Hearty Beef Chili

Nothing is more comforting than a steamy bowl of chili on a cold snowy day. I have many versions. My family especially loves the one that I include steak. It is great to take a bite and have the chunky pieces of steak. I use any braising steak that is on sale. This makes it less expensive without sacrificing taste.

Ingredients:

2 different cans of beans rinsed and drained (kidney, pinto, butter, or black beans)
1 pound of hamburger, browned and drained
1 1/2 pounds of a braising steak, cut into 1" pieces
1 small onion diced
2 large cans of tomatoes (whole, stewed, crushed, or diced depending on your preference)
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cilantro
1 Tsp. cumin
1 Tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. hot sauce
1 Tsp. chili flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tsp. salt
1 Tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. oil

In a skillet heat oil on medium. Brown the steak on all sides. Remove. Place the onion in the skillet. Saute until translucent. In a slower cooker combine all the ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Garnish with your favorite toppings. (cheddar cheese, sour cream, onions, jalapenos, etc.)

Salmon Cakes

Ingredients:

1 large can salmon, drained and flaked
3 scallions chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
1 lemon, wedged
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. oil

In a large bowl mix all ingredients, except lemon. Form 3 inch patties with mixture. Heat oil in a large pan. On medium cook salmon cakes 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Marinated Mushroom

My son and I love vegetables. We frequent the "olive bar" at our local market for their marinated vegetables. We especially love the mushrooms and garlic. But at $6.99 pound we do not get them that often. So i decided to attempt my own. After several tries, we like this one the best. Keep in mind, you must make this at least 1-2 days ahead of time for the dressing to be absorbed into the vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 pound of baby mushrooms
1 jar of pimentos, drained
1 small yellow onion, diced or sliced
12 garlic cloves, whole
1/3 cup cinder vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 Tsp. of italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. of sugar

In a bowl add mushrooms, pimentos, onion, and garlic. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over mushroom mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 day.

Slow cooker chicken with carrots and potatoes.

Oh, the wonderful slow cooker. It is one of the best creations for the busy person. Nothing beats coming home from a long day to smell the aroma of chicken and herbs filling the air. This one is so easy and my family loves it! And it's defiantly very budget friendly as it uses chicken thighs which are very inexpensive!

Ingredients:

6 chicken thighs
1 pound of small red potatoes
1 lemon sliced
1 small bag of baby carrots (or whole carrots diced into quarters)
1 pound of sweet sausage links or kielbasi
1 Tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. of oil

In a pan, add your oil and brown your chicken thighs on all sides. Remove from heat. Slice the sausage or kielbasi into 1" pieces and brown. Remove from heat. If there is casing, remove this. In slow cooker add potatoes and carrots. Next add the sausage or kielbasi. Add sliced lemons. Place chicken on top. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Bénéficier! (Enjoy!)

Roast Chicken

So, I was shopping at the local market and they had small roasting chickens on sale. BOGO. Every time I see that, it reminds me of a friend that said boy that BOGO makes alot of stuff. She didn't know it meant by one get one free. LOL. So I picked up two for dinner. Chickens are so easy to cook. I prefer mine with thyme and rosemary. Instead of stuffing the cavity with stuffing, I stuff it with lemon and herbs to help flavor the chicken. I am sure everyone has their favorite way. This is mine~

Ingredients:

1 roasting chicken (4-5 pounds)
1 Tbsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. rosemary
1 lemon sliced
2 stalk of celery including leaves in to 2 inch pieces
2 carrot chopped in to 2 inch pieces
2 small yellow onion quartered
olive oil
salt and pepper

Rinse your chicken inside cavity and out with cold water. Remove the "inners". Giblets, etc. Set aside. Sprinkle thoroughly inside the cavity and outside with thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stuff the cavity with lemon slices, 1 onion, 1 celery stalk and 1 carrot. Drizzle outside with olive oil. Place in a roasting pan. Add enough water to cover bottom about 1/4". Add your "inners" to the water. Add the remaining carrot, onion and celery. This will help make a great stock for your gravy. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or until juices run clear. (165 internal temperature) Baste the chicken every 15 minutes. If you notice the skin is getting too dark, tent it with aluminum foil.
When cooked, remove chicken to rest. Strain the broth and place in a pot. Boil and add whisk in 2 Tbsp of flour to thicken the gravy.
Carve chicken and serve with gravy.

Bénéficier! (Enjoy!)

Grandma Minnie's Infamous Spanish Rice

As a child one of my favorite dishes of both mine and my cousins was Grandma's Spanish Rice. I had tried multiple time to make it and failed miserably. Something just was not right. Than, my mom gave me the secret recipe and we made it this past Sunday in Grandma's memorable silver pot (Pictured with my mother and my daughter Nicole below). Was it the pot that made it taste just like Grandma's? Or perhaps Grandma was with us in the kitchen guiding my mother and I to Spanish Rice perfection. Whatever it was, it was AMAZING and tasted tasted like how I remembered Grandma's.



Ingredients:

1 yellow onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 large can of mushrooms
4 pork chops
2 quarts (or cans)of stewed tomatoes
2 cups of uncooked white rice


In large pan, add 2 Tbsp. of oil. Heat on medium high heat. Place the pork chops in the pan and brown them on both sides. Once brown, remove and place on a plate. In the same pan, saute your onions, peppers, and mushrooms about 8 minutes on medium low or until tender. Place this mixture in a large pot. If you have a dutch oven that would work fabulous! Cut your pork chops into 1" pieces. Please be sure to leave some pork on the bones. Place pork along with bones in your pot. Add stewed tomatoes. Add rice. Stir well. Cook over medium low heat. Stirring frequently for about 45 minutes or until rice is tender and sauce is thick.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bénéficier! (Enjoy!)

Grandma Minnie's Famous Chocolate Fudge

As a girl, there are many childhood memories of my Grandmother's wonderful cooking. Every time I would visit, the savory and sweet smells would permeate the air. Now, I am not a baker. And I typically do not like sweets, especially chocolate. However, this fudge my grandmother made had me smacking my lips in anticipation, waiting for her to be done beating the fudge to a a dull finish and anxiously waiting for it to harden after she poured it on a plate. No, she did not use your typical 8x8 pan. She always used a regular dinner plate. Between my cousins and I, we would devour the plate in 5 minutes flat. We were firm believers in "who ever eats the fastest gets the mostest". HA HA. SO, I have tried multiple times to make this recipe. I was finally able to perfect it yesterday. Yes, I had the recipe each time. The fault in previous attempts was in the how long I allowed the fudge to cook and beating it long enough to remove the gloss. Both a very tedious process. For cooking, the recipe calls for boiling until the candy reaches 235 degrees. My success arrived when I ditched my candy thermometer and used the "soft-ball" test. At 235° F, the syrup is at the “soft-ball” stage. That means that when you drop a bit of it into cold water to cool it down, it will form a soft ball. This takes about 18 minutes. Then having the patients and energy to beat the fudge to a dull finish. I hope these tips will help you if you decide to try this fudge recipe!


Ingredients:

3 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of cocoa
1/8 of salt
1 can of evaporated milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 tsp. vanilla

In sauce pan add sugar,cocoa,& salt. Mix together. Stir in milk, cook over medium heat until the syrup reaches a full boil. (Stirring continuously during this process) Cook until your candy thermometer reaches 235, or the soft ball stage as stated above.
Add 1/4 cup of butter and 1 tsp.vanilla. Beat with wooden
spoon till it loses its gloss than pour into butter pan or dish.

You can also add 1/4 cup of peanut butter when you add the butter and vanilla.

Bénéficier! (Enjoy!)