Vegetarian Chili Con Carlo

Inspiration: My fiance's love of chili.

Ingredients:                                                             Prep-time: 20 mins

Two - 28Oz cans or Organic Diced Tomatoes           Number of servings: 8 - 10 
Four - 4Oz cans of Organic Sliced Mushrooms         Slow Cooker Settings: time - 9:00 

Four - 15.5Oz cans Dark Red Kidney Beans (No Salt Added)                                                             temp - low    

Two - 12Oz bags of Large Cut Mirepoix Mix (diced vegetables - celery, onions & carrots)  
Five jalapenos
1/2 a 16Oz bag of Sweet Kernel Corn
Two - 1Oz packets of Simply Organic Vegetarian Chili Mix

Shredded cheddar cheese or shredded Mexican cheese mix (for those looking for a completely vegan recipe - forgo the cheese or use shredded soy cheese)

Directions:

1. Thoroughly strain and rinse the mushrooms and kidney beans.
2. Add mushrooms, kidney beans, mirepoix vegetable mix, 1/2 of the bag of sweet corn and diced tomatoes.
3. Stir together with both packets of chili seasoning.  
4. Cut jalapeno peppers.  Remove the seeds if you wish to lessen the heat of the chili.
5. Add jalapenos to the mix and stir well.
6. Cook in crock pot on low 9 hours.
7. Serve with shredded cheese. 

Results:

This recipe is on the spicey side.  Very good comfort food for those who like chili.  Removing the seeds from the jalapenos can help cut down on the spice if you are looking for a milder recipe.

Homemade Pumpkin Butter

This Homemade Pumpkin Butter is great in recipes where regular pumpkin is called for such as pies, on toast, on waffles, on ice cream or just by the spoonful!  Could also be used in the Pumpkin Pecan Bar Recipe.

 

Inspiration: This recipe has been contributed by the wonderful Amanda Wheeler-Hardie.  Thanks Amanda!

Ingredients:                                              Prep-time: 10 mins

30oz Pumpkin Puree (Canned or Fresh)       Slow Cooker Settings: time - 6:00 - 8:00 hours

1/2 Tsp Ground Cloves                              Temp - low

1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger                               

1/4 cup Water

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Apple Cider of Apple Juice

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

  

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into the crock pot and stir well.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, mixture will thicken as it cooks.
3. Stir well once cooked and let cool before jarring or using.
4. Jar or freeze in airtight container.  Can also be canned.
5. Cut ingredients in half if you wish to make a smaller batch.
6. You can also add a cinnamon stick to the mixture and remove before jarring if you wish.

Results:
I have not yet tried this recipe personally.  I plan on using this pumpkin butter the next time I make Pumpkin Bars and will post pictures of the results!  Let me know if any of you beat me to it.

Desserts: Pumpkin Pecan Bars (non-slow cooker recipe)

Inspiration: A recipe given to me by a woman at Williams-Sonoma trying to sell a non-stick bake pan.  AND yes, I bought the pan and loved it.  The Pumpkin Pecan bars slid right out of the pan even though I barely greased the pan making cleanup fast and easy.

Ingredients:                                                        Prep-time: 20 mins

1 box yellow cake mix                                                           Number of servings: 28+

3 large eggs                                                              Bake Time - 35-40 mins (or until golden brown)

2 tablespoons milk (I use organic skim)                   Oven Temp - 350

1/4 cup of sugar                                                     

1 tablespoon cinnamon (I use Simply Organic Brand)

1/2 cup melted butter (I use Smart Balance)

1 jar of pumpkin butter - 9.5oz. (I use Wegman's Brand - found in the peanut butter isle)

1 cup of finely diced pecans

1 tablespoon of flour (I use King Arthur Brand unbleached white whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup cold butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 9" by 13" pan.
3. Set aside one cup of the cake mix.
4. Combine the remaining cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter & 1 egg. Stir well until mixed.
5. Pour mix into greased pan and use back of large spoon to spread and press in the pan until the bottom of pan is evenly covered.
   
6. Finely chop pecans.
7. Whisk together the entire jar of pumpkin butter, pecans, 2 eggs and milk.
8. Pour over cake mix in pan.
9. Combine cake mix that was set aside with flour, cold butter, sugar and cinnamon.
10. Cut mixture together using pastry blender.
11. Crumble evenly over top of cake once thoroughly blended.
12. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. 
13. Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Results:

These came out great!  Williams-Sonoma sells a jar of pumpkin butter that already contains pecans in it but it is $10 a jar.  Wegman's pumpkin butter is $4 and I personally think it tastes better with the fresh nuts.  I tried to start cutting the bars before they fully cooled.  Big mistake.  Once they cool they don't fall apart when you go to cut them. These are the perfect, filling desert on a cool fall evening.

Boneless Porkchops and Mushrooms

Inspiration: What we had in our fridge and cupboard already.
 

Ingredients:                         Prep-time: 40 mins (or almost a whole episode of the xfiles)

4-6 boneless pork chops                     Number of servings: 4-6

coarse kosher salt                             Slow Cooker Settings: time - 9:00 (9:30 if ceramic

ground pepper                                                                                              inlay in fridge over night)

1 large onion                                                        temp - low

1 turnip

4 parsnips

3 medium potatoes

3 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup baby carrots
2 cups cut mushrooms

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use Campbell's 98% fat free)

cold water

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash all vegetables.  (we use an organic vegetable cleaner and warm water)
2. Peel turnip & parsnips.
3. Cube turnip and potatoes (do not peel potatoes).
4. Cut parsnips in thirds and those pieces in halves (no piece larger than a baby carrot).
5.  Add baby carrots, potatoes, turnip & parsnips in ceramic inlay.
6. Mince garlic & add to vegetables.
7. Add three pinches of salt & two pinches of ground pepper.
8. Cut onion in rings.
9. In large skillet, add three tablespoons olive oil & cook onion until it starts to become translucent.
10. Set onion aside.
11. Sprinkle salt & pepper on both sides of pork chops.
12. Brown pork chops on both sides in the remaining olive oil & juices in pan used for onions.
13. Set pork chops aside.
14. In medium bowl, whisk condensed mushroom soup and one can of cold water until well mixed.
15. Place pork chops on top of root vegetables.
16. Place onion on top of pork chops.
17. Add soup mix.
18. Cook 9:00 hours on low or 9:30 hours if inlay has been in fridge overnight.
19. In the last hour of cooking, add cut mushrooms on top.
20. Serve within two hours after cook time.
21. Serve with your side of choice.  We used brown rice.

Results:

This recipe turned out very well.  The only thing I think I would change in the future is that instead of adding a full can of water to the soup, I would add two tablespoons of cold water to the vegetables.  I would then put 1/2 the can of soup over the vegetable and then put the pork chops in and then put the rest of the condensed soup over the pork chops.  Then, I would put the onions on top of that.  This is because the vegetables created so much juice of their own that I don't think the extra water was needed.  If anyone tries it this alternate way, please let me know :).