Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili

One of the things that I appreciate about going meatless during Lent is that it's a great impetus for me to branch out and try some new things, even if I have to go hunting for them. I had never cooked with wheat berries before. If you're curious, I found them in the bulk foods section of Whole Foods. The wheat berries added a nice chewy texture and an understated nutty flavor to this chili, which otherwise has some pretty standard chili flavors.

Normally I think of chilis as a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of food, and while this chili will fill you up, it also has some nice light, citrusy flavor from the lime, oregano, and cilantro to keep it from getting too heavy. Really, it's the perfect transitional season chili. It's still pretty chilly out there, but the days are getting longer, and I'm beginning to see the heads of daffodils poking out of the ground. So for a chilly, end-of-winter evening, this chili will have you thinking about spring.

Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili
source: Eating Well
6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper,chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed (I used 3 cups cooked black beans.)
  
• 2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (I used 1 even though we like spicy food.)
  
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 avocado, diced (I omitted.)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
2. Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

Super Bowl Party

The Super Bowl was a great excuse to have people over to eat, drink, and watch the game. While neither Joe nor I are big football people, he went to college in New Orleans and has strong emotional ties to the city. We had taken several trips to New Orleans during Mardi Gras and were excited that the Saints were going to play in the Super Bowl. Our guests contributed with delicious appetizers and desserts, but I'll show you all what I made.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
source: Frank's Red Hot

Ingredients
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans (12.5 oz. each) chunk chicken breast in water, drained

Preparation
Combine cream cheese, salad dressing, buffalo sauce, and cheese. Mix in chicken. Either bake in an oven-safe dish at 350-degrees for 20 minutes or place in small crockpot for several hours on low. Serve with celery sticks or crackers.

Bourbon Slush
source: Evan Williams Cooking with Bourbon

Ingredients
12 oz frozen lemonade juice concentrate
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
2 1/2 cups brewed tea, cooled
1 cup sugar
2 cups bourbon
6 cups water

Preparation
Mix ingredients together until well-blended. Place in freezer until slushy. This will go quickly, so you might want to double the recipe!

Joe actually made these all by himself while I was prepping everything for the chili!

Jalapeno Poppers
source: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
Jalapenos
Cream cheese
Bacon

Preparation
Halve jalapenos and remove seeds and membranes. Fill with cream cheese and wrap with bacon. Bake on a pan with a rack at 375-degrees for 20-25 minutes.


I don't normally make beef chilis, so I didn't have a go-to recipe, though I had bookmarked this one a long time ago. It was delicious and had a lot of spice. I offered cheese, avocados, cilantro, green onions, sour cream, and green onions to top everyone's chili with. I doubled the recipe, which fit perfectly into my Dutch oven and fed everyone.

Paula Deen's Spicy Chili
adapted from Reservations not Required

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground chuck
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans ranch-style beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

Preparation

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground chuck, until beef is crumbly. Stir in onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Stir in beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

I didn't actually make this. You see, last week Joe worked the night shift, so our time together was short or non-existent. The original plan was that Joe would help chop things up and then I would get home and make it, but time was of the essence, so he went ahead and followed the recipe. He did a wonderful job, and I hope that he'll take the lead more often in the kitchen!

Like most chilis, this was better the second day. I loved the hint of cinnamon and thought it brought out the pumpkin flavor. I thought it looked a little thick, so I added about a cup of pumpkin beer just to thin it out slightly. There is nothing quite like coming home to a delicious pot of chili on the stove!

Turkey Pumpkin Chili
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium sized peppers, diced
1 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1 small can diced green chili peppers
15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can pumpkin puree, or 2 cups homemade

Preparation

Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Add the garlic and bell peppers, and cook about 5 minutes more until tender. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and oregano.

Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes to blend flavors.

Or, just brown the turkey with the seasonings and combine with remaining ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings - cilantro, green onion, cheese, sour cream, etc.

White Bean Turkey Chili

October is my favorite month. It's my birthday month and the real beginning of fall. What better way to celebrate the beginning of October than with chili! I enjoyed this chili very much. It's basically lean protein and vegetables, so I felt pretty good about the health factor, and the beer added a lot of flavor. It's not too spicy and the flavor overall is very balanced and subtle. I might add another teaspoon of chili powder in there next time. Serve with avocado, sour cream, and cheese.

White Bean Chicken Chili
source: Lime in the Coconut

Ingredients
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
pinch of cardamom
pinch of allspice
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey meat
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 bottle of beer
salt and pepper

Preparation
In a soup pot or dutch oven, pour in your olive oil along with your diced veggies and garlic. Saute until tender. Add your spices and chicken meat. Cook until meat is well browned.
Add in your beans, tomatoes and beer. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let it stew for 30 minutes on low heat. If it's too runny you can add a little cornstarch or tomato paste to thicken it up. Once ready, serve in bowls and top with garnish.