Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili

I've been making this meal for a while (in a part of our regular rotation, especially in the winter), and just decided to take a picture of it now.

Here is the source.

And here is the recipe:

2 tomatoes, diced
16-ounce can tomato sauce
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup medium barley (not quick cooking)
4 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
dash cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

In a large pot, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, chicken, barley, water, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano and cayenne (if using). Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the chili for 40 minutes, until the barley is tender and chewy. Stir occasionally, while it simmers to prevent sticking and to make sure it stays at a steady simmer. After 40 minutes, add the beans and corn. Stir to combine and simmer for five more minutes.

Penne Pasta Dinner

I got this recipe from here, but, as usual, made some alterations. It was really good. It's so good you might want to lick your plate. Or somebody else's plate.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
1 pound ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
16 ounces penne pasta

2-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 (5 ounce) bag spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
pepper

Heat the oil in a bit pot over medium heat until simmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the ground beef and cook.  Stir in the garlic. Add the tomatoes and (dry) pasta. Pour the broth and cream over the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Thai Peanut Pizza

Here is our pizza for this week. It was really good. (Originally recipe found here, but I made alterations.)

I wasn't sure if I would like the cucumbers on the top, but they actually complemented the pizza quite well. All the ingredients came together really, really nicely.

Pizza Dough

1 cup shredded chicken

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

3 green onions, chopped

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 cucumber sliced

Peanut sauce:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons tamari

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Spread pizza dough on pan.

In a medium saucepan combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool. 

Stir fry the chicken in some coconut oil and soy sauce until completely cooked. Spread peanut sauce over crust. Top with red peppers, green onions, cooked chicken and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with cucumbers.

Boeuf Bourguignon

This recipe is so freaking amazing. (The original recipe can be found here, but I've made some alterations. For instance, the first time I made it, I used the pearl onions that the recipe called for. It was a lot of trouble, so every time I've made it since, I've left them out, and it is just fine.)

It should be noted that my kids did not enjoy this meal. They usually enjoy almost 100% of the meals that I make. They are crazy not to like this.

• 16 oz. of bacon, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 lbs. stewing beef
• 4 sliced carrots
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 T flour
• 2-1/2 cups red wine
• 3 cups chicken or beef broth
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb. mushroom, quartered
• 2 T butter, divided

1. Saute the bacon in a big pot that you can put into the oven. (If you don't have such a pot, just use your skillet, and then transfer everything to a casserole dish.) Remove.
2. Brown the stew beef. Preheat oven to 325 F.
3. In the same pan, brown the carrots and onions. Toss the meat and vegetables with the salt, pepper and flour. Mix the tomato paste with half cup of the wine so that it will easily mix in. Pour that onto the meat mixture followed by the rest of the wine, garlic and herbs. Top off with chicken or beef broth and add in enough just to cover the beef. Add the bacon. Place in the oven and let simmer slowly for 3 hours.
4. Cook mushrooms in 2 T butter.
5. When the meat is done, add the mushrooms. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for another 20 minutes. If sauce is not thickened, add flour accordingly. If it is too thick, add more chicken or beef broth.

This is so yummy. Seriously. Very, very, very, very, very, very yummy.

Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake

This was really yummy. (You can find the original recipe here.)

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed,diced
1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 orange pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 cup corn frozen kernels
Juice of 1 small lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

5. Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling.