INGREDIENTS
1 pound swiss chard
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup roma tomatoes, small diced
Salt - to taste
5 cups chicken broth (or 3 tbsp vegetable broth powder & 5 cups of water)
1/2 cup pearl barley (substitute rice if you want to make it gluten free)
1 can drained cannellini beans
Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak the Swiss Chard in cold water for 10 min., then drain and wash well.
   
2. Slice the stalks crosswise 1/8 inch thick.
   
3. Cut the leaves into 1/4 inch wide strips.
   
4. Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion.
   
5. Add the carrot and celery and cook a couple minutes.
   
6. Add the tomatoes, continue cooking a couple minutes longer.
   
7. Add Swiss chard and season with a pinch of salt.
   
8. Cover and cook over low heat for 1/2 hour.
   
9. Meanwhile, bring stock to a boil.
   
10. Add the barley and simmer until tender, about 35 minutes.
    
11. Drain the barley (or rice), reserving the liquid.
    
12. Add the barley (or rice) and beans to the chard, stir well and cook for a couple minutes.
    
13. Stir in enough reserved liquid to reach soup consistency desired. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
    
14. Laddle into bowls and top with grated cheese.

Recipe adapted from MysticRiver

I LOVE making Chili! When my hubby and I used to live in Colorado, we went to the Old Capitol Grill in Golden, Colorado. I fell in love with their chili! But I couldn't figure out how they made it. The meat wasn't in chunks. It was more of a meat sauce - not sure how to describe it. One day when I was making ground meat for a recipe, I added water too soon and the meat separated into very tiny pieces. That's when I realized that that was (probably) how they got the texture for their chili. I was hooked! Now when I make chili, that is the method I use. I love how it turns out - it makes for a very meaty chili. If you try this recipe, I would love to know what you think.

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs ground turkey
1/2 cup chili powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 29 oz can diced tomatoes
1 29 oz can tomato sauce
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
5 drops of liquid smoke (mesquite blend)
2 cans drained cannellini beans
1 can drained white kidney beans
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or more for more heat)
kosher salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a 1 gallon soup pot, heat olive oil on medium, add onions. Cook onions for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add garlic, cook until fragrant - about 1-2 minutes. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tbsp kosher salt. Stir for about 2-3 minutes to bloom the spices.

Add stock and ground turkey. Stir until ground turkey is separated (no large chunks). Turn up to med-high heat, bring to boil. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, and liquid smoke. Stir and bring back to a boil. Turn down to simmer, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes.

Taste and adjust the spices as needed.

Every once in a while I like to take cookies over to my friends at the lumber yard - but one if the gals is on a strict gluten free diet. So this week, I came up with this combination of recipes for an awesome, chewy peanut butter cookie that has great flavor and is gluten free. I don't even miss the flour!

Ingredients:
1 cup smooth peanut butter*
1 cup crunchy peanut butter*
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bake sheet with parchment paper.

Place all ingredients in a stand mixer bowl and mix on low. Using a cookie scoop, drop 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough on bake sheet. Flat cookie with a fork in criss-cross design. Bake cookies for about 10-12 minutes or until golden around the edges. Rest cookies on bake sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

*I like the combo of the two. But you can make it with just one kind if you would prefer.