Roasted Fennel & 3 Bean Chili

I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm always looking for new ways to prepare some of our favorite meals, like my latest version of this vegetarian chili with roasted fennel and three types of beans. And since tomorrow is Halloween and you'll either be busy handing out candy or Trick or Treating, I'm sure your time will be limited in the kitchen. This dish takes only 15 minutes to prepare, then plug in the 'ol slow cooker and let it do the rest of the work for you! This chili was loaded with flavor and smelled even better while cooking away all day in my kitchen. 

Roasted Fennel & 3 Bean Chili (Slow Cooker)
1 Fennel Bulb, chopped
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 - 15oz. Cans Black Beans
2 - 15oz. Cans Chick Peas
2 - 15oz. Cans Kidney Beans
1/2 c. Red Wine
28oz. Crushed Tomatoes (I used Hunts)
1 tsp. Chili Powder (more if you like it spicy)
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1 c. Vegetable Broth
1 tsp. Kosher Salt

Directions:
1. Mix together the fennel, onion, garlic and oil, then place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes, then remove from oven and add to your slow cooker. 
2. While the fennel is roasting, rinse all of your beans and add to the slow cooker. 
3. Next, add in your wine, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, salt and vegetable broth. 
4. Mix all ingredients together and cook for 4-6 hours on low or 6-8 hours on warm. Serves 8. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 434, Carbs 76.9g, Fat 4.1g, Protein 22.6g, Fiber 22.7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

Roasted Fennel & Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

Did you ever go out to eat and have something several times over the years, but never thought to make it at home? Well, after the food bloggers conference last Friday, Lauren from Lauren Kelly Nutrition and Bia, from Rich and Sweet, and I headed out for some dinner at Supper in NYC. We had originally planned to go to another restaurant but when we got there, there was a "B" sign in the window. Thanks to Bia, who lived and worked in the city for many years, for explaining the NYC Health Violation Codes to us and we went elsewhere. 

Some food service establishments that require Health Department permits will receive and post letter grades that correspond to their sanitary inspection scores. These establishments include most restaurants, coffee shops, bars, nightclubs, cafeterias, retail bakeries, and fixed-site food stands. This document uses the term “restaurants” to refer to all these establishments.Here is a more detailed explanation I found online on NYC Restaurant Grading and what the letters mean:

Grade A. 0 to 13 points for sanitary violations. 
Grade B. 14 to 27 points for sanitary violations. 
Grade C. 28 or more points for sanitary violations.
Grade Pending. A restaurant’s B or C grade is not final until the restaurant has had the opportunity to go before the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Health Tribunal to contest the violations cited against it. Until then, the restaurant has the option to post either the preliminary grade or a card that says “Grade Pending.” Once the grade is final, the restaurant must immediately post the letter grade card and take down the Grade Pending card. that it was a health code sign and it probably wasn't very clean. 

So the next time you head on into the city for dinner, look in the window first. I learn something new everyday! :)

Anyway, back to the story...

We were still quite full from lunch so we opted for some wine and appetizers. One of the items we got was their version of Panzanella salad or Tuscan Bread Salad;  which originated in the Florentine region of Italy. It generally consists of soaked stale bread and chunks of tomatoes and is dressed with olive oil and vinegar and their version was delicious. On Sunday, I was looking for something to make with a london broil I was going to be grilling and since it was a warm day, I wanted to make a salad to go with it. I had a Dove Chocolate Discoveries home party the night before and had an extra loaf of bread leftover. I also had just purchased some beautifully ripe heirloom tomatoes (also known as "ugly" tomatoes) and some fennel that I thought would go nicely in here and boy was I right! My daughter and her friend actually woke up to the smell of the fennel and garlic roasting (I guess that's one way to wake up teenagers!) and came out of the room ready to taste my latest creation. It was a definite hit and we barely had enough for dinnertime as they kept taking "tastes" throughout the day. This salad was so good and I loved how colorful it was. 

Roasted Fennel & Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad
1/2 Fennel Bulb, chopped
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Loaf Italian Bread (1-2 days old ok)
2 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
2 Heirloom ("Ugly") Tomatoes, large dice
Prepared Dressing

In a bowl, mix together the fennel, garlic,  oil, salt and pepper. Add to a baking sheet and roast at 425 for 10 minutes. Cut the bread into cubes, place on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 5-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, fennel mixture and bread to a large bowl. Next, add in the dressing and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serves 4-6. 

Dressing
2 tsp. Capers
3 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, grated

Blend all ingredients together in a mini chopper or blender until smooth. 

Enjoy! 

Fennel & Asiago Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

I just love mushrooms, though I don't like them raw. So I'm always finding a new way to make them stuffed or sauteed and include them in a lot of my dishes. Mushrooms also have some wonderful health benefits, like the following I found on Organic Facts

*Mushrooms have zero cholesterol, fats and very low carbohydrates which help burn cholesterol when they are digested.

*Mushrooms are very effective in preventing cancer of breast and prostrate due to presence of Beta-Glucans and conjugated Linoleic Acid having anti carcinogenic effects.

*Mushrooms can be an ideal low energy diet for diabetics. They contain natural insulin and enzymes which help break down sugar or starch of the food. Diabetics often suffer from infections, particularly in their limbs, and the natural antibiotics in mushrooms can help protect them from this.

*Mushrooms contain natural antibiotics (similar to penicillin, which itself is extracted from mushrooms), which help heal ulcers and ulcerous wounds and protect them from infections. A good combination of vitamins A, B-Complex and C, found in mushrooms also strengthens immune system.

*Mushrooms are the only vegetable and the second known source (after cod liver oil) to contain vitamin-D in edible form. They are rich in calcium (good for bones), iron (benefits in anemia), potassium (very good for lowering blood pressure), copper (anti bacterial) and selenium (very good for health of bones, teeth, nails, hair and as an anti oxidant). 

These mushrooms were made using a bread stuffing and included the stems (waste not, want not!) along with the breadcrumbs. The fennel and Asiago cheese gave these a wonderful flavor and my family just loved them, I hope yours will too!

Fennel & Asiago Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

24 Large White Mushrooms

1/2 c. Fennel, chopped

1 Clove Garlic, chopped

1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 c. Asiago Cheese, shredded

1/2 c. Italian Breadcrumbs

3 tbsp. Butter, melted

Wash mushrooms, remove stems and place caps on a baking sheet. Add stems to a food processor and pulse so that they are chopped fine. Heat oil in a small saute pan and add the fennel and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes then, add them to the bowl of mushroom stems. Mix in the cheese, breadcrumbs and butter. Next, stuff each mushroom cap with the stuffing and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the breading is lightly brown. Makes 24. 


Points+=1pt. per mushroom


Enjoy! 

Whole Grain Rotini with Fennel, Zucchini & Sun Dried Tomatoes

I've been trying to watch my carbohydrate intake the last couple of weeks but by Friday night, I hadn't eaten one ounce in about 4 days and my body was craving pasta! I threw in what I could find laying around, made a tossed salad and dinner was served. This was the perfect quick meal too since it was one of those hectic nights of playing chauffeur for the kids. If I only had half the social life these two do...sigh...If you don't like to cook with wine, by all means substitute chicken broth. I just think it adds a nice flavor. 

Whole Grain Rotini with Fennel, Zucchini & Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 lb. Barilla Whole Grain Rotini Pasta
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Small Zucchini, rinsed and sliced
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1/2 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 Fennel Bulb, chopped
1/4 c. White Wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1/4 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt, to taste


Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil and add in the zucchini, garlic, tomatoes and fennel. Saute for approximately 5-8 minutes until the vegetables start to soften, then add in the wine. Add in the cooked pasta, cheese and pepper and mix well. Serves 4-6. 


Points+=8pts. per 6 servings
Points+=12pts. per 4 servings


Enjoy! 

Don't forget to send in those entries for the

2012 Home Grown Chef Contest! 

Guest Blogger-Bia Rich

Good morning everyone! I won't be able to create any new posts for the next few days as my daughter is competing in a National Cheering Competition. So, instead of me, I've enlisted the help of some of my foodie friends to share some of their recipes with you. 

Thursday-Bia Rich from Rich and Sweet

Friday-Week 7: Seafood Frenzy Friday

Saturday-Mia Reiter from Mia's Domain

Sunday-No new post today

Monday-Lauren Kelly from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

So let's get started...

Today I'm honored to have Bia Rich from Rich and Sweet here to share one of her recipes with us today. Bia was one of my first foodie friends on Facebook after she found me and invited me to take part in her Tour of Italy blog hop. She was born and raised in Brazil, lived and worked in NYC for many years in the food service industry and now resides in NC with her hubby and son. Oh and she loves red wine as much as I do! :)

So please join me in welcoming Bia today as our Guest Blogger!

My name is Bia Rich and food is my passion!!! Our bodies need food to survive... good food that is... food that is cooked from scratch with love! That's who i am and how i cook! I love to entertain. I love wine. But more than anything, I love food!

It was valentine's day and my valentine was on a business trip. My girlfriend called and informed me that her hubby was also on a business trip and we should get together and have some wine and watch romantic comedies. But of course, we had to add a meal to the package. I ran to the butcher shop right before they closed and picked up 2 fillets, and got home searching for a good side to go with. Had fennel in my crisper and thought it would go together perfectly, and it did! Who doesn't love fennel? We had this meal with toast points and spinach which was wilted by sitting under the hot steak and wine reduction, and ate on my coffee table while watching a movie and siting in front of the fire. 

Pan Seared Fillet, Red Wine Reduction, Roasted Fennel and Shallots served on a bed of Spinach: For two

2 8oz-1 inch thick fillet mignon

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large bulb of fennel, cut into wedges

2 large shallots, peeled and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

2 cups dry red wine

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

2 cups spinach

Toast points to serve

Preheat oven to 400F. Remove fillets from fridge to bring to room temperature. Whisk  2 tablespoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Place fennel and shallots in a baking sheet. Brush veggies with oil mixture and roast for 20 minutes. With a large spatula, flip the veggies and roast another 20 minutes until caramelized. Remove from oven and let it rest. Rub fillets with a little salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet. When very hot, add fillets. It's a little messy, so use a grease splatter screen if you have one. For medium rare, cook on medium high for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. With a pair of metal thongs, remove grease splatter screen and fry steak on all sides, wearing kitchen mittens is a good idea, so the grease doesn't burn you. Remove steaks from pan, and let them rest for a few minutes on a cutting board. Keep cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add wine, whisk in all the burn and fat bits. Reduce wine by half. Add butter and fresh thyme and whisk until absorbed.Slice steaks into somewhat thin slices. I used a large square platter. Lay spinach on bottom of platter and place toast points all around it. Next lay roasted fennel and shallots and place steak in the middle. Pour hot wine reduction all over it and serve immediately.

Sausage with Roasted Fennel & Zucchini

Remember when I said I had an experiment go awry with the Sweet Potato Gnocchi? Well, this was Plan B. I had a package of sausage in the freezer so I took that out to make dinner with instead. This is such a quick and easy meal to put together and if you wanted to, you could even put this over pasta but we ate it 'as is'. The flavor combination of sweet italian sausage with the roasted fennel, zucchini and spinach was incredible. I'm just a huge fan of roasting any vegetable. I think it turned out pretty well and the family loved it. 

Sausage with Roasted Fennel & Zucchini
14 Links Sausage
1c. Fennel, chopped
1 Zucchini, sliced
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
1 pt. Grape Tomatoes
1 Clove Garlic
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 c. Fresh Spinach
1/2 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
1 c. White Wine 


Place sausage on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven and slice diagonally into 1/4" thick slices. Set aside. In a bowl, mix together the fennel, zucchini, onion, rosemary, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Add the sausage to a large, non-stick frying pan and saute until the pieces turn slightly brown. Add the wine, then the roasted vegetables and spinach. Saute until spinach starts to wilt and add in the cheese. Mix well. Serves 6-8. 


Enjoy!

Roasted Fennel Green Beans & Cookbook Production Timeline

First, I just wanted to let you know that I got the official word that my Cookbook (yet to be titled) has started production and will be in in the Copy Editing Phase for the next month. Here is the timeline the publishing company gave me and I'll keep you updated as to what Phase I'm in and when the book will be ready for purchase. I'm extremely excited but as you can see, it is a very long process. :)

And now for the recipe...


I LOVE fresh green beans but until the other night, I've never tried roasting them. Nor did I think to add fennel but I think I found a new way to eat them because these were so good! This recipe was so simple to make and only took 20 minutes from start to finish. I only made these as a side dish to go with my Fennel & Apple Stuffed Pork Chops but I wish I had more. I could have eaten the entire bowl! See, I told you...I even have to organize my dinner by food categories so everything matches. ;)

Roasted Fennel Green Beans
1 lb. Fresh Green Beans, trimmed and rinsed (you can also cut them in half if they're too long)
1 Fennel bulb, white part only, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic
3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste


Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Serves 4. 


Points+=4pts.


Enjoy!

Fennel & Apple Stuffed Pork Chops

I decided for dinner one night that I was going to make some pork chops but wasn't quite  sure what I was going to do with them. I had some leftover homemade whole wheat pita chips from NYE and decided that I'd make a stuffing. I sauteed the fennel with some apples, garlic and thyme then threw in some Asiago cheese last minute too. I decided that since I was using bread as a stuffing, I didn't want to bread these so I just used some of our leftover champagne to help baste the pork while it was cooking. These were fantastic and there was even enough stuffing after filling the pork chops so that I could use it as a side dish also. 

Fennel & Apple Stuffed Pork Chops

4- 6oz. Center Cut Boneless Pork Chops

1 c. Fennel & Apple Whole Wheat Stuffing
1 c. Champagne (You can also use wine, chicken broth or water)
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Trim any fat from your chop then make a pocket by slicing the meat horizontally, but not all of the way through. Stuff each chop with 1/4c. stuffing and place in an oven safe baking dish. Add the champagne (or other liquid) to the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking and to help baste the pork chops while cooking. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 20-30 minutes or until desired temperature is reached (depends on the thickness or your pork chops). Serves 4. 

Points+=10 pts

Fennel & Apple Whole Wheat Stuffing

4 Small Whole Wheat Pitas

1/2 Fennel, white part only, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic

2 Apples, peeled, cored and small dice (I used Paula Red)

1 tsp. Fresh Thyme

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

1/2 c. Shredded Asiago Cheese

Kosher Salt, to taste

Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Add the pita to your food processor or chop in fine pieces and add them to a bowl. In a large frying pan, heat oil and add your fennel, apples and thyme. Saute until the fennel and apples start to turn translucent, then add to your pita crumbs. Add in the chicken broth and the cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add any remaining stuffing to an oven safe dish and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes approx. 3 cups. 

Points+=3pts per 1/2 cup serving

Enjoy!

Just linked this recipe to Baking Bad Foodie Friday