Well, I have been particularly neglectful of all of you for the last couple of days due to all of those parties I hosted! And believe you me, I can’t party like I used to!! I spent a huge amount of time horizontal yesterday!!! Anyway, I am hoping you will forgive me for wimping out on you the last few days!! Lord, am I getting old or what!??!!
OK, now for the good stuff!! As most of you may have noticed on the WW website, they keep talking about something new that is coming next week…If you are anything like me, my motto is “if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it!!!!” That being said, I have had the distinct honor and pleasure of trying out this “something new” a little early!! (I KNOW – LITTLE OLE ME! – No cracks about referring to myself as little please – I AM WORKIN’ ON THAT – RIGHT ALONG WITH YOU!!!)
While I can’t reveal much until next week, I will say this, DON’T WORRY!! It’s all good!! I can say this…all fruit is FREE – YES THAT’S RIGHT, EVEN BANANAS!! Go figure! Another thing I can say is that I feel like I GET TO EAT MORE!!
So now for something Slow on Slow Cooker Monday! This one is from the Eating Well website and I haven’t tried it yet!
Slow Cooker Black Bean Mushroom Chili
6 Points Plus (4 Points-old system)
10 Servings
Ingredients
1 lb dry black beans, rinsed
1 T Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c Mustard seeds
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 t Ground cumin
1/2 t ground cardamom
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 lbs mushrooms, sliced
8 oz chopped tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/4 c water
5 1/2 c vegetable broth
6 oz canned tomato paste
1 1/2 T canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
Instructions
1. Soak beans overnight in 2 quarts water. (Alternatively, place beans and 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.) Drain the beans, discarding soaking liquid.
2. Combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Place over high heat and stir until the spices sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are juicy, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and stir often until the juices evaporate and the vegetables are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broth, tomato paste and chipotles; mix well.
3. Place the beans in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the hot vegetable mixture over the beans. Turn heat to high. Put the lid on and cook until the beans are creamy, 5 to 8 hours.
4. Garnish each serving with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. (Add points for these items!!)
Stove Top Variation:
Total: 4 1/2 hours
In Step 2, increase broth to 8-1/2 cups.
Omit Step 3. Add the beans to the Dutch oven; cover and simmer the chili gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy to bite, about 3 hours.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeno peppers. Ground chipotle chile pepper can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets. Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapenos packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
Tomatillos are tart, plum-size green fruits that look like small, husk-covered green tomatoes. Find them in the produce section near the tomatoes. Remove the outer husk and rinse them well before using.
