Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe

I made this awesome chili last week for a church supper. Yummy stuff!

While it's not exactly a "Fix It and Forget It" recipe, it's totally worth the little bit of effort during the final hour. And, it's great for those folks who don't like tomatoes (I know! Those people really do exist!)

This is a pretty frugal dish that feeds a crowd (16 servings!) on the cheap. Depending on whether you make the entire thing from scratch or take a more 'convenient' approach, it can cost as little as 55 cents a serving. See below.

Cost breakdown:

• Homemade chicken stock - nigh unto free!
• Storebought chicken stock - $5.38
• 1 cans kidney beans - $4.38
• 1/2 lb dry kidney beans - $.75
• 1 (16 oz) jar tomatillo salsa - $3.59
• 1 bunch scallions - $.69
• 1 yellow onion - $.32
• 1/2 bag tortilla chips (approx. 10 oz) - $1.50
• 1/2 lb masa harina - $.33
• spices - on hand
• boneless, skinless chicken breast - $4.61
• bone-in chicken breast w/ skin (I remove the skin and bones myself) - $3.88 (bonus - I save the skin and bones for chicken stock later)

Total cost --- $8.87 (using homemade chicken stock, dry beans, yellow onion, masa and bone in chicken breast) to $20.15 (using all storebought/canned/etc. items)

Total cost per serving --- $.55 to $1.25

This calculation does not take into account the cost for any optional toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, or additional tortilla chips. Those toppings up the yum factor, but also up the price. Your call! This chili is good either way.

Note, if you've never heard of masa harina, it's a corn flour used to make corn tortillas. You can usually find it in the ethnic foods section of the grocery store. I personally prefer the tortilla chip route because then I have a half bag of chips leftover to serve on the side. I'm pretty much IN LOVE with tortilla chips. Don't tell M.

16 servings a little much for you? 
Simply halve the recipe, then save the leftovers (tightly covered) in the fridge for up to a week. It reheats well and is great for lunches throughout the week. Or, you can portion it out and freeze in zip top freezer bags or jars. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat when you're ready.

Chicken Chili

by Raye

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Keywords: slow-cooker chicken Southwest

Ingredients (16 servings)

• 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (16 oz) jar green tomatillo salsa (sometimes called salsa verde or green salsa)
• 2 cans (or 2-3 c.) red beans or kidney beans
• small bunch scallions (or 1 medium yellow onion, diced)
• 2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bag corn tortilla chips*
• salt, to taste

Instructions

• Add chicken stock, chicken breast, beans, yellow onion (if using) and salsa to crockpot. Turn on low and leave it for about 7 hours.
• After 7 or so hours, crush 1/2 bag of tortilla chips in a blender or food processor. Dip out 2 cups of hot chicken stock and pour it over the tortilla crumbs. Let the crumbs soak for 5 minutes, then process or blend to a smooth paste.
• Remove chicken breast from crockpot to a cutting board. Whisk the tortilla chip paste into the broth mix in the crockpot so that can start thickening up while you continue with the next steps.
• Shred the chicken breast on a cutting board. Add back into the crockpot, along with the garlic, cumin, poultry seasoning, oregano and chopped scallions (if using). Stir and cover. Allow to continue cooking (and thickening!) for another hour.
• Serve warm with your choice of toppings. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.
• *Note, you can use 1 c. masa harina (corn tortilla mix) in place of the crushed tortilla chips, if desired. Just mix the 1 c. masa harina with the 2 c. hot chicken stock and proceed as mentioned above.

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Carrots...

Carrots.  They seem like such a sweet, innocent vegetable as they stare at me from their innocuous cellophane package.  But, I know the truth.  Beneath that pretty, frilly, green top is an evil mastermind plotting to take over the world.

Or, maybe just my refrigerator's crisper drawer.

You know what I mean. You stroll through the farmer's market...what do they have for sale? Carrots.

You peruse the produce section of the grocery store...what do they have for sale? Carrots.

If you're fortunate enough to have a vegetable garden, what will many of you be harvesting? Carrots.

They're everywhere! You don't have to look very far to find them.  In fact, you can get them pretty much year-round, so I always seem to have them hanging around my fridge.  I can even get them in the dead of winter (organic, no less) for around $1/lb. Sweet.

Or, is that just what they want you to think?

Pumpkin Season Returns

Pumpkin Season has returned!  I am in love with fall.  I cannot put into words how much I missed the fiery yellow, orange and red leaves, the crisp fall air with just a hint of woodsmoke, harvesting root vegetables from the garden, and picking apples.

But nothing says, "FALL" to me like pumpkin.  There's something incredibly comforting about pumpkin (especially when combined with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove). 

Pumpkin was created to compliment a mug of hot cider or coffee, a flannel shirt, and cozy wool socks. Throw in a good book and a wood stove and I'm in heaven.

Maple leaf, woodsmoke, 42 degree, cinnamon-scented heaven.

Molasses Doughnuts (Baked!)

This fluffy, non-greasy, baked doughnut was the result of yet another pregnancy craving.

When I was a kid, there always seemed to be a bakery in town that made these fabulous (fried) molasses doughnuts.  I liked the doughnut holes the best. They were always packed with molasses flavor and rolled in crunchy granulated sugar.

Apparently, Florida hasn't heard of molasses cake doughnuts.

Bummer.

Of course, even if they had, I probably still couldn't justify a greasy, fried doughnut.

Sigh.

The pains of trying to be healthy.

Anyway, I have this awesome baked doughnut pan that I got on Amazon a while back and decided to do some research.  (aka, google "molasses baked doughnut recipe").  Lo and behold, the molasses doughnut recipes I came across were either fried (shocker) or chock full of all the sugar, vegetable oils, white flour, etc. that I try my best to avoid.

I did find a baked doughnut recipe that looked like it came close to the texture and type of ingredients I was looking for, so I decided to give it a try.  No molasses, but I figured the original recipe used a liquid sweetener, so molasses should be an easy substitute.

Sigh of relief when they came out perfectly. Fluffy. Sweet, but not too sweet. In a word, delectable.

The doughnuts aren't very sweet, by design, because I knew I would be dipping them in granulated sugar.  If you decide not to dip them in sugar after baking, feel free to up the molasses or add at least 2 Tbsp brown sugar to the batter. 

Here's the step by step of making pretty baked doughnuts...

1. Put a decorator bag (the kind used for piping frosting onto cakes) inside a large, heavy bottomed glass.  Fold over the top.   Use a spoon or spatula to shove the batter into the bag.
2. Remove the bag from the glass.  Twist the top shut, and hold the bag at the top at the twist.  Cut off the bottom 1/2 to 3/4 inch of the bag (the pointy end). 
3. Squeeze the bag firmly to pip out the batter into the baked doughnut pan (lightly greased pan is preferred). 
4. Bake. Flop out immediately onto a cooling rack.  If the doughnuts don't pop right out, encourage them to pop out by sticking a fork in between the side of each doughnut cavity in the pan and the doughnut and pry gently in a few spots  around each doughnut to loosen them up.

For the granulated sugar topping, I brushed a little melted coconut oil on top of the doughnuts and either dipped the doughnuts into the sugar or just lightly sprinkled them with sugar.  Dipping into the sugar give you more of a wet sugar finish.  Sprinkling with sugar is a lighter coating, and more crunchy.

Your call.

Check out the full recipe below, or pop over to recipage to see the nutrition facts. Enjoy!

Baked Molasses Cake Doughnuts

by Raye

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast bread fall winter

Ingredients (6 doughnuts)

• 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp Rapadura or brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 6 oz plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c. molasses
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• granulated sugar, for topping
• additional melted coconut oil, for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400* F.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flours, Rapadura or brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
• In a small dish, stir together baking powder, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar and let sit for a minute or so. In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, molasses and yogurt.
• Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture. Stir in coconut oil and vinegar mixture. Mix well.
• Scoop batter into a pastry bag (like the kind used for piping frosting onto cakes). Cut off the bottom 1/2 inch of the bag and pipe the batter into a baked doughnut pan. (If you don't have a baked doughnut pan, feel free to use a standard muffin tin. May have to bake a few minutes extra).
• Bake for 10 minutes or until doughnuts spring back when lightly touched; immediately remove from pan. Toss in granulated sugar, or cool slightly before dipping the tops in melted coconut oil, then dipping into granulated sugar. Best if eaten the day they're made.
• Recipe makes 6 doughnuts. Nutrition facts are shown per doughnut, without added sugar or oil for topping.

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St. Patty's Day Colcannon

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  In honor of the holiday, and because the ingredients were on sale, I decided to make an Irish classic... Colcannon. 

It's a rustic dish, really... as M says, "It's like lettuce in your mashed potatoes."  Ok, so not quite, but sort of.  It's better described as potatoes mashed with butter and milk, mixed with bacon, onion and cabbage.

It's very warm and filling... perfect for cool, damp, spring days.  Perfect for March 17th...

You can substitute chopped ham for the bacon and chopped spinach for the cabbage, if you'd like.  Or, just stick to the recipe below.

Sometimes the simple things are best... "A little pleases a poor man." - Irish saying  Enjoy the simple things - start with colcannon.

Colcannon

by Raye

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: stove top entree potato bacon cabbage St. Patrick's Day spring

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Ingredients (4 servings)

• 3 lb potatoes (any kind will work - I prefer Russet)
• 4 slices nitrate-free bacon, cooked and chopped
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 c. milk
• 1/4-1/2 lb chopped green cabbage
• 2 small or 1 large spring onion, chopped
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Peel and quarter the potatoes; place in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook and chop the bacon; set aside. Chop the cabbage and onion.
3. When potatoes are done, drain them in a colander, then return them to the pot. Cook over low heat for a minute or two to dry the potatoes out. Add butter and milk to the pot and mash to your desired consistency.
4. Stir in chopped bacon, cabbage and onion. Continue to warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. (Cabbage will still be somewhat crisp. If you prefer the cabbage to be softer, simply steam or boil it in a separate pot for about 5 minutes while the potatoes are cooking.)
5. Spoon into serving bowls, top with additional butter and salt/pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

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Chicken Parmesan Soup

I had a craving for Chicken Parm last week... as in, I couldn't stop thinking about chicken and marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.  And when I can't stop thinking about it, I will inevitably make some variation of it.

I got the idea for this soup from a Pampered Chef party I went to a while back.   Their version included croutons made in the microwave, a special seasoning blend, mozzarella cheese and baking the whole thing in the oven.  It was pretty good.

For my version, I decided to keep things a little simpler and do the whole thing on the stove top.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

This is ice cream not for the faint of heart.

I will admit, it does take some time and effort, but the results are SO worth it.  I've been experimenting with some ice cream recipes this year, but this one is by far my favorite.

Penelopes! (Otherwise Known As Empanadas)

I asked the Hubby what he wanted me to make for dinner and he said, "Penelopes!" I'm thinking, huh? He proceeds to describe the mysterious food item and it dawns on me... empanadas... yes, I see the similarity.  We had a good laugh over that one.  Now it's our joke and he's got me saying it too.

Side note:  a few readers have asked me to put the text of recipes into the posts and to keep showing the step by step photos. So, I happily complied. Since this is really two recipes in one, this post will be quite lengthy.  If you'd prefer to skip all the photos and details, jump right over to the condensed (and printer friendly!) versions on my recipage, here and here.

This is my first attempt at making Penelopes, er, Empanadas. We had them at a party a few weeks ago and they were so good, I knew I had to recreate them.  With my own twist, of course. These aren't just any old chicken stuffed into a piece of store bought pie crust run of the mill empanadas... no sir...

Eggplant Mini Pizzas

I was at the Farmer's Market this morning and had to laugh when I overheard a conversation between a vendor and a customer.  She asked how much he was selling his eggplant for and he told her her it was free for the taking.  Apparently, he planted a few too many and they're coming out his ears...

Are you in the same boat?  Eggplant and zucchini tend to the be garden gifts that keep on giving... and giving... and giving...

This recipe takes a little prep, but it's worth it.  I highly recommend using a Mandoline slicer if you have one; it will cut your prep time in half and your slices will be even (and they'll cook more evenly).

No Bake Cookies

I have fond memories a cookie that was the common denominator of church potlucks, family get togethers, homeschool group functions and summer camps as long as I can remember.

There were two varieties:  the classic chocolate/peanut butter combination and the just peanut butter version.  I am a fan of both.

Cookout Survival Strategy

Source

The Hubby's co-workers are having a cookout today.  The cookout location is on shorefront property, so there is a good possibility of kayaking happening in my near future. Of course, eating healthy at a potluck cookout can be hard to do, since you don't know what's in most of the food.

Thoughts...on Mayo...

Ok, so I've never been a huge fan of mayonnaise.  Even when I was a kid, good ol' yellow mustard was my go-to condiment. And now that I'm all grown up, I still adore mustard... not that I have 6 bottles in my fridge or pantry at the moment or anything...  Anyway! Mustard-aholic that I am, I still have to admit that there are some things that mayo is good for.  Chicken salad for instance... actually, any sandwich filling that ends with "salad" for that matter, egg salad, tuna salad, salmon salad... I could go on, but I'll stop there.

Basic Oatmeal Pancakes

Saturday is usually the Hubby's day to sleep in. He enjoys lounging around until 10 a.m. or so. As a result, by the time he showers and is ready to eat something, it's usually closer to lunch-time than breakfast. Making pancakes together on Saturday mornings is something we really look forward to. We have many pancake recipe variations, but Basic Oatmeal Pancakes are the Hubby's favorite.

Confession: He's better at it than I am. In fact, he may or may not have the recipe memorized.

Food Philosophy

As I begin this blog, I've given a lot of thought to why I do what I do and the journey I've taken to get where I am, nutritionally speaking. There is SO much hype online these days about what is and isn't healthy and it gets really old sometimes! At the beginning, I felt like I would just grasp one concept and begin to apply it, then read in yet another article or yet another blog that I was doing it all wrong. I felt so discouraged! But more than anything, I want to raise a healthy family and that has given me the motivation to continue.