Potato Curry Chili

We were looking for a chili that was a little different and came across this recipe on Pinterest from a vegan blog called Vegan Yack Attack.   We figured beans, veggies, and lots of spices would be quite tasty, and they were!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed and Diced
• 1½ C. Bell Pepper, Diced (I used half Red & half Yellow)
• 1¼ C. White Onion, Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• Optional: 1 T. Fresh Jalapeño, Diced
• 4 tsp. Yellow Curry Powder
• 1 T. Chili Powder
• ½ tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1- 14.5 oz. Can Fire Roasted & Diced Tomatoes (with Green Chiles)
• 1- 15 oz. Can Pinto Beans, with liquid
• 1- 15 oz. Can Black Bean, with liquid
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1-2 T. Fresh Lime Juice

Directions:

1. Turn the temperature setting to High on a 4-6 Qt. Slow cooker.
2. Place the potatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic and jalapeño (if using) into the pot, along with the curry powder, chili powder and smoked paprika. Stir all of them together until the spices coat everything evenly.
3. Next, add the tomatoes, beans and bay leaves to the pot and stir together, adding salt and pepper to taste.
4. You can either leave the temperature on HIGH and cook for 3-4 hours or LOW and cook for 6 hours (or until the potatoes are tender); it just depends on the slow cooker, really.
5. Just before you are getting ready to serve it, stir the lime juice into the chili and remove the bay leaves.
6. Serve hot and garnish with a lime wedge or bay leaf.

What we did differently:

1. In our house, jalapeño is never optional, so I diced a whole small one. It was probably a little over a tablespoon, but did not overpower the dish.
2. I did not have plain yellow curry powder, so I used hot curry powder (which was kind of yellow). Not knowing how much hotter it was, I used 3 tsp instead of 4. Ed told me I could have gone with the full 4 tsp.
3. I forgot to stir in the lime juice before I ladled the chili into bowls, but did add it to the pot afterwards. It definitely added some zest to the flavor profile of the second bowl (yes, it was that tasty that we had seconds!) 
4. We served with some lightly toasted naan to sop up any stray sauce.

Our thoughts:

Very hearty dish! Easy, very flavorful, and perfect for a cool fall evening. Shows that a chili doesn't have to have meat in it to be yummy!

Pork Tenderloin with Au Jus

This recipe from allrecipes.com is not only easy and quick to cook (relatively - we are talking about a slow cooker here!), but deliciously moist too.

Ingredients:

1 - 2 lb pork tenderloin

1 - 1 ounce envelope dry onion soup mix

1 cup water

3/4 cup red wine

3 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons soy sauce

ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet.

2. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat.

3. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast while cooking as possible.

4. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours.

5. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.

What we did differently (it's what we do!):

Not much different this time!  I did mix the water, wine, and soy sauce together in a small mixing bowl before pouring over the pork, so I could be sure all three ingredients reached all of the pork.  I chose an Australian Merlot to cook with - Lindeman's for $5.99/bottle at Food Lion.  I will also say that this wine was great for drinking - you often find some hidden gems in the inexpensive wines!  We served with mashed potatoes & steamed broccoli & there was plenty of flavorful au jus for the meat & the potatoes.

Balsamic Chicken

I've been looking for Mediterranean-style recipes for their healthiness and hit the jackpot with this one - light & flavorful and perfect with a glass of red wine!

Ingredients:

• 4-6 cut up boneless skinless chicken breasts (mine were huge, so I used 3 which was 2.5 lbs)
• 2 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice of course)
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary

Directions:

Place ingredients in the crockpot in this order:

• Pour the olive oil in crockpot
• Add chicken
• Add sliced onion
• Add dried herbs and garlic cloves 
• Pour in vinegar
• Top with tomatoes
• Cook on high 4 hours, serve over pasta or rice.

What we changed (it's what we do):

1. We served the dish over angel hair pasta which I think was perfect - thin and light and allowed the flavor of the chicken & sauce be the highlights.

2.  We were out of fresh garlic, so I used 8 tsp of minced garlic, and admittedly had a slightly heavy hand.  But there was not an overt taste of garlic, so I'd say it turned out just fine!

Our thoughts:

Fantastic!  The chicken ended up shredding itself when the dish was stirred, so it soaked up even more of the tasty sauce.  No one spice or seasoning stood out - everything, including the vinegar, blended together perfectly.  We served with a Portuguese red wine (Samora - Vinho Regional Tejo) which balanced the hearty flavors nicely.  This dish will definitely be in our dinner rotation!