Slow-cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili / Chili-Stuffed Peppers

I have been quite melancholy this week. In my rational brain, I recognize how truly fortunate I have been to have been allowed an entire year at home, doing little more than loving and living through every moment of my children's lives. That said, my maternity leave, on paper, officially ends on Friday. And my heart is breaking.

I love teaching, and I think I do a fairly good job at it. But the last twelve months have been the best months of my life. And in one week, I won't be able to put A on the bus, or hold C in my arms as we watch that same bus roll up to the house at the end of the day, watching C wiggle with excitement as his big sister runs, with open arms, toward the house to share with us the wonders of her day. Our routine will change. Someone else will be in charge of nap time and snack time and free play and singing. And I will be ok. And they will be ok. In fact, I'm pretty sure C will be so excited at the prospects of free play with eight little beauties his age that by the time I arrive at 3:00, he will feel like he's just heading home after a long and splendid play date.

I am coping in the kitchen. The next series of recipes, over the course of the next few weeks, will serve a very specific function - how to put healthy, seasonal dinners on the table quickly and easily. Many of them, like this one, will allow for two dinners to evolve out of one. Others are made in double batches and freeze easily. This first recipe was an absolute hit at home. Both kids gobbled up both meals, and the flavor of the chili only got better in between. Just a couple of things to consider though: if your family doesn't enjoy things on the spicy side (A won't eat ANYTHING spicy), leave out the chili powder, and you might want to space these two dishes out over the course of a couple of days. Otherwise, it's a lot of beans back to back :)

Meal #1 - Slow-Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili

You need:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 28-oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 15.5-oz. cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
3 medium zucchini, cut into cubes
2 medium onions, chiped
1/4 c. tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

In a 4 to 6 qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Reserve half of the chili for the stuffed peppers. Serve the remaining chili with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, avocado, corn bread, or cilantro.


Meal #2 - Chili-Stuffed Peppers

You need:

5 1/2 c. slow-cooker black bean and zucchini chili
6 small bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 c. colby jack cheese

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the chili with 1 c. of the cheese. Arrange the bell peppers, cut side up, in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the chili mixture among the bells peppers. Add 1/2 c. water to the baking dish and tightly cover with foil. Bake until the peppers are soft, 30-40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake 5-7 min longer. Serve with crusty bread.


Recipe inspired from Real Simple Magazine

The Best Pulled Pork. Ever.

C's first birthday party was a small but fun-filled affair - an afternoon with immediate family and his godparents, complete with delightful circus-themed events, courtesy of his sister. I wanted the main dish for our lunch that wouldn't require sitting at the grill or in the kitchen, but rather would allow me to fix it and forget it (and enjoy the afternoon with the birthday boy!) We decided on J and D's famous but ridiculously easy pulled pork recipe. This pulled pork is incredible. And it's so easy that it's almost hard to take credit for the final product once it's made. However, keep in mind that it takes a couple of days to put the whole thing together, so keep that in mind if you choose to make it. However, Ii's good for any occasion. This recipe will feed about 15 people, so take that into consideration when shopping for your meal or event.

You need:

1 8-lb. pork shoulder
2 cans of ginger ale
1 large onion, sliced
2 bottles of barbecue sauce (we use Sweet Baby Ray's)


In a large crock pot, place the pork shoulder, fat side down. Top with ginger ale and onions. Cook on low for 12 hours. Let cool slightly and then separate the meat from the bones and fat. Shred the meat with two forks. If serving within 2 hours, place back into the crock pot, add the barbecue sauce, and cook on low for another 2 hours. If serving the next day (if you are going to refrigerate the meat before using it), mix with the barbecue sauce and cook on low for another 4 hours.

Quiche Maraîchère

One of the most incredible sights is the farmer's market at the end of August. The stalls are bustling with people and overflowing with abundant produce. Even in light of the dry and parched fields which surround us, the bounty is no less sweet. It is at this time that I get excited about trying new things - new ingredients that don't regularly appear on my shopping list - and new recipes for my family. Last week, one of the farmers who has never steered me wrong had the most delicious looking Swiss chard I had ever seen. The greens were crisp and enormous and the red stalks were sharp and enticing. I snatched one up, added it to my bag, and was excited about where I would use it.

Until I got home. And had no idea what I was going to do with it. I have a few wonderful soup recipes with Swiss chard, ones that allow for stretching a few extra days out of wilting produce. But the temperature hit 84 degrees. I wasn't making soup. However, after flipping aimlessly through my binder, I came across this quiche recipe. Maraîchère, according to the recipe, translates to "produce" or "market garden." And it called for Swiss chard! Hurray! And what made it all the more exciting was that, since quiche does well at room temperature or briefly reheated in a warm oven, it could be made in advance and ready after a busy day of doctors appointments and A's book club, which is where I found myself last night. If you don't have Swiss chard, fear not. ANY green vegetable will do (spinach? sliced Brussels? Sauteed broccoli? GO FOR IT!) 


You need:

1 large leek, or 3 small, trimmed and sliced (only white and light green parts)*
1 tbsp. butter
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 c. shredded cheddar or Gruyere cheese
1 9-in pie shell **
salt

Preheat your oven to 350. Heat the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Saute the leeks with a pinch of salt until they begin to soften, about 3 min. Add the Swiss chard with another pinch of salt and continue to saute 5 more minutes, until the chard has wilted completely. Remove from heat and cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk and the cheese. Spoon the cooled vegetable mixture into the pie shell. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Place a thin cover of aluminum foil just around the edges of the pie crust (but NOT over the egg and vegetable mixture) - this will keep the crust from getting too brown during the cooking process. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a side salad and some crusty bread.


* A word on leeks - if you don't usually cook with leeks, you aren't aware of how truly dirty they are. Imagine the dirtiest, sandiest, grainiest lettuce you've ever purchased, and then add even more dirt and sand. I liken leeks to a toddler after a day at the beach. Just when you think you've gotten it clean, more sand shows up in the most unexpected places. As a result, take good care when cleaning them. Peel each layer and clean individually. It might not make for the prettiest (or most efficient) slicing, but it makes for clean food. We eat enough sand all summer long, do we not? 

** This recipe calls for an already cooked pie shell, but I find them a wasted purchase. They don't store or freeze well. I keep 8-10 packages of ready made pie crust in my freezer all the time. They thaw quickly and you can make so many dishes with pie crusts. However, if you're going to use a ready made pie crust (or be even more adventurous and make your crust from scratch), be sure to pre-bake your crust (350 for 15 minutes) before you add the filling for the quiche. 

Recipe inspired from Kiwi Magazine

Out of the Garden Pancakes

I'm having fun in the kitchen again, experimenting with new recipes for our little man, who turns one NEXT WEEK (I cannot believe this fact), and looking for interesting dinner and lunch ideas for all of us when I head back to work next month (I cannot even begin thinking about this fact). This recipe was a great way to use up some delicious fresh veggies we found at the market. However, you can experiment with any fresh vegetables (or even frozen) to make these pancakes. The kids gobbled them up, and they freeze easily to reheat under the broiler for a quick lunch or side dish! Here's the recipe as I made them (which deviated from the original a bit!).

You need:

1 c. broccoli
12 asparagus spears
1 c. brown mushrooms
1/2 of an onion
2 garlic cloves
1/4 c. coconut oil*
2/3 c. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. fresh dill
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 large egg
1/4 c. milk**
1 c. shredded cheese

Steam broccoli and asparagus for 4-5 minutes. When tender, place broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in food processor. Pulse on and off to chop (but not pulverize or puree!) Transfer into a large bowl. Stir in oil, flour, dill, salt, and pepper. Add the egg and milk and mix thoroughly. Heat a griddle to medium heat and drizzle with a little olive oil. Drop batter by 1/4 cups and cook until firm on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn with a spatula and sprinkle cooked side with cheddar cheese. Cook remaining side until golden, about 1 min.

Enjoy with a side of greek yogurt, sour cream, or applesauce!

*if you are using coconut oil, bring to a liquid state before adding to the mix. However, I do not use virgin coconut oil in this recipe, because it will taste like coconuts. I use the non-virgin. (Experienced coconut oil? HA!) You can also use any vegetable oil of your liking.

** If the baby is under a year old or allergic to milk, you can substitute rice milk for this recipe and it will turn out the same!


from The Petite Appetit Cookbook by Lisa Barnes

Play Dough

We've been traveling a lot lately, so I haven't been very creative in the kitchen. We've relied on many summer stand-by recipes, so there hasn't been much to post. However, I brought with me (on one of our travels) some homemade play dough for the kids to play with. My cousin was astonished that I had made play dough. When she found out just how easy it was (not to mention ridiculously cheaper than the store bought kind), she asked for the recipe right away. Not only does it stay soft as long as you keep it in a plastic ziploc bag, you can make it festive using food coloring and spices (or extracts) for different holidays or seasons. The basic recipe is as follows:

You need:

1 c. flour
1 c. water
1/2 c. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tbsp. cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients in a sauce pan. Add oil, water,  and food coloring/extract (if using). Cook about 3 minutes, or until the mixture pulls away from the sides. Remove from the pan and knead well. Store in a plastic ziploc bag.