...but I'll take it anyway. One of the best meals my mom made (not really known for her cooking skills) was stuffed peppers. Typically a fall dish, I can still remember how wonderful that aroma that filled the entire house.
I'll admit - stuffed peppers is an acquired taste. Few are born loving it from birth. Even as a kid, I remember not liking it, then gradually agreeing to at least eat the "stuffing" (it was that or go hungry - mom wasn't really into catering meals to my 8-year-old taste palette). Overtime, I fortunately did acquire a taste for this, making it one of my most cherished comfort foods.
It was definitely a surprise to my husband the first time I made it as a newlywed. Good thing we were still in that "honeymoon" phase where he would gladly try anything put in front of him. Turns out he immediately acquired a taste for it. (Either he had aged thru the period of initial dislike or he was one of those born to love it.)
Somehow this taste preference was only inherited by two of our three kids (67%). Since the one kid who doesn't care for it a) no longer lives at home; b) has sufficient middle-child issues to ding me for the remainder of both our lives, it never stops me from making it. There is something more than comforting about being able to smell a sumptuous dinner in the making while working on a big project around the house. [Pictures and description of that project the stuff of a later post.]
So Sunday's dinner was a tried and true favorite. But last night's was a new one (from allrecipes.com): Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup Typically I have most everything on hand to make this soup (unless my son has totally cleaned me out of black beans without letting me know). I've never used chili beans before - frankly, didn't know what these were and would have easily substituted any other kind of bean instead but since I had to run to the store for black beans I figured I'd check these out as well. Turns out I have been overlooking these forever as they were right there with the rest of the beans. Chili beans are just pinto beans with some seasoned sauce so I didn't drain these (I do drain/rinse the black beans as I don't particularly care for the "black sludge" in all my recipes). I didn't have 10 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with green chilis (I don't think I've ever seen 10 oz. cans) so I subbed one 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes PLUS 1 6 oz. can fire-roasted green chilis (both of which I have plenty on hand). I used a single packet of Costco boneless/skinless chicken breasts (which is essentially one whole chicken breast - I have no idea why this recipe calls for 3 WHOLE breasts as the two halves I used were plenty of chicken).
I've had a favorite slow cooker taco soup recipe (Paula Deen) that just requires way too many canned products along with several packets of seasonings - very tasty but a HUGE hit on the sodium. By using low-salt beans, frozen corn, and making the Taco Seasoning myself (allrecipes.com) this becomes not only very tasty, but actually pretty healthy recipe.
So get out your slow cookers and give these a try (and if you come across any great slow cooker recipes - SHARE!)
~later, tw
[PS - Wii and I have, once again, reached our one week anniversary. I'm pretty sure that Snickers is NOT the appropriate one week anniversary gift.]
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