Re-post – Grilled Chicken Under a Brick..or a patio tile…. the best!

Since is grilling time, and I’m a bit limited with art supplies right now, I thought I would re-post one of my favorite summer grilled chicken recipes.  Try and enjoy!

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Close your eyes and wish for the most delicious chicken you’ve ever had.   Look at that.. it came true, cuz that’s what I’m gonna give you.

I wish that you could have been sitting with us to enjoy this delishuuuuus chicken I grilled.. a whole chicken.. that’s right.  Some of you may have heard about the “chicken under a brick” recipe.  I’ve made it before on my stove top, then in the oven…..but this time I decided to try my grill.  It did not dissapoint. The most moist and tender chicken I’ve ever had.  No kidding!

Start with a whole chicken.  Mine was about 3.5 lbs.  Set the chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at the tail end, cut down 1 side of the backbone, staying as close to the bone as you can. Cut along the other side of the backbone, removing it. (Save the bone for making soup or stock.)  Now, open the chicken and take the heels of your hands and try to flatten and spread it out.

I seasoned it with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and gave it a little massage, all over….  and really, you can use what ever spices you want for your taste.  It’s your world.

In the meantime, while I was attacking my chicken, I had the grill heating up on LOW.. this is key.  I let the grates get really hot.

Here we go…. before you put the chicken on the grill, find yourself a big brick, or two, if you have a bigger chicken.  I was fortunate to have a large patio tile that my husband found for me.  Now, wrap this brick with aluminum foil and give it a coating of oil or I used Pam.  Take the chicken and lay it out in the center of the grill, put the brick on top so it flattens while cooking and close the cover.   Again.. a low temp is key here.  Otherwise, you will get a charred chicken and it will not be cooked through.  Each side took about 1/2 hr to cook and I would turn it the last 1/2 hr.

Tips:
- At the point where I really wanted the chicken to takes its time cooking and not be overwhelmed with the strong heat and not get burned, I put my grill brush at the edge of the grates so when I close  the cover, it would not close completely.
- Before it’s done grilling, you can baste it with your favorite bbq sauce or marinade.
- When know one is looking, you can eat the skin and wings.  (I know, I know; don’t tell my husband)
- Here are a bunch of images from Google that you can reference.

C’mon people.. you can’t tell me that this doesn’t look oh so good.  You can’t and I won’t listen (finger in ears… la la la).

Will you try it?  Is your mouth watering?

As always, THANK YOU for stopping by.  Leave some love.

Judy ♥

Healthy and Delicious Vegetable Chicken Chili

Well, here we are again faced with another snow storm, but a little one, this weekend.  Time to hunker down, cook and share a recipe with you.

For those that follow me, you know I try to make my recipes fast and simple.  With my full-time job, who’s got time for long drawn out preparations? I don’t.  Here’s one you’ll hopefully love.

Today, I decided to make a chili with chunky vegetables and ground chicken.  If you are a vegetarian, you can completely leave out the chicken. It’s just as great without it.

Let’s go….

Ingredients:

1 pkg ground chicken
1 zucchini
1 summer squash
1/2 of a large onion or 1 small
1 red pepper
about 6 white mushroom caps.
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, plus 1/2 of another
2 cans of beans.  I used one kidney and one black.  Use what you want.  Rinsed and strained.
2 TBLSPN olive oil for pan

Cut all the veggies the same size; about a 1/2 inch thick.  You want this chili to be chunky and full of love.

 

In a large sauce pan, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add ground chicken.  Medium high heat; Cook until no longer pink.

 

Add all the veggies in the pan and stir and mix it all together.  Cook this on medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes or until the onion and veggies have all softened.  Can you see the difference in the pictures, above?  CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW.

   

Add your can and a half of the tomatoes, stir, then add the beans which have been rinsed in cold water through a strainer.  Incorporate all the beans into the sauce.  I started with one can of beans, but then decided to add another. Why not, right?

Now, for seasonings:  Salt, pepper, granulated garlic, chili powder and ground cumin.  ALL TO YOUR TASTE.  Add more or less of what you like.  I end up with about a tablespoon or more of the chili powder and the garlic. Then add in the cumin as you like.  If you want some heat, then add a little cayenne pepper.. start small. Keep testing the taste to see what it may be missing.  It’s always better to under season, you can always add it.. but don’t over season, you can’t take it out.

Now, if you can wait, let this simmer gently about 30 minutes.. if you can’t wait… GO FOR IT.. It’s your world.

Serve this hot with some grated sharp cheddar cheese and some tortilla chips.  I used blue ones .   Just scooping the chili onto some chips with a little melted chese just makes your mouth so happy.  The corn, crunch, cheese and chili together.. oh my.   I have issues.. I watch too much FoodTV Network. Guy Fieri would be proud.

Notes: Now, this chili is practically fat free.. the only fat in there is from the olive oil.  I also used Sargento Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese, but only because that was my choice. I draw the line on completely fat free products, however.. no taste in my opinion.  This recipe will serve about 6 people.  Save the leftovers for another day or mix in some cooked pasta for another meal.  Freeze the rest, if you want.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe.  Stay warm if you are experiencing the cold like us.  This will do the trick.  ENJOY!

Thanks for stopping by. I love hearing from you. Let me know if you tried this recipe and how it came out.

Judy ♥

Stuffed Grape Leaves… Sito’s Way

Today, I’m excited to share with you a childhood recipe that is loved by the whole family to this day.  Stuffed Grapes Leaves.

First, let me say this recipe has never left our family.. eva.  My mom, Sito (grandmother in Syrian), has made this for us since we were little wee ones.  I think I had a few too many myself, but these are truly my favorite Syrian food.  With four daughters and one son, at least two of the daughters have made them.  It’s such a great recipe to carry down the family tree.

There are a coulple of ways (that I know of) the leaves can be stuffed.  Some cultures use lamb, some beef.   We use beef.  Mind you, this recipe has never be written down by mom, it’s all from memory.  My oldest sister, Joan, was able to capture many of Sito’s recipes for us and gave us our own Syrian recipe book.  Love her for that.  Oh, and my mom is still alive and makes these for family gatherings. She’s 86.  Yubbo!

Ok, ok.. I’ll stop chatting and get to it.  Here’s what you need:

1 -lb hamburg
1- cup long grain rice (uncooked)
1- 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice (or more for tartness)
3 1/2 cups of water
5-6 whole garlic cloves – OR whatever you like.. some people like more garlic than others
and of course… grape leaves.

Now, let’s talk about the leaves for a minute.   You can certainly buy a jar of prepared leaves at the grocery store. .. but we have never done that.  After all, grapes leaves are all over the place to pick from the side of road or maybe a neighbor’s back yard (thanks, Diane; check out her delicious blog and fun adventures).  The best time to pick them is in June, here in Massachusetts.

So, let’s say you want to be an ethnic diva and prepare your own leaves.  Great.  I’m proud of you.

Pick, say, 50 leaves; that’s a good number, I think. Bring them home and lay them out on a counter or table.  Snip off the stem and begin to put them in piles from largest to smallest.  Put about 10 leaves in one pile.. you’ll have 5 piles of leaves.  Make sure there are no icky bugs, spiders or dirt on them.  You want nice healthy looking leaves.   Now, go grab some string, yes, I said string.  You know the kind you sew with.  Roll up each pile of leaves into a jelly role like shape and wrap the string around them. You are winding the string around the roll about 8-10 times.. just get them secure enough that they don’t unravel.   Fill a pot with water and bring to boil.  Once boiling, put the rolled leaves in the pan and boil for about 1 minute.  You’ll see the leaves go from bright green to a darker shade.  Make sure you roll them around so it’s fully boiled.  Take out and drain and cool.

At this point, you can begin the stuffing, but you can also freeze these in freezer bags as they are (all rolled, boiled and cooled).  Then when you want to use them for a meal, just defrost ahead of time (I’ve had leaves in my freezer for over a year).  But, for this purpose, once they are cooled, unravel or snip the string and lay them flat, ready to be stuffed.

Let’s put the meat stuffing together.

Mix the hamburg, raw rice, tomato paste, allspice, salt, pepper all together in a bowl.  Mmmm the smell of the allspice and tomato paste… oh my.  Get in there with your hands and mix.  Ahh, now that feels good or as my girls would say.. “ew”.   Now, I know this may sound gross, but take a little of the stuffing and just taste it.. you don’t eat it, but take a little and put it on your tongue.  You don’t want it to be bland. If you like the balance, you’re golden.

Next….get your station prepared… on the table.. stuffing on one side leaves on the other.  Take one leave at a time, lay it vein side up and put a log shape of meat in the bottom center of the leave; stem side towards you.

 

Watch how it’s rolled… sides in first, the roll up from the bottom.

 

Ok..there’s ONE.  Now do the rest.  Make sure they are rolled nice and tight. You don’t want them unraveling when they are being cooked.  Great job… they are ready to cook.  I’m excited!

 

Get a pan.  Now, you want to protect the bottom layer of grape leaves as they cook.  We use broken dishes.  No, you don’t have to break your dishes.  You can use a good dish if it fits in the bottom of the pan OR line it with aluminum foil.  Again, the idea is to not burn the bottom layer.  One at a time, start to layer the rolled leaves evenly.

 

Once you layer all the leaves in the pan, you must prepare the liquid it will simmer in.

Take 3 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of lemon juice and mix together in measuring cup.  Some people like more tartness, if you are one of those, then use more lemon.  Taste it and see if you like the balance.
Cut your peeled garlic cloves in half.  Pour the water/lemon mixture gently over the leaves, until they almost cover the top layer.. you don’t want the top layer submerged.  If you don’t need all the water and it’s at the right level, then STOP pouring.  If you need more water, then make a little more of the liquid.

 

Take the garlic and spread all over the top of the leaves.  I used granulated garlic that I mixed in with the water/lemon.  But, just picture a lot of garlic on top.

To finalize this lovely presentation, you need to set something on top.. Yes, more broken dishes or even a small plate.  The idea here is to put a bit of pressure on top so the leaves aren’t moving around from the simmering.  Sito uses her pressure cooker that she has down to a science.  That woman!

Cover the pan with a lid and let come to a simmer..you can get it to start boiling, then bring it down to low. You want to hear a simmer.. little bubbling sound, but NOT BOILING… nooooooooooo.

Let this simmer for about a hour.  I say “about”, because stoves vary. Some use gas, some have electric.  Mine took about 50 minutes and I had about 70 leaves.  Check them after 45 minutes.. test one. If the rice is soft and cooked, they’re done.   The liquid will evaporate; no need to pour any excess out.. there will very little.  GENTLY take each one out of the pan and present for eating.

 

More ideas:  This meat stuffing can be used to stuff cabbage rolls, tomatoes, summer squash or even red peppers.  Green ones too, but I’m not a fan of the green ones.  You use the exact same set up with the pan and the water/lemon/garlic.

Pair these up with a nice big salad, fresh bread and what a meal.

Please let me know if you have any questions on this delicious dish and if you make them, send me a comment; I would love to hear from you.

I’m exhausted and hungry now from writing this.

Thanks for stopping by!

Judy ♥

Israeli Couscous Salad

Ah, summertime.  Can you believe that July is over?  Where, tell me where did it go?

I was inspired by my sister, Linda and her daughter, Tara, with this couscous recipe.  Thanks, lovely ladies.

Of course, you know me.. I don’t stick to any recipe perfectly.  So, I decided to give the salad a try and I’m so glad I did.  It’s perfect for anytime.  With a meal or alone.

Here how I put it together….

Ingredients:

1 Box of Israeli (pearl) couscous – cooked and cooled down – (I get mine at Trader Joes).. But you can use Orzo or any smaller pasta.
1/2 of a large red pepper, chopped
3 scallions chopped
1/2 Cup fresh curly parsley, chopped
1/2 Cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 Cup of tomatoes, chopped.. I take out the juice and seeds
1/2 Cup or less of dried cranberries
Feta Cheese or even chopped fresh mozzarella would be delightful.

I wanted to chop up some Kalamata olives, but I didn’t have any, but that’s what I would do next time.

Now, everyone..you can put whatever you want in this salad.. less or more.. it’s your world.

 

In a large bowl, add all the ingredients.. look how purdy above.

For the dressing:  make it to your taste.. more lemon, less.. more olive oil, less??

3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated garlic (not powder) or use fresh, but chop it really fine.
1/2 teaspoon sugar (or not)

Whisk this up.. taste it before you pour it on.. and adjust it to your liking.  You can also add balsamic vinegar to this.

Add crumbled Feta cheese on top… OR…

I added some left over bbq chicken, cut up.

This was a great fresh lunch. Easy peasy.  Imagine what you could put in this. Don’t get me started.. Ok, well, just a little… chopped fresh zucchini, summer squash, cooked corn kernels cut off the cobb.  I’ll stop now.

Try it, let me know and most of all… ENJOY!

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy ♥ (green for salad)

Grilled Chicken Under a Brick..or a patio tile…. the best!

Let me start you off with a beautiful picture of a recent backyard rainbow I captured.

Ahhhh. doesn’t that feel good now?  Don’t you just want to make a wish?

Well, close your eyes and wish for the most delicious chicken you’ve ever had.   Look at that.. it came true, cuz that’s what I’m gonna give you.

I wish that you could have been sitting with us to enjoy this delishuuuuus chicken I grilled.. a whole chicken.. that’s right.  Some of you may have heard about the “chicken under a brick” recipe.  I’ve made it before on my stove top, then in the oven…..but this time I decided to try my grill.  It did not dissapoint. The most moist and tender chicken I’ve ever had.  No kidding!

Start with a whole chicken.  Mine was about 3.5 lbs.  Set the chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at the tail end, cut down 1 side of the backbone, staying as close to the bone as you can. Cut along the other side of the backbone, removing it. (Save the bone for making soup or stock.)  Now, open the chicken and take the heels of your hands and try to flatten and spread it out.

I seasoned it with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and gave it a little massage, all over….  and really, you can use what ever spices you want for your taste.  It’s your world.

In the meantime, while I was attacking my chicken, I had the grill heating up on LOW.. this is key.  I let the grates get really hot.

Here we go…. before you put the chicken on the grill, find yourself a big brick, or two, if you have a bigger chicken.  I was fortunate to have a large patio tile that my husband found for me.  Now, wrap this brick with aluminum foil and give it a coating of oil or I used Pam.  Take the chicken and lay it out in the center of the grill, put the brick on top so it flattens while cooking and close the cover.   Again.. a low temp is key here.  Otherwise, you will get a charred chicken and it will not be cooked through.  Each side took about 1/2 hr to cook and I would turn it the last 1/2 hr.

Tips:
- At the point where I really wanted the chicken to takes its time cooking and not be overwhelmed with the strong heat and not get burned, I put my grill brush at the edge of the grates so when I close  the cover, it would not close completely.
- Before it’s done grilling, you can baste it with your favorite bbq sauce or marinade.
- When know one is looking, you can eat the skin and wings.  (I know, I know; don’t tell my husband)
- Here are a bunch of images from Google that you can reference.

C’mon people.. you can’t tell me that this doesn’t look oh so good.  You can’t and I won’t listen (finger in ears… la la la).

Will you try it?  Is your mouth watering?

My oldest daughter is home for a week from college (summer grad school), so I am embracing every moment of having the family together for a week.  Maybe I’ll give this chicken a try again.

… and guess what.. I’m working on a new canvas.. here’s a sneak peek, but it’s turning out completely different than you think it would from these pictures.  Stay tuned.

As always, THANK YOU for stopping by.  Leave some love.

Judy ♥

One Pan Pasta and Meat Sauce

Well, this month and next are just crazy with my youngest daughter graduating from high school and heading to college… THEN my oldest moving into a house with other college students for the next year.  So, between proms, award ceremonies, senior dinners, graduations and parties, that puts my art time at the lowest of priority, don’t you think?  Then add a full-time job to that.  All I can say is I better keep my day job to pay for all the hubbub and tuition.  So, I won’t complain about working full-time anymore… well, I can’t promise that.

Ok, am I whining?  I don’t mean to.. but honestly, once the end of the high school years get a little closer, I can’t wait for it all to be over. I know, I know.. enjoy the time when they are still young and blah blah blah.. well, I’ve enjoyed it since pre-school, folks and it’s time to move on.  There, I said it and I feel better now.

As for “empty nesting”.. well, that’s another story.  I’ll deal with that in September.  God knows, I better like my husband enough to spend all this alone time with him.  Honey, you need to get a hobby… soon.  Cuz, when I’m finally up in my studio enjoying some “bubble” time, don’t come a knockin when my art is a rockin.  Oooo …that felt good too.

So, I don’t have any mixed media art to share right now.. but I do have some culinary art…

What makes me feel better and comforted?   Pasta.  C’mon you feel the same don’t you?

Well, here is a ONE PAN meal that I make that the family loves.  Having the pasta cook in the meat sauce gives is a creamy texture and taste. .. and ONE PAN, people.. one pan.. gotta love it.

JUDY’S ONE PAN PASTA AND MEAT SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 small sweet onion chopped small
1 small red pepper chopped small
1 package of ground chicken
1 box of pasta (rigatoni, shells, elbows, penne, etc)
1 can of Pastene Kitchen Ready  tomatoes (my fav is Pastene)
water – to make up for liquid to boil pasta
granulated garlic or fresh
salt and pepper to taste
basil, oregano, sugar (to taste, optional)

First, this is what I use to chop my vegetables.  I love this.. I can’t tell you how much this has saved me. It’s by Tupperware.  So fast and simple.

Swirl olive oil in large sauce pan.  Saute the onion and pepper until carmelized and soft.
Add chicken.  Stir fry it up until chicken is no longer pink.  Add your first layer of salt, pepper and garlic.

Add the can of tomatoes and the second layer of salt, pepper and garlic, plus the oregano and basil (and sugar, if desired).  Let come to simmer.

 

Add the box of pasta and stir until the pasta is coated.  Then add water (start with a cup) to the empty can of tomatoes to get the rest of the left over juices and add that to the pan to cover the pasta so it will simmer in the liquid.

 

Cover and let this simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.  Keep it on low or the bottom will not burn.  You are not boiling this like normal pasta.   If you burn it by chance, DO NOT scrape up the bottom.. Just transfer everything into another pan WITHOUT the bottom layer that’s stuck.

The sauce will be absorbed into the pasta to give it an infused, creamy taste.  Add parmesan cheese in it and on the top if you wish.  Some nice Italian bread (make it garlic bread..mmmmm) and a salad would be a great addition and you’re done.

.. and did I say ONE PAN already?  No separate pan to boil the pasta in and no strainer.

Enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy ♥

Roasted Vegetables & Chicken Burgers

Time for a recipe.. after all, it is ART of the CULINARY kind.

Now, if you know me, I kind of make up my own recipes.  I did one similar to this  in the past.. see that HERE… and on the grill HERE.  I got the no measuring from my mom.  She makes all her middle eastern food with no measuring.. ever.  Course, after all these years her recipes are in her files in her brain.  Perhaps some of Sito’s  (grandmother in Syrian) recipes will find a place on my blog.

This just my take on making a delicious, healthy, pile on the veggies, dish.

I chopped the following vegetables in to about 2″ size pieces:  head of cauliflower, 1 large purple onion, carrots, colored peppers and fresh beets.  You can see from the picture below.. this is a lot of veggies.

Toss them in a bowl with some extra virgin olive oil, about 1/8 of a cup or until they are lightly coated, add salt, pepper, any spices you wish.

Line large casserole with aluminum foil.  Foil is your friend.. repeat after me.. “foil is your friend”.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes.. depending on how you like them.  Toss them around gently with tongs 1/2 way through.  Sometimes if I’m in a hurry (who me? never), I jack up the heat to 500 degrees.

Look how cute these little peppers are that I found at the market… they are only about 3″ tall.

Here are the veggies after cooking… see.. just the little charring on top.. onions carmelized. Oh my!

I pared it with some sweet potato oven fries.  Next time I will lay them on a rack to cook so they won’t be soft.

I also made my famous, well famous in my house, chicken burgers (mix of ground chicken and chicken sausage).  You will never miss a beef burger again once you bite into these babies.  Again.. I don’t measure much or follow any recipe.. this is just my own creation.

Judy’s Chicken Burgers:

1/2 large sweet onion – chopped fine
1/2 large sweet red pepper – chopped fine
1 package of ground chicken
1 package of mild italian chicken sausages – take out of casings
1 Cup’ish of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 Cup’ish of grated parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, granulated garlic.. all to taste.

First, in small frying pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the chopped onion and peppers.. fry this up until they are carmelized.. about 15 minutes.  Put aside to cool down.  Once cool or just warm, add to the raw meat mixture.  Side note:  This is how I make my meatballs too.  The carmelized onion and peppers make the meat so creamy, sweet and delicious.  You could skip the pepper and use just onion.. but use a whole one.  Remember, this is your world.. so do what you like.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl (don’t over mix; will make them tough) and make burger patties.  To make it easy to form..rub your hand with a little oil so the meat won’t stick.  In addition to burger shapes.. I make sausage shaped burgers.  Those are great to put in sub rolls or hot dog rolls. Pile them high with the roasted veggies.  See where I’m going with that?  Again..your world.

Time to grill those babies … add the cheese the last minute and that’s it.

Here’s the finished healthy plate… (well, real muenster cheese, but you gotta have some real cheese, right? None of that artificial stuff… No fat = No taste.  I don’t mind lower-fat, however.  Use whole wheat buns also.  I didn’t but I usually do.

If you give these a try, let me know how they come out or if you have any questions.

Thanks for stopping by, as always.

Judy ♥

And the Beet goes on……..

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a local cafe for dinner.  On the menu was a Winter Harvest Salad.  The description of the salad was roasted winter vegetables (turnip, beets, potatoes and others I can’t recall) over greens with walnuts and feta cheese served with a balsamic dressing.  Wait.. roasted beets, turnips?  I’ve never had that… so I was SOLD.

I won’t go into how long it took to get our food or how not all the veggies described were on my salad…., but I will say it was so good and a great idea.. simple and delicious.  So much so that I decided to make it myself at home, but change it up a bit.

I didn’t take pictures of all the steps, but I have a couple to share below.

I cut up the following veggies in about 1 inch pieces:  red and sweet potatoes, sweet onion, red pepper, fresh beets, mushrooms, carrots, summer squash and zucchini…… all in a big bowl, cuz there were lots of veggies that I planned on saving for a few meals.   Toss with a little salt, pepper and olive oil so that they are coated.  Note: I couldn’t find turnips on my shopping trip.

In a large roasting pan they go…

and I always lay release aluminium foil (your best friend) on the bottom of my pans when I cook messy stuff in the oven.   Ok.. so..oven is preheated to 425 degrees.  Let them roast for about an hour but give them a stir about 3 or 4 times during the hour.  I wanted mine to be really done and golden, almost carmelized.  If you like them al dente, then adjust your timing.

In the meantime, I had a large fennel bulb to do something with.  I had never experienced fresh fennel before.  I see all the chefs cooking with it in fresh salads or sauteing it (I am a FoodTV Network, freak by the way). I tried a raw piece of the fennel and I did not like it at all.  So, I decided to slice it up and saute it with a little olive oil and garlic.  Much better taste.  I basically carmelized it to make it sweet.

Once everything was cooked, I created my salad….

Greens and baby spinach in a bowl topped with the roasted veggies, sliced almonds, and farmer’s cheese.  I didn’t have walnuts or feta, but these worked great as substitutes… fresh mozzarella would be great too.  I topped it off with Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette dressing; just a little to not drown the taste of the veggies.

I am in love with this salad… and roasted beets? …. oh man.. hello?    I never would have thought to use them.   And.. my opinion?… it was better than the cafe’s salad.   I can’t wait til summer to make this using fresh produce from the local  farmer’s market.

You can take these veggies and use them in many ways..

Remember my grilled veggie post?  Well, same idea…. and my grilled pizza post… they can easily go on the pizzas.  Or even if you have a take out pizza, top it with these veggies and put under the broiler for a minute.  Make a sandwich wrap or a panini.   Put them on top of pasta or in an omelette… but whatever you choose to do with them.. enjoy this luscious taste and how healthy they really are… it’s a win win people.

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy ♥

Ready for Spring and Chili

This winter has certainly brought come challenges to New England.  Our latest is the ice dams on so many houses in the area.  Let me show you the latest shots from our recent storm which is just yet another layer of snow, forming ice on the roof which can equal troubling leaks in homes… and we did have some leaking.  As a matter of fact, two of my art studio windows has some small drippage going on.  So, I have to move my supplies out of the way and now I’m not able to play in my studio until the rug dries.

Here’s my little Dixie below waiting to get out of the damn cold and probably wondering why I’m taking pictures outside in my jammies.. God, hope the neighbors weren’t peeking.  Ah, give them something to talk about.

… and here are the trouble makers.. they are beautiful, but they shouldn’t be there… and these are the smaller ones.

I have to say.. being forced to move my art supply drawers and whatever was in the way, made me realize how much crap I have in that small room of mine.  So, time to purge things I thought I needed.. Back to basics.  I’m even going to throw away some of my art.. start a new.. NO MORE SUPPLIES to buy.  If I can’t create with what I have, then there is a problem.  No more printing out AC Moore, Michael’s or JoAnn coupons that I think I’ll use just in case I go shopping.  I print them and never go…..Why do I do that?  I’m wasting ink and paper.  I want to be able to say that I used something all up and I need to get more and only then, will I get it because I NEED it, not because I want it.  I want to dwindle down my supplies.  Ok Ok.. just one thing.. I have a $20 coupon to a great store..I need a heat gun.. but after that, I’m dwindling…. Stop laughing!

Well, at least someone enjoyed the storm or ignored it is more like it…

Be honest, have you had enough about the New England weather and my birds?  C’mon, you can tell me.  Ok.. no more weather.. promise.  But,  you have to love the birdies a little…

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Well, today is Superbowl Sunday.  Even though our Patriots are not playing, it’s always fun to watch with no stress.  I decided to make a batch of low fat-chili to let simmer for a few hours before the game.

Let me share the recipe, but keep in mind, I am not a exact recipe follower and this is just from my memory of making it for years.   You cooks know what I’m talkin about.

Judy’s Low-Fat Chili:

I used almost 2 lbs, split equally of ground chicken and ground turkey.  This will be chunky.  Isn’t that was chili is all about?

1/2 of a large sweet onion

Crushed garlic, as much at you want.. I used about 3 cloves.

2 cans of red kidney beans, thoroughly rinsed in a strainer.

1 28 oz. can of Pastene Crushed Kitchen Ready Tomatoes… my favorite, by far.
(you can put in a 1/2 can more of the tomatoes or a can of tomato paste, then add a cup of water).

Spices:  salt, pepper, ground cumin, chili powder and a dash of ground red pepper.
Now, these spices are all according to your taste.  But the cumin and chili powder is the magic.  See what I mean about just going with it?  But if you need a measurement…  start with a 1 tsp of cumin and about 2 Tblspns of Chili Powder.  Always better to add less than to put too much in and you can’t take it out.

Saute the sweet onion until just starting to turn golden brown.  Add garlic and saute just a minute; you don’t want it to burn.  Add the chicken/turkey.. Break apart with a wooded spoon and cook until no longer pink.  Add the beans, tomatoes and spices.

Let simmer for a few ours on low and enjoy.. stirring occasionally.    Add some low-fat shredded cheddar cheese on top and pair this with a garlic toasted lite english muffin.  I had them around.  Spread Olivio or something you like on 1/2 the muffin, sprinkle garlic powder, put under the broiler to toast.  When they start to turn golden, put some of the shredded cheese on the muffin to melt.

If you want to make a vegetarian chili, you can substitute the meat for a bag of frozen mixed veggies such as broccoli, carrots, cauliflower.  Thaw the veggies in the microwave, then saute them in the pot before you add the beans and meat.  This is a quick way without all the chopping of the veggies.

My favorite veggie chili is made with fresh produce such as summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, whatever you love.  You can roast them in the oven tossed with olive oil first then add them to your pot or you can saute them all in the pot before you add the beans, tomatoes and spices.   You’ll never miss the meat.

Have a great Sunday.

Thanks for stopping by.

Judy