Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (to be eaten, not baked)

(Safe to eat raw) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

2 T butter
3 T brown sugar
1/4 c flour
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix the butter and sugar well, add the rest. Divide between two bowls. Top with vanilla ice cream, or just eat until you feel you've maxed out out on sweet goodness.

Most recipes for this yield about four times this amount. This is not a responsible amount of cookie dough for me to have, so I scaled it down. It's easy to mix this up in less than five minutes, which is a big enough problem.

Shaker Pancakes

Finally, another use for that thing you have to make protein shakes (or in our case, gravy and white sauce). I've been tempted by the Dr. Oetker version in the grocery store, but could never bring myself to spend $3 on a little tiny shaker of pancake batter. This recipe is from my grandma's Blue Ribbon Cook Book.

Blue Ribbon Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons canola oil (or other veggie oil)

Add all ingredients to shaker. Seal lid well. Shake shake shake. Open the little spout to pour perfect pancakes into a frying pan heated to medium (I find I don't need any oil in a non-stick pan). Turn when pancakes have lots of bubbles. Remove when browned on both sides.

Serve with whatever you like on pancakes: syrup, jam, strawberries, whipped cream, Nutella, or today's choice: caramelized bananas (slice and fry some bananas with a bit of butter and sugar).

This recipe just barely fits in my shaker, which has a capacity of about 2 cups. Makes enough pancakes for 2-3 adults.

Pickled Green Beans

A couple years ago, I bought some green bean seeds to plant in my garden. It seemed wise, until my first picking of beans when I realized neither of us really loves beans.

Not one to give up, I planted a bunch more from the same packet this year. I have a new garden space, and it's huge, so I sort of planted everything I had. As a result, I have many green beans and no end in sight. My houseguests enjoyed a few good meals, but even with that, they got ahead of me.

Enter the solution: pickles. I haven't eaten any yet, as they need to sit a couple of weeks, but I like pickles of all varieties and expect these to be great. I used this recipe: Crisp Pickled Green Beans. I don't mess around with canning recipes, but pickles are a really safe beginner project if you're not too confident. The vinegar kills everything, so you are unlikely to food poison yourself.

I gave one jar to my mom, and will likely continue to spread the dilly bean love once they're ready to eat.

No-Tahini Hummus

My cupboards are already bursting with odds and ends of specialty cooking ingredients. Many kinds of spices and herbs and sauces are stashed away, waiting for their own little obscure calling. When I can, I try to avoid shelling out for yet another ingredient I need only a little of. This recipe works well to avoid buying tahini - providing, of course, that you have sesame seeds already. For some reason, I do. Sesame seeds may also be easier to find if you're not near a store which caters to ethnic ingredients.

No Tahini Hummus

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 15-20 oz. can chickpeas, drained - reserve juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon (or lime) juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
pepper to taste (optional)
finely chopped parsley (optional)

Toast sesame seeds, either in a small frying pan over med-high heat or in a hot air popcorn popper. (Some did escape the popper on me, but it still beat trying to keep them in motion on my own.) Dump everything in a food processor or blender. Puree well, stirring to mix everything to a spot where it is blended. If it won't quite mix, use some of the reserved chickpea juice to thin it a bit. Taste, adjust as you like.

I used a blender - it did work, but took some stirring to get it all down to the bottom where it would mush together. A food processor would make this easier, without a doubt.

Carrot Lentil Soup

It is another pureed vegetable soup! Plus, it has the goodness of lentils. Lentils are high in fibre and a good source of vegetarian protein. The best part? You won't even know they're there after they're pureed. It's a great soup if you're not really into lentils (or you're feeding a picky eater).

Carrot Lentil Soup
1 1tbsp tbsp(15 mL) (15 mL) canola oil
3 3carrotcarrots, sliced
2 2oniononions, chopped
2 2cloves garlic, minced
1 1tbsp tbsp(15 mL) (15 mL) minced gingerroot
1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) ground cumin
1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) salt
1/4 1/4tsp tsp(1 mL) (1 mL) pepper
6 6cups cups(1.5 L) (1.5 L) vegetable stock or chickenstock
3/4 3/4cup cup(175 mL) (175 mL) red lentils
Garnish
2 2tbsp tbsp(25 mL) (25 mL) chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) plain low-fat yogurt
(Alternately, sour cream and dill)

Heat oil in saucepan over medium. Cook everything except the lentils and stock in the oil for about 5 minutes (until onions start to soften).

Add stock and lentils. Bring to boil, then simmer 20 minutes. When carrots and lentils are soft, puree soup with immersion blender or in batches in regular blender.

Garnish with herbed yogurt pr sour cream when serving. This soup freezes well.

Assuming 4 servings (and these would be very large servings):
Calories: 248, Protein: 13g, Fat 6 g (1 g sat), Carb 38g (7 g fibre)

Lemon Poppy Seed Sour Cream Loaf

Fresh and delicious! I had a lonely lemon in the fridge and some poppy seeds that have been in the pantry far too long... and now I have this delicious cake instead!

Lemon Poppy Seed Sour Cream Loaf from Canadian Living Magazine
1 1cup cup(250 mL) (250 mL) granulated sugar
2 2tbsp tbsp(25 mL) (25 mL) freshly grated lemon rind
1 1cup cup(250 mL) butter, softened
4 4eggeggs
1/4 1/4cup cup(50 mL) (50 mL) lemon juice
2 2cups cups(500 mL) (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 2tbsp tbsp(25 mL) (25 mL) poppy seeds
3/4 3/4tsp tsp(4 mL) (4 mL) baking powder
1/4 1/4tsp tsp(1 mL) (1 mL) baking soda
1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) sour cream
Icing:
1 1cup cup(250 mL) (250 mL) icing sugar
5 5tsp tsp(24 mL) (24 mL) lemon juice, (approx)
Glaze:
2 2tsp tsp(10 mL) (10 mL) lemon juice

Mix the grated lemon rind with the white sugar. Add butter/margarine (softened in microwave), eggs, and lemon juice. Mix well. Add flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and sour cream.  Mix well again, until batter is uniform. Pour into small loaf pan (9 x 5 inches). Bake 1 hour at 325*F, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took more like 1 hour 15 minutes.

Mix icing sugar and 5 teaspoons lemon juice to make icing. Divide in half and thin one half with 2 teaspoons more lemon juice. Brush thinned glaze onto loaf while warm. After cool, spread icing on top. Slice. Serve with coffee. 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

It's got cheese. What's not to love about soup with cheese?

A word of caution: boiling cheese is a bad idea. Remove soup from heat, add it at the end, and stir like crazy. When reheating, use low heat and avoid boiling.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped broccoli, stems included
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or water with bouillon powder)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
  
• pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, low fat
  

Directions:
Cut up the broccoli and carrot. Cover with chicken stock and bring to a boil in a medium saucepan. Simmer until carrot is tender - about 10 minutes. Broccoli will be overcooked at this point, but that's okay.

Puree veggies using an immersion blender or in batches in a normal blender. Return to pot over medium heat. Add garlic, basil, and paprika.

Put flour in a liquid measuring cup. Add milk to make 1 cup. Mix well with a fork to remove lumps. It often works better to add the milk a bit at a time, mixing as you go. Add floury milk to soup, stirring well. Bring to boil - stir frequently to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Soup should get very thick and creamy.

Remove put from heat. Add cheese, stirring very well. Serve with crackers or bread, and add pepper to taste.

Per serving (using 1% milk and low fat cheese): Calories 134, Fat 3.0 g (2 g sat), Carb 15.8 g, Protein 11.6 g, Fibre 2.2 g, Sodium 814 mg.

Valentine's Menu

Just in case you're seeking inspiration, for Valentine's Day we will be dining on:

Appetizer: Cheddar Beer Fondue with bread, mushrooms, apples, broccoli, red pepper, and baby corn for dipping.

Main Course: Bacon-wrapped sirloin steak from Costco, with baked potatoes on the side. Alternately, last year I made Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast. Bacon-wrapped = special.

Dessert: Chocolate Mousse


Wine: We have one bottle left from our trip to BC last year, so we'll be drinking it. I think it's a blush. Don't judge me! I'll probably pick up a bottle of port tonight to go with dessert.

My plan is to make the mousse on Saturday. That should make prep pretty easy on Sunday - just slicing up fondue stuff, making the fondue, baking the potatoes (or microwaving them), and letting the steak-man cook the steaks as he sees fit.

Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is fantastic. Probably because it has a brick of cream cheese in it. I used "light", though, so clearly it's okay. It's creamy and rich and just a wonderful meal for a February evening. Rumour has it this also makes an excellent pasta sauce.

Adapted from Allrecipes. How could 1,000 people steer me wrong?

Butternut Squash Soup
1 large butternut squash
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons oil

3 cups water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning (or marjoram or oregano)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash liquid smoke
1 8 oz brick light cream cheese*

1. Wash the outside of the squash well. Microwave whole for 3 minutes on high to soften. Slice in half and scoop out and discard the seeds and pulp. Place in a microwavable dish and microwave until soft, 10-15 minutes on high. Let cool for a few minutes.

2. Chop onion. Peel garlic. Put in a large saucepan with the oil. Cook over medium until onion is cooked through and just a little brown. Add the water and bouillon (or, of course, sub real chicken broth). Scoop squash flesh into soup using a large spoon or ice cream scoop. Add seasonings. Simmer 5 minutes to blend the flavours and make sure all parts of the squash are evenly cooked.

3. Add cream cheese. Remove from heat. Blend with immersion blender, or in batches in a normal blender (carefully!). Adjust seasoning to taste.

*If a brick of cream cheese isn't your style, you can add anything you like for a creamy dairy product: 1 cup half and half, 1 cup milk, 1 cup plain yogurt, or 1 cup evaporated skim milk.

Assuming 8 servings: Calories 181, Fat 10.8 g (3.7 saturated), Protein 5.1 g, Carbs 16.3 g (2.9 g fibre), Sodium 95.6 mg

Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

The recipe makes enough to feed an army - I'd guess 15 servings, so either make it for a crowd or plan to freeze a bunch. Apologies for the lack of photo - I didn't intent to blog this, but I've been recommending the recipes often so this will give it a home.

Source

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

• 8 cups water
• 2 cup carrot, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I minced in a food processor)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 4 teaspoons salt (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (3 1/2 lb) roasting chicken (frozen utility grade is usually the best value - if prepping the night before, just put frozen into pot)
• 1-2 cups frozen veggies (corn, peas, etc)
• 3 cups noodles, uncooked (egg, bowtie, or whatever you like)

Directions

1. In 4-1/2 to 6-quart slow-cooker bowl, combine water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, poultry seasoning, 4 t salt, 1/2 t pepper.
2. Place whole chicken on top of vegetables.
3. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook as manufacturer directs on low setting 8 to 10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.
4. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Add noodles and frozen veggies to slow-cooker; cover with lid and cook (on low or high) 20 minutes.
5. While noodles cook, remove and discard skin, fat and bones from chicken; shred meat.
6. Skim fat from soup and discard. Return half of chicken to soup to serve. (Reserve the rest of the chicken meat for another use.)

Estimated nutrional content per 1 cup serving (14 servings in above recipe, half the chicken meat added back):
Calories: 112
Fat: 1.4 g (0.3 saturated)
Sodium: 711 mg
Carbs: 16 g (2 g fibre)
Protein: 9.3 g

Aloo Paratha (Curry-stuffed flatbread)

The library had a gift for me: Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. I got the original book for Christmas, and love it to death. The sequel is equally fabulous. I haven't actually mixed up a dough recipe yet, but this Indian dish had to be made and eaten as soon as possible.

Aloo Paratha

1 pound bread dough (whole wheat, white, pizza dough, whatever)
2 potatoes, boiled with skin on
1 1/2 tbsp ghee (or butter or margarine), melted, plus a bit for brushing on the top
1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil
1 tsp curry powder (know your curry - mine is mild, so I added a bit of cayenne for kick)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup frozen peas

Preheat oven to 450*. If you have a baking stone, preheat that too.

Boil potatoes, drain, and mash. Add ghee, oil, curry and salt. Mix well. Fold in peas (don't mush the peas).

Roll dough out into large circle, 1/8" thick (use lots of flour to prevent sticking). Put potato mixture on half. Wet edge, fold over, and seal edge. Brush with ghee, sprinkle with curry.

Bake 25 minutes on a stone (or parchment lined cookie sheet).

Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

If you were wondering what I did about the other half of my Brioche dough from a few days ago, here is the answer: Cinnamon Rolls. The original recipe had pecans, but I prefer raisins so mine has raisins.

Cinnamon Rolls
1 1/2 pounds brioche dough or other white bread dough (a cantaloupe-sized piece)
For bottom of pan:
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
For rolls:
4 tablespoons butter/margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (or pecans if you prefer)

Melt the 5 T butter and add a half cup of brown sugar. Mix up, put in the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square or round pan. Roll the dough out into a rectangle (about 1/4" thick). Spread with butter, sprinkle on brown sugar, top with cinnamon and raisins. Roll up, slice into 8 pieces. Place into prepared pan.  Let rise an hour, covered with plastic. Preheat oven to 350*, bake 40 minutes until golden brown. Let cool about 5 minutes, then invert onto a plate or into a storage container. Do not cool completely in the pan, or they may never come out.

Ganache-filled Brioche

Here you have it: Ganache-filled Brioche. It's like heaven, if heaven were a donut-like bread treat with chocolate inside. This is my latest foray into the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book that I got for Christmas after hogging the library copy for weeks at a time.

The base for this bread is the Brioche Dough. I made a half recipe, as there is a limit to how many sweet treats I can bake in the five day life of this dough (I plan to make cinnamon rolls with the other half). The dough does freeze if you'd rather space out your butter intake. I bought real butter for this, and while I haven't tried it with margarine, I'm willing to say it was worth it to get the butter.

From there, I took my pound of dough (half of my half batch), rolled it into a nice-sized rectangle as wide as my loaf pan and as long as it would happily stretch (1/2"-1/4" thick, depending on your rolling pin skills), and covered with ganache (recipe follows). The dough was spread with a 1/2 cup of ganache, then rolled up into a loaf and put into a greased, non-stick medium sized bread pan. It's a sticky dough, so yes, you need the non-stick and the extra butter. Seal the edges well, and put the pan on something when you bake it so you don't have to chip chocolate off the bottom of your oven. Rise about 2 hours, bake 45 minutes at 350*, and then taste something so delicious it can't possibly be made so easily at home - but it is! It did cross my mind after all this work that Nutella would also be a superb filling and much less effort. Anyway, bake it and then drizzle with the leftover 1/4 cup of ganache. Let cool well before slicing or you'll have chocolate everywhere.

Ganache
1/4 lb good chocolate (I used PC Decadent Chocolate Chips, a generous 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Kahlua (original recipe uses rum)
5 tablespoons corn syrup

Put butter and chocolate in microwavable cup. Microwave in short intervals, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. (You may use a double boiler if you prefer.) In another cup, mix the cocoa, liquor, and corn syrup. Add this to the chocolate, heating a little if needed to get it smooth.

Spread over dough as described above. The leftover 1/4 cup for topping will need to be remelted after the loaf is baked - microwave 20-30 seconds on high. This varies from my usual cream and chocolate ganache, but I think the lack of cream makes it more shelf-stable so it doesn't sour on the counter.

I am thrilled with the results of this recipe. It was so easy to whip up the dough, and so very impressive as a final product. I can't wait to try another brioche-based recipe in a day or two to finish up my dough!

Gingerbread Coffee

I like coffee, and I like flavoured coffee, but only if it still tastes like coffee. This is a simple recipe to jazz up the morning java and deliciously Christmassy. I make it in my French press mug, as no one else in my house drinks coffee, but it could also be made drip style if you like.

Gingerbread Coffee
3 tbsp medium grind coffee
1 teaspoon molasses
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger)
2 cups boiling water
cream/milk to taste

Put coffee, molasses, and spices in French press. Cover with boiling water. Steep 5 minutes, enjoy with milk or cream to your liking.

Or: In drip coffee maker, place usual amount of grounds in basket. Top with spices (increase amount to make larger pot) and molasses. Brew and serve.

Four Grain Honey Bread

Now, I know that you've probably never heard of the book Kneadlessly Simple, and it's not as sexy as Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, but it has some great recipes and makes some fine bread. It also doesn't have a waitlist in my library.

Four Grain Honey Bread (No-Knead) from Kneadlessly Simple
1 loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup corn meal (white or yellow)
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup cooked and cooled brown rice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon instant, fast rising, or bread machine yeast
1/2 cup honey or corn syrup
1 1/4 cups ice water
Canola oil or corn oil to coat dough and pan

Directions:
First rise: In large bowl, mix flours, corn meal, oats, rice, salt, and yeast. In measuring cup, mix very cold water with honey/syrup. Stir the water into the flours - it will be very thick, but you won't need to use your hands. Mix well and thoroughly blend. Add water or white flour if needed to get a thick dough. Spray or brush top of dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap. If desired, chill in fridge 3-10 hours, then let rise at cool room temperature for 12-18 hours. It works best to mix this up, set in the fridge until bed, and leave on the counter overnight.

Second rise: Stir the dough. Fold the dough using a spoon or spatula toward the middle of the bowl. Oil a 9 x 5 loaf pan, then sprinkle with a little cornmeal and oats. Turn the dough into the pan and spray/brush with oil again. Sprinkle a little cornmeal and oats on the top and press into the dough. Slice 4 or 5 diagonal lines into the loaf with a sharp knife. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise: 2-4 hours at room temperature, 1.5-2.5 hours in the microwave with a warm cup of water, or 4-24 hours in the fridge. Rise until the dough is 1/2" above the edge of the pan.

Bake: Preheat oven to 350*F. Bake 50-60 minutes. Tent with foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. If you have a fancy-pants instant read thermometer, it should read 207*-209*F. It really does take this long to bake - the moist dough takes a long time to get finished. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing. Keeps 2-3 days on the counter, or up to 2 months in the freezer.

Greek Feta Pasta

This one doesn't freeze, but it's so quick, easy, and delicious that I have to share it.

Greek Feta Pasta
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 cups pasta (bows, shells, penne, etc.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled or diced
1 cup diced tomato or quartered cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced olives

Directions
1. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. Pour oil into microwave-safe bowl or mug. Add garlic and oregano. Microwave 30 seconds on high to blend flavours. You can do this in a small frying pan on the stove, but the microwave is faster, easier, and less likely to burn.
3. When pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot. Add everything else to it, stir. Eat. Enjoy.

This is a lovely one-dish meal. It's the kind of vegetarian that I don't miss the meat on.

Tomato Bruschetta Pasta

All right, first off: I understand that technically, bruschetta refers to the bread, not the topping, but the topping doesn't have a convenient name.

This is a delicious, seasonal, and incredibly quick dinner recipe that I threw together tonight for dinner.

 

Tomato Bruschetta Pasta

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 cup pasta (measured raw), cooked as directed on package

1 tomato

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp fresh basil leaves

drizzle olive oil (about 1 tsp)

salt to taste

Parmesan

Directions:

1. Boil water and begin cooking pasta.

2. Meanwhile, combine tomato, garlic, basil, olive oil, and salt in food processor or blender. Puree to a consistency that pleases you.  Let sit while the pasta finishes cooking.

3. Divide pasta into 2 bowls. Split sauce over pasta. Garnish with Parmesan.

Curried Cauliflower Soup with Honey

 

I like pureed soups. I like curried soups. And so I bring you:

Curried Cauliflower Soup with Honey from Serious Eats and Sunday Nite Dinner.

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into large florets (6 cups) 
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, sliced thick 
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
honey
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast until florets are browned, about 20 - 25 minutes.
2) In a medium stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they are clear or browned. Stir in curry powder and cook until fragrant, 1 - 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, water and cauliflower. Cover and bring to boil and then simmer until cauliflower is soft, about 5 minutes.
3) Puree the soup with a stand or immersion blender until smooth. Return to pot if using a stand blender, reheat if necessary. Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowl with a drizzle of honey.
Serves 4

The honey really makes a difference - don't skip the garnish. This is really tasty, not too difficult, and makes me long for an immersion blender. Someday I'll get one. And I will love it.

From Canadian Living

Black Bean Quesadillas

Serve with: Garden salad.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped 1 sweetgreenpepper, diced 1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup (250 mL) salsa 1/2 cup (125 mL) cornkernels 4 large flourtortillas 2 cups (500 mL) shredded cheddarcheese 1/2 cup (125 mL) light sour cream 1/4 cup (50 mL) diced fresh or pickled jalape?eppers (optional)

Preparation:

In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, green pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper until softened, about 8 minutes. Add black beans, salsa and corn; cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate until chilled. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)
Evenly spoon bean mixture over half of each tortilla; sprinkle with cheese. Fold uncovered half over top and press lightly. Place on large rimmed baking sheet; bake in 425°F (220°C) oven, turning once, until golden, 6 to 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, and jalapeno peppers (if using).

These were great! The prep was really fast - I actually omitted the green pepper and used onion powder in place of the onion. They were ready for the oven in about 5 minutes, and ready to eat in well under half an hour. Plus, they were quite delicious and very healthy.  Again, I failed to photograph, but the original website has one if you need convincing. It was too good not to post the recipe despite no photo.

Crockpot Pineapple Chicken Chili

Adapted from Amazing Hawaiian Chicken Chili

Crockpot Pineapple Chicken Chili
6 servings

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1 tsp onion powder (or half an onion, chopped)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp chipotle powder, optional
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 can pineapple chunks
1 can black beans or kidney beans, or half of each (15 oz total) (drained and rinsed)
1/2 jar salsa (1 1/2 cups)

1. Chop raw chicken into bite-sized pieces. Put into crockpot.
2. Add spices, beans, pineapple juice, and salsa. Reserve pineapple.
3. Cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Add pineapple and cook until warm (about 15 min on high).
4. Serve with buns or cornbread.

This was more reminiscent of baked beans than chili, somehow. Rather on the sweet-and-sour (or rather, sweet-and-spicy) side. We enjoyed it, and I have a feeling the leftovers will be even better than the meal. It would freeze very well. It could, of course, easily be stewed on the stovetop. Add a little more liquid (about a cup of tomato sauce, or more salsa) and simmer for 30 min (or until chicken is cooked through). I think it does benefit from cooking all day and really melding the flavours in the crockpot, though.