Mom's Chili

2 cans kidney beans (1 can drained)
1 can stewed tomatoes (Hunt's Fire Roasted diced garlic tomatoes) 
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato soup
2 T sugar
1 1/2 lbs ground beef

chili powder*
1t black pepper**
1/2t garlic powder**

1t cumim**
1/2t smoked paprika**

1t Mexican oregano**
1 small onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
3 C water (or less, ya gotta eyeball it 😉)

Brown the ground beef and drain.  Sauté onion and pepper pieces until they begin to get tender, remove from heat.  In a crock pot or soup pot mix all ingredients together.  Simmer on low for 3-4 hours stirring occasionally.
*add chili powder 3-4 shakes at a time - let chili simmer a while between additions

**all seasonings are to taste, given amounts are starting points

Brined and Baked Chicken Breasts

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups warm water
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tbsp whole peppercorns
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, extra fat trimmed
Garlic powder, to taste
Paprika, to taste
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the water, kosher salt, peppercorns, and garlic cloves together in a glass dish. Stir until the salt dissolves in the water. Add the chicken breasts and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place into the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is at an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 5-7 minutes. Slice and serve. Enjoy.

Recipe and picture from fortheloveofcooking.net

Honey-Brined Fried Chicken Breasts

 Ingredients
3 cups cold water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
cayenne pepper to taste
vegetable oil for frying

Directions
Mix cold water, kosher salt, and honey in a large bowl; stir until salt dissolves. Add chicken breasts, and weigh them down with a plate to keep them completely submerged. Cover entire bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove bowl from refrigerator; drain and dry chicken. Pour buttermilk over chicken in a large bowl. Set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Combine flour, black pepper, garlic salt, onion salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
Coat each chicken breast in flour mixture until well covered on all sides; place flour-coated chicken breasts on a cooling rack to dry for 15 minutes.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cook chicken breasts until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 10 to 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Transfer chicken to a cooling rack; allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Cinnamon and Ginger Pork With Raisins and Mint

1T flour, divided
2t ground cinnamon (1T)
2t ground ginger
1t ground cumin
1/4t cayenne pepper
1/4t sea salt
1lb boneless pork loin chops (1/2-3/4in thick)
1 1/2T olive oil
1/2C low-fat reduced-sodium chicken broth
2T golden raisins
1/4C fresh, chopped mint (optional)

In a shallow bowl combine 1/2T (1.5t) flour with the cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, cumin, and salt. Coat all sides of the chop with the mixture.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chops and sear on both sides for 2 minutes
Mix the remaining flour with the broth in a measuring cup.  Add the broth mixture and raisins to the skillet, cover, simmer for 5-6 minutes, until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
If the sauce is not thick enough, remove the chops and keep them warm while continuing to simmer the sauce for an additional two minutes
To serve, drizzle on the sauce and top with the fresh mint,
(grocery was out of fresh mint - pork chop was amazing without it)

Recipe from: Diabetes Forecast May/June 2016 issue

How To Cook Tender & Juicy Pork Chops in the Oven

For the brine (optional):
3 cups cold water, divided
2-3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or 1.5-2.5 tablespoons table salt)
3tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups ice cubes
Optional flavorings: 2 smashed garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf (dash each of Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Mix, Mrs Dash Onion & Herb Mix, and 2-3 dashes coarse ground black pepper)

For the pork chops:
2 to 4 pork chops — center cut, bone-on, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick (about 1 pound each)
Olive oil
Pepper (coarse ground)

Equipment
Shallow dish (for brining) ( large ziploc bag)
Large cast iron, stainless steel, or other oven-safe skillet
Tongs

• Brine the pork chops: brining the pork for even a brief period adds flavor and ensures juiciness in the finished chop. 
• Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil, 
• Add the salt and optional flavorings, and stir to dissolve the salt. 
• Add 2 more cups of cold water - stir - add ice and stir to bring the temperature of the brine down to room temperature. 
• Place the pork chops in a shallow dish and pour the brine over top. (I used a large ziploc)
• The brine should cover the chops — if not, add additional water and salt (1 cup water to 1 tablespoon salt) until the chops are submerged. 
• Cover the dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. (2 hours - half in the fridge, half out so the meat would start coming up to room temp)

• Heat the oven and skillet: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place the skillet in the oven to preheat as well.
• Season the pork chops: While the oven heats, prepare the pork chops. Remove the chops from the brine. Pat dry with paper towels. 
• Rub both sides with olive oil, then sprinkle with pepper. 
• Set the chops aside to warm while the oven finishes heating.
• Remove the skillet from the oven: Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Turn on a vent fan or open a window.
• Sear the pork chops: Lay the pork chops in the hot skillet. You should hear them immediately begin to sizzle. Sear until the undersides of the chops are seared golden, 3 minutes. The chops may start to smoke a little — that's ok. Turn down the heat if it becomes excessive.
• Flip the chops and transfer to the oven: Use tongs to flip the pork chops to the other side. Immediately transfer the skillet to the oven using oven mitts.
• Roast the chops until cooked through: Roast until the pork chops are cooked through and register 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time will be 6 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chops, how cool they were at the start of cooking, and whether they were brined. (mine were brined and room temp - took 7 minutes)
• Start checking the chops at 6 minutes and continue checking every minute or two until the chops are cooked through.
• Rest the chops: Transfer the cooked pork chops to a plate and pour any pan juices over the top (or reserve for making a pan sauce or gravy). Tent loosely with foil and let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe found at http://www.thekitchn.com/