Chili Pie

I love comfort food. Food that is warm and filling.

I pulled this
Chili Pie
recipe out of a Real Simple magazine a few years ago.

It's quick, simple and so yummy on cold evenings.

1 pound italian sausage (sweet or hot), casings removed
2 t chili powder
1- 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 c jarred salsa
1- 8.5 oz box corn bread mix
1 large egg
1/3 c milk
1 c shredded cheddar

Heat oven to 400 F.

In large skillet over medium heat cook that sausage, crumbling it, until no trace of pink remains, about 7 minutes. Add the chili powder and cook for another minute. Discard any fat. Add the beans, tomatoes and salsa; simmer for 3 minutes.

In a bowl combine the corn bread mix, egg and milk; then stir in the cheddar.

Transfer chili mixture to a 2 quart baking dish. Spreadth corn bread batter over the top. Bake until golden: 15-20 minutes. Let set 5 minutes before serving.

Black Bean Cakes with Mexican Rice and Slaw

Black Bean Cakes with Mexican Rice and Slaw

This is one of my favorite recipes. I use a spicy blue corn chip to add a little extra flavor.

FOR THE SLAW
Puree; toss with:
1/3 c sour cream
1/4 c scallions; thinly sliced
10 sprigs fresh cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, seeded, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 c shredded cabbage
salt to taste

Puree the first 5 ingredients in a food processor, toss with cabbage, season with salt. Cover and refrigerate.

FOR THE RICE
Saute in 1 T olive oil; stir in:
1/3 c each onion, celery and carrot; diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 T tomato paste
1/2 t each kosher salt, ground cumin and paprika
1/4 t cayenne
1 bay leaf
1/2 c converted white rice
1 c chicken broth or water

Saute vegetables, garlic, tomato paste, spices and bay leaf for the rice in 1T oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the rice & broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered; fluff with fork and remove bay leaf before serving.

FOR THE CAKES
Mash together; add:
1 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed & divided
1 egg white
1/4 c corn tortilla chips, ground (Red Hot & Blue spicy chips are really good for this)
1/4 c red ball pepper, diced
2 T onion, grated
1/2 t each kosher salt, ground coriander and chili powder

Mash 1/2 c beans and egg white together in a bowl. Add remaining beans, chips, pepper, onion & seasonings. Refrigerate for 10 minutes (I prefer an hour) then form into two 3" round cakes.

Fry in, garnish with:
2 T olive oil
Lime wedges
Cilantro sprigs

Fry cakes in 2T oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat until heated through; approx. 4 minutes each side.

Serve with rice and slaw. Garnish with lime and cilantro.

Black Bottom Coconut Bars

If you like brownies and coconut macaroons (a couple of my favorite things!) I have the perfect recipe for you!

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

This recipe came from Everyday Food.

Chocolate Base
1/2 c unsalted butter
1/2 c sugar
1/4 t salt
1 large egg
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

Preheat oven to 375. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil; not overhang.

Place butter in a large microwave safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake just until sides begin to pull away from pan, 10-15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.

Coconut Topping
2 large eggs
3/4 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 (7 oz) pkg sweetened shredded coconut; 1/2 c reserved for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 c reserved).

Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with 1/2 c reserved coconut.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil and cut into 24 bars. Store in airtight container 3-4 days.

Oreo Fudge and Ice Cream Cake

Today I offer you the Oreo Fudge and Ice Cream Cake.

My sister-in-law made this a couple of months ago and I didn't think to take a picture of it. Why would I? I didn't make it. And since I want you to be able to make everyone think you are a dessert genius and the weekend falls after tomorrow I am just going to share the photo from Kraftfoods.com, the designers of this tasty dessert.

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 4 hr 10 min
Makes: 12 servings

1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)
12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped



POUR fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in chopped cookies; set aside.
ARRANGE 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half of the whipped topping mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with remaining whipped topping. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.
FREEZE at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

**Note: if the fudge topping you use is too thick to spread easily stir in up to 1/4 cup milk.
** Go crazy and try Neopolitan Ice Cream Sandwiches!
** Or experiment with mint Oreo cookies! MMMM!

Check out the cooking school video to see it being made.

Now, tell everyone you are bringing the dessert and accept all the compliments.

Pumpkin French Toast

I'm not sure why, but breakfast food in the evening always seems so decadent. As child I can remember that dinner just seemed more "fun" when it was pancakes than when it was hamburgers.

And that feeling carries over into adulthood. I just love breakfast food at night. So last week I decided to treat the family to

Pumpkin French Toast

I actually pulled this recipe from a Glad Press 'n' Seal ad in an issue of Everyday Food about 2 years ago. So yummy!

You will need:

1 loaf brioche-style bread (I used French bread from the bakery)
1/4 c sugar
1/4 t ground cinnamon
pinch coarse salt
1/2c canned pumpkin puree
1/2 c half & half (I used whole milk)
4 large eggs
2 T orange juice
1 t grated fresh ginger (OK, I used the powdered stuff)
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t grated orange zest (Yeah, like I have that!)

Directions:

• Trim ends of bread; cut crosswise into 12 - 1" slices
• Combine sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in pumpkin, half & half, eggs, OJ, ginger, vanilla & orange zest. Pour into a large pan (I used a 9x13 baking pan).
• Add bread slices to pan, turn to coat. Cover (with Glad Press 'n Seal- aha! The ad tie-in is revealed!) and refrigerate over night (about 8 hours)
• When you are ready to prepare, heat skillets, add butter. When butter is sizzling "toast" the bread about 2-3 minutes on each side. (The butter gives great flavor and the nice "golden" color. It is actually better than a spray for this recipe.)
• Serve with maple syrup.

YUMMY!!!