Magazine recipes are keepers!

I think I have come up with a new diet, it is called the Patriots stomachache diet.  My goodness I love those boys, but they make me so nervous watching them each week. I need one of those blow-out weeks where we are accused of running up the score.  It has been a while.

September 7th Pats 23 Bills 21 / September 11th Pats 13 Jets 10

But anyway back to cooking.  I tried both of the recipes that I wrote about last time.  Chipotle Beef and Black Bean Chili and Raspberry-Chip Coffee Cake from the Family Circle Magazine.  Both of the recipes are keepers.

The Chili was very easy to make and I loved that it cooked in the slow cooker. I was concerned that the hamburger wouldn't cook well and would clump together, but it didn't as you will see in the following pictures.

Chop one red pepper, one green pepper, a large onion and the garlic.  Place in the slow cooker, then add the hamburger.  I broke it up with my hands so it was loose and then mixed it with the veggies. (Sorry picture slightly blurry)

In a large bowl mix the tomato (I used one can of petite diced tomatoes and one can of tomato sauce, because my family doesn't like large chunks of tomato), chipotle peppers ( I used two, but it does make for a spicy chili, use only one to make it less spicy), and spices.  Pour this over the meat and veggies and mix together.

Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 8 hours adding beans for last 30 minutes and ta-da yummy chili is ready when you are.

Now for dessert.  Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another. Then mix together.

Mix in the chocolate chunks (I used mini chocolate chips and they did settle on the bottom, next time I will look for the mini chocolate chunks and flour them before I add them to the batter).  Pour this mixture into a sprayed 8x8 pan and top with raspberries (I broke my berries in 1/2 before I put them on the cake).

Mix the topping ingredients until crumbly (be sure to get the butter well incorporated). Add to the top of cake and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

Give these recipes a try, and maybe eat before the Patriots game so you can really enjoy the food.

Next post I will give you some tips on what to do when you have too much of an ingredient.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef and Black Bean Chili

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
1 large green pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 lbs ground beef chuck
2 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, seeded and chopped
2 cans (15 ox each)black beans, drained and rinsed
Tortilla chips and sour cream (optional)

1. Coat the bowl of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Place onion, garlic, peppers, and ground beef in bottom of slow cooker.
2. in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes thru chipotle peppers.  Pour over ground beef and mix lightly.
3. Cover and hook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours.  Stir in beans during last 30 minutes of cooking time.
4.  Serve with crushed tortilla chips and sour cream, if desired.

Raspberry-Chip Crumb Cake

1 1/4 cups all -purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract\
1/2 cup dark mini chocolate baking chunks
1 container raspberries (6 oz), about 1 1/2 cups

Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Cake
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk, oil and vanilla.
3. Make a well in center of flour mixture.  Add egg mixture to well and beat with a wooden spoon 1 minute, until evenly moistened; stir in chocolate chunks.  Spoon into prepared pan and top with raspberries.

Topping
1. In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar.  Cut in butter with pastry blender until crumbly.  Stir in walnuts.  Sprinkle topping evenly over raspberries.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  Cut into 9 squares.  This cake is best eaten on the day it's made.