Whiskey and Triple Pork Black Bean Chili

I made this and it was extremely easy.  I don't have really any clue how it tastes because I have strep and can't taste anything.  I assume it wasn't spicy because my nose didn't run. 

D said it was really good, unusual and we should have again. It is unusual because there are no tomatoes in it. Serve over rice.

Whiskey and Triple Pork Black Bean Chili

Why make the same old thing when you can cook up a chili rich and smoky with bacon and Spanish chorizo, mellowed by whiskey, and fired up with chipotles?

Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Total: 2 Hours, 30 Minutes

Ingredients

Photo by: Photo: Annabelle Breakey

1 pound pork shoulder (butt), cut into 1- to 1 1/2-in. chunks
Vegetable oil (if pork is lean) (didn't use)
5 slices (1/2 lb.) thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 1/2 cups dried black beans, cleaned of debris and rinsed (used pinto beans because we had them)
2 chopped canned chipotle chiles (used 3)
Added 1 TBSP Adobo Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Added 1 teaspoon Chipotle Chile Powder
1 qt. reduced-sodium chicken broth (32 oz)
3/4 cup whiskey such as Jack Daniel's, divided
4 ounces Spanish smoked chorizo, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley (used cilantro)
Creme fraiche or shredded jack cheese (used jack)
Chopped chives

Preparation

1. Brown pork in a large pot over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes, adding a little oil if pork is very lean. Transfer pork to a plate. Add bacon to pot and cook, stirring often, until browned but still soft, about 5 minutes. Spoon out fat and return 2 tbsp. to pot. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Return pork to pot and add beans, chipotles, adobo, cumin, chile powder, broth, and 1/2 cup whiskey. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until beans and pork are tender, about 1 1/4 hours.

3. Stir in chorizo and remaining 1/4 cup whiskey. Simmer, covered, until flavors are blended, about 10 minutes more. Stir in parsley (cilantro).

4. Ladle into bowls and top with crème fraîche and chives.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 579; Calories from fat: 49%; Protein: 35g; Fat: 32g; Saturated fat: 11g; Carbohydrate: 32g; Fiber: 11g; Sodium: 973mg; Cholesterol: 105mg

Sunset FEBRUARY 2012

Herb and Onion Wheat Biscuits

I found these when I was looking for a new onion recipe.  They got good reviews so I decided D and I should try them.  I was going to make them, but D ended up making them.

Unlike a lot of wheat rolls which are bone dry, these were a bit moist.  Not very, but they weren't bricks either.  They had a lot of herb flavor.  I would have them again.  We had them with Baked Potato Soup.

Herb and Onion Wheat Biscuits

The onion is puréed so that its flavor carries throughout the biscuits. You can make and freeze the biscuits up to a week ahead. When ready to serve, thaw, wrap in foil, and heat in a 325º oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 biscuit)

Ingredients

Photo by: Becky Luigart-Stayner;
Jen Rotenstreich

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat a small skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion; cook 6 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Spoon onion into a blender. Add milk; process until smooth. Cool.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (flours through basil) in a large bowl; cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add onion mixture; stir just until moist. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface (dough will be sticky), and knead lightly 5 times with floured hands. Roll dough to a 1/2-inch thickness; cut into 10 biscuits with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 119; Calories from fat: 31%; Fat: 4.1g; Saturated fat: 2.4g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.2g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g; Protein: 3.1g; Carbohydrate: 17.9g; Fiber: 1.3g; Cholesterol: 11mg; Iron: 1.1mg; Sodium: 227mg; Calcium: 73mg

Cooking Light NOVEMBER 2001

Tortilla Chip Casserole

I made this over the course of a few days.  I started to make it (I made cooked up some chicken with salt and pepper) and then realized our milk was bad.  So into the fridge.  2 days later, I restarted the dinner. Overall it was easy to prep...I didn't roast the red pepper.  I cooked it with the onion.  Also, we didn't have green onions.

Overall, it was good.  It needed some cilantro and something else.  D thought green chilies. I thought maybe jalapenos.  It was comfort food, but it needed a zap of fresh-taste, if that makes sense.  Perhaps that was what the green onions were supposed to be for.

I would have again.  We had with no side so we each had 1.5 servings.

Tortilla Chip Casserole

Photo by ALB

Tortilla Chip Casserole retains all the full-flavor of this popular chicken comfort dish but with lighter ingredients.

Yield: Serves 6
Hands-on: 30 Minutes
Total: 1 Hour

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 cup organic canned black beans, rinsed and drained (used the whole can because it was 1.25 C)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
4 ounces baked tortilla chips, crushed
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped (didn't roast...sauteed with the onion)
8 ounces lower-sodium green chile enchilada sauce (such as Frontera)
2.5 ounces shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend (about 2/3 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion (I added the red pepper here); cook 6 minutes. Add garlic and flour; cook 2 minutes. ­Gradually add milk and stock, stirring constantly; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and cream cheese.

3. Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture over bottom of a broiler-safe 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Layer beans, 1 1/2 cups chicken, and 2 ounces chips. Top with 1/2 cup milk mixture. Layer 1 1/2 cups chicken, bell pepper, and 2 ounces chips; top with 1 cup milk mixture and enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 379; Fat: 14.6g; Saturated fat: 6.8g; Monounsaturated fat: 4.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g; Protein: 28.5g; Carbohydrate: 34.2g; Fiber: 4.7g; Cholesterol: 75mg; Iron: 1.9mg; Sodium: 686mg; Calcium: 215mg

Cooking Light JANUARY 2013

Italian Sausage Soup

I made this while I had the flu.  Even sick as a dog, it came together very quickly.  It had a good taste and I would make again.

Italian Sausage Soup

Photo by ALB

Lighten up a hearty sausage soup recipe with turkey Italian sausage and add flavor with canned tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons basil)
Posted by NCBeaches

Ingredients
8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage (used Italian Pork Sausage)
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano  (used Plain diced)
Added 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Added 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan.

Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 216; Calories from fat: 30%; Fat: 7.1g; Saturated fat: 2.6g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.5g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.8g; Protein: 17.4g; Carbohydrate: 20g; Fiber: 1.6g; Cholesterol: 52mg; Iron: 3.2mg; Sodium: 1020mg; Calcium: 153mg

Cooking Light JULY 2004

Chalupa Dinner Bowl

So there are days when having D work at at restaurant supply house makes finding ingredients easy.  This would be one of those days.  Kroger didn't sell a bone-in pork loin.  I wasn't even about to check Whole Foods (Kroger's butcher is mind boggling to me...they have the same cuts of meat as the meat department, just not wrapped).

So anyway, D made this. I helped by turning the Crock Pot onto low (yes, I had the difficult part).
We didn't use taco bowls because they were over $6 for 8 bowls.  We used baked chips because we had those for another recipe.

I came home to dinner ready to go. D said the pork shredded easily.  We both picked at the pork in the Crock Pot while preparing our plates.  Basically we had taco salads.  It was delicious.  D said it was restaurant quality.  There are enough leftovers for about 2 weeks...we made burritos with them as well.

Would definitely have again.  Would consider for a sports viewing party...Makes lots (more than 8 servings to us).  Allrecipes.com has a very similar recipe that they say is 16 servings for 474 calories (with burrito wraps instead of taco bowl).

Chalupa Dinner Bowl

This pork-and-bean mixture is versatile. Serve it spooned over cornbread or rolled up burrito style in flour tortillas. Make hearty nachos, quesadillas, or tacos too. It can even be used as a meaty addition to huevos rancheros (fried corn tortillas topped with fried eggs and salsa).

Yield: Makes 8 servings
Cook time:11 Hours
Prep time:30 Minutes
Bake:5 Minutes

Ingredients
1 pound dried pinto beans

1 (3 1/2-pound) bone-in pork loin roast
2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles with lime juice and cilantro
8 taco salad shells
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded

Toppings: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, pickled jalapeño slices, halved grape tomatoes, sour cream, chopped avocado

Preparation
Rinse and sort beans according to package directions.

Place pinto beans in a 6-quart slow cooker; add roast and next 6 ingredients. Pour chicken broth evenly over top of roast.

Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour; reduce to LOW, and cook 9 hours. Or, cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours. Remove bones and fat from roast; pull roast into large pieces with two forks. Stir in diced tomatoes and green chiles. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH 1 more hour or until liquid is slightly thickened.

Heat taco salad shells according to package directions; place shredded lettuce evenly into shells. Spoon about 1 cup pork-and-bean mixture into each shell using a slotted spoon. Serve with desired toppings.

Note from Southern Living: For testing purposes only, we used RO*TEL Mexican Festival tomatoes and a Rival Recipe Smart-Pot slow cooker. Times may vary depending on the slow cooker used.

Southern Living OCTOBER 2005

King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese- Updated!

Update: So D removed the butter (and used Pam), used 4 oz of Velveeta and .75 C of Cheddar.  The taste was still there but the creaminess was not.  It did reduce the calories from 630 to 543 however.  Adding 4 oz of light cream cheese bumps it up to 590, if I wanted to go that route.  Going to 6 oz of Velveeta moves it to 570.

I think the next time we have it, we will try 6 oz of Velveeta and 1/2 C of Sharp Cheddar.  But use Kraft or Sargento Cheddar vs. Kroger, because they have better flavor.

The recipe is here.

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

So I wouldn't call this Mac and Cheese. More of pasta casserole with a cheese binder.  It just wasn't the creamy globule mess that you think of when you think of a homemade mac and cheese. Of course this is a CL recipe so that may be why.

However, it was very good.  I love broccoli so that and the bacon...mmm.  And actually the green onions had a definitive flavor, as well.  It was really good and I would definitely have again.

D made it.  He didn't say anything but it did require 3 pots, I noticed when I was doing the dishes.  Eh.

We had with salad.

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

This one-dish meal will win over adults and children alike. Substitute English peas or fresh spinach for the broccoli, if you prefer.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Hands-on:12 Minutes
Total:36 Minutes

Ingredients

Photo by: Photo: Johnny Autry;
Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

3 cups broccoli florets
8 ounces uncooked rigatoni
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 ounces reduced-fat processed American cheese, cut into pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup packed)

Preparation
1. Steam broccoli 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Pat dry, and keep warm. Cook pasta in boiling water in a large saucepan for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain and keep warm. Wipe pan with paper towels, and return to medium heat. Melt butter in pan. Sprinkle flour over melted butter; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk to the flour mixture in pan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, and remove from heat. Add American cheese; stir until smooth. Stir in sliced green onions and the remaining ingredients. Stir in broccoli and pasta; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 413; Fat: 13.3g; Saturated fat: 7.5g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.4g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g; Protein: 19.6g; Carbohydrate: 53.4g; Fiber: 3.8g; Cholesterol: 39mg; Iron: 2.8mg; Sodium: 772mg; Calcium: 317mg

Cooking Light APRIL 2012