Chili Mac

 Do you have a gazillion recipes pinned on Pinterest?

I think I have a gazillion and one...

So it's high time that I make some of these fabulous dishes I keep drooling over.  

Flipping through my boards, I was looking for some comfort food.  Something I could make in under 30 minutes yet be satisfied.  Something that reminds me of fall.

Tall order?  Not really.  One of my favorite bloggers is Kristen of Iowa Girl Eats.  She is an amazingly good cook.  I love reading her blog and I find my self getting hungry staring at all the wonderful dishes she makes.  

Today's dish is one I "pinned"  from Iowa Girl Eats.  Her Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese sounded like heaven on earth.  

This is my adaptation of Kirsten's soulfully comforting dish.  It's perfect during the cool fall evenings.  You can make this during the week with no problems.  A plus is that it is all made in one skillet!  No joke!  Best part?  The FLAVOR baby!

Enjoy!

Chili Mac

Serves 3-4

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

½ lb ground sirloin
1 shallot, small diced
1 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz  petite diced tomatoes, slightly drained
3 T tomato paste
7 oz kidney beans, drained & rinsed
2 c low-sodium beef broth
1 ½ t chili powder
1 t cumin
½ t paprika
½ t dried cilantro
1 /4 t salt
¼  t dried oregano
1 c elbow macaroni
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 T King Arthur Vermont Cheese Powder

Toppings: shredded cheese, cilantro 

Add ground beef, onion, and garlic to a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt & pepper then cook beef until no longer pink. Drain then return to the skillet.

Add petite diced tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, beef broth, and spices to the skillet. Bring to a boil then add macaroni noodles and place a lid on top. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until noodles are just barely al dente (do not overcook,) stirring once. Add cheese then stir until smooth. Let dish sit off the heat and thicken for 10 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Pancakes - Lighter Version

I've been on a little bit of a breakfast kick lately...

Don't you love it?  

Pancakes are some of our favorite weekend breakfast foods.  I'm usually a traditionalist with my pancakes, staying with good old fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes.  MGG on the other hand likes variation, so that what he gets!  He loves all the differnet pancakes I've made and these are one of his favorites.

Warm blueberries inside light fluffy pancakes.  What can be better?  Even I have to admit that these pancakes are pretty darn tasty!

A the bonus?  They are lower in calories...yippee!  Yep, that's right, you heard it...a light version of your favorite Blueberry Pancakes.

Yogurt, whole wheat flour, and reduced butter and sugar make them so.  These are just irresistible.  Sure to please any family!  Mine and yours!  

Enjoy!

Blueberry Pancakes - Lighter Version

Serves 4

½ c all purpose flour

½ c whole wheat flour

1 T sugar

1 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

1/8 t salt

1/8 t fresh nutmeg

¾ c vanilla lite yogurt

2 T butter, melted

2 t lemon juice

½ t vanilla

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 c fresh blueberries

In a large bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.  Whisk to combine.  In a small blow add yogurt, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and beaten eggs.  Stir to combine.

Add yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and stir blend to combine.  Batter may be a little thick.  On a heated griddle or skillet pour ¼ cupfuls of batter per pancake.  Top with a couple of tablespoons of blueberries.  Cook 2 minutes or until golden brown underneath and bubbles begin to form on top.  Flip pancakes  over and cook another minute until cooked through.  Serve warm with syrup.

Bean Soup

Chilly evenings make me think of my mom's Bean Soup.

A family staple passed down through generations that stemmed from the depression era and the need for cheap, yet hearty food.  Beans do the trick.  Oh the flavor of bean soup! (Don't forget the cornbread!)  Mom primarily used pinto beans, or great northern white beans along with some type of salty fat to season the broth.  Typically a ham hock or bacon was used.   

Recently, I found a great supplier of heirloom beans in Napa, Ca.  Rancho Gordo is a wonderful source for unique beans. 

They have about 20-30 different kinds at a given time, along with other items such as dried corns, grains etc.  Being that I love my Bean Soup I quickly bought several new types of beans to try out.

Today's Bean Soup was made with Rancho Gordo's Rio Zape Beans.

(photo courtesy of Rancho Gordo)

Using these beans was a wonderful treat.  The soup liquid turns deep and dark and makes a tasty broth.  They are similar to a pinto bean but have more depth.  They are said to have notes of coffee and chocolate with a velvet texture.  At $5.95 a pound I would say that is a darn good bargain!

I found the soup so flavorful that I went to order another pound and they were already out of stock.  I just got a note that they are now back in, so I'm putting in my order right away.  

I hope you try my Bean Soup and also give this bean supplier a try.  No paid promos here...just sharing a great source that I came across.  Spreading the love!


Bean Soup

1 pound dried beans, rinsed and picked through for stones (pinto, great northern, red beans)
6 cups water (plus more)
2 slices of bacon, or 1 ham hock
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Soak beans overnight.  Drain beans and place in a large dutch oven.  Add water, bacon or ham hock.  Make sure there is enough water to cover the bean by 1 - 1 1/2".  Cover and cook over medium high heat bringing to a boil.  Add salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer covered 2-3 hours, stirring beans occasionally.  Stirring creates the release of starches from the beans which will make the soup thicker.  Make sure to check the water level and add more as necessary to keep the original water line 1 inch above the beans.  Adjust seasonings if you add more water.

After beans are tender take about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of beans and roughly mash them.  Add them back to the soup and stir.  Allow to simmer 30 more minutes.  Soup should thicken slightly.  Serve.