Southwestern Chili and Restaurant Style Baked Potatos

Who doesn't love of bowl of perfectly seasoned chili on a cold winter day? I love this chili because it amps up the flavor compared to your average chili, with its fresh salsa, a kick of lime and from the subtle flavors like the oregano and paprika. It has the perfect blend of spices, and it's deliciously hearty with it's combination of beans and flavorful beef! I decided my average chili just needed a bit more, so I came up with this recipe to add an exciting kick! Give it a try and it will likely become your new favorite, go to chili recipe! Enjoy!

Southwestern Chili

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1.5 lbs lean ground beef

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup salsa, fresh is best

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatos with green chilis

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

2 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 Tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Optional: cheddar cheese and sour cream for serving

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil into a large non-stick saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground beef and saute until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks (being careful not to do it too often as you will make the beef grey). Drain beef onto a plate, reserving 1 tbsp of the oil in the pan. Set beef aside. Add green onions, yellow onion and garlic to the pan and saute over medium heat until tender about 3 minutes. Add salsa, diced tomatos, tomato sauce, chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, lime juice, cilantro, chicken broth and browned ground beef. Reduce heat to low, cover saucepan and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in kidney beans, black beans and pinto beans and cook over medium heat until heated through about 10 minutes. Serve warm with optional cheddar cheese and sour cream.

I love chili over baked potatoes! It's a fall/winter favorite! For restaurant style baked potatoes (the kind where you want to eat the peel):

Restaurant Style Baked Potatos

Ingredients:

6 Russet baking potatos

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and scrub potatos well. Dry potatos with a clean kitchen towel. Poke each potato several times with a fork. Place each potato over a piece of aluminum foil, large enough to generously cover it. In a small bowl combine extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper. Baste 1/2 tbsp olive oil mixture over each potato. Sprinkle each potato with 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt, covering both sides of the potato. Wrap each potato tightly in the foil and place opening side up on a baking sheet. Bake potatos for 1 hour.

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Upgraded No Bake Cookies Two Ways

Almond No Bake Cookies

Yields 2 Dozen

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup almond butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups quick cooking oats

3/4 cup salted toasted almonds, chopped

1/2 cup toffee bits

In a large saucepan combine butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in almond butter, vanilla and quick oats until well combined. Fold in chopped almonds and toffee bits. Place cookies by the spoonful onto parchment or wax paper and let cool.

Peanut No Bake Cookies

Yields 2 Dozen

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups quick cooking oats

3/4 cup salted toasted peanuts, chopped

1/2 cup toffee bits

In a large saucepan combine butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and quick oats until well combined. Fold in chopped peanuts and toffee bits. Place cookies by the spoonful onto parchment or wax paper and let cool.

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Pumpkin Ice Cream

For the first time in my life last week I tried pumpkin ice cream at a local restaurant. At first I kind of cringed at the thought of pumpkin ice cream, but I decided I might as well try something new. Let me just say it was a-maz-ing! Instantly I fell in love. Ice cream is an important part of my life, year round. I don't snub it in the fall and winter just because it's cold out. I love the different flavors throughout the year, raspberry or peach in the summer, peppermint in the winter and now this pumpkin in the fall. I created this recipe in hopes of mimicking my first pumpkin ice cream experience. Proudly to say, it is equally as divine if not better. Its flavors immediately bring you to memories of your favorite pumpkin pie and even that creamy glass of egg nog you enjoy during the holidays. So, pull out your ice cream maker you've tucked away for the cold season and enjoy this melt in your mouth, simply delicious pumpkin ice cream.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Yields about 1 1/4 quarts

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream, divided

1 3/4 cup whole milk

2 tsp unsulfured molasses

6 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or canned unsweetened pumpkin puree, chilled at least 3 hours

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup heavy cream, whole milk and molasses. Cook until mixture almost boils, 5 - 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Meanwhile beat yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla and 1/2 cup cream until light yellow and slightly fluffy about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup hot milk mixture to yolk mixture and stir until combined. Gradually add egg yolk mixture to warm milk mixture in the saucepan, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 - 6 minutes. Do not allow the custard to boil. Pour mixture into a large bowl and cover with wax paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Cool mixture completely, in the refrigerator or chill over an ice bath for 40 minutes. Once cool, stir in pumpkin puree. Force mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another large bowl. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (I found if you strain the mixture before this step you will strain out some of the spices). Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze at least 3 hours, until firm.

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Raspberry Swirl Rolls

So, I have finally done it! My first food blog post! Raspberry Swirl Rolls, they are divine! If you like raspberries you will love these! Fresh out of the oven they melt in your mouth! They are light and delicate, which is one thing I dislike about cinnamon rolls, they are so dense and you basically feel weighed down after you eat one. These unite cinnamon roll lovers and haters. The combination of the raspberry roll with the cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites! It is reminiscent of the flavors of raspberry cheesecake. Before you begin making these have in mind friends you'd like to share with or you will want to eat every last one by yourself!

Raspberry Swirl Rolls

Yields 24 Rolls

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp yeast

1/4 cup warm water, 110 - 115 degrees

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup cream

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Raspberry Swirl:

1 1/2 cups raspberry jam, seedless if preferred

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and warm water. Stir until yeast has dissolved and let rest 5 minutes until bubbly. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat combine milk, cream and unsalted butter. Scaled the mixture (let it nearly reach boiling). Remove mixture from heat and stir in sour cream. Let milk mixture cool to 110 - 115 degrees and add to proofed yeast mixture. Stir in egg, vanilla, salt and 3/4 cup sugar. Slowly add flour, and knead mixture with kneading attachment, until smooth and elastic (the mixture will seem runny like it needs more flour, but don't add more than the 5 cups called for). Cover mixture and let rise until double, about 1 hour. Now sprinkle 1 tsp baking powder over dough and slowly knead with kneading attachment once more about 1 minute. Divide the dough into two equal portions (I found it was much easier to work with this way). On a generously floured surface roll each piece of dough into a 12"x16" rectangle. Now brush each piece with about 1 Tbsp of the melted butter. In a small bowl combine the 1/3 cup sugar and raspberry jam. Brush raspberry jam mixture over each piece of dough coming within 1" of the edge on all sides. With floured hands, starting on the 16" side, carefully begin tightly rolling up dough. Once each piece of dough is rolled, cut each dough log into 12, 1 1/4" slices. Place rolls onto 2 greased jellyroll pans. Let rise until doubled about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for 17 - 19 minutes until lightly golden. Frost while warm, recipe follows.

Cream Cheese Icing:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp whole milk

In a large mixing bowl whip together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla, powdered sugar and milk and blend until well combined. Pipe or spread icing over raspberry swirl rolls.

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