Today was my “off day.” I had to work today so I planned on yanking out a Tupperware of chili from the freezer and that is exactly what I had Josh do. Thursday’s I work very late and often don’t get home until 10 -10:30pm. So its the best day for us to use something pre-made. The phenomenal thing about freezers and pre-making food is that you can make something beautiful and healthy and just have it when you are ready. We are lucky enough to have a large chest freezer in our basement and I’m not sure how we would live without it at this point.
Breakfast
Quinn’s Purple Mooshie
See January 1st, 2012-Food Blog
After Quinn and I ate our smoothies I had a choice in front of me. I was completely out of salad. My goal this week has been to have a salad for lunch everyday. But I also really wanted to elliptical. I knew there was no way I could get both in, and yesterday I sacrificed my work out for food. So today I did the opposite. I let me salad slide and did 45 minutes of elliptical. I put “Elmo’s World” on the TV embraced my flouting of the American Academy of Pediatrics and put some Buffy on my iPhone for me. Sarah Michele’s ass kicking ways kept me going strong and Elmo distracted my child. I think it was a wise decision. I did my 45 minutes of Pilates when I got to work.
Lunch
Lighter Lasagna
See January 4th, 2012- Food Blog
Holy God, this Lasagna tasted BETTER on day two. It’ll be tough to go back to my salad tomorrow. I’ll have to put something fancy in it. Grilled pear perhaps?
Dinner
Becca’s Hot Chipotle Chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions (I like sweet onions) coarsely chopped
1 spoonful of minced garlic or 2 fresh cloves minced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
4 chipotle chilis
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
3-4 Bell peppers seeded and coarsely chopped. Go for color!
2 cans black beans rinsed
2 cans kidney beans rinsed
2 cans chickpeas rinsed
1 can tomato purée (15oz)
1 cup chicken or veggie broth
1 16 oz package of Frozen corn
Finely mince jalapeños and chipotle chilies. Chipotle chilies are smoked jalapeños. They come canned in adobo sauce and add more flavor than heat. I like to mince my jalpeños and chipotle chilies in my food processor. If you get jalapeño on your hands, it will BURN when you take your contacts out no matter how many times you wash your hands. I learned that the hard way. My husband learned this again making Vietnamese Hot and Sour Soup. Its basically like macing yourself in the eye. So handle with care.
In a skillet heat up olive oil over low to medium heat. Add onions, minced chilies, garlic, spices and saute until onions are translucent. Sometimes I add a dash of water to help soak the spices in.
Add all the ingredients to a crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours or 2 hours on high.
Sometimes I add other things. Sweet potatoes taste amazing in this recipe. Potatoes would also be good. Some people add mushroom, I don’t because I hate their texture. You could also make this recipe with fresh beans. You’d need to cook it longer and add more chicken broth. You could also take the heat out of the recipe by removing the jalapeños. Go crazy!
Yes this is a direct repeat but cooking something new every night seemed like a bit too much of a pain in the ass this week. We served our chili in whole wheat wraps with thinly sliced avocado and quinoa. It was, of course, delicious and filling. I’m waiting to cook a bad recipe so that I can pan it. But honestly everything has been so good. Stick around! Tomorrow is Udon Saute. I LOVE udon.
-Rebecca Garrison
