Freezer Friday: Defying Winter!

This week Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts were on sale at a local restaurant supply house.  A friend and I split a 40 pound case of chicken and got the rock bottom price of $1.39/pound.  In my world hope of spring, is running strong so I decided to pack it up- summer style.  Mind you, it was 31 degrees outside.  But the sun was shining!

So, I took ten pounds of chicken and packaged them up with BBQ sauce and Fajita Marinade.  Thaw and grill.  Yum!  I threw a couple pieces of chicken in the freezer un-touched to use in upcoming recipes.

As far as the other ten pounds of chicken go, that's where this story gets a little more interesting.  And since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll save myself the typing.  This is my grill:



This is the path that I shovelled to my grill:



And this is the packaged up grilled chicken that came into the house smelling like summer, and tasted pretty close to summer too!  We had to try the little scrawny piece!



It will get thawed and chopped on top of salads and used in recipes in the coming months as the weather warms up and the signs of spring and summer vanquish the the snow and ice!

Freezer Friday: Sugar Cookies Made Easy

Sugar cookies are such a festive cookie adaptable for as many occasions as you can invest in cookie cutters or decorations.  Rolling out the dough and frosting them can be such a fun family activity too!  Most times, I get them rolled out, baked and decorated with the butter cream frosting and stand back and think "now what?"  I can't stack them up on a tray or storage bag or all the frosting will get mashed up.  I could throw them all in the freezer and then stack them and freeze them - but they just wouldn't be as good frozen and thawed later.

A couple years ago I came upon a great frosting recipe that sets beautifully and dry on the surface but moist underneath.  Bingo!  That takes care of part of the dilemma.  But what about the mess of mixing, rolling, and cutting?  This year I decided that I could mix, roll and cut all in one big party, and then freeze the cut out cookies before I bake them.  Pull what I need for a given occasion and bake them.  Mix up frosting and voila! Ready to go with half the mess.

So, here's how it breaks down:

1.  Make a batch (or 2) of your favorite sugar cookie recipe.  I use The Best Rolled Sugar Cookie recipe and it has always turned out great.  When I mix two, I'll mix the first, empty the bowl, and then mix the second - in my world of dish loathing there's no point in washing in between if you're making the exact same recipe.



2.  Roll, cut, layer, freeze.  Repeat. Repeat.  Repeat.  Until the dough is gone.  A round cookie cutter (glass) will give you an all occasion shaped cookie.  I am working with pumpkins and fall leaves as I have three parties coming up for which fall theme will be appropriate.  Once the cookies were frozen between layers of wax paper, I stacked them in a plastic container before they found their somewhat temporary home in the freezer.



3.  Pull and bake what you need and mix up an adequate amount of icing.  I love this recipe because you can dip your cookies in and it dries glossy.  Take a bit of the remaining icing and add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it up and it pipes on nicely for accents.  If you don't have a pastry bag or decorating tips, no problem.  Put the frosting in a freezer zip top bag and cut a tiny opening in one of the corners.  Decorate away.

4.  Once the frosting has set, your cookies can be stacked and displayed on a tray - party perfect!



Then, the next time you need a cookie tray, repeat steps 3 and 4 until your freezer stash of cookies is gone.

This post is linked up at Life As Mom's Frugal Friday: Gearing Up for the Holidays.

Grilled Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

I made these Grilled Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas as part of my September Batch Cooking.   They freeze great and are easy to pull out and bake for a hot, hearty dinner on a cool fall night. Top them with your favorite salsa, serve them with beans and Spanish rice y es muy bueno! (and it's very good!) You can use flour or corn tortillas - I used the cheap flour ones and they almost dissolved when I cooked my enchiladas this time, so you may want to spring for decent tortillas.

I LOVE good Mexican food. I was once served beef wrapped in a tortilla and smothered with canned tomato soup and called enchiladas – not good Mexican food. This enchilada recipe would probably get laughed at in some of my favorite Mexican restaurants but it follows in the tradition of my Mom's enchiladas – so we call them enchiladas.  With the dissolving  tortilla issue of this batch is was more like a casserole, but still muy bueno!

(Any extra cheese sauce makes great Mac & Cheese!)

Grilled Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients

16 burrito size Tortillas or 32 Taco size tortillas

Filling

4 Chicken Breasts, Grilled and shredded or chopped

2-4oz cans Green Chilis

1 cup chopped Red Bell Pepper

1 cup chopped Green Bell Pepper

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1-24 oz containter of Cottage Cheese

4 cups grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Garlic Salt

½ teaspoon Black Pepper

Cheese Sauce

½ cup Butter/Margarine

½ cup Flour

2 ½ cups Milk

4 cups grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Make the Cheese Sauce (or skip this step by using canned cheese soup or jar nacho cheese sauce for more of a kick)

1. 
   

   Melt butter in a large saucepan.

   
   


2. 
   

   Add flour to melted butter and stir until all the flour is incorporated into a rue.

   
   


3. 
   

   Slowly add 1/2-1 cup of the milk and whisk until the rue dissolves completely into the milk. Add remaining milk and heat to near boil.

   
   


4. 
   

   Turn off heat and stir in 4 cups of grated cheese until melted.

   
   

Set cheese sauce aside.

Mix all the filling ingredients except the chicken.

Assemble the Enchiladas:

1. 
   

   Place 1/2-1 cup of the cheese sauce in the bottom of your pan – enough to  lightly coat the bottom of the pan.

   
   


2. 
   

   Place a tortilla on a flat working surface.

   
   


3. 
   

   Place 1/3-1/2 cups of filling and a sprinkling of the chicken onto the center of the tortilla.

   
   

   

   
   


4. 
   

   Roll up the tortilla burrito style.

   
   


5. 
   

   Place filled tortilla into pan. (mine ripped – and that's ok – they are just there to hold the filling in place)

   
   
   

   
   



6. 
   

   Repeat until you've squeezed as many enchiladas as you can into the pan (usually I can fit 8 – 10 in a 9x13 pan and 4-6 in an 8x8 square pan). Pour more cheese sauce over the top and top with a hand full of grated.

   
   

   

   
   


7. 
   

   Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees or until bubbly.

   
   

September Batch Cooking

9/10/2010 Note: If you're visiting from MoneySavingMom, I posted this when I did my batch cooking last week.  The providence of this shone true this week when chaos hit our house this week!

Over the summer I've fallen off my batch cooking wagon and my meal planning habits. Now, it is time to get back into shape in the kitchen and get back into shape myself! In order to get myself in better shape and to keep HandyMan and Gbaby's hollow legs full, some meal planning is necessary so that we don't break the bank.

I've added more proteins in my diet and more vegetables to all of our plates. The biggest change in our meals is to have the carbohydrate component as a side to the veggies and proteins, so that we can all get what we need at the dinner table. My all in one type dishes, like lasagna and enchiladas, will carry more veggies and minimal carbohydrates per serving.

Since I'm batch cooking around the whims of a toddler, the days of getting the once a month cooking done in one day, are not a reality.  I've broken my plan down into projects per day:

Monday: Baking Kits (Biscuits, Cornbread), Instant Oatmeal Kits, Veggie Quiches

Tuesday: Batch cook Black Beans & Pintos, Coconut Beans & Rice Kit, portion Beans for freezer

Wendesday: Ground Beef Meals (Lasagna, Taco Packets, Cowboy Beans kit, Chili Kit, Beef & Barley Soup Kit)

Thursday: Cook Chicken, Chicken Enchiladas, chicken kits for salads, Soufflés, Macaroni & Cheese sides

Friday: Finish whatever wasn't done and clean up the mess!

I've linked up my recipes and the recipes I've found elsewhere on the net.  The other's I'll share next week.  Stay tuned, I will post later in the week to let you know how things are going.

Easy Caprese

When fresh tomatoes and basil are in season, there is nothing better than a Caprese Salad. I had hoped to have fresh mozzarella to use for this years first Caprese, but instead, I used the  ricotta and it was just as heavenly! Here's the “recipe”.

Easy Caprese Salad

1 plate of Tomato Slices

Fresh Mozzarella slices to match the slices (or dollops of ricotta!)

20 + fresh Basil leaves

3 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar

3 Tbs Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Layer the tomatoes on the bottom, top with cheese and basil. Drizzle the stacks with the oil and vinegar. Follow with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

This post is linked at GoodCheapEats - What's on Your Plate and It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes

Homemade Granola

I have fond childhood memories of making  fresh granola and homemade yogurt with my mom.  Since apples rarely fall far from the tree, this is a practice that is now a regular activity in my kitchen.  I make a batch of granola that will usually last us the month and make fresh yogurt a quart at a time as the Yogurt Jar empties.

Here is my Base Granola Recipe, with lots of room for personalization.  As you can see, in the pictured batch I used dehydrated blueberries from last summer and slivered almonds - so good!  Enjoy!

Base Granola Recipe


6 cups Rolled Oats

1/2 cup Wheat Germ

1/2 cup Flax Seeds

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil or Melted Butter

3/4 cup Honey

Up to 4 cups of Add-Ins in any combination (your imagination is the limit here - anything you like will work!):


Before Baking: pecans, walnuts, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut


After Baking: dried fruits (dried cranberries, dried blueberries, raisins)


Directions:

1. Thoroughly combine all ingredients (except "After Baking" Add Ins).


2.  Spread mixture out on a jelly-roll pan (cookie sheet with sides), or a broiler pan.  It shouldn't be more than about 1/2 deep and you may need to bake it in multiple batches.

3. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes and remove from oven and carefully stir the mix.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes at a time and then 5 minutes at a time as it gets closer to your preference of toastedness.  Make sure to stir thoroughly in between baking times and monitor closely as it begins to toast as it can go from golden brown to burnt in a matter of minutes.


Let cool and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container for best freshness.


Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Freezer Friday: Chicken Cooking Day

This week my big cooking project was Chicken.  It was my goal to have cooked chicken, broth and Chicken Pot Pie filling for the freezer.  After giving my Crock Pot and stock pot good workouts, my missions were accomplished!

I’ve been following Kate at Kitchen Stewardship and decided to follow her instructions for making broth.  I started Monday evening by putting 4 ½ pounds of chicken thigh pieces and 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the stock pot with 6 quarts of water and vinegar.  Let it sit then fired it up.  Let it boil until I wanted to go to bed –about 4 hours.  Then I poured the liquid into the crock pot and added the chicken thighs.  The chicken breasts wouldn’t fit so I shredded them up.  I set the crock-pot on low and went to bed.  At an un-namable hour of the morning when GBaby had me up, I turned the crock pot up to high for another 3 ½ hours.  I added the veggies to the crock for about 45 minutes until the carrots were tender.

After straining the broth, I had cooked carrots for GBaby (see February Kithen Goals), two bags of shredded chicken, in addition to 4 cups of shredded chicken I set aside for the Chicken Pot Pie Filling, and about 5 quarts of broth.



I left 1 quart of broth in the crock-pot for the Chicken Pot Pie fill and returned the rest to the stock pot where I let it boil a while longer to condense (so that it won’t take up as much room in my freezer!).  After it boiled down, I had three, 3-cup containers of rich looking broth.



I added water, chicken, carrots, celery, onion, potatoes and spices to the crock pot until it was full, covered it and walked away.  At dinner time I added one can of condensed soup to one- 2 quart portion of the filling and topped with the biscuit topping (which I subbed in part whole-wheat flour) and popped our dinner in the oven.



Meanwhile, two more portions of filling went to the freezer.  I think they will come in handy for a lunch I will be “catering” next month.



When all is said and done, I only had to wash the crock-pot once and the stock pot twice.  Fewer dishes make me happy!

Cinnamon Rolls

I am very fond of warm cinnamon rolls.  This recipe is great for batch cooking and the frozen batches reheat well enough that you'll never guess that they spent time on ice.  Topped with cream cheese frosting, these delectable pastries are great on a brunch menu or on their own.  Along with the recipe below I've included some tricks and time savers for you as well so be sure to read through and the printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients


Dough:

2 packages Yeast

1c. Warm Water

2/3 c. + 1 tsp. Sugar

1 c. Warm Milk

2/3 c. Butter

2 Tsp. Salt

2 Eggs, beaten

7-8 c. Flour

Filling:

1 c. melted Butter

1 c. Brown Sugar

1/2 c. Sugar

3 Tbs. Cinnamon

Directions

1. Place yeast  and 1 teaspoon of sugar into warm water.  Stir to dissolve and let it sit.
2. Warm milk, 2/3 cup butter and remaining sugar in saucepan over low heat until butter is melted and let cool.
3.  Place 6 cups of flour in large bowl.  Place yeast and milk mixtures and beaten eggs in bowl with flour.  Mix thoroughly.
4.  Add remaining flour a bit at a time until dough is workable.  It should be very soft and slightly sticky.  Knead 5-10 minutes or until smooth.
5.  Allow dough to rise until at least double in bulk.  Punch down and let rest for 5 minutes. Combine dry filling ingredients.  Time Saver: dough can be mixed up and put in the refrigerator to rise overnight, cutting down prep time in the morning.  Just allow dough to warm a bit before trying to roll it.



6.  Separate dough into 6-8 sections to work with.
7.  Roll each section, one at at time, out into a large rectangle.  Keep in mind that the dough will double again when it bakes, and gauge your thickness accordingly.
8.  Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle the filling on top of the butter.


9.  Roll dough into a long log, making sure to keep dough tight and slice off cinnamon rolls.  Make sure to use a very sharp, thin knife or Cool Trick: use a piece of thread.  Bring thread under the roll, cross the ends over the top of the roll and pull tight - perfect cut every time - no mashing and mangling!



10.  placed on greased baking pans or sheet.  Allow room for the dough to rise and let rise 30 minutes before baking.


11.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 350* or until golden brown. Another Cool Trick:  immediatly after you take your cinnamon rolls out of the oven, dump them upside down on platter or cookie sheet to cool.  This allows the filling to cool in your cinnamon roll instead of melting all over the bottom of your pan.




12.  Frost with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting. (I use 1 package of cream cheese, 1 stick of margarine (both softened) and 2 cups of powdered sugar add milk 1 teaspoon at a time for desired consistency if necessary).

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Freezer Friday: Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Cream Soup

It has been great this week to be back in the kitchen!  With three of my four fall craft fairs a thing of the past, I had some time to play in the kitchen.  We were recently gifted with two lovely butternut squashes from a friend’s garden.  They had graced the window sill in the kitchen for almost two weeks so it was time to do something with them.  I used this recipe for inspiration, and ended up with a slow cooker soup that we’ve also used as a sauce over pasta – it’s that thick and rich! You may want to add more liquid depending on your preference for thick cream soups.  I’ve also filed this under baby food because our 9 month old LOVED this stuff – she ate 3 bowls worth of soup mixed with rice cereal!  It is definitely GBaby approved!  I made this in a 5 quart slow cooker, so if yours is smaller you may need to adjust this recipe.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Cream Soup/Sauce

Ingredients:

16 cups chopped Butternut Squash (2 large squashes)

6-8 cups Water (to thin soup to your preference after blending)

6 Vegetable Bullion Cubes

¾ teaspoon Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Marjoram

1 ½ teaspoons Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Salt (may want to taste before adding as bullion can make soup salty)

2-8oz packages Cream Cheese

Directions:

1. Peel, gut and chop butternut squash.


2. Combine all 6 cups of water and remaining ingredients except cream cheese into your slow cooker, turn it on low and leave it for 6-8 hours or until the squash is thoroughly cooked.  It can be cooked on high if you need to shorten the cooking time.


3. When preparing to eat, dollop cream cheese on top of the ingredients in the crock pot and leave them to soften.


4. Once cream cheese has warmed and is melting, blend soup with an immersion blender right in the slow cooker.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, blend cooled soup VERY CAREFULLY in a standard mixer.  Add more water to thin to suit your preference.


5. Enjoy with warm bread, or over pasta.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

This post is linked up at Life As Mom's Ultimate Thanksgiving Recipe Swap

Freezer Friday: Beef Brisket

Tonight I have about 8 pounds of beef brisket in my crock-pot.  Tomorrow morning, I will have a crock-pot full of falling apart ready to  use shredded beef.  First a bit about brisket.  *This is NOT corned beef brisket.  This is just a plain beef brisket.  I have purchased briskets that were a wonderful cut of meat and marbling that cook to perfection.  I have accidentally purchased others that were more marbling and fat than they were meat.  Look at your cuts of meat closely and make sure you're getting the meat you're paying for and not just fat.  It is usually a relatively inexpensive beef cut that you can use for a number of meals.  To be well prepared, brisket requires a long cooking time so the crock-pot works great!

I found a great brisket today that was about 16 pounds.  I cut the meat in half and one half went to the freezer while the other went to the the crock-pot.  Mrs. Ringle's Brisket one recipe from Once-A-Month Cooking that I have used a number of times that has never failed me, and it's so easy you really can't mess it up.  Put your brisket in your crock-pot, fat side up.  Squirt 3-4 tablespoons of your favorite mustard (yellow or spicy) on top of it and spread it over the top.  Open a packet (or 2 if you have a large brisket) of onion soup mix and sprinkle over the top.  Turn your crock-pot on low and let it cook for 12 to 18 hours, until it is falling apart and shreds easily with a fork.

We rarely have the meat as the center-piece of a  meal, although with the brisket we will have Hot Beef Sandwiches (brisket added to sautéed onions and peppers, served on sub rolls).  I plan on using some for Beef Stew tomorrow.  The rest I will portion out into quart size freezer bags and freeze it.  It will be thawed at a later time to be used in Burritos, Shepherd's Pie, Beef & Barley Soup, Hot Beef Sandwiches (again) and whatever inspiration hits me.  I plan to have 4-6 bags of meat off to the freezer, in addition to the remaining half of the brisket) after I pull some for sandwiches on Sunday and make the stew.

My house is already smelling good and it still has all night to cook!  I can't wait :D

Freezer Friday: Apple Sauce and Marinara

This week I made apple sauce and marinara to stash in the freezer.  Our local farm stand has ten pound bags of apples that are "seconds" for $5 this time of year.  For applesauce, this means that I have to be ready to make it within a day or so of getting the apples and I have to cut a few bad spots off.  The final product is delicious applesauce.  I use the Fruit and Vegetable Strainer that goes with my MamaMixer and applesauce is a breeze.

This time I went with the super-time-saver method.  I scrubbed and chopped the apples and cooked them in the microwave (large mixing bowl for 7 minutes) until they were soft and then sent them through the strainer.  I made about 1-1/2 gallons of applesauce in about two hours (with the interruptions that come with life with a 7 month old).  I'm a purist - my apple sauce is just apples.  No added sugar and no additional fruits or juices.  It is so good and it freezes great!

To give you an idea of the efficiency of this method, I started with these apples:



Which made this much apple sauce (3 cup plastic containers and 1-24 oz jar)

and this was all the waste left over - bruises, peels, cores, seeds everything (3- large margarine containers)

I also got a batch of marinara in the freezer - I'll post that recipe tomorrow.  Happy Friday!

Chicken Pot Pie

As promised yesterday, here's the recipe for my Chicken Pot Pie.    In the area of the country where we live now, I think it may be better known as Chicken & Biscuits, but I’m really not sure.  Look it over and let me know what those around your dinner table would dub this pot of supper goodness!  The combination of the  smokin’ deal on chicken this week, the fresh carrots and the cooler mornings, I decided to make what I knew growing up as Chicken Pot Pie.

A note on the biscuits:  there is no wrong way.  I’ve included the biscuit batter recipe I use, and it’s very easy and hard to mess up.  But, if you prefer a boxed biscuit mix, that will work, so will the pre-made biscuits from the refrigerator section of the grocery store if you prefer those. Take your pick, throw the biscuits on top and bake it up.  Enjoy!

The Chicken Pot Pie recipe below is for one casserole dish.  When I made it this week, rather than cooking it in the oven as the directions call for, I made a triple batch of the filling in my Crock-Pot.  Once the filling was done, I transferred one batch to the casserole dish and two batches to freezer containers.  Later this fall, I can thaw, add biscuits and bake the Pot-Pie and have dinner ready in a fraction of the cooking time.

Thriving Mama’s Chicken Pot Pie

1 pound Chicken meat chopped or shredded (I prefer boneless/skinless chicken breast, but any will work)

1 cup Chicken Broth

2 cups chopped Carrots

1 cup frozen Corn

2 cups diced Potatoes

2/3 cup chopped Onion

1-10.5 oz can of Cream of Chicken Soup

½ teaspoon Black pepper

1 teaspoon Thyme

Biscuit Topping:

2 cups Flour

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

2 teaspoons Sugar

½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar

½ cup melted Butter

1 cup Milk

Oven Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients (excluding Biscuit Topping) and place in a two-quart oven dish.


2. Cover and allow to cook 45-60 minutes at 375, or until vegetables become tender and chicken is cooked through.


3. Combine biscuit topping ingredients, mixing the dry ingredients first then adding the butter and milk.


4. Remove filling from the oven and drop spoonfuls of biscuit batter on top of the filling.


5. 


6. Return to the oven and cook 25-30 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.  Allow to stand 5 minutes and serve.

Crock-Pot Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients (excluding Biscuit Topping) and place in a slow cooker.      


2. Cover and allow to cook on high until mixture is bubbly (2-3 hours) then reduce to low until vegetables become tender and chicken is cooked through (additional 3-4 hours).  If you over cook it, the condensed soup will separate and you will lose the “creaminess” of the filling.  If you will not be around to tend to the crock-pot, cook on low.      


3. Combine biscuit topping ingredients, mixing the dry ingredients first then adding the butter and milk.


4. If you have a removable crock in your crock-pot, carefully drop spoonfuls of biscuit batter on top of the filling.  Otherwise, transfer the filling to oven-safe bakeware and add biscuits.  Place in oven cook 25-30 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.  Allow to stand 5 minutes and serve.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

10/28/2010 Update: This is an easy recipe to take to a friend, cook one for you and one for them-all in one pot so it's easy clean up too!  This Chicken Pot pie is great comfort food with all the food groups involved!  (Linked up at The Ultimate Recipe Swap)

Storing Basil

Sweet basil is one of my favorite garden herbs.  The glossy green leaves add such flavor to summer meals. But how can you best preserve that flavor for your winter cooking?  Drying and freezing basil are two of the most popular methods of preserving basil.  Read more.

Freezer Friday: Avoiding Freezer Burn

This week I’ve been gone, so nothing has gone into my freezer. So I’ll pass along a few tips I’ve picked up to help avoid freezer burn.  These ideas will help you better protect your food once it heads to your freezer.  Freezer burn is when ice builds up on your food in the freezer and damages the flavor before you get a chance to enjoy it.

*When freezing berries or herbs like basil, make sure your leaves and berries are completely dry before processing for the freezer.  Water on these items will accelerate freezer burn and damage your produce as it will turn to ice right on your produce.

*Choose appropriate containers.  If you are freezing in plastic bags, make sure that you purchase freezer quality bags.  When in doubt, double-bag.  This will protect your food longer.  Plastic containers from cottage cheese, margarine and yogurt work great in the freezer.  Allow about ½ inch at the top for expansion.

*Remove as much air contact from your food.  Where there is air in a bag or container, ice crystals will grow.  Press as much air as possible from your freezer bags and consider placing a piece of plastic wrap directly on the top of food in your container before placing the lid on top.  This will keep ice-crystals from forming in the space you’ve left for expansion in your container.

*Rotate your food –Place new items to the freezer under the items that have been in the freezer longer.  A bit of organization will save you from finding the “mystery food” in the bottom of the freezer later on.

You put time and planning into the items headed for your freezer.  With a few precautions, your food will last even longer!

Read more here.

Three Bean Chili

I like to try to trim the grocery bill by including vegetarian and vegan meals into the menu.  This is one of my favorite fall meals, and with fall right around the corner, I thought I’d get a batch in the freezer ready to go.  This is a hearty, meat free meal that can satisfy the hungriest in the house.

I used dry beans for this recipe.  Most folks will tell you to soak your beans.  I cheated – come on, this should not surprise you!  For this recipe I used my crock pot and I did not soak my beans.  In 6 hours on high, the chili was great.  The black beans did loose a bit of their color and the white beans absorbed a bit of color from the tomato.  If you’re a or plan ahead a little bit more than I did, free to soak your beans first and then reduce the amount of liquid you put in the chili.  This can alos reduce the cooking time.  If you don’t have time to mess with the steps, throw everything in your crock pot, stir, check it a couple times during the day to make sure there’s enough liquid and serve it when the beans are soft.  This is a fairly mild chili, if you prefer a spicier chili, you will want to add more seasonings or hot peppers.

This recipe makes about 5 quarts of chili.  After you’ve served it as a stand alone meal with cornbread the first night use it as a COI and serve it as your protein over baked potatoes or rice later in the week for a second meal.  Any remaining bits left in the fridge go well on hot dogs.  You will still have lots for the freezer for later meals.

Vegan Three Bean Chili

Ingredients

6 cups Water

3 cups Tomato/Vegetable Juice (like V8)

2 cups Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) Flakes

1 cup dry Black Beans

1 cup dry White Beans

1 cup dry Pinto Beans

1 medium White Onion, chopped

2 Green Peppers, chopped

1- 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Cumin

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

Directions

1. Measure out your beans and sort them for broken beans, rocks and dirt clumps.  Rinse your beans and put them into your slow-cooker on high with all other ingredients. (To reduce cooking time, soak beans in hot water for 2 hours or in cold water overnight.  Reduce liquid by half if you soak beans.  If using pre-cooked beans, increase quantities to 2 cups each)


2. Once your chili comes to a boil, depending on the heat of your cooker, you may want to turn it down to low to avoid burning around the edges.


3. Monitor your chili as the beans and TVP will absorb the liquid.  If it looks too thick, add more water.


4. Once beans are soft, serve and enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.