Slow Cooker Spicy Chili

Slow-Cooker Spicy Chili

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
2 (16 oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredder Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef.  Cook and stir until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 7 minutes.  Drain and discard any excess grease.

Combine ground beef, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Garnish each serving with Cheddar cheese.

10 servings

Blueberry Scones

Blueberry Scones
Recipe by Nordic Ware

I make scones all the time by hand, so it was time that I tried making scones with a pan.  I bought the Nordic Ware Scone pan this weekend and made my first batch of scones this morning.   I am very pleased!  This pan is made of heavyweight cast aluminum.  It can be used to make scones or cornbread, and it's designed to cook your meal evenly and thoroughly.  It features a non-stick interior coating for easy release and clean up.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease scone pan and set aside.

Beat egg with buttermilk and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add butter, cutting with a pastry blender or rubbing with your fingers, until mixture resembles coars meal.

Lightly stir in blueberries and sugar. Stir in buttermilk mixture with a fork until a soft dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5 times.  Separate dough into eight equal pieces and press into each cavity of the pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until medium brown.  Let cool 20 minutes in pan.  Remove from pan and cool completely.

8 scones

Nordic Ware Scone Pan

Healthy Broccoli Salad

Healthy Broccoli Salad

This reduced fat salad is great for a large gathering!

Ingredients:

2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green olives
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup reduced fat ranch dressing

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with reduced fat ranch dressing.

Refrigerate until serving.

Candy Cane Biscotti

Candy Cane Biscotti
Recipe submitted by David Gaimari

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes

Coating:

1 (14-ounce) package vanilla candy coating (almond bark)
2 drops red food color
1/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter and sugar in bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed.  Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.  Stir in crushed candy.

Divide dough into fourths on lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands.  shape each into 9x1 1/2-inch logs.  Place logs 3 inches apart onto lightly greased large cookie sheet.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until tops are cracked and ends just start to turn light brown.  Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Cool logs 10 minutes on cookie sheet.

Carefully remove logs to cutting surface.  Cut into 1/2-inch slices with sharp serrated knife.  (Discard ends). Arrange pieces on same cookie sheet, cut-side down.  Continue baking 12-14 minutes, turning once, or until cookies are lightly browned and crisp on both sides.  Remove to cooking rack; cool completely.

Place candy coating in 2-quart saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes, or until melted.  Remove from heat.  Stir in food color and peppermint flavoring.

Dip each biscotti half way into warm coating; shake off excess.  Place onto waxed paper.  Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Let set at room temperature until coating is hardened.

48 cookies

Pizza Soup

Pizza Soup
Recipe submitted by Lisa VanMansum

Lisa VanMansum writes, . . . I had a soup like this at the restaurant Paprika.  It was the perfect soup for a chilly day! Great warm, satisfying flavor and a snap to make.  Serve along with some chewy bread.

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz)  sweet or hot Italian sausage - loose or remove casings.
1 yellow onion - diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 can of diced tomatoes, including juice
1 can chicken broth
1 can white Cannellini beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh basil - minced
Fresh Parmesan cheese - finely grated

Directions:

Using a large pot - brown sausage until fully cooked; drain off grease and remove from pan.  Saute onion, garlic and fennel seed, until onion is softened 3 - 4 minutes.  Add cooked sausage back into pot, along with diced tomatoes and chicken broth.  Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes.  Add beans and fresh basil - just warm through for about 5 minutes.

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan on top of each serving.

Recipe submitted by Lisa VanMansum

Maple - Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cake

Maple - Glazed Pumpkin Spiced Cake
Recipe submitted by Luti Lauvao Gibbs

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Glaze:

2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Make cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together in a bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Beat in one third of flour mixture, then half of pumpkin mixture, beating until just combined. Repeat, ending with last third of flour mixture. Scrape batter into Bundt pan, smoothing top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Make glaze:

Whisk together milk and maple syrup and extract.  Whisk in confectioner's sugar until glaze is smooth and of drizzling consistency. Up to 6 hours before serving, set cake on a wire rack over a plate and drizzle with glaze, allowing it to run down the sides.  Let cake rest at room temperature to allow glaze to set.

Serves 12

Recipe submitted by Luti Lauvao Gibbs

Fresh Apple Cake

Fresh Apple Cake
Recipe submitted by Margie Brennan

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced apples
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup crushed nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the sliced apples and 1 cup sugar.

Add the remaining ingredients together and mix well.

Pour into a 9 x 9-inch baking dish..

If using crushed nuts, scatter over the top of cake.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Recipe submitted by Margie Brennan