Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Here are six yummy recipes to hellp you through the day, including Slow Cooker Jambalaya and Easy Classic Chili. Enjoy!

TURKEY AND HOMINY CHILI WITH SMOKY CHIPOTLE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Making an authentic pozole — the fragrant Mexican hominy stew — has been on my list of things to do for years, but it can be very labor intensive. One recipe by Diana Kennedy, the author of Mexican cookbooks, calls for trimming hominy and boiling a pig’s head. Just reading about it causes my enthusiasm to wane. This stew is a compromise; a sort of a pozole-chili hybrid, loaded with ground turkey, bell peppers, hominy and pinto beans. Chile powder adds heat, jalapeño brightness and canned chipotle chile in adobo smokiness and depth. A bottle of beer provides a pleasant bitterness that complements the spice. This recipe makes a very large batch perfect for entertaining or for stocking the freezer, but you can easily half it to feed a family of four.”

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

This was featured in “Save the Pig’s Head for Later” and can be found online here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 large Spanish onions, chopped

red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, to taste, seeded and chopped

1 28-ounce can tomato purée

2 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained

2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained

1 12-ounce bottle beer

2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce, to taste, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

Sour cream, for serving

5 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced, for serving

1 bunch chopped cilantro, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Brown half the ground turkey with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in half the garlic and half the chili powder and sauté for another 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer turkey to a bowl. Brown remaining turkey in same manner, transferring it to bowl with rest of turkey.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pot and sauté onions, bell peppers and jalapeño peppers with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

Return ground turkey and any liquid in bowl to pot and add tomato purée, hominy, beans, beer, chipotles, oregano and bay leaves with 3 cups water. Simmer chili, partly covered, until it is thick enough for your taste, about 1 hour. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream, scallions, cilantro and lime wedges.

EASY CLASSIC CHILI

This is from Paula Deen Magazine, and begins, “This Easy Classic Chili is a delicious mixture of slow-cooked ground chuck, tomatoes, kidney beans, sweet onions, and bell peppers. Complete this meal by serving it with a side of cornbread or crackers.”

Makes 12 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds ground chuck

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups chopped sweet onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (1.75-ounce) packet chili seasoning

Toppings: shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef, salt, and pepper, and cook until browned and crumbly; drain well.

In a 6-quart slow cooker, stir together cooked beef, tomatoes, beans, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and seasoning until well combined. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with toppings.

SLOW COOKER JAMBALAYA

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “This delectable, slow-cooked version of a traditional New Orleans-style dish features chicken, kielbasa and shrimp in a bed of rice that's been seasoned with Creole seasoning, green pepper, celery and diced tomato.”

To view this online, click here.

Serves: 8 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 430 minutes

Ingredients

Swanson® Chicken Stock or 3 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

1 large green pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 large stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)

1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 pound kielbasa, diced (about 3 cups)

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into cubes

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/2 pound fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

Stir the broth, Creole seasoning, green pepper, onion, garlic, black pepper, celery, tomatoes, kielbasa, chicken and rice in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the shrimp to the cooker. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.

Time-Saving: This recipe may also be cooked on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

EASY PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)

This recipe is from tbsp.com, and begins, “This big, fat Greek pasta is as delicious as it is comforting. Packed with a meaty tomato sauce, penne pasta, warm spices and topped with an easier-than-you-think béchamel, it’s a take on lasagna we highly recommend.”

Prep: 45 minutes; Total: 1 hour 30 minutes; Servings: 8

View this online here.

Ingredients

Pasta

12 oz uncooked penne pasta (4 cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb extra-lean (at least 90%) ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 jar (25.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato basil pasta sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 eggs, beaten

Topping

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 to 7 minutes, breaking up any lumps with back of wooden spoon. Add onion; cook and stir about 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in pasta sauce. Heat to simmering; reduce heat to low. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix tomato sauce mixture, cooked pasta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 3 eggs. Spread in baking dish; spread top smooth.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Gradually beat in milk with whisk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; beat in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. In small bowl, beat 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into beaten egg. Return egg mixture to pan, beating constantly. Pour over top of pasta.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is bubbly and lightly browned in spots. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

CREAMY ROASTED RED PEPPER PENNE

This is from Lindsay Funston on Delish. Lindsay wrote, “With a super-light cream sauce, this spinach and roasted red pepper penne is addictive.”

Total Time: 20 minutes; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 oz. penne

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 c. baby spinach

1 c. sliced jarred roasted red peppers

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, 5 minutes, then add spinach and roasted red peppers. Cook until wilted and warmed through, 3 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, and 1/4 cup pasta water and bring to a simmer.

Add cooked penne to pan and stir until coated, then season with crushed red pepper flakes.

Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

BOILED POTATOES WITH BUTTER AND MINT

This is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, "The chef April Bloomfield cooks from a place of profound hunger for good food: specifically, Birmingham in the Midlands of England, where she grew up in the 1970s and 1980s just as English food reached a low point. The childhood food she remembers most fondly: the hot buttered potatoes served in her school cafeteria. Her homage to that dish is this basic but stunningly good recipe for freshly boiled potatoes thickly glazed in butter and brightened with lemon, garlic, cracked black pepper and what she calls a 'five-fingered pinch' of fresh mint leaves, 'as much as you can grab with just the tips of all five fingers.'"

Yield: 3 to 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.

This was featured in "April Bloomfield’s ‘A Girl and Her Greens’ Delights in the Details" and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 pound small potatoes, like fingerlings or creamers, all about the same size

1 tablespoon flaky salt, like Maldon, or kosher salt

4 tablespoons/2 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 small garlic clove, finely grated or shaved

A 5-finger pinch of whole mint leaves, preferably black mint (see note)

1/2 lemon

Coarsely ground black pepper

Preparation

In a medium pot, combine potatoes and salt. Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by a generous 1/2 inch and set the pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a vigorous simmer. Cook potatoes just until tender and creamy inside, 10 to 25 minutes depending on size.

Reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid, gently drain the potatoes and return them to the stove. Add butter, garlic and reserved cooking liquid to the pot and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, swirling the pan and basting as needed so that the liquid coats the potatoes until they are well glazed, about 5 minutes.

Tear the mint leaves into small pieces, stir them very gently into the potatoes, and take the pot off the heat. Squeeze on just enough lemon to add brightness, not sourness; taste as you go. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.