Vegetarian Chili

Even my husband requests this no meat chili!  Great on a cold night, game night or just when you need a hot dinner on the table in about 35 minutes all from your pantry!

**  When red peppers go on sale, I buy a bunch and roast them (either on the grill or in the oven or right on top of the gas burner), peel off the blackened skin, quarter and seed and freeze.  Then, whenever I need roasted peppers for a recipe I have some on hand.  If I don't have a fresh pepper in the house, I will use one of my roasted peppers, though not  jarred ones as they are packed in oil.

1 tablesppon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped **
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon chili powder (My husband doesn't like it too hot so I use about 1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (I use about 1 teaspoon - adjust for your level of spice!)
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes-28 oz
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in a medium size nonstick dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion and red pepper, cook stirring for about 4 minutes, add garlic and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.  Add chili powder and cumin, stir for about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, cook until heated through.  Add beans, corn and salt.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  Enjoy!  Can be served over a baked potato, with pita chips or plain.  Enjoy!!!

Leave your shoes at the door!!!

We track all sorts of pollutants into our homes, including lawn pesticides (which have been linked to certain cancers and neurological and reproductive disorders), coal tar from asphalt surfaces (which contains carcinogens), lead, and even E. coli. Taking off your shoes when you get in is an easy way to keep those toxins out.   (Dr. Oz)


 

Chicken with Lemon and Capers

Such a great dish for company or for your own family.  I prepare it and place it in the oven as my guests are arriving, that way I can clean the stove, prepare the rest of the meal and dinner is ready whenever we are.  It is full of flavor, moist and delicious!!

Thin chicken cutlets-about 5 cutlets-thin sliced

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

5 teaspoons Olive oil

1/2 vegetable broth (or chicken broth) - I buy the aseptic box, use what I need, then freeze the rest in usable portions

2 Tablespoons Lemon juice

2 Tablespoons drained capers

Heat oven to 200°  Place platter in oven to heat.

Combine ¼ cup flour, ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon Hungarian paprika on a piece of wax paper (or a plate, but if you use wax paper the clean up is so easy!).  Press thin chicken cutlet into the mixture, coating them evenly all over and shaking off any excess.

In a heavy 10” skillet, heat 5 teaspoons olive oil over moderate heat for 1 minute.  Add breasts and cook about 3 minutes on each side.  (Make sure meat is cooked through.  Transfer breasts to a heated platter.

Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used  Trader Joe’s Certified Organic Vegetable Broth), scraping up any browned bits on bottom.  Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons drained capers, heat through.  (I used more to have more sauce)  Pour sauce over chicken and return to oven until ready to use.  Makes 4 servings.

Our toxic homes, Yes! Toxins in our homes!

Adapted from Prevention Magazine.

After reading last month’s Prevention Magazine, I added this one simple step to help reduce the amount of toxins in my home.

As we breathe, we release carbon dioxide in the air.  In the winter, our homes are sealed, preventing new fresh oxygen inside for us to breathe.  As a result, we do not get the full amount of oxygen we require leading us to feel tired and lethargic.  This is true especially in a sealed bedroom after we sleep. 

A simple solution:  open your bedroom windows for about 10 minutes after you get up.