Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

I found the original recipe of this on a blog that linked to Betty Crocker's website. I made some ommisions, additions and adjustments and came out with my own white chicken chili that is healthful, flavorful and just perfect for the upcoming winter weather. Best part is that it's a slow cooker meal so put it all in before the day gets started, add the last few ingredients a few hours later then a few more hours later you've got a soul warming, delicious chili. My husband and both my boys just love this recipe.

1 pound dried great northern beans
2 c. frozen corn
1 c. chopped leeks (you can sub onions but we can't have onions in our house)
1 1/4 t. cumin
1 t. paprika
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried cilantro
1 1/2 c. cooked, shredded chicken (I use chicken left over from making broth)
2 c. chicken broth
salt to taste

Soak beans overnight (I soak them in my crockpot). In the morning, drain and rinse then put in the crock pot. Cover with water until water is about 1 inch above the beans. Add in corn, leeks, cumin, paprika, oregano, and cilantro. DO NOT ADD SALT! If you add salt or salt containing ingredients (like the broth) before the beans are fully cooked they will NOT get tender. Cover and cook on high heat for 4-5 hours. I have found that beans cook much better in the crock pot on high but if you must cook them on low you'll need to cook them for 10-12 hours as 8-10 hours on low isn't enough to get them fully tender. Do not worry about adding water during cooking. It may look like it needs it by the end but you will be adding more liquid so please refrain from adding more water unless your beans are really starting to look burnt. When the crock pot beeps at the end of the 4-5 hours, add in broth and chicken plus salt to taste. Stir it all up then cover and cook on high for another 2 hours. When it beeps, it's done so serve and enjoy!

Hamburger Skillet Casserole

At the request of a friend, I'm posting a recipe that originally came out of a gluten free cookbook with many changes to make it an easy, flexible, one dish meal that tastes great even on a reflux, GFCF diet! The seasoning measurements are estimates as I have never measured what I use just sprinkled it in until it smells nice and tastes fabulous :)

1/2 lb ground beef
8 oz gluten free pene pasta (for this I use De Bolles brand)
roughly 2 cups of veggies, fresh or frozen (I've done both ways and use any number of veggies)
3-4 cups of broth, any kind will do and the more you use the stronger the flavor (I've even used chicken broth with beef before and it tasted great still)
water to finish covering pasta
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 t. ground ginger
salt to taste
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in cold water for thickening

Brown the beef in a large skillet (I actually use my wok). Drain, rinse and return to pan. Add in pasta, seasonings and broth. Add water until the pasta and veggies are completely covered. Boil until pasta is tender and fully cooked. The dish will have thickened and sometimes it's thick enough as is but if you'd like to make the broth more like a gravy then stir in the cornstarch and water mixture to thicken before serving.

Non traditional Red beans and Rice

So without onions, peppers and garlic I wasn't sure how exactly to use red beans for red beans and rice, but I had some on hand and wanted to give it a go. What I mixed up came out really delicious and is something I will definitely be making again!

1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight
1 1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. dried cilantro leaves
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1/2 pound ground turkey, browned
3 bay leaves
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1-2 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced (I used one but I'm not a huge celery fan)
water
salt to taste
cooked brown rice, enough to feed your family

Put the soaked beans in a stock pot and cover with water. Add all the ingredients except salt and rice. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for a few hours until the beans are good and tender. Watch the water level. I had to add a little here and there to keep them hydrated. After the beans are completely tender, let boil until the water thickens and add salt to taste. Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

Black Beans and Rice...made for reflux

So we have made some major diet changes recently on top of GFCF due to my sweet little engineer's reflux which has never gone away (diagnosed at 6 weeks) and never been under control. Due to that, we can't eat garlic, onion, peppers or many more things which means most of my recipes are no go's. I decided to make black beans and rice without the use of onions or garlic (staples in the past) and here's what I came up with. It was a big hit and you can make it vegetarian or with meat (we'll be using it both ways in our house). I didn't measure the spices though so the amounts below are just guesses, adjust as desired.

1 pound dried black beans
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper
1-1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 cup leeks, chopped and cleaned
salt to taste
cooked brown rice

Soak beans overnight the night before you want to cook them. Drain liquid in the morning. Put beans in the crockpot and cover with water. Add cumin, pepper and paprika. Cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 8 hours). Add leeks and salt to taste then cook on high for 1-2 more hours (or 2-4 hours on low). Serve over brown rice. Super simple, super tasty!

Vegetarian Crockpot Taco Soup

My family is trying to cut back on our grocery budget so my husband has agreed quite willingly (surprises me every day I tell ya) to cut back on meat. This recipe is one that made him think he can cut meat down to just 2-3 times per week. I made it a little on the mild side as I don't do spicy and my boys are little and won't do spicy either so my beloved added tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper to his bowl to add some heat. You are welcome to make it hotter or keep it mild. Whatever your tastebuds desire :)

1 1/2 c. dried pinto beans--soaked, drained, cooked, drained again
1 1/2 c. dried kidney beans--soaked, drained, cooked, drained again (I did the soaking and draining and such of both types of beans at the same time in the same pot)
2 c. frozen corn kernels
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, juices included (don't drain)
1 can Rotel, juices included
3-4 cups water depending on how much broth you want
2 t. chili powder
2 t. onion powder
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt (more to taste when done if needed)
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

I soak and cook the beans (I did mine in the same pot together) before hand. Add all ingredients to the crockpot. If you want you can use 2 taco seasoning packets instead of the individual spices but I use half the amount of each spice for my own taco seasoning so I doubled it to equal 2 packets. Cover and set on low for 9 hours (or high for 4.5 hours). It is amazing and full of flavor! You can cut back on the beans and add some meat if you like as well. If you can eat dairy, go ahead and top with some cheese. You could also add tortilla chips to the bowl when serving for a nice garnish and tasty addition. It's flexible and delicious. Enjoy :)

Yellow Rice

I've tried to make a yellow rice similar to the Vigo brand mix I used to buy in the store (until I looked at the ingredient list). It's never worked out and my beloved husband adores that stuff. Well, tonight I got it right! Praise the Lord! Here's the fruit of my labor.

2 T olive oil
1 small to medium onion
1 bell pepper (I used 1/2 red, 1/2 green)
3 cloves garlic
2 c. brown rice
1 1/2 t. turmeric
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
5 c. broth (or water and bouillon)--but use the amount needed based on your brand of rice
1 chicken breast
salt to taste

Heat up the oil in a pot. Chop the onion, garlic and peppers (I use my food processor for this step) and add to oil. Saute until onions are translucent. Add in the brown rice and toast the rice about 5 minutes. Add in turmeric, cumin and cayenne pepper coating the rice. Add broth (or water and bouillon which is how I make it) and bring to simmer. Cover and cook until broth is absorbed. While the rice is cooking, boil a chicken breast. When cooked through, remove from water and shred with two forks. After rice is done, mix in shredded chicken and salt to taste. Serve and enjoy! You can also use beef or beans with this too or use it in taco's or enchiladas or burritos. It's very verstaile.

Chicken and Vegetable Skillet

I started making this dish off a recipe but the final product was pretty different from what was on paper and really delicious! So here's the recipe how I made it and how my family loved.

1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2-4 cups broccoli florets (I used 2 fresh broccoli heads cut into florets)
3 carrots, peeled
1/2 large onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 1/2-2 cups water
1 teaspoon bouillon (I used Better than Bouillon brand so adjust based on your brands directions adding enough to make the above water into broth)
1-2 teaspoon seasoning blend (I used McCormick's perfect pinch Carribean Jerk but whatever you have or like will do)
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
2 cups uncooked brown rice

Begin by cooking the brown rice according to the instructions on the package. I added bouillon to the water as well for added flavor but you don't have to. While the rice is cooking, heat the ghee (or olive oil) in a skillet. Add in the cut up chicken. While the chicken is cooking I cut up my broccoli. If yours is already cut up just add it once the chicken is browned. Add in the water and bouillon once you add the broccoli. While that is cooking on low to medium heat (medium to medium high for non stick cookware), add the carrots, onion and bell pepper to a food processor and "chop" to desired texture. I like mine a little more finely cut so the kids don't complain as much or pick it out but it can be as coarsely chopped as you'd like. Add that to the skillet and stir. Let simmer covered until veggies are crisp tender. Add the cornstarch and water mixture and let boil until thickened. Serve veggies over your now cooked brown rice for a delicious and healthy meal :) It's nice and colorful too!

Chocolate Banana Bread

The best part about this banana bread (other than the chocolate) is the fact that it's made with honey and NO white sugar!!! It's a delicious dessert you won't feel guilty eating or feeding to your family. Score 1 for mom! I found the original recipe on a blog I'm having trouble getting to lately so no link to the original but I made a few changes (including getting rid of the white sugar) and this is what I've come up with. I make it with teff flour (super delicious and super healthy) but you can sub a different gluten free flour if that's what you have.

2/3 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. tapioca starch
1 c. teff flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
6 T. cocoa powder
2 t. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. light tasting olive oil (or any light tasting oil)
1 t. vanilla extract
3 overly ripe banana's mashed
2/3 c. honey (raw, local preferred)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large loaf pan and set aside. In a medium bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. In another medium to large size bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs. Add in the remaining wet ingredients and mix well. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet 1/2 at a time. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. After cooling for about 10 minutes transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!