Red Chile Chicken with Rice and Black Beans

Again, Pink Parsley comes through for me :)  As I mentioned before, she’s been making some fabulous recipes lately, and this was another tasty one, for sure.  The sous chef and I paired this one with the wonderful Mexican Corn Salad.

Sadly, my sous chef was volunteering for an opportunity at work that had him working nights, so I had to savor this by myself for the first time, and he had to partake in it alone the first time while I was at work :/  It was hard for the two of us to operate in the same house but not at the same time.  However, making yummy dishes definitely made it not seem SO BAD since we weren’t resorting to eating out every meal just because we were alone.

All that to say that good, home-cooked, healthy food really can warm the soul…and doesn’t have to make you fat ;)

Source: Pink Parsley adapted from Elly Says Opa! originally from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday
Ingredients

2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1.25-1.5 lbs. total)
2.5 Tbsp. ancho chili powder, divided
1 medium onion, large dice
1-2 jalapenos, diced
1 cup rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onions, (OR 1/3 cup cilantro) OR a mixture of both (which is what I did)
1/2 to 1 cup salsa, for serving
lime wedges and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of chile powder. Preheat a large skillet with oil until shimmering. Brown chicken on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and place on a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible. (As with other chicken recipes, Krista Kooks cooked this chicken in the crockpot with the oil, salt, pepper and chile powder.)

Sautee onion, rice, and jalapeno until the rice is toasted and is no longer translucent and turns opaque. Add the remaining chili powder, the garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook 1 minute, then stir in the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken and the black beans to the pot, stir, re-cover, and cook an additional 10-12 minutes.

Taste a grain of rice. If it is slightly chalky in the center, remove the pot from heat, stir in the green onion and cilantro, and let sit, covered, 5 additional minutes. If it is not cooked through, re-cover the pot, and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until done.

Fluff rice with a fork, and serve with salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Mexican Corn Salad

Put down what you’re eating.  Put down the phone.  Stop whatever you’re doing.  You have to to start imaging how this will taste!  It’s amazing!!!  There is no doubt in my mind that I’ll be making this again.  It’s so full of flavor!  You don’t need much of it at one time as it’s pretty rich, but that doesn’t mean that it’s in any way bad tasting.

The recipe that Pink Parsley shared specifies using mayonnaise or Greek yogurt.  I’m not a big yogurt fan, so I used mayonnaise (gluten-free mayo to be exact).  Additionally, I skipped the ears of corn and went straight for the frozen corn; I don’t feel like we missed out on flavor at all.

I would feel sad for your grocery list this week if the ingredients for this recipe weren’t on it.
Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon minced red onion
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
6-8 ears of corn, husked
vegetable oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (Use gluten-free mayo to keep a gluten-free recipe)
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
4 ounces cojita, ricotta salata, feta, or queso blanco, crumbled (about 1 cup)
3 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
kosher salt and ground black pepper
hot sauce

Directions

Prepare grill, and brush the corn with oil.

Combine the garlic, onion, and lime juice in a medium bowl and toss to coat.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes.  Whisk the mayonnaise (or yogurt) and chile powder into the onion mixture.  Set aside.

Grill the corn 10 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until lightly charred and tender.  Allow to cool slightly, then cut the kernels off the cobs and add to the dressing.  Toss with the cheese and cilantro, mixing well to coat with the dressing.  Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. 

Serve with additional hot sauce if desired.

Crockpot Roast Beef with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

I’ve prepared one other crockpot/slow cooker beef recipe to share with you on Krista Kooks in the past. I haven’t really ever tried another recipe as the previous one was so delicious!  I’ve made it a couple of times since that first post. 

That being said, I wanted to bring you a gluten-free crockpot beef recipe.  Jen (Beantown Baker) did a guest post on the Novice Chef with this terrific Roast Beef!  As Jen mentions, this is an amazingly easy recipe to throw into the crockpot.  I agree with Jen that more tomatoes should be added to this recipe.  I’m constantly looking for recipes that use up some leftover wine, as well.

Ingredients

1 beef roast (about 4lbs)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup red wine
12 button mushrooms
6 large cherry tomatoes (Krista Kooks suggests using more)
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried thyme

Directions

Place meat in slow cooker (trim or remove any extra fat off the meat). Add mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. Add wine and chicken stock. Toss in the dried thyme. Cover and set on to LOW. Cook for at least 8 hours. Remove meat and vegetables and transfer sauce to pan. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce. Add 1 tbsp. cornstarch to 2 tbsp. Cold Water and mix in a bowl. Add mixture to sauce pan. Bring to a boil and let thicken. Carve meat , drizzle with sauce.

Pasta with Fresh Corn Pesto

Gluten-Free notes at the bottom of this post. I have to say that Pink Parsley has had some fabulous posts lately.  So many of my bookmarked favorites are from her blog!  Thanks for the inspiration Pink Parsley!

I’m sad to say that my cousin can’t partake in this dish due to the pine nuts, but, as long as you can eat everything in this recipe, you totally should!  I and the sous chef both agree that this dish is great and even more fabulous as leftovers. 

On a side note, however, I busted my Magic Bullet in the process of making this dish :(  I’m on the hunt for a repair part.  Sad day!

Source: Pink Parsley adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients


4 bacon slices, preferably applewood-smoked
4 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from 4-6 ears
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces fresh pasta (I used gluten-free pasta)
3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used a mixture of basil, parsley, and chives)


Directions


Cut each bacon slice in half length-wise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.  Cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of the fat.


Add the corn, garlic, salt and pepper to the skillet, and saute until the corn is just tender, but not brown, 3-5 minutes.  Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the corn to a small bowl and reserve.  Transfer the rest to a food processor, and add the pine nuts and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.  With the machine running, slowly stream the oil through the feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth.  Set aside.


Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, but still firm to the bite (not quite as done as you would want it).  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water and drain the pasta.  Return pasta to the pot and add the pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup fresh herbs. 


Toss well and add pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until pasta is cooked through.  Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.


Divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with additional herbs, cheese, and reserved bacon.
Make it Gluten-Free!
-Make sure to use Gluten-Free pasta.