October Pumpkin Series: Pumpkin Chili

Intern Kelsey's second pumpkin post - yum, chili!   I bet this would be awesome with some homemade healthy cornbread...

*M*

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From Kelsey:

This time of the year is my absolute favorite. The weather is cooling down, Halloween is in a few weeks and then it will be my favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. I might be a little more excited for Thanksgiving this year due to my birthday being the day after! I cannot even remember the last time I had my birthday off.  I almost always have an exam, school or work on my birthday so I’m looking forward to relaxing and maybe traveling somewhere this year.

So, if you haven’t been able to tell from my previous post, I am pretty much obsessed with pumpkin. My obsession, however, has only led me to try pastry/dessert pumpkin items such as pies, cookies, puddings, frozen yogurt, etc. When Megan gave me the idea of doing a savory pumpkin item, I was unsure of what I would pick. She was then kind enough to send me some ideas, one of them being this AMAZING pumpkin chili from the blog Wellness Mama. As my mom would say, amazing does not even begin to describe it. The flavors are incredible and the pumpkin aroma instantly fills the house. I tweaked the recipe a little bit, adding some organic great northern beans to it. Adding beans, along with the pumpkin puree, will give you a good amount of fiber, which then means this recipe will keep you full for awhile. The only downside was that I could not eat any of my pumpkin no bake cookies I had made earlier in the day or the pumpkin bread I had also made (will be on blog next week). But it was well worth it!! And yes, I did make three pumpkin items in one day.

Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do! This dish is perfect to make during this wonderful AZ weather we have been experiencing!

Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef

2 onions

1 (16 ounce) can of BPA free diced tomatoes (drained)

1 (15/16 ounce) can or jar of tomato sauce

1 (15/16 ounce) can of pureed pumpkin

1 cup organic beef broth

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 avocado

Cheese and sour cream to top

*I also added one can of great northern beans

Instructions:

Assemble Ingredients.

Brown beef in a large pot.

When beef is almost completely cooked, add the onions and cook until soft.

Add the pureed pumpkin, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, stock, beans and spices.

Simmer for 10 minutes until heated through.  

Top with cheese or avocado slices.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Roasted Spiced Chickpeas

This is an easy snack recipe that is full of fiber and protein and adds a little spice to your afternoon (or breakfast?).  I had wanted to make it ever since I saw it in an issue of Whole Living (my favorite magazine), and when my sister sent me the recipe I remembered how awesome it looked.  The recipe below is inspired from the original.

The best part?  It's super easy.  Oh, and I couldn't get my husband to stop eating them, so they pass the test.

Ingredients:

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (try Fig brand or Eden Organics)
1 T. vegetable oil (I used melted pasture butter, but grapeseed oil would work)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground hot paprika
1/4 tsp. ground garlic (optional)
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425.  Toss chickpeas with oil/butter and spices until evenly coated.  

Spread on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast, shaking pan occasionally, until chickpeas are golden and crunchy, about 30 minutes. 

Let cool completely.  Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

*M*

Speedy Supper #2 - Arugula Salad with White Beans and Pesto, Grilled Sesame Sweet Potatoes, and Grilled Hoisin Chicken with Scallions

This post, the second in my Speedy Suppers series, utilized three recipes from the Real Simple "Simple 3-ingredient Recipes" article in the July 2011 issue. They're called "recipes," but don't be intimidated - these are simple instructions as to how to put a few things together for a quick and healthy meal, no complicated ingredients required! Thus, making three "recipes" for dinner really is as simple as making sure to have 9 ingredients on hand. I used the following recipes: Arugula Salad with White Beans and Pesto, Grilled Sesame Sweet Potatoes, and Grilled Hoisin Chicken with Scallions.

This is all the stuff you'll need!

You can make the salad a few hours ahead of time or prepare it while you're grilling the chicken and sweet potatoes. These recipes are great, too, because you can prep everything ahead of time and just throw it on the grill when you are ready. Plus, this minimizes clean up of pots and pans!

Arugula Salad with White Beans and Pesto

Ingredients:

4 cups arugula

1 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed

1/3 cup pesto (aim for olive oil-based pesto)

Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, toss together the arugula, beans, pesto, and 1/4 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper.

Grilled Sesame Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

1 tablespoon canola oil (I used sesame oil because I avoid canola)

Sea salt and black pepper

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Instructions:

Heat the grill to medium. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the canola oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Grill the potatoes, covered, until tender and lightly charred, 5-7 minutes per side. Drizzle with the sesame oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

(I toasted the sesame seeds by adding them to a heat-safe bowl in the convection toaster oven for about 5 minutes.)

Grilled Hoisin Chicken with Scallions

Ingredients:

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used chicken cutlets, which I had on-hand)

3 teaspoons canola oil (I used sesame oil)

Sea salt and black pepper

2 bunches scallions

1/4 cup hoisin sauce (I found mine at Whole Foods; it's gluten-free)

Instructions:

Heat grill to medium. Brush the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, toss the scallions with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Grill the chicken, covered, until cooked through, 4-7 minutes per side. Brush with the hoisin sauce and turn occasionally during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

(Put the hoisin sauce in a bowl to make for easier brushing on the chicken while at the grill.)

After the chicken has cooked for 5 minutes, grill the scallions, turning occasionally, until tender, 2 to 4 minutes.

Serve all recipes together and enjoy your speedy, yet elegant and flavorful, supper! (I threw a few croutons on the salad for the crunch my husband enjoys!)

Enjoy!

*M*

Speedy Supper #1 - Red Curry-glazed Salmon

I've been trying to simply many parts of my life lately, including my cooking life. ("Trying" is the key word...) While traveling for work, I came across a really interesting article in Real Simple magazine that showcased 3-ingredient recipes. It seemed to fit my "less is more" mantra as of late and gave me an idea for a blog series: Speedy Suppers!

Most of my clients like to cook and even have a few fun recipes up their sleeves; they just struggle finding the time to make tasty, healthy meals for themselves and their families. I wanted to showcase a few recipes that are extremely simple yet flavorful for even the most pressed-for-time cook. (Note: the magazine article I snagged these from considers olive oil, salt, and pepper as "freebies" and doesn't consider them part of the 3 ingredients. I adapted the recipes slightly to accommodate my ingredient preferences.)

This first Speedy Supper features Real Simple's Red Curry-glazed Salmon. I served it with a homemade salad of mixed beans, chopped onion, avocado, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

Red Curry-glazed Salmon

Ingredients:

4 5-oz pieces salmon filet (or 2 larger pieces, shown here)

1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

1 tablespoon canola oil (I avoid canola so used sesame oil or coconut oil)

1 teaspoon light brown sugar (I used honey)

Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions:

Heat broiler. Place the salmon on a foil-lined broilerproof baking sheet.

In a small bowl, mix together the curry paste, oil, sugar (honey), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

This is my extra cool Crate and Barrel electric salt and pepper mill:

Dividing evenly, brush the salmon with the curry paste mixture.

Broil until salmon is opaque throughout, 5-7 minutes. Serve with a big salad or mixed veggies.

My favorite part? Leftovers for lunch the next day!

Enjoy - with less stress and more time!

*M*

Slow Cooker Vegan Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

I love using my slow cooker. I can prep the ingredients the night before, set the bowl it in the fridge, and put it on the slow cooker base in the morning. When I get home, the house smells delicious, and the only cleanup is the big bowl! I also like this crock pot curry recipe because it's easy and is chock-full of vegetables. It does utilize some canned goods, which I don't like to use too often, but they're nice in a pinch. As always, make sure to buy organic ingredients, especially for produce with soft skin that you will eat. For my vegan followers, here's another recipe to add to your repertoire!

Vegetable and Chickpea Crockpot Curry
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil (I used raw coconut oil)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup (1/4 inch thick) carrot slices
1 T curry powder
1 tsp. brown sugar (I used a few dashes of stevia)
1 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato (I used sweet potato)
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 (14.5 oz) canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 oz) can vegetable broth
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup light coconut milk
6 lemon wedges (I omitted these)

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients.


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook for 5 minutes until tender.






Add curry powder, sugar (stevia), ginger, garlic, and chile; cook one minute, stirring constantly.






Note: the hottest part of the pepper is the seeds. You can remove the seeds for less spice, or keep them in if you want it zesty!


Place onion mixture in 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth).









Cover and cook on high 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk. Stir until spinach wilts. (Note: until I looked at this recipe again to put it on the blog, I completely forgot about the spinach. I bought it and had it ready, I just didn't add it. Whoops.)

Serve with lemon wedges. I'm not a big lemon-and-curry fan, so I just served it sprinkled with peanuts. Yum.



I had plenty leftover, which I froze and will add chicken to for a future dinner. This meal was incredibly flavorful, simple, and full of some really colorful, health-enhancing vegetables!

Enjoy!

*M*