Turkey Chilli

A spicy chili made with ground turkey, beans, and chili pepper sauce.  Using a tried and true recipe.

It's that time of year again.  Winter is the perfect time for chili.  Although, I love chili and will eat it anytime.  It's one of the few dishes I would happily eat every day.  I always make a big pot of it so I can eat leftovers for most of the week.  If there is any left it makes a great addition to Queso dip or Beer Cheese Nacho Sauce for a Chili Cheese dip.

#Winter is the perfect time for Turkey #Chili  [Tweet this]

Chili is also a great meal to serve a crowd.  It's simple, delicious, and you don't have to spend too much time in the kitchen.  Just a little work and then let the chili simmer on low heat (or in a slow cooker) for a while.  I believe it tastes even better the longer it sits.  Chili is a great meal or snack for any gameday or Superbowl party.

Have Turkey Chili for your #superbowlparty  [Tweet this]

I make chili so often I usually don't think to post about it but I was looking back at some older posts and noticed my Chili con Carne post from 2013 needed updating.  The pictures were old and not great and I've started using a better recipe.  So I updated my old post with my new basic chili recipe that works with just about any kind of meat. Since my husband and I are trying to eat less red meat, we try to keep ground turkey on hand.  So I used ground turkey in my chili recipe with great results.

#Groundturkey makes great #chili  [Tweet this]

Click here to go to the recipe.

Recipes mentioned in this post:

Beer Cheese Nacho Sauce

Chili con Carne     -

The Best Queso Dip  -

For more beany recipes check out:

Black Beans & Rice   -

Sausage & Bean Sweet & Sour

Spicy 3 Beans & Rice  -

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Kimchi Fried Rice

A fried rice made with leftover rice and kimchi.  A popular recipe in Hawaii and a great comfort food.

Hawaii is known for diversity.  So many cultures and cuisines come together and make one big 'ohana (family).  This makes for spectacular food.  Kimchi fried rice is just one of those foods that make Hawaii great.

HI's diversity makes great food #KimchiFriedRice  [Tweet this]

Kimchi is a Korean side dish made from fermented cabbage and hot chili paste (among other ingredients).  Adding it to fried rice makes a delicious, simple, and inexpensive meal.  This may not have originated in Hawaii, but it's a common menu item at many restaurants.  Of course, I had to try my hand at making it.  It turned out great.  It was spicy, tangy, bacony, nutty, and I added spinach for  little more nutrition.  This will be a common menu item in my home.  Some day I even want to try making my own kimchi.

#Kimchi FriedRice is an #inexpensivemeal  [Tweet this]

Kimchi fried rice can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or meal.  I think it makes a great lunch or snack while drinking beer and watching football (or any event--and you don't have to drink beer to enjoy it).

Kimchi #FriedRice is a great #Gamedaysnack  [Tweet this]

Kimchi Fried Rice

Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

2-3 cups leftover rice
dash sesame oil
dash rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 lb bacon chopped
1-2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-3 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed
12oz jar of hot kimchi, drained & rough chop
1 cups chopped green onions, divided

KimchiFriedRice is a great use for #leftoverrice  [Tweet this]

I think fried rice always works best with leftover rice that has been refrigerated for a day or two.

Remove leftover rice from the fridge.  Add it to a large bowl with sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce.  Stir well breaking up any clumps and mixing well.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon, over medium heat, until it becomes crisp.  Pour off most of the grease (leaving some adds to the overall flavor of the dish) and add the oil.  Bring up the heat to about medium-high.

Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the onions and stir-fry until just softened.

Then add the spinach and kimchi.  Stir fry until just heated and add the rice mixture.  Continue stir-frying until the rice is heated through and fried to your liking. (I don't know what I did this time...maybe used plenty of oil, --closer to 2 Tbsp than 1, maybe a little more-- but the rice did not stick to my pan)

Turn off the heat and stir in about half of the chopped green onions.

Serve warm garnished with more green onions.  Sriracha can be added if you would like a little more heat.

Enjoy.

For more leftover rice recipes check out:

Spicy Vegetable Fried Rice

Coconut Rice Pudding

Pork Fried Rice

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French Onion Dip

A slightly beefy, very oniony, sour cream dip perfect for snacking.  Dad will love it.  It makes a great gameday snack too.

Updated from original 10/4/13 (520 views and 34 +1s.) updated for content, pinnable image, minor editing, and links.
I thought this would be a great recipe to re-post for Father's Day.  I remember my dad frequently having French Onion Dip in the refrigerator when I was growing up.  I know my sisters and I loved the dip too, but we rarely got to eat it.  It was Daddy's special treat and we were not supposed to eat it.  I don't think we were ever told specifically not to but when I remember eating it, it was always with a sneaky guilty feeling and not getting to eat much.  Nothing ever lasts long with 6 people in the house and my dad can sit and snack like a champ so maybe that's why I don't remember getting much chance to eat any dip.  All I know for sure is that my dad really likes French Onion Dip with ruffled potato chips.  Understandably, this dip makes me think of my day and I think he will enjoy it as much as I do.

French Onion Dip for #Dad on #fathersday.  [Tweet this]

Now that I'm an adult I don't have 5 other people to share it with, just my husband (my dad probably thinks the same thing now that all of his kids are grown up it's only him and Mom).  It's probably not the healthiest, but it makes a wonderful treat. If you want to try and lighten this dip, it tastes great substituting (plain, nonfat) Greek yogurt for the sour cream.  It's not exactly the same, but it's close enough that it's hard to tell the difference.  You could easily make the substitution without telling anyone and I don't think they'll even notice.

Substitute #Greekyogurt for a #healthier dip.  [Tweet this]

French Onion Dip

Cook time:  10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound(16oz) sour cream or try non-fat plain Greek yogurt for a lighter dip
1 tsp Better Than Bullion Beef Base (you could probably use a bullion cube just crush it into powder first)
1/4-1/2 cup dried minced onions
few dashes Worcestershire sauce

In a large frying pan, over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.  Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, fitted with the chopper blade, add the sour cream, bullion, dried onion, Worcestershire, and the cooled onion/garlic mixture.

Turn on the food processor and chop/mix until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Remove the dip to a seal-able container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Makes about 3-4 cups of dip (plenty for a gathering or for two to snack on all week maybe).  Serve with plain ripple potato chips or if you must it would be good with vegetables too (that's just so disappointing).

Enjoy.  Happy Father's Day.

Other dips Dad might like
(you can lighten all of these by using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream):

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Three Onion Dip      -

Beefy Horseradish Dip

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Tater Tot Hotdish

Ground beef and veggies in a creamy sauce topped with tater tots.

For those of you not from Minnesota (or like me and married to a Minnesotan), a hotdish is basically a casserole.  Generally, they are made up of four simple ingredients; meat, veggies, cream of mushroom soup, and a starch. I think of casseroles/hotdishes as being wintertime food.  They are simple, warm, and hardy.  A great dinner for a cold, dark day.

#Hotdish is a Minnesotan casserole | #TaterTotHotdish  [Tweet this]

It doesn't feel like a Minnesota winter ever in Hawaii but it gets a little chilly.  I've been here for 4 years and I've become acclimated to Hawaiian living.  It's great to live somewhere where the temperature highs are usually 80s during the summer and 60s for lows in the winter.  This winter has felt colder than the previous ones even though it's really still not winter-like when compared to Minnesota (I know I lived in Minnesota for 2 winters).  So, roll your eyes if you live somewhere really cold but I've been cold this winter and a hotdish sounded perfect (this is my husband's favorite).

Tater Tot #Hotdish is perfect #coldweatherfood  [Tweet this]

Tater Tot Hotdish

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can full of milk
frozen tater tots

Brown ground beef in a frying pan until fully cooked.  Remove meat from pan into a large bowl.

Pour off most of the grease from the frying pan, leaving about 1 tsp, and saute the onion over medium heat until translucent.  Add the cooked onion to the meat in the large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the vegetables, soup, and milk to the meat and onions.  Stir and mix well.

Pour into an 8x8 inch baking pan and top with a single layer of tater tots (pack them in there tightly you want "full tot coverage"--says my husband).

Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes.  Then broil it for a few minutes to make the tots crispier if you like.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy.

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For more cold weather food check out:

Bean and Barley Stew

Chicken & Wild Rice Hotdish

Lamb & Guinness Shepherd's Pie

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Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

A creamy, meatless, soup with mushrooms and wild rice.  It's warm comfort food for a cold night.

Wild rice soup is a dish I learned about in Minnesota.  It's perfect for wintertime because it's warm, creamy, hardy, and comforting.  This is comfort food at it's best.  Usually it's made with chicken but I used inexpensive mushrooms.  Not only were the mushrooms less expensive than meat but I hoped they would help lower the calorie count of this creamy soup.  I used real cream but you could lighten it more by using half and half or milk but I love the comfort and creaminess of the real stuff (and so does my husband the Minnesotan).  This soup has great fiber from the wild rice which gives the soup a wonderful chewy component that makes it very satisfying.  It's a meal of a soup.  Add some crackers if you like and this soup will make you feel warm, full, and satisfied.

Warmup w/ Minnesotan #comfortfood Mushroom & #WildRiceSoup  [Tweet this]

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 20-30 mushrooms)
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/4 cup flour
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup dry wild rice, cooked until soft (about 3-4 cups cooked)
4 oz cream

Saute the vegetables in butter, in a large stock pot, until tender.  Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook until the mushrooms soften.  Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two more to cook out the raw taste of the flour but not darken it at all.  Then pour in 4 cups broth.  Let the soup just come to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.

Add the cooked rice and allow the soup to simmer until thickened (add more broth if it looks too thick) then add cream.  Heat through, taste for seasoning (add more salt, pepper, and/or thyme as needed), and remove from heat.

Serve immediately with crackers.  Makes about 6 servings.

Enjoy.

For more wild rice recipes check out:

Chicken & Wild Rice Hotdish

Spiced Eggplant & Mushrooms

Wild Rice Cherry Pecan Salad

For more comfort food check out:

Chili con Carne

Loco Moco

Tater Tot Hotdish

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