Easy Turkey Chili with Kale

From Kitchn

Serves 4 to 6

Olive oil
1 1/3 pounds 93% lean ground turkey (ours comes in a 1.3-lb package, but a 1-lb package works, too)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels 
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 small bunch lacinato kale, tough stems removed and roughly chopped (or a couple of big handfuls of spinach or other greens)

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking apart into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.

If you want to pour off some of the remaining fat, you can (we don't). But leave enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat slightly and add the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. (If you use a green pepper, add it here with the onion.) While the onions and garlic are cooking, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, mixing with a fork.

Add the spice mixture and tomato paste to the onions and garlic. Cook for about a minute, stirring to combine the paste with the spices. Add the tomatoes and stir, picking up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Raise the heat to medium and add the meat, beans, corn, and chicken broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Add the kale and continue cooking, covered, for about 15 more minutes.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas

Serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6"-8" tortillas, flour or corn
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.

Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.

Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Additional Notes:

• You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6-8 hours on LOW), but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!

• To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.

• We haven't tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn't be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.

16 Foods That’ll Re-Grow from Kitchen Scraps

Should I try this

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/10/15/16-foods-thatll-re-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/

Warm Farro Salad with Chickpeas, Feta, and Spicy Dressing

I`m not a salad person, but i like farro, chickpea and feta, so I just might try this recipe from Orangette someday.

Farro should be soaked briefly before cooking. I give instructions below for cooking standard farro, and hey, feel free to scale up and cook an even bigger batch, if you’d like. From one cup of uncooked farro, I wind up with enough cooked farro for three or four servings of this salad.

For the farro:
1 cup farro
½ tsp. salt

For the dressing:
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2 to 3 Tbsp. (25 to 35 g) brown sugar
6 to 8 Tbsp. water, to taste
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 Thai chile, very thinly sliced

For the salad:
Chickpeas, either canned (drained and rinsed) or cooked from dried
Escarole, coarsely chopped or sliced
Radicchio, coarsely sliced
Carrots, sliced into rounds
Feta, coarsely crumbled

Put the farro in a medium (2 ½- to 3-quart) saucepan, add cold water to cover, and set it aside to soak for 30 minutes. Then drain the farro, put it back into the saucepan, and add 3 cups of cold water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until tender but still a little chewy, about 45 minutes. It’s up to you, really, how “done” you want your farro. At 30 minutes, mine is usually too tough, but a few minutes later, it’s just right: al dente, but not exhausting to chew. When it’s ready, drain it, and either use it while it’s warm or transfer it to a storage container for later use. (Covered and chilled, cooked farro will keep for a few days, easy.)

To make the dressing, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of the water, the garlic, and chile in a small bowl. Whisk well. Taste: if it’s too pungent, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. If you’d like a little more sweetness, add more brown sugar ½ tablespoon at a time. (Covered and chilled, the dressing will keep for three days to a week.)

To assemble a portion of salad, scoop out a couple of large spoonfuls of farro – maybe 1/3 to ½ cup – and put it in a wide bowl. If the farro is cold, you might want to microwave it for 45 seconds or so, to warm it. That’s what I do. Or you could put it in a small ovenproof dish, covered, and bake it for a few minutes to warm it. Or you can just leave it cold. Add a large spoonful of chickpeas, a good handful each of escarole and radicchio, and maybe half of a carrot, sliced. Top with a generous amount of feta, and then drizzle some dressing – maybe a tablespoon? Or to taste – over the whole thing. Toss, and eat

Farro with Sausage and Apples

We bought 10-minute Farro from Trader Joe`s and tried this recipe which the boys liked.

Half a cup of TJ`s 10 Minute Farro, boiled in broth
3 sweet Italian Chicken sausages, casings removed (I used vegetarian Italian sausage)
1 tbsp butter, if needed
1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large apple, diced small
Salt and pepper, to taste
Red chili flakes, to taste.

Prepare farro by combining half a cup farro and 1 cup water or broth in a sauce pan with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. Fluff with fork and set aside.

In a large skillet over high heat, crumble sausage and stir until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside, keep sausage drippings. If pan is too dry, add butter and melt. Add onion, garlic ad apple; saute until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add farro and sausage back to skillet; season to taste with salt, pepper and chili flakes; stir until warned through, about 1-2 minutes more. Serve warm.

Chickpea, Quinoa and Sweet Potato Curry

Saw this recipe from Stefano Faita.

Packed with protein and flavour, this vegetarian one pot curry is quick and easy. For a milder flavour, rinse quinoa before using.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped ginger
1 tbsp. curry paste, or to taste
1 tbsp. garam masala, or to taste
2 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 cup canned diced tomato
2 small to medium sweet potatoes, small dice
1 (14-ounce) can chick peas, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2/3 cup quinoa
1 cup packed baby spinach
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

PREPARATION

Add vegetable oil to large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, curry paste and garam masala. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Increase heat to medium high. Add 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add quinoa. Stir. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.

Right before serving, stir in spinach. Let spinach wilt slightly. Finish with lime juice and fresh cilantro. Serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Cajun-spiced Dirty Rice

I want to try this version as it has mushrooms and beans.

Cajun-spiced Dirty Rice
Re-printed from Quick-Fix Vegan with publisher’s permission

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 celery rib, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Cajun spice blend
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice
1 ½ cups red beans or 1 (15 ounce) can, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a three-quart baking dish and set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cover and cook to soften, five minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and Cajun spice blend. Stir to combine and cook until softened, two minutes. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir in the rice, beans, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and cook in the oven until the rice is tender, about 50 minutes. Serve hot.

Eggplant Dirty Rice

Tried this recipe today with a little tweaking. It's like a better-tasting ratatouille.

This spicy one-pot take on the New Orleans classic, dirty rice, makes a hearty main dish or an excellent accompaniment to a simple protein.

1. 1/4 cup canola oil
2. 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
3. 2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
4. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
5. Salt
6. 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
7. 1 tablespoon dried thyme
8. 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
9. 1/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
10. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
11. 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
13. 1/4 cup soy sauce
14. 1 1/2 cups medium-grain white rice
15. 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
16. Hot sauce, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large, deep casserole, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the celery, bell peppers and onion and season with salt. Cover and cook over low heat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the eggplant, thyme, black and white peppers and cayenne and season with salt. Cook over moderate heat until the eggplant is softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole. Stir in the rice and broth and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and bake for 17 minutes, until the rice is just tender. Remove from the oven and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve with hot sauce.