Versatile Chili Recipe

One of the things that I love most about cooking is how versatile and creative you can be. If you don't have a certain ingredient, you can just leave it out and usually your recipe will turn out OK. In this post, you can take any of the ingredients from each of the categories and combine them to make any time of chili you please. I would say that a given would be to always use crushed tomatoes or tomato paste, but you can do meatless chili, or carbless chili (no filler), or vegetable-less chili. I have included some sample recipes at the bottom, and two different cooking methods (stovetop or crock pot). I love making chili because it can be relatively healthy, it's super easy to make, and it freezes really nicely. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Tomatoes
- canned crushed tomatoes or tomato paste
- canned or fresh diced tomatoes

Meat
- ground beef
- ground turkey or chicken
- none

Filler
- beans (black, kidney, red, lima)
- chick peas
- tempeh (fermented soy patty similar to tofu)
- quinoa (pre-cooked)
- rice (pre-cooked)

Vegetables
- mushrooms
- peppers (green, red, yellow, hot)
- onions (cooking)
- carrots
- celery
- eggplant
- zucchini

Spices
- salt
- pepper
- chili powder
- basil
- cumin
- bay leaf (don't eat it)
- oregano
- onion salt
- celery salt
- garlic powder
- hot sauce

How to Cook:

Stovetop Method:

1. Brown the meat with a little bit of oil in a large pot until it is fully cooked over medium heat.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
3. Simmer over medium heat until the veggies are tender (approx. 20-30 minutes).

Crock Pot Method:

1. Brown the meat with a little bit of oil in a frying pan until it is fully cooked over medium heat.
2. Add all the ingredients, including the meat, into a crock pot and stir.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Sample Recipes:

Jenna's Favourite Chili
- 2 packages ground turkey or chicken
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 can black beans
- 1 package sliced mushrooms
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- salt
- pepper
- chili powder
- basil
- cumin
- bay leaf
- oregano
- garlic powder

Classic Chili
- crushed tomatoes
- ground beef
- beans
- mushrooms
- onions
- chili powder

Vegetarian Chili
- crushed tomatoes
- diced tomatoes
- beans
- quinoa
- tons of veggies
- spices

Healthy Carb-Free Chili
- crushed tomatoes
- diced tomatoes
- ground turkey or chicken
- tempeh
- tons of veggies
- spices

OMB Grilled Cheese (Onions, Mushrooms, Bacon)

This recipe is again inspired by soemthing I saw on Pinterest (this link). I didn't look too closely at the recipe (which is for BBQ and onion grilled cheese) when I looked at it, and I thought that the onions looked like bacon when I went grocery shopping, so I added bacon (best wife ever)! I also had some mushrooms on hand, so I added them as well. I call this recipe "OMB" Grilled Cheese because there are onions, mushrooms and bacon on it.

Jordan likes to tell everyone about the "most amazing grilled cheese he has ever had- dude you gotta try this". He no longer makes fun of Pinterest, but says that he enjoys the outcome of it. Anyways here is the recipe, hope you enjoy!

OMB Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:
-Bread
-Bacon
-Onions (cooking or red onions)
-Mushrooms
-Cheese
-Margarine or butter
-BBQ sauce
* I didn't provide quantities because it depends on how many you are making, and it doesn't really matter how much you use (sorry OCD people!)

Fry bacon on a frying pan over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sliced onions and fry until cooked, flipping occasionally.

While you are waiting for it to cook, grate some mozzarella cheese. Spread margarine or butter on one side of each bread, and BBQ sauce on the other sides.

Preheat a panini press or separate frying pan on medium heat. Once the bacon and veggies are done cooking, put one piece of bread butter side down on the frying pan. Add some cheese, then the bacon/veggies, then more cheese, then another piece if bread butter side up. Fry it for a while until the cheese starts to melt. Flip it and fry the other side. Voila!

Christmas Pinterest Party!

A couple of weeks ago, I hosted my very own Christmas Pinterest Party (guess where I got the idea from...)! Here are the instructions I included on the Facebook invitations...

"You are invited to a Pinterest Party, Christmas edition!

Basically what will happen is everyone brings something they saw on Pinterest for us to all do together! Anything is fair game: crafts, recipes, hairstyles, nails, or you can even clean/reorganize my house! We will all go home with some yummy food and crafty projects to keep for yourself or give as Christmas gifts.

If you aren't on Pinterest, or have little to no crafty/domestic skills, don't worry about it, still come and have fun! You can bring a recipe or something that you didn't see on Pinterest, or you can just come to hang out or play with my kitten!

Please RSVP on here, and once you decide what pin to do, post the link on the wall. Also, if anyone needs any ingredients or baking/crafty supplies for their pin, just let me know, I have plenty!"

So a bunch of my girlfriends from school came over and we had lots of fun! Most people brought food that was already made, but I think it worked out better that way because we wouldn't have had time to make a craft/recipe from each person that came. We ended up making 2 recipes, and 3 crafts together. Here are instructions for some of the cool things we did!

Spinach Cranberry Cream Cheese Wraps

 I made this recipe before everyone arrived, based on two things I saw on Pinterest, this one for the display as a Christmas tree, and this one for the contents. Here is the recipe I used for the wraps (sorry I don't have amounts, it doesn't really matter anyways). I like how they looked so Christmas-y and were super easy to throw together.

Ingredients
-spinach tortillas
-baby spinach
-plain cream cheese
-craisins

Spread the tortillas with plain cream cheese. Top with craisins and spinach. Wrap up into pinwheels, and then cut into 1" slices. That's it! The original pin called for feta cheese and green onions, but I didn't have them so I left them out! I imagine it would taste good though. I was low on cream cheese so I didn't use very much, but more would probably taste better!

Pinterest vs Reality: Christmas Tree Wraps

 Apple Nachos

A lot of people were really confused about the concept of apple nachos, but they were really good! If you like apples and peanut butter, then you will like apple nachos!

Ingredients
-4 apples (I used 6 and it was too much)
-1 tsp lemon juice
-1/2 cup peanut butter
-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Slice the apples, and then put them in a large bowl of water with 1 tsp lemon juice so they don't get brown. Melt the peanut butter, and pour over the apple slices. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and voila! The original pin (here) added almonds, pecans, and coconut, but I didn't, and it was still delicious! You could also use caramel sauce instead of peanut butter and it would be yummy too.

Pinterest vs Reality: Apple Nachos

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (AKA Monkey Bread)

Erin brought this recipe that her mom used to make that is also all over Pinterest. And for good reason, it was delicious!

Ingredients
-2 package Pilsbury country biscuits
-3/4 cup white sugar
-1 tbsp cinnamon
-1/2 cup melted butter

-1/2 package (250g) cream cheese
-1/2 cup icing sugar
-1-2 tbsp milk

Cut the biscuits into quarters or bite-size pieces. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Dip the biscuit pieces into 1/4 cup of melted butter, then into the sugar mixture, and put them into a greased bundt pan until it is half full. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup butter on top, and then add the rest of the biscuit pieces (dipped in butter/sugar mix). Mix together the leftover butter and sugar mixture and pour it over the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350F (I recommend putting a spare cookie sheet under it in case the butter leaks).

While it is baking, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, and milk to make the icing. When it is finished baking, invert onto a serving plate, and spread the icing on top. It is eaten by pulling apart the pieces like monkeys (hence the name). It tastes amazing while it is still warm too!

Erin with her Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Sharpie Mugs

This project was really easy and would make a great Christmas present (actually, many of the girls made them for gifts so I could only post my own)! I chose to write our favourite Bible verse, Ephesians 3:17-24 on mine. What you do is you draw on plain coloured mugs (from the dollar store) with sharpies, and then bake them for 30 minutes at 350F. After it first came out of the oven, the writing wouldn't wipe off, but I put it through the dishwasher and it wipes off a little, so I would recommend hand washing them, or using it for a platter or something that would be more decoration. The link to the original pin is here.

 
Mod Podge Glass Pebble Magnets

This was the craft that I provided for the party. Very simple, cute, and cheap! Check out the tutorial from a previous post here.

Brie and Jaspreet with their magnets

Christmas Cards

Two of the girls were "pinspired" by all the wonderful Christmas cards on Pinterest, so we got out all the supplies and went mad! I don't have a specific tutorial for this, just let the creative juices flow!

Erin and Felicia with their cards

Hamburger Macaroni Soup

Here is a recipe I semi-made up loosely based on a soup that my Grandma made for us once, but I lost the recipe! I have no idea whether this is close or not, but my husband and I both enjoyed it! Feel free to substitute any vegetables that you like and to adjust the recipe as you desire. 

Ingredients

Ground beef

1 ½ cups elbow macaroni

1 can tomatoes

1 onion

1 green pepper

1 package or can mushrooms

1 cup chopped carrots

2 cups water

Spices (optional)
Grated cheese to top (optional)

Brown the ground beef in a large pot with a bit of oil. Add the chopped onions and other vegetables. Add the can of tomatoes, water, and macaroni. Simmer for about 20 minutes on medium-high heat or until the macaroni is cooked to your liking. Add salt, pepper, and spices if desired. Top with grated cheese and enjoy!

Philly Cheese Steak

This is a favourite meal of Jordan and mine, and it's not even that hard! I think that I just came up with the recipe for this one based off of philly cheese steak sandwiches that I had at different restaurants, so I apologize if the quantities are a bit off. The nice thing about cooking is that it doesn't really matter :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- buns
- beef (I buy stir fry strips or stewing beef)
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 package mushrooms
- oil
- mozzarella cheese
- mayonnaise

Directions:

Cut the vegetables into slices/chunks. Fry in a large pan with a bit of oil over medium heat. The mushrooms don't take as long as the other vegetables, so let them cook for a while before you add them in. Stir occasionally. Cook until tender, approximately 10 minutes.

If the beef is raw, fry it in a pan with a bit of oil over medium-high heat until all of the pink is out of it. Approximately 10 minutes

While you're waiting for that to cook, grate some mozzarella cheese (this is Jordan's job :P ), and cut the buns in half.

Put the buns on a cookie sheet, and put the cooked meat, vegetables, and cheese on it. Broil at 500F for 3-5 minutes to get the bun toasty and the cheese melty. Add mayonnaise and enjoy! Serve with sweet potato fries, vegetable sticks, salad, or anything else you would like.

Pita Pizzas

I can't remember where I got this idea from, but it's an easy meal that Jordan and I like to make. Pita pizzas are a quick, easy, and healthier alternative to pizzas, and are super yummy! I imagine that when we (eventually) have kids, this will become a staple at our house.

 Ingredients:
- pitas
- mozzarella cheese
- pizza sauce or ketchup
- toppings of your choice (pepperoni, veggies, chicken, etc.)

Put the pitas on a cookie sheet or pie plate. Spread sauce on the pitas. Add your toppings, and grated mozzarella cheese. Broil at 500 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Quinoa Greek Salad

Check out this great, healthy, delicious, light, easy, guilt-free recipe- need I say more? I've made this one a few times, and it's a favourite of my friend Dylan. The compliment he gave was something along the lines of "it tastes like summer in my mouth!"

If you don't know what Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is, it's a grain, similar to rice or couscous, and it's the new superfood. I had to search all over Sobey's to find a bag, but my mom found a big bag at Costco for much cheaper. I would like to take some credit for this recipe, but my future-sister-in-law Laura made something similar and inspired me :)

Ingredients:
- 2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups water
- 1 packet OXO vegetable broth powder (or substitute some of the water for canned vegetable broth)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Red onion
- Black olives
- Greek Salad Dressing

Step 1:
Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package ahead of time (or follow my directions). In a saucepan, bring the water, and vegetable broth to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat, and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. You will know when it's cooked when you can start to see the curly things. Let it cool.

Step 2:
Make it into a salad! Cut the vegetables into small pieces, and add to the cooked quinoa. Add the Greek salad dressing, and mix together. Cool before serving (this recipe tastes best when it's nice and cold). Enjoy!

Sorry I don't have exact measurements for the veggies- this is how much I used

Aaaaaand, if you have some extra quinoa, it also tastes great warm! Check out my recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Peppers :)