Quick N Healthy Black Bean Chili

Total Cook Time: 20-30 min Serves 8-10 

• 1.5 lbs of ground turkey or 90/10 hamburger
• 1 Pkt Chili Seasonings
• 2 C diced tomatoes (w/ juice)
• 1C(small) diced green chilies (w/ juice) 
• 3 C Black Beans (w/ juice)
• 1 C Corn (drained)
• 1 Boulion Cube (chicken)
• 3 C water
• 1-2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (Ground) if desired
• 1/3 C Dried Chopped Onions

Brown meat, add in 1/2 of chopped onions. 
Once cooked strain and rinse. 
Return meat back to stock pot add in Chili Seasonings, Boulion Cube, Cumin, Cayenne (if desired) and remaining chopped onions and water. Bring to a boil and let boil for a few min allowing some of the water to cook off. 
While boiling add in Tomatoes, Chilies & Corn and allow to boil for apx 2-5 min. Stir occasionally to keep from scorching bottom. 
Add in Beans while boiling reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 min. 


Top with Sour Cream or Cheese Cubes and serve in a bread bowl! 


Dani

Spinach, Apple, and Pecan Salad

This recipe is totally easy and so scrumptious!  I have made it 3 times in the past week for different gatherings and everyone has given me the best compliments.  This is one that you want to add to your favorites!  Yum, yum, yum!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• apple slices, cut into bite-size pieces (prize slice apples from costco)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans

In a large serving bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.  Just before serving add apples, onion, spinach and pecan.  Toss until well coated with dressing.

{Smart Cooking The Costco Way}

Weight Watchers Pineapple Angel Food Cake

I've talked with several people who are trying to keep up with New Year's Resolutions to shed a few pounds. There is nothing worse than trying to stick to a diet and having a sweet tooth at the same time.

My hairdresser shared this secret weight control recipe with me. I made it and it is wonderful!

Pineapple Angelfood Cake

1 package angel food cake mix

1 can crushed pineapple in water -- 20 Ounce Can

1. Combine both ingredients in large bowl.

2. Mix on medium speed with electric mixer.

3. Bake in accordance with cake mix box.

Calories: 136.5
Fat grams: 0.2
Fiber grams: 0.1

W/W Points: 3

If you cut the cake in eighths the following nutritional information apply:

Calories: 204.7
Fat grams: 0.2
Fiber grams: 0.2

W/W Points: 4

YOU CAN ALSO MAKE IN CUPCAKES (MAKES 24 CUPCAKES) and THE FOLLOWING NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION APPLIES:

Calories: 68.2
Fat grams: 0.1
Fiber grams: 0.1

W/W Points: 1

Granola

GRANOLA

2 C flour (wheat)
4 C rolled oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C oil
1/4 C honey
1/4 C molasses
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with a fork. It should be lumpy and have bits about the size of a pea up to the size of a penny. Spread mix on large cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Stir the mix and turn it with a spatula. Bake 10 more minutes. Add raisins, cranberries, or other dried fruit and nuts after baking. Store in a sealed container.

Foolproof Bread

A couple of you have asked for my bread recipe. It is one of the easiest and yummiest recipes I know of for whole wheat bread (or rolls or bread sticks or pizza dough or cinnimin rolls). I have a Bosch Universal mixer and can make five loaves at a time. It cost about $2.50 for the whole five loaves. If I have my wheat already ground into flour, I can do it, start to finish, in an hour and a half--roughly 15 minutes of actual work time, 10 minutes of kneading in the mixer, 5 minutes to put dough in pans, 30 minutes to rise, 30 minutes to cook.

I think two things are key to a moist bread: (1) use half apple sauce, half oil and (2) try to use fresh (or as recently as possible) ground flour. Take several cups of wheat berries (the unground stuff you get from the cannery or, if you live in Utah, the grocery store) to a friends house and borrow her wheat grinder and then store it in your freezer to keep it fresh. I have a Nutrimill wheat grinder, also made by Bosch, in which I am happy to grind wheat for anyone who lives near by.

In the recipe below I have listed two measurements for the ingredients. The first is from the original recipe, intended for a large (6 qt.) mixer. The second is for a smaller mixer (like a basic Kitchen Aid) that will make 2-3 loaves. If it is confusing I have a Word document with a nice table I can email to you. Just leave a post for me.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Warm Water: 6 c or 3 cups
Salt: 2 T or 1 T
Oil/Apple Sauce: ¼ cup each oil and apple sauce (large) or 2 T each oil and apple sauce (small)
Honey: 2/3 C or 1/3 C
Dough Enhance: 2 ½ T or 3 ¾ t (I can't find this in NY so I just leave it out)
Vital Wheat Gluten: 2 T or 1 T (buy in any grocery store probably in baking or health food)
Flour: Start with 8 ½ C (use 12-15 total) or Start with 4 ¼ C (use 6-7 ½ total)
Yeast: 2 ½ T or 3 ¾ t

MIXING INSTRUCTIONS:

Wheat: Combine 8-9 (or half that for smaller mixer) cups gresh wheat flour and warm water. Using the dough hook, mix to paste consistency. Mix in yeast and then add salt, honey, oil/apple sauce and gluten. Turn on mixer. As the motor bears down, turn up the speed. Add additional flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl (careful not to add too much flour). Let knead 7-8 minutes then add dough enhancer, knead 2 more minutes. (Total 10 minutes). Use shortening or oil on your hands to form loaves (not flour!). Take dough immediately from bowl. Fill non-stick loaf pans ½ to 2/3 full with shaped loaves. Cover with plastic wrap to keep moist. Let rise until doubled (approx. 1 ½ inches above top of pan--about 30 minutes). Place in cold oven. Turn oven to 350◦. Bake 30-40 minutes. Yields: 5-6 or 2-3 1 ½ lb loaves.

Cinnamon Rolls: Same mixing instructions as Wheat bread. Remove the dough once it’s kneaded, and roll it out on a lightly oiled surface into a large rectangle about 16X36 inches and approx. ¼ inch thick. Melt ¾ cube butter and spread it evenly over the dough. In a separate bowl mix 1 ½ cups brown sugar with 3 tsp. cinnamon. Spread mixture evenly over dough. Spread 1 cup shredded pecans and 1 ½ cups plumped raisins evenly over dough. Roll up dough to form a roll starting with the long side. Seal the seam by pinching dough together. With seam side down, cut into 1 inch slices using fish line or floss. (Slide string under the roll, cross it over the top, and pull apart.) Place rolls on a non-stick baking sheet. Let rise until double in size. Bake: 350◦ 13-18 minutes. Yield: 32 rolls (or more).

"Pumpkin Pie" Pancakes

I have become inspired by Jessica Seinfeld's idea of putting pureed vegetables into everything you cook. Some are hits among our family and some are complete failures. Here is one that my kids and even my husband loves.

1 cup pancake mix
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup carrot puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup sugar

Mix all together and cook on skillet preheated to medium high. My kids eat these with nothing on them. I like a little maple syrup or apple butter. These also freeze well and reheat a few weeks later on those many mornings that we are running late or those nights that I don't feel like cooking with a 3 year old and an 19 month old as my "assistants".