Apple Harvest Chili

It felt like fall had come early last week so I was in the mood for a hot bowl of chili. The nuts and dried apricots in this sweet and spicy chili give it a satisfyingly filling texture. The recipe is meatless, but if you are serving it for vegetarians make sure to substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Ingredients

1 16 oz jar thick and chunky salsa
1 16 oz can yellow hominy (or corn), rinsed and drained
1 16 oz ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 oz ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
2/3 cup snipped dried apricots (you can also use golden raisins or dried cranberries)
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t chili powder
A few dashes of hot sauce
2/3 cup coarsely chopped cashews
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions
1. Chop the cashews, apple and apricots, set aside.
2. Open the canned beans and hominy (or corn), rinse and drain.
3. Combine salsa, hominty (or corn), beans, chicken broth, apple, apricots, cocoa powder and hot sauce in a large pot or Dutch oven.
4. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
5. Just before serving, stir in cashews.
6. If desired, garnish with a slice of lime or apple.

From Midwest Living

Coconut Chicken

The curry gives these sweet chicken fingers an unexpected kick, and they go really well with mango peach salsa and chips. This is great when the summer heat puts you in the mood for something tropical!

 Ingredients

1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut, chopped
1/2 cup plain panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites

 Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. Cut the chicken in strips and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
2. Combine the coconut, breadcrumbs, flour, brown sugar, and curry powder in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy; add the chicken tenders and toss to coat. Lift the chicken from the egg whites one at a time, and coat with the coconut mixture, pressing so the coating adheres.
4. Place the chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spray both sides of the chicken with nonstick spray. Bake until lightly golden and crisp, about 15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time.
5. Serve with salsa.

Adapted from the Deen Brothers.

Beer Shrimp Boil

When the 90 degree days roll in for July, it can be tempting to ditch the kitchen and run out for dinner (free air conditioning!). But when you would rather relax with your family and peel shrimp together, this is the recipe for you. It takes a little time, but the ingredients and steps are as simple as could be. In my opinion, serving it with a loaf of French bread is required.

Ingredients

3 (12-ounce) bottles lager beer
1 cup water
1 T Cajun seasoning
1 t salt
1 t black peppercorns
1 lemon, juiced, halves reserved
1 stick unsalted butter
1 lb large shrimp, head and shell left on, rinsed well
French bread

Directions

1. Cut the lemon in half and juice it. Save the juice in a bowl, place lemon halves in a large pot.
2. Add beer, water, Cajun seasoning, salt and peppercorns to the pot. Bring to boil over medium heat.
3. Cover and boil for 10 minutes.
4. Rinse the shrimp. Add the shrimp to the pot of boiling beer. Cover it and turn off the heat. Cook for 3 minutes, or until pink throughout.
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp and transfer to serving bowls.
6. Put the stick of butter in a small saucepan and melt. Add the lemon juice. Turn off heat.
9. Add ½ cup of the beer boiling liquid to the butter with lemon juice and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour into small serving bowls. Serve the warm shrimp with the butter dipping sauce on the side. (Put out empty bowls for the shells.)
10. Serve with French bread.

From Food Network

Strawberry Ice Tea

Combining two summer favorites - fresh strawberries and refreshing ice tea - makes a fabulous drink for a hot and humid day. If you don't enjoy ice tea, try mixing 2 tablespoons of the pureed strawberry with a lemon-lime soda. I tried this with Sprite and it was delicious!

Ingredients
1 package (about 2 cups) strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 lemon
1/2 gallon ice tea

Directions
1. Boil 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of water. Pour over 2 tea bags and allow to steep for 3-5 minutes. Chill in refrigerator. (I chilled it overnight)
2. Wash and cut the stems off of the strawberries. Place in blender and puree. You may need to stir the strawberries around a few times to help it puree (I did).
3. Strain the pureed strawberries into the iced tea.
4. Juice the lemon and add to iced tea.
5. Stir in sugar until dissolved.
6. Chill until ready to serve.

Tuna Cakes

Canned tuna is so versatile; I have used it in gumbo, macaroni and cheese, wraps and sandwiches. This recipe tries something new: it mixes tuna with a hearty stuffing for satisfying, cheesy cakes. The cakes are tasty eaten plain or on a bun. This recipe makes about four servings and the leftovers make great lunches!

Ingredients

2 cans (5 oz each) canned tuna, drained
1 cup bread crumbs (or stuffing mix)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup mayo
2 T relish
1 T vegetable oil

Directions

1.       Combine all ingredients except vegetable oil in large bowl.

2.       Cover and place in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

3.       Heat 1 T vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat.

4.       Remove tuna mix from refrigerator. Use an ice cream scoop to add tuna portions to the skillet.

5.       Working with 3 portions at a time, flatten each portion with a spatula to make a patty. Cook until golden on each side, about 2 minutes per side.

6.       Continue until you have finished the mixture.

Adapted from Kraft.com

Sesame Pork Chops

I love making pork chops, shake and bake makes it so easy! But shake and bake gets old after a while so I was glad to see this simple recipe for switching it up in Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine.  These turned out very juicy and flavorful, I didn't need to serve any sauce with them.

Ingredients

1 lb pork chops (I like the thick bone-in chops)
6 T soy sauce
3 T brown sugar
2 T rice vinegar (I used regular white vinegar)
1 T vegetable oil
½ cup sesame seeds

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Line a baking pan with foil and vegetable oil (or spray oil).
3. In a resealable bag or container, mix soy sauce with the brown sugar and vinegar. Add the pork and marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
4. Pour the sesame seeds in a medium bowl. When the pork is finished marinating, place each chop in the bowl and press seeds into both sides.
5. Place the sesame seed coated pork chops on the prepared baking ban. Cook for 20 minutes.

Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray.

Cindy's Pineapple Side Dish

My mom tops ham with pineapple slices, which I love, so when my boyfriend’s aunt shared this savory pineapple recipe with me I could not resist making it on Easter. The dish was thoroughly enjoyed and eaten up, I had to actually cover it to make sure no one took the last little leftover bit. My friends raved about the cheesy, crunchy topping. It  goes well with ham and probably would be nice with pork too.

Ingredients

2 large cans pineapple chunks in pineapple juice
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 stick butter
1.5 cups crumbled Ritz crackers (about 1 sleeve).

Directions
1. Open the pineapple cans and drain and reserve the juice. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a 1.5 qt baking dish. Spread pineapple chunks in dish.
3. In medium bowl, mix flour and sugar and spread over the pineapple.
4. Pour HALF of the juice over the flour, sugar, pineapple mixture.
5. Top with shredded cheese.
6. In a small bowl, melt 1 stick of butter. Pour over the dish.
7. In a plastic bag, crumble the crackers. Measure out 1.5 cups and sprinkle on the pineapple.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.