Simple food simply cooked
by Elouise
I’m not a foody, but I love down-to-earth delicious simple prep dishes! It’s just past 10:30 am, and my trusty old slow cooker is already hard at work on one of my favorites. It should be ready to eat by supper time.
Why a simple recipe today?
I’ve been thinking about simple actions I might take as a citizen of these United States. I want to do my bit in these next difficult years. Simple food prep popped into my mind because it leaves me free to take other simple actions.
Makes sense to me! Besides, it’s ‘Simply Great’ isn’t it?
So here it is, my simple recipe for today’s simple supper and the next 5-6 days, too.
Winter-Time Vegetables Chili – slow cooker, 4 to 5 quart round works great
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced or diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1-4 Tablespoons chili powder
- 2 15-ounce cans of diced low-sodium tomatoes
- 1 4-ounce can of chopped mild green chilies
- ½ tsp salt (optional – I don’t add any)
- 1 cup fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 16-ounce cans of low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
Optional additions after cooking: balsamic vinegar, fat-free sour cream/plain Greek yogurt to put on the top
Directions
- In slow cooker, layer each ingredient in the order given—Don’t stir!
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until vegetables are tender.
- Stir before serving.
- Top individual servings with sour cream/Greek yogurt or nothing at all.
Comments
- Don’t worry if it looks thin at first; after you stir it up it thickens.
- Store leftovers in refrigerator. I don’t know whether it freezes well.
- Try serving it with a side of steamed greens. Yum!
- If you’re feeling simply brave and grateful, try giving some away.
Here’s to a simple day made up of simple things that mean a lot to you or someone else!
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 26 January 2017
Recipe submitted by Maricarol Magil, Freehold, New Jersey, USA
Found in Fix-It and Forget it Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker, Good Books 2004
Response to WordPress Daily Prompt: Simple
YUM! I like your idea of simplifying, to make everything else more meaningful. Thank you 🙂 xx
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Thanks, Fran! 🙂 Staying simple helps me stay clear, too, so I don’t feel overwhelmed with ‘too much to do/think about’. 😦
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May I offer a cooking tip? When you cut open your butternut squash and de-seed it, take the seeds and any pith you’ve scraped out and put it all in a small pot or pan. Add a stick of butter (or veg oil or olive oil – I like butter 🙂 ) and let it simmer on low heat for a while (anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour). You will end up with intensely squash flavored butter, which you can use to either saute the onions and carrots first here, or just add some to the slow cooker at the same time as everything else (any you don’t use keeps well in the fridge – use it to saute veggies, flavor rice dishes, etc.). If you don’t use fats, you could alternatively steam the seeds over stock, or simmer them, then strain (steaming gives more flavor).
I love using butternut squash as an alternate ingredient in all sorts of dishes, and this chili sounds terrific as well. Thanks for posting it!
🙂
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Oh yeah – and you end up with delicious toasted seeds that you can salt and munch away on, or use as a garnish topping for other dishes! Mmmmmmm 🙂
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Double duty goodness!!! What could be better? 🙂
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Wow! Great idea! Thanks so much. I don’t use butter, but use olive oil and other ‘good’ oils. I’ve got another b-nut squash sitting on the counter, and will definitely give your cooking tip a try. I’m always looking for ways to maximize flavor since I can’t do much sodium. I’m excited to try this out! 🙂
Elouise
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Great! If you try it, let me know if you think it makes a difference. When I was a chef we used to do this all the time with various squashes, and soups in particular really seem to benefit from the treatment.
All the best!
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Will do! I’ve already saved your comments in my recipe files! Many thanks!
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My pleasure 🙂
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This sounds awesome. I love butternut squash and I will definitely try it next time.
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Great! I sure hope it lives up to my hype, now 😉
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now that sounds downright yummy, just happen to have a butternut squash from the neighbors yard on the counter, the other neighbor brought over collards from her garden and small tomatoes too…..I love produce, I may have to save this here recipe and whip some up. Why can’t you stir it while it cooks that long though? I figured a crock pot heats it all the same after that many hours? Thanks E, you are rocking the chef hat!
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I’m not sure why it isn’t to be stirred while cooking. I have a few other recipes that layer ingredients in the crockpot. I think it keeps some ingredients from getting mushy. Maybe someone reading this knows?
Yes! You don’t have to do anything but get it going and then leave it alone. 😊🍴💤
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I do regular chili in a crockpot but I always worry about the bottom scorching, that’s why I asked, perhaps it’s time for a new crockpot 😀 maybe one that preps, cleans and cooks all at once😀thanks E💜
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When you find an all-in-one cooker, I want to know about it! 🙂 I usually keep the heat on low, and haven’t had a problem with scorching. The high setting is good, but only if I use it for the first 1 or 2 hours and then turn it to low. It just speeds things up a bit. Cheers! 🙂
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Beulah is allowing me pizza tonight as I’ve been so very good, no cooking for me, woo hoo!
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That Beulah is one Very Smart Little Cookie! 🙂
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That sounds good. Might I add ground chicken or turkey to it? Or would that take something away from it?
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Good question, Sean. I haven’t tried that out. I do know, however, that adding precooked, cutup pieces of chicken to leftovers works well. I think the taste and texture might be changed significantly if you put ground poultry in to cook with everything else. But I’m not sure about that.
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Ok. I will try it that way. Looking forward to trying this out 🙂
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Yay! Hoping it goes yummy well for you. 🙂
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So do I…thanks for sharing 🙂
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👍
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😊
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. I figured a crock pot heats it all the same after that many hours?
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correct.
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