Chili and Corn Bread Casserole

This is one of the very few recipes I have that contain a lot of cans...but it is good and warm on a cold fall day and leaves you with very minimal clean up, which is my favorite kind of cooking! I've substituted some of the canned diced tomatoes with a freshly diced tomato just to make myself feel better about all the cans. Opt for low-sodium variations of beans to watch the sodium content.

Chili

1 pound ground turkey breast or lean beef
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 large tomato, diced
1 16 ounce jar salsa
1 15 ounce can reduced sodium black beans
1 15 ounce can reduced sodium kidney beans
1 15 ounce can reduced sodium pinto beans
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a 12 inch old beat up cast iron skillet or other skillet that can go straight from stove to oven, brown ground turkey or hamburger. Make sure not to chop your hamburger too finely, the men folk seem to like big chunks of meat, especially on deer hunting opener weekend! Once meat is browned, add canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced large tomato, salsa, beans (make sure to rinse them first) chili powder and cumin. Stir together to combine and simmer over low heat. Then prepare your corn bread topping.

Corn Bread Topping
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1 4 ounce can green chilies, diced

In a large bowl combine your dry ingredients and whisk together. Then stir in milk, oil, beaten egg, cheese and chilies and stir until just combined. There will still be clumps and that is ok! Evenly spread corn bread over top of chili in the cast iron skillet, being careful not to mix the corn bread and the chili.

Bake for 30 minutes until your corn bread is firm to the touch and golden brown.

Enjoy!!

Maple Pecan Scones

In need of a quick pastry to impress some last minute drop-in visitors? These scones are delicious, elegant and easy to make. They come together in minutes but look like you've planned something special!

Maple Pecan Scones
(slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

Scones
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, chilled and cut into 1 tbls chunks
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
3/4 cup heavy cream

Icing
1 pound powder sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoon hot water
1 single serving packet of instant coffee granules
dash of salt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, add your flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk together. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mix resembles small crumbs. You still want chunks of butter visible to don't go overboard with the cutting! Add finely chopped pecans. I buy the whole pecans because they are cheaper and pulse them in the food processor just for a few seconds. In a separate small bowl, mix the cream and egg together and add to the flour/butter mixture. Stir together until just combined. The batter will still be quite crumbly. Dump mixture onto a cutting board and split into two. With your hands, press the mixture into two circles about 5 to 6 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch think then cut into 8 wedges. Move your wedges onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 to 23 minutes. You don't want your scones to brown on the edges.

For the icing, stir instant coffee into the hot water and then combine all ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until smooth.

When scones are done baking, remove from cookie sheet and place on a wire rack with a cookie sheet underneath. After they have completely cooled, drizzle plenty of icing over the top and sprinkle with chopped pecans!

Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter and M&M Granola Bars

I have picky eaters at home. If I try to set something infront of them they have not seen before I swear they look ready to break into tears because there is a foreign object on their plate that they have no intentions of putting into their mouths. Parmesan Baked Artichokes? Forget about it. Spaghetti Squash? No way Jose. Asparagus? This one I made the mistake of mentioning it to Walnut that it turns your pee green. He's been terrified of aspargus ever since.

Peanut Butter and M&M Granola Bars

3 cups oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup M&Ms

Add oats to a large skillet and toast until they start to brown. Set aside in a large bowl and add M&Ms to the oats. In the same skillet, add brown sugar, honey, peanut butter and butter. Stir together with a whisk and cook mover medium high heat until the mixuture starts to bubble. Pour mixture over the top of oats and stir together until all oats are coated. Being careful not to burn yourself (the wet mixture is very hot) press granola into a 9x13 pan, being careful not to smush the M&Ms. Let set for about 2 hours until granola hardens and cut into bars.



Enjoy!

Minestrone

Mmmm.....Soup good enough to warm your soul when the fall winds start whipping. This soup has everything good going on. Its hearty, healthy, filling and plain scrumptious! Make a big pot today and enjoy!

Minestrone
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
5 carrots, sliced
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
4 cups tomato sauce
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
2 cups fresh green beans, sliced into 1" chunks
2 cups baby spinach, rinsed
3 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup fun shaped pasta, cooked
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat a large stock pot over medium low heat. Add oil and saute garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add onion and continue to saute for an additional 3 minutes. Add celery, carrots and cook for another 2 minutes. Total saute time is about 8 minutes. Vegetables should still be somewhat crisp.
Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Then add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Simmer for atleast 40 minutes until veggies are tender and all the nummy flavors have fused together.
Stir in cooked pasta.
Serve soup topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and your favorite bread.

Borscht

Fall has settled into the air...the days have been cool and rainy. The air is crisp and feels great at 6 am while I'm out on an early morning run. Yesterday there was even scattered light patches of frost on the grass. You know what that means? I spent the entire day dicing vegetables for my favorite soups and kneaded bread dough the rest of the day for some homemade soup and bread. My house smelt devine all day today. Simmering vegetables and fresh baked bread is enough to make me float around my house all day wearing a smile. Not even the mountain of laundry is a match for the good mood that fresh soup and bread puts me in.

Borscht

8 cups beef broth*
1 pound slice of meaty bone-in beef (I used a serlion steak)
1 large onion, peeled, roughly chopped
4 large beets, peeled, diced into 1/2" cubes
4 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 large russet potato, peeled, diced into 1/2" cubes
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

*Use gluten-free broth if you are cooking gluten-free

In your stock pot, add 4 cups beef broth and bring to a boil. Season steak with salt and pepper. Add onion and steak to the beef broth. Cover pot and boil until steak is tender, 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

When meat is cooked and tender, transfer to your cutting board and dice into desired size...bite size works best. Spoon any fat from broth that has floated to top and return meat to broth.

Add remaining 4 cups of broth, beets, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil,then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender...about 30 minutes.

When vegetables are tender, add shredded cabbage and 1/2 cup of the dill. Continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in vinegar.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a scoop of sour cream and additional dill.

Enjoy!

Ciabatta Bread

You know those fall days that are cool enough to put you out of your comfort zone but not cold enough to force you to turn on the heat yet? We're smack dab in the middle of it and I have about 4 quilts on my bed. You know what else I do on days like these? Bake bread. Not only does your house smell delicious...but it gets nice and warm from the oven running too!

Ciabatta Bread
2 packages regular active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cup very warm water (115 to 120 degrees)
3 to 3 1/4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary, chopped (if desired)

In a warmed mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand 5 minutes until yeast forms a foam on top of the water. Add 3 cups flour, salt and sugar. Mix on low speed (speed 2 on your KitchenAid) until flour and water are just combined. Stir in oil and mix on low again for about 3-4 minutes until dough cleans away from side of bowl. If needed, add an additional 1/4 cup of flour. Dough should be slightly stick still but able to handle.
Form dough into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning dough so the topside is greased. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes until doubled in size. I usually heat my oven on 400 degrees for 2 minutes, then place dough inside oven and turn oven off.
Punch down dough and place on a floured surface. Divide dough in half and shape each have into a ball and let raise again until double.
Grease two cookie sheets with Pam. Stretch each ball of dough on individual cookie sheets into an 18 x 6 rectange by pulling edges away from each other. Dough should be roughly 1/2" thick. Using your fingers, make indents all over dough. Cover dough and again let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush dough with and egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water wisked together.) Sprinkle chopped Rosemary over top (or desired herb). Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

I always like bread when its fresh out of the oven with butter!

Enjoy!

Spiced Apple Cake

Goodness, summer has flown by. I can't believe September is next week already! In two short weeks my little Walnut will be getting on the big yellow school bus and going to preschool. When did he turn 5 years old? What happened to ages 3 and 4? I must have blinked at some moment and life fast forwarded on me by about 3 years.

The breeze has started to change already and the first indications of fall are already in the air. The humid depressive days of summer are turning into cool, refreshing breezes and chilly, serene mornings with beautiful sun rises.

I couldn't be more excited for fall to come this year. Walnut starting preschool, growing into a strong independant little man.

Apples are also one of the wonders of fall in Minnesota. One tradition we always have in our house is to go to the apple orchard and take the tractor ride though the hundreds of apple trees...enjoying the breeze and sunshine on our faces. Here is a favorite recipe of mine when I bring my bags full of fresh apples home.

Spiced Apple Cake

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1-2 large apples, cored and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar mixed for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spay a 9×13 baking pan with an oil and flour baking spray.
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk to combine well and set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugars and butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.

Turn mixer on slow and fold in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Layer top with apple slices so they all face the same way, and sprinkle top generously with cinnamon and sugar.

Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 40 minutes, you may need an extra 5 minutes if it looks too soft.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, cutting and serving. Serve while warm from the over with a scoop of ice cream!

Enjoy!