Chili For A Cold Night

It's the Midwesterner in me, when it gets super cold outside, I think of making chili.  I've also been easing my kids into full-on chili since we have started camping a lot and bringing chili along to heat up on the fire is a lot easier than the "gourmet" camping meals that I've attempted this year.  But we'll get into that when camping season starts!

I also convert almost any chili, soup, or stew recipe into a slow cooker recipe because I just believe that smelling that wonderful dinner aroma when you walk in after school or work really gets you in the mood for eating a good dinner.  So tonight it was chili mac with a little shredded sharp cheddar and it was a success!  It helped that I had some blondies cooling on the counter for dessert--I'm not beyond a little bribery to get my kids to try things for the first time, but there wasn't any bribery involved tonight. 

The great thing about chili is that every family has a different recipe.  This is the one that works for us, but if we didn't have ground beef, ground turkey or chicken would work, and vegetarian is even better!  I made a recipe once that had peanuts substituted for meat, and after they cooked all day they really did have the texture and protein of a meat.  My daughter is allergic to corn and soy, but you could also add roasted corn, polenta, or corn meal to thicken it.

Down Home Chili

• 1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef, ground chicken or chicken breasts)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 28 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel, or Trader Joe's)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Brown meat with onions and garlic, drain, add to slow cooker.  Add the rest of the ingredient and mix.  Cook on low in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours, serve over your favorite pasta--elbow macaroni is always good--with grated sharp cheddar to top, and cilantro to garnish.

Vodka "Cream" Sauce a la Murray

With the right tools in the kitchen you can make your favorite family foods a lot healthier, and no one will even notice!  My stick blender is my favorite tool in the kitchen and when you are making soups or sauces a stick blender is the best ingredient since good old cream.  I have been able to eliminate cream from most of our "cream" dishes, like this beautiful and so rich and tasty Vodka Cream pasta sauce by whipping the sauce into submission with my trusty stick blender.  It is able to emulsify just a bit of extra virgin olive oil into tasting positively creamy, and with a fraction of the calories.

Pasta with Vodka "Cream" Sauce

• Whole wheat pasta of your choice (we love Barilla Plus!)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion or 2-3 shallots
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (or more to your taste)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup fat free chicken broth
• 14.5 oz can San Marzano crushed or diced tomatoes

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat oil, add onion, saute 4 minutes.  Add crushed red pepper and garlic, cook 1 more minute.  Add vodka, bring to boil and reduce heat.  Simmer 3 minutes or until reduced by half.  Stir in broth and tomatoes, bring to boil.  Reduce heat, simmer 8 minutes, remove from heat and blend with stick blender.  Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, season to taste if necessary.  Garnish with parma reggiano and/or fresh basil.