This turned out SO GOOD, I had to write out the recipe before I forgot what I did :)
Please make this, and enjoy.
Ingredients
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
3 stalks celery, 1 cut into 3 pieces, the other 2 diced
4 carrots, 1 cut into 3 pieces, the other 3 diced
whole peppercorns
2 - 3 bay leaves
1 jar diced pimentos
1 can cream of chicken soup
Knorr chicken bouillon (to taste -- I added about 2 T.)
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup whole milk
1 T. minced parsley
garlic powder (about 1/4 tsp)
Lawry's seasoned salt (about 1/4 tsp)
Simmer chicken, 1 stalk celery, 1 carrot, peppercorns and bay leaves with enough water to cover in a 6 quart pot until done, about an hour or so.
Strain broth, wipe out the pot, and return broth to the pot. Add the diced celery, carrot, cream of chicken soup and bouillon and cook about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pick apart the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
In a separate bowl, combine the Bisquick, milk, parsley, garlic powder and seasoned salt until a wet dough forms. Drop teaspoons full of the dough into the simmering soup ((they will get bigger, so err on the side of smallness)). Cook 10 minutes. Put the lid on the pot and add the peas and pimentos and cook an additional 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and devour.
My 4 year old ate 3 bowls of this tonight. My husband exclaimed "This is REALLY good!" ... I believe I agree.
Buon appetito!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Pasta with Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Yes. I said pasta. And that is because since June 26th, I've lost 25 lbs following the No S Diet. And can I tell you how much I have enjoyed food again? There's not enough exclamation points in this world.
So last night, I made something I had been envisioning in my head for about a week. I thought "This SHOULD work" ... and it did. And even my kids (one of whom was saying "I no like mushrooms, mommy") ate this down. The non-mushroom eater eating off her brother's plate, in fact.
I told my husband "I gotta write down what I did before I forget". He agreed.
Ingredients
1 lb pasta - shape of your choice (I had a weird shape from Costco, it was good)
1 stick butter
3 chicken breasts (or about 2 lbs chicken, cut into bite-size pieces - I did about 1" cubes)
5 cloves garlic
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (I get the one with less sodium, but NOT the one without fat)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chardonnay
1 package sliced mushrooms
2 handfuls grated parmesan (probably about 3/4 cup -- up to you)
Salt/Pepper/No Salt Seasoning/Garlic powder
Start water boiling for pasta as you assemble ingredients and dice chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 T. butter. Season the chicken with salt/pepper/no salt seasoning/garlic powder and sear in batches in the pan. Hopefully you're not using nonstick so you'll start to develop that brown crust, which makes everything in life so delicious. The chicken shouldn't cook all the way through, you just want to develop flavor.
Remove the chicken, and add the remaining butter and plop the mushrooms in. Season them with pepper and salt and let them hang out a bit while you chop the garlic and throw that in there, too. Mushrooms should cook about 2 minutes or so, until they get super delicious looking/smelling.
Return the chicken to the pan with the mushrooms and add the wine, making sure to scrape up any bits of goodness that were sticking to the pan. Let simmer about 2 minutes to let the alcohol kind of "mellow out", and add the soup and sour cream. Turn the heat to low and just let it simmer a little while -- gently -- while the pasta cooks.
When the pasta is done, add the parmesan to the sauce, put your pasta in the strainer and pour your sauce into the large pan you just used to boil the pasta ((stay with me -- this is awesome, I swear)). Add the drained pasta to the pan you used to cook the sauce, and let it sop up alllllllll the bits o' delicious sauce that clinged to the pan. Pour the pasta into the large pot with the sauce, add more cheese if you like, and more black pepper and serve. If you have some parsley, throw that on top (much to my chagrin, mine was gross) ... some fresh thyme would also be LOVELY here.
**If you're curious about No S, nosdiet.com ... it has changed my life. For reals.
So last night, I made something I had been envisioning in my head for about a week. I thought "This SHOULD work" ... and it did. And even my kids (one of whom was saying "I no like mushrooms, mommy") ate this down. The non-mushroom eater eating off her brother's plate, in fact.
I told my husband "I gotta write down what I did before I forget". He agreed.
Ingredients
1 lb pasta - shape of your choice (I had a weird shape from Costco, it was good)
1 stick butter
3 chicken breasts (or about 2 lbs chicken, cut into bite-size pieces - I did about 1" cubes)
5 cloves garlic
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (I get the one with less sodium, but NOT the one without fat)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chardonnay
1 package sliced mushrooms
2 handfuls grated parmesan (probably about 3/4 cup -- up to you)
Salt/Pepper/No Salt Seasoning/Garlic powder
Start water boiling for pasta as you assemble ingredients and dice chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 T. butter. Season the chicken with salt/pepper/no salt seasoning/garlic powder and sear in batches in the pan. Hopefully you're not using nonstick so you'll start to develop that brown crust, which makes everything in life so delicious. The chicken shouldn't cook all the way through, you just want to develop flavor.
Remove the chicken, and add the remaining butter and plop the mushrooms in. Season them with pepper and salt and let them hang out a bit while you chop the garlic and throw that in there, too. Mushrooms should cook about 2 minutes or so, until they get super delicious looking/smelling.
Return the chicken to the pan with the mushrooms and add the wine, making sure to scrape up any bits of goodness that were sticking to the pan. Let simmer about 2 minutes to let the alcohol kind of "mellow out", and add the soup and sour cream. Turn the heat to low and just let it simmer a little while -- gently -- while the pasta cooks.
When the pasta is done, add the parmesan to the sauce, put your pasta in the strainer and pour your sauce into the large pan you just used to boil the pasta ((stay with me -- this is awesome, I swear)). Add the drained pasta to the pan you used to cook the sauce, and let it sop up alllllllll the bits o' delicious sauce that clinged to the pan. Pour the pasta into the large pot with the sauce, add more cheese if you like, and more black pepper and serve. If you have some parsley, throw that on top (much to my chagrin, mine was gross) ... some fresh thyme would also be LOVELY here.
**If you're curious about No S, nosdiet.com ... it has changed my life. For reals.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Spiced Pork with Bourbon Reduction Sauce
So I have had this recipe in my recipe binder, copied from a Cooking Light page, for years. In fact, I think I copied it off in 2006, highlighted this recipe, and then tucked it away for use "someday".
Someday happened yesterday.
I modified the original recipe a little (lot?) because I have 3 kids and am not about to cook up slices of pork loin at dinner (aka crazy) hour. So, I used a pork sirloin and my crock pot and came up with something delicious.
Spiced Pork with Bourbon Reduction Sauce
original: Cooking Light
modified by: Me
Ingredients
Sauce
1 cup bourbon (Makers Mark around here)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 T. bottled minced garlic
1 tsp black pepper
Pork
1.5 tsp chili powder
scant 1 tsp cinnamon
heaping 1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 heaping T. Knorr Chicken Bouillon
2 pork sirloins (~2 lbs each)
Combine all the spices for the pork in a small bowl. Rub sirloins all over with the "rub", put in your crock pot (my large one is broken, so I used my 3 qt and they fit stacked on top of each other just fine), and set to low and forget about it for at least 20 hours, up to 24 hours.
About 2 hours before you wish to eat, combine sauce ingredients in small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and let the sauce reduce until you have about 1 cup of sauce (takes about 10 minutes and will smell amazing).
While the sauce is simmering, take the pork out of the crockpot and shred using 2 forks. Return the pork to the crockpot, add the sauce on top and stir with some tongs to combine. Let cook on low until you are ready to eat.
Serve with basmati rice and a vegetable (we had squash) and top generously with Sriracha. The meat would also be delicious with an Asian slaw of cabbage, green onion, cilantro, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar. And I can imagine wrapping it in a tortilla with the rice and a slaw to make an Asian-inspired burrito.
I will be making this again, and again, and again.
Someday happened yesterday.
I modified the original recipe a little (lot?) because I have 3 kids and am not about to cook up slices of pork loin at dinner (aka crazy) hour. So, I used a pork sirloin and my crock pot and came up with something delicious.
Spiced Pork with Bourbon Reduction Sauce
original: Cooking Light
modified by: Me
Ingredients
Sauce
1 cup bourbon (Makers Mark around here)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 T. bottled minced garlic
1 tsp black pepper
Pork
1.5 tsp chili powder
scant 1 tsp cinnamon
heaping 1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 heaping T. Knorr Chicken Bouillon
2 pork sirloins (~2 lbs each)
Combine all the spices for the pork in a small bowl. Rub sirloins all over with the "rub", put in your crock pot (my large one is broken, so I used my 3 qt and they fit stacked on top of each other just fine), and set to low and forget about it for at least 20 hours, up to 24 hours.
About 2 hours before you wish to eat, combine sauce ingredients in small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and let the sauce reduce until you have about 1 cup of sauce (takes about 10 minutes and will smell amazing).
While the sauce is simmering, take the pork out of the crockpot and shred using 2 forks. Return the pork to the crockpot, add the sauce on top and stir with some tongs to combine. Let cook on low until you are ready to eat.
Serve with basmati rice and a vegetable (we had squash) and top generously with Sriracha. The meat would also be delicious with an Asian slaw of cabbage, green onion, cilantro, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar. And I can imagine wrapping it in a tortilla with the rice and a slaw to make an Asian-inspired burrito.
I will be making this again, and again, and again.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Bea's Casserole
About 100 years ago, I dated someone whose mom was a great "comfort foods" type of cook. She is the same of the Chili Soup recipe.
Anyway, one time I went to their house (conveniently located 2 blocks from my place) and she had made this casserole known only as "Bea's Casserole" for the great-Aunt/distant cousin/grandmother who came up with the recipe.
I had to have the recipe. I was 22 years old and I was making this casserole at least once a month for myself (it lasted about a week -- and, like many things I enjoy, is an excellent vehicle for hot sauce). This casserole could be to blame for my 15 lb weight gain that year, but it was fun getting there.
I don't make it often and, now that I think of it, I've never made it for Geoff. So it's been at least 7 years since I've made this.
But as I am due to give birth at any time (so they tell me), I need comfort food. And something to cook that's easy and will last awhile. Something I know the kids (and Geoff) will enjoy. Something I know I will want after I have this baby (hoping he comes very, very soon).
So, I'm going to make Bea's Casserole. And I haven't so much as been to the grocery store yet, and I can't wait for dinner.
I'm typing this out the way I received it, which is why the layout might look different from usual. I feel that some recipes, particularly family ones, deserve -- at the very least -- a modicum of respect. Enjoy.
Ingredients
2 12 oz bags of wide noodle pasta (any brand will do)
2 regular size cans cream of mushroom soup
16 oz sour cream (must be whole fat)
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 can sliced water chestnuts
2 boxes sliced fresh mushrooms
1 diced onion
dill (fresh)
parmesan cheese
olive oil
3 T. butter
whole milk or cream
PAM
salt/pepper
1. Boil noodles to al dente, then drain
2. Brown ground beef, then drain
3. Add sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, diced onion, and cooked noodles to ground beef. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spray (large) baking pan with PAM
5. Add half of casserole to baking pan
6. Sprinkle casserole in pan with dill
7. Layer water chestnuts and mushrooms over casserole in pan
8. Add rest of casserole to baking pan
9. Drizzle with olive oil
10. Dot with chunks of butter
11. Pour milk or cream around edge of casserole (this is optional to add moisture)
12. Top with LOTS of parmesan cheese
13. Bake at 350 for 45 min. to 1 hour, or until golden brown
Anyway, one time I went to their house (conveniently located 2 blocks from my place) and she had made this casserole known only as "Bea's Casserole" for the great-Aunt/distant cousin/grandmother who came up with the recipe.
I had to have the recipe. I was 22 years old and I was making this casserole at least once a month for myself (it lasted about a week -- and, like many things I enjoy, is an excellent vehicle for hot sauce). This casserole could be to blame for my 15 lb weight gain that year, but it was fun getting there.
I don't make it often and, now that I think of it, I've never made it for Geoff. So it's been at least 7 years since I've made this.
But as I am due to give birth at any time (so they tell me), I need comfort food. And something to cook that's easy and will last awhile. Something I know the kids (and Geoff) will enjoy. Something I know I will want after I have this baby (hoping he comes very, very soon).
So, I'm going to make Bea's Casserole. And I haven't so much as been to the grocery store yet, and I can't wait for dinner.
I'm typing this out the way I received it, which is why the layout might look different from usual. I feel that some recipes, particularly family ones, deserve -- at the very least -- a modicum of respect. Enjoy.
Ingredients
2 12 oz bags of wide noodle pasta (any brand will do)
2 regular size cans cream of mushroom soup
16 oz sour cream (must be whole fat)
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 can sliced water chestnuts
2 boxes sliced fresh mushrooms
1 diced onion
dill (fresh)
parmesan cheese
olive oil
3 T. butter
whole milk or cream
PAM
salt/pepper
1. Boil noodles to al dente, then drain
2. Brown ground beef, then drain
3. Add sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, diced onion, and cooked noodles to ground beef. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spray (large) baking pan with PAM
5. Add half of casserole to baking pan
6. Sprinkle casserole in pan with dill
7. Layer water chestnuts and mushrooms over casserole in pan
8. Add rest of casserole to baking pan
9. Drizzle with olive oil
10. Dot with chunks of butter
11. Pour milk or cream around edge of casserole (this is optional to add moisture)
12. Top with LOTS of parmesan cheese
13. Bake at 350 for 45 min. to 1 hour, or until golden brown
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Jambalaya (nod to Rachael Ray)
I have to admit ... I took a long time coming around to Rachael Ray. Yes, I loved watching 30 Minute Meals when it came out -- amazed that she could make such awesome food in such a short period of time. But .. I never really took her seriously.
And then I tried her recipe for BLT Frittata. Amazing. And the year I found out about it, I made it all. the. time. I'm telling you -- I probably made it every other week. Lowcarb dieting will do that to a person. But, seriously, make. that. frittata. (Note: I subbed bacon because it's easier to access than pancetta and I'm not picky about such things).
And then I tried Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Shrimp. Again, amazing. Perfect recipe that didn't fail me. The husband approved.
And then my mom told me about her recipe for Jambalaya. I thought "Okay, now we're going too far". This is a serious recipe and I just couldn't take her seriously.
When my mom told me my brother made it and it turned out great, I thought "I have to try this". I have never made another recipe for Jambalaya since.
Granted, I made my own modifications:
1. I use my own ratio of onion/bell pepper/celery/garlic/bay leaves (it's a religion I apply to all Cajun recipes and is easy to remember as it's 1-2-3-4-5 of each item)
and
2. I'm way WAY too lazy to make separate rice, so I add additional chicken broth and cook the rice in with the whole pot so it's a one-pot meal. Yes, it takes longer than 30 minutes that way, but I don't mind since I usually budget an hour to make dinner.
Please make this and please enjoy. I am telling you ... it's absolute perfection.
Ingredients
EVOO/butter (amount to taste - I usually use about 1/4 cup total of the 2. Fat = flavor, folks)
1 lb shrimp, peeled/tail off/deveined
1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, diced
3/4 - 1 lb andouille sausage, cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/4" half-moons
1 onion, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 bay leaves
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 14.5 oz (or whatever they are) cans chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 heaping tsp chile powder (I use whatever I have in the cupboard, usually California)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp Worcestershire (or more)
Cayenne/Hot sauce (to taste)
salt/pepper (to taste)
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
Green onions, thyme and hot sauce (to serve)
1. Season shrimp with Cajun seasoning of your choice (I alternate between some "Cajun seasoning" mix I bought 100 years ago and plain ol' old bay) and cook in a 6 quart pot until done. Set aside.
2. Heat up some more oil/butter in the same pot and brown chicken (I sometimes also season this with some Old Bay/Emeril/Cajun seasoning first as well) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, then add sausage and cook another 2 minutes. Add the veggies + bay leaves and saute for a few minutes until veggies are opaque. Add broth, seasonings, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook about 20 minutes until rice is done.
3. Stir in cooked shrimps and serve with chopped thyme, green onions and hot sauce.
***Alternatively, you can add the shrimp (raw) to the broth/tomatoes/rice, but it does get over cooked. I have to confess, that hasn't bothered me in the slightest in the past. Everything just tastes so good together I promise you *probably* won't mind.
Enjoy!
And then I tried her recipe for BLT Frittata. Amazing. And the year I found out about it, I made it all. the. time. I'm telling you -- I probably made it every other week. Lowcarb dieting will do that to a person. But, seriously, make. that. frittata. (Note: I subbed bacon because it's easier to access than pancetta and I'm not picky about such things).
And then I tried Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Shrimp. Again, amazing. Perfect recipe that didn't fail me. The husband approved.
And then my mom told me about her recipe for Jambalaya. I thought "Okay, now we're going too far". This is a serious recipe and I just couldn't take her seriously.
When my mom told me my brother made it and it turned out great, I thought "I have to try this". I have never made another recipe for Jambalaya since.
Granted, I made my own modifications:
1. I use my own ratio of onion/bell pepper/celery/garlic/bay leaves (it's a religion I apply to all Cajun recipes and is easy to remember as it's 1-2-3-4-5 of each item)
and
2. I'm way WAY too lazy to make separate rice, so I add additional chicken broth and cook the rice in with the whole pot so it's a one-pot meal. Yes, it takes longer than 30 minutes that way, but I don't mind since I usually budget an hour to make dinner.
Please make this and please enjoy. I am telling you ... it's absolute perfection.
Ingredients
EVOO/butter (amount to taste - I usually use about 1/4 cup total of the 2. Fat = flavor, folks)
1 lb shrimp, peeled/tail off/deveined
1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, diced
3/4 - 1 lb andouille sausage, cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/4" half-moons
1 onion, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 bay leaves
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 14.5 oz (or whatever they are) cans chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 heaping tsp chile powder (I use whatever I have in the cupboard, usually California)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp Worcestershire (or more)
Cayenne/Hot sauce (to taste)
salt/pepper (to taste)
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
Green onions, thyme and hot sauce (to serve)
1. Season shrimp with Cajun seasoning of your choice (I alternate between some "Cajun seasoning" mix I bought 100 years ago and plain ol' old bay) and cook in a 6 quart pot until done. Set aside.
2. Heat up some more oil/butter in the same pot and brown chicken (I sometimes also season this with some Old Bay/Emeril/Cajun seasoning first as well) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, then add sausage and cook another 2 minutes. Add the veggies + bay leaves and saute for a few minutes until veggies are opaque. Add broth, seasonings, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook about 20 minutes until rice is done.
3. Stir in cooked shrimps and serve with chopped thyme, green onions and hot sauce.
***Alternatively, you can add the shrimp (raw) to the broth/tomatoes/rice, but it does get over cooked. I have to confess, that hasn't bothered me in the slightest in the past. Everything just tastes so good together I promise you *probably* won't mind.
Enjoy!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Sopa de Albondigas
For many years, my mom made her recipe for "albondigas" and it was great. So great, I made it for years. And then my brother found a different recipe that used chorizo. So ... I combined elements from the two recipes to come up with my "Ultimate" sopa de albondigas.
My husband absolutely loves this dish, and as I'm considering making it this week, I figured I'd share the recipe.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 T. cooking oil
7 - 8 cups chicken stock (I always start with 7, but usually add more)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano (whole, crushed between your fingers)
1 tsp cumin
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 small or 1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and cut across into 1/2" slices
salt/pepper to taste
Meatballs:
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed slightly with your fingers
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 carrot, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I run mine over my microplane, but a garlic press would work, too)
1/4 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb chorizo (I like Cattaneo Bros.)
In a large soup pot, saute onion/garlic/celery over medium-high heat in the oil for a few minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes, the spices and the broth. Bring to a boil and add the carrots and potatoes. Simmer 5-10 minutes.
While simmering, make the meatballs:
Combine egg/spices/herbs/carrot/garlic/rice in a medium bowl. Add meat and combine well -- hands work best to really make sure the 2 meats get mixed together. Shape into meatballs using a 2 tsp size cookie scoop (very small - you can approximate by using 1 Tablespoon measure -- the meatballs increase in size when cooked as the rice expands).
Gently add meatballs to the simmering soup and cook for 15 minutes. Add zucchini and continue simmering for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with lemon/limes and Mexican rice.
My husband absolutely loves this dish, and as I'm considering making it this week, I figured I'd share the recipe.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 T. cooking oil
7 - 8 cups chicken stock (I always start with 7, but usually add more)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano (whole, crushed between your fingers)
1 tsp cumin
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 small or 1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and cut across into 1/2" slices
salt/pepper to taste
Meatballs:
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed slightly with your fingers
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 carrot, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I run mine over my microplane, but a garlic press would work, too)
1/4 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb chorizo (I like Cattaneo Bros.)
In a large soup pot, saute onion/garlic/celery over medium-high heat in the oil for a few minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes, the spices and the broth. Bring to a boil and add the carrots and potatoes. Simmer 5-10 minutes.
While simmering, make the meatballs:
Combine egg/spices/herbs/carrot/garlic/rice in a medium bowl. Add meat and combine well -- hands work best to really make sure the 2 meats get mixed together. Shape into meatballs using a 2 tsp size cookie scoop (very small - you can approximate by using 1 Tablespoon measure -- the meatballs increase in size when cooked as the rice expands).
Gently add meatballs to the simmering soup and cook for 15 minutes. Add zucchini and continue simmering for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with lemon/limes and Mexican rice.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Chili Soup
Many years ago, I dated someone whose mother made this soup and I immediately needed the recipe. It was just so comforting and so good. I've made it about once or twice a year since (no idea why I don't make it more often -- just one of those things, I guess). His mom was someone who made really delicious "Better Homes and Gardens" type meals. You know the ones: easy, comforting, recognizable. No fancy ingredients. No complicated techniques. Just simple American food cooked well. I loved her cooking.
Anyway ... the chili soup (which, I believe, she called "Chili") is ridiculously easy, inexpensive, makes a TON and is sooooo comforting and tasty. Especially on a rainy night like tonight.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
chile powder (about a heaping Tablespoon)
cumin (a few teaspoons)
red pepper flakes (to taste)
garlic powder (I'd say ... a teaspoon)
oregano (just a pinch)
chopped garlic (to taste)
2 cans beef broth
3 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans (drained)
1 onion, cut in half from pole-to-pole, and then sliced from pole to pole, making long, curvy "strips"
1 bag frozen corn
salt/pepper/garlic salt
Brown ground beef with spices and garlic in a 6 quart soup pot. I estimate the spices because I never got the amounts, so I just put enough in so it tastes "right". You'll know when you taste it if it needs more this or that.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer a few minutes until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes if you desire. Serve with cornbread, or Fritos and maybe even some shredded cheese.
It's so simple and just so comforting and good. The crispy corn, the soft beans, it's just brothy enough, but not too brothy. My kids devoured it tonight -- the 20 month old had 2 bowls.
I consider that a major success.
Enjoy.
Anyway ... the chili soup (which, I believe, she called "Chili") is ridiculously easy, inexpensive, makes a TON and is sooooo comforting and tasty. Especially on a rainy night like tonight.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
chile powder (about a heaping Tablespoon)
cumin (a few teaspoons)
red pepper flakes (to taste)
garlic powder (I'd say ... a teaspoon)
oregano (just a pinch)
chopped garlic (to taste)
2 cans beef broth
3 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans (drained)
1 onion, cut in half from pole-to-pole, and then sliced from pole to pole, making long, curvy "strips"
1 bag frozen corn
salt/pepper/garlic salt
Brown ground beef with spices and garlic in a 6 quart soup pot. I estimate the spices because I never got the amounts, so I just put enough in so it tastes "right". You'll know when you taste it if it needs more this or that.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer a few minutes until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes if you desire. Serve with cornbread, or Fritos and maybe even some shredded cheese.
It's so simple and just so comforting and good. The crispy corn, the soft beans, it's just brothy enough, but not too brothy. My kids devoured it tonight -- the 20 month old had 2 bowls.
I consider that a major success.
Enjoy.
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