Thursday, October 7, 2010
London Calling
London is calling away our good friend Fun Bobby! I have been so happy getting to know Jen since we both moved to Dallas after college. She's such a great brunch buddy and I am going to miss her tons! Good luck in London Jen! They won't know what to do with your fabulousness!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Mom & Dad's Chili
Well, fall is here! Time for warm, one-pot meals that make the whole house smell good (and in this instance, Mike let me know that my hair also did when I brought him some lunch). I made chili for several reasons. One, its super simple and versatile. Two, its a one pot dinner. Three, it freezes well. Four, it screams "cool weather meal."
Another chili-pro is that the ingredients are very "everyday." There's nothing exotic.
Ingredients -
canola or vegetable oil
onion, chopped
bell pepper, chopped
garlic, minced (we like A LOT of garlic)
2 heaping tablespoons of flour
1 lb. lean ground beef (I found 92/8)
1 can tomato paste
2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can rotel, drained
2 to 3 heaping tablespoons chili powder
cumin, red pepper, salt and black pepper to taste
2 beef bouillon cubes
water
Directions -
Pour oil onto bottom of a heavy bottomed pan... you want a very thin layer. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic for 5 minutes or so over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir. The flour will give you a thick, rich chili. (If you like thinner chili, decrease the flour.) Add ground beef to pan and break apart while it cooks. Add tomato paste, beans, rotel and seasonings to pan and stir well. Add beef bouillon cube and about the equivalent of 2 cans of water (again, for a thicker chili). Let the mixture come to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. You are ready to eat when the meat is cooked, vegetables are tender and the chili has thickened. I let it simmer for about half an hour this time.
I also baked jalapeno cornbread to go on the side and had grated cheddar and green onions on top. This chili is also yummy served over white rice, with saltines or over fritos!
I mentioned at the beginning that chili freezes well. Mike and I are going to be super busy during October so I wanted to make something that I could freeze a few portions of. Now we've got two ready made meals in the freezer that taste WAY better than anything out of the freezer section of the grocery store!
Another chili-pro is that the ingredients are very "everyday." There's nothing exotic.
Ingredients -
canola or vegetable oil
onion, chopped
bell pepper, chopped
garlic, minced (we like A LOT of garlic)
2 heaping tablespoons of flour
1 lb. lean ground beef (I found 92/8)
1 can tomato paste
2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can rotel, drained
2 to 3 heaping tablespoons chili powder
cumin, red pepper, salt and black pepper to taste
2 beef bouillon cubes
water
Directions -
Pour oil onto bottom of a heavy bottomed pan... you want a very thin layer. Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic for 5 minutes or so over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir. The flour will give you a thick, rich chili. (If you like thinner chili, decrease the flour.) Add ground beef to pan and break apart while it cooks. Add tomato paste, beans, rotel and seasonings to pan and stir well. Add beef bouillon cube and about the equivalent of 2 cans of water (again, for a thicker chili). Let the mixture come to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. You are ready to eat when the meat is cooked, vegetables are tender and the chili has thickened. I let it simmer for about half an hour this time.
I also baked jalapeno cornbread to go on the side and had grated cheddar and green onions on top. This chili is also yummy served over white rice, with saltines or over fritos!
I mentioned at the beginning that chili freezes well. Mike and I are going to be super busy during October so I wanted to make something that I could freeze a few portions of. Now we've got two ready made meals in the freezer that taste WAY better than anything out of the freezer section of the grocery store!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Biscuits
Since September was biscuit month, I made a classic biscuit recipe from Paula Deen. (get the recipe Paula Deen recipe ) These biscuits are great for breakfast or brunch, served with eggs, or served with a bowl of soup for lunch or dinner. I had mine as a snack with strawberry jam! Really easy too!
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