Delicata Squash Chili–slow cooker

18 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Lunch, Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags: , , , , , ,

So we’re coming up on the last weekend of summer. What a fantastic summer it has been-full of outdoor fun, friends, family and baseball.

But I’m ready for fall. It’s such a gorgeous time of year-the colors of the trees, the crisp blue or gloomy grey skies, fall festivals and I can finally pull my boots out again. I miss them all summer.

Even though there’s still summer left last Saturday started cold and rainy. So naturally chili came to mind immediately. The result of pulling different items from my pantry was delicious! Just enough heat, different tastes and textures and it’s very very very good for you.

image

 

 

 

 

If you’re not familiar with Delicata squash it’s shaped like a giant pickle and is green and white striped. You can eat the skins but I prefer to remove them for this recipe. The taste is similar to acorn squash-perhaps a touch sweeter. They’re much easier to cut and peel than butternut or acorn squashes. Here’s a photo of the cap of the squash and the diced pieces. I forgot to take a photo of the complete squash but you get the idea 🙂
image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delicata Squash Chili

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 4 cups (about 2) delicata squash, peeled, seeded and cubed to 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 16oz can low sodium black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 16oz can low sodium red kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 20 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)
  • 8ozs frozen corn or canned corn rinsed and drained
  • 4ozs green chilis
  • 1 & 1/2 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
  • fat free feta cheese for garnish
  • sliced avocado for garnish

Instructions:

  1. In a shallow pan over medium high heat melt the coconut oil. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, to soften.  Add garlic and stir to cook. Add spices and cook for 1 minute to coat and heat.
  2. Place the onion mixture and all ingredients above through and including the chicken broth, into the bowl of the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour then low for 4 hours.
  3. Spoon into bowls and garnish with feta and avocado and serve.

Makes: 12 cups

Serving Size: 1 cup

Reheats and freezes beautifully.

To make vegetarian swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

 

Chicken Chili-slow cooker

05 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Freezer, Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags: ,

It seems like this winter just goes on and on and on and on. In the usually average temperature of 40 island I live upon it has been freezing-single digits, tens, teens etc.. and we’ve been introduced to the ‘arctic vortex’ which sounds like some kind of ice cream treat they’d make at Carvel. Sadly it’s not ice cream.  So I’ve had the makings of a lot of soups, chilis, stews around all winter and it was time to clear some of them out of the cabinets to make room for (hopefully soon!!!) spring-time stuff! This chili is great for cleaning out the pantry. Adjust to what you have on hand. It’s delicious!!!

image

Chicken Chili-slow cooker

Ingredients:

  • 24ozs boneless skinless chicken breast (about 2 large)
  • 1 small can diced green chilies (7oz)
  • 1 15oz can sweet corn kernels
  • 1 15oz can black beans
  • 1 15oz can red kidney beans
  • 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (I used Muir Glen organic)
  • 1 8oz can tomato sauce (I used Muir Glen organic)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped small
  • 3 tbsp taco seasoning (or you could use one of the packets)
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • Toppings-avocado, grated cheese, sour cream, fresh chopped cilantro etc…

Instructions:

  1. Place chicken in slow cooker insert. Add everything else, stir to cover chicken and combine.
  2. Cook on low for 8.5 hours. Shred chicken with forks, check seasoning and add salt and or pepper if needed. Allow to cook for another 30 minutes on low.
  3. Top with anything you’d like.  Eat!!

Butternut Squash Chili with Queso Fresco-slow cooker

14 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags: ,

This vegetarian chili is a delicious mix of flavors and textures.  It’s a perfect dish to put in the slow cooker in the morning and then have it be ready when you go home after work. I prepped the onion mixture, washed the beans and peeled and cut the squash up the night before while prepping that dinner, kept them all in the fridge overnight and then just put everything in the cooker before I walked out the door in the morning.  So easy. Super delicious.

You could easily add chicken or beef or meatless crumbles or, for a vegan version, use soy cheese.

chili1

Butternut Squash Chili with Queso Fresco-slow cooker

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1&1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped small
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1.5 tbsp chili powder
  • 1.5 tbsp ancho chili powder
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 lb)
  • 2 16oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1&1/2 cups water
  • 1 16oz can sweet corn, drained
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 28oz (or 2 14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes (I used Hunts Fire Roasted)
  • 1 4.5oz can chopped green chilis (not drained)
  • queso fresco
  • scallions

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large, non-stick skillet. Add the onion and garlic, cook for a few minutes until tender. Add the chili powders and cumin and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.   Set aside.  (If you’re cooking ahead allow to cool completely and place in an airtight container in the fridge.)
  2. Into the slow cooker put the onion mixture, squash, and remaining ingredients through and including green chilis.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
  4. Ladle chili into individual bowls and sprinkle with cheese and scallions.
  5. To freeze allow the chili to cool completely. Ladle into quart-sized ziplock bags,  get all of the air out of the bag, seal and freeze.

Adapted from Cooking Light Slow-Cooker Tonight! cookbook (which is very good)

Sunday Afternoon Chili

27 Sep 2013 1 Comment

by sparksfromthekitchen in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags: , , ,

The fall bug has bitten! I can’t wait to make up all kinds of soups and stews and have a gray afternoon with something simmering on the stove all day.

As I wrote in the post for the cornbread that I served with this chili, Husband and I had a Sunday football day at home instead of heading out to the bar with friends. That cornbread and this chili was our dinner and it was delicious. This chili is meaty, it’s bean-y, it’s got some underlying spice and heat but it’s not spicY or hot. You can always add a squirt of hot sauce if you’d like but I like to keep the heat factor down a bit and go up from there.

The original recipe called for smoking the meat but since we don’t own a grill or a smoker we skipped that step.

chili1

Sunday Afternoon Chili

Ingredients:

  • 1&1/2 lbs ground sirloin
  • 2 cups diced Spanish onion (about 1 large)
  • 2 cups diced green pepper (about 2 large)
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed to a pulp
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, diced, seeds and spine removed
  • 1&1/2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1&1/2 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1&1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, not drained
  • 2 15 oz cans dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 6 ozs beer (we used Belfast Bay Lobster Ale-a red ale)
  • toppings of your choice-fat free sour cream, grated cheese, scallions etc..

Instructions:

  1. Brown the beef until almost cooked through in a heavy bottomed stock pot, drain the excess fat, then add the onion and green pepper, garlic and jalapeno and cook until beef is cooked through.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 90 minutes.
  3. Serve as is or top with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese, squirt of hot sauce, scallions etc……

chili3

Adapted from Brother Jimmy’s BBQ cookbook Smoky BBQ Chili.

Chili in the slow cooker

06 Nov 2012 2 Comments

by sparksfromthekitchen in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve Tags: , ,

If you can’t already tell i LOVE LOVE LOVE my new slow-cooker.

I’ve made so many chili recpies over the years but wanted to try a new one and I came across Jimmy Fallon’s chili recipe on Martha Stewart’s website. It was for the slow cooker and sounded pretty good. This is my adaptation. It came out great!! My slow cooker is a 5 quart and this was almost to the top rim so any smaller size cooker will not be good to use.  The recpie called for 12 ozs of amber beer so I bought a pint bottle of one of my favorites as you can see below but you could use any amber beer. The benefit of buying a pint bottle-you get to drink the remaining beer that doesn’t go in the  chili.

 

 

Chili in the Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3.5 lbs ground beef-the leaner the better
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped small
  • 1 large shallot chopped small
  • 5 cloves of garlic, finely minced or put through a press
  • 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely diced
  • 1/8-1/4 cup chili powder depending on taste preference
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 28oz cans San Marzano tomatoes-if whole chop them up or use diced, with juices
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 12 ozs amber beer, I used Fullers London Pride
  • 1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 8 oz can corn, drained
  • tortilla chips for serving
  • Grated Cheddar Cheese (grate your own) for serving
  • Sour cream for serving
  • Cilantro-fresh chopped for serving
  • 2 cups white rice, prepared as per package directions, to serve underneath chili (my husband’s idea)

Instructions:

  1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary add beef, season with salt and pepper,  and  cook until no longer pink. Transfer beef ot a colander to drain fat. Repeat until all of the beef is cooked.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tbsp oilve oil to skillet and add the onions, garlic and serrano, season with salt and cook until translucent.
  3. Add the beef and onion mixture to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Then add the spices and stir to combine. Then add the tomatoes, cilantro and beer. Cover and cook on high, stirring occasionally, for 5 hours.
  4. Add the beans and corn, stir to combine, and cook another 30 minutes. Serve in bowl with desired toppings and/or rice.