Beer, Bacon and Chicken Stew... Oh My!

It's fall here in Central Pennsylvania and with fall comes beautiful leaves, the delicious scents of
baked goods, apples, pumpkins, and the lovely crock pot.  I love my crock pot; it is one of my best friends.  There is something so lovely about putting in all the ingredients, seasoning it, setting it, and leaving it to do its thing all afternoon or evening.  Then, when I come home the house smells like heaven.  This recipe was no exception.  I wanted something warm, comforting, and stew-like but healthy.  I wanted to feel warm, comforted and happy as I devoured dinner, especially since we've finally gotten into fall like temperatures.  This recipe from Eating Well did require quite a bit of prep work on the stove in a frying pan, but I used the same frying pan for all the things, and let me tell you, the stew is totally worth it.  The only change I made in this stew was to use a lighter beer.  I did this because I'm not a huge dark beer/stout fan and also because I already had it in my 'fridge versus having to buy more beer.  It made my stew a lot lighter in color, but the flavor is still good and comes through in the stew broth.  Use chicken thighs in this recipe too, not only are they cheaper, but they remain juicy throughout the longer cooking process.  Definitely give this stew a try, it will warm your heart, soul, and bowl!

Beer, Bacon, and Chicken Stew

6 tbsp plus 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp salt, divided, plus more for taste
1/2 tsp of pepper, plus more to taste
2 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 tsp of your favorite oil (I used 2 tsp butter and 2 tsp olive oil)
3 pieces of bacon, chopped
1 2/3 cup of Guinness beer or stout (I used a glass bottle of Coors Light since I had it)
1 pound of baby carrots or 5 large carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
1 8-ounce package of cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
2 cups of chopped onion
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 tsp of dried thyme
1 cup of reduced sodium chicken stock
2 cups of frozen baby peas, thawed
4 small, cubed potatoes (these are totally optional)

First, combine 6 tablespoons of flour with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper in a shallow dish.  Dredge chicken thighs in the mixture to coat completely, transfer to a plate.  Heat 2 tsp of your oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add half the chicken and cook until well browned, about 2 to 4 minutes.  This is the base for the delicious broth, so don't cheat!  When they are done, transfer to the bowl of the slow cooker.  Repeat with the remaining thighs until all the chicken is in the slow cooker crock.  Next, add the chopped bacon to the skillet and cook until brown and crispy.  Stir the remaining flour into the bacon and cook for 2 minutes.  This will remove the raw flour taste.  Then add the beer and scrape up the bits in the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.  Pour the mixture over the chicken.  Add the remaining oil and saute the onion until translucent, add the garlic and cook until just fragrant.  Add the carrots, mushrooms and thyme.  Saute for about 5 minutes and then dump into the crock pot with the bacon and beer broth.  If you want, add the optional potatoes at this time.  Cover and cook until the chicken falls apart, approximately 4 hours on high and 7 to 8 hours on low.  Before you serve, add in the peas and stir.  Allow the peas to be heated through, about 10 minutes.  Taste and then add more salt and pepper as needed.  Mine needed about 1/4 tsp of pepper and about 3/4 tsp of salt.

Makes 8 servings approximately 1 1/3 cups per serving
365 calories *
13g fat (3 sat or 6 mono)*
88 mg cholesterol *
28 g carbohydrates *
0 added sugar *
30 g protein *
4 g fiber *
570 mg sodium *
650 mg potassium*
* Without potatoes and using stout

Rosemary Apple Bread

Bread: warm with a crunchy crust and soft, luscious interior, I'm a sucker for you.  Seriously, it's a terrible, terrible addiction.  I won't touch pre-sliced, somewhat hard bread you buy in a bag (needless to say, I'm not a sandwich girl)  but I will devour an entire loaf of the fresh stuff.  An entire loaf, alone, with no help and no butter.  Then I spend the next 2 hours in a blissed out carb coma, loving and loathing my life decision.  It's a serious problem.  It is why I try to not make fresh bread very often.  I have no self control, none!
    So, what's a girl to do with no self control and a love for bread?  Well, try new bread recipes of course and tell herself that this time will be different.  After a day pep talk about not eating an entire loaf at one time in one sitting, I felt brave enough to try this bread recipe.  It's fall here in PA and apples are my true love.  I've had apple rosemary pork before and loved it, so I figured how could apple rosemary bread be bad and guess what, it's not bad at all, not even a little bit.  In fact, it's pretty darn good, so good that my willpower is being tested every moment it sits on my counter.  I'm on day two and still have half a loaf left, I swear it is only because I've been at work these last two days.  It is good, crazy good, and a bit of Stonewall Kitchen apple cider jam makes it even better.  Like dessert quality good.  So without further ado, here is the original recipe. I made a few changes.  I used dried rosemary.  Why you ask?  I'm cheap and I already had it.  Secondly, I coated to top of the bread with melted butter and then liberally coated it with white sugar.  Why?  Because it made an absolutely phenomenal sweet, crunchy crust that is the perfect foil for this savory bread. I urge you, make this recipe!  I made it using my KitchenAid Stand Mixer, but you can make it by hand with very little effort.  This isn't a bread that has to rise for 2 hrs. 40 minutes of rising time and you are ready to bake.  It's a dense bread, but soft and supple, and just sooo good!

Rosemary Apple Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon ground rosemary (1 tsp finely chopped fresh)
1 package quick-rise yeast
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 small)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 tbsp of white sugar

Put flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, salt, rosemary, and yeast in mixer bowl with bread attachment.  Add water, stirring until a soft dough forms. Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, so dough pulls away from the pan sides and begins to come together.  When dough has pulled away from sides cleanly and doesn't stick to you hands, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes); Cover and let rest 10 minutes in a warm, draft free spot.  Best place thing to do is while you're prepping, turn your oven onto warm, when it is pre-heated, turn it off and when you need to proof your bread, cover it with a towel and place it in the oven.  Knead in apple. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rest 10 minutes in your warm but off oven.

Shape dough into a loaf; place dough in an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Gently press dough into pan; cover. Let rise in a warm place (oven again (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Then remove dough and preheat oven to 375°.

Right before placing it in the oven, brush with melted butter.  Then liberally sprinkle with about 2 tbsps of white granulated sugar.

Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush top with butter. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Apple Pie with homemade filling

      So it's been a while since I've posted, but dissertation writing is in full swing and let me tell you, it's not always fun.  Other times, it is great and I'm so excited I can't wait to write more.  However, it means that most of my other writing has disappeared all together.  Hence the reason the last update for the blog was in April.  AHHHHH!
     This summer I canned a whole bunch of apple pie filling on my own.  I LOVE apple pie.  It is my all time favorite pie.  Actually, apple anything is my favorite.  Fall for me is all about apples!  Pumpkin is alright, but I crave cinnamon, tart apple, brown sugar, and the smell of baking apples.  That is my fall drug of choice.  A few weeks ago I decided to make a pie using my home canned pie filling.  Let me tell you, it was AMAZING!  So this recipe is a little bit of a cheat because the pie filling is already made.  The crust is easy, peasy and so delicious.
   In case you have a fear of crust, the alcohol in the crust ensures that it will always be flaky, no matter how many times you have to roll it out. The crust recipe is my natural go to.  It is from Alton Brown's Super Apple Pie.    The pie filling is from Ball Canning.

Crust
6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ounces vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 to 7 tablespoons applejack
12 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 3/4 cups, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

To make crust:
Place the butter, shortening and applejack into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until the texture looks mealy. Add the shortening and pulse another 3 to 4 times until incorporated.  Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle in 5 tablespoons of the applejack. Replace the lid and pulse 5 times. Add more applejack as needed, and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Weigh the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

For the Filling:

2 cups sliced peeled cored apples, treated to prevent browning* and drained (about 12 medium)
Water
2-3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup ClearJel® (cooking starch used for preserving)
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2-1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice
1-1/4 cups cold water
1/2 cup lemon juice
7 Ball®(16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

DIRECTIONS:
To treat apple slices to prevent browning, apply Ball® Fruit-Fresh® Produce Protector according to the manufacturer's instructions or submerge cut apples in a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 4 cups water.

PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil.  Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
BLANCH apple slices, working with 6 cups at a time, in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm in a covered bowl.
COMBINE sugar, ClearJel®, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large stainless steel saucepan. Stir in apple juice and cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice, return to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Drain apple slices and immediately fold into hot mixture. Before processing, heat, stirring, until apples are heated through.
LADLE hot apple pie filling into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

When you're ready to make it all remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough onto a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9 1/2 to 10-inch pie pan that is 2-inches deep. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary. Then, open the canned jar of pie filling and dump into the pie.  Take the other disk of dough and roll it out to cover the top of the pie.  Seal the edges with a bit of milk and press the edges together until the two disks of dough seal.  Put slices in the top, so the pie can vent and then gently spread some milk over the top of the crust.  Then, sprinkle white sugar on top of the pie to give it a bruleed top.


Preheat oven to 425 and bake on the lowest rack for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 15/20 or until top is brown and filling is bubbly.  Make sure to place a pizza pan below the pan to catch drips.  If needed, the crust can be covered with tin foil if they begin to burn.

Peachy Bourbon Ice Cream

So I've got a fun birthday, February 29th.  It's more fun as I've gotten older (kinda), but as a little kid, it was down right devastating.  Explain to a small kid why they don't have an actual day to celebrate their birthday, be line leader, take in cupcakes, and wear the birthday crown.  As I've gotten older, it's gotten a bit cooler, until I hit those major milestone birthday.  Turning 30 last year was a bit rough, especially when one minute (11:59pm) you're 29 and the next minute (12:00am) you're 30 without so much as an entire day to adjust to this new age.  
   Normally my birthdays are pretty low key; celebrate with family and friends by a nice dinner followed by cake and ice cream.  In previous years I've even made my own cake, searching for the perfect white chocolate raspberry cake.  Recently, I've found that Giant Eagle in Ohio makes a divine White Chocolate Raspberry cake that might actually beat mine.  (That was tough to admit, but it is divine!)  So this year I decided that my addition to my birthday would be ice cream.  Now I'm not a huge ice cream fan; rarely will you ever catch me eating a bowl of ice cream watching tv.  However, I decided that maybe I just wasn't eating the right flavor of ice cream, so I went searching.  I love peaches, I love bourbon, I love brown sugar, therefore Peachy Bourbon Ice Cream was calling my name.  Warning #1: You DO need an ICE CREAM maker for this recipe.  Sorry folks!   I had received one for Christmas this past year that fit my KitchenAid Stand Mixer and I love it! So if you've got an ice cream maker, please try this recipe.  The ice cream is cool, smooth, sweet, spicy, bourbony and peachy; the absolutely perfect combinations.  Needless to say, I finished this ice cream (mostly on my own, with a bit of sharing, but not much).  I really didn't vary the recipe much, except for what type of peaches I used  (frozen since they weren't in season) and how I cooked the peaches.  The original recipe is from Emeril.  Warning #2: vanilla beans are pricey, so plan ahead.

Ingredients:
4 cups half-and-half
1/2 vanilla bean, cut and seeds scraped
Pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
8 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon minced ginger
4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped, plus slices for garnish (or frozen)
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup bourbon

For the Caramel Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk

Directions: 


Combine the half-and-half, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Bring the half-and-half to the boiling point and scald it.  Scalding the half-and-half means that you heat the half-and-half until it just barely bubbles around the edges of the pan.  Once it begins to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat.

In the meantime, beat the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl. Add the half-and-half mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, to the beaten eggs and sugar, whisking in between each addition, until all is used. Do this slowly so that you do not make scrambled eggs.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine mesh sieve and cool completely (allow the custard to cool under refrigeration for at least 2 hours).  Straining makes sure that if you did accidentally cook any of the egg, it doesn't make it into your ice cream.

While the half and half/egg mixture is cooling, prepare the peaches. In a saute pan set over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the ginger to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the peaches and sugar to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until most of the sugar has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high and once the pan is hot, remove from the heat and add the bourbon. Quickly return the pan to the heat and ignite the bourbon*. Once the flames die out, turn the heat off and allow the peaches to cool. When cooled, fold the peaches into the ice cream custard.

After completely cooled, pour the custard into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer's instructions for churning time. Place ice cream in a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

* So igniting the bourbon seems like a really scary process.  It isn't.  I live in an apartment with a sensitive smoke detector and I was concerned about this step.  All I did was turn on my stove fan and light the pan on fire with a lighter.  It didn't flare up real high, but it did burn steady with a blue flame for about 4 minutes.

Serve in ice creams cups with the caramel sauce and garnished with fresh sliced peaches and fresh mint leaves.

For the Caramel Sauce:
Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Add the cream, whisk to combine, and remove from the heat. Add the milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before serving. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)

Yield: generous 3/4 cup

Serve this ice cream with the caramel sauce and you will be in HEAVEN!  It's the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, boozy, and delicious!

Bacon Wrapped Spicy Brown Sugar Pork Ribs

Well after abstaining from meat on Good Friday and having to work on Easter Sunday, my grandmother and I celebrated Easter a day early with a pork festival.  I was in charge of making dinner for grandma and I and I didn't want to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen for a simple meal.  So I ventured to the grocery store and went looking for things that were simple and on sale; I truly had no recipes in mind.  However, when I saw that Western Cut pork ribs were on sale, I was sold.  Pork it would be!  In case Western Cut pork ribs are a new thing to you, check out the photo, they are pieces of pork with no bones.  These are the softest cut of meat, but they are tasty and good for wrapping in bacon!  The rub for these ribs are can be catered to your spice tolerance level.  I like things that are a bit spicy, so these were a perfect combination of sweet and spicy!  I made them the night before and let them sit in the refrigerator, then I took them about about 30 minutes before I wanted to pop them in the oven to come to room temperature.  Feel free to play around with the spice rub mixture and MAKE SURE TO REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS BEFORE SERVING!  Nothing ruins a dinner like a trip to the ER.

Ingredients:
8 Western Cut Pork Ribs
24 strips of bacon (approximately 3 pieces per rib)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
toothpicks

Directions:  Grab yourself a pan with a wire rack that fits in it.  Unwrap the ribs and the bacon and pour yourself out some toothpicks.  In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, cayenne, cinnamon, mustard powder, salt and pepper; then pour this mixture onto a plate.   Leave about  3 tablespoons of the spice mixture in the bowl to sprinkle on before you broil.  Take the pork rib and roll it in the sugar spice mixture, then take a piece of bacon and starting at the end, wrap the bacon as tightly as possible around the rib.  In order to do this, place a toothpick at the end to secure it, then roll/wrap the bacon.  A second clean plate works best for the rolling part.  When the bacon stops, add the second piece and secure with a toothpick,  add a third piece if needed.  The entire rib should be covered by the bacon.  Repeat this until all the ribs are covered.  Enjoy the extra bacon or add it to the bourbon gravy , recipe in next blog post tomorrow.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Cover the ribs with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.  After 25 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Then, turn the broiler on.  Pull out the ribs and sprinkle them on both sides with the left over brown sugar spice mixture.  Broil the ribs on both sides until the bacon turns crisp and the brown sugar creates a crisp crust.  Serve hot!    Don't you dare get rid of those pan drippings!!!!  Bourbon gravy is going to be made from those! Tune in tomorrow!  

Monkey Pudding (Bananas, chocolate and vanilla pudding)

Vanilla, banana, chocolate, banana, vanilla layers of pudding goodness 

 I like sweets, I like sweets a lot.  However, in trying to eat healthier, I've tried to make better decisions on the sweets I'm eating.  This means that I've tried to limit sugar and fat in my sweets.  This pudding isn't the best thing out there since it uses sugar free, fat free Jello pudding, but it does have a banana in it.  I hate bananas, like really, really hate bananas.  The texture really bothers me; however, in this recipe, the banana doesn't bother me so much.  Once again, I apologize for these pictures, but it is really hard to take an amazing picture of pudding.  Pudding just isn't that photogenic, but let me tell you, it is delicious.  Buy yourself some chocolate and vanilla jello pudding and a few bananas and enjoy this sweet treat after dinner. The measurements aren't an exact science, but this is a super quick dessert and I normally make the two puddings before I start dinner and by the time I make and eat dinner, the dessert is ready to assemble.  This is easy peasy and tasty!

Ingredients:
1 pkg Sugar Free, Fat Free Chocolate Jello Pudding
1 pkg Sugar Free, Fat Free Vanilla Jello Pudding
1 cup of milk, divided
1 banana
2 containers
1 bowl (or two if you have to share)
a spoon

In one container, add half of the SF,FF chocolate pudding mix.  Then add half a cup of milk.  Mix the pudding until it starts to turn into pudding.  If you need to add more milk because it is too think, feel free to add it tablespoon by tablespoon.  If add too much milk, add a little bit of chocolate pudding mix.   Once the mixture has mixed the ideal consistency, put the lid on and put in the refrigerator.  In the other bowl, add half of the vanilla pudding mix and half a cup of milk.  Use the same process that you used for the chocolate pudding mix, until the desired consistency is met.  Place this in the refrigerator next to chocolate pudding.  Go do something for 20 to 30 minutes.

Come back in 30 minutes and grab yourself a bowl, spoon, the banana, and a knife.  Peel the banana and cut it into slices.  Grab your spoon, the two pudding containers, and the banana pieces.  Take your spoon and spoon some chocolate (or vanilla) pudding into the bottom of the bowl, then put in a layer of bananas, then spoon in the opposite flavor of pudding, and then put in another layer of bananas.  Keep layering pudding and bananas until you're out of pudding and bananas.  This can make one or two desserts, depending on if you need (or want) to share.  

Crockpot soup: Tequila, Lime, Chicken Fajita

Dinner with a cheddar cornbread muffin

So the calendar says that it is spring here in Central Pennsylvania, but Mother Nature missed that memo.  We've had rain, sun, clouds, and snow showers all within the last three days.   Therefore, when menu planning time came around for the week, I wanted something warm, comforting, and perfect for a rainy/snowy day.  At first, I started thinking about casserole, but casseroles are my go to food for winter and according to the calendar, it's spring!  So my next thought went to soup, however, I've to tell you, I'm not a huge soup fan.  Those clear broth soups with a few things floating around never seem to fill me up.  In fact, I'm often more hungry after eating soup than I was before I started.  So, when I started thinking about soup, I knew it needed to be a soup that had a hint of spice, was jam packed with tons of goodies, and would be easy to put together.  I started thinking that a Mexican style soup would be really good, but I wasn't feeling a chicken tortilla or black bean soup.  I wanted something that screamed SPRING IS HERE!!  I was this soup as I was browsing soup recipes and I instantly fell in love with the photos.  As you all know, my photo taking ability is not the best; but it gets the point across, it's accessible, and it fits into my crazy schedule.  Sometimes I truly wish I took better pictures, but you know what, to heck with it; the food tastes amazing and that is what counts.  So thanks everyone for  putting up with my less than stellar photos!

Without further ado then, let me introduce this Tequila, Lime, Chicken Fajita Crockpot Soup!  Yes, you read that right, CROCKPOT soup!  Whooo hooo! One of my favorite words is crockpot because it is a simple prepare and dump soup.  I've changed the original recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron  and let me tell you, this recipe is probably the best soup recipe I've ever made!  It only takes 3 hours in the crockpot, so if you've got a timer on your crockpot, set it and go.  If not, set your crockpot up for three hours using one of those light timers and enjoy!  You'll come home and your house will smell like a fiesta is waiting for you! Mix up a margarita and enjoy!

Soup without the garnishes

Ingredients:
32 oz unsalted chicken stock (make sure it is unsalted)
1 can of Rotel with green chiles
1 can of Rotel with Cilantro and Lime
1 packet chicken fajita seasoning
1 lb chicken tenders (not the breaded kind, but the raw chicken kind, cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 can low sodium black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 lime (zested and cut in half)
1 package Jalapeno Mango chicken sausage
3/4 cup roasted garlic quinoa  (this came in an ready to make, just add water package)
3 tbsps of tequila
4 fresh Roma tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces

Garnishes:
avocado
Mexican cheese
Sour cream or Greek yogurt
tortillas

In the bowl of your crockpot add the broth, the fajita seasoning packet, half of the lime zest, half of the lime juice, the tequila and corn.  In your food processor, puree the two cans of Rotel until they are a liquid and add to the crockpot.  Then, cut the chicken tenders and chicken sausage into bite size pieces and add them to the liquid.  Drain and rinse the black beans and add them.  Add the quinoa and then turn your crockpot on low and let cook for three hours.  When the three hours have passed and your house now smells like it's ready for fiesta,  add the fresh tomatoes, the other half of the lime juice and serve.  Garnish with your favorite toppings.  I enjoy avocado, cheese, and Greek yogurt.  This is a phenomenal soup and will definitely be added to my soup rotation!

My soup "doctored" up with Greek yogurt, avocado, and cheese