Recipe Review week of 9/21/2015

Happy Monday! 

It was a weekend playing and doing house stuff.   Saturday the Folks, Andy-dog and I went to Jay Cooke St. Park and enjoyed a slightly damp and foggy 5.5 mile walk in the woods.  Leaves are barely turning, grass is still green, and the air smelled so good!   The Thompson Dam must have been open because the water was simply roaring downstream.  Very impressive. 

Fog was lifting but still pretty dense as we finished.  Duluth can be like that - anything along the lake and up the St. Louis River is sometimes socked in with fog for days. 


The Meal Plan:
Sun (L) Brats and baked beans   (S)  leftover barley risotto
Mon (yoga)  leftover brats
Tues -  Stuffed Poblanos  didn't get made
Wed - leftovers
Thurs (yoga) chili, cornbread (from a box) and pumpkin pie
Fri - leftovers
Sat - TBD


KFC Barbeque Baked Beans (TopSecretRecipes.com)  gluten free
A co-worker brought this to our Country Fried Chicken Potluck back in June and I loved it! I finally got the recipe and immediately made it...with a few changes.  I used dried beans I had pre-cooked.  Because I tossed the cooking liquid I added two cup water.  Two cups would have been better - made for a slightly saucier dish.

Per my co-workers recommendation, I doubled the bacon and onions.  

I forgot to add the vinegar - because I was using dried beans, I wanted to make sure they didn't turn out tough or chewy and was going to add at the end  Oops. 

While easy and delicious, this could use a bit of background heat - just a splash tho!  I also think some bourbon added before baking would be really good - maybe 1/8 of a cup so it doesn't end up booze-y?    Many ways this could be played with.  Enjoy! 

2 15oz cans small white beans, undrained
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tsp minced onion (I used about 1/2 cup)
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used four slices)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
dash garlic powder

1) Preheat oven to 350*
2) Pour entire contents of 15oz cans of beans into covered casserole dish.
3) Combine water and cornstarch, mixing until cornstarch is dissolved.  Stir mixture into beans.
4) Add remaining ingredients to beans, stir, and cover.
5) Bake for 90 minutes or until sauce thickens.  Stir every thirty minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.   


Red Pepper, Corn, and Black Bean Chowder (Ckng Lght June 2015)  vegetarian option, gluten free
This was super easy to assemble, especially since I "broiled" the peppers on the grill while cooking dinner.  Then I was able to let them steam as I ate.  Rest came together in no time at all, and my lunch was ready for the week!   Flavors on this are bright, with a hint of heat from the chipolte.  Use less chipolte if you don't care for zing.  I made this as directed, skipping the garnishes since I was transporting in a lunch box.  Made four lunches. 

1 cup chopped onion

photo from cookinglight.com

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 broiled red bell peppers, skins removed

2 cups unsalted chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 (15-ounce) can unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh corn kernels

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons plain 2% Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons cilantro

4 lime wedges 

Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat 3 minutes. Place onion mixture, broiled bell peppers, chicken stock, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and chipotle chile in a blender; blend until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in beans; simmer 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir in corn kernels and salt. Place 1 cup soup in each of 4 bowls; top with 2 tablespoons plain 2% Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1 lime wedge.