For my hubby!

Funny how a little thing like food preferences can highlight the wonderment of marriage.  Hear me out on this one: marriage is such a blessing.  And it requires an amazing amount of work.  (Hmm, kinda like having children!)  But the grace poured out from this beautiful sacrament is the only explanation I have for how my DH has managed to want to stay married to me this long. ;-)  Don't get me wrong, there are numerous things (the biggies, especially) that we are totally united on.  But our palates do not fall into that category.  Case-in-point: chili.  I mentioned previously that my mother (and, actually, all of my family of origin) would be able to state, with absolute authority, that I have never liked chili in my entire life.  (Well, it's always been a little more severe than a simple, "Oh, I don't care for it.")  In contrast, my DH *loves* chili.  Not as much as spaghetti, but it's definitely in his top 5.  So how do we overcome this great chasm in our relationship?  Simple: self-sacrificing love.  The kind of love that is supposed to reflect true Christian love.  Agape love.  For his part, DH doesn't ask for chili but maybe 2 or 3 times a year.  I know this is a sacrifice for him, and I appreciate it.  For my part, I make it for him when he asks.  And every once in awhile, I stumble upon a recipe that, lo & behold, I kinda actually like!  So if I happen to like it, and it also passes his taste test, then it must be a real winner.  The biggest plus: it's fast and uses the Crock-Pot!  So here it is -- Enjoy!

Three-Bean Turkey Chili (from "Crock Pot Recipe Collection")
1 package (about 1 lb.) ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp. chili powder

1) In wide skillet, brown turkey and onion until no pink remains in the turkey.  Drain and discard fat.  Place in  Crock-Pot. 
2) Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Cook on HIGH 6-8 hours.  Makes 6-8 servings.

***Bonus Recipe***
Great Northern Cornbread (from "Baking Illustrated")
2 Tbsp. butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 c. buttermilk
2/3 c. milk

1. Adjust an oven rack to center position and preheat to 425 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.  Push the mixture up the sides to create a well in the center.
3. Crack the eggs into the well and stir lightly with a wooden spoon, then add buttermilk and milk.  Stir quickly until almost combined.  Add the melted butter and stir until just combined.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake until top is golden brown and lightly cracked and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan, about 25 minutes.
5.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 5-10 minutes, and serve warm.

A note on food allergies...

I love going out to eat.  Truly, I do.  It feels like some great reward to go to someone else’s place, sit down, and be served.  No cooking, no cleaning – just enjoying the meal with those I love.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook!  But I love eating without the work better.

Okay, so this is clearly not something we can (or should) do all that often.  I’d prefer if it were reserved for those times when it can be a fun experience that we can look back on with gratitude.  I do recognize, of course, that convenience has its place.  (I’ve always postulated that this is what makes McDonald’s et al. so popular in the first place.)  However, I simply cannot justify the cost (or the calories) of eating out with a great deal of frequency.

This became a great point of discussion in our household last fall when we took a hard look at our monthly restaurant habit and decided that we needed to tighten our belts (figuratively and literally).  Difficult as it was to stay disciplined, this turned out to be a real blessing because we learned, a couple months later, that our little guy has an allergy to cow’s milk.  (No, it’s not lactose intolerance – it’s an allergy.  And for those who don’t know, cow’s milk and all its evil little minions are in everything.)  So, in a way, that actually made our “fast food fast” that much easier.  It’s one thing to say “no” to eating out because “we really should watch our budget;” it’s another thing entirely when such a prospect can make your child sick.

But we haven’t given up restaurants entirely, and haven’t intended to.  It’s just that it takes quite a bit more planning.  For the most part, we do need to stick to chain restaurants because these places actually recognize that a great deal of people have food allergies and can usually provide some kind of accommodation.  Unfortunately, two recent experiences have just about convinced me that we can’t ever go out to eat again – ever!

Yes, I’m being a bit dramatic.  Sort of.  One such incident occurred last night, when I had actually gone to the trouble of calling a couple of the local restaurants to ask about their menu items that might be dairy-free.  One of them said, “No, we don’t have that, but that’s a really good idea.”  The other said, “The only items we can guarantee won’t have dairy are a grilled chicken breast and salad.”  Right.  Because my toddler just *loves* salad.  So we opted for the chain that had the allergen info available online.  But when you get to a place that actually has a food allergen menu, and it even highlights the “kid’s menu” items, but doesn’t actually serve *any* of those items, the whole process seems a bit ridiculous, not to mention a colossal waste of time. 

Seriously?  Yes, seriously … it wouldn’t occur to me to make this up.  I spent about 5 minutes looking back and forth between the allergy menu, the adult menu, and the kid menu, trying to come up with some combination of food that one of us parent-types would actually want to eat so that we could share with the little one and he wouldn’t get sick.  My DH asked if I thought we should try somewhere else (even though we had already gotten our drinks), and I said no, because where else would we go?  We run into this problem virtually everywhere.  We settled on a salad that was topped with grilled chicken (he could have the chicken) and opted to let him share a few of his sister’s fries.  Except he only wanted the fries.  The chicken had apparently been cooked in some form of child repellant, while the fries were, I’m sure, cooked in candy.

French fries for dinner, eh?  Yep, I can see that “Mother of the Year” award looming in the distance.  He did eventually have a few bites of the chicken, but only after making quite a scene.  So much for that “relaxing, no-fuss, this-will-be-a-treat” dinner option.  I guess this is where that whole “offer it up!” part comes in, right?;-)

What about you?  Any challenges/successes you want to share?  (I could use all the help I can get!)

***For all those individuals out there with food allergies – and their families – you have my empathy and understanding!***

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I just realized it's Cinco de Mayo -- which, for me, makes me ponder all the ways one might enjoy Mexican food!  So, in honor of the day (and to give me an excuse to post a recipe), here's one of my faves -- Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas
3 c. cooked chicken, cut up
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1 can refried beans
3 c. shredded cheese (like Mexican blend)
~10 soft-shell tortillas
1 can (14-15 oz.) enchilada sauce
1 small can sliced black olives
4 green onions, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13x2 baking pan with oil.
2. In medium bowl, combine chicken, canned soup, and sour cream until evenly coated.  (*May add a can of diced green chiles if desired.)
3. In each tortilla, spoon about 2 Tbsp. beans (evenly divide the can among the tortillas).  Top with 3-4 Tbsp. of the chicken mixture (evenly divide).  Top with 2 Tbsp. shredded cheese, reserving the rest.
4. Tightly roll each tortilla and place, seam-side down, in the prepared pan.  (You should be able to fit all 10 in one pan.)
5. Top the rolled tortillas evenly with the can of enchilada sauce.  Next, top with onions and olives.  Lastly, top with remaining shredded cheese.
6. Bake, uncovered, at 350F for about 35 minutes, until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through.
7. Serve with tortilla chips and margaritas or beer!