Pinto Bean Chili
Pinto bean chili is one of the simplest dishes that will feed a crowd. It will keep and keep! That just reminded me of cook on the movie Atlantis where he goes on about the beans and everyone thinks UGH because they are tired of them. He literally says “They will keep and keep!” We used to watch that movie all the time when my kids were younger. I need to obtain that movie on Blu ray. *Runs off to search and check food in oven*
I’m back! Does not look like they have it for Blu ray with a quick search. Might have to do a extended search to see what I can find and add Hotel Transylvania to the check out too! Anyway, back to the pinto bean chili! Does that cornbread just look delish!
Love how this comes together as just slow cooked beans and you can have them completely vegetarian or with bacon or ground beef. I am not a huge fan of ground beef so I always go to my favorite meat which is bacon. It adds a smokey flavor. It is also easy to add carrots, celery, or even stewed tomatoes. If you want to add vegetables then it is best to do them at the beginning when sauteing the onion, peppers, and garlic. If you want to add stewed tomatoes it is best to stir them in about 30 minutes before serving. My recipe is the basic recipe that allows you to add whatever you would like to it along with controlling the heat. If you want it hotter add more peppers and if you want it cooler then add less peppers. Mine is a tad spicy for the little ones but great for the teens and adults without setting mouths ablaze.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large pot, add minced onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers. Saute on medium heat for about three minutes. Add in cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper; stir well. Add rinsed beans and stir to mix the beans with vegetables. Add container of stock and bacon halves to pot. Fill the rest of the pot to the top with water. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once at a boil lower to a medium heat. Cook for about 5 hours until the beans are soft and liquid has thickened; stir often. Serve with cornbread or topped with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.
http://mooshujenne.com/pinto-bean-chili/Today, Food Network and a group of bloggers are featuring Chili (for #Superbowl) for this week’s Comfort Food Feast event. Please stop by and see what everyone made:
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Crock Pot Cincinnati Chicken Chili
The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Green Chile and Chicken Taco Bowls
The Cultural Dish: Crock-Pot Chili
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Healthy Chicken Chili With Barley
What’s Gaby Cooking: Smoky Chipotle Chicken Chili
Feed Me Phoebe: Chicken and White Bean Chili
Dishin & Dishes: Lean Mean Game-Day Chili
The Lemon Bowl: Beef Chili With Black Beans
Devour: 4 Twists on Chili for the Super Bowl
Thursday Night Dinner: 3 Most Favorite Chili Recipes
FN Dish: 7 Chili Recipes for the Big Game
Fried Chicken Jalapeno Bacon Fettuccine Alfredo
Fried chicken jalapeno bacon fettuccine alfredo recipe is below but first a little story. Yesterday we went to see the final edition to the Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part II. I was not so sure how well it would match the book prior to watching the movie. The movie literally hit the nail on the head in comparison to the book. There was plenty rumors that movie is not as good as it’s predecessors. To be honest, it was one of my two favorites, the other being New Moon. If your a vampire or wolf fan let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments. No spoilers! No whining about sparkling vampires either 
On to the food! Below the food is the giveaway for Devo’s Jalapeno Fettuccine!
Big thank you to Devo Olive Oil for sending out a package of jalapeno fettuccine. It was absolutely delicious! The fettuccine is a perfect pair with my bacon alfredo sauce. I still cannot wait to try the pumpkin fettuccine and chocolate fettuccine. These are perfect for customized culinary gift baskets.
The jalapeno fettuccine has just enough kick to add the right spice to this meal. There is no burn for me although I can eat pretty spicy food. It was more like a tickle and I think that is just perfect for a pasta dish. The pasta would pair well with Cajun dishes featuring shrimp, crab, or crawfish.
Ingredients
Instructions
In large frying pan, heat oil to medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
In a small bowl, add eggs and beat. In a medium bowl add breadcrumbs. Dip chicken filet in egg and then toss in breadcrumbs covering the entire filet. Set aside on dish. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken.
Fry chicken for 2 to 3 minutes each side until cooked. Set cooked chicken in a casserole dish in the oven when done frying to keep warm. While chicken is frying you may start the sauce.
In a sauce pan or deep saute pan, add in bacon and cook on medium heat until it is crisp but not fully cooked. Add in onions and garlic and cook until onions are caramelized. Melt butter over bacon, onions, and garlic. Add in heavy whipping cream and cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes until heavy whipping cream begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon; stirring frequently. Salt and pepper the sauce.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring water with one tablespoon olive oil to a boil. Salt the water.
The chicken should be finished frying and the pasta should be boiling. Go back to the sauce and add in Parmesan cheese little by little, stirring frequently, until all cheese is added. Turn sauce down to low.
Remove the noodles and drain. Plate noodles with one piece of fried chicken and top with alfredo sauce.
http://mooshujenne.com/fried-chicken-jalapeno-bacon-fettuccine-alfredo/Devo Olive Oil was please to offer one of my readers a chance to win and test out the jalapeno fettuccine I used in this recipe!
To enter the giveaway fill out the rafflecopter below.
*Disclosure: Devo Olive Oil is providing one package of jalapeno fettuccine. I was not reimbursed for writing this post and all opinions expressed are my own.
Tuscan Chicken
Everyone needs an easy weeknight dinner that you can pop into the oven and ignore while you work on everything else. Tuscan chicken is a simple oven dish. You may use fresh herbs to top it when cooking or if you get heartburn from them like I do, then no herbs is just fine too!
I prefer just fresh basil in mine. Some people like thyme, bay leaf, or rosemary. The taste of roasted tomatoes and the buttery flavor of the fingerling potatoes make a merry match.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large baking dish, place chicken and two cans of fire roasted tomatoes. Add salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Cover with foil and place in oven. Cook for about an hour and a half until chicken is done.
In a additional small baker, add washed potatoes and top with butter. Make sure to place some butter under potatoes to keep from sticking. Add salt and pepper and cover with foil. Place in oven next to chicken or on another rack. Cook until potatoes are done. Usually done the same time as the chicken.
http://mooshujenne.com/tuscan-chicken/Baked Potato Soup
I have two favorite soups. Minestrone and baked potato soup! Just love all the toppings you can add to baked potato soup 
One week till the last Twilight Saga film Breaking Dawn Part II. How many of you plan to go see it? I’m definitely NOT doing the midnight showing. Might be a Saturday morning flick. It’s the start of Thanksgiving vacation and I am just counting the days till that week gets here.
I thought this might help warm up those that are freezing on the East coast. I feel for you all.
Next week I have a Fall festival to attend and I plan to bring 48 cupcakes and 2- 3 dozen cookies. Any suggestions?
Ingredients
Instructions
Peel all potatoes and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes. Add them to a large pot and cover with water. Salt and pepper the water. Cook on medium/high heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer, and let cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. After potatoes are tender drain off water and reserve a small amount to add thickness to your soup.
Replace pot on stove and add 1 tablespoon of flour. Stir in flour and add two cups of chicken broth. On a low heat, mash potatoes, and add more chicken broth as the potatoes are being mashed. The soup should be a thick consistency. Add one large container of heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about ten to twenty minutes until soup thickens.
Once the soup has thickened it is ready to serve. Top with crumbled bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and spring onions. Side with garlic bread.
http://mooshujenne.com/baked-potato-soup/Eggplant Mozzarella
Most of you are probably wondering if this Eggplant Mozzarella is a take on the traditional Eggplant Parmesan. Yes, this is but my teens tend to not like the taste of Parmesan. Yes, I know they are definitely weird; I tell them this daily. Parmesan is one of my most favorite stinky cheeses; though most would call it nutty. It is not usual to use a different cheese as my great grandmother would use provolone between the layers of the fried goodness. She always cut her eggplant in rounds after peeling the skin. On the other hand I prefer to cut the eggplant length wise after peeling off the skin. Most think you must rub the eggplant down with salt and drain it. This is an extra process that is not needed if your frying the eggplant. I have found that salting the eggplant make it too tender and has a awful texture.
Eggplant mozzarella is a fantastic Meatless Monday dish. It is hearty and serves well for a man that prefers meat dishes. My other half is a meat and potatoes type of guy. He was born in Czech Republic and grew up with his parents in the states. While he loves pizza he still has a tendency to gear toward Czech style food which is fried or roasted with gravies and grease. I am not by far complaining as I LOVE this style of food. However, on occasion it is nice to have something somewhat healthy. What recipe do you make for Meatless Monday that can easily replace a meat dish? If you have any tricks up your sleeve I would love to know about them. As for the eggplant, you may top it with cheese and side it with garlic bread. I like to side it with fresh basil and garlic bread myself.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large bowl, crack eggs, and beat. Add breadcrumbs to another large bowl. Set aside.
Heat oil in pan on stove to medium heat.
Peel eggplant and then slice lengthwise to have elongated slices. Dip eggplant in eggs, coating both sides, and then toss in breadcrumbs to cover. Lay on a dish. Once all the eggplant is battered it is time to begin frying.
Lightly fry eggplant for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove to paper towels to drain off excess oil. Finish frying all eggplant.
In a large baking dish, layer in one layer of eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Top with sauce and about one cup of cheese. Add another layer of eggplant, top with sauce, and remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375F degrees until cheese is melted. Serve with fresh basil and garlic bread.
http://mooshujenne.com/eggplant-mozzarella/
Hearty Dinner: Chicken, Pepper & Potato Brown Rice Soup
This is an argument that my other half and I have constantly. He swears there is a difference n rice brands. I used to disagree; however, recently we’ve tried all sorts of difference brands and blends. His favorite is Uncle Ben’s. I was not sold until I tried the brown rice. It goes perfect with jalapeno’s and red onions. I prefer to serve it with fish or chicken.
Though last night was one of those what I have in my arsenal is what I’m cooking tonight. I had a bag of Uncle Ben’s whole grain brown rice and since I am horrible at cooking rice and usually make the other half do it, this stuff comes in handy. I like to add it to soups cause it make the soup more hearty and filling. Brown rice is a great protein which makes it perfect to add to soups with just vegetables or those with meat too. hearty dinners are just up my alley when the colder weather comes in and the teen boys think they need to bear up for the winter. Do you have any brown rice recipes?
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large pot, add in diced chicken, onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Add olive oil and fry till the chicken is cooked. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Add in potatoes. Add chicken broth and water till pot is three quarters full. Bring to a boil and lower to a slow simmer for about an hour until potatoes are soft.
After cooking for an hour, add in cooked brown rice per the package directions. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve with fresh French bread or garlic bread.
http://mooshujenne.com/hearty-dinner-chicken-pepper-potato-brown-rice-soup/
I make this soup with or without brown rice. I enjoy both!
Smoked Chorizo Bean Soup
Swear to the gods, cooking beans never turns out the same. Soak them 24 hours and put them in the pan and half of them are still hard hours into it. This is why every woman/man wants to crockpot cook their beans. I am just not a huge crockpot person. It takes the talent out of cooking or at least I kind of feel that way about it. My picture of smoked chorizo bean soup looks so red from the chorizo.
Today, I want to tell you how I cook beans and make sure that they do not turn out hard. The no fail method is soak them for 36 hours not 24 hours. Drain them a few times and replace the water. Give them plenty of room to grow in the water by putting them in a larger bowl with a lid. After soaking, cook them for four hours and then let cool. Store them over night and cook for four hours again the next day. This allows for the oils and flavor to settle and you will have some of the best beans you’ve ever tasted. Adding a tad of liquid smoke really kicks in the flavor of the beans along with the bacon adding additional smoke flavor.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large bowl, soak beans for 36 hour replacing the water two to three times.
In a large pot, add in onion, garlic, bacon, and jalapenos. Saute until onions are half way translucent. Add in chorizo and saute for about three minutes. Add in beans and broth; cover with water to 3/4 of the pot. Add liquid smoke and Worchester sauce along with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for four hours. Let cool and refrigerate over night. Cook again four hours on low before you plan to serve.
Serve with corn bread and top with cilantro or parsley.
http://mooshujenne.com/smoked-chorizo-bean-soup/Bucatini all’Amatriciana
After months of promising this recipe for bucatini all’amatriciana it is finally here. Guanciale (pork cheek) is not common in the US, which means you must replace it with the closest item, that item is pancetta. Pancetta in a block is also hard to locate but at least we have one Italian market and deli in town. Finding the pancetta was the simple part.
I would eventually go on a three month endeavor to find bucatini pasta. Bucatini is a No. 12 pasta that resembles spaghetti but has a elongated hole running complete through it. Luckily, World Market is renovating their stores and recently stocked it with bucatini. I purchased five packages I was so excited!
Bucatini all”Amatriciana is a dish that made it popular in Rome. It is named after the tiny town of Amatrice. It is said that the shepherds love this meal to warm up from the chilly mountain air.
I just love any excuse to have fresh basil in the house as the aroma is delightful! If anyone is interested, I can add the recipe of how to make your own peeled tomatoes to replace the canned tomatoes within this recipe. Canned can be bought but are sometimes hard to locate.
Ingredients
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water, one tablespoon olive oil, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook pasta until done while cooking the sauce.
In a pot or saute skillet, add onions, pancetta (guanciale), garlic, and two tablespoons olive oil and tad of salt; cook on medium heat for three to five minutes. Add in dried red chili pepper and saute for about a minute. Drain just the top juice of the cans, not all, as you want the sauce to be a bit thick rather than runny. Add peeled tomatoes and the white wine. Break up the tomatoes while cooking. Cook for about ten minutes reducing the tomato juice off. Salt and pepper to taste.
Drain pasta reserving some of the pasta water; add sauce to pasta. Toss and plate. Top with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese and garnish with basil.
http://mooshujenne.com/bucatini-allamatriciana/Coconut Lime Chicken Chow Mein
Tropical Traditions sent me out a large jar of coconut oil, so my daughter and I sat thinking of what recipes we could use it in. Of course I went right to curries with fresh mango. My daughter on the other hand loves chow mein noodles and she mentioned how it would be cool to incorporate the coconut into a dish with chow mein. After suggestions of pineapple and mango we moved on to citrus. She hands down said lime. Next, it was time to head to the store and get a new wok! We brought the new wok home and decided to experiment. The recipe turned out wonderful! I am excited to share the recipe for coconut lime chicken chow mein with you below along with a giveaway!
The chicken look a little dry in the pictures because I photographed it the next day due to lighting. I need to get some lights and a tripod!
Ingredients
Instructions
Bring medium pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, slice chicken breast lengthwise three times and then cut into 1/2 inch cubes by cutting across. In a wok, add coconut oil and chicken. Squeeze two limes over the chicken and drizzle a little soy sauce over the top; salt and pepper. Cook till chicken is done. Drain wok from the liquid and drizzle a little more soy over the chicken to brown a glaze to the chicken. Remove chicken to a bowl with lid to keep warm.
Boil noodles for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and stir fry in wok with soy sauce and olive oil (you may use coconut oil for more coconut flavor). Stir fry for a few minutes until noodles are sticky and coated. You will cook the noodles in increments not all at once. Remove noodles to bowl after stir frying in batches.
Toss chicken with noodles. You can add spring onions if you would like at this point. Squeeze one lime over chicken and noodles. Use remaining lime to serve on the side of the bowl.
http://mooshujenne.com/coconut-lime-chicken-chow-mein/a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
Grilled Southern Stuffed Peppers
Three day weekend and three more days until school is out for Summer. At this point it’s all about grilling food for quick dinners! Here is an uber easy quick dinner. Tip: Leave the peppers a little bit crisp for more flavor.
Do you have a Memorial weekend project? I do! I hope to achieve it this weekend, or well maybe even next Thursday, is painting my kitchen wall with chalkboard paint. The wall sits behind the kitchen table. It should be perfect for displaying the weekly menu and chores. It can even be a cool background display in birthday party pictures. No more banners, just chalk up the wall with a creative “Happy Birthday” and let all the guests sign the wall. Yes, I am currently still a 5 year old inside but who doesn’t love some chalk!
Now, if I could just find a creative way to store my cookbooks. Any ideas? If you have an idea please comment below and leave me links if you have pictures.
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken tenders until cooked.
Slice bell peppers in halves and remove seeds and ribbing. In a large bowl, add in chopped grilled chicken, refried beans, drained sweet corn, two tablespoons of taco seasoning and salt. Stir mixture and fill bell peppers with mixture.
Place bell peppers on the grill on a medium-low heat. Grill for about 8 minutes until semi-soft. Add pepper jack cheese to tops of the peppers and cook until cheese is melted. Remove from grill and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/grilled-southern-stuffed-peppers/
