Chipotle Chocolate Chili

In honor of the snow today, enjoy some yummy home made chili! This is seriously the best chili recipe I have ever eaten. A word of caution though, it can easily go from a comfortable medium/hot to a blazing four-alarm fire. The flavors in this work so well together you might just find yourself licking the bowl at the end. Seriously, it's that good. Also it's a fairly lean chili since it's made with ground turkey instead of ground beef. This one comes from my favorite girls over at www.ourbestbites.com.

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 large onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, minced (I just used half)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes

2 14.5-oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can beef broth

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (NOT Nesquik! That would be very bad!)

1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Chipotle sauce-from a can of chipotle chilies (This was the hardest ingredient to find. I ended up finding a jar of Chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce on the Mexican food aisle that worked great. However, the liquid was so thick I had to dump the whole can into a fine-mesh strainer and push the liquid through in order to get any. It was only about 1 Tbs. liquid, but it was plenty.)

1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (1/2 unsweetened baking cube), chopped (optional; use to taste as needed; be careful, because too much will make your chili bitter--I ended up using about 3/4 of the 1/2 oz. piece)

Light sour cream

Chopped green onions

3-4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar and it was fine)

Shredded cheddar cheese

Heat some olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, bell pepper, and ground turkey until meat is cooked through. Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, tomatoes, beans, and beef broth. Add all of the chipotle sauce from a small can of chipotle chilies. Heat to boiling and then reduce to a simmer (uncovered), stirring occasionally, until thickened as desired (I like it about 30-40 minutes). If desired, add some chopped chipotle chilies. (This is where it can go from a comfortable amount of heat to out of control very quickly, so be careful.) Add 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar and a small amount of chopped chocolate at a time until desired richness is reached. If necessary, add more red wine vinegar to cut the sweetness of the chili. This is where you can play around a little with the flavors.
When thickened and seasoned as desired, serve with chopped onions or green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.

 Saute your vegetables and meat,

Sump in your cans and seasonings and let it simmer,

Chop the chocolate,

Add chocolate and vinegar to your desired richness and sweetness,

Add your favorite toppings and devour!

Bacon and Corn Chowder

This one is ridiculously easy and ridiculously delicious! This recipe comes from the book Five-Star Recipes from Well-known Latter-day Saints. This particular recipe comes from Dian Thomas. I love the combination of the crispy bacon, the potatoes, and the corn. The best part about this is that I almost always have these ingredients on hand.

(photo courtesy of tasteofhome.com)

Bacon and Corn Chowder
4 slices (or more!) bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups chicken broth
2 (15 oz) cans creamed corn
1 cup heavy cream or milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a 2 quart sauce pan or large soup pot, saute onion and bacon over medium heat. (I would recommend starting the bacon first and adding the onion about halfway through if you want your bacon crispy.) Pour off drippings, then add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add broth and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender (about 40 minutes). Stir in cream or milk, salt and pepper. Cook until warmed through.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This one is easy and delicious! I haven't made it in awhile, it almost makes me wish winter would stick around a little bit longer. Wait, did I just say that?! I take it back. There's always next winter! Here's a basic and delicious broccoli and cheese soup to add to your soup repertoire.This recipe comes from The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen.
I realize this isn't a very festive St. Patrick's Day recipe, but it does have some green in it! I have a goal to make a green meal tonight with no food coloring. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes!

(photo courtesy of recipekey.com via google images)

Broccoli Cheese Soup
about 1 lb. fresh broccoli
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
4 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Cook broccoli until just tender. Drain and chop, set aside. Saute onion in 1/4 cup butter until tender, set aside. In a large sauce pan prepare white sauce by melting 1/2 cup butter then stir in flour until well blended. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, milk, and salt. Stir constantly until it boils. Cook 1-2 minutes until thickened. Add broccoli and onion. Stir in cheese until melted and combined. Cook briefly over medium heat until it boils again. Serve immediately or keep warm over low heat. Serves 6-8

Pasta e Fagioli

I love the soup, salad and bread sticks at Olive Garden. I ALWAYS get the Pasta e Fagioli (basically Italian chili). So when I found this knock-off recipe that could be cooked in a crock pot, I knew I had hit the jackpot! This makes a TON of soup! But we like leftovers at our house, so that's a good thing. This recipe comes from food.com via google.

(photo courtesy of bakeddelish.blogspot.com via google images)

Pasta e Fagioli

2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained (I only used 1 lb.)

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used another can of red kidney beans, or you can use cannolini beans)

3 (10 ounce) cans beef stock

3 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons pepper

5 teaspoons parsley (I left it out since I didn't have any)

1 teaspoon Tobasco (optional)

1 (20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

8 ounces pasta (any small pasta, I used a mini shell)

Dump everything EXCEPT pasta in a large crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. (I prepped everything the night before and cooked on high first thing in the morning so I could serve it for lunch.) Add the pasta the last 3o minutes on high and 1 hour on low.

Cheesy Potato Soup

There are many variations of this soup, but this version comes from www.fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com. I love a good potato soup with scallions, cheddar, and bacon bits on top. Mmm...not many things are better on a cold, wintery day.

Cheesy Potato Soup

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup of sweet yellow onion, diced (really whatever onion you have would be fine)
• 3/4 cup of celery, diced
• 8 cups of russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• Sea salt and white pepper, to taste (black pepper works too)
• 1 1/2 cups of half and half (whole milk works fine)
• 10 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Chives, chopped for garnish (I prefer green onions/scallions)
• Bacon, chopped for garnish
• Cheddar cheese, shredded for garnish
   
  Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until tender. Do not let the onions brown. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, sea salt and white pepper, to taste. Simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes.
  Once the potatoes are tender, mash them slightly with a potato masher, leaving most of them in chunks. Reduce heat to low then stir in the half and half, cheese, and sugar to the soup. Stir until the cheese has completely melted and dissolved into the soup. Taste and re-season with salt and white pepper, if needed. Simmer slowly for 10-15 minutes, making sure not to let the soup boil. Serve topped with chives, bacon, and more cheddar cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Brazilian Black Bean Soup

So, it's not exactly soup weather here in Denver, but I'm not holding my breath. I know better than to think that spring is here to stay. I love a good soup recipe, so here is a whole week's worth of some of my favorite soups!

The first soup I wanted to feature this week is a Brazilian Black Bean Soup I got from, where else, www.bestbites.com. I serve this with the pao de queijo (but a good crunchy bread would be great as well.) from last week and a good salad. I love the flavors and textures of this soup. It is especially good with the toppings, even though the toppings are not authentic Brazilian. They are oh so good, so don't skip them.

Brazilian Black Bean Soup

1 T olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)

3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)

1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 3.5oz can green chilies

2 cans low-sodium beef broth (last time I made this I used 1 can chicken broth and 1 can beef broth and it was equally delicious!)

1 t kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 t chili powder (I used closer to 1 t)

1/4 t cumin (I used closer to 1/2 t)

1/2 t dry oregano leaves

1 bay leaf

Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, etc. (I also really like croutons)

Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat.  When pan is warm, add olive oil.  Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

 

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup. 

Place soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters. 

Puree soup until completely smooth.  Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges.  Makes about 8 C soup.

Nutritional Information (1 C soup, w/o toppings):

125 calories, 2g fat, 8g fiber

2 Weight Watchers points

South Beach Diet Phase 2 (eat carrots sparingly)

 Saute the vegetables

 Add in your canned items

Don't forget the seasonings

Blend it

Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Beef Stew

So this is totally cheating because it comes right off the back of the stew packet. But it is a family favorite and it goes in the crock pot and makes the house smell oh so good!

Beef Stew
1 package stew meat (about 1 lb.)
4-5 potatoes, cut into chunks (either peeled or scrubbed first, I prefer skins on)
4-5 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
water (according to package directions)
1 package stew seasoning (McCormick does a good one)

Some packets have you brown the meat first, I've done it both ways. I don't notice much of a taste difference and it's easier to just throw the meat in the crock pot. I would put the potatoes and carrots in the crock pot first, because root vegetables take longer to cook and do better with more contact with the crock pot. Also, then they get all the good meat drippings on them. Then add the onion and meat. Sprinkle on the seasoning packet and pour on the water according to the packet directions. Cover and cook on low for a long time. The longer the better.

(photo courtesy of boudoir magazine via google images)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

We had this at an enrichment activity a couple of years ago and the lady who made it gave out the recipe. I finally got around to making it a couple of months ago and wish I would have made it a lot sooner. It is so easy and so good! I made it again last night and it is already gone!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used about 2 cups  of the shredded chicken from my roasted chicken last week)
2 cans diced tomatoes or 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 frozen diced green chilies or one 4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
salt to taste (the broth alone may make it salty enough)
4 corn tortillas cut into strips and fried or tortilla chips
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup Monterey Jack or cheddar Cheese (I have used both and prefer the Monterey Jack)
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Place chicken in slow-cooker with tomatoes, chilies, onion, garlic, and broth. Cover and cook on high about 3 hours, or until chicken is tender. (If you are using pre-cooked chicken just cook until warm.)
Remove chicken from slow-cooker and shred. Return to cooking liquid and adjust seasonings as needed.
Add more broth if necessary. Simmer for 1 more hour.
Just before serving stir in tortilla chips and cilantro. Top with cheese, avocado, and lime juice.

Taco Soup

This recipe is simple, yet delicious. It is a go-to recipe for me because I just about always have the ingredients on hand. It's a great way to use some of your food storage. And let's face it, you can never have too many soup recipes this time of year.

Taco Soup
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream for garnish

Brown the ground beef with the onion. Add in about half the taco seasoning and 2-3 Tbs. of water once the meat is cooked and the onion is translucent. (At this point I always wish I would have made double to freeze half for tacos later.) Drain off the grease. Dump the meat mixture in a crockpot with the tomatoes and juices, corn and juice, beans, and the rest of the taco seasoning. Add about 1/2 cup water and stir. Don't add too much water as it will get waterier as the tomatoes cook down. Cook on low until ready to serve. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream on top.
* You, of course, can do this on the stove but I prefer to do the work in the morning and know that my dinner is ready to go.

Potato Soup

Potatoes were on sale (88 cents for 10 lbs!) and I wanted to make this yummy soup that my cousin posted awhile ago. Of course, I didn't have leeks (I have made it with the leeks and it is mighty tasty) so I improvised. I thought, what could I add to give it a punch of flavor? And of course I thought of garlic. This is perfect for Halloween because you will ward off all the vampires with your garlic breath, but it is delicious.

*I think I like the original recipe better. So here it is. But if you don't want to go buy leeks (or if you want to ward off all the vampires that are out this time of year), I will give you my alterations at the bottom.

K’s Potato Leek Soup
3 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, thinly sliced*
1 medium or large onion, chopped
6 – 8 russet potatoes, thinly sliced**
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or enough to barely cover potatoes)
1 cup heavy cream (I used light whipping cream and it was still rich and delicious!)
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1) Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat then add onions and leeks. Cook, stirring, until onions are limp and just slightly brown.
2) Add sliced potatoes to saucepan then pour in enough chicken broth to just barely cover the potatoes. Continue cooking over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Using a potato masher, mash and stir potatoes until desired consistency is reached. As you mash the potatoes and the soup thickens, turn down heat and stir frequently with a large spoon to prevent scorching on the bottom.
3) Add one cup of heavy cream (or more if you desire) and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook 15 minutes more over low heat, stirring frequently, then remove from heat and serve.
Notes: *Make sure to clean leeks thoroughly and slice only the white and light green part of the leeks. **You don’t need to peel the potatoes as the peels add to the rustic texture of the soup. But make sure to scrub them thoroughly and remove any obvious blemishes before slicing. Although we always make it with chicken broth, this can easily become a vegetarian soup by simply using vegetable broth instead.

Alterations:
-Roast one head of garlic by chopping off the top and drizzling olive oil onto the exposed cloves. Then wrap in foil and cook at 400 for about 45 minutes. (Or if you were lucky enough to be gifted an electric garlic roaster at your wedding use that. Unfortunately mine was buried in boxes in the basement, so I did it the old-fashioned way.) Remove from foil and squeeze out garlic cloves. Mash roasted garlic with a fork. Add garlic when you add the potatoes and leave out the leeks.
-I used whole milk and it was mighty tasty. I'm sure "K" knew what she was doing with the heavy cream, but I saved a few bucks and a few million calories.

I served this with yesterday's rolls.  This meal might just be a weekly staple at our house in one form or another until spring decides to show her pretty little face!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

 This recipe came via a recommendation from my cousin Monica. She and her friends have a food blog thequeensofthekitchen.blogspot.com that this comes from. The original recipe is Ina Garten's, so of course it's gonna be good! My mom suggested roasting the squash first. So we had this as a side dish, then a couple days later it was soup! I'll give you Ina's original recipe, followed by my adjustments below.

Winter Squash Soup- Ina Garten (Straight from the cookbook-Barefoot in Paris)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 small or one large)

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in chunks

3 cups Homemade chicken stock or canned broth

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup half and half

Creme fraiche, grated Gruyere, or croutons for serving (optional)

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot, add the onions, and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the pumpkin puree, butternut squash, chicken stock, salt and pepper. cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until the butternut squash is very tender. Process the mixture through the medium blade of a food mill. Return to the pot, add the half-and-half, and heat slowly. If the soup needs more flavor, add another teaspoon of salt. Serve hot with garnishes, if desired.

My adjustments (I'm sure the original recipe is amazing as is, but these are more for simplicity's sake.)
-I used whole milk because who has half and half on hand? Not I. But thanks to my husband and child we always have whole milk.
-I topped with sour cream and croutons again because who has Gruyere and creme fraiche? I'm sure it would be extra yummy with bacon bits. Mmmmmm!

-I blended it in my blender.  This can be a little tricky with the hot liquid. Be sure to only fill the blender about halfway and be sure to leave a way for the steam to escape. (I left the lid off but covered it with a towel to avoid spills.) I'm sure an immersion blender would be very handy in this instance as well.
-As mentioned above I roasted the squash first and served it as a side dish. This accomplished a few things:
1. I was able to use the squash for 2 meals 2. I cut the recipe in half and had just enough for the two of us plus some leftovers instead of TONS of leftovers. 3. I was able to cut down the time I cooked the soup because the squash was already tender when I added it.
To roast the squash simply peel, chop, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Bake at 375 until tender and slightly carmelized.

 Thank you Queens of the kitchen and of course, Ina!