Cumin Chili

Another recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Ingredients:
2-3 t minced garlic
1-1/2 lb ground beef
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juices, broken up
2 T tomato paste
1 T cumin
1 t basil
1 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
15 oz can rinsed/drained kidney beans


Directions:

Heat garlic and meat in large saucepan (can add a little oil if needed) until meat is no longer pink, about 5 min. Stir in remaining ingredients except beans, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Add beans and simmer until chili is thickened.

Variations: initially add 1 onion and 1 green bell pepper, chopped. Increase cooking time to soften vegetables. Also can add 1 bag frozen corn along with the beans.

Serve with grated cheddar cheese and toasted ciabatta.

Chicken Biryani

From cooking light.
This is another dish we had for the first time in South Africa. It's originally an Indian dish that the Cape Malay people here recreate. Delicious, good with chutney.

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  canola oil
• 1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1  cup  chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1  teaspoon  minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  garam masala
• 3/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  cups  chopped plum tomato (about 2 tomatoes)
• 1  cup  uncooked basmati rice
• 1/3  cup  golden raisins
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4  cup  sliced almonds
• 4  lime wedges

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté 3 minutes. Add ginger, garam masala, cumin, salt, and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add tomato, rice, raisins, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in cilantro. Sprinkle with almonds; serve with lime wedges.

Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Classic Nestle recipe. When we first arrived in South Africa, our new friend, an American missionary as well, Marysol, made us these. She knew they would make us feel like we were back at home. My sister and I made them many times afterwards. It's hard to find chocolate chips here so we cut up a chocolate bar or two. Also, we've found that substituting margarine does NOT result in the right texture. Gotta be butter. :) Enjoy...

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

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COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

White Bean Stew with Sausage and Spinach

Cooking Light. I had dried white butter beans so we used those, and also substituted spinach (just putting it in later) for the kale. Also good with cheese, and delicious with the cheesey toast.

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  vegetable oil
• 1  teaspoon  bottled minced garlic
• 4  (2-ounce) smoked turkey and duck sausages with fennel, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (such as Gerhard's)
• 1  cup  water
• 1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 4  cups  bagged chopped kale
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 6  tablespoons  (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
• 6  (1-ounce) slices French bread baguette

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and sausage; sauté 1 minute. Add water, broth, and beans; bring to a boil. Stir in kale, black pepper, red pepper, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.

While soup simmers, sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese over each bread slice; broil 1 minute or until cheese melts. Serve toasts with soup.

Chicken-Noodle-Vegetable Soup

Also from Cooking Light. They call it Roasted Vegetable-Rosemary Chicken Soup, but we found it to be just like a really good chicken noodle. Norah loves it, especially heated mixed with rice. 

Ingredients

• 1  cup  (1-inch) cubed carrot
• 1  cup  (1-inch) cubed onion
• 1  cup  coarsely chopped mushrooms
• 1  cup  (1-inch) pieces celery
• 1  cup  (1-inch) pieces red bell pepper
• 2  tablespoons  extravirgin olive oil
• 1  cup  water
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 4  (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2  cups  uncooked whole wheat rotini pasta

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; drizzle with oil, and toss well to coat. Arrange vegetable mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan lined with foil. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

Combine water and next 5 ingredients (through chicken) in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Add roasted vegetables; simmer 30 minutes. Bring soup to a boil. Add pasta; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Butternut Bread Pudding

This is taken from cookinglight.com. I think it is a bit dry and I would like to try it with some other vegetables, but the concept is great. I tried it here in South Africa where butternut is very popular and abundant.

• Ingredients:
• 3  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 2  cups  1% low-fat milk
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 3  large eggs
• 2  large egg whites
• 8  ounces  (1-inch) cubed day-old French bread (about 9 cups)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, milk, 1/2 cup cheese, pepper, nutmeg, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in squash and onion mixture. Add bread, and stir gently to combine. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until pudding is set and lightly browned.