Pumpkin Chili

This recipe has lots of veggies and healing foods, mixed together into a delicious flavor. Sam even ask us to save him some for lunch because it was so delicious! Recipe courtesy of The Healing Kitchen

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hr 50 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef (we used ground turkey)
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mace
2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced into 1/2-in rounds
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound sliced mushrooms
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 (15-oz) cans pumpkin puree
2 c. beef or chicken broth
2 T apple cider vinegar
sliced green onions, for serving

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until cooked through. Stir in ginger powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, and mace until the meat is evenly coated in the seasonings. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in the same saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, and salt and stir well. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened and tender.

3. Pour in the pumpkin puree and broth and stir to incorporate into the vegetables. Add the meat back to the saucepan and bring the mixtures to a boil. Add the bay leaf, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer, and cook, covered with a lid for 1 1/2 hours until the vegetables are tender.

4. Stir in the vinegar and remove from the heat. The chili will be thick like a stew.

5. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Top each bowl with a  generous sprinkle of green onions.

Creole Shrimp and Sausage Stew

Courtesy of Cooking Light. This is quick and easy and yummy. The tomatoes with green chiles add quite a bit of kick, so you may want to just do normal diced tomatoes depending on if your kids like spicy foods.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced turkey smoked sausage (about 6 ounces)
2 cloves minced garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (such as Rotel)
8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bell pepper, sausage, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until bell pepper is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in shrimp and beans; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with parsley.

We usually serve it on top of rice, or even cook minute rice into the stew. If you decide to cook the rice in the stew,  add the uncooked rice when you add the shrimp and beans. You may want to add a little extra broth, because the rice will absorb some of the liquid.

Beef Burgundy

Beef Burgundy

2 lbs. lean beef cut in 1 ½ in. cubes.  Do not brown.  I usually buy sirloin tip roast and have butcher cut it up.

4 med. carrots, sliced

1 c. celery, sliced

1 lb. can of whole tomatoes.  I use whole tomatoes and then cut up a little.  You could use diced if you want.

½ pkg. onion soup mix (dry)

1 c. mushrooms (6 ¾ oz. jar)

4 oz. sherry (I used burgundy)

3 T. cornstarch

1 T. paprika

1 T. salt – I usually use ½ T.  Seems like a lot of salt to me.

2 T. sugar

Combine in a casserole and cover.  Bake 6 hours in 250 degree oven.  Can also be baked in a crockpot on low. Serve over noodles or rice.

Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew

Hi girls. Nick made this for dinner this past week and it was yummy. I thought it was a successful find considering it's very quick and easy to make, and meets all of our family's various food preferences/needs.  It's also fairly nutritious, depending on how you feel about chicken sausage. The recipe comes from Real Simple.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 12-ounce package fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 bunch kale leaves, torn into 2-inch pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
1 loaf country bread (optional)

Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring once, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add the beans, broth, and tomatoes and their liquid and bring to a boil.
Add the kale and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with the bread, if using.

Curried Lentil, Squash, and Apple Stew

This recipe is from Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli

Made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS! And very healthy too.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil (I used coconut oil instead)
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup dried lentils
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups peeled butternut squash (1/2-in cubes) - I bought this pre-cut from Trader Joe's
1 large unpeedled apple, diced
5 ounces baby spinach

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, and saute onions and carrots until almost soft. Add garlic, ginger, curry, and salt, and let cook a few more minutes until fragrant. Stir in lentils, broth, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Add squash and apples, cover, and simmer for another 25 minutes, or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Uncover and stir in spinach until wilted. Add salt to taste and serve.