish and top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes.



I added more Parmesan cheese to my portion, because in my opinion you can never have enough cheese. We had this with a simple salad and it was wonderful.

Here is the recipe from Smitten Kitchen:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/scalloped-tomatoes-with-croutons/#more-6569

Here's a recap:
3 tablespoons olive oil (reduced from original)
2 cups bread from a French boule, in a 1/2-inch dice, crusts removed (I went closer to 3 cups, after buying a loaf of very puffy Italian bread by accident)
2 1/2 pounds plum whatever good tomatoes you’ve got, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly slivered basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 and begin cutting your bread into cubes. Brown the bread in some olive oil on all sides until golden brown.
Dice your tomatoes, add to this the sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Once your bread is browned, add the tomato mixture and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil. Pour this mixture into a small shallow baking dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

So many tomatos!!

I have about a million tomatos. Seriously I have no idea what to do with them all. Yesterday I made salsa, this weekend I think I'll try to make tomato sauce that I can freeze or can. I hate for them to go to waste, so I photographed some in order to remember this problem in December when I'm desperate for a good tomato!