Frito Chili

Sounds appetizing, and we love it!

Taco meat:

2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound ground beef
1 to 3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and chopped onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat into smaller chunks, until it is cooked through.

Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for a minute and then add the tomato sauce. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer the meat mixture for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then add:

3 cups water

2- 26oz cans diced tomatoes (I add 15oz of fire roasted in the mix)

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 16 oz can tomato juice

2 T sugar

Simmer 20 minutes. 

Then add:

1 16oz can corn

1 16oz can green beans

Stir together and warm everything up.

Serve with:

Fritos

Grated cheese

Sour cream

Avocados

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

1 T olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1 celery stalk chopped

2 t curry powder

1 t dried basil

1 large squash, seeded and cubed (or 20 oz package precut squash)

1 tart apple, cubed

8 c vegetable broth

1. Put pot on stove and turn heat to medium. When hot, add oil.

2. Add onion, garlic, celery, curry powder, and basil. Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. 

3. Add butternut squash, apple, and broth and raise the heat to high; bring to a boil. 

4. Turn heat down to low and cook until squash is very tender, 45 minutes. Set aside to cool down a bit, at least 15 minutes, at room temperature. Stir occasionally to help mixture cool. 

5. Puree with hand immersion blender or in blender. 

Memorial Weekend Extravaganza

So this post will have to be cleaned up later, but before all links get deleted off the iPad tonight, food with our friends rocked. Here's just a whole pile of recipes from the weekend:

Saturday: homemade pizza with the sauce from the vegetarian lasagna on this site.

Sunday: Swanson family flank steak, spinach salad with poppyseed dressing, herb roasted potatoes, chocolate cake to die for

Monday:
breakfast: overnight French toast (http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/12/overnight-baked-french-toast/)
Fresh berries, maple syrup
Lunch: watermelon, peanut butter/apple sandwiches, chips and one-minute salsa 
(http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/06/one-minute-salsa.html)
Dinner: kale salad
grilled pineapple (http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/05/grilled-pineapple-2-pts.html
Grilled portobello burgers 
(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/portobello-mushroom-burger-recipe/index.html
(The aioli was great for both the portobello burger and beef burger)
Grilled corn on the cob with lime butter sauce 
(lime zest and juice and salt mixed into butter at room temp then chilled)
Grilled burgers with Montreal steak seasoning, fresh onions, avocado, tomatoes, aioli 
(but how cool would all these sauce concoctions be?? 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/50-condiments/page-2.html)
Watermelon (because you have to have it every day of the summer)
Apple pie with crumb topping (http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/11/crumb-topped-apple-pie/)
Cherry pie (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/06/sweet-cherry-pie/)

Tuesday: 
breakfast: crepes with topping choices of fresh fruit, nutella, cinnamon, some biscotti spread that 
was part ambrosia, leftover pie
Lunch: corn, edamame, tomato salad, kale salad
Dinner: spaghetti (http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/10/homemade-spaghetti-sauce-perfected.html)

Food, friends, and fun. It was a great weekend!

Classic Pesto

Tonight I threw together a dinner of random stuff in the fridge and it was really good. I sauteed zucchini and squash in a tablespoon of coconut oil, then added a handful of halved cherry tomatoes off the heat. Then I made this pesto I found on Cooks Country and it was so good. It may be on the salty side, so I'd start with 1/4 t salt and go up from there next time. 

Serving size: 3/4 c pesto (enough for 1 lb pasta)

• 3garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1/4cup pine nuts
• 2cups fresh basil leaves
• 7tablespoons EVOO
• 1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese
•  Salt and pepper

1. Toast garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and skins are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add pine nuts and continue to cook until garlic is spotty brown and nuts are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, peel garlic.

• 2. Process garlic, nuts, basil, oil, Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon salt (add more as needed) in food processor until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be covered with 1 tablespoon oil and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Poppy Seed Dressing

We make this at home all the time. It's great with a quick salad of spinach, fresh strawberries, red onions, and feta (and candied sliced almonds or pecans).

1/2 c sugar
1.5 t ground mustard
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/8 c chopped white onion
1 c canola oil
1 t poppy seeds

Combine all in a blender EXCEPT poppy seeds. Stir in poppy seeds after.

Coconut Cilantro Rice

Tonight I made baked tilapia with ginger and cilantro from Mel's Kitchen and paired it with this rice recipe. It was great and the boys kept going back for more. Will make again.

11oz coconut milk
2 t salt
About 2 inches ginger sliced thin then pressed the flat end of knife to release juices
2 c brown jasmine or basmati rice
1/2 c cilantro

Bring coconut milk, 2.5 c water, and ginger to a rolling boil in pot with tight fitting lid.  Pour in rice and stir well. Bring to a boil again and then reduce to low. Cover with paper towel and lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve.