Ingredients

For Chili Seasoning Mix:

• 4 Tbls Chili powder
• 2 Tbls Chipotle Chili powder
• 1 Tbls dried cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried cilantro
• 1 tsp garlic flakes
• 1 tsp onion flakes
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on the heat desired)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Mix all together and store in an airtight jar. I often double or triple the recipe to have on hand for chili and tacos. The seasoning will keep for 3 – 6 months.

For Chili:

• 3 – 5 Tbl Chili Seasoning Mix (see above)
• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (8 oz tomato) or vegetable juice (I use V-8)
• 1 cup (more or less) vegetable broth, adjust for thickness of chili desired
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can 4 oz chopped green chili peppers, drained and rinsed
• 1 bag (16 oz) frozen corn
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bag baby spinach, chopped
• 1 zucchini or yellow squash, chopped

Keep in mind that amounts are approximate and you can adapt and substitute depending on your veggie preferences. 

Directions

1. In the Ninja Cooker I was able to heat the olive oil on the highest setting, adding the chopped onions, pepper, and garlic to sauté until soft and onions translucent. If you are using a regular slow cooker, you can sauté the veggies on the stovetop.
2. I then turned the setting to low and added the rest of the ingredients along with 4 tablespoons of the chili seasoning (you can use more or less, depending on the depth of heat and flavor you desire). Stir together and cover, cooking low and slow for 4 – 6 hours.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces silken tofu
• ¼ cup canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until very smooth. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Will keep in refrigerator for three to four days.
2. This is a perfect dressing for a classic Caesar presentation – crisp Romaine lettuce and homemade garlic croutons. It also makes a tasty dip for crudite or a topping for grilled veggies.

In August, I flew across the country to “The Other Portland” to attend the International Food Bloggers Conference, which I wrote about in this post. One of the highlights of the conference was a demonstration of the not-yet-released Ninja 3-in-1 Slow Cooker.

I’ve never been a huge fan of slow cookers, but this demonstration had me rethinking my position. In addition to the standard abilities, the Ninja has a cooktop option that allows you to sear meats, as well as steam infused roasting and baking options.

Much to the delight of the IFBC attendees, each of us was sent our very own Ninja to try at home. Because I’m a novice slow cooker user, I wanted to start with a very basic slow cooker recipe and work my way up to more complicated and adventurous meals.

In anticipation of an onslaught of friends last weekend, each with specific food demands and restrictions, I thought a hearty vegetarian chili would satisfy everyone – vegans, vegetarians, and those with food allergies (no dairy or peanut products involved). A slow cooker chili to test drive my Ninja would be just the ticket.

To make the evening more fun, I added a chili bar to the table and had bowls of fixings available to tart up the basic meal. The choices included chopped avocado, chorizo for the meat lovers, grated Cabot Light Jalapeno Cheddar, Cabot Low Fat Plain Greek Style Yogurt in place of sour cream for lower fat and more protein, cumin-scented roasted root vegetables and a big bowl of tortilla chips.

Click here to check out my Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Recipe

The meal was served with a Vegan Caesar Salad, the dressing recipe is a bonus on this post!

Almost every family has one – the meal that is all things to all family members. It’s comfort and celebration, joy and solace, the meal that you want when you’ve been far away, or when your heart is broken, or when you just want to settle in.

For my family, that meal is roast chicken, often served with mashed potatoes or even the mixed grains I described in this blog post.

I can’t think of anything that makes a house smell better than a roasting chicken and the process is so easy and so rewarding, I can’t imagine not having this solution to so many of life’s problems only a couple of hours away at any given time.

In addition to the basic how-to, I offer a couple of tips for just-about-perfect roast chicken. The first is lemon. Stuffing the cavity with half a lemon and resting your bird on a tart yellow bed of lemon slices makes for moister, more succulent meat. And if you make gravy from the pan drippings, the hint of lemon gives it a lighter, more delicate flavor.

Tip two is roasting at 425º rather than a lower, slower 350º. This seals in the juices and crisps the skin.

Sliding garlic cloves under the skin imparts a richer, more nuanced flavor into the meat. Of course, you can make your bird garlic free if you’re not a fan. But…really, can that be?

 Click here for the Perfect Roast Chicken Recipe.

Bonus Dish: Chicken Soup

When you’re finished basking in the glow of that perfect meal, rejoice. There is even more delight to be found in that beautiful bird. Take every bone, yes, the ones on the plates as well as the carcass. Get any bones you’ve saved in your freezer from previous meals and put them in your largest stockpot.

Chop carrots, parsnips, onions, celery, and garlic. It doesn’t have to be elegant, just a coarse chop. Add fresh herbs, like thyme, oregano, parsley, and rosemary. Throw in some good white wine – drink a little while you work. Salt and pepper with impunity.

Cover the whole thing with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover the pot and leave it alone. While these humble ingredients transmute from the ordinary to the sublime, you can go off and read a book, clean out a closet, write a sonnet, or color your hair.

Many hours later, when nature has taken its course, remove the pot from the heat and let this magical elixir cool. Strain off the bones and vegetables, harvesting the savory, golden stock. I put mine into three-cup containers and freeze for up to three months, though they never last nearly that long.

But wait…there’s more. Take those veggies that the soup has softened, almost to mush. Pick them out before discarding the bones and put them into your food processor. Puree them and freeze them in very small containers. This flavorful, rich puree is the perfect substitute for flour when you are thickening gravy. Defrost and drop into pan drippings for a gravy that is thick, delicious and gluten free. It’s a wonderful solution for those who are watching their carb intake.

But I digress; let’s get back to the soup. It is always in great demand. After a visit, my long-since-grown children have been known to sneak a container or two out the door as they depart. At least one night a week, I drop chopped veggies and a few Trader Joes frozen dumplings into a hot chicken soup bath – the perfect five-minute dinner. It is on hand for medicinal purposes, the perfect antidote for cold germs. Loaded with pasta, this liquid poultry perfection has been known to cure a hangover in less than 10 minutes.

Is it magic? Who’s to say? But there are generations of anecdotal evidence to say it might just be so. Follow the link to find out how to make this chicken soup for yourself.

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 5 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 large parsnips, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• roasted chicken carcass
• fresh rosemary
• fresh oregano
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

Directions

There is no magic to making chicken soup. You throw the above ingredients into a stockpot, cover them with water and cook them low and slow – many hours of simmering makes for great soup. I tend to collect chicken bones in the freezer so that I have a lot to go into each batch. I have no shame at collecting bones from plates at the end of a meal and using them in the next batch of soup.

This stock is always in my freezer. It heals the sick and calms the anxious. It is the basis of many great sauces and stews or is a perfect meal on the fly with veggies or left over meat.

Ingredients

• 1 roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 lemons
• 1 head, garlic
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• fresh oregano
• fresh rosemary
• Fresh tyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. Cut lemons in half and place one half into the cavity of the chicken. Slice the remaining into ¼” rounds and make a platform for the chicken. Rest sprigs of herbs on the slices and place the chicken on the bed of lemons and herbs.
3. Put chopped shallot and three or four cloves of garlic into the cavity along with the lemon half. Insert the rest of the garlic cloves under the chicken skin, both top and bottom.
4. Douse the chicken with wine and chicken broth, then salt and pepper liberally. If the neck and gizzards came with the bird, place them around the chicken. Be sure to salt and pepper them, too.
5. Place the roasting pan in the center of the oven and cook until the juices run clear and the leg twists easily at the joint, about 1 to 1 ½ hours depending on the size of the bird. You can baste the chicken during the cooking and add more broth if necessary.